[Kayahara Urikohime]

Kuwana in Tsuchi no Kuni would have been a fun place, if the present government of Tsuchi no Kuni was not presently hostile to that of Hi no Kuni. To be more precise, the ninja villages were in problematic diplomatic space. And that made it difficult for Uriko, being a ninja of Konohagakure, to enjoy herself in the city, despite its amazing attractions and flamboyant events. As someone who easily took notice of things, she had easily noticed that even some shop owners and food vendors struggled to keep the hostility from their faces when they had realized she was a Konoha ninja. It was likely that they did not realize Uriko could discern their hostility, or they were as good at hiding this realization as the green haired girl was at masking her recognition of their animosity.

As Urikohime made her way to her favorite training ground, she idly wondered whether the daimyo of the two hostile lands had similarly opposing positions to each other. It was likely, though the daimyo were not in charge of the ninja villages. What this meant was that a ninja village and its leader could be at variance with the daimyo of the land, but in most cases as concerned the larger lands with stronger villages,  their ninja and daimyo seemed to go in the same direction. Well, politics were not her concern today; Uriko had come here to train.

Since there were few friendly faces, aside other Konoha ninja, and ninja from allied nations (and even then, Uriko knew very few of them), the Konoha Genin spent her time resting or training. She favored this particular training ground because it was one of the farthest out, and was old, meaning that most other people would prefer to use newer facilities which were not in the process of being claimed by the forest. Still, forest was homely, as far as Uriko was concerned, and she felt more comfortable in the shade of trees. Placing down a bag of food which she had brought to give herself a light lunch after training, the Genin slowly stretched herself, as she prepared for today's training sesion.

---

Uzumaki Atagi

[Uzumaki Atagi]

There is something to be learned from a rainstorm

An incarnadine-haired shinobi makes his way down one of the many paths to Kuwana's training grounds, a spring in his step and a smile etched at his features. Today's outfit was relatively simple, a set of comfortable-looking long red pants and a light gray shirt, competitor's badge firmly affixed to the left breast of it. And of course, for safety reasons and otherwise, the Hidden Grass's forehead protector say atop his head, as was usually the case. Especially in a foreign land, it wouldn't do to be mistaken for someone else or to have one's home country in question. A chipper hum emanates from his throat, sweeping his eyes over the various training grounds-- the vast majority of them were occupied, as was only to be expected, with so many of his fellow competitors aiming to stay sharp or learn something new.

Of course, in his case, Atagi Uzumaki already had a specific spot in mind, heading towards the outer edge of where the training areas were setup. For the most part, he had been picking them at random, since one didn't know what each had to offer until they checked it out themselves...that, and he wasn't exactly the meticulous type, who'd spend any more time than was absolutely necessary thinking about it, anyway.

Over one arm, he's got a small and obviously recently purchased satchel in tow, bottles of water and a pack of crackers in, for snacking on. Finally, he arrives at what's (basically) the outermost training field, pathing on over to the entrance. Brows raise, though, and he blinks twice, upon realizing someone else's already there. Ah, well! There's never a bad day for a new encounter, yeah?

Instead of proceeding on over in a calm, collected fashion, the genin from the grass launches into a run, darting on over to the stretching girl, giving an emphatic series of waves with a hand thrown up into a peace-sign gesture. ”Yo! You there!” His voice sits somewhere between raucous and mirthful, though even if it wasn't unpleasant all on its own, he was probably a notch or two louder than he should've been. Atagi practically skids to a stop in front of Urikohime, curious amber orbs rolling up and down her form-- as if sizing up an enemy combatant or new battlefield ally-- while flashing her a grin that was as toothy as it was audacious. The first thought that flit through his brain was that she was terribly cute, even with the wild hairdo. The second, that she was obviously a kunoichi...from the Hidden Leaf, no less. That's a good sign! I may have only interacted with (1) shinobi from the leaf thus far, but they were both competent and friendly-- this girl's probably the same. It's not long before his mouth's running again, likely before she's so much as had a chance to get a single word in edgewise.

”I'm Atagi Uzumaki, yeah? Of the Hidden Grass. Here for the exams-- as I assume you are, too!” Right index finger gestures pointedly to the symbol that indicated his home village, then lowing to tap at his competitor's badge with two digits. ”Future great person, and aspiring invincible protector of the people. Nice to make your acquaintance!” Again, he moves in an animated fashion, snapping off a somehow informal two-fingered salute her way. ”Lemme share this space with you, yeah? It's quaint, and most of the other grounds are occupied, and I'm sure I can help out with whatever it is you're cracking away at, so--.” He doesn't even bother to finish the sentence, because the ending should've been obvious...that, or he was already getting carried away by the next thought. It wasn't exactly a 'let's train together, please?' but it was as close as she was going to get from the brash Uzumaki.

”...oh, but. I've forgotten my manners, like always, haha. What can I call you, praytell? 'Beautiful and mysterious paintbrush-haired kunoichi of the leaf' doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, otherwise.” Tongue pokes from his lips ever-so-slightly, indicating that he's probably teasing, or thinks that he's being coy...but in regards to what, it was unclear.

(Kayahara Urikohime)

aeron at thq

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko actually flinched at the sudden sound of someone suddenly yelling close by. She turned to see a fellow with bright red hair, charging towards her, although much of her apprehension was reduced on seeing that he was waving and performing the peace sign. Still, Uriko wasn't too sure of what to make of this fellow. She wasn't sure whether he was just all full of boundless energy, or bordering on manic. Maybe he was a bit of both. She remained silent as he skidded to a stop before her, the girl's previously apprehensive expression now mixed with some degree of curiosity.

And then he began to talk. Although she could easily tell that he was from Kusagakure, and his badge gave him away as a competitor in the Chuunin exams, like herself, he did mention these things, along with a host of other things Uriko wasn't sure she needed to know. Still, he was probably just trying to be friendly, and the green haired girl knew that even though she was relatively good at interpersonal interactions, not everyone had that gift. Besides, the boy who had called himself Atagi was an ally, as Konoha and Kusa were on good terms, so she had every reason to be cordial with him. And then she remembered that Miroru had mentioned something about meeting a pervert from Kusagakure. Was it him? She hoped not.

She said nothing while he spoke, instead settling on watching him with mild curiosity, until he asked her name. She did bristle a bit a the paintbrush part, though; she had gone through a lot of verbal flak about her hair when she was younger, and even though she had been told that her hair was interesting and unique (despite her personal opinion), it still did sting to hear herself being referred to as 'paintbrush-haired kunoichi'. Still, Uriko was quite lenient, and as far as she could tell, Atagi probably did not know that she was self-conscious about her hair, so she allowed that to slide.

"Aren't you the smooth one, Atagi-kun?" the kunoichi replied with a somewhat sly smile, as she remembered her grandfather humorously telling her that she should be wary of people who complimented her looks immediately they met. "I'm Kayahara Urikohime, but Uriko will do; I have no idea why my folks gave me such a long name. As for helping out with 'whatever it is I'm cracking away at', well, you must be very talented if you can help out with absolutely anything I'm trying to train." Was she being condescending? Maybe just a little, but he did seem so sure of himself. "Presently, though, I'm stretching. I wonder how you're going to help me with that." She was just messing with him now; it wasn't only stretching she had come here to do, after all.

---

Uzumaki Atagi

[Uzumaki Atagi]

There is something to be learned from a rainstorm

Many of the heroes and main characters which Atagi emulated and idolized from his beloved texts had some sort of indomitable will-- a willingness to push through that which seemed impossible to bear, a determination so great that it could overcome any adversity. While he wasn't quite there, it could almost certainly be said that he had an 'indomitable spirit', in that it seemed very few things could reasonably put a damped on his mood. Not that Urikohime's light teasing was supposed to wipe the smile off his face, but if anything, that smile only widens, only broken by a laugh that happens almost despite himself.

”Bahaha! Well thanks, yeah? I don't think a pretty girl's ever called me smooth, before, so saying that I accomplished at least that much today is a good feeling, mhm, mhm.” Twice, he gives a little nod, closing one of his eyes while he did so. Since it appears it's settled that he's going to be staying here for the day, Atagi sets the water and snacks onto the ground, even as he keeps conversing with his new impromptu acquaintance. ”Uriko-chan, then. Or maybe Hime-sama? Maybe I'll come up with a nickname, instead, make it easier to remember...are you actually a princess, or is that just wishful thinking on the part of your parents?” Despite the absurdity of the question, the boy with the crimson locks asked it earnestly, either treating it as or understanding it as perfectly normal.

Taking his place up alongside Urikohime, the grass shinobi joins in with the stretching, starting off by bouncing in place, just short little hops, but enough to get the blood pumping, some. Predictably, he's still trying to engage her in conversation the whole time, remarking on her prodding about how exactly he planned on helping her at this juncture. ”While I'm not opposed to helping you stretch, that might be too brazen even for me, yeah? Much as I like to make friends, I'm not gonna presume I'm close enough for that.” He lets that one hang in the air, a moment, before proceeding with both the stretching and the conversation, a procession of rotations down his body-- first rotating his neck, then the shoulders/arms, then down to the hips.

”But I mean the other stuff, silly! We could spar, or if you're trying out some new jutsu or sommat-- I could be a moving target, or a still target that's tough n' not letting itself get hit, or-- well, the point is, we can work something out, I'm sure of it.” He stops himself, there, before he gets wrapped up in another series of rambles.

(Kayahara Urikohime)

aeron at thq

[Kayahara Urikohime]

The boy called Atagi took her calling him smooth as a victory, thanking her for it, while being humored by her statement. He then proceeded to contemplate her name. 'Hime-sama' was most certainly not going to work, mostly because Uriko would have probably not realized that he was referring to her, if he used such a lofty appellation for her. A nickname was not particularly problematic; Uriko was fine with such, as long as they weren't meant to deride or insult her. Sadly, the only nickname she had ever earned outside her home had been one whose memories offended her considerably.

"Are you really a peaceful, quiet husband, or is that just wishful thinking on the part of your parents?" she countered in reply to Atagi's question about her descent. Still, there was the mischievous smile on her face, indicating that despite the verbal barb, she was not trying to be offensive. The name 'Atagi' could mean a number of things, but it most probably would mean a peaceful home or husband. Most times, children had no say in what their parents called them. Maybe he had been named after an illustrious former member of his clan. Well, names were just things people called others by. Uriko knew she had been named by her mother, after her father. Aside that, there was little else she know about her name.

Atagi refused to take the bait, declining to help her with the stretching. She was quite fine with stretching alone, but at the same time, was unwilling to let him off the hook so easily. "You're useless," she said, a mock accusatory expression on her face. "Stretching is one of the simplest things to do. Anyway, if you want to join me in training, you have my appreciation." She resumed her stretches, as she continued speaking. "Do you love getting hit? Everything you've talked about is being a target. But as long as you're enjoying yourself, who am I to complain. If you must know, in any case, I'm trying to learn how to improve my speed. So I can run away during the exams." That last part wasn't true, but eh. "So, I'd rather this were a mutual exercise. How might I help you in turn?"

---

Uzumaki Atagi

[Uzumaki Atagi]

There is something to be learned from a rainstorm

Bantering with the Konoha-nin was good fun, or so he swiftly concluded. She knew how to hold a conversation, didn't seem to take offense easily, and she wasn't overly serious. When she prompts him with a question about his name, he doesn't answer right away, allowing her to speak all that was on her mind first and foremost. A thoughtful, almost spacey expresison is scribbled onto his face, giving the query some actual consideration, all while he started to crouch down, leaning to one side, then the other, one leg bent and the other outstretched, repeating this process in the mixture of dirt and grass below the feet of the pair. Once she concludes her series of thoughts, he responds with a small block of his own, that concatenated look at his face is whisked away as quickly as it's come and replaced with his usual jocular character returning.

”Wishful thinking, I'd imagine! Much as I love my folks, and vice versa, they probably wouldn't have minded if I chose a different path in life, bahaha!” The laughter disrupts his stretching, momentarily. ”And I don't like it, but it's more like I've accepted that it's unavoidable!” For emphasis, he makes sure that they've mad eye contact again, before reaching up to touch at his nose, crooked to one side slightly, characteristic of one that's been broken or otherwise messed up then fixed...at least a handful of times. ” 'Sides, people are usually more eager to strike first than to allow you to do the striking, yeah? I'd say that I'm just so amazing I can put myself at a disadvantage and still pull something useful. But then again, the fact that I get to pull from someone else's wisdom and share and experience with them is universally useful, isn't it?” Whether that was optimism to the extent that it was nigh-delusional or a gem of wisdom, well. That's be for Urikohime to determine.

Finishing up the stretching, he pops back up to a standing position, flexing at his fingers and shifting his weight from foot to foot, giving a single, solemn nod, once he felt limber enough.

”Well, Uriko-chan! I've been cracking away at my battle instincts, since you were so kind to ask. The ability to block or dodge an attack at a moment's notice, even when I might not be entirely prepared-- that sort of ability is synonymous with the hero, isn't it? That considered, maybe something like a game of tag'd work, yeah? I'm pretty damned fast, if I do say so myself, so I think I'd give you a run for your money. Hell, maybe I should load myself up with rocks to make it even harder, really.”

Closing a single eye, he brushes a thumb across his nose like there was something stuck to it, expression so smug it had to be exaggerated for the sake of making her laugh, presuming she didn't think he was serious. Of course, he's also gotta wait and see just how favourable she finds the idea.

(Kayahara Urikohime)

aeron at thq

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Atagi did not seem bothered at all by Uriko's verbal riposte concerning names. At least, he knew how to laugh at himself. But there was a part of him that Uriko found annoying. At first, she wasn't sure what it was, but soon she realized it: it was his excessive confidence. Confidence was a good thing, but Uriko felt that perhaps the redheaded Uzumaki was probably 'infected' with more confidence than was healthy for a human to have. At his "I'm just so amazing" quip, the green haired girl slowly raised an eyebrow. Maybe it was simply her upbringing, but she'd been raised to believe that it was better that others gave you commendations, and not you heaping them on yourself. Anyway, time would tell whether he was what he so brazenly proclaimed himself to be.

"Well, Hero-kun, you seem to be quite sure of yourself," the kunoichi stated smoothly, giving him an appraising look, even as her obsequious tone of voice and body language made no indication that she was about to do anything unexpected. "It must be interesting to have to be so self-assured, but I guess it should be expected because you're a hero, right?" Frankly, Uriko would have laughed at the smug expression on Atagi's face, if she did not have something else on her mind. Suddenly moving, as fast as her muscles would let her, and even approaching the Kusagakure ninja from the side of his closed eye, the girl aimed a sharp slap at his face. He did say he was good at blocking or dodging attacks for which he was unprepared, didn't he?

---

Uzumaki Atagi

[Uzumaki Atagi]

There is something to be learned from a rainstorm

”If I'm being frank, it's more like 'would-be-her--' uwah!' Either he's bad at reading one's intentions at a glance, or she's good at hiding them. In either case, that open-handed slap that she throws catches him essentially completely unawares, and he cries out more on instinct than anything else, really. Still, he's not completely useless-- even if his confidence is unfounded, it's more that his body doesn't match his spirit. An arm flies up on reflex, a desperate attempt to catch the arm swinging out at him. But, just like with the training dummy he'd been pitted up against recently, just like against the vast majority of a particular Hyuuga's attacks, Atagi is late.

His arm is up near the side of his head in an obviously practiced block, but his face is already turning to the side, the smack of flesh on flesh sounding out into the air. There's already a reddening at his cheek, and he wobbles a little to the side that he's smacked towards, as he stays in that position, a moment, utterly stunned by the strike. Raising a hand up to touch palm at his cheek, he casts an awfully sheepish expression her way, obviously embarrassed. ”Well! I did say I was working at it, yeah?” A raucous laugh escapes him as he gives a little 'hop', backward, putting a few feet of distance between them, still rubbing at his cheek. ”What's something someone cooler than me'd say, at this moment? 'Mark the other side, and I'll give you a prize~'. Something like that.” This time, he readies himself, proper, assuming she's not already launched herself in pursuit of him, as would've been the most practical approach.

(Kayahara Urikohime)

aeron at thq

[Kayahara Urikohime]

If Atagi was taken unawares by the slap, it was not because he was bad at reading people; okay, maybe he was, but Uriko was getting better by the day at masking her thoughts and emotions."I hope I didn't hit him too hard..." the girl thought, as she watched Atagi wobble in the direction she had slapped him. She wasn't known for her physical strength, so Uriko wanted to believe the slap hadn't been too intense, but still, she had made it a hearty one. At least it wasn't a punch to the nose. That would have been worse, wouldn't it?

There was a part of her that felt some degree of compassion for the boy smiling sheepishly at her, though she made sure not to show it. "I may be wrong, but speaking too highly of yourself without indubitable proof of your merit may lead to things worse than a slap. Maybe perfect working on it before advertising it, yeah?" she lectured, using the verbal tic he seemed to be fond of saying. "If it hurts, I have ointment that may-- wait, what?" Uriko was unable to continue when he encouraged her to get him on the other cheek to win a prize. "Do you want to get brain trauma or something, since you seem to enjoy getting hit on the head a lot?" she asked in mild incredulity. He was wary now, so she would be less likely to prevail with subterfuge. So she would just try and see where her natural speed would take her.

Suddenly dashing into a sprint, Uriko aimed another slap at him, moving as fast as she could, in more of an effort to guage his speed than actually land another hit. She was going to be quite surprised if she slapped him again. "And what might your prize be, if I may ask?"

---

Uzumaki Atagi

[Uzumaki Atagi]

There is something to be learned from a rainstorm

Despite them being the same age (even if Atagi didn't know it), Urikohime had some wise words for him. Not that it'd change much-- someone who didn't believe in themselves to the utmost didn't have the right nor ability to make others believe in them, or so he reasoned. Thus, he would simply strive to be the version of himself that he talked about and imagined himself as, even if he wasn't there yet...or even close, really. Already, he's taken up a stance fit for battle, arms raised, elbows tucked in towards the body, right shoulder and leg angled towards Uriko, the other straight, weight balanced on the ball of his foot with his heel up off the ground. ”Brain trauma? That'd require a strike fierce enough to actually rattle my thick skull, I'd think!” He doesn't seem to realize that the phrase'd typically be used as an insult-- that or he's actively insulting himself. Weight shifts from foot to foot, the grass genin ready to move at a moment's notice-- it'd likely become readily apparent just from the way he carried himself that Taijutsu was his forte, if Urikohime had the sense or scent for that type of analysis.

When she darts in close, he's already moving, this time, eyes focused on the Konoha kunoichi, but not on any particular part of her. The sprint is fierce, and even if he were to kick at the ground, disengaging backwards would be slow. That was part of the problem with always needing to face one's opponent-- outrunning them without your back turned would basically be impossible. Atagi instead ducks underneath the strike, and by the narrowest margin he could manage. Admittedly, 'that which he could manage' wasn't exactly stupendous, but in a duel of genin versus genin, one could only ask for so much. ”Hoo!” Of course, even when they're engaging in something resembling combat, he can't keep his mouth shut. Since he's already basically crouched, he tumbles to one side, making a run for it towards one of the dummies that seemed to be present at every training ground.

”That'd ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? Don't start thinking about your victory lap 'fore you've actually achieved your goal, Kohime-chan!” Never one to waste time, the Uzumaki is even testing out nicknames now, of all times, to see which fit his fancy best.

(Kayahara Urikohime)

aeron at thq

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko chuckled at Atagi's response to her inquiry about his interest in receiving brain trauma; didn't he know that calling himself thick skulled was an insult? Or maybe the phrase was used to a different meaning in Kusagakure. In any case, there was the slapping on the other cheek to be done. Uriko was already beginning to feel that getting a second hit might be a bit more difficult than she would have liked it, seeing the ease with which he dropped into a ready stance. It suggested to her that he was likely a close-range taijutsu or bukijutsu fighter, and it was no news that ninja who specialized in those arts tended to be relatively faster than those who preferred longer distance combat. Still, training against a greater challenge was probably going to give more gains than playing easy mode.

Atagi evaded her slap successfully, although Uriko wasn't sure she had almost nailed him. He made a roll and attempted to put distance between himself and the kunoichi. She did not try to chase him. Not yet. She would first contemplate the nickname he had given her. "'Kohime-chan'?" the girl asked, an eyebrow rising in mild curiosity. "How cute" While the nickname could mean a bunch of things, the first that came to mind was 'little princess'. Sounded dainty. Uriko didn't have a problem with the sobriquet, as long as she wasn't being referred to as a little, stuck-up, spoilt brat. For some reason, there seemed to be that connotation. She decided to act indifferently for now. There were more important things to do like giving Atagi her second slap.

"And I don't think I'm so confident as to already expect that I've already achieved my goal," Uriko said truthfully. "I'm just trying to stay motivated. For instance, I don't think I'd be very eager if the prize to be expected was an autograph or something." And then she charged again, aiming another slap at him. This time, though, she expected him to dodge, but whether he did or no, she would attempt to follow up with a kick, if he didn't prevent her from doing so. "In any case, how can I help you train? I'd feel like a freeloader if only my needs were met at the end of this session."

---

Uzumaki Atagi

[Uzumaki Atagi]

There is something to be learned from a rainstorm

”Staying motivated? Haven't you ever heard that the journey is supposed to be it's own reward?” Again, he's yet to solve the ever-present issue of not having eyes at the back of his head, so he's got to whirl around to face Urikohime again eventually, to actually stop himself from getting hit again. One might've assumed that chattering so much was anathema to any sort of physical activity, but somehow for shinobi it seemed to be second nature. When she closes the distance between them again (Atagi silently, briefly, wonders to himself if moving so quickly is more or less difficult for a woman with ample assets compared to not), and predictably, he moves again to not get hit.

Compared to a lot of training, the fact that she'd be repeatedly aiming for his face made it that much easier to decide what to do when it came to 'how to respond to an attack'-- not that Atagi was doing a whole lot of thinking, anyway. Instead, the crimson-haired goof is letting his synapses fly first and his ideas second.”An autograph from someone who's yet to actually accomplish anything of note would be pretty damned lame, yeah! Maybe I'll treat you to somethin'!” Instead of going under, this time his body jerks backward; the Uzumaki can almost swear that he feels her fingernail move past his nose, that's how close it is. Thankfully, he does appear to be, by all rights and regards, faster. Before he's got time for another quip, though, Urikohime's leg is flying out at him in a kick. ”Uwah!” he cries out, in surprise. Moving out of the way would require a contorting of the body that he's not able to do or prepared for, since he's already leaning backward, forcing him to block, this time. Arm tenses, absorbing the blow, connecting his forearm with her shin, and he remains steady, this time.

”You're not very good at going with the flow, are you?” He sticks his tongue out impishly, at the little jab, given the briefest of respites in their training. "This is helping plenty, yeah? Battle instincts are invaluable to those in our line of work. I'm sure our session'll be plenty satisfying for the both of us.” It's wholly unclear from his tone whether or not that was supposed to be innuendo, but if his overly flirtatious behavior thus far was any indication... Once she starts to withdraw that outstretched leg (or he'll give it a shove, if that's necessary) his hands come together in the Hare seal, as he's turning his body so that his side's angled towards her.

Suddenly, a burst of wind seems to emanate from the front of Atagi's body, and he's propelled perpendicularly to Urikohime's current facing, again putting a gap inbetween them. He's running out of space, though, ending up towards the edge of the training ground, where trees and other bits of nature were creeping in. Next exchange, he'd have to find a way to move past her, to keep up their game. She was likely aware of that, too.

(Kayahara Urikohime)

aeron at thq

Jutsu:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Haiu[Shift]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Fuuton
DESCRIPTION:
A simple jutsu in which after a single handseal [Same as activating an exploding tag] the user uses quick bursts of air out of his body to either propel themselves forward, to the sides or back. This jutsu is very useful in a sword fight as it allows the user to nearly instantly change from stationary to full speed and then back to stationary in an instant. While this jutsu does allow the user so quickly change direction and achieve top speed in an instant, it does in no way speed up the users movements beyond their capability.

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko made a face at Atagi's suggestion that her reward for this training was the training itself. "Are you one of those droll people who believe anything you're told?" she countered. "Only a vagabond with no place to go would say such a thing. The end of a journey is the reward, for every journey is made with an end in sight." There was a pause as a few scenarios popped into her head in which a journey could be made without any destination in view. "Most."

If Atagi had said she was going to get an autograph, Uriko would have stopped immediately. Autographs were only of value when one held the autographer in high sentimental regard. Atagi was little more than a stranger. His other option was more acceptable. "A treat? Sounds tolerable." In any case, loath as she was to admit it, this boy did seem to have some good reflexes, or she was not so good at hitting people. Maybe it was a bit of both. Or maybe not, as her kick almost landed, though he had managed to block it. Still, blocking when he seemed to be interested in dodging her meant she had come close.

At the pause in the training session, when Atagi quipped about Uriko not being very good at going with the flow, she simply raised an eyebrow. "What a preposterous thing to say," came the reply. "You were the one who just now couldn't dodge my kick. What part of your inability to dodge signifies my inadequacy at 'going with the flow'?" He was right, anyway, about battle instincts, which Uriko personally was trying to improve. The thing about satisfaction didn't quite fly over the kunoichi's head, though she wondered if she was reading too much meaning into his words. Still, the suggestive, though ambiguous statement had sent Uriko's thoughts momentarily astray, and her cheeks flushed slightly, though she hoped he didn't notice. "You say the most ridiculous things, Atagi-kun."

And then he was suddenly off. Maybe his verbal posturing had been just to give him some time to get away from her. Despite his outward disposition, he was a crafty one, it seemed. Darting after him, Uriko soon caught up, not because she was able to match his speed, but because it seemed he was running out of places to run, literally. "Trying to use distraction, huh? A worthy tactic," she said, walking leisurely towards the Uzumaki, though she was ready to attack him if he tried to quickly get past her. "Sadly, it seems your present options for escape are limited. Now now, Hero Boy, whatever shall I do with you?"

Suddenly darting forward, she would act as though she was winding up for a slap with her right, but would suddenly shift into a feint, executing another kick with her left leg, in case he responded to the feint and attempted to move towards her left.

---

Uzumaki Atagi

[Uzumaki Atagi]

There is something to be learned from a rainstorm

Perhaps thankfully for Urikohime, Atagi was too embroiled in their game-xercise to notice that he had actually successfully teased her for the first time in what was a string of rampant flirtatious statements. Otherwise, he was liable to not let her forget about it-- well, it's not like they were done yet, either. There were likely more to come, if only because the genin from the grass couldn't resist flapping his gums one way or another. ”D'you dislike guys who are too honest? I think saying exactly what's on my mind's one of my best points, bahaha!” he tosses out in response to her statement about saying absurd things, not fully expecting her to answer. There was a way to find the fun in everything, evidently-- and it helped that he enjoyed both physical and verbal sparring alike.

Instead of amateurishly letting his first instinct take over and having his eyes dart all over her body, while she saunters forth, he actively works at channeling some advice he's recently received and tries to look at her as a whole, instead, not focused on any particular point, but not disregarding her, either. He's not quite planted where he stands, since he's trying to make it unclear where it is he's going to dart next, but it's a far cry from swaying unpredictably or any sort of dedicated trickery. ”I'm almost insulted, yeah? I could think of at least a handful of things I could do with Kohime-chan, but she can't think of even one she'd do with me?”

The problem with trusting in his instincts, though was that the confluence of his body and mind's intentions could easily be wrong-- beguilement could be quite effective, since that style naturally relied on having to experience something to be prepared to react to it. This is made further clear with Urikohime's feint. At the first sign of an approaching slap, he throws both arms out, fingers outstretched, to try and catch Urikohime's arm, but when there's nothing there, and there's an incoming kick, he's gotta improvise. Knees bend on impulse, and he leaps above the strike. Hastily, he again forms the same seal, and a burst of wind jettisons him through the air, over Urikohime instead of trying to go around her.

Because it wasn't a practiced maneuver, however, his angle is poor, and he doesn't get as much distance as he'd like before careening to the ground-- and tumbling was the best word for it, since he's sent rolling in the dirt, struggling to scramble up to his feet, giving Urikohime an opportunity.

Of course, that was only if he got away from her in the first place. It was very possible that she'd match his jump, if she was quick enough, use something to snatch him out of the air, or perhaps even figure out his trajectory to intercept him where he landed, since his aerial movement was obviously limited if he relied on a jutsu for it.


(Kayahara Urikohime)

aeron at thq

Jutsu:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Haiu[Shift]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Fuuton
DESCRIPTION:
A simple jutsu in which after a single handseal [Same as activating an exploding tag] the user uses quick bursts of air out of his body to either propel themselves forward, to the sides or back. This jutsu is very useful in a sword fight as it allows the user to nearly instantly change from stationary to full speed and then back to stationary in an instant. While this jutsu does allow the user so quickly change direction and achieve top speed in an instant, it does in no way speed up the users movements beyond their capability.

[Kayahara Urikohime]

It was one thing to be honest, it was another thing to be unnecessarily garrulous. Uriko felt perhaps that Atagi leaned towards the latter, but he did not seem particularly infuriating. In any case, while honesty was often lauded as a virtue, a shockingly large amount of people seemed to prefer dishonesty, despite the numbers of people who said otherwise. As someone who was keenly interested in human behavior, and was presently on the path to understanding how to communicate effectively with others (and using deception was quite a big part of this), Uriko had realized quickly that such mental manipulation gave quicker results than being straightforward. Unfortunate, but that was the way things were.

At Atagi's statement about how he could think of a number of things he could do with Uriko, she prevented herself from giving a scandalized gasp. Truth be told, the Uzumaki's statement was very ambiguous, and if she chose to confront him over that statement, he would likely deny that he had anything... untoward in mind. Still, she couldn't help but feel there was something salacious underneath that apparently innocuous sentence. Still she would momentarily put that aside, while trying to deal with his evasion of her attack.

She had to hand it to Atagi; he did seem to be quite good at moving around on the battlefield. She was actually grateful that he was letting her use him as an evasive punching bag; if they were to fight using taijutsu alone, Uriko didn't have any doubts as to who would emerge the victor. But even though she wasn't a taijutsu major, that did not prevent her from learning how to improve the speed of her motions and attacks in the midst of battle. In any case, despite the fact that he had successfully evaded her kick, Atagi seemed to be a little off-balance, as it seemed he had done it as a spur of the moment response. Hopefully, that would give her an opening.

The green haired kunoichi did not attempt to intercept Atagi while jumping, but she went for him before he had even hit the ground. She was sure he could not fly; that being the case, it wouldn't be too difficult to predict where he was going to land. Attacking him at this point would make it even harder for him to dodge, so he would most likely try to block her strike. Except she wasn't striking. This time, Uriko made to tackle the Uzumaki, as blocking a grapple was much trickier than blocking a strike. If she succeeded, she would see where the momentum of her grapple took them. If he fell in a supine position, she would attempt an arm bar. If however, he turned so that he would not fall on his back, she would try to see if she could sit on his back and lock his arm. Then again, there was the chance that he was a good grappler, and could counter her attempts to immobilize him. Uriko wouldn't have dared this in a real battle, unless she was quite sure of both of their skill levels. But this wasn't a real battle, so she wasn't being too careful.

"So, what are the handful of things you think you could do with Kohime-chan?"

---

Uzumaki Atagi