Distant Memories (Oriana)

Another cloudy day hangs over Kumogakure and the land around them. The potential rain was starting to get higher as Tsuki's liquid gold eyes were gazing at the sky. Her expression was quite stoic as she was deep in her thoughts.

Why can't I remember… Tsuki thought to herself as she tries once more to conjure the memory of her parents. Yet to no avail she just cannot recall their faces, what they did back in Iwa, or when they first arrived in Kumogakure. Instead in the midst of her growing headache Tsuki recalls sand dunes as far as the eye can see. And some dark place that held weird symbols that Tsuki cannot recognize. Tsuki shook her head as she reached into her hip pouch and drew out two shuriken that's already attached by a 10 foot steel wire. Wrapping the other end of the wires around her index and bird fingers Tsuki began with throwing her two shuriken at the practice dummy. The way the shuriken curve and how easily from a twitch of her finger to suddenly alter the trajectory.

Tsuki is a 16y.o. girl with a wavy long black hair pulled up into a ponytail. Standing at 5'8" with a slender build she wears a steel mail shirt with a short sleeve linen shirt underneath. From the back of her hands to her forearms is a pair of steel guards. Buckled around her waist is a utility belt that hold a hip pouch of tools. She wears a pair of soft leather shorts with a holster containing 3 Kunai on her left thigh on top of the things high fishnets that she wears. Finally Tsuki also wears a pair of sandals.

[Training Shuriken Manipulation - D Rank]

Oriana was at the training grounds later than usual. The short, pink-haired ninja typically avoided the training grounds from late morning to late afternoon to lower the chances of running into other people unless she went with Niko. At this time of day Oriana normally busied herself with D rank missions or helping her master in the forge. When she wasn't doing either of these things, she trailed after Mako to train with him or assist with missions. However, all two of the people Oriana trusted as far as she could throw them were busy and didn't need her help today. She had already completed a few easy D ranks and had gotten bored of doing chores, thus her presence here.

The teenage genin stalked the training grounds, attempting to go unnoticed despite her unusual hair color, searching for an empty area to practice in. Occasionally, she would pause and watch others train from a distance before moving on. Her ice-blue eyes scanned the sky; it would likely rain soon. While the rain didn't bother her personally, her clothes would get wet and heavy if it rained too hard. This would be fine as long as she managed to avoid Niko until she got cleaned up. However, there was the risk that the redheaded woman would sneak up on her to make sure Oriana was okay and discover her wet and muddy state. Then, Niko would worry and drag Oriana home with her. Too much physical contact. The pink-haired genin wrinkled her nose at the prospect.

Since it wasn't raining yet, she would stay. Besides, her dark gray hoodie topped with the standard Kumo, one-strapped vest and white pants would hold up against a light drizzle or even moderate rain.

A few meters away from the dark haired ninja, Ori crouched, observing her shuriken practice. Her eyes followed the twitching of Tsuki's fingers and the corresponding movement of the throwing stars as they approached the practice dummy. She debated leaving the training grounds altogether when her foot hit a rock, sending it scrabbling across the ground and making noise.

Damn, she was caught.

[1]

A tumbling of rocks drew the young Tatsuda's attention. In doing so she catches the sight of another female, although she uniquely possess pink hair. Makes her wonder if that is natural color or perhaps dyed that way. Either way it was a pleasant change of view from the normal brunettes and blondes. Tsuki's fingers lax as the strings loosened around the log. She presents a trademark smile that bestows welcoming warmth to Orianna, or at least that is goal of it.

"Oh! Pardon me, but it seems that I was distracted that I didn't notice your presence." Tsuki apologetically spoke as the shuriken curved towards Tsuki's position now. Thankfully she can just reach up and both of them between her fingers. Then it lowers to fold under the other hand in front of her with a smile still present. For a moment Tsuki's molten gold eyes were sizing up Orianna before speaking further.

"My name is Tsuki Tatsuda, Genin of Kumogakure. If I may be bold, but could I request a sparring match from you? I can't say what form of challenge I can present, but it should be an interesting learning experience for both of us "

Oriana debated fleeing, but decided against it when Tatsuda requested a spar. The pink-haired teen seemed to relax at the mention of training. She could understand wanting to fight, wanting to be stronger. She knew what to expect.

Oriana gave Tatsuda a short bow. "Oriana, genin of Kumo. I hope we can get along." Her ice-blue eyes scanned the dark haired genin critically before she responded to Tatsuda's request.

"I will spar with you. Any rules?"

Her fingers flexed as Oriana mentally prepared for the spar. She walked closer and stopped a few meters away from the dark-haired girl. Coming too close now would have been both uncomfortable and out of place since they were about to spar. The regret at being spotted started to fade as the interaction went better than the cagey teen could have predicted.

[2]

Techniques & Stats:

Tsuki was pleased to hear that Orianna obliged to her request. Granted sparring is an valuable experience even for those who obtained the rank of Kage. As it keeps them in shape and learn new methods of surviving in combat. Orianna inquired about any specific rules to which Tsuki merely shook her head before responding.

"None in particular save for no lethal blows. You may use whatever you like, even fighting dirty if that's what you're comfortable with." Tsuki noted the gap between Orianna and herself. Based on the distance Orianna probably will go for close range. Tsuki let's her two shuriken drop before beginning to spin them around her via steel wires that are still attached to her two fingers. With the shurikens speed they shouldn't do more than make shallow cuts to the human skin, but the shurikens also extend to roughly 3 meters max around her as Tsuki's free hand reached down to draw out a Kunai from her holster. With her left hand holding on to the Kunai in a reverse position as Tsuki raises her left arm across her chest almost defensively.

"Fair warning, I am still getting used to these tools." On that note Tsuki will be polite as to wait for Orianna to get ready. Then Tsuki will charge forward towards her opponent. When Tsuki gets within 3 meters of Orianna, Tsuki will twitch her right index finger to cause one of her shurikens to curve downward around Orianna's left leg. It will pass her leg, and with a twist of her right hand curling her index finger the shuriken will tightly spin around Orianna's left leg at the knee area wrapping the steel wire around the knee. With a pull of her hand the shuriken will attempt to sink into Orianna's left calf as the wire is tight, and the steel wire will also attempt to pull from the back of Orianna's knee.

Simultaneously the second shuriken has curved around Orianna to her right flank, and when Tsuki pulls her hand the shuriken immediately makes a straight line spinning to attempt a non-lethal cut on Orianna's right shoulder. During this timeframe Tsuki will continue her charge. Assuming her previous actions are successful, Tsuki will lash out with her Kunai to stop just before Orianna's neck as that will be a clear indicator that Tsuki would win this match shortly after it started. Honestly Tsuki hoped it wouldn't end this quickly, but Tsuki also wish to push Orianna's limits to see what she is capable. Otherwise Tsuki will adapt to the situation depending on how Orianna responds.

[Side Note to myself; because Tsuki does not have the Bukijutsu skill learning the Shuriken Manipulation has been voided on my part.]

Tsuki's Stuff:

The pink-haired genin gave a nod to show she agreed with Tsuki's rules. They were reasonable enough. Her head inclined slightly at the warning about the dark haired girl's weapon skills. She shifted to the balls of her feet and nodded once more to indicate that she was ready to begin.

As expected Tsuki threw weapons at her. Oriana jumped, letting the shuriken and the wires go beneath her. One of the large shuriken scratched her right ankle, but the wires weren't able to trap her. Once on the ground again, Oriana's eyes narrowed. She dashed forward with chakra enhanced speed to get in Tsuki's face and used her momentum to try and drive her shoulder into the taller girl's solar plexus. It was simple enough, using a technique she hadn't quite mastered: shoulder charge. If it hit, Tsuki would be thrown backwards.

If the taller girl was able to dodge or counter, however, Oriana would have to get more creative.

Info:

Seeing Orianna taking the charge to herself and mostly evaded her shuriken brightened Tsuki's mood. The way Orianna moved with such precision and speed suggests that she is indeed a primary close quarters fighter. Tsuki's watchful eye caught sight of the half tiger being formed, and in a burst of speed Orianna meet Tsuki earlier than she had anticipated. With the lean forward as her shoulder is aimed to hit the center of Tsuki's body. Tsuki thought if she could take it then it would tell wonders of Orianna's strength. However the initial goal for Tsuki is to avoid from being hit if possible. So with Orianna making a beeline for Tsuki the young Tatsuda simply spun around to Orianna's blindside where Tsuki will end her spin with a stomp against the back of Orianna's right knee assuming she stopped her movements there. This is just to see if Tsuki's own strength can cause Orianna to buckle even slightly.

Now Tsuki can just poke Orianna with her Kunai, but instead Tsuki will attempt to simply tap on Orianna's other shoulder before taking a couple hops back putting a 3 meter distance. Of course she is also being wary of Orianna's retaliation as she is prepared to evade to the best of her ability. By this point the two shuriken had spun with her although they're too far out to hit Orianna. The wires however will make a second attempt to wrap around Orianna at her torso that will end with the shurikens puncturing into her clothing and poking Orianna's ribs. When or if Tsuki succeeds to jumping back and her wires connected as well. It'll tighten around Orianna more so and assuming that Tsuki's kick to the knee was a success it will hopefully pull Orianna down.

If successful Tsuki will quickly take the wires off her fingertips and wrap through the ring of her Kunai before planting it deep into the soil to serve as the anchor. If Orianna is down then this will make it difficult to sit up lest she has some way to break the steel wires. Planting one foot on top of the Kunai, Tsuki will weave three hand seals before a 2 meter cluster of rock black as the night and emits an uncomfortable aura of heat climbs from below the surface about a meter from Orianna's position. It might look a little intimidating, but it doesn't do much else than that.

Tsuki's Stuff:

Oriana transitioned from the shoulder charge into a somersault, rolling away as Tsuki's foot hit her calf. The blow hurt, but it did little to hinder the pink-haired genin's ability to keep going. She landed in a crouch a few seconds after. Anticipating more thrown weaponry, the shorter genin immediately replaced herself with a fallen log. As suspected, several shuriken embedded themselves into the damp wood before wires snared it. The log, disguised as Oriana, started to look frustrated before a puff of smoke revealed the deception.

From her new position seven meters behind Tsuki, Oriana dashed forward and threw a punch towards the taller genin's kidney. She had to move quickly to prevent the tall weapon user from recovering and redirecting those frustrating wires and shuriken her way.

At the last second, Oriana's arm extended a few inches longer than normal, ensuring that Tsuki would likely miscalculate when she tried to dodge.

Info:

Tsuki was certain that she had Orianna, that is until Orianna dispersed to reveal a log with the shurikens in it. Her molten gold-like eyes widened only briefly until Tsuki’s ears caught wind of Orianna’s movement coming from her flank side. Skipping the action to anchor her kunai, Tsuki instead drops the tool so she can weave her two handseals as she takes a meter hop away from Orianna. Of course she turned during the hop to see Orianna making a beeline straight for her, and judging on the speed Orianna moves slightly faster than she could. Albeit by the time Orianna reached to throw a punch towards her kidney, or in this case Tsuki’s abdomen. The young Tatsuda would complete the seals and this time a cluster of volcanic rock bursts through the ground just under Orianna’s feet that will attempt to slam into Orianna attempting to slam into the core of her body dealing minor cuts and bruises. This may or may not send Orianna an additional 3 meters above the cluster equal to 5 meters above ground now.

Tsuki thought she was in the clear from Orianna’s fist, but at the last second Orianna's arm shot out surprising Tsuki once again.

Shit… First word that crossed the young Phoenix's mind as her already raised hands to form the seals lowered with the arm guards of steel facing outward to divert the blow to her left arm. The force behind it made a solid sound of impact as the muscles around her body became dense as they braced for the impact. While unfortunately Tsuki can't hold her ground against the hefty punch. With the rising earth beneath her Tsuki shifted her feet to avoid the jagged rocks and was gonna magnetize her feet onto the surface. That is until Orianna landed that punch that forced Tsuki to be sent flying off the cluster for a good 3 meters. Her left forearm felt that circle of pain to the muscles, and Tsuki was certain that was gonna leave a mark later. Granted her arm guards provides protection especially against weapons from cutting or even puncturing through her skin. Not so much against blunt force. Frankly her steel chainmail is different since it flexes with the force and thus can act like a cushion. Things can still stab through the links though.

Tsuki will be generous on this part as she allows Orianna to at least get on her feet on the ground first. Then Tsuki will weave a single hand sign of Ram, and from the cluster of rock fragments break off from the jagged cluster and similar to a shotgun blast will attempt to puncture skin and scratch Orianna by launching the fragments at her direction. This moves at C+ speed as Tsuki is not controlling them individually and is just sending them in Orianna's general direction.

Tsuki's Stuff:

The satisfaction of sending Tsuki flying was short-lived. Volcanic rock erupted beneath the shorter genin's feet, launching her into the air. As she fell, the pink-haired teen twisted and reached out towards the nearest tree branch. Her arm extended once more, allowing her to grab it and swing herself around. She let go of the branch and landed into a somersault to roll until the force was dispersed.

Her whole body was sore from overexerting herself the whole fight. The cuts stung and the bruises ached. The pain didn't bother Oriana much, she had suffered far worse. However, the genin knew her own limits, had been made painfully aware of them countless times while in captivity.

"I give." The admission of defeat was monotone, only altered by her heavy breathing.

A few moments later, Oriana oriented herself, shaking her head to clear the dizziness from moving at high speeds. A few slow blinks later, and her gaze settled on Tsuki. Her brows furrowed briefly before she asked that taller teen, "What was that?" She gestured towards the pillar of molten rock that had knocked her into the air.

While waiting for a reply, the short genin patted herself down for major injuries. Finding nothing worse than potential pulled muscles, Oriana forced herself to her feet. After this, she could go home to lick her wounds. Maybe avoid Niko for a few days to avoid the tall redhead's overbearing worry.

[5]

Info:

With Oriana’s monotone admission of defeat falling on Tsuki’s ears. Her hands seized from forming the Ram and instead drops to her sides. Oriana seemed to be tired, and their match was only brief at least that is what Tsuki felt. Still Tsuki didn’t argue as this was a spar nonetheless as Oriana took some time to recover herself. Once the pink-haired genin caught her breath she inquired about the cluster of jagged rock that emits an uncomfortable warmth. Tsuki gifts a heartwarming smile as she stood with the etiquette and grace with her hands placed in front of her. Raising one hand with the palm facing skyward towards the formation, Tsuki explains.

”Volcanic glass is the scientific term for this. My clan uses the Lava Release, and thus we can use obsidian, rubber, sulfur, acidic mists, and even magma itself at our disposal. This is just a defensive technique of sorts that can be converted through a couple of techniques.” Melody is the term to describe her voice. Afterwards the young Phoenix, with courtesy, bowed before Oriana as she speaks once more.

”It is not lethal though i assure you. At most it would only knock you out with some cuts and bruises at this stage.”

Oriana nodded once at Tsuki's explanation. The words sounded far away and muffled compared to her muscles' screams. Still, the shorter genin stood in her usual hunched posture, arms wrapped around her bruised torso. Her lower back throbbed and her joints felt as though they'd been stretched well past their limits. It was fine, just a sign that the pink haired teen needed to toughen up.

Her expression didn't change much, still guarded and sharp, scrutinizing Tsuki. Silence dragged on between them, pulling the seconds into long, thin, awkward lengths like dough for noodles. While Oriana contemplated the taller teen's strange mannerisms.

"I see," the stilted words broke the silence, or rather, they punctured it briefly.

Oriana shuffled from foot to foot. "We should do this again," she told the taller genin before turning and walking out of the training ground, body stiff to compensate for the impact of the spar on her body. Being out of practice had its drawbacks, but they wouldn't last for long. She would win the next fight against Tsuki or, at the very least, last longer before quitting from exhaustion.

[6]
[//Exit]

After her explanation Oriana briefly uttered as to acknowledge what Tsuki was saying. Yet the silence that followed after had young Tsuki concerned if Tsuki had done more damage than she had realized. A few moments later Oriana stated that they should do this again. To which Tsuki politely bowed in response to that as it was her way of acknowledgement to Oriana.

"Of course, and if you need aid in a future mission I wouldn't mind assisting you." Tsuki asserted before the link haired Genin begins to walk away. It wasn't until Oriana was more or less out of sight before Tsuki mutters to herself.

"I hope she's okay… I don't think I went too far." Tsuki took some time to gather her Kunai and shurikens along with the wires. Placing them back into their appropriate slots, Tsuki departs from the training grounds as well.

[Exit]