Akira was still fighting. Fighting some nature within her that was mixing from memories across her years. People and their anger. Their biting and sarcastic remarks. People that weren’t her, but still longed to mix with the present instead of remain in the past as memories. The blank stare would remain. Even as Etsuko would ask if that was so bad. The archer wasn’t oblivious. She was on the water. Sort of. Her chakra was still finicky and erratic, not as controlled as one might hope. But there were elements of surface walking that helped her stay afloat. As well as her actively trying to move with the flow of the water. Trying. Trying to keep her expression. Her person. Her body. And her chakra. All under control.
A question came from her temporary mentor. Balance. Had Akira every truly felt balanced?
"A subtle wind would have a great chance at defeating my balance.” The girl spoke without any sort of ring to her voice. Purposefully dull. Not so much to irritate Etsuko, but to try and regain and keep her control. That anger still ate at her mind. Small memories digging at her consciousness. The archer didn’t move from where she stood on the water, and Etsuko could likely notice the small shift in balance. Still not totally above water, her weight shifting to try and keep from toppling in once again. Yet, still staring back at the jinchuuriki of their village.
Advice was given. Her lack of balance had been noticed. Akira had been trying. Trying to be still upon the water and keep herself upright. The time between Etsuko’s offering which way she was leaning and for Akira to effectively fix it would be a good stretch of time. Small bits. Very small bits of chakra would be released to try and correct her situation. And even so, it caused her to tremble, her legs and body giving way to the lack of balance that she had. Concentrating and fighting, Akira still attempted to get to her balanced point.
It would succeed in time. A lot of time. The dampness of the girl becoming less from the water she had dropped into, drying, and then being replaced by sweat. Deep concentration in her mind and body, fighting every part of her what was in her to keep her from succeeding. Breathing a small bit harder, she’d look to her teacher upon being ‘righted.’ Or so she hoped.
This would grant her more advice. Staring at Etsuko after she said her piece, Akira’s face wouldn’t change but her mind raced once again. It took so long to even get straight. To evenly produce more under both her feet? She was going to plummet into the water again....
But she still tried. Fighting her urges. Fighting the sarcastic remarks that came to mind. Akira looked down to her feet. The moving water. Her chakra threatening to sink her into it. It would be had that she wouldn’t succeed another time in a row. Pushing more chakra into her feet, it wouldn’t be even. First the one foot would dive beneath the water, then the other. Her body sinking back into the lake. She hadn’t gone as far and wasn’t as deep, only getting in to about her waist before her feet hit rock. Exhaling slowly, Akira would move back towards the bank and turn her back upon the jinchuuriki. Failure once again. Not unexpected. Still disappointing. Yet right now the defeat wasn’t frustrating. Yet.
She’d try again. Taking steps out onto the water with Etsuko’s instructions in mind.