The Last Sibling [Private]

Satori had mentioned the fact that Riku hadn’t gotten to meet Midori--his last sister--when she had come to visit last time and been faced with comments on how it was “rude of her not to have introduced herself” and similar issues. Satori knew that things like that didn’t matter to Ryuutei, let alone Midori, but it was important to the blue-haired girl. So, with a bit of annoyance, Satori had managed to pull Midori away from training long enough to introduce the pair.

He’d asked the green-maned girl to wait in his personal home, not too far of a walk from Kiyoshi’s communal house. This way she would at least meet her in a comfortable setting that she was used to. With this, he had moved off to fetch Riku whom he had asked to come over as well. Currently heading to the gate to fetch where she was likely waiting for him--if she hadn’t become engrossed in studying something else--Satori tucked his hands behind his head in thought.

His hair was getting longer now, wilder, much to his mother's ire. He’d heard several times now that he was “just like his father”. As soon as he’d become an official adult of the clan he’d stop having it trimmed, it was a pain, and he preferred to have it longer. It gave him an appearance he found suitable. If he wanted to be known as the “Black Lion”, then he had to look the part after all.

Shaking his head with a grin, the boy's crimson eyes trailed along the area, before settling on the large circular door of the compound. Stepping toward it where he spotted the familiar blue ball at chest-height to the lanky boy.

“Riku,” he called simply, lifting a hand in greeting as he moved toward her. Figuring she would meet him halfway as he offered a happy smile; it was hard not to when he saw her. He got along well with many but most kept their distance beyond friendly chatting. Riku and Akemi were the first few to actually try to become involved in his life. They were important to him due to that.

Midori was waiting quietly in Satori’s personal home, thinking about what this particular interaction could bring. She was not all that keen about a ‘meet and greet’ with some random outsider, but when her brother had mentioned that she was someone who was actively trying to become a part of his life, she took interest. She was a possible suitor to her brother, and she needed to be someone who was capable and worthy of that position… maybe it wasn’t really her place, but she felt that it justified meeting the woman and trying to figure out what she was all about. Sure, it took out of her training schedule, but that wasn’t a huge deal. Compared to what a lot of people were doing in her class, she was well above and beyond.

Because she had no talent for Genjutsu or Ninjutsu, she had decided to focus completely on her Taijutsu and physical training to make up for it. And when Midori went after a goal, she went with no less than 150% of her willpower towards it. She had grown a bit taller now, finally starting to hit her growth spurt, both in height and curves. Honestly, she wished those parts would simply stop growing though, as they were in the way more often than not and she was annoyed that she couldn’t use her same clothes for longer, as they would get too small. That was fine and all, but still annoying. Something in her bloodline made it to where her hair didn’t grow naturally, but that was simply one less thing to worry about for her. She was getting stronger though, despite her still lean appearance, so that would be enough to make up for the annoyances that her body was otherwise providing.

Pulling out a book she leaned back in the home, waiting for the pair to come back from the gate or wherever it was that Satori had to pick her up from.

Riku had, surprisingly, managed not to wander off to the gardens while waiting for Satori to fetch her. The reason for this, however, was much more typical for her. Her nose was in a book this time, and she was writing notes in the margin. When Satori called out to her, the blue haired girl’s head snapped up.

She snapped the book shut and stowed it and her graphite stick away in a red trimmed pocket on her dress. It was a bright yellow affair with red cuffs that somehow didn’t clash with her hair.

Riku approached Satori enthusiastically, nearly skipping.

“Satori-kun,” she greeted him. “Tsu-chan came too, but she ran off the instant we arrived to play with your younger sisters.”

Tsughi’s love of dirt, bugs, and rough-housing had facilitated an easy friendship between her, Hiyori, Saika, and Serena. They’d been chatting animatedly about something involving dirt and worms this time.

Turning her thoughts back to the present, Riku followed the tall boy towards his home. She was content not to say anything, letting a comfortable quiet settle between them.

Satori grinned as Riku explained in regards to her sister, simply nodding once in understanding as she came pattering over to her so energetically. As she came forward his hand lifted, gently petting her hair in his usual greeting before relaxing and turning his gaze toward the walkway. Leading the way at a casual pace back toward his home.

“I’m glad, my mothers have been relieved as well, it takes their energy off their hands,” he responded with a smile, amused at the fact his sisters finally had an avid playmate. Even if they weren’t much younger than him, mentally he was well beyond his years and he knew that.

They needed someone aside himself and Midori to play with, someone more on their level in maturity so they could enjoy their youth. It was a large part of why Satori wanted to be Mizukage. He wanted the children to be able to play and lead normal lives.

“Just so you know, Midori is… not very social. She’s very quiet, and blunt, but she’s not a bad person. Don’t let her intimidate you, she doesn’t mean to.” He explained with a slight smile, before glancing back up. Riku had a strong heart, so he doubted she would be. But he wanted to clear any misunderstandings before they happened if possible.

The walk was a relatively short one, and once he approached the door his hand easily tugged the door open. Sliding it to the side and letting Riku enter first, before stepping out of his sandals. Bare feet stretching once, letting Riku slip into the house-slippers he kept for her before leading the way into the sitting room where Midori rested.

Lifting a hand he performed a basic introduction.

“Midori, this is Riku Mizushima. Riku-chan, this is my fourth sister, Midori Yamato Ryuutei,” he explained simply with a slight smile.

Midori heard them approaching, her ears waiting quietly for that moment, and as a sign of respect, she shut her book and placed it on the shelf where she had found it and stood up. She had thought she was short, but still growing, but this girl was seriously short. Because she was a friend of Satori’s, she would give her the benefit of the doubt, but not until further inspection. As introductions were made, she inclined her head respectfully and then approached, slowly and gently taking the woman’s arm and inspecting it, then looking into her eyes. Both Midori’s hair and eyes looked black at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they were actually a super dark shade of green.

After inspecting her physically, she flashed a look towards Satori with a single eyebrow raised, a silent question being asked, but then she took a step back. She wanted to test her a bit, but she was certain that her method of doing so would be frowned upon greatly by Satori. After all, she was a Guest of the Village, someone who wasn’t to be tried in that manner. The suffix ‘Chan’ though meant that there was something about this woman that he was smitten with, and she wondered what that was. Midori didn’t bother with pleasantries all that much, and instead moved back to her original position and waited a moment.

“Questions?” It was a simple question, as she wasn’t really the social one, she was looking for Riku, or even Satori, to guide the conversation in a way that would be productive. She was standing there, her hands behind her back, trying to be respectful. Satori would understand that she was asking what it was that drew her to someone who, physically at least, seemed weak, because she was positive he wouldn’t be smitten with anyone who was downright weak… it wasn’t something she ever imagined him doing.

Riku gave a short bow as Satori introduced her. She watched Midori take her arm and examine it, brown eyes curious but not giving away much else. Midori, as Satori had described, was not very talkative or social. She was taller than Riku and also had an unusual hair color (something the blue hair girl appreciated). Riku couldn’t quite interpret the other girl’s expressions, but she had a feeling Midori didn’t approve of her yet. That was fine, the Ryuutei were all about proving one’s worth with action.

A subtle sniff before Midori pulled away didn’t reveal much new information about her either. She smelled like the woods and steel and sweat. Without more time around her, Riku wouldn’t be able to distinguish between the green haired girl and any other Ryuutei save for Satori and his other sisters, at least not by using her nose.

Riku’s own skin seemed to leak the scent of various herbs with an earthy undertone. Her muscles weren’t especially toned yet, and her demeanor gave off no hint of a threat. It was easy to see why Midori might underestimate her. Her true talents--poisons, speed, and craftiness were much harder to see.

Riku smiled widely, more so than usual. It was the look she got when deciding which poison best suited a person. Midori seemed like the suspicious sort, so nothing too subtle. Perhaps a more obvious approach would be best.

“Want to fight?”

[2]

Initially, Satori was going to begin introductions, get something to eat for them and perhaps discuss a few things about them before offering the idea of a spar. It would get the hesitation from Midori out of the way and help her loosen up knowing what kind of person Riku was. He could feel the questions radiating off the silent girl; she wasn’t used to dealing with people that looked or acted “normal”. She was used to Ryuutei, and fans that she despised, and very little in-between.

Riku was used to both, thankfully, and had far more social skill than Midori did. But, what he didn’t expect from Riku was to read the situation so flawlessly and offer the one thing that would ease this interaction the quickest. An immediate spar. Satori blinked, glancing at Riku briefly, then a low rumbling laugh filled his chest. He knew that look all too well. Bemused, he would tuck his hands behind his head and arch a brow.

“If you’re going to spar, we need to go to the training ring. My house is quite nice, I don’t need you punching holes in or near it,” he glanced at Midori, “Or you blasting the landscape away and poisoning the crops,” he glanced to Riku. Smiling softly before he would meander into the kitchen, grabbing a few waterskins and candied fruits and nuts; as well as jerky for them to snack on after the spar. Tucking it away into his backpack before he would step toward the door, sliding his sandals back on with a low rumble of a laugh filling the air once more.

He should have expected it, really. Riku had grown since her bullied days, she was aggressive now, and faced issues head-on. His habits had worn off on her a bit, and she had begun to learn how Ryuutei culture worked. But for some reason, the thought hadn’t entered his mind that she would initiate so quickly.

She still surprised him occasionally it would seem. As far as Midori, well--he knew she’d be all for it. It was clear she was curious about the girl, and she’d want proof she was strong if she was going to treat her as an equal.

Midori, while she didn’t communicate verbally much, she did communicate with, and understood greatly, physical communication. She could read someone’s body language like some people read a book, and it was very telling of a person and their true intentions when they were basically so used to the verbal communication that the physical side would give them away. It happened quite a bit, and had been one of the reasons she was able to get away with speaking so little, as she would show what she wanted to say through action without the need for verbalization.

The green haired teen didn’t miss the sniff… if she was paying extremely close attention, she smelled a bit like burning ozone, but it was so faint that she was certain only Satori and those with enhanced senses would be able to detect it. She had detected, even with her fairly normal nose, the scent that the woman gave off that was pleasant and woodsy, but something in her gut said that this woman was not to be underestimated, and that fact was proven with her smile. She had seen that smile countless times before, when a Ryuutei would identify someone as prey, and she turned to fully face the blue haired vixen, a gentle smirk on her face at the challenge.

She verbalized it too, just to be on the safe side, but that was more or less a warning to Satori; they didn’t need it because that smile told Midori everything she needed to know. This woman was not scared of a fight, and while she was more than willing, it wasn’t her place just yet; while she certainly could accept simply because she was a part of the Ryuutei and because her honor demanded it, she wanted to get Satori’s blessing too. He knew what Midori was capable of and there wasn’t much in the way of judgement, but she wanted to make sure that Riku would be able to handle a spar with her; she would be sad if she accidentally broke Satori’s friend. So the green haired girl listened as Satori gave his consent.

Satori betrayed them both, and Midori had been listening. Blasting away landscape, that would be an impressive feat indeed… poisoning crops? That was a little concerning. She didn’t have a whole lot in the way of a defense against poison aside simply avoiding getting poisoned, but that would play out how it was meant to. Midori never lost her smirk, but it had widened, and she was starting to show a little bit of teeth as she looked forward to the fight and walked behind Satori.

Midori liked this girl already.

Midori’s answering smirk quickened Riku’s pulse. I have her attention now, she thought. “Satori-kun, I wouldn’t poison the crops, that would be just plain rude,” the blue haired girl replied, looking increasingly amused, “but I see your point.” Riku retrieved her boots and followed the two Ryuutei siblings towards the training grounds.

She rested her arms behind her back, hands cupping her elbows. While Riku hadn’t necessarily anticipated a spar today, she had brought a kunai and a few shuriken along. They weren’t the best quality, a bit blunted, but they had been free. The blue haired girl wasn’t above scavenging near the training grounds in the village for supplies or liberating weapons from the Academy to practice with at home. She also had itching powder that she’d crafted herself.

Riku mused over whether coating the girl in itching powder would be cruel while they walked, a far away look crossing her face. How best to apply it? The simple answer was to coat herself with it. Sure, that would be uncomfortable, but it wouldn’t be so bad once she liquified. But how to do so without being caught?

“Nee, Midori-san,” Riku spoke up, sounding far too casual to be innocent, “is there any poison ivy in the woods around here?” Despite already knowing the answer to this question, the blue haired girl wanted to know what the green haired one had to say, rather, she wanted to know how the green haired one would say it.

[3]

Satori was nothing but amused at the antics of both girls. He’d purposely alerted both of them to parts of the others skills for a reason. He didn’t want to give too much away, but he also didn’t want them both to be completely unprepared. Midori clearly wasn’t underestimating her any longer, and Riku hadn’t been from the start. That was enough, and would ensure no injuries took place. Glancing back at Riku, however, he could already see the plotting look on her face.

She was thinking of ways to make Midori’s life as miserable as possible. What she lacked in physical intimidation, she made up for with raw ruthlessness. If it wasn’t lethal in a spar, Riku would do it. It was the power of the “weak” in many ways, and why he never underestimated anyone, regardless of rank or appearance. It was a foolish thing to do. Even a civilian could kill a ninja if they were unprepared, it was the natural order of things.

This was the same reason that even the great lion feared the snake, or the crocodile. All things were a threat in nature, and that carried over to human life as well.

Glancing forward as Riku asked her question, his mind was already following up the answer, as well as what the girl was after. A bemused smile played at his lips as he tucked his hands behind his back while they walked. Making their way toward the edge of the training grounds was a bit of a walk, but nothing severe. It had sections, and one was quite close to the edge of the village thankfully.

Allowing the girls to talk amongst themselves, Satori’s gaze flipped upward as he contemplated how he could involve himself in their little spar. He could act as judge and tutor, he supposed. He could also offer the idea of fighting the winner to give them both a little something to fight for than just their pride, a “prize” of sorts. He’d wait to pitch the ideas until they were done conversing, however.

Midori heard the question and nodded, knowing where the patches of Poison Ivy were because that was where a lot of rabbits thought themselves safe, not factoring in that the green haired teen loved catching them more than she was worried about an itch. "After." She would show her where they were after the spar, as it wasn't really pertinent at the moment. Perhaps she used them for one of her poisons, but that was fine too, Midori knew she was a Kiri-Nin, and helping her own in any way possible was something that came naturally as breathing. But nothing was coming between Mirdori the spar that had been promised to her with a new opponent. It was refreshing really to fight someone new; fighting no one but Satori all the time got one used to their style and made you complacent on things, and this would keep her fresh.

As she was walking, she turned and paused, holding her arm out towards a bush for a moment, and allowing a snake that had been hiding there to slither onto her arm, coiling around it. She gave the snake a gentle smile, letting it coil around her neck as they walked, and the beast turned and looked at Riku and Satori, and she looked over and gave it a nod, having answered a question that had been asked. After they had traveled almost completely to the training grounds, she paused again, moving towards a tree and letting it slither onto the branch from her arm. She had gotten used to the fact that she could talk to animals in her mind, a weird side-effect of her bloodline, and extremely useful when trying to recon an area in theory. She hadn't put it to use yet, but it would certainly come in handy one day, and it was nice that she could speak to them without ever saying a word; as it should be.

Riku resisted the urge to pout visibly, but only just barely. The green haired girl wasn't inclined to talking, thus, the blue haired girl's usual trickery was rendered mostly moot.

She watched Midori give a snake a lift curiously. How were they communicating? Once the spar was over, Riku would have to ask. Perhaps a list of inquiries was in order. The spar was something that Riku needed to get over with so she could freely poke and prod at Midori in hopes of learning more about the quiet girl.

According to Satori, Midori had great physical strength. This would be a bit of a problem for Riku, but nothing insurmountable. Riku fiddled with her sleeves, hands disappearing inside. To some, this might look like a nervous gesture or a sign of anticipation. The short girl frowned, biting her lip and worrying it between her teeth to sell the act. Covertly, she palmed a vial of itching powder.

Now to wait for an opportunity to use it. She liquefied one hand inside her sleeves so that she could uncork the vial without moving her fingers too much. She allowed the powder to soak into her hand before solidifying it again. By the time Riku managed this, they were at the training ground and Midori was releasing her serpentine friend.

[4]

Satori paid no mind to the snake, he was used to the actions. It was actually intriguing, the way she described it, it wasn't as though it was true "talking" more like an empathic connection that used images, emotions, and body language to communicate. In many ways, it was similar to how Ryuutei could interact with felines, but with any animal, she came in contact with. He noticed Riku and said nothing with a bemused smile as they walked.

The rest of the walk was in relative peace, and Satori led the way through toward the training grounds without too much difficulty from that point. Settling back, the tall boy idly paced through the sand until he could grasp a nearby stick. He then began, carefully drawing the circle along the sand. This was a common Ryuutei practice, and though Satori could do without it and had--Midori likely wouldn't want too.

Tracing the circle until it was about twenty-five meters in diameters, Satori halted at its edge where the two tips connected and clasped his hands behind his back. A slight grin forming on his lips as he glanced between the two girls. Riku knew the rules, and so did Midori. The moment both feet touched the ground within the ring, the battle began instantly. The moment you were knocked out of the ring or admitted defeat, you lost instantly. If needed the referee could interfere and call a halt to the fight at any time, and this must be abided by.

Such were the Ryuutei rules.

"I'll be the referee," he stated simply, before stepping back and waiting. Watching curiously to see how exactly this would play out. He knew, either way, it was going to be far more than a curbstomping on either end, it would all depend on how the interactions went to feel one anothers weaknesses out.

Never once did it cross her mind that Riku could be doing preparatory actions on the way to the sparring area, because she had made the assumption that she would always be doing exactly that. In the Ryuutei, anything to win was allowed, although the rules were extremely important to be set in stone beforehand. That made her realize that there hadn’t been any special rules set up this time, but if Satori didn’t address that soon, she would make sure to ask. He was the one facilitating this event after all, so it only made sense that he be the referee and set the rules for them too. Besides, he was the thinker, and Midori was calm with the silence and her serpentine friend until they parted ways at the training area.

As she thought, Satori set to work in making the arena, Ryuutei style, for them, and Midori began to stretch out a little bit. She wanted to do things Riku’s way, if she had a way, but that was fine to do it her way too; it didn’t matter to the dark green haired teen so long as she won. Satori declared what she had mentally guessed, and after a few little hops, she stepped into the ring, ready to fight, and lowered into her typical stance. One hand out in front of her, the elbow slightly bent, hand curled like she had already caught Riku’s fist. The other near her waist, curled into a flat and ready to strike. Stance was wide, but didn’t show any openings, and there wasn’t a single hair out of place as she prepared herself. The moment that Riku entered the ring, the assault would begin.

Riku watched Satori draw the ring with an unreadable expression. When the green haired girl stepped into the circle, she smiled again. The sharp expression was at odds with her outfit, a yellow dress with red trim at the hem and matching sleeve cuffs with black boots that stopped just below the knee. If anything, Riku looked as if she had come prepared to garden rather than fight. The red fabric tied around her head with a bow on top didn't help.

The delicate looking girl stepped into the ring and her lips lifted to reveal her sharp teeth, something inherited from her father's side of the family.

Taijutsu wasn't Riku's specialty, but the few times Satori had convinced her to spar with him assured the blue haired girl that she could probably handle Midori. Besides, Riku was far less shy about her abilities when she was trying to prove a point. If the green haired girl thought she was weak, that needed to be corrected post haste. The blue haired girl darted forward to meet Midori, smiling in the other girl's face.

She opened with a quick jab aimed straight at Midori's face. Best not to give the girl time to think. The less Midori thought about it, the more opportunities Riku would have time to make contact and get the itching powder on her opponent. Even if Midori blocked, the "damage" would still be done.

If Midori was vulnerable to poison ivy, this powder would work wonders, or horrors depending on the viewpoint.

[5]

Satori remained calmly in place as he watched the fight, he didn't specify rules: which was a statement in and of itself. Anything went, beyond lethal attacks. Technically those were even allowed in a Ryuutei spar, but he fully intended to intervene before anything of that magnitude happened either way.

The spar was initiated by the blue-haired teen, and Satori was amused at her ferocious little smile. The Hozuki teeth flashing in the light as Satori allowed himself a brief chuckle. Riku wasn't as quick as he was, but she was quicker and more nimble than Midori. There was also the obvious fact that Riku's passive bloodline effects would render almost anything that Midori threw at her pointless.

If the girl fell back on Genjutsu, it was the same concept. Essentially, Riku's combat style was an outright hard counter to Midori's own. Midori didn't have the techniques to properly supplement her Taijutsu so she could manage to break through her passive water-form. It would be interesting to see how things would go. The true test would be whether Midori could land a proper blow that Riku's bloodline would then automatically protect her from.

Satori would count that as a victory, in a way. As then the only reason Riku would win would be her bloodline. In a real fight, anything went. A bloodline was just as effective and legal as any other weapon. But, for a spar where you wished to focus on self-improvement, there was no reason to not apply "false rules" such as what he'd just considered to help improve one's base functions.

Though in Riku's case she focused on that too much. She needed to learn that it was fine to use and rely on her bloodline. But that had quite a bit of baggage associated with it as well.

The smile made something within Midori begin to stir... what was that? Bloodlust? Not quite. A contest to her Pride? She wasn't exactly sure, but she felt herself start to get excited about what was about to happen... she was ready and waiting for this little woman to surprise her, and she would probably enjoy it all the while. The blue haired girl charged her, and because she had sat there and honed her Taijutsu so much, she was able to see the punch as it was all but telegraphed through her body, and Midori was charging as well, bringing her own fist to bear. She would strike Riku's fist to fist and see who was stronger physically in the first strike.

This was not about winning or losing, this was about proving a point. She already had begun to respect Riku simply because of her willingness to throw down and leave it all in the ring, and it was shown because she wasn't going to be losing the smile she had on her face, like a kid who had just gotten an invitation to their favorite event. Midori was not object in any way to getting beat, and she didn't care how it was done; the only time she really got frustrated was when she couldn't find a way to progress, to get stronger, and when Satori did things to intentionally annoy her. But he did that stuff on purpose, so it hardly counted really.

Regardless of what happened with the fist clashing at the start, Midori would then follow up with a barrage of strikes, each targeted to exploit any opening she found in the small woman's guard with all the ferocity and intensity she could bring to the table, and in Midori's case, who was usually so quiet and without showing her emotions, this was truly the only way to vent.

Midori met her head on, fist colliding with her own. Riku's whole arm wavered as if it were made of jelly, liquefying just enough to absorb the impact. Grinning, the blue haired girl grabbed her opponent's arm and began to liquefy to help smear the itching powder on Midori's skin. She pulled Midori close and made sure to rub as much of the green haired girl's skin as possible before shoving her.

“Tag.” Riku jumped backwards afterwards and flipped through several hand seals. The nauseating feel of water nature chakra crawling up her throat was distracting, but she managed to spit a torrent of water at the green haired girl's feet in an attempt to knock her off balance. Hitting the other girl's arms would rinse off the itching powder and Riku wanted to see if it worked on Midori. Her hands dipped into her pockets for more of the powder.

Riku's own hands were reddening, but Riku had used this on herself before and was familiar with its effects.

[6]

While the two went at once another, Satori remained where he was with a slight grin. Watching the battle unfold as Midori would likely for the first time be met with an opponent that held the Hozuki bloodline. Hydrification was a powerful ability, and in the right hands it was nearly impossible to beat them down without lightning or specific forms of dry materials to slow or interrupt the liquifying abilities.

Bemused, Satori would watch the usage of the powder and rest his chin in his palm quietly. Curious how long the back and forth would last as he idly shifted a hand into his pockets, watching the interactions patiently.

It would be worth seeing just how far along the two could push one another, but as a simple bystander and referee, for now, there was little for him to do personally. Just watch until one of them went down and he had to perform his duty to see if they wished to continue.

Midori's eyes went wide as when the impact occurred it felt and look like she had just punched a living puddle, the arm she collided with liquefying at contact with her own fist and then began to try to grasp her arm. Realizing it too late, she withdrew her arm, but not before her hand and wrist were almost completely immersed in the water and she finally connected the dots to what it was that she had been saying regarding the Poison Ivy. This felt the same, if not magnified, and her hand throbbed and itched to the point where she wanted to rip it off.

Riku then spat a steam of water towards her feet, and Midori backed up even more, shaking her hand but otherwise seeming uneffected. After a moment, she clenched the limb, now red and painful, into a fist, and gave herself a moment, with this distance, to assess her options. Physical Combat, which was really Midori's only strong suit, was basically null and void... she could simply liquefy and continue to spread her poison on Midori's skin. She didn't have many options, but she was not beaten yet, and after a moment, she considered an idea and charged forward. Midori would need to evade anything that was spat at her, but once she closed the distance, she brought down a hand and formed a Chakra Orb, a visible green chakra ball in her hand, and then pushed it towards Riku. If it made contact, or even got pretty close, she would detonate it at point blank range, hoping the ensuing explosion would do some actual damage.

Either way, the green haired teen would then leap backwards to create some more distance and try to stay away from the poisonous woman.

As expected, the green haired girl retreated quickly from Riku's poisonous touch. The torrent of water distracted Midori further, but only for a moment. Riku formed more hand seals, taking advantage of the distance.

Midori charged her again, but this time, the green haired girl had a green orb of energy in one hand.

Not eager to make contact with that technique, whatever it was, Riku stuffed the poison ivy powder into her mouth just before spitting another torrent of water directly at Midori's face in an attempt to keep her at bay. This stream of water was carrying her irritant, however, making dodging it much more pressing.

The inside of Riku's mouth itched, and she could feel her tongue swelling a bit, but the blue haired girl didn't let it bother her too much. Frequent exposure to her various mixes had inured Riku to the full effects of most poisons.

[7]

Satori expected the response that he got from Midori. She backpedaled as anyone sane would, while trying to figure out exactly what had happened. Once she'd connected the dots, the situation began to rapidly escalate as he idly sank down to sit on his heels while he watched the next exchange.

Midori was falling back on her limited Ninjutsu skill to amplify it with her physical prowess, but Riku had a far more versatile arsenal. It helped that Hozuki were naturals at Suiton, and that meant learning them was far easier on her than a normal ninja. Satori had no interest in elemental techniques. But he couldn't deny their efficiency, especially with Riku's creativity in combining them with her poisons.

Smirking, he remained where he was, patiently waiting to see the turnout of the little contest for now.

Midori saw her spew another torrent of water towards her face, and her mind rapidly saw through the attack and what avenues she could take. Going below it, thanks to gravity, wasn't really an option; she would get hit with it regardless. Side to side meant that she would be able to see her approaching rapidly and adjust her aim, and Midori had no idea how long she could keep up this torrent of poisonous water, so that wasn't really a great idea. Going airborne would make her an easy target. So what was a girl to do in this situation? The one thing that would give her the advantage and be something she wouldn't expect.

Midori charged right in, not deviating in the slightest.

But she wasn't about to take that water to the face; she was still dealing with the last bit and her hand felt like it was on fire, and that was something that was severely distracting. Lifting that same arm up, she focused a moment, and summoned more Chakra into her palm, aimed at the water.

Chakra Blast

An explosion of lime green colored chakra shot forth out of her hand, impacting the water and causing it to spray in every direction except at Midori, which was all she needed. The massive spray would obstruct her vision, and because the spray was not distributed evenly, she had a solid chance to find a hole and close the distance. Now Midori was within arm's reach, and bringing the present she had carried with her to bear. If it connected, it was going to do some damage, but now that she was close, it was all about reacting faster than her opponent.

[8]

When Midori exploded her technique, Riku cut off the spew of water as quickly as possible. She squinted, tensing in preparation for the green haired girl. The blue haired girl anticipated a charge and had just enough time to react when Midori was in her face, shoving that green orb at her. The berserker had gotten the jump on her, but Riku was a bit faster. She grabbed Midori's arm and pulled her in close, clamping the limb under her own arm to avoid a direct hit from the orb.

Then, she wrapped her other arm around Midori and pressed their bodies together, putting the girls nose to nose. Riku liquified and tried to engulf the green haired girl within her watery form, shoving irritant laced water wherever it would fit. It was like something from a nightmare, some sort of alien attempting to invade Midori's orifices.

[8]

Satori grinned softly as Midori's solution was to simply brute force blast through the liquid, it wasn't a terrible strategy by any means. Though the risk of splatter hitting across her body was relatively high as well. Still, it got her in close and Satori watched as the two girls went at it, as Riku countered in a way that he was proud of her. Expanding her bloodlines abilities and beginning to invade the nose, ears, and mouth of Midori. Satori idly sitting on his haunches as he watched.

If things got a bit too serious he'd call a halt as was the terms, but until then he'd let them be. The invasion could still be countered by Midori, and she wouldn't drown right away either. Keen crimson eyes watched and waited. He'd intervene the moment he needed too, but not up until that point.