Starring:
Date: March 28, 2013
Summary:
There has been incredible tension between Miyo and Fudo, particularly Miyo not liking anything about Fudo, and Fudo just being a weirdo. After this last battle, Miyo has decided she will no longer associate with Fudo even if she must avoid him at all costs. It is likely the last scene of Miyo and Fudo on even marginally friendly terms.
"Comrades No More"
Gennin Training Area
It is a beautiful, Saturday morning and despite having the day off from lessons at the academy, Miyo had made her way out to the gennin training grounds to practice some of her lessons. She had a particular interest in perfecting her clone technique as she was incredibly close to getting it correct.
To start off her workout, she was busy doing a bit of cardio, running a few sprints. She seemed to be making her way through them easily enough, but sustained work had her breathing heavy and getting a reasonably good workout out of it.
"It is good to see that you are out here training once again." Fudo would state as he seemed to arrive during Miyo's work out. He leveled his gaze upon her as he approached, outfitted with a starkly different appearance than before and wielding the sword he had shown her across his back. "I was… concerned that you may still be on break, mermaid." he murmured lightly. After getting in to the area, he seemed content for the time being simply watching Miyo continue her own training, crossing his gloved hands against his chest and doing little else in silence for the moment.
Miyo slows down and stops near Fudo, letting out a long breath. She then wipes her face on the sleeves of her robes and quirks a brow at him. "I don't think I was ever taking a break from training… unless you consider the time I sleep in the morning a break…" she gives him a wry smile and stretches her arms a bit. "I could probably stand to train a little more. I've got a long way to go before I can graduate, and at this rate, it will be a lot longer."
"Last time I saw you outside of your home, you were floating in water in your bathing suit, taking the day off. I have not known of your training since." Fudo would respond as he kept his gaze on the girl. "Might I ask you… what is keeping you back from your potential? Why do you believe that it will take you so much time to improve yourself?"
"Fu fu fu!" She raises a finger to Fudo. "Sometimes, floating in the water is also training." She then leans back, placing her hands on her hips. "Nothing holds me back except time. I only have so much time and if I over work myself it will just work against me." Miyo shakes her head. "Can only do so much so fast. But I have improved a lot."
"Prove it." Fudo would state as he kept his gaze upon Miyo. "I would like to see this progress, as truly testing it is the only way that it will be measured and you can draw a new line of limits. However, before this occurs, I do want to correct you on one thing that you stated. Time does not care about you or anyone else. It does not hold you back, nor does it push you forward. It simply continues on its way oblivious of what you do in its passing. So do not blame time. Life, responsibilities, rest, weakness; those things perhaps, but not time." Tilting his head slightly, he would then ask, "Are you prepared to push yourself?"
Miyo shrugs at his response. She completely disagreed with him, but that was beside the point. "I always push myself. There's nothing new about that. Why?" She tilts her head to the side and gives him a quizzical look. "Do I not look like I try hard?"
"No, you do not. However, that does not mean that you actually do not try hard. It would simply be more convincing with evidence. Going through the motions by itself is not truly training. What are you taking from your efforts, Grey haired girl?" Lowering his arms from his chest, uncrossing them, he would rub his forefinger and thumb together, the glove noiselessly brushing against itself as he seemed to pinch at nothing at all. "I am preparing for a journey that will lead me far away from this village for sometime. It would put my mind at ease to know that you are still moving forward."
The worn path spreads out and fades into the grassy grounds themselves before her silent steps as she enters. There were others about, so that isn't anything of a surprise, but Yuzuna spies a familiar face and she pauses long enough to lift a slender brow. "Hm." she gently shrugs a slender shoulder and slips the knapsack from her arm, setting it beside a rock off to one side.
There was something about Fudo's revelation of a prolonged absence that somewhat warmed Miyo's heart. So, the guy that stalked her would be absent for some time, that was good. She could at least sleep peacefully without wondering when he'd show up at her window again. "I take new skills away from my training. I dont know why else I would train." When Yuzuna enters the training area, mostly devoid of students and gennin who were taking the weekend off, Miyo looks over, the Hyuuga having caught her eye, but upon the realization that she did not recognize her, she turns back to Fudo. "You know, you're really weird. It might be nice if you go on a trip for a while."
Fudo simply smirked just barely, "I am a product of my… upbringing." Fudo would admitt lightly, before growing serious again. "So now, will you do as I requested? Provide evidence to your growth?" He stated before he would take the time to glance back at what Miyo had seen past him. Gazing upon Yuzuna, he would just look for a few moments as his face reddened slightly and he would bring his hand up to hold to his brow as he exhaled softly, turning to face Miyo once more. "Inform me of your decision." he would ask with a huff.
Miyo tips her head again. "I'm… not sure what you're asking?" It was half-question half-statement, but it was clear she was slightly confused. "What do you want me to show you?"
Hm, clearly where was some sort of exchange going on between them. And her presence only gave pause for a brief instance. In either case, Yuzuna figures that it isn't any of her business. It would be rude to push herself into an existing conversation unless otherwise invited. How very much Hyuuga it is. With a long exhale the Hyuuga kunoichi closes her eyes and lifts her arms, stretching for a solid moment or so before bringing them down and rolling her slender shoulders, warming up.
Lowering his hand to his pouch, Fudo would take out a kunai, being obvious about it as he watched Miyo. "Remember that I came to ask you for your participation in training. It would be pointless for me if you were not actually putting forth effort." Fudo spun the kunai once as he continued to regard Miyo. "So, I am here to see if you have kept up since the day you went swimming in the lake. To see if you are capable of pushing my own limits." With that, Fudo would send the kunai sailing towards Miyo with a swift fling of his arm. "Do you understand now?"
"Ah… that." Miyo watches him pull the kunai from his pouch and tips her head. So, that was what he meant. As soon as he flings it her direction, she backspins out of its way, her robes swirling around her like a dancer's dress as her arm stretches out, her fingers hooking around the kunai, and as she continues in her spin, returns to her original position, hurling the kunai back towards him with increased momentum. "Hyah!"
The kunai would be returned, sailing through the air towards Fudo as he seemed to be surprised by it being used against him. As the kunai struck him however, the image of him would poof and disappear in smoke. It seemed during the spin Fudo had replaced himself with a clone. Coming from the air, a foot would come charging down upon Miyo, as well as a follow up slash with another kunai that was hard to notice within the billowing of his outfit aimed towards Miyo's arm.
Miyo was a bit surprised by the replacement technique. It was one she was working on, and was not used to seeing it used against her, so when Fudo attacks from above she is caught slightly off guard. She attempts to move out of the way, but his foot catches her shoulder causes her to stumble, which further causes the kunai to strike her. Thankfully, she was still wearing her robe and the armored-mesh she wore stopped the thing from taking any serious damage from the blade, but it still smacked her right on the bone of her forearm, causing a rather annoying throbbing feeling and likely a bruise for later.
However, now that Fudo was landing, and more or less behind her at that, she takes the time to retaliate, driving her closest elbow backwards, attempting to smash him in the kidney as she twists and slips away from him, hoping that the blow would catch him unaware and give her the time she needed to get away from him. In her retreat, she slams her right left fist against the center of her chest, hitting it against the clasp that held her sword strapped to her back, and uses her right hand to slap the hilt, twisting the blade around so that it flipped upside, poking out along her left hip instead of over her right shoulder. She then hops further back, plucking a kunai from the inside of her robe and tossing it towards him while hooking her fingers around the hilt of her blade. "Caught me off guard. Won't happen again."
Fudo shifted his palm forward against Miyo's elbow strike, absorbing it and deflecting her momentum before she pulled back, shifting her sword as she'd keep her distance and toss her kunai at Fudo. As the kunai sailed towards Fudo, he would wait second before it arrived, drawing another of his own and knocking the kunai in to the air. It rotated slowly above him as he watched Miyo prepare herself, sword held but not yet drawn. Raising his free hand, Fudo would snatch the kunai out of the air and then tuck both of the kunai he had now away. "So are you ready to use your sword now?" Fudo would ask, walking towards Miyo calmly as he glanced for an instant towards the kunai that was now stuck in a tree, the one that she used on his clone before. His eyes refocused on her however, continuing to move towards her without rushing, seeing how she would react.
"Hmph…" Fudo would grunt as he gazed upon her cooly. "So be it." Forming seals with some speed, Fudo would inhale deeply before exhaling a plume of fire towards Miyo. However, it was unable to reach her at his range, though it did come somewhat close. While maintaining the distracting flames, Fudo would toss twin shuriken from the left and right, masking it through the flames as they converged upon one another's flight path only to burst through the gout of fire, heated but not on fire themselves in order to strike at Miyo.
Miyo's right hand flicks slightly and a seal-tag appears which she swiftly throws out in front of her creating a barrier strong enough to repel the flames that Fudo sent her direction. However, it disperses before it can block either of the kunai. Just as they are ready to strike her, Miyo disappears, albeit one of them had enough time to strike her in the chest, eliciting a small 'oof' from her just before engaging her technique.
Nigh an instant later, the gray-haired girl appears before Fudo, swinging for his head with a kunai in her right hand, her left bringing the sword up in a reverse grip, however, not just the sword, but the scabbard too, as it was held in place by a seal. While the kunai was designed to draw his attention, the sword would be delivering a powerful blow towards his skull, hoping to disorient him long enough to plant a powerful kick on his chest.
Miyo was very fast when she wanted to be, and Fudo would smirk at her celerity as she escaped his make shift trap. Her attack from above would not fool him however, as Fudo would lean and twist sharply out of the way, avoiding both the kunai and the pommel strike from the sword. However, his feet were other wise planted, and as he moved to allow something else to take his place, he did not escape unscathed. The kick would hit him, even as he replaced himself, the object he used was simply too small and didn't get in to position in time. However, smoke bombs were left in his wake as well. His replacement poofing as the kunai fell to the ground and the smoke bombs plummeting around Miyo's location.
Standing beside Yuzuna for a moment, he would look towards her with half lidded eyes, brushing the dirt from his chest as he'd clear his throat slightly and say, "…I hope you are well." before he would move rapidly from his location towards Miyo, hopping just slightly with a landing kick aimed for her foot and ankle as a fist would roll around in a back hand only to be sent straight out towards her chest after looking like it was a shortened strike.
Stretching her arm as her other hand holds to one side, Yuzuna lifts a slender brow a fraction of an instant before Fudo appears beside her, pale eyes giving hi a brief sideways glance. His greetings was short, before he dives back into the fray of things. And for a moment the corner of her lips tugs with a slight smirk. Oh to be young.
Miyo's attacks mostly miss, at least, she figured they did. She was uncertain if she managed to make solid contact with her kick before he replaced himself with the makibishi or not. However, as soon as he was gone, she readied herself. "Well, perhaps I'll show you what I have learned so far." She tosses her sword high in the air. Really, really high. The thing was spinning rapidly and while it ascended, she quickly throws off the baldric that held it to her back, and then shrugs out of her robe, letting the thing fall to the ground with a loud thud and a puff of smoke. As soon as it hits the ground, she reaches up, catching the sword in her left hand, twisting and hopping up and away from Fudo, moving out of the way of both his kick and his hand-strike. As soon as she lands she tosses her sword up in the air again, but not nearly as high and with a perfect perpendicular angle to the ground. She then moves into a new position and the sword descends, falling into position on her back.
"So, are you ready?" She places her hands together, and then quickly forms a stirng of seals: Horse - Ox - Dragon - Tiger - Serpent - Ram. Miyo then claps her hands together and seals break out along her body, turning from faded teal to glowing, deep-hued purple. Each of the seals expanding across a portion of her legs or her arms over the course of at least a second, and as soon as it was ready, she gets into a ready stance. "I haven't had the chance to test this yet. So, you'll be my guinnea pig."
Miyo the surges forward, appearing in front of Fudo again, throwing a hard straight with her right fist, attempting to drill him hard in the sternum, following up with a low, swirling leg-sweep attempting to bring him down on his back, and if successful, she'd follow that up by slamming her hilt into his chest.
Watching carefully as Miyo would begin to unleash her potential, Fudo did not prepare himself to combat it in any way. He simply observed her and waited, wondering exactly what all of this would come to. He didn't answer her question at all, simply watching, waiting to see what he training had awarded her. A guinea pig he would be as the strikes came. Fudo did attempt to move out of the way, but he simply wasn't fast enough, being struck heavily in the chest before he'd be swept off of his feet and rammed in to the ground with the pommel of her sword. Fudo's eyes were closed as he wheezed out, unable to move for the time being as the wind was knocked out of him and he lay flat on his back after landing on his sheathed sword.
Miyo quickly moves over Fudo as he is downed, and then gives him one more solid strike to the chest, just for being a stalker, before hopping backwards and giving him a chance to get up. "Slow." She cracks her knuckles and hops up and down, waiting for him to get back to his feet.
Being unable to do anything about it, Fudo was struck in the chest again as he remained unable to breath on the ground. However, he didn't open his eyes even though he winced and grunted at the blow. He kneaded his chakra other wise in silence, focusing his energies to a point where he could work with them for some time. After which, he would begin to start to get up from the ground as he coughed lightly. "Good. It does appear that you have learned something after all." Fudo would comment as he continued to rise to his feet.
Miyo gives him a frown, unsure of what to do. She then lets out a sigh. Her seals begin to fade, reverting back to their original states. They were brand new, and had not had any where near enough time to store up chakra for an actual fight. They would not do her any good here. "Well, that's not good."
Fudo could sense her chakra even through his eye lids, though barely. not enough to use against her or locate her, and he would notice a sudden dip in her usage of it, causing his eyes to open sharply. "What are you doing?" he would state as he looked at her with his crimson gaze locked upon her form. A single tomoe locked in one eye as the other would spin with a second tomoe for a moment. "I have not conceded and were this a battle I would take advantage of your slacking off." Fudo stood where he was, gazing at her with his blood red eyes with expectation. "Prepare yourself." he would state coldly.
Miyo shrugs at his comments, wandering over towards her robe, picking it up, and slipping it back on before strapping it back in place with her baldric. "And in real combat, I would not be so foolish as to bother combating someone of such high caliber." She turns back to facing him. "I have trained all my life, at least, from the life I can remember, and in just two months you have surpassed me. You showed up not even knowing how to train or what training was, and now you stand here lecturing me about such things." She shakes her head. "I cannot compete with you."
Fudo's gloved hands would clench very tightly as Miyo spoke and his gaze would lay upon her with a form of boiling anger. He grit his teeth as he listened to her explain it all away, taking his words and using them as evidence. Taking his progress and using it as an excuse. His eye lids would slowly close however, and the tension in his body would relax as they did. "The only difference between you and I, is that I do not believe in limits. I have fought against many people more powerful than me and have defeated them or survived them in the short time I have been here simply because of that belief. I do not assume strength will win the day, or that someone is unreachable." Fudo would open his eyes again, displaying their unchanged dark orbs as normal. "That is why time does not make any difference to me." With that, Fudo would turn, appearing as if he was leaving now as he began to walk away.
Miyo let's out a sigh and watches as Fudo walks off. So, he turned out to be an Uchiha. That was rather surprising. However, she believed that this would be the last time the two of them would speak. Miyo slowly returns her sword to its place on her back and then resumes her training, getting back into her standard schedule.
