Spoiler:

Lin twirled the senbon between her fingers, she had arrived early that morning to make sure that she had a spot to duel Toshi. He had surprised her the first time in their sparring match and she wanted to make sure to hone his skills. She had taken a mission to make sure that he was able to have a bit of spending Ryo. It was a mission where the winner got 140 ryo, and the loser got 100 ryo. She tucked the scroll into her belt once more after reading it. The sun's first rays peeked over the plateau, bathing her in a red light that made her hair seem on fire. She had this hue in the mornings and afternoons, and wished that when she dyed her hair it would stay that color. Inevitably if she even got wet, the dye would just run into whatever clothing she had on, or into the drain. She had no idea why pigment never made it to her hair, but she at least could tan the rest of her body. besides that scar.

She readjusted her hair to hide the scar once more, the one that she thought disfigured her, grumbling about how she was already hungry after eating breakfast an hour ago. The sooner she got this mission done, the better. She twirled her senbon, tossing it up in the air and catching it only when it passed her nose, throwing it back up with her pinky, then her ring finger, progressing to her thumb, and then switching hands. She had to keep dextrous. Her strength wasn't up to par with Toshi's she thought, and he used Taijutsu the last time they sparred. It was going to be something that she would have to look out for this time.

Sighing, she looked at her watch as she concentrated on the needle. It was five minutes until he would arrive, or at least until they had agreed to meet. She hoped that he wasn't one to be late to somewhere, but rather early. She ran over the rules in her head and nodded, it would be a good sparring session, and hopefully she wouldn't send him to the hospital or vice-versa.

WC: 376

Toshi arrived at the battle plateau for the second time in as many days. He couldn't help but feel like it was a bit troublesome that they'd decided to take a mission that was so repetitive. They'd just sparred yesterday. Though... Perhaps it wasn't the worst. He was happy to see Lin again and he and his teammate needed the practice. Further, it would be a good opportunity to further their skills and make a bit of money. And so, at the mornings first light he'd set out for another friendly spar with his new teammate.

He arrived at the battle plateau geared up and ready to go! Lin was his senpai and it had shown in their last meetup. She was faster and stronger in nearly every conceivable dimension. Further she was more knowledgeable than him in nearly every way as well. He admired that about her. It was only through the uniqueness of his physiology and talents that he was and would be able to surprise her. He took in pride in that too, of course, but it also meant he had a lot of work to do.

He arrived right on time. Not a second after, not a second sooner. He bopped into her line of sight with his headphones on. He waved to Lin as he approached. "Are you ready for round two? I'm not so sure it'll go the same as yesterday! So let's have a good match! You game?" He asked as he got into the same stance she'd seen yesterday.

He stood with his feet shoulder length apart. His feet aligned toe to heel with the ball of his back foot lifted off the ground. His knees were bent and his upper body, including his chin was tucked behind a guard created by his arms. A classic boxing stance. It provided mobility, stability, and flexibility! Just what he needed to try and combat his otherwise advantaged opponent.

[WC 336]

Lin twirled the Senbon in her fingers, not unlike the coin trick that others did to keep up finger-dexterity. She smirked as he walked up and tossed it into the air where she caught it again and flipped it over her knuckles.

"Punctual!" She said, looking at her watch, "Usually I am accustomed to people being a bit later than they thought they would be. Let's settle this with our fists, as you so eloquently put it last time. You've gotten stronger, so let's test it to see how strong you've gotten." Producing senbon from seemingly nowhere she placed them an equidistant amount from one another between her fingers.

Lin took a stance, placing one hand in front of her, senbon pointed at Toshi, not letting him see more than 1/4 of her body, like a fencer. It was a stance that allowed for her to move about freely, and also make a quick escape to either side. "Ready when you are."

WC: 553

Satoshi watched as Lin was twirling her Senbon. Boy did he hate needles. There was something more offensive to him about senbon than standard knives. At times, the needles were poisoned...He knew he didn't have to fear that from Lin. That wasn't really her style and this was a friendly match. But the thought of something perforating rather than lacerating was troubling to say the least.

"Timeliness is next to godliness right?" He nodded as he reached a hand up to wipe the bit of sweat that had started to form from giving himself the willies. Okay Toshi. It was business time. It was time to focus.

He began to hop now, from foot to foot, as he'd done the day prior. Maintaining movement and keeping a steady rhythm. His body swaying as his arms tucked in, and came up. Lastly, he closed his eyes. Shutting out the world. And listening. His ear phones were dead, little more than an accessory now as the world went black.

Finally, he drew in a deep breath, and stepped in. He was fast, at least faster than would have been expected from this little unassuming guy. His eyes shot open and they were focused on his approach. If he didn't want to get hit with a senbon he'd need to close the distance. They weren't particularly effective up close, and if Satoshi had his way, this match would be fought in a phone booth.

[WC: 584]

Lin had expected him to rush at her, and once he did she threw a couple of senbon at his kneecaps. Because of his speed it would be advantageous to get rid of it so that she would have a bit of an upper-hand. When it came to close-quarters combat and taijutsu, she was severely lacking. Her reaction time just a bit faster than his speed, she was able to keep up with his movements. It was true that he had improved since their last duel, and his taijutsu more than made up for her training in medical ninjutsu.

She was a support-style ninja and sparring was about the only way that she was able to keep up with someone that was a martial-style ninja. She took the last senbon in this hand and flicked it at his face, trying to make him blink or move out of the way. It was a tactic that she had learned from Gin, and she was going to use it against Toshi to show him how medium/long range ninja worked. Jumping back, she held up her arms to block the blows that she knew would be coming, her hands open to intercept punches.

WC: 758

As soon as Satoshi started pumping his legs Lin had whipped her hand out, her senbon coming free of their captors and lashing out towards him. Satoshi made an irritated noise with his tongue and teeth as the needles took flight. Looks like she was playing a new song today.

He tucked his upper body down, bending at the knee and lowering his head as he tumbled to left in a roll. The senbon planted into the ground a few feet behind him as their trajectory had been heading towards his legs. He looked behind him as his feet kicked at the ground to stop his momentum and pull it forward again.

While he'd been distracted, checking behind himself to make sure he hadn't accidentally propelled himself into a wall, she'd followed up with another senbon, this one meant for his face! Cruel! The needle sailed through the air as Satoshi regained his footing, and reaffirming his stance and preparing to set off once again. It appeared as though he hadn't seen it... Which was the case.

As it flew ever closer though, something miraculous happened. Satoshi's eyes narrowed. And he slid his head to the right sharply. The needle sailed past, marking a slim crimson line down the side of his cheek and above his ear. If he'd been faster he might have been able to dodge it entirely... And it was only due to the gift of the Kotone Clan that he'd sensed it at all.

Kotone style, Onkyō no Tsuiseki. The Pursuit of Sound. Due to his unique physiology he was in constant resonance with the world around him. He could literally feel his surroundings. A sixth sense that was always active. It created a defensive diameter around him, in some ways like the byakugan. Though it differed in that he couldn't truly see. Rather, it was like an omni-directional sonar, it allowed him to see without seeing, and in some instances to see the unseen. While it was muted, in some ways, it helped him to ascertain incoming projectiles and attacks as well as detect hidden disturbances. If he hadn't been blessed in this instance, he might have found himself with a new piercing.

"Tch. Trying to keep away? I hope you don't have any more needles!" He said as he once again took off towards her. Her hands had already been raised in a defensive stance, but by now she'd had more than enough time to reset herself if she had wanted. While she had expected him to charge through the needles, Satoshi was pretty adverse to pain. They might not have really done any meaningful damage, but the sting and visualization of having a piece of steel strike to the bone was too much for him to chance pushing through. Yep... He was a bit of a softee!

If he could get her within his Pursuit of Sound he was certain that he could read her movements well enough to keep her off balance. This, was what he meant by feeling someone's beat. Now. He just needed to make it there!

[WC: 1114]

Lin picked up a rock and held it in her hand, it was about 1/4 the size of her palm, and she would use it as a distraction. It seemed that he had done something to sense the Senbon coming at him to begin with. She charged him, something she wasn't used to doing and tossed the rock at his shoulder. It wouldn't do much damage, but would keep him from keeping his guard up. She had proven that she was only as strong as him last time, but she could take more hits than he could. She really wished that she hadn't set the rules to be "out of the ring means loss, and also no jutsu." But that was what she had said yesterday, so she might as well stick to her guns.

She had three senbon in her right hand, her non-dominant one, but she couldn't use them in close quarters, so she tucked them away as she tossed the rock. It was going to be a tough battle, since he was a short-ranged ninja and was getting steadily faster. She was still quicker than him, but she could not count on that for long. It seemed like he got faster, stronger, and more resilient with each practice. It was interesting, like she was steel sharpening his steel, but it was also disconcerting with how fast he was growing. Throwing her left shoulder down she feinted a bull-rush, but if he dodged, would elbow him in the ribs. It was a technique that Gin had taught her in training and she was eager to use it.

WC:1035

Satoshi continued his charge! He stepped in towards Lin fearlessly! His body tight and tucked in with his guard up. Each footfall in a specific rhythm. His body moved in perfect harmony with itself it seemed. Different from the clumsy balance of some of the children she may have fought before. His weight was distributed left, right, left, right. His body swaying with each staff as if his movement was a complex dance. A dance designed to confuse and close on prey, but a dance no less!

He watched as she picked up a rock, his lips pursing in consideration. The rock sailed at him and he slipped out of the way, under it as it entered his invisible sonic field. The momentum change though put him on a head on collision with Lin! She was bull-rushing him, or so it would seem. He met her head-on, that was if she didn't shift. He would push into her forehead to forehead, even as her elbow bit into his ribs. He winced, flinching as the body blow struck home.

"I can feel your beat Lin. Are you ready to dance?" He asked as their bodies were now intimately close to each other. Close enough to engage in a clinch, yet his arms stayed between them. His left fist balled and lashed out at her side. A body blow, to pay her back for what she gave him.

This was what he wanted...A phone booth fight. He was, by style, an outboxer. A counter fighter who used the force of his opponents failed attacks to multiply his rebuttals. And the one thing most counter-fighters avoided was an infight like this. An infight that reduced the time you have to react to an opponents attack. An intimate, close quarters battle that reduced ones field of vision, one's senses. But for Satoshi Kazuhiko of the Kotone Clan, he had all the senses he needed, granted by his sixth sense Pursuit of Sound. While Satoshi was a close quarters combat ninja... He was a sensory ninja by birth... And he'd found a way to marry his scouting nature with his taijutsu demeanor.

And it seemed like perhaps Lin... Was trapped in his rhythm.

[WC: 1492]

Relying on her speed and reaction time, she was able to bend her body to avoid much of the blow, but she was still hit by some of it, leaving a bruise behind and knocking a bit of wind out of her. She wasn't a very capable fighter close-quarters, but she grit her teeth and set her jaw. She wasn't about to be outdone by Toshi yet. Knowing that he was a close-quarters boxer meant that he would be confident in his ability to out-fight her. She had trained her reaction time so that it was at its peak and she knew that if she relied on it it would carry her through.

Lin smirked and said, "Don't underestimate the beat of a lightning bolt or you're going to be in for a shock." Taking one more step forward she overstepped Toshi and attempted to throw his center of balance off by compensating for his blow, throwing her right hand against his left shoulder to make him overcompensate for throwing the punch. If she could get his balance off with his legs, he stumbled and lost his rhythm. It was a thing that she intended to teach him with this duel, and something that she intended to perfect. No jutsu and no going outside of the ring. She sighed, and concentrated on the fight. If he was to fall, he would do it now. Her knowledge of taijutsu was severely limited, and the fact that she wasn't able to use tactics made it all the harder. but that was what training was for, to push the limits of her abilities. She put herself at a disadvantage to train her strength. This would be the last stepping stone for Lin to push her over the edge into the territory of the strength she needed for the Chuunin exam.

She had already trained her speed, reaction time, endurance, and perception to the highest that she was capable of before training after becoming a chuunin, but she needed more strength. Gritting her teeth, she knew that this was the only way to achieve that.

WC: 1397

He felt the blow sink home and smiled. He'd never get tired of that sensation. The sensation of a well planned blow finding it's home. The feeling of being in tight quarters with an opponent and synchronizing their rhythms. It was a truly beautiful and violent dance. She wasn't wrong about her beat though. It was quick. And erratic. But if there was a beat, he could follow it.

He heard her sigh, she was disappointed in something. He then saw her... No, that's not right... Heard her step past him. He could feel her entire body, the disruption she was causing. It was an incredibly difficult sensation to explain. He'd tried once... It was as if he could feel everything around him, simultaneously. A large part of trips and throwing techniques was causing a distraction with one part of your body in order to disrupt the gravity of another. Lin was fast. She was strong. And she was clever. But she was -not- technically skilled.

He could feel the hesitation in her heartbeat. He could sense the hesitance in the shakiness of her hands. Micro trembles and hesitations as she tried to recall what technique she was going to use and how she was going to use it. Perhaps it was more than just his innate ability that allowed him to sense the tells she was presenting. Perhaps this was also the difference in their skill in Taijutsu. An expertise that Satoshi took pride in.

"Your beat is scary, for sure. But when we're like this, it's only proper to follow the gentleman's lead." As she stepped forward he took a step back with her. It was almost in perfect rhythm. He placed his right hand on her shoulder, keeping her body steady. More importantly, placing another obstacle between where she was now, and where she wanted to be... That was, somewhere else. And in fact, with her hand on his shoulder, and his on hers they certainly did appear to be participating in some sort of ballroom dance.

His left shoulder then, in a pendulous motion initiated by the push she'd initiated with her shove, jolted forward in an attempt to drive another left into her stomach. This time, with his feet planted and her body held in place. Flashy knockouts happened with blows to the head... But when you're facing a stronger or faster opponent you needed to wear them down with body blows. It would slow her down, weaken her resolve, and more importantly get her to drop her guard. Knockouts were dangerous and signaled the end of a fight. Despite this. Body blows were somehow worse.

[WC: 1943]

It wasn't easy to keep up with Toshi's rhythm, especially with the close quarters. His pushing on her right shoulder could be used against him though. She swept her arm under his and kicked away from him as his left arm came and swung near her right side. She had already been hit on the left side and didn't want the unpleasant sensation to hit her again. It felt as though she would lose her breakfast the first time. Landing with her feet planted, she opened her palms again. It was a defensive stance for anyone that was used to close-combat. She wasn't particularly stronger than him, but her speed and reaction time were in-line with people about to graduate from the chuunin exam. She would have to use that as an advantage against Toshi.

Centering herself, she chose a different rhythm, setting her feet and slowing her heartbeat, watching his every move, taking into consideration his every breath. It was a strategy that she had used when Gin had trained with her dodging Kunai. It was the first training she had gone through, and she had carelessly thrown it away because of her self-confidence in winning this fight. Locking her knees would be the worst thing to do right now, so she crouched, every muscle ready to counter Toshi's movements, a placid lake waiting to react to a stone's toss.

Her eyes even lost their lightning, turning into blank pools, taking her surroundings, Toshi, and everything into them, weighing them and making adjustments based on the wind, the sun, Toshi's movements. Her ace-eyes gave her an advantage, making it so that her perception was able to keep up with her reaction time.

She had also trained her reaction time, and it was enhanced by her natural reflexes. She wouldn't lose ground this time, she was at the edge of the circle and would use his momentum against him.

Toshi clenched his teeth as he gripped Lin's shoulder with his right hand and drove his left forward in what was sure to be crushing body blow if it landed. Unfortunately, he could feel them become syncopated. He could feel Lin slipping away in his minds eye before he physically felt it. His left soared forward across his body as Lin, who was there a moment ago, was no longer.

She was still incredibly fast. Much faster than he was. He never really had to come to terms with someone being faster than him in the academy. Because of his sixth sense and his natural gifts in the purviews of speed and reaction he'd always been faster than his opponents. This sensation of being slower, while frustrating... Was a little exciting. It was... in a word. New.

He watched her as she fully retreated, he pursued immediately as he didn't want to give her a chance to draw more Senbon. They hurt and they were kinda gross. As he got closer he noticed that she'd paused just at the edge of the ring. Curious... But also interesting. "A knife's edge battle huh? Okay! Let's do it!"

He paused once he got in front of her and then began to circle around her until he too was on the edge of the ring. The sides of the soles of his feet braced against the perimeter of the ring much like the back of her heels. He was willing to attempt to match his technique, which was unquestionably well honed for a boy his age and inexperience, against her physique, a similarly exemplary standard.

Now with the stakes raised he gestured her forward. "You'll never win a fight with defense alone. Let's dance!" He beckoned her forward with renewed vigor and excitement!

[WC: 2151]

Lin crouched and placed her right hand on the ground to give her leverage for a rushing attack again. If she could hit him going top-speed it might be enough to force him out of the ring. She had senbon, sure, but where was the honor in that?

He had called her honor into question with his Goading of a "knife-edge's battle". She was willing to dance, even if it was a bit of a stupid idea she would show him that what she lacked in technique she could make up for in careful planning and speed. She had evaded his last attack. If she used her advantage, the reaction time and speed that she had, she might be able to outlast him blow-for blow.

The direction she was taking was quite simple, she would rush into close quarters with her guard up, palms facing out to intercept his hands. If he stepped back she would sweep his legs, being a boxer he would have a weak foundation perhaps. Then if all else failed, she would block blows with her speed, hoping to get in a blow here and there to wear him down. She had the advantage of time on her side, whereas one well-aimed blow and he would go down.

That was the plan anyhow. Lin dashed forward, her palms centered in her midriff, making small circles to keep from becoming rigid. This was the time for fluidity, not pure force. If it was indeed a dance, only the most choreographed dancer would win. Lin grit her teeth and said, "I was always a fan of the tango, but found it a bit close for comfort. Let's see if you can keep up with this pace."

Toshi was an unassuming person, but had grown stronger with their last battle, almost on par with her when she had undergone the training with Gin the first night that she had met her. It was insane, the pace that he was making leaps and bounds from their first fight. She couldn't even comprehend a faster and more capable fighter coming from this teen.

"I'll temper your steel through heat." She said as her hands started to glow, halfway there. She realized that she had started to use a jutsu and it threw off her balance. She was going to try to use a jutsu that she had only seen once or twice at most, a medical jutsu that required specific training and was used as an offensive move. It threw off her rhythm just enough that when she crashed into Toshi, she was completely defenseless for a couple of miliseconds, enough time for him to get in a couple of blows.

WC: 2192

Satoshi smiled as Lin showed she was game and started her charge. The fight had been an interesting one. He'd felt as though he'd made some improvements over the last time they'd fought... But Lin was still miles ahead of him. If he was going to catch up to her he'd need to work extremely hard... And truthfully, even then it might not be enough. She was driven, talented, and it seemed naturally gifted.

A knife-edge match was likely the only way he was going to win. The longer this fight went on the more obvious that was becoming. Just a moment ago he'd managed to sync up to her rhythm. He felt her beat. He knew what she was going to do and when she was going to do it. But even with that advantage he couldn't keep her locked in his range. She easily got away when she decided it was time for her to leave. She was stronger, faster, and more durable. He was in deep water and struggling to stay afloat. This gambit they'd both agreed on, fighting on the edge of the ring was perhaps his only escape... And he knew that. And so, he stopped treading water and let the ocean overtake him.

Satoshi closed his eyes and relaxed his stance as Lin charged. He remained still and waited... Focused. She was charging with a defensive posture... It was a strange decision and he honestly wasn't sure what the result was going to be. So he trusted his instincts. He trusted his fundamentals. And he trusted his blood.

He could hear her footfalls pitter-pattering on the ground like steady rainfall and as she got within his range he could feel her beat again. Her pace hadn't slowed... Whatever her plan was, she intended for it to finish the fight. Due to his eyes being closed the glowing of her hands remained obfuscated from him. Had Jutsu been allowed in the fight his decision would have been incredibly reckless. His ability to perceive things through what was essentially a persistent dome of sound was great for detecting physical disturbances. It was incredibly useless against Jutsu.

Luckily, that wasn't the case with this match. He had no idea what caused her stutter... But he felt it. He felt it like the scratch of a record player. And in that instance he move. It was what he was waiting for... Hoping for. She was more powerful in every other way with the exception of skill. She was a journeyman when it came to hand to hand combat... That was in fact why she wanted to practice in an arena that Satoshi was competent in. "Yosh!"

His knees bent dropping his body out of her sight. His body compressed like a spring before he leapt forward, into her. His right hand bracing for her left shoulder with his left hand scooping at her legs, pulling them towards him in a maneuver that'd make a frog proud! If succesful his maneuver would carry both of them off the edge of the arena. The catch came in his manuever. The takedown was designed to ensure that he wound up on top. And in this instance it would technically grant him the victory, with Lin being eliminated first.

Of course... If he'd been wrong about her stutter... If his instincts had mislead him and she was instead trying to bait him into jumping... Attacking his inability to be particularly patient... Then there was a strong likely hood that she'd send him flying end over end and she'd wind up on top. Either way, he'd decided to gamble the whole match on this single moment. Whether she liked it or not.

[WC: 2790]

Lin felt her center of gravity lift, her body turn and felt Satoshi, her younger genin teammate push off the ground. It was a strange sensation, but she knew the end result. Because he was as strong as her, she was faster, more perceptive and otherwise better suited for battle, he was going to use the ring to his advantage. She would be near helpless in midair. Lin flailed when he grabbed onto her left shoulder with her left arm, trying to throw off his balance, and made a swift upper-cut to his stomach with her right.

Her legs got swept from under her as the second in a series of very fast, but hardly as deadly blows came at him, aiming for his shoulder. If these connected, it would send him into the ring, and hopefully, miraculously save her from falling outside of the ring. The ring was to her back, she was airborne and all that he had to do was let go of her to let her fly out of the ring. The world was beneath her before she got the chance to decide otherwise, whether he was on top of her remained solely in his own hands, but with a huff, she landed outside of the ring, defeated.

WC: 2405

Ground control, we have liftoff! His plan had worked. Well... The first part of it at least. There was that whole fickle beast called physics to tangle with.

Lin immediately reacted by driving a hard uppercut into his stomach. You didn't need a PhD in punching to deliver an uppercut. Sure, an expert could harness some technique to amplify the damage delivered, but Toshi had already dropped his defenses. He gasped, sucking in air as the blow was delivered. The only thing that kept him from losing his lunch was likely the fact that they were both already airborne. If they'd been standing and he'd had the earth under his feet, to resist the push of the blow, surely the damage would have been greater.

The blow sent his body upwards slightly, the grip on Lin's legs slipping slightly as they sailed simultaneously past the point of no return. The second strike in her series struck him flush in his arm. His grip was already slipping from pulling her in towards him while thrusting her out with his legs as the opposing momentum was a core principle of a take down such as this. The strike caused pain to shoot down his arm and into his chest, perhaps having struck some of his clavicle as well as his shoulder.

His grip slipped completely from her then as his feet faced the ceiling. His momentum, his recklessness, carrying him free of Lin, separating like a shuttle from the atmospheric rockets that had become Lin. And much like said rockets, Lin fell to earth. Satoshi, on the other hand wasn't so lucky. No. He went into atmosphere. He sailed a full ten feet further than Lin. His momentum and Lin's strength made sure that he got that extra "effort". He back crashed into the wall bordering their fight-space and he slowly slid down in a heap, his feet resting on either side of his head.

The world swam and his vision was spotted... He could literally see stars...

Was this really how victory was supposed to feel?

[WC: 3142| Exit Thread, maybe?]

Maybe she should have taken it a bit easier on the poor boy, after all she was a lot more experienced at Kumite than him, and she was stronger, but in the heat of the moment she put her all into the blows that sent him flying. Landing on her back outside of the ring she lost the match with a whoomph. Grumbling, she got up and dusted herself off to find Toshi in a heap, his back against the wall and barely conscious. Perhaps she should have taken it easier...

Sighing, she hopped back into the ring and jogged over to him, medical ninjutsu already pulsing between her palms, "Sorry about that. You caught me off guard, and to be honest it was a good throw! You won, by the way, so you should take this scroll back to Sanosuke, the Raikage and present him with it for your 140 ryo." She smirked, placing her hand over the bruise that she knew was there from her blow to his shoulder. She could feel his natural resistance, so it would take twice the time to get him back up and running, but she didn't mind. After all, it was she that gave him the bruise in the first place, "Where'd you learn to toss like that?" She asked.

WC: 2841

Jutsu used:

Spoiler:

Chakra used: 5

The world swam as Lin approached... Of course he didn't -know- if it was Lin approaching. At the moment he was having difficulty identifying much outside of the birdies circling his head. As she spoke he comprehended various forms of "wa wa wa wa" ala Charlie Brown. He groaned weakly in response and tipped over onto his side to look up at Lin.

After a moment he offered her a weak smile. "Good match. I'm glad it wasn't a real fight or that would have been the end of me... Remind me not to get you mad huh?" It seemed like he was shaking off the effects of what was likely a concussion. His voice sounded a bit clearer than when he'd groaned. Some of that harmony seemed to be returning to his vocalizations.

"Oh? I won?" He thought for a moment before smiling again. "It doesn't feel like it!" He slid further down the wall now to lay on his back before sitting up. "I learned at the academy. I could teach you too some time! It's not that hard. It's all about throwing the opponent's body offbeat. If you don't think about your rhythm it's easy to get it confused!" While it may be true that it wasn't as complicated as it seemed, his explanation didn't seem very well suited for someone without the mindset of this beat freak.

"What about you? Where did you learn your moves... You surprised me with how fast you were... I thought for sure once you got inside my sixth sense that there was no escape for you." He rubbed his head and laughed at the notion that he'd been all but helpless.

Lin moved her medical ninjutsu over Satoshi's wounds, making sure that she got the areas that he was seemingly in pain from. The senbon wound that she had given him, his head she worked on last since she knew that it would cause him the most discomfort when she was using her jutsu. She hoped that the bruising that he received was fully gone by the time that she was done, but in the meantime, "Yeah, you threw me a good ways outside of the ring, and so you won." She laughed, "It's probably a good thing that the match was setup like it was, or I might have ended up hurting you more. The laughter was a mixture of nervousness and uncertainty. She hadn't meant to hit him as hard as she did, but in the desperation of the moment, she had unleashed her full potential in a split second.

It spoke volumes that she was able to hit him twice in the time that it took for them to lift off the ground. Though, he had caught up to her in ability from the first match that they had. The laughter changed to lighthearted giggling when he said that he didn't want to get her mad. It had been said of her before, and she knew that she had a short-temper. It was one of her flaws that she constantly worked on, but she was also fiercely loyal, "Don't worry, I wouldn't hurt you any worse than I am able to heal." She explained, "you did win." She confirmed as he sat up and she let the jutsu fade from her hands, releasing it gradually as she inspected him for more wounds, seeing if she left him in more or less the same condition that they had started in.

"While I am thinking you could teach me, I don't think that I would actually be able to reach your level, just saying because I am more a mid-long range user. This was a good training session though. I know what I need to work on, keeping my opponents at a distance in a fight, rather than getting close. No matter how fast I am or how quickly I react, there isn't much I can do in close-range kumite." She scratched her head and laughed, closing her eyes and sticking out her tongue a bit to indicate that she felt silly for losing in the first place. It was her own rules that ended up being her downfall. "If we were allowed to use jutsu, or if I was able to buy more senbon you might have been in more trouble. To be honest, I only have six, but when you dodged the first three, it threw me off. I knew that if I missed again I wouldn't have any upperhand or way to block your attacks if you used your kunai. So I kept them around for longer than I would if I were facing a normal enemy." She blinked and looked around the arena, scuff marks were all over the stones where they had their battle. It wasn't near as bad as some of the cracked arenas where jonin sparred and broke the arena. It was, however, a good feeling to leave their mark on the previously pristine arena.

"You probably know of the seven swordsmen of Kirigakure right? Gin of the seven swordsmen is my teacher, she has been teaching me since I ran into her one day. I go to the raikage's estate and train with her on a regular basis. Though, I do have to say I sometimes end up worse for the wear, I would say that I am stronger because of it." She beamed, "I learned to only rely on my ears and discount what I saw because it can deceive me. I also learned to not rely on the movements of the opponent unless it's their fists that they're using. To be honest, I only listen for what could be harmful to me in a fight. The rest of the world fades out."

"You never told me about your sixth sense." She pouted, "I was always wondering how you managed to sneak past my senbon so easily. It seemed a tad unfair. a smirk sneaked its way across her face as she couldn't help herself anymore and grinned.

Giggling, she stood up and looked to the sun, trying to gauge the time. By the sweat on her body, and the dust that they had kicked up in the arena she could tell that they had been fighting for quite some time and that it was getting on to about noontime. Her stomach grumbled in reminder that she had a light breakfast that morning to keep in top shape for the fight. Sighing, she blushed and looked at her stomach. It wouldn't behave, she knew, until she got something to eat.

She straightened her skirt, her shirt and tried to re-adjust her headband before running a hand through her hair. It wasn't every day that she had a challenge like the one that Satoshi had given her and she was grateful to him for that. It was like steel sharpening steel. She felt less like she was teaching him and more like they were on equal footing now. Perhaps he wouldn't be averse to doing a more dangerous mission with her now. Perhaps he would make a fine shinobi for her team after all. Giggling to herself she sighed and smiled up at the sun. The sunlight was her favorite thing about days like this. There was barely a cloud in the sky and the sun, even though she was hot, felt good on her skin, drying the sweat from the match.

Considering the other ninja she offered a hand-up. "Wanna get something to eat?" She offered with a beaming smile. She was over the fact that she lost. It was her own arrogant foolishness that led to it anyhow. No use crying over losing, especially in the way that she did. She would just have to work to get stronger. She was already getting stronger, but she wanted to be the strongest medical ninjutsu user. It would not happen if she was as weak as she was right now. She would get stronger though, with the help of Satoshi and Gin, she knew that she would get stronger. She had friends in high places, like Dameon, and she knew that she was on the precipice of being able to complete the chuunin exam now. She, however, still felt woefully unprepared for the terrifying world ahead.

Jutsu Used:

Spoiler:

Chakra Used: 5

WC: 4000 |EXIT THREAD|

Using WC: 1000 for mission jutsu reward: Healing Bolts
              1175 words for Training Strength D to D-3...
             1000 words for this jutsu: Healing Pulse
             750 words for this jutsu:

Fire Style:

The green glow of Lin's medical ninjutsu seemed to be having an ever growing effect on him. The longer she focused on healing him the more spry he seemed to grow. He watched her as she worked and nodded in silent appreciation of her work, even as his head began to throb. Further it wouldn't take long for her to move on towards his head. It was nice that she remembered his complaints about how medical Jutsu gave him a bit of a headache. He pursed his lips in disbelief as she reaffirmed that he'd won. It's not that he didn't want to win... And it wasn't that he'd ever given up... But it certainly seemed hard to believe. But perhaps in a test of skill where his opponent had only her strength to rely on, even he could sneak by with a win.

"Uh... Yeah. Probably is. I'm not sure I could have taken many direct hits. I'm lucky that those I did take were in mostly non-vital areas as well... I would have hate for you to have rung my bell." He balled up a fist and knocked on his own head with a stupid grin. His grin briefly receeded as he winced in self-inflicted pain. "I got lucky this time! One day, when we're even, I'd like a rematch!" He put up a fist to her in a friendly as she giggled at his statement that he didn't want to make her mad.

He stroked his chin thoughtfully as she refuted his suggestion to teach her... Or rather, rebutted it with the fact that it wasn't in her wheelhouse... Just as it wasn't in his to practice medical ninjutsu. "I guess that makes sense... And if you feel like your sword is weakened by close range fights... Then let me be your shield!" He declared sagely... Again, as if he thought he'd crafted something grand. "As long as we're working together, you won't have to engage your foes up close. I'll do that for you. We're a team anyway right? We're not expected to work alone. Besides... When someone is running away-...Errr fighting from a distance, well... There's not much that -I- can do. Besides. It's boring. So tell you what. From now on, you can handle the boring stuff. And I'll keep you safe from the fun stuff. Deal?" He extended a hand to her and grabbed the one she'd extended to help him up, in a way, forcing the agreement.

"Only six senbon on huh..." He frowned as he got to his feet. "I wasn't keeping count... That might have been a good idea." He then laughed stupidly once again, though he stopped and his mood dampened when she began talking about her sensei.

"She doesn't sound very nice." He eyed her suspiciously. "But I guess if she's teaching you that sort of stuff it doesn't matter in the end how nice she is. Relying on your ears and listening to your surroundings is exactly how I like to fight." He nodded proudly then. "That's exactly what my sixth sense is." He then looked up in thought. "Sort of..." He hummed for a moment, clearly searching for words.

"I can hear the world around me... Sort of. It's like I can feel everything around me all at once. It's handy for preventing people from sneaking up on me. Or playing nasty tricks. But it's not particularly strong against Jutsu unless they have some sort of mass to them... Like water. It's like seeing, hearing, and feeling everything all at once... It's a little confusing I guess. But don't take it to heart, it can be for me too!"

He then fell in stride with her as she began to walk, offering for them to get something to eat. "Absolutely! I'm famished! Let's get something exciting!"

It seemed like this was going to work out... He'd found a strong ally. One who seemed to be capable of tolerating his high energy and inattentiveness. She was friendly and kind... Surely she'd make a great traveling companion. With that thought in mind, Satoshi followed her out... Wondering when they were going to leave, what they were going to see, and who they were going to meet. He wasn't the most capable of caring for himself at the moment, but he was confident that since their styles meshed so well, whatever adversity they faced they could handle together.

[Exit Thread]
[WC: 4254]
[[WC=3254 (1k used for mission, Ryo]
Speed E-3->D-1  625/625| 2629 WC Remaining
Reaction Time E-3-> D-1625/625| 2004 WC Remaining
Perception E-3-> D-1 625/625 | 1379 WC Remaining
Endurance E-3-> D-1  625/625 | 754 WC remaining
Strength D-> D-1  325/325 | 429 WC Remaining
Strength D-1 -> D-2 400/400 WC| 29 WC Remaining
[Remaining WC = 29]
Stat Training]