Let's Get Down to Business

Spar Info:

He thought his jutsu were too dangerous to use in a spar, and so to make things equal, Kannagi had taken a vow that the spar would only be physical. She promised not to use chakra, considering she had been needing training in physical pursuits regardless. Genkumaru had helped her for about a week, but missions had kept them incredibly busy. It had been a few days since Sojiro and Kannagi had cared for Genkumaru's shoulde and Sojiro had said it healed nicely. The scar was still apparent but then again, she was sure her own scars would surprise Genkumaru today. He hadn't actually taken a good look at her in the light since before his near death battle with a rogue ninja. In this case, her legs, lined with thin white cracks where a life threatening jutsu had instead shredded her shins and calves, would be revealed on this training ground for him to actually take notice.

She wasn't wearing her skirt, just her black shorts and black neck high top, sleeves removed. It almost looked like a swim suit with how closely the blacks blended together in the morning sunshine. There was a very soft breeze in the air and Kannagi knew she would be grateful for that when the two of them started moving again. For Kannagi, she was going to observe and see if the healing that had been done really had provided Genkumaru with full mobility again. For her opponent, who was due to arrive any second upon this large stone training ground, it was going to be about seeing if she had been practicing or training any of the moves he had previously shown her. She had not and knowing Genkumaru, the sight of her legs was going to probably slow him down as well. If he underestimated her because she also had had injuries, then he would regret it. She saw him arriving and waved a single hand, "Good to see you on time. I am ready when you are."

Posts: 1/5

Kannagi was astonished that Genkumaru hadn't asked at all about her legs. The Gen from even just a few days ago would have demanded what happened, how she was injured, if she was all right, if she had received proper healing, if Sojiro knew about it... and on and on. Something about his stance and presentation was different, changed. He wasn't the same Genkumaru from before, but she didn't doubt that he needed more than just a little change either. She noted his scarred shoulder with her blue eyes, nodding to herself once as if to confirm that it appeared to be in good health as Sojiro had explained to her. "I'm ready, Genkumaru," Kannagi answered speculatively, watching his muscles tighten like they were being wound up. He was going to make the first move, she could tell.

As Kannagi observed the man shifting his weight to his right leg, she too took a stance, but a defensive one. Her knees were slightly bent and her arms raised to her ribcage. As he moved towards her, launching up onto one leg and trying to slam her with a roundhouse, Kannagi put a burst of speed in moving forward. His left thigh swung across her middle but it barely carried half the force that would have been in his kick. The best way to transform a kick, Genkumaru had taught, was to get too close for it to be effective. She used this advice here and now. "Haven't talked in some time? I suppose you are right."

Subsequently, he would use the moment to slam his right fist into her stomach. She was too close to dodge the punch from this range and took the full brunt of it with her whole gut. She felt the roiling inside and a groan escaped her lips. She twisted down to hold her stomach with her own right hand, whimpering. She had supposed it would be enough to trick her friend into giving pause and checking on her well being. Whether or not the feint worked, and despite the pain in her stomach, she would use the twist in her body to build up force and whip her own right arm backwards. Her right elbow slammed like a hammer into Genkumaru's sternum if he would allow it. She didn't have a lot of brute force to her body and so she needed to use her own cleverly. "Getting by, as they say. Concerned by those missing children, just can't find an answer to it." She didn't mention that she likely had a rival out there who would want revenge.


Posts: 2/5

Normally a move like this wouldn't have worked on Kannagi. She was agile and fast. Normally a move like this wouldn't work at all, without some real momentum behind the strike of the arm, but Genkumaru was a solid mass who had practiced throwing his weight around quite literally. She had barely caught her breath, her own strike on his sensitive sternum barely making him even hesitate, before his arm swept over her chest and knocked her backwards. As she started to fall, his knee came up, grazing her side at an awkward angle. It wasn't the smartest move, but her chest was still too tight to give her the response time to block such a hit. The graze didn't hurt her much, but the slam against the stone floor knocked her about hard enough to make her gasp with a loud "Ooof." She had relaxed to allow her head to move forward, tucking her chin to her chest and preventing a concussion.

Lying on her back, she rolled over onto her stomach, "A merchant, bandit, tyrant. That description probably fits plenty of people you know." She used her roll to slide her right leg out against the smooth training ground. There was nothing there to impede her with his knee in the middle of either rising or falling to catch his balance from his grazing-strike. With only one foot on the ground, Kannagi attempted to have the swing of her own leg, so low to the ground either trip up his leg as he was returning it to the ground, or knock him off balance with the one leg he used to keep standing. Even if neither strike had enough effect to knock him over or topple him to the side, or even just cause a little falter, Kannagi was no fool. "It almost seems like you are trying in this spar, Gen?" Kannagi teased. She had to get up and keep moving. A man of his size didn't need to do much to catch up to her or do actual damage while someone with her build depended on light feet and avoiding tactics. She would move into a plank pose, then draw up her knees and kick off the ground, hopefully speeding her away in an awkward looking but fast and animal-like hustle.

Posts: 3/5

Kannagi shook her head at Genkumaru. He was sparring hard but she wondered if he even knew the ways he was leaving himself open. Then, she had to consider the possibility he had done it on purpose to lure her to them. The kunoichi kept herself low when the two kicks had come for her, the first going too high and moving over her head. She used the misplaced aim of his leg and moved to grab his leg in her hands. If she managed to take hold she would put on a burst of speed and run towards him, pushing his leg up as she went. It would throw him off balance, maybe knock him over backwards in surprise. If she kept a hold of his leg and he did fall onto his back, Kannagi would put pressure on his leg, bending it up towards his face in a way that was most uncomfortable for an inflexible person. It was a trapping motion for her that she could only hope would work on Genkumaru now.

This time she didn't answer his words, focusing on the quick movements to impress him or not as he assumed she was trying to do.

Posts: 4/5

Kannagi lay there with labored breathing, having used a lot of her energy in trying to flip the man over, a man who was much more muscled and bulky than she herself. Her eyes were up and focused on Genkumaru above her. She could sense his confidence in between all of his usual flattery and it made her happy for him. It was about time he started acting like a true shinobi. Clearly he was still a bit dramatic and emotional, but it didn't seem to thoroughly rule him the way it had previously. Still, a single spar meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. Kannagi would need to see multiple and repeated acts of his changed self to start to view him differently. And even then, it wouldn't mean she saw him as more than a trusted friend.

His legs were wrapped tightly around her and she had felt the click as his hip popped out and back in. It hadn't been her intention, but she was amused to be able to tell that his flexibility hadn't increased. He had not been keeping up his practice with daily yoga after all, she noted to herself. His arms were propped up on either side of her, and Kannagi lay there grateful for the thirty second break in their friendly battle. Only it wasn't a break at all. In revenge for her messing up his hip and making it impossible to move without pain, Genkumaru took clever advantage of the situation. Well, in her eyes it was clever but also foolish, a strange duality.

She had never kissed a man before, nor had she ever been kissed by one. The feel of his lips against her's made her close her eyes, sinking into the tangible and unknown bliss. She didn't feel anything different for him, their relationship hadn't changed, and he had caught her off guard. The kunoichi understood now that that had been the point; he hadn't been trying to make a move on her, as he usually did, he had been trying to surprise her, to catch her off guard so that he might declare himself the winner. She knew her arms and hands were free right now, but any good shinobi could have killed her by this time and that was the point! If a mere kiss, however new and curious, could knock her senses silly then how was she to prove that as an independent woman she could fulfill the role of perfect ninja?!

Kannagi swallowed hard, trying not to smirk. She could play this game too. The blue haired woman leaned forward into the kiss, not knowing what her lips should be doing but hoping that what they did would be enough to turn the tables. Her own passionate kiss was driven by her need to be on top. The kunoichi leaned up, pressing her lips and upper body against his until she was nearly sitting, and then she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Kannagi suddenly rolled backwards, as if pulling him back to the ground to continue the embrace, but instead she used his lack of mobility and hopefully the kiss as a distraction to be able to somersault the pair of them backwards. With her body now in motion and on top, she would stand up quickly and take a step away. Kannagi launched a hard kick of her heel, dropping it onto his chest and hoping to win their spar by knocking the wind right out of him. "You left yourself open," informed the blue haired female with an out of breath grin.