[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG Kaguya Toru - - WORDS - - -

R

eacting swiftly, Toru was able to produce spears of his own creation to collide mid-air with the icicles. They met somewhere in the middle, though the exact location would have been obfuscated by the icy fog, and fell to the ground, the icicles shattering on impact.

Using that action as a cover, Shuka performed several hand seals and gathered moisture from the air to create a sword of ice. She took it in one hand and took her simple steel sword in the other. Using the fog as cover, she moved to close the distance between them somewhat. They'd been fighting at mid-range for a large portion of this combat, but allowing Toru exercise in the area of close combat was likely just as important, even if it would be riskier, given potential collision with the coral.

Bukijutsu was something she'd practiced decently, but was far from her area of expertise, and she knew Kirigakure was famous for the art of it. That meant Toru would almost certainly be very skilled in this regard and would be able to read her movements. That was why she didn't hesitate to strike out once she emerged from the fog between them, leading first with the steel blade. She turned it in her hand to ensure the blunt side was facing him, however.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world Yuki Shuka

Toru would have normally been able to read the movement, but he did not have special eyes that would allow him to see Shuka through the brief moment of fog and haze that was created by the ice that appeared when the two projectiles from the two ends collided, which meant he did not see her coming immediately. Of course, she would eventually come into view and being that the woman hesitated he just had a split second to react. It wasn't the most ideal reaction, he had to admit seeing as he had no idea whether or not she was using the sharp or blunt side of the blade but he reached out with his forearm using it as a sort of sword itself to parry her movement.

His skin was quite tough thus, sharp or dull a simple steel sword would not cut into him the way it would a normal person. Still, the impact hurt and the Mizukage reacted to it thusly, flinching slightly as he was forced further into the ground, his stance widening to push against the immediate impact and trying to push back against the woman with a wide arc arm swing to set her footing off balance.

If successful, he would follow up by sending some free flying polyps towards her - unknown if they would work or not - and if not? Well, he would have to come up with a new plan.

OWL

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG Kaguya Toru - - WORDS - - -

D

id he just block the blade with his arm? She was sure he knew what he was doing, and she'd used the blunt side of the blade, so he wasn't seriously harmed by doing so, but she would be lying if she said that didn't spark quite a bit of alarm. Especially when she saw the wince of pain. Sure, he was a soldier and had almost certainly dealt with worse on the field before, but she still felt a bit of guilt - she supposed she couldn't help her sympathy for the young, especially during a friendly spar.

That moment of hesitation was enough to put her on the back foot. When he pushed back, she wasn't properly braced, and she stepped back, having to put her attention on evening her footing. That meant when Toru sent the polyps flying, she also wasn't properly prepared to block them, and one of them managed to brush her.

While she wasn't certain about the level of exposure necessary to cause trouble for a biological being, since the shadow clone test wasn't exactly a very scientific one for a real human being, she still paused there.

"Should that be cause to administer an antidote?" She inquired. If so, the sooner the better one presumed. Better not to keep fighting until it became a problem.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world Yuki Shuka

Toru did not see where the polyps had brushed her, but Shuka had stopped and asked about antidote administration. Which meant that they had in some manner. He lowered himself, his stance becoming less defensive and he simply looked at the woman, blinking very slowly a few times as if he were processing that she had spoken to him and not to someone else or even had not uttered a jutsu of some kind. It took a brief moment to come down from the high of battle after all. The boy pondered for a moment before slowly beginning to approach Shuka.

"Where did it touch you?" Of course, if it had been merely her clothing then it would not be an issue, alas if it were a skin to skin contact it would be good to take an antidote. At skin to skin they were not as strong, but any kind of piercing of the flesh could spell a much quicker doom. He stayed calm though, speeding up the woman's heart rate and thus the movement of her blood would do her no good if she was poisoned at all. So, calm it was waiting for a response so that they could act accordingly.

OWL

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG Kaguya Toru - - WORDS - - -

D

irect application seemed necessary, which made sense. Whatever poison this was was purely biological in nature, not refined in a lab somewhere to be administered easily through the air or through permeation. The polyp had only brushed her, and now that the moment had passed, she couldn't even be 100% certain where - a battle really was like that, sometimes. The details could become so hazy so quickly with the rush of adrenaline.

She tried to recreate the scene in her mind, as well as taking stock of her condition. He'd sent the polyps free-flying and her arms had still been up, braced in front of her with the two swords. She usually kept a light scaled armor on her arms, so those wouldn't be cause of concern from a direct strike unless it had been slashing in nature and had dug through the armor, but it didn't appear that was pierced in any way. She turned her hand to observe the bony back of it and saw there a small scrape. It didn't look like it had even drawn blood, so certainly it hadn't reached her bloodstream.

"Right here. I don't think it's especially serious, but if this poison is dangerous, perhaps it's better safe than sorry?" She showed him the scrape, trusting his judgement.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world Yuki Shuka

Toru approached and he looked over the woman's scraped hand before nodding.

"Yes, I think an antidote is good here. A small dose of it should be fine. I do not wish to be responsible for an even accidental assassination of an ally." It was a bit of a morbid and dry joke, but at least a joke nonetheless. Showing that he was capable of it, even if his facial features all but remained the same. So he motioned for the guard that was on standby to come over to hand over the vial of liquid.

"You may drink all of it, or only half. It is up to you." Though it seemed that at this moment their training session was coming to a close. It would not be in good taste to make the woman continue after he had done what he had. Of course, it was part of the risk of any realistic training simulation such as this. Someone could always get hurt even if the intention was never to maim or kill significantly. Precautions were always taken and jutsu were chosen carefully... It still remained a risk no matter what, being too slow could always spell doom.

"If you start feeling ill, I recommend drinking all of it though."

OWL

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG Kaguya Toru - - WORDS - - -

L

uckily Shuka was of a good humor, or at least patient enough to tolerate such a morbid joke from Toru. A guard came forward and offered the vial, which Shuka took. Maybe when she was younger she would have risked taking only half the antidote, though it seemed a poor idea now to take risks with her health.

"If I weren't so certain it was dangerous, I would offer to wait a moment to observe the effects," Shuka joked right back, as dry as him though with half a smile. She took the vial and opened it, drinking down all of the antidote. With that done, hopefully it would take effect before any of the ill side effects would set in.

"I suppose I should go confer with my doctors just so they can be on watch for any unexpected reactions. It was quite interesting to work with you on this subject today. Despite the risk, I would be happy to train with you again sometime. Or to see your developing skills in actions, though I take to the field very rarely these days."

Even before taking the seat of the Yuki Lady, Shuka's last proper battlefield mission had been the one where she had recovered Asa and brought her back to the village.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world Yuki Shuka

Toru might have taken Shuka up on her offer, even if it was only a joke. Mostly because he had not yet had a test subject that was older. Younger? Yes. But he wondered how someone older would take to this toxin which acted so quickly.

"I shall accompany you, to be certain that you make it there alright."

It was not a question, he was expecting to come along because he wanted to make sure that the Lady of Yukigakure made it safely. Plus, if they needed another antidote he was the one who would have it. It would be of no use for her to leave to a doctor, and have something happen, and them have no idea what to do in response.

"It is a long process. I hope my display was not a disappointing one to view." He uttered quietly, turning now to start walking, though he was going to walk just shoulder to shoulder with Shuka, his shoulders slowly relaxing. Though he never slouched, as a kenjutsu practitioner he had a very particular posture that a knowledgeable eye would be able to discern. But to others, he seemed just a poised young man, who carried himself with a sense of dignity.

OWL

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG Kaguya Toru - - WORDS - - -

T

here was no reason to refuse Toru's company, and it would be unwise to do so anyhow, so she did not, simply nodding her assent as she joined beside him to walk. It seemed once they started to walk, some of her guards hurried ahead to fetch the medical shinobi for her, so they would be prepared for her arrival.

Toru inquired as to whether her display was a disappointing one, and Shuka shook her head.

"You're a very impressive shinobi." Especially for his age, though Shuka had found that youths didn't take very well to being told that. Still, he was very young and already so strong and skillful. He had a decade yet of training and learning before he would reach the pinnacle of his strength. He was sure to be one of the most fearsome leaders the continent had ever seen.

"I can tell that you dedicate a lot of time to your skills. It would be my honor to work with you more often. Training with young shinobi keeps me sharp," she joked, rolling her shoulder. As with all things, the world of shinobi was always growing and developing, and the best way for her to maintain her own skills was to remain open to what more she could learn from the next generation.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world Yuki Shuka

Toru nodded in return, it was always nice to hear. He did not have a respect for his elders in the past, but nowadays he had a bit more insight. Perhaps he still treated them as equals - and why shouldn't he? - but he knew that they could teach him things he did not otherwise know, at least in terms of life. Listening to those older than him was what had allowed him to grow exponentially as a leader as well. It was give and take in some regard.

"Thank you, you as well," Though perhaps it could come off as an insult coming from someone as young as him, complimenting a much older and much more experienced leader, Toru was being genuine. He did not mince words, and it was entirely too much effort in such moments to try and play at deceit.

"Many leaders become sedentary, buried in their paperwork. But what will they do then when they must defend the nation? It is why I keep my skills sharp." He explained his reasoning. Many leaders simply sat at their desks, it was a relegation in some regard. But Toru being young, well he made sure to have the energy to do it all. Or as much as was physically possible.

Training, paperwork, diplomacy, and everything else. All carefully scheduled on a weekly basis by himself and his assistant.

"I will gladly train more with you, though perhaps in the future I do not have to resort to such risky techniques."

They kept walking, soon arriving to a medic - that almost met them in the middle - and now all that was left was to make sure Shuka was alright and stable.

OWL

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG Kaguya Toru - - WORDS - - -

S

peaking with her as if they were on equal grounds was alright with her. Despite their age disparity they were to occupy similar roles with similar responsibilities. If Toru could confidently speak with other leaders as his equal, that was a good thing. It would make for a strong political front for Kirigakure and that would be the best thing for the alliance between their villages.

"I know what you mean. It's easy to become so buried in paperwork that you feel chained to your desk. I've tried to delegate so that I have time to do other important works." Her assistant being comatose had done poorly for the backlog of paperwork, but now that he was awake and active again she had more time to interact with the village and be an involved leader. She would not grow complacent.

"Perhaps if we do something as risky next time, we could develop some sort of preventative antidote instead of one to be applied after," she speculated, thoughtful. If they could mitigate the risks of exposure before combat, then he could really throw his back into it.

"Ah well. We can discuss another time."

Her medic had arrived and she was placed under observation. After a short time it became clear that she was under no health threat and she was cleared for release.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world Yuki Shuka

Toru nodded agreeing with what the woman had to say about getting chained to ones desk. It was a strange thing, to be considered the most powerful and capable in the village. Then getting chained down to a desk where your skills would grow dull beyond repair. It was almost in contradiction of what one might want out of a leader. But Toru had struck a balance early, he knew it was necessary especially with his *other* position that no one knew of. Well, some did, but only those that absolutely had to know - such as his bodyguards.

The young leader stretched, his hands on his hips as he watched the medic work on Shuka before putting her on a watch. Though in time it was determined that there was no risk to her health and she was released. Content with the results he walked out with her and escorted her to her office or wherever she needed to go before retiring to where he was staying for his visit. A nice tavern that was often reserved for important figures such as himself. Most all villages had one, especially the ones that invited dignitaries often. Toru did not care for how fancy it was - and did not utilize most of the amenities - but it was better than sleeping outside in the snow.

OWL