Starring:
Date: October 30, 2014
Summary:
Michiko and Naruko fight to see who's better after a long-standing argument. This time around, it's no holding back.
"Michiko and Naruko: The Determining Fight"
Tenrai Plateau
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On a shelf-like area of the mountain on which Kumogakure stands, several wooden structures sit clustered near a high fence. There is a guard house, an emergency medical center, a dormitory, and an observation tower looking out over the mountains. At most times, these structures are empty, standing as silent sentinels. A large sign by the locked gate of the fence explains the reason for both the buildings and the fence. The area beyond the fence is a testing ground for shinobi, and not to be tred into lightly. Only during special occasions, such as the chuunin selection exams, are certain people permitted to hazard the misty expanse.
The sign goes on to provide many friendly warnings and tips for those participating in such events. This includes never try to move around if you can't see clearly where you're going, stay on the beaten path if at all possible, and instructions for how to safely pass another person on a bridge or cliff path. There is also a stern warning against damaging the bridges in any way. Many brave souls risked their lives to create relatively safe passages amongst the mountains, and some of them lost their bets against the mountainsides. Kumogakure will not lightly overlook any deprecation of their sacrifice.
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Naruko had actually called upon Michiko to meet her at the highest part of the Tenrai Plateau, there wasn't any sort of mention as to what it would be about, but once Michiko reached the top she would notice Naruko off in the distance, legs crossed along one another as she say and focused. "It's just a matter of time…" Naruko whispers quietly, mentally, internally as she began to nibble upon her bottom lip while grasping her hands along one another. For now she just remained in silence, settled in a more empty space of the plateau.
Michiko got the note from Naruko, and had no idea why. Sure, she could guess, but those guesses were likely not accurate. She finally reaches the top of Tenrai Plateau, looking around for the Uzumaki. Upon spotting her, she moves a bit closer, stopping about a foot from the girl. "…Naruko-san?" she asks, perhaps a bit hesitantly.
"I'm actually glad to see that you could make it…" Naruko states softly as she rises to a stand, dusting off some dirt from her lap as she turned to face Michiko a little more fully. Perhaps Naruko was a little difficult to read, but she then narrows down her eyes, watching Michiko a bit more intently. "I was hoping we could fight again. I'm so tired of being kicked around by you… I thought that maybe more training would help, and though it is paying off it's hard to consider ourselves equal…and you know what maybe we aren't. But I want to show you I'm not some push over trying to get to the top. You know? Some day I might actually be the Raikage? I know what I need to do to move forward… He told me everything that I needed to know,"
Michiko watches Naruko with a steady gaze, her entire stance and expression one of calm. She doesn't seem to perturbed by the Uzumaki's eyes narrowing. "Another fight? …" She pauses, considering. The last 'spar' had gone badly, mostly because she hadn't realized two things: how strong the Uzumaki was. And how strong she was. "If you become Raikage, Naruko-san, then I'll do my best to support you. Now in regards to the fight, I'll do so. But… Let us /both/ try not to go overboard." The last comment is meant for herself as well as Naruko.
"I have to prove to him and myself that I'm as capable as I say I am," Naruko expresses while the tinge hue of her eyes began to shift, her usual azure hues had became briefly dilated until they reached feline like slits, her second eye becoming a deep yellow. "I don't know about overboard but I'd rather us not hold back. Not this time. This is more than just a little spar," Naruko explains further, taking a step back while her chakra aura swiftly began to wrap and bellow about her form… She wasn't losing any control though… No it was more like she was sharing her presence. She wasn't entirely herself.
"Who is 'he' exactly?" Michiko wonders, shifting back in her spot. Not because she was nervous, but because she needed to get into a relatively ready position in case an attack was incoming. The girl focuses her chakra, then, watching the Uzumaki a tad warily when the chakra cloak begins to form and her appearance changes slightly. "Shall we begin, then, Naruko-san? I'll be sure not to hold back."
Naruko doesn't reply back, instead she merely lets her chakra do the talking as it continues to steadily increase. "Okay… here I come!" The young Uzumaki exclaims as she rushes forward in the form of a beeline sprint. She right hand explodes out from a distance but extends as a massive flaming grabby hand, attempting to pluck Michiko from her position and throw her off to the side. Hit or miss, Naruko came in quick with a swift attack, forming a bolt of fire along the palm of her hand and throwing it in Michiko's direction. " That's right… Yes, I will," Naruko could be heard talking to herself.
Michiko blocks the attempt to grab her with a wall of earth, the wall crumbling when it comes into contact with the flaming hand. She jumps back, putting a bit of distance between herself and the Uzumaki. Unfortunately, it puts her in the path of the firebolt, obscuring her entire figure. It seems like Naruko hit her, but Michiko is suddenly close to her, already forming handseals for a close-up firebolt. Then there's more distance and another firebolt is sent in Naruko's direction.
Michiko had a way of simply getting the upper hand. No matter how determined the Uzumaki could be constantly she was thwarted. The counter fire bolts slammed into her form, sending her across the ground in a series of minor explosions, from the smoke though she began to pick herself up, already coughing up dust from her lungs. "Not….again…" Naruko curses quietly under her breath, a fist balled down into the dirt below, she peers at Michiko from afar, her vision more like a haze. /It doesn't have to be this way, give me real control. Let me show you what 'we' are capable of/ A voice speaks into her mind. In response she simply nods, clenching her jaw as the intensity of her cloak began to increase… was she becoming caught on fire? "Fine!" She exclaims has her chakra rages on, her cloak evolving even more as a pair of dark blue and black flamed chakra began to take shape on her back. Once again like before she dropped down to all fours, her features conforming to those of the beast that resides within her. There wasn't any time to react however. One Naruko quickly became about twenty, and all of them charged forward to catch Michiko in a barrage of constant attacks. Claw swipes and spontaneous explosions, until the real Naruko could give her a swift punch backwards… assuming she managed to beat through any of Michiko's defenses.
Michiko stays a distance from Naruko, hesitant to go over to her. It's obvious the Uzumaki is frustrated, and the resulting chakra cloak saying way too much. Michiko's own chakra builds, creating something akin to flames as it flickers about her form. The girl attempts to go through handseals and make a large wall between herself and Naruko's clones, but finds that several of them just avoid the wall altogether. A wince as the multitude of clones burn her, but it could have been worse had she not put up a bit of the wall. With a light shake, she makes a seal, resulting in the appearance of a clone of her own. It doesn't seem too powerful, the exterior surrounded by earth before completely forming. It charges at Naruko while Michiko keeps back, attempting to avoid further hits.
The clone managed to get a hold of Naruko and send her staggering back, despite her injuries though, Naruko wasn't one to back down from the fight. Instead she she reached out with her hand, forming another clone to swiftly pursue after Michiko while one again her opposite hand reached out in the form of massing flaming chakra. This time things were a little different. She attempted to clutch onto Michiko entirely in lock her in place, squeezing her small frame in order to assure she would be still for the upcoming attack.
Michiko feels herself getting clamped down by the chakra tail. It leaves her open to the fire clone that runs into her, resulting in more burns than she would like. Even as the tails squeezes her harder to keep her in place, she manages to make a handseal, resulting in the Iwata sinking into the earth to try and avoid further attacks. At least until she's recovered somewhat…
Even though Michiko managed to slip from her charka grasp and into the earth, it wasn't enough to keep the jinchuuriki at bay. Her sniffer went to the air and ears twitched, detecting movement beneath the earth that would help her pin point exactly where Michiko would be located. /Don't let her get away, you need to show her just how strong you can be!/ Naruko then reached out with an open palm, her chakra forming a mass of condensed fire in the form of an orb. It took awhile to form but soon after she launches herself down into the ground, hand out reached and growling as the orb piercing into the earth, digging up the ground beneath her until honning in closer towards Michiko, attempting to catch her in a massive explosion.
Michiko feels Naruko coming down for her and hardens the earth above her and to the sides. It makes it difficult, if not impossible, for the flaming orb to reach her. The girl then makes her way back to the surface, the earth behind her exploding to blind Naruko. A few seals are formed, and Michiko already has chakra ready for an attack when Naruko pops her head back up. Once the Uzumaki is noticed, Michiko finishes the final handseal and releases a large bullet of flame upon Naruko. It's likely gotta hurt…
Naruko wasn't at all writing out of gas, our at least it didn't seem like it. Amongst the explosion of the flame bullet she merely continued to thrust her body through it, from expelled herself amognst the smoke. Fire ball in hand she continued to plow forward, guiding the orby mass directly towards Michiko, her intention was to end the fight in a single blow, or at least attempt to. The burning sensation about her body her wrecking, but the bijuu inside wasn't letting her give up.
Michiko watches as Naruko continues to come forth and doesn't hesitate in erecting a barrier. Quickly, a dome of earth appears between herself and her surroundings, encasing her entire body so the orb doesn't make it to her. Another handseal, and the dome around her bursts into pieces to blind Naruko. Michiko doesn't bother a follow-up attack, mostly because she thinks Naruko should probably discontinue the fight, but also because she has a feeling her attack hit. "I suppose you're not done yet, Naruko-san…" she comments, the fire around her body dying as its power becomes internalized.
Foiled again… Michiko truly was something, even the Bijuu inside couldn't help but to feel impressed as he scorching aura sweeped away the dirt cloud which made it difficult to see… She panted, heavily baring her fangs briefly before finally her aura began to subside… "Ugh…. at least I don't think you are holding back too much anymore," Naruko groans, dropping down to one knee. Bit by bit her aura began to revert back into a lesser form. "You really are impressive…Michiko-san. But it seems like no matter how much I put into it I;m never going to be able to defeat you. Not at this rate…"
Michiko lets the entirety of the flickering aura disappear from around her body, the girl relaxing and drawing first aid supplies out of her pouch. The burns she sustained are treated with some burn cream as she makes her way over to Naruko. "I didn't get to where I am that quickly, though. It'll take time, but you'll catch up to me. And perhaps even exceed me." She offers a hand to the girl. "So don't give up on your dreams, and keep working hard. Got it?"
"It doesn't mean I won't try. I need to keep trying and do my best if I want to get to where I want to be. I am a little proud of myself…I know that you can take me down as easily as you want to, but I just needed to know if I can push things further along. Commit and really push to give it my all. I will just have to keep trying," Naruko concedes though her expression is a little more content. "Thank you, Michiko-san. I think I can rest just a little more easily now…"
Michiko smiles. "Good. I'm glad to hear that." She eyes Naruko's wounds, and then her own. "I think we both need to get some medical attention, though. Shall we make our way back to Kumogakure? Or would you like to stay here for a few moments?" She asks. A fleeting though crosses her mind, then, and she considers it carefully before acting on her curiosity. "Naruko-san… You're a Jinchuuriki, yes? I believe you mentioned something like that when we encountered Mushi-san and Red-san."
"I think..I'm going to stay here a little longer if you don't mind…. I'm still a little bit restless," Naruko replies back, keeping herself seated on her rump while she blinks her eyes at Michiko's question. "Oh..no…something… You don't have to worry about that. It's really complicated really. Nothing to worry about for now," Naruko attempted to dismiss, waving her hand. "Medical attention is a better idea. I will join up with you soon, okay?"
Michiko hesitates, obviously not satisfied by the Uzumaki's answer. But she doesn't press. Not now, at least. A slight bow in Naruko's direction, and Michiko turns to leave. "Very well, Naruko-san. I'll see you soon, I expect." She pauses again. "Don't stay out here for too long." She offers a quick wave and wanders off, no book appearing in her hands as she moves. She currently has none to read, sadly.
"Hai…" Naruko replies back, a sweat drop trickling down her brow, finally reclining back so she can put her eyes to the sky above. She just needed a moment, a moment of silence and quiet to recollect herself. She had to finish her discussion with the Nibi.
