I spy with my little eye

Inarie was one of the few that positioned themselves on the spectating area. She was dressed in her usual garments which consists of a sand colored linen shirt with a steel mail shirt over it. Her belt fastened around her waist which held her hip pouch of tools and the holster which holds her sheathed chokuto. Pants were of black leggings with a pair ankle-high leather shoes. Finally, the Kirigakure headband is present on her forehead.

Her rose pink eyes focused on the match that had just started. Her platinum long hair flows past her shoulder, and the metallic blue scales on her forearms and the cheeks of her face are shown. Inarie is leaned against the railing with one arm propped on it as she rests her shin on the open palm. To some she seems to have an attentive expression as she was looking down between the combatants. Daisuke, being part of her team and currently the backbone of the team, is facing off against Katsumi. For what reasons, Inarie isn't sure of except that this was sponsored by someone with authority. The amount of people gathered here watching this match seems to be a bit much considering this is a match between two Genin. It's not like this is a Chunin Exam match.

Still, it wasn't like Inarie had anything better to do. Watching a match was beneficial considering it gives insight on future battles. Granted Inarie would learn more by fighting since she was more of a first-hand person versus just observe. Regardless, Daisuke opted to let his shirt fall from him which probably confuse the ignorant that doesn't know what Kaguya Bone does. Katsumi spoke that she wasn't going to hold back this time which rewarded with a raised brow from Inarie.

Which means they fought before… this is becoming a bit bizarre by the minute. What's the purpose behind this? A rank up? One of our exclusive techniques perhaps? Questions flooded in Inarie's mind as she watched Daisuke make the first move. With Katsumi, displaying impressive agility, snatched the bone Kunai and launched herself in a straight line for a flying kick. Seems a bit odd in Inarie's opinion and a bit straightforward. However Inarie guessed that kick of hers had more power behind it. Durable as Kaguya might be, that's no excuse for Daisuke to be careless. Inarie doesn't say anything and simply watches.

A squad of six Shinobi would arrive to the spectator area remaining in a rather close group. They wore the customary Kirigakure uniform, being a flak jacket with long black sleeve pants, shirt, and sandals. They wore a utility belt like most ninja with two holsters and a hip pouch. What separated them from the regular bunch was their sash worn around the waist, which was white with a red cross identifying them as medical ninja. They were ordered to by on standby in case any of the competitors suffered a grievous injury. Time would be crucial and transportation to the hospital may not be applicable. They carefully watched the fight and showed really no desire to engage in conversation or do much else. They had orders to abide by.

Medic Nin:

Kitsuki was standing a bit further to the left of Inarie. The girl was leaning over the guardrail and intently watching the match. Kitsuki was wearing her typical reformatory uniform complete with white blouse, suit jacket, dress pants, and boots. Her afro textured hair was styled in a series of thick pig-tails held together with a few small bands. She had arrived early to support and cheer on her big sister. Kitsuki wasn't the loud "Rah Rah" type of spectator but she knew that Kat would appreciate her presence. When Kit heard about the fight, she immediately thought back to when she and her sister watched the comet with the Mizukage. He had mentioned that there'd be some kind of contest in the near future. The village had many enemies and Kyoji-sama sought to improve the strength and quality of his genin. Kitsuki was a bright girl and so she put two and two together. This match would be highly consequential. Whoever won might get one of those specialty weapons or some other ability or power-up. Kitsuki wasn't surprised that Katsumi had been chosen over her. Kat was superior to her in almost every way. The elder Kurahasa was stronger, faster, and even smarter (although she'd never admit it). Katsumi was the golden child of Master Sukimori's School for War, Art, Science, and Philosophy. Her name rang out through the halls of the elite private school and not even the most snotty of students dared challenge her. Kitsuki felt a bit inadequate in stark comparison to her older sister, but she had resolved not to be too hard on herself. She'd blossom in her own time. The main focus now was cheering on Katsumi.

"Cmon Katsumi! You can do it big sis!"

She called out loudly from the stands. Kitsuki wasn't really the loud and brash type but she couldn't stay quiet the whole match. Kat would be more than thrilled to hear her sister cheering her on so openly. Every bit of encouragement and support would go a long way towards helping her sister win. The only thing more shocking than the sudden nature of the match was who Katsumi was fighting against.

Daisuke?!

Kitsuki had met Daisuke Kaguya on a mission not too long ago. The mission was pretty simple and straightforward. All they had to do was clean up some graffiti that had been sprayed on a few local shops. Unfortunately, Daisuke had turned it into a weird therapy session. He bragged about his bloodline and how superior it made him to clanless people. It was a strange thing to be proud of and quite rude to boot. He wasn't entirely tone deaf though and he had at least made some effort to demonstrate that there was more to his clan and personality than superiority complexes. He was a good kid she was sure, just a bit mixed up and unrefined. If there was anyone in need of a lesson in social etiquette it was Daisuke. The way he had protruded his bones out of his body to show her his kekkei genkai was gratuitous and unnecessary. She'd need to talk to Kat about that at some point.

But despite his ruffian mannerisms, Daisuke had been chosen to spar against her sister. That could only mean one thing. Daisuke is skilled too?! Kitsuki couldn't imagine a universe where Daisuke was pitted against Katsumi just for the hell of it. The Mizukage wanted to test the best of the best genin, Katsumi was no brainer and so if Daisuke was selected to fight her then he had to be on her level or close to it. This was mildly surprising given his lack of social grace. Kit supposed that there was no universal law mandating an uncouth boy to be a mediocre shinobi, but it did take her aback. It certainly wasn't what she was used to. She didn't want Kat losing to him and so she gripped the rails and willed her sister to victory.

There were a few people present watching the match but a few people stuck out to her. Namely, a white haired girl with rose colored eyes. Kitsuki spied the genin out of the corner of her eye and guessed that the girl was a Kaguya. Kitsuki guessed that she was Daisuke's sister or perhaps cousin. It made sense that she had come to cheer him on although she appeared to be even less vocal than Kit.

Nearby was a group of shinobi Inarie noticed. Each armed to the teeth with a sash to indicate they are medical shinobi. Something was off, and Inarie can't figure out what. Daisuke never said a word about this match, as Inarie had to find out from other shinobi. So she can't help except to wonder what is the purpose behind this match. Either way, this was an excellent thing to kill time and perhaps relieve some tension amongst the village. However little that might be.

Off to her left, a voice calls out over the noise from people who might have been talking. Drawing Inarie's eyes over to the source. Standing near Inarie was another girl with dark skin and really curly hair. She was dressed rather formal in Inarie's opinion, but it would seem that this girl was sibling to Katsumi. A brow raised on her part even as Daisuke entered the arena. Still Inarie didn't say anything, nor has she said anything since she got here. So Inarie returned her attention to the center as the fight began. Her eyes watchful of both combatants, as both were moving in speed that Inarie had no difficulty keeping up with. However, seeing the technique of Daisuke's that produced the bones at Katsumi when she is mid-air. In short of superhuman levels of intellect and reflexes, Inarie doesn't think that Katsumi can dodge it.

"Hopefully your sister has an element under her belt. Or else she might have a tough time to even get close to him." Inarie commented loud enough for Kitsuki to hear. As it was directed towards her anyways. Turning her eyes off from the pair to Kitsuki, Inarie offers a soft smile despite the naturally intimidating eyes.

"Inarie Yoru-Kaguya, Genin of Kirigakure. Did you come to learn as well?"

"Hopefully your sister has an element under her belt. Or else she might have a tough time to even get close to him."

The comment caught Kitsuki off guard. She was watching the match so closely that she had hardly remembered there were others there with her. Kit gripped the bar in frustration as she watched her sister do her best to deal with the endless supply of bones sprouting from the smoker. It would definitely be a tough match but Kit truly believed that her sister would pull through. She turned to the source of the comment and saw that it came from the white haired girl. A Kaguya no doubt.

"I have faith in her, she's dealt with worse" Kitsuki said with a reassuring smile. She guessed that this stranger favored her own kin. Kitsuki could not fault her for that and she appeared friendly enough to introduce herself.

"Kitsuki Kurahasa" she held out her hand to shake. She didn't want to take her eyes off the match but she was rather curious about this other Kaguya. "I'm here to cheer Katsumi on but if I happen to pick up a few lessons along the way then that's all well and good"

Inarie’s eye had that spark of curiosity as her brow slightly raised at Kitsuki’s confidence in her sister. Optimism was good to have, and statistically speaking from what Katsumi is superior in raw power. However even that won’t be enough if Katsumi doesn’t apply it appropriately. Not just that, but rather Daisuke can produce a lot of those bones. So long as Katsumi remains in close range, Daisuke has the advantage in that field. In Inarie’s young mind, it really boils down to whether Katsumi can pull a big move that catches everyone off-guard. Or Daisuke either runs out of stamina or somehow slips up.

”Facing difficult trials in the past is only that. There will always be a time when you face a seemingly overwhelming problem. If you can’t face it effectively, then either get creative, hold them off until reinforcements arrive, or just tactic withdraw to rally stronger allies who are more suited against the target.” Inarie will give her input on what her thoughts were regarding Kitsuki’s encouragement. Of course, Inarie is not here to berate or stomp out the possibility that Katsumi can win this fight. Rather, Inarie is trying to elaborate that there are other options in combat than just fighting. Sometimes the battle is really the clock ticking down or up. There might be times where they might have really think carefully and strategize in order to overcome their obstacle. Other times it would just be better to retreat and come back with better tools for the job.

With Kitsuki extending her hand to shake, Inarie blinked at the gesture as that was a rare occurrence for her. Still she removed her prop albeit still leaning on the railing to shake Kitsuki’s hand.

”Truthfully I’m just here to see who wins. If Daisuke wins then great. If Katsumi wins, that’s great too. It’s just a demonstration how much some of our top Genin are capable of doing to me.” Inarie commented as she withdrew her hand. Despite the scales her skin is relatively soft. Almost devoid of calluses even on her palms. Her hands are quite delicate too, yet Inarie’s eyes held a certain degree of fierce confidence on a passive level. Turning her eyes back to the pair down at the center, Inarie continued.

”Out of curiosity, what sort of lessons are you hoping to learn from this?”

The WASP School had taught its students that you could tell a lot about a kunoichi by the way they bowed and/or shook your hand. A loose and flimsy grip usually indicated a lazy and wayward ninja. A half-hearted and poorly timed bow tended to demonstrate thoughtlessness and lack of preparation. To this end, Kitsuki's handshakes and bows were irreproachably perfect. When she shook Inarie's hand she noticed how naturally soft and delicate the Kaguya's hands were, yet the grip was precise. Not too hard...not too soft....she's well mannered.

Inarie gave her thoughts on difficult challenges and the ways in which they could be tackled. Kitsuki did not disagree. Violence was one option among many. Retreats, reinforcements, and diversions were all methods to achieving victory. Although Kit knew her sister well enough to know that she wasn't thrilled about the prospect of turning away from a fight. Katsumi liked to face her challenges head on while Kit was more likely to be diplomatic and varied in her approach to addressing conflict. When asked what sort of lessons she hoped to pick up from this fight, Kitsuki replied:

"How to defeat someone with a bloodline" she gave a wry grin. "I happen to know Daisuke. I did a mission with him once and he isn't always as polite as you are. He seems to think people with kekkei genkai are naturally superior to those without. I disagree. I know my sister will prevail in the end, but watching how she does it will help me in future battles."

Inarie listened to the young Kitsuki as she looked down at the pair. It was taking an interesting turn as Daisuke was keeping Katsumi at a distance using creative methods of his bones. Smart of him, and Inarie was curious on what Katsumi would do to handle it.

"Well, those born with a bloodline generally has the upper hand as they have access to abilities that other people can't do. However, anyone who puts in the effort into their growth has the potential to overpower their opponent's even without a bloodline." Inarie softly spoken as it truly did depend on the individual, but she'll agree that from the sound of it Daisuke was being arrogant. Just like that, the proctor declared the fight was over and that Katsumi was the winner afterall. The fight didn't even take long, and Inarie got the feeling that those two had plenty of fight in them. Still Inarie shrugged her shoulders as she straightened herself.

"If anything you could always try to win despite the advantage. Katon or Raiton usually does the trick for Kaguya, but we're trained to be natural warriors so it's not like they're going to be easy targets." Inarie gave a tip for Kitsuki in case she fights Daisuke or another Kaguya. Just a little bit of information can help in the long run. Turning her eyes over at Kitsuki once more.

"If you ever feel like sparring for training I wouldn't mind helping out. It's a different experience than training for months by yourself." It was an offer, although Kitsuki didn't have to agree to it right away. Inarie wasn't the sort to start fights out of the blue. Especially against other Kirigakure shinobi.

Inarie, like Daisuke, had a point but it still irked Kitsuki. The cavalier haughtiness and assumed superiority rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't like it, never did. Whether it was back at the private school she had attended or amongst her fellow genin, it spoke of narrow-mindedness and undeserved arrogance. She assumed that wasn't necessarily their intention but ultimately it was how they came off. Inarie was right about one thing though. Individuals who invested time and energy into their craft would eventually win out against those born with kekkei genkai. Inarie even went on to offer some useful advice with respect to fighting Kaguya. She seemed very matter-of-factly about the whole thing which was odd considering most clan mates would presumably guard against revealing such weaknesses. Kitsuki wasn't entirely paying attention to her though as right in the middle of her speech, the proctor had suddenly ended the match. While Katsumi hadn't quite been declared the winner, she had been on the verge of delivering a powerful sweep kick. The way that the proctor had jumped in just before the blow could connect told Kitsuki all she needed to know.

Briming with confidence that her older sister had overcome the braggadocios ruffian, Kitsuki called out:


"GOOOOO KATSUMI!"

She wasn't the extra loud cheering type so it had cost her a lot of spoons to muster up that kind of "Ra-Ra" spirit. However, this was a momentous occasion. While it wasn't official, Kitsuki felt as though it may as well have been. Her sister, a graduate of the illustrious Sukimori School for War, Art, Science, and Philosophy had bested a Kaguya. She guessed that this Daisuke must have been the best that they had to offer as she doubted the clan would send a runt to fight someone as skilled as Katsumi. He had handled himself decently well during the match so he was no slouch. This made the victory all the more sweet. Kitsuki wasn't the type to get so excited over violence, but this was more than that. This was cheering on her sister. Someone who she knew worked so hard to be a martial threat to others regardless of their bloodline. It was a moral victory just as much as it was a military one. When the heat of excitement died down, Kit turned to her new acquaintance and replied:

"Thanks for the tip...and as for sparring I might actually take you up on that." she said with a self-assured grin. It wasn't fair to assume that just because Kat beat Daisuke she could beat Inarie. For all she knew, this Inarie girl could be orders of magnitude stronger than Daisuke. She seemed to have no problem with handing over information on how to beat Kaguya. Perhaps she was so confident in her own power that she believed that giving Kit this information wouldn't really make the slightest bit of difference. Kit bore the girl no ill will as she was as nice and polite as one could ask, but the spirit of victory was infectious. Additionally, Kitsuki had a habit of feeding off of her big sister's energy.

"How about tomorrow actually? At dawn. Kirigakure training grounds. Me and you in a one on one spar." The elation in her voice made it sound like an enthusiastic challenge, which of course, it was.

Perhaps Inarie was the oddball amongst this audience. She didn't really share the same excitement as everyone else. Then again Inarie has been the type to hang around large groups of people due to being the black sheep of the Kaguya. Shunned for years based on her mixed blood alone will tend to do that. Still she didn't interrupt nor made a negative expression towards Kitsuki's burst of excitement. The vigor behind the curly haired female was plain to see, but Inarie doesn't know Kitsuki that much considering they just met. Not enough to know that Kitsuki is naturally shy.

The winner was declared, so there was nothing to argue about. Daisuke wasn't the strongest Kaguya they have to offer. But he was the most advanced in his bloodline at such a young age. Even more so as a Genin. Katsumi had the upper hand in terms of raw power from what Inarie can tell. The platinum haired teen pondered on some strategies. None too in depth of course. Just basic counters that Inarie can think of at the moment.

Kitsuki turned her attention back to Inarie and thanked her for the tip. Perhaps it was because Kitsuki just witnessed her sibling win a fight that rewarded her courage. Then to follow up in taking up to Inarie's offer at tomorrow dawn. She honestly didn't expect the girl to jump on it so sudden. Inarie figured that Kitsuki would want to spend the day with her sibling. Or was that not the case? Inarie never had siblings so she doesn't really know what siblings do. Still Inarie presents a soft smile, even though her eyes doesn't speak of the excitement.

"Of course. We can consider it as our morning training if you like. Fair warning though, for I will push you to your limits so come prepared." Inarie made it sound calm, but there was a silver lining that basically just said 'i am not holding back'. Of course with it being a spar, there are still some rules behind it so Inarie can't go too crazy with her newfound abilities. Without further ado, Inarie, out of courtesy, gracefully bowed signalling farewell before spinning on her heel. With a tap of her foot and her hair shifts with her movement. Inarie will depart from the arena.

[Exit]

Inarie accepted her challenge but warned that she would be pushing Kitsuki to her absolute limits. The Kurahasa nodded and returned the bow. Inarie Kaguya seemed so sure of herself that Kit couldn't help but assume she was stronger than Daisuke. Kit tucked a finger under her chin and considered how she would approach fighting Inarie tommorrow. She was a WASP graduate but that didn't necessarily mean she was the top of the top. It would be an interesting fight and she was sure she'd learn a lot from this mysterious Kaguya. Bother that for now though Kitsuki turned her attention back to her sister's victory. She waved from above and immediately ran off to join her sister. They'd definitely need to celebrate this victory.


Exit