The little bunny's sense of shame wasn't lost on Kyuu. Whether fortunately or the opposite, the young man's wilting smile and weary acceptance of her assistance wasn't enough to yank her out of her exuberantly cheery mood.[break][break]
❝ Of course you're still fine! ❞ [break][break]
Kyuu chirped happily, apparently oblivious to the Iwa shinobi's discouragement. The hand that had been given to help him up drew back, though its retreat proved short-lived as she was soon reaching her palm to settle atop his head. Those lavender locks needed a good ruffling, and by the good-natured chuckle to rattle off from her fangs, the well-meant gesture was meant to serve as means of encouragement for the kid. Though whether or not she'd have any success in the endeavor was definitely questionable.[break][break]
❝ You're still breathing right? Means you've still got a chance to win next time! ❞ [break][break]
From the look of things, there was absolutely no pulling her out of this excitement. That said, there was a definite shift in energy as her gaze turned toward Daichi. What had shown in her eyes as warmth just a moment ago flickered hot like fire, ambition seared behind her eyes in an open threat toward the genin now preparing for battle. The corners of her smile lift higher, peeling from her sharpened teeth in what near constitute a 'friendly' snarl. Eyes narrowed, posture straighting slow and steady, she moved to claim her seat - hands snapping together briefly to renew the focus of her chakra.[break][break]
The energy seemed to spill off of her in waves, and with the points of her fangs inching just the slightest longer, the nails at the end of her fingers stretched to further taper off as dangerous claws, pupils constricted to ravenous slits.[break][break]
The answer to Daichi's goading was silence, the wolfish curl of her grin held stiffly in place as she loomed in slow over the crate, elbow anchoring to its surface as she lift a hand to splay her fingers in ready. Despite the loose of her shoulders, the way she hunched in suggest she might be ready to leap over the crate and take the boy's throat in her teeth.[break][break]
❝ Whenever you're ready, Rabbit. ❞ [break][break]
Her eyes held locked for Daichi's own, words rumbled and low in a graveled command for the genin to serve as their announcer. Despite her claim to preparedness, her free hand was lifting to ready its fingers in a heavensward point of focus, elbow rooting itself against the crate as she direct the flow of her chakra.[break][break]
It was a relief to see that the rabbit wasn’t too beat up over their defeat. They took a pretty rough tumble, and definitely seemed like the passionate sort. He knew that if he took a tumble like that he’d be beating himself up for sure. But this person was able to keep smiling and pushing forward despite it all, which was oddly striking to him. He watched Hikari’s expression for a few beats, his own smile becoming more genuine as his silver gaze met their fogged eyes. All of this while being apparently blind to boot? What an amazing shinobi.[break][break]
But the moment of admiration was brief, as he would turn to see the eyes of a wolf staring him down. Daichi felt a chill run down his spine as she remained silent in response to his words, her animalistic confidence and drive suddenly making him feel like a lamb to the slaughter. He knew he didn’t stand a chance against this woman, but it was too late to back down now. A quick glance was shot toward the rabbit as they spoke again. ”My name’s Daichi. Not Daishi.” He just barely managed to project his voice enough for others to hear him, though it likely got drowned out before it could reach the edges of the room.[break][break]
He swallowed heavily as he moved back into his position, flexing his aching fingers as kneeled beside the crate and placed his elbow down once more. Was there any way out of this? Chakra was allowed, but he heavily doubted he would be allowed to use a jutsu on the woman. Besides, blowing dust in her face wouldn’t do much more than piss her off in this situation. No, this was going to be a battle of pure strength and technique. Though maybe he could learn something from the technique of his previous opponent. It seemed like they had rooted themselves, so it was worth a shot.[break][break]
With a deep breath, Daichi clenched his teeth and locked eyes with the bipedal canine across from him. If he was going to go down, he was going down fighting. ”Good luck.” As he spoke, Daichi would direct the chakra through his body, anchoring his elbow to the crate and his legs to the ground. A strong foundation would be vital, so long as he didn’t make the same mistake as Hikari.
[attr="class","texty"]Head ruffling?! Was this some Inuzuka thing?
Hikari was obviously displeased that moment when he felt the woman’s hand go to his head. Rabbits were persistently clean, so of course the young Usagi would go reaching his hand to his head making sure his hair was still straight and in place. Between him hitting his head and that gesture, he now was determined to get back at this woman! It was sealed as he would inhale into his cheeks and pout. It was what his family and kin would call him going “full blowfish” as no one like him was said to pout the moment his cheeks would expand.
“P-Please refrain from that!”
His fingers raking through his hair as he finally would put the final touches in his hair. His ears wide open to the ridicule around, but what did he care? He did not care about the money, but losing his opportunity to get at the Inuzuka woman? It was detestable! It only made his certainty that he this boy needed to win to not make her seem like some undefeatable foe in his chapter he was to write tonight!
She was right about one thing: there was still a chance! There was no one like a rabbit that made one! The family had a thing for luck and fortune in whatever endeavor they made with their lives after all. It only made Hikari think that he could perhaps take an opportunity to get at her next time. The other “opponent” could have his moment if it meant that he would redeem himself later. The woman seemed far too naïve!
“She seems rowdy and uncoordinated!” Hikari had thought with a slight smirk upon his face. “He may stand a chance if-“
His thoughts would stop the moment his feet planed firmly with him standing before them. There was something…different.
The Usagi had a think for sensing. Footsteps were rhythmic dances and heartbeats were melodious music to their ears. As the faux ears on their head were only a prop, they were one that were an emblem of that did not signify anything short of their abilities. He may have not seen the Inuzuka, but he could feel the sudden change from the way she walked preparing herself to the very moment that her demeanor changed. Nothing on the surface seen as usual for someone like him, but that made it more frightening for what he could hear within. His eyes widening slightly as he remembered one of the many chapters his grandmother wrote as some sort of promiscuous deviant:
{I smiled even when someone believed I was their prey, because I always believed I was their predator.}
~Akemi Usagi
He was the referee, but suddenly, there was a sensation that he was most likely a witness to something horrible that was about to come.
From the moment the Inuzuka would call out to him, and by his clan’s moniker no less, Hikari would snap out of his sudden trance. “R-right.” He would stutter, “Umm…Inuzuka-san versus…umm…Daishi, right? Yes! Daishi-san!" He was obviously too be distracted to catch their little exchange to finally get his name right. His Ofurisode sleeves were the perfect signal, and it was not unusual for the Usagi to raise them like flags in competitive matters like these. They were perfect for business transactions and sports (usually the drinking kind) but this would do.
“Ready…” He breathed in somewhat nervous.
“Set…” He swallowed somewhat thrilled.
“Begin!” He cried eagerly with a whip of his flapping sleeve.
[newclass=.nbox:hover]background-color:#edb584;width:220px;text-align:right;font-size:12px;font-family:courier;color:#000;transition: linear .4s; text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:3px;[/newclass]
While the Iwa rabbit may have missed the correction, the Ame's words weren't lost on the she-hound's ears, nor the countdown sounding from the ofurisode's lips. Excitement bubbled under her skin, goosebumps rising along her arms at the sweet promise of competition, and as she stare wild into the eyes of the young boy ahead of her, Hikari gave the word. Begin.[break][break]
❝ I'm giving you five seconds - ❞ Kyuu murmured low, voice rumbling as a whispered growl. ❝ Show me what you can do. ❞[break][break]
The roar of the crowd surrounding them would have made it easy for the words to be drowned out, but Daichi was paying attention. Cheers erupt from all sides, another round of low, guttural woofing sounding out from what portion of the crowd had accepted the Inuzuka as their favorite. Their noisy excitement was almost deafening from their place at the center of the room. Even so, with focus, he was sure not to miss the challenge offered to him.[break][break]
It was open invitation to try any trick in his book. Kyuu was fearless.[break][break]
With her elbow root against the crate, she bide out her time, chakra coursing swift through her body to empower her muscles. The grip of her hand was tight, the points of her claws rest as a threat against his skin. Her eyes held open, unblinking toward his own as she silently start the countdown at the back of her mind. The corner of her smile tight, fangs still bare in her grin, her breathing held steady and slow despite the hunger that burned in her stare.
Just when he thought that nobody heard his correction, his opponent would recognize his words. It made his heart skip a beat, the acknowledgement of this shinobi meaning more than she likely realized. But that was all set aside as the Inuzuka settled across from him with those hungry eyes of her. Because in that moment he knew that he didn't stand a chance against her in terms of brute strength. She was a warrior, there was no doubt about that. All he could do now was take a deep breath and get himself ready to put up the best fight he could muster.[break][break]
Begin[break][break]
Daichi immediately put everything he had into his right arm, pushing against her with all his might. At the same time, he did his best to mimic what his previous opponent attempted while at the same time learning from their mistakes. His body anchored itself to the ground, ensuring that he had as firm of a foundation as possible when crashing up against this wall. It was then that her words reached his ear, causing his brow to furrow. He looked over to his opposition, eyes widening slightly. She was just toying with him, wasn't she? Or perhaps she truly wanted to see what sort of tricks he had up his sleeve.[break][break]
The only problem with that is that the genin was out of tricks. The only thing he could think to do would've required both of his hands to form the deals. And so all he could do was close his eyes, clench his teeth and push. Push with everything he had in hopes he could catch her off guard within the five seconds allotted. But at the end of the day, he was just a young genin who had never placed any emphasis on his strength training. If only this had been some sort of ninjutsu challenge. But that didn't mean he was going down without a fight! If he couldn't win, he would hold out against this overwhelming force for as long as possible.[break][break]
Daichi Konishi was not one to go down so easily! A shame he was too busy clenching his jaw and holding his breath or that would've been a pretty cool line to shout right now...
Had he run out of words? Kyuu had expected at least a little bit of smack talk. Encouragement? Maybe some preparatory gloating. The genin had gone silent, and it only excite the chunin further. She was ready for tricks, chakra molding, any borderline cheating the stranger might throw at her to secure a victory. But nothing came. Daichi pinch shut his eyes, set his jaw, and pushed with all his might.[break][break]
And Kyuu pushed back.[break][break]
A low, challenging growl graveled out from her chest as she met the weight of his force with equal pressure, claws forcing themselves sharp into the meat of his hand to root her grip. The rumble of her growl was joined by another as the hound standing guard at the doorway fed off of her aggression, lips twitching before peeling themselves from his fangs as the silvery fur of his neck bristled to stand on end. His ears pressed back as his eyes narrowed, glare piercing through the crowd to lock distinctly toward the genin to challenge his partner. Kyuu's smile was gone, and in the five seconds she'd granted him to show his ability, her own lips showed to twist to a wolfish snarl, fangs part subtle in thirst.[break][break]
His time was up.[break][break]
❝ GrrrrAH! ❞
[break]
With a roar, the woman lunged herself in over the crate, a foot bracing itself to the ground as she threw the full of her might behind a single, heavy push of her hand. Claws buried to rest against his bones, muscles tense and chakra raging through her system, the madness of her slitted stare redirect to hone in toward his hand as she move to forcefully SLAM it to meet with the table. It would land with a resounding thud, and she'd grind it down against the grain of the timber below, punishing the genin for his loss.[break][break]
The room erupt in whistles and cheers, a round of laughter echoing over the gathering as the victors take measure of their earnings for the night. The atmosphere was warm and cheerful, and while the majority of the shinobi showed gazes bright with humor, there were of course those sulking over having their hands crushed only a few turns prior.[break][break]
"Did that kid really think he could win?" "She had bloodline on her side." "They get younger and younger, don't they?" "Great match!" "Is it just me or was his confidence really adorable?"[break][break]
There was commentary on all sides regarding the outcome of the match, and with the victory decided, Nikukyuu was slowly cooling down - the narrow of her pupils evening out to more welcoming spheres as her fangs ebbed into blunt teeth. She was ignoring it all, and as her eyes rest soft toward Daichi, she offered him a crooked smile, assuring.[break][break]
❝ You really dug in your heels, ❞ she commend him warmly, a hint of a chirp to her gentle tone.[break][break]
❝ You were copying Hikari's technique, right? ❞[break][break]
Her gaze flicked up and down his figure as she loosed the grip of her hand, the points of her claws having dulled away as she withdraw her touch - though not without a pat to his arm.[break][break]
❝ Pretty damn cool, Daichi. It's the ones that learn that survive, right? Looking forward to fighting side by side with a guy like you. ❞[break][break]
The woman's lashes fluttered in a quick wink toward the younger ninja, a confident twist rendering her smile to a proud smirk.
[attr="class","encounteredkyuu"]
Daichi Konishi / winner agreed ahead of time. thanks for the fun!
For a moment, Daichi thought he stood a chance. For that brief moment that chunin allowed him, he thought that maybe he was stronger than he realized. That maybe he could actually stand a chance against this feral kunoichi. A hope that was swiftly snatched away and ground into dust as he felt the woman's strength clash against his own, bursting through his own efforts as if they were paper and she was a mighty boulder. His already intense expression of concentration and effort quickly contorted into a wince of pain as he felt the woman's claws dig into the flesh of his hand. They sank in deep, drawing blood to the surface. But he didn't relent. If anything, that moment of panic in his heart provided him with an extra surge of strength in hopes of resisting this overwhelminga force.[break][break]
But in the end, it wasn't enough. Nothing he could do would be able to stop her from slamming his bloodied hand into the wooden crate. In that moment he expected to open his eyes and see that the impact was enough to shatter the box beneath them. A soft hiss slipped past his clenched teeth as she forcefully pushes his hand into the wooden surface, further establishing her dominance and punishing his hubris. Clearly he was no chance for her. Hiss shoulders sank a bit once she let go, his eyes finally opening to see that his hand wasn't nearly as injured as he thought it was. He lifted it up for a closer examination, still wincing a bit at the holes her bestial nails had left behind.[break][break]
He took a quick look around, quietly expecting laughter or jeers as he faced his obvious failure. And while some of the things they said were somewhat embarrassing, it wasn't nearly as demeaning as he anticipated. He could even see a bit of sympathy in the eyes of the former competitors, who were easily spotted by their bandaged right hands. It seemed she had bested her fair share of competent shinobi before his arrival. Failure was expected, yes. But that didn't make it shameful. A notion that was further encouraged by the words of the champion.[break][break]
The genin's eyes widened slightly at her words, lips curling back into a pleased smile as he rose to his feet. "Yeah. I mean...I tried to, at least. Wasn't enough, but..." He shrugged, his smile growing a bit sheepish as his arrogant facade was melted away in the heat of the moment. With everything that was going on, it was difficult not to reply such genuine praise with anything but the same. "You're not too bad yourself! Maybe we'll get to see each other in action in the coming battle, huh?" A grin crept across his face as he reached forward with his uninjured hand to gently jab her arm in a gesture of friendly comradery. This was a hell of a first impression to make with all of these unfamiliar shinobi, but it actually felt really good in an unexpected way.
She had to laugh at the compliment. The genin was proving himself to be an awfully good sport, and the fact that he wasn't beat up over his loss just brightened the woman's cheer further.[break][break]
❝ Hopefully! Put the two of us on a team?! ❞[break][break]
Teeth bare in a wide, ivory grin, the woman lift her hand to jab a thumb toward herself, fist rocking itself forward to flick out a digit in a pistoled gesture toward Daichi.[break][break]
❝ I betcha we could shake the heavens themselves! ❞[break][break]
Her confidence was near blinding with how bright she grinned, though the innocence of her childish beaming was soon lost as its corners twist into a scheming curl. With a narrow of her eyes, she set her gaze toward one of the figures trying to blend into a nearby corner, the stranger doing his best to lay low. The press of her lips saw her blunt teeth tucked away, body lift us smoothly from its place crate, her taunting gaze narrowed to a glare before drifting back to center toward Daichi.[break][break]
❝ Honor doing battle, Daichi. ❞[break][break]
The woman dipped herself forward in a bow, a mischievous gleam glinting in her eyes as she rose back to her full height.[break][break]
❝ Try and keep that handsome little head on your shoulders. I got business. ❞[break][break]
On cue, the bristle-furred mass of canid muscle Ginmaru stalked his way to emerge from the crowd. The hound kept silent as he moved at his partner's flank, ears set forward toward his target as Kyuu stepped to lead the way.[break][break]
❝ Ya know... I think YOU owe me some MONEY! ❞[break][break]
Friendly as her voice rang, there was a threat in the stiff nature of her grin. The contest was over, and it was time to collect her winnings.
The chunin's words made Daichi's heart skip a beat, his smile growing both excited and sheepish as she spoke so highly of his abilities. Shake the heavens? Him? He couldn't help but laugh a bit in response to that, nodding along with her assessment of their combined might. "Heavens and Earth. Aint nothing that'd be able to stop us." He did his best to sound cool and collected as he spoke, only letting a bit of the bubbling giddy energy slip into his words. As she moves to stand he does the same, his uninjured hand moving to grip the other in an effort to help ease the lingering pain. She really did a number on him, but at least he could see he wasn't the only one left with such a souvenir.[break][break]
What remained of his facade was shattered by what she would say before departing, his eyes going wide as his left hand suddenly clenched his right a bit too tight. "Wait what?" He barely managed to croak the words out as she left, his soft voice getting drowned out by the din of the room. Did she just call him...handsome? No one had ever said that before. Why were his cheeks getting so warm all of the sudden? The young genin sucked in a deep breath as he watched the older woman walk off to threaten some of the spectators into payed what was owed. Did she actually find him attractive? That was...An interesting thing to consider. He found himself stuck in place staring at her as she mingled with the crowd. The boy was lost in thought until one of the other competitors came up from behind and clapped him on the shoulder.[break][break]
"She got ya real good, huh kid? But hey, you still won me some cash on this one. My buddy over there bet you would be cryin' by the time she was done with ya!" The loud voice and unexpected contact yanked Daichi away from his thoughts, eyes going wide in shock as he turned toward the grizzlier shinobi. A quick glance and the man's bandaged hand told him that he had faced a similar fate, and was all too aware of the pain he was enduring. "C'mon kid. We got someone over here who can patch ya up." The injured young genin nodded quickly, offering the man a thankful yet uneasy smile. "O-oh! Yeah. Thanks. Man, I got some stories for you guys." And with that, Daichi was back on his game. His smile regained it's confidence, a snarky chuckle effortlessly slipping past his lips and he moved to follow after his fellow loser. And for this one glorious night, Daichi Konishi got to be one of the cool kids.
