Clash of prides (Private)

[Toraono Suzuhime]

'Breathe. You don't win by being wound up Shujinko. Calm yourself.

Thoughts formed themselves sluggishly in her mind. The small girl with raven hair attempting to locate the home of a good friend of hers. She sparred with this friend multiple times, so why did it feel like today would be any different? It shouldn't have been. They joked and had fun together some of the time, but they spent a lot of their times together sparring to hone their skills. She found it as great practice for her sword techniques. And to fight someone so adept at finding her weak spots gave her insight on what to practice. She still struggled slightly with form, but she was slowly starting to understand. Her mother said that the Iaido was a little to difficult for her right now, so she should practice with the sword out at all times until she was ready. However alongside her trusty companion and sword Muchimonji, Shujinko also had a solid wooden kendo about the same length as her ancestral sword to spar safely with her training partner. It was an agreement between the two. They could hurt one another, but not in a deadly way. In her case, using the Muchimonji. Without anything better to do, she began to think of what happened during her morning.

Flashback

Spoiler

There was a particular smell in the air that Shujinko would have known by now. And even then she still was not used to it. The smell of her father's cooking... it always felt so foreign. Even when her family had now been whole for 5 years now. Her father Otoko was a rugged man, but he was very kind and disliked fighting. He was the moral center of Shujinko's life, where her mother, Yanchana Hadamashi was the core of her persona. Even after her mother had lost her right arm shortly after Shujinko was born, she still had the strength to be a loving (albeit brash) mother figure to Shujinko. The pre-teen girl always found it endearing the way her father spoke and interacted with Hadamashi, almost sickening considering it was her parents but nonetheless.

She loved them all the same, especially Otoko's cooking. He always put a sweet spin on things while Hadamashi would make it tough and spicy. So it was a pleasant change when he took over breakfast duties for the family. Conjuring up all kinds of neat breakfasts foods for his family to eat. Hadamashi a samurai, and Shujinko a samurai in training. They both ate very hardily. Such a happy family...

She was certainly a daddy's girl.

"Daadd~"

She chimed to herself. Completely unaware at that very second that she had reached her destination and already knocked on the door. Shaking herself out of the deep chance of happiness she put herself in. She needed to focus...

WC: 469
~MFT~​

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[Kiriyama Sadako]

The frame of the training dummy shuddered with every attack, it's surface covered in indentions left by the boy's strikes. As usual for the boy this morning Kyo would be going through his exercises, honing his muscle memory though repetitive strikes. 20 repetitions of finger jabs to chakra points, 20 repetitions of palms strikes, 20 kicks, and so on and so forth. Outside of his training the rest of his modest home would be silent, his parents out early to the market, his mother once again dragging his father along on a shopping trip. He was a stern, strong man, though it was hard for him to ever deny his beloved wife, a thought that made the boy chuckle as he delivered another strike to the dummy's neck. It was at that point that he heard the knock at the door, pausing as he relaxed his form. He was only clad in a pair of sweatpants, his toned form glistening with sweat, picking up a towel to dry himself as he moved out of the training room.

"Coming!" he would call out as he moved through the house, opening the door once he reached it. He would come face to face with Shujinko, his childhood friend and one that he had surpassed by a few inches already. He smiled as he leaned against the door frame, brushing a few stray hairs from his face. "Hey, what's up? Didn't expect to see you so early."

WC: 241

 

[Toraono Suzuhime]

Shujinko had since composed herself by the time her old friend Kyo would answer the door. Despite their clashing personalities, the two got along together well, and their parents as well. When they first met, the two immediately entered a pissing contest to see who was the better fighter. Both had their respective restraints placed upon one another for their first spar. Shujinko at first had lost, as she wasn't as experienced in fighting as Kyo. But she had demanded a rematch and managed to best Kyo. The two now had a friendly rivalry and healthy friendship with one another with mutual respect. Their spars usually went back and forth between Shujinko or Kyo besting the other.

Shujinko herself was clad in a dank yellow colored sweater and a medium length black skirt that reached her knees, and brown loafers to match her small feet. Her first reaction was to pinch her nose and make a face of disgust.

"Ugh, you reek Kyo."

She stuck her tongue out quickly in a playful manner and would let herself in. Placing her equipment upon the nearest surface.

"My dad made breakfast early today, I trained for a bit with mom, and decided I should come here. She's started letting me use Muchimonji!"

Shujinko enjoyed referring to her personal blade as if it were it's own entity. Her prized ancestral sword, Muchimonji. A simple sword to Kyo, but a symbol of her potential in Shujinko's eyes. She pat leather wrapping around her sword affectionately before picking up her kendo stick.

"So, do you want something to eat before our spar? Or spar now, eat later? I'm feeling pretty good today i'll have you know."

She grinned with a face of cockiness. Hooking her kendo onto a small loop in a belt she wore to holster her sword. Leaning against a wall to await Kyo's response.

"So other than your yucky boy smell, what's up with you?"'​

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[Kiriyama Sadako]

Kyo chuckled at her words, turning and moving back into the house as he let the girl in. "That's what a real man smells like. I was just about to finish my training, come on." He would say as he led her through the house and into the backyard, tossing his towel over a chair as he moved back to the training dummy. "I hope your mother knows what she's doing. I'd be worried about letting you handle scissors, let alone an actual sword." He would tease her, spreading his feet apart as he got into his stance, focusing on the body of the training dummy. He took a deep breath and released it, suddenly striking out against the dummy and jabbing it at one of its pressure points, the blow not possessing much force, but rather it's danger came from how fast it was and the effects it would have on an actual human being. "What, you're that eager for me to beat you? Guess I can't complain, at least you're a challenge. Sometimes." He would say, jabbing the dummy once more.

 

[Toraono Suzuhime]

"At least I know how to use a weapon. Who knows what would happen if you were given anything other than a butter knife."

She would snatch up the Muchimonji for a moment, heading over to the dummy with her sword held at her side. Taking in a deep breath as she planted her feet firmly onto the ground. Now was the perfect chance to show off how much she progressed.

"Step back civilian."

She commanded in a snarky manner. Closing her eyes for a moment as she envisioned the dummy in front of her. In the girl's mind, she drew an outline of the target. Focus... Breathe... Stay calm... And...

"Hah!"

Her cry bounced off the walls of the room as when a flash of steel, she cut at the dummy's abdomen. No visual change being made in the dummy aside from the slight sway that happened when she swiped her sword at it. She was still trying to get the clean cut technique down. But it seemed she was getting some good progress. With a look of satisfaction, she would sheathe her sword. The sound of the elegant metal sliding against leather was all that was heard. She walked casually closer to the dummy, and then pushed it. As she applied force to the straw, it began to move separately from the rest of itself as a diagonal cut in it's body was made viable. Turning around with a beam of pride.

"My mom's been teaching me Iaido! It's how we samurai get the most out of each strike we make."

She explained briefly before she would place her sword by her things again and would pick up her kendo.

"I'll make sure I buy you a sturdier test dummy so I don't slice it in half."

She remarked with much cockiness in her voice. She would crouch a little lower, readying her stance with the wooden kendo held tightly at her side.

"Ready?"​

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[Kiriyama Sadako]

Shuji, I AM a weapon." He would grin as he held up his hands. I have no need for a sword when I can kill a man with my own two fists." He would say as he backed away, moving to a bench and picking up a bottle of water. As he drank he would watch the girl neatly cut the training dummy in two, the boy surprised at how easy she made it look. "Oh, you're a samurai now? And here I thought you were barely a student!" He would grin, moving to stand before her. "Don't worry about the dummy, we got plenty of them to spare. You should worry more about yourself." He would say as he got into his stance, a beginner's version of the fabled Jyuuken style, motioning for her to attack him.

 

[Toraono Suzuhime]

"I highly doubt your parents have let you commit murder yet. And i'm even more doubtful a pre-teen kid has killed a grown man by punching him. And you know what? Punching isn't exactly a skill, everyone can do it. I guess it just depends on how."

She remarked snidely. As she lacked an actual sheathe to practice Iaido, she instead readied her sword in the mist stance, another thing her mother was teaching her should sh elose her sheathe. Poising her blade towards her adversary in a wide stance, like a snake waiting to strike. They knew enough of each other's fighting styles to know how to counter each other, it was just a matter of who messed up first. Shujinko needed to stay at a range as to not be overwhelmed by Kyo, and would have to default to her small repertoire of close range techniques to get him away from her.

"First to the floor loses. Or first to attack the head wins."

The standard rules for their bouts. It always leaned a bit in Kyo's favor as it was very easy to control one's arms. And harder to aim a sword. But perhaps it was the fair trade off for Kyo because Shujinko had a weapon. Whatever the case, the two were set to spar. Her breaths were long and slow, both kids waiting for the other to make a move. It was the longest part of their bouts. Whoever made the first move. And this day it would be her. Sliding forward quickly thanks to her stance, she would close the distance between she and he. Making a swift stab to the abdomen before she would jump away defensively to not remain at such a close range. She needed to get Kyo on the offensive, as she had gotten rather good at keeping him at a comfortable distance. She would then make a feint, sliding forward about half the distance again, about to thrust out her sword again when she would make a wide swinging horizontal arc. Recovering the the strength of the swing, she would jump back again and recover her stance. Now switched to her other shoulder. Her legs cramping a little bit from having to hold this position...​

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[Kiriyama Sadako]

Kyo would frown as he listened to her, shaking his head. "Anyone can punch? Yeah, that's true. Anyone can also just pick up a sword and wave it around, it's HOW you use it that matters. I really thought you of all people would've understood that by now. How are you ever gonna be a ninja if you keep underestimating people?" He would ask as his grin returned to his lips, standing up to stretch his legs before sliding back into his stance. He would wait, taking measured breaths, feeling that she would be impatient enough to strike first. His hunch proved true as she strode towards him, stabbing towards his abdomen. He quickly jumped to the side before beginning to circle around her, keeping himself moving. She attacked again only to feint at the last moment and swing in a large arc, the boy barely having enough time to duck under it. This was the opening he was waiting for, hopping towards her and giving chase as she jumped back, striking like a viper as he lashed out with two fingers from each hand, seeking to disable her right arm by attacking her pressure points, attempting to continue walking forward in order to stay within striking distance.

 

[Toraono Suzuhime]

"A key difference being that just waving a sword around can get yourself hurt."

And then the spar would begin, her plan seemed to be working at first, until he managed to duck under her horizontal swing, advancing upon her swiftly as his fighting style allowed him. She managed to back up enough for only one of his strikes to hit, but it made her arm go numb. To make sure she wouldn't lose her grip, she had clenched all the muscles in her right arm. Managing by some miracle to hold onto her kendo. Already closing the distance she needed to fight him comfortably. When in such measures, she needed to force some space between them. In a sudden burst of vigor and speed, Shujinko would roll her body so that her left shoulder would be pointed at Kyo. Pushing at Kyo with her shoulder to force him away, and possibly knock him down. She put her victory in jeopardy but exposing her head, but backing up wasn't going to cut it. Hoping she managed to push Kyo off of her, she would jump back again. Clenching her kendo tightly, some life flowing back into her arm.​

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[Kiriyama Sadako]

Kyo managed to land a hit, but Shujinko was much too resourceful to let that stop her. She reasserted her hold on her sword and attacked with her shoulder, slamming into into his chest and knocking him back. He stumbled but didn't lose his footing, cartwheeling back into his stance and punching the air a few times in front of him. He had lost the positional advantage, but knew that the girl would have a harder time on offense due to her stricken arm. He advanced towards her, using his long legs to kick in her direction as he attempted to close the gap. A few feint kicks towards the head would be given before he leapt towards her. Instead of attacking however he would land and quickly duck low to slice at her ankles with his leg, trying to trip her up.

 

[Toraono Suzuhime]

She knew far to well that Kyo wasn't going to risk limb to try and win right off the bat. Calling his bluff on the kicks, she would stab her kendo into the ground at an angle, catching his leg with the weapon acting as a stopper, she would use the extreme advantage to make a swift knee snap to his head. And should he back up from that, she would follow up with a very powerful vertical swing. If he still managed to get past all of that, she would jump back again. Rolling her right shoulder as feeling would finally return back into it. Popping her neck as she began a stare down with Kyo again. Waving her sword in medium sized circles to enervate him. Constantly with the threat of lashing out in a swift slash. She walked in a slow circle, still waving her sword in a full moon arc. There weren't many scare tactics one could make, but she needed Kyo to know that she could block and parry as well as the next teenage girl.​

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[Kiriyama Sadako]

Kyo would be surprised by the way she used the sword to stop his sweep, barely getting an arm up in time to block that knee. As he jumped to his feet he would flip backwards away from that vertical slice, stumbling a little to regain his footing. He started to feel exhaustion setting in, only now realizing that sparring right after training all morning was perhaps not the best idea. He tried to shake feeling back into his arm, having taken a hard hit from that knee, remembering that Shujinko was a threat with more than just her sword. "You've gotten better! Been training more with your mother?" He would say as he moved along with her, keeping his distance.

 

[Toraono Suzuhime]

"Of course! What would you expect? I don't even use training dummies anymore, my dad volunteered to be my sparring partner."

Otoko and Kyo hadn't had much interaction with each other, but if there was anything Kyo knew about her father, was that he was a walking meat shield that could take quite a few hits until he'd go down. She'd basically beat on her own father until she got tired to put it shortly. Put enough of her training regime, she needed to focus on the spar. Her eyes trained upon Kyo in a predatory manner. The two both at a standstill in their battle.

"Let's see... if this were a real fight, I wouldn't be able to use my right arm, and your leg would have a deep cut."

She mused, still circling her sword in a threatening way. She would suddenly stop moving. Perhaps... yes.

"Focus... Breathe..."

She whispered to herself. Holding her kendo to her side as she closed her eyes. Envisioning the outline of Kyo's body, every limb... movement... every sound and disruption made against the surface they both stood on. Focus... wait for you chance...​

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[Kiriyama Sadako]

"You're dad? Oh yeah...he's got some thick skin." The boy would muse as he slowly circled her, looking for some weakness in her stance. "If this was a real fight I'd already beaten you." He would chuckle as he suddenly ran towards her, attempting to surprise her by a spontaneous attack. He would spin low, kicking out his leg to try and trip her, using his momentum to jump upwards to try and kick her face. A barrage of pokes from his fingertips would follow, attempting to get inside of her defenses.

 

[Toraono Suzuhime]

Shujinko had completely composed herself, readied for any attack Kyo might have thrown at her. And as he began charging, the world to her slowed down as she drew in what felt like the longest breath of her life. Exhaling it with a calmness that could only be seen properly on the girl's face. Upon the sweep, she would jab her sword into the ground again to stop the blow, and then duck the second blow in order to gain an advantage. She would ram her left shoulder into his body in forceful ferocity. Looking to stun him long enough for her to land a decisive strike. She had leaped into the air with a sort of show-off fashion as she sought to bring her Kendo directly down onto Kyo, head or not, and force him into a lock. She brought the full weight of her strike overhead as she landed...

'Nononononono!'

Was the first thought that ran through her head when she saw the world beginning to crash down along with her. Her large girlish eyes wide with shock as she felt what exactly was happening. She had landed on her feet incorrectly, causing her own momentum to force her off-balance. She had tried to regain her footing, but this only served to worsen an otherwise nasty fall as gravity began to set in. A searing pain shot through her body that stemmed from her ankle, Bracing herself for impact, she closed her eyes tightly and crossed her arms, having dropped her sword by now. Her otherwise light body making a loud and very audible 'thud' against the mat when she felt her skull whack against the floor despite her efforts.

She merely lay there for a moment, trembling slightly while her younger frame shook in pain. She was now with a massive headache, and her whole leg was on fire. Her arms sore from absorbing the blow, and the rest of her body shaken from the force of her weight meeting a solid wall.... err... floor. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, the small droplets threatening to open the floodgates as she whimpered softly to herself. Desperately trying to keep herself from crying and making a bigger fool of herself. Doing whatever she could to try and misplace the pain, clenching her fists tightly as she curled up into a ball. Even when trying hard to act fine, it was very obvious to the perceptive young man that she was hurt.

She clenched her teeth tightly as she removed her thankfully loose shoe, and her unfortunately long sock. Feeling the fabric run down the now inflamed and sensitive skin. Revealing her otherwise small foot was now red, swollen, and puffy. She gave it a tentative poke, only eliciting a small yip from the sudden-ness she got from the feeling of poking it. Looking up rather pitifully at Kyo, mortified at what he might have thought of this embarrassing display.
~MFT~
WC: 492​

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[Kiriyama Sadako]

Kyo would brace himself for a counter attack, watching the girl prepare to swing at him. He would jump backwards, hoping he was quick enough to dodge the attack, steeling himself in case he misjudged it and was about to receive a whack from her wooden sword. The attack would never come, the boy watching in disbelief as Shujinko overswung and sent herself head over heels, hitting the mat hard enough that it caused him to wince. He stood there silently at first, unsure of whether she was actually hurt or if it was a trick of some sort, only realizing the pain she was in once he saw her face. "Hey, are you ok?" He would ask as he knelt down next to her, looking over at her swollen ankle. "You twisted your ankle. Here, hold on..." He would say as she moved his arms under her, easily lifting her up as he moved to his feet. He carried her into the house, entering the living room and setting her down carefully on the couch. "I'll get you some ice...is your head alright? You took quite a bump...want me to get some aspirin?" He would ask as he leaned in close to her, gently running his hand over her forehead.

He stood and moved into the kitchen, eventually returning with a small bag of ice, two aspirin, and a glass of water, setting them all down on the table. "You need to be more careful, Shuji. Commiting so much to an attack like that will get you killed." He would say with a smile, taking the bag and gently applying it to her ankle.

 

[Toraono Suzuhime]

Shujinko would make a sad sniffle while tears slowly forced themselves out of the ducts. They ever so slowly streamed out, trying to remain silent when she felt not only her body be wounded, but her pride as well. But common sense told her to accept Kyo's assistance, because he seemed to know what he was doing when he helped her into the main part of his home and sat her on the couch. Just nodding with a slight motion of shame. But she was grateful. She would lightly touch at her head where she hit her head, already feeling a bump there. Wincing upon contact.

"I should stop touching them..."

She tried to muse to herself. Cracking a half-assed smile as if trying to play off her condition as something more minor despite painful tears still trickling down her face. Shujinko wasn't particularly used to pain. And she didn't foresee her stumble and couldn't brace herself accordingly. But her head still throbbed, and her ankle still pulsed uncomfortably. It wasn't long before Kyo had come back with the objects she required to begin her home treatment. Taking the two Aspirin and gulping one of the down without aid of the water, and then the other one when the previous slithered down her throat. Merely desperate to try and alleviate her head pains. Closing her eyes for a moment and then opening them. Looking over at Kyo with a light pink blush on her face. She didn't have the mental energy to come up with something to say. Wincing when the freezing cold bag made contact with the swollen read appendage, the cold attempting to quell her inflamed skin.

"H-hey Kyo? C-can you get my sword p-please?"

She talked of the real steel blade she had set down earlier before they sparred. Her sword brought her comfort, despite being a reminder of the constant possibility that she hadn't inherited the abilities of the Nanjirou. But feeling the sword within her grip put her at ease.

"I would really appreciate it."

She added, being unusually polite and respectful. But Kyo had saved her from sprawling around on the floor crying her eyes out. So she needed to show gratitude somehow. Whenever she would next get a chance to speak to him, she would pipe up.

"You know Kyo... we're friends and all that, but we rarely ever act this nice to one another... but I guess we don't usually get hurt when we play. I don't know how i'm going to explain this to my daddy... he's going to flip."

She bit her bottom lip in subconscious concern.​

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[Kiriyama Sadako]

"Yeah, sure. Just hold the ice right here, alright?" He would say after Shujinko asked him to retrieve her sword, the boy standing and moving back towards the training area. He would spot it on the ground reaching down to pick it up and look it over. He unsheathed it a little to look at the blade, noticing the quality craftsmanship that had went into it. Re-sheathing it he would return to the girl, setting the sword next to her. "Here you go." He would say as he stood next to her, cocking his head as she made her next statement. "I'm nice, I just like to mess with you is all." He would say with a shrug as he sat down next to her. "I don't want to see you get hurt, you know. And I'm sure you're dad will understand...accidents happen and all that..."

 

[Toraono Suzuhime]

In a moments notice, Kyo had returned with Shujinko's prized and beloved sword, taking the sword and holding it close to her. As if she let go it would fly away. It was unusual for Shujinko to make herself seem to... vulnerable. She clutched her blade tightly, feeling her tears slowly dry up as being close to the weapon had a calming effect on her.

"I guess so... but both of them get so worried when I get hurt... My mother tries to hide it, but I know she's paranoid of something happening to me. And daddy is just like her. I hope they'll understand at least."

She said all of that somewhat quietly. She felt tormented, she had lost due to her own clumsiness... how disgraceful. Exhaling and letting her shoulders droop, she looked over at Kyo.

"What's it like Kyo? To be almost guaranteed to inherit your family bloodline? There's nothing more in the world that I want than to live up to my ancestor's expectations and wield the family sword with honor... and I still haven't shown any signs outside of my fondness for my sword. I still can't communicate with The Elders, I still haven't attained true connection with Muchimonji... and i'm scared..."

She leered down at the ground. She chose not to keep speaking, because it would sound like she was trying to antagonize Kyo. She wanted to know the different perspective. Reaching for the glass of water from earlier, taking a few swigs and then setting it down. Exhaling again to catch her breath as she leaned back. A reason she was so energetic and out-and-about was because she was sometimes tormented by her own thoughts. And she prayed everyday that it would be the one where she establishes her connection to her ancestors. She sat in silence for a few moments, perking her head up a bit.

"I should stop brooding about it and cheer up. Complaining about my problems won't make me a samurai any sooner. But thanks for listening to my whining Kyo."

She smiled sweetly at Kyo when she looked at him. A brief moment of silence as she began to contemplate what she wanted to do next. She was bound to the couch for a while unless Kyo would somehow manage to carry her all the way to her home, but in truth she didn't want to leave just yet.

"So Kyo... what do you want to do now? I can't really practice with... this. You got any board games or something we can play?"

She asked with an obvious tone of curiosity in her voice.​

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[Kiriyama Sadako]

"Really? I thought you're mother would be the kind of person who believes that pain equals experience. I mean, she's training you to be a swordswoman after all, you're bound to get hurt at some point." He would say with a laugh,placing his hands on his hips. At her question he would cock his head once again, thinking it over. "And if you haven't noticed I don't have the Byakugan yet, and until I do I can't learn any of the more complicated Hyuuga techniques." He would say as he pointed at his eye. "We're kids, we're not supposed to already be hitting the peak of our abilities. You're already good with your sword and you're going to be even better once your bloodline kicks in. No need to be so concerned about it." He would say with a shrug. "Well, I'm going to take a shower first. If you want I could make us lunch and then see how the rest of the day goes. How about it?"