Morning at the Dojo (io,nk)

Queen’s soft footsteps made a distinct sound on this particular day as she walked across the muddy roads of Konohagakure towards the dojo where she usually trained. plop, plop plop. Her boots would momentarily stick to the ground due to the suction the mud caused as she pulled her way forward. It didn’t rain often in Konoha, but when it did, it came in full force. The night had brought heavy rain and thunder throughout the usual tranquil hours of sleep. What was supposed to be time spent dreaming was occupied by restlessness. Queen on the other hand slept quite well She enjoyed the sounds of rain attacking her bedroom window, trying effortlessly to break into the comforts of her room to no prevail. The roar of thunder only driving her deeper into sleep. She felt well rested for today’s training session, and it was why she was one of the very few souls up so early. It was barely the crack of dawn, and she was almost already at the dojo which was on the opposite side of the village from where she lived.

The door to the building creaked open as Queen entered and turned on the lights. One by one, they flickered on, demonstrating an empty room with a large boxing ring sitting in the middle of it. To the sides were seats for spectators as well as training equipment in the back corner. The blonde beauty tossed her bright yellow bag to the side and began her stretches. Her arms came first followed by her legs. She felt all warmed up and ready to go. She’d start off with some skip rope. five hundred jumps sounded like a good start.

Being a Inuzuka, Ashi's world was a world dominated by smells and no smell was more welcome than rain. It was clean, relaxing and beautiful. Moreover it erased the stale smells of the world; rain meant a new start. And god only knew that Ashi could use a fresh start. Her night had been hell. Out on the far reaches of Konohagakure's borders, the anbu and her companion, Chairomaru, had been on patrol. Of course there was no one to patrol for; no one was stupid enough to travel in such a storm-even those with malicious intent. Yet Ashi and Chai walked through it all, the thunder, the lightning, the torrential rain, everything.

In the wee morning hours the duo returned to the village soaked to the bone. With the unyielding rain still pelting at their backs the pair made their way into the village. All Ashi could think about was finding somewhere warm and dry to weather the rest of the storm. Anywhere, anywhere familiar. Her apartment was all the way across town and she really did not feel up for trudging through anymore mud and rain to get there. So, with weary eyes she scanned the many buildings she passed until her eyes fell on one with light within, a dojo.

Well, truth be told, it was not just any dojo. Rather it was the Dojo, the Dojo in which Ashi was trained by her jounin-sensei during her genin years, good old Tenzen. It had been ages since she stepped foot in the Dojo, but perhaps now was a good a time as any, no? With a thin smile on her face Ashi glanced around the area before removing her mask and slipping it into the endless pockets of the black cloak that clung close to her body. No need to scare whoever was inside off by entering as an anbu. Sure, the Inuzuka was wearing her anbu armor underneath the cloak, but that could be explained away with ease-it was rather generic at first glance. A mask was a little less, well, explainable. Thus, with her identity as an anbu safe, Ashi slid open the door.

Wow, the old thing still creaks. Nothing really changes does it?

Ah, but it had changed. The layout had changed quite a bit. Well, changed might not be the right word. Perhaps evolved was better? Ashi couldn't place her finger on it, but the place had kept up with the times with ease; all the equipment had been modernized. Hell, it even had stands now. Go figure.

Closing the door behind her, the woman heard the telltale click-click-click-click of a skip rope. In a moment her eyes found the dojo's sole occupant, a real wisp of a girl skipping rope. Nodding once, more to herself than anyone else, Ashi and Chai, after both shaking off in true canine fashion, made their way across the dojo bringing with them the smell of wet dog. Still not saying a word or making much sound at all the pair made there way to the stands and, if not interrupted, took a seat on the first row while Chai laid out on the ground near her feet.

Leaning back onto the row behind her, Ashi tilted her head up to the lights and simply stared up at the rafters letting out an exasperated breath. Right about now was when she wanted a drink and maybe to sleep a bit. Yet here she was in a dojo taking shelter from the rain after a miserable night of work. Such was life-she really didn't want to be bothered at this point.

Well, so much for the life of luxury.

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The blonde girls continued skipping rope, deciding to due an extra set of a hundred when she heard the infamous creak of the front door sound. She didn’t bother to look over to see who it was as it was probably just the owner of the dojo coming in to set up shop for the classes going on later in the day. Queen’s back was facing the stranger during this time, and it wasn’t until she finished skipping rope that she would realize who it actually was. It was weird that the owner wouldn’t have said hello in his normal fashion, but it all made sense once the girl finally turned around.

Queen rolled up the rope as she turned, and was surprised to see a brunette female and her mutt sitting near the bottom portion of the stands. She took a moment to observe them, taking in the black cloak the engulfed the female’s body, and the wild hair that ran down her back. The dog that lay next to her feet seemed rather large for any dog. The blonde fighter couldn’t help but feel a sudden urge to pet him. Queen made her way towards where the equipment was located and put the jump rope in it’s proper location before making her way towards the punching bag on the opposite side of the room to where the lady and her dog sat. She wrapped her fist around a thin band that was white in color that went all the way up to above her wrist before she started.

Rei placed her hands up above her face into a typical boxing stance before throwing a punch at the punching bag. First it was one, then another, then a set of punched until she picked up a rhythm. punch, punch, kick, punch. A jab here, an uppercut there, a roundhouse kick that then sent the punching bag into a large swing. Queen steadied her breathes to follow her movements. She wouldn’t stop until she fell to the ground in exhaustion, or the bag was knocked off it’s hooks.

That lucky dog; he can sleep anywhere.

Chairomaru had fallen asleep almost the instant he laid at Ashi's feet letting out a deep snore every now and again. Unfortunately, sleep did not find Ashi as easily as it did Chai. Her mind was still wired from the night before. Sure, it had been not been eventful, but sometimes it was the downtime that was killer. Waiting, waiting for something to go wrong. In action the path was always clear while inaction presented a more vague direction.

Here I am sitting in some godforsaken dojo.

One can only stare at the ceiling praying for sleep so long before they recognize it won't be coming, Ashi was at just such a point. Raising her head she glanced around the dojo; the girl who'd been skipping rope had moved. For a moment she could not pinpoint her location. The whole place smelled like sweat making it hard on her nose to follow an exact scent. However, where her nose failed, her ears succeeded. The dull impact of fists and feet in the otherwise silent dojo indicated that the girl had transitioned to a punching bag of some sort.

It's been ages since I've heard that...

Before she could get lost in her nostalgia, Ashi shrugged off her waterlogged cloak onto the stands where she sat, Chai wouldn't let anyone take it. The armor she wore underneath was surprisingly dry considering the night the anbu just had. Then, with light steps, Ashi made her way over to where the other girl was taking special care to not track too much water onto any of the mats that lay out on the floor. As she drew nearer and nearer to where the punching bag was located the age of the blonde girl became more and more apparent to the anbu.

She can't be older than fifteen, can she?

The apparent youth of the girl made what Ashi observed next quite impressive: the blonde delivered a solid kick to the bag that sent it swinging out in a smooth arc. Though the bag would not be returning to its original position. At the end of the bag's swing outward Ashi was there with open hand. Luckily the bag had enough give in it to allow for a solid grasp, well, it also helped that the Inuzuka had a deathly strong grip. Standing to the right of the bag Ashi's right hand prevented the bag from swinging back to the blonde, which was really quite the feat considering the mass of the object she now held back with apparent ease.

Flashing a Cheshire grin that revealed her pointed teeth and distorted the crimson Inuzuka markings on either side of her face, Ashi remained stationary for just a moment before releasing the bag. Allowing it swing back to a resting position the anbu took careful note of the blonde. She was no ordinary kid-Ashi would know, she had taught more than a few ordinary kids in her time at the academy.

"Not too bad, good strength," Ashi said with a short whistle. "Your form isn't awful either. Ever been in a real fight?"

Yes, Ashi was lacking social graces at this point in time. Blame the lack of sleep. That being said the Inuzuka woman was not much for formalities such as introductions anyway. Names didn't really matter in the end. People and what they did mattered. Names were simply labels to know them by. All else aside, Ashi was curious; the blonde was a curiosity. Just who was this kid who could move the punching bag so well that it'd put some of the lesser chuunin to shame? She needed something to occupy her busy mind other than the past--anything but the past. The blonde would suffice.

[Armor referred to in this post can be found here.]

With the movements of the kicked finished, Queen prepared her body to strike the bag once more, planning to use it’s momentum to make it go on a wider arc. As she prepped her body for the second kick, the punching bag’s motions halted, interrupted by a this party that imprisoned it’s movements. The blonde fighter paused in her movements, almost in mid kick before she spotted the intruder who had infiltrated her training session. It was the lady with the dog, the one who had been idle within the stands. When she first spotted the wild haired lady, she could have easily mistaken her and her mutt for a homeless bum, but now stripped of the cloak, it was clear than she was a lot more than just another part of Konoha’s poor district. The armour she had on was distinctive to that of the anbu black ops, the most notable ninja in the leaf village; sworn to protect it and it’s Hokage. What was a member of the anbu doing in this part of the village, and better yet, in the dojo?

Queen cancelled her kick and returned to a regular stance, taking a moment to just gaze at the brunette girl who looked to be somewhere in here twenties. She had parallel red markings on each side of her face that seemed rather strange to the girl. Along with that, her sharp teeth, and the wild hair, she was certain this girl grew up with a pack of wolves. The large dog that she took around with her only strengthened the theory. The girl’s eerie smile sparked no response from the female, it was only when she spoke that the anbu began to peak her interest.

'Not awful?’ Queen thought to herself, somewhat self-conscious. Her form was way better than “not awful’, it was perfect! It should have been perfect. She spend years training at this gym, never missing a day. Through health and in sickness, rain or shine, she was here making sure she got everything right. Who was this random chick to come into Queen’s sanctuary and claim her form to not be awful? It was just like ninja to think they were high and mighty when the only thing they could achieve was forming untalented jutsu. If only the wild haired women knew that one day, Rei Yamano, would be Queen of Taijutsu, and then Queen of the ninja world. She wouldn’t need jutsu to be known throughout the lands.

“I fight in this dojo everyday." The girl responded to the anbu’s question with a monotone voice, a blank expression on her face. Before putting her fist back up and facing the punching bag once more. She threw two punches before continuing. “I never lose a match.” She would send a backwards roundhouse kick towards the punching bag, launching it sideways towards the opposite direction from where the anbu stood before it would swing back around towards her. Queen was somewhat interested to see how she would react. Would she just grab it once more, or actually impress the blonde with something else.

Was the blonde cocky or realistic? Ashi could not tell for certain. For one so young the young girl hid any trace of emotion very well. Honestly, it was a bit creepy. Just a bit though, and a bit of anything could never deter Ashi. She couldn't very well be a successful shinobi, or a successful person in general, if she bothered with the little things in life. There were more important things in life to worry about.

A few punches and then a reverse roundhouse kick that sent the large punching bag hurtling towards Ashi. In an instant everything changed about the Inuzuka. Her once relaxed stance transformed into more hostile one: left foot back and hands up fast as lightning. Yes, Ashi was a southpaw fighter. Though, let it not be thought that Ashi felt uncomfortable in this stance. Rather, she probably looked more relaxed than she did normally-the anbu operative lived for the fight.

Jab right...

There was only time for a jab-not ideal. For a normal person the optimal choice in this situation would be to step out of the way of the swinging bag. Hell, any normal person's jab would be less than useless in stopping the punching bag's flight. Though, as you might have already guessed, Ashi is no normal person; no shinobi is 'just normal'. So, as the quick right handed jab impacted the heavy punching bag, there was an ever so brief moment--imperceptible to all present--in time where the bag was motionless in the air until Ashi shifted her weight ever so slightly. The shift sent the punching bag straight back at the blonde with a bit more force and speed than it had before.

No need to break a perfectly good punching bag.

Yes, Ashi was holding back. Were she so inclined the punching bag would be across the room, but what would that prove? It would prove she was almost immeasurably strong, but lacked any semblance of control. Control in all aspects of a fight was key Ashi. Wanton violence never go anyone far-the Inuzuka had learned that when Nashua invaded Kumogakure, the damn scar on her back still burned from time to time with phantom pain.

After delivering her jab, Ashi would take a step back out of the punching bag's range. As much fun as it was playing pass she did not really wish to continue. Rather she spoke up again.

"No, I mean a real fight," Ashi said, plainly as if explaining it to the blonde for the first time. "A fight outside the ring where your neck is on the line, not a title."

Maybe that was too dramatic?

The girl kept her gaze on the wild haired woman, waiting to see how she would react to the incoming object that headed towards her direction. The girl went from zero to one hundred real quick, as she positioned herself into a more suitable fighting stance. Her movements were quick, quicker than the girl had ever really seen. Probably even Queen couldn’t match that speed, not without the use of her bloodline that is. Queen activated her bloodline, her aura surging into a 20 meter raidus like barrier that helped her to detect all the movements taking place within the vicinity that the two stood. The punching back paused it’s momentum momentarily as the girl’s jab made contact with it. The moment seemed to freeze as if like a photo in a picture frame before the anbu made a slight movement causing the bag to come at her with a greater speed and power than before.

Rei’s eyes widen slightly in shock. How could such a slight movement caused such force!? Queen had required to use her momentum and body weight to be able to send the punching bag with the force that she did, but this woman did it with such ease, and with even more power. The bag came quick, and there was no way that Queen would have enough time to prepare a move of her own to return the large sack of weight. The blonde fighter simply placed out her hands and put one leg in front of the other as the bag came towards her, the palms of her hands catching it as it slightly pushed her back, her feet skidding slightly across the ground as she attempted to halt the momentum of the bag. 'Who is she?’ Queen thought to herself, observing the girl as she took a step back, hinting towards the end of the little game they were playing. The anbu definitely had skill, skill that Queen hasn’t even had the chance to see yet, and she was dying to find out what else she could do. there was really no one that Queen had to look up to, not that she needed anyone, but it was still nice to see that someone could make their way up the ranks without depending on jutsu.

Rei’s eyes lowered to the question asked by the wild haired woman while also removing her hands from the punching bag; it dangling slightly from the chain that held it up. A real fight? To Queen, fighting in the dojo was a real fight. The academy didn’t allow her to be a ninja due to her inability to form chakra, and her father detested it as well, as she was the heir to the family's large corporation. Her eyes flickered back towards the anbu in an attempt to hide the moment of weakness that she just demonstrated. She couldn’t afford to be weak. “Every fight is a real fight to me. Whether a title is on the line, or a life.” Queen responded, taking a few steps towards the girl to close the distance. Her response was true, every fight that she partook in was one step closer to achieving her dream. To be known across the ninja world as the Queen of Taijutsu. Every punch that she threw, every kick and choke hold, it was all towards accomplishing her mission. “ It’s all towards accomplishing my mission. Besides, I can hold my own.” Her voice was strong as it bounced around the empty dojo, Queen’s lilac eyes piercing towards the dog lover’s.

Yes, Ashi caught it. What kind of an anbu operative would the woman be if she could not read others? Unemployed is what she would be. Of course she couldn't be too sure, but the girl seemed a bit unbalanced by Ashi's words. Not physically of course, but psychologically. Normally, the anbu would take full advantage of her perceived upper hand. However, she was not on the job nor did she need to interrogate the poor girl who now stood in front of her. Well, she wouldn't interrogate her too much.

She is like a younger me sans Chai, go figure.

Smiling a kinder smile than before as she listened to the girl's words, Ashi was quite struck by their similarities. Certainly the anbu did not fight in a dojo; a dojo was too refined for her in her younger years. Rather Ashi's fight took place on the playground and alleys around the academy. Bringing down those bigger and smaller than her alike. Certainly she could lay no claim to a title of any sort, but she did develop a reputation and it was a reputation that had followed her to her present place of employment: the anbu. There were few who could feasibly best her when it came to physical strength.

"Oh, and what is your mission? If it isn't a secret that is..." Ashi teased, folding her arms across her chest as the fighter approached.

Upon closer inspection, the Inuzuka was dismayed to find that the height difference between her and the girls was not very large. If there was one thing Ashi was insecure about it was her height. Working in the world of anbu everyone was much bigger than her-it was unnerving and often led to her not being taken seriously. It was quite annoying to the woman. That being said there were probably worse things to be annoyed by.

[Sorry, not my best post. Just wanted to get something down for you. I'll pick it up in the next post.]

[short post is short, sowwy Dx didn’t know what else to write without fluffing it to an extreme lol]

Queen had almost expected the question that the wild haired woman asked. She had almost set it up for her to ask her that exact question. The blonde fighter wanted to be known throughout the lands as the best Taijutsu user their ever was, and not just that, but as Queen of the ninja world. What best way to achieve that goal than by telling all those she interacted with? Well, that was until she was strong enough to just defeat all those she passed by, that would soon be her method. The only way one could really be known throughout the lands was by catching the attention of others, and what better way to do that than defeat all those who opposed her future monarchy. She would become a Queen, and through that, force the nations together to become one.

“To become the best Taijutsu use there is...” The girl started off, leaving a beat to let the dog lover process the information before continuing. “And be known as the Queen of this world.” Hearing this come from a teenage girl was almost laughable one could admit, but every inch of the girl was serious. The girl’s lilac gaze held the anbu’s, waiting for her to break, whether it was through being uncomfortable from the awkward eye contact, or through laughing at the girl’s dreams just like every other ninja she told had. She almost expected it at this point, especially coming from “superior” type ninja like the anbu who all looked down on her or felt bad for her because she couldn’t form chakra. If only they knew how much she trained in order to get to her goal. It didn’t matter, because one day, they would see for themselves.

Boring...

Ashi had heard it all before. Hell, she had lived it. There was a time when the anbu operative was similar to the young fighter standing in front of her. Yes, at one point Ashi wished to become the strongest shinobi there ever was. Every young child had an inclination to reach for the stars and dream big-it was no fault. However, as the Inuzuka woman grew up both physically and emotionally she knowingly shed her childish ambitions. Now she had a simple yet abstract goal she strove for each day, happiness. Cliche? Most definitely, but it was a dream nonetheless and an illusive one at that.

"I wish you luck then, you'll need it," Ashi responded matching the fighter's gaze before pausing a moment as if to think.

No, Ashi would not crush an aspiring girl's dreams. Too often she had been looked down upon for ambitions in her own life. Thus, she would not inflict such a slight to the girl before her. There was no point. Dream on.

"I happen to dabble in Taijutsu as well," Ashi understated ever so slightly. "I suppose at some point you'll have to best me."

Another pause, which was quickly broken by a snap of Ashi's fingers as if to say 'Eureka!'

"Care to try your mettle right here and now to see if holding your own is truly good enough, Queeny?" Ashi asked nodding over to the vacant ring. Words were all well and good, but someone's will nor their worth could be judged on speech alone. There was something about going head to head with another in combat that allowed one to understand another. It was a simplicity that the anbu operative could appreciate.

That being said Ashi doubted that it would hardly be a fair match. Though, often it took a few losses to put everything into perceptive. The anbu was hoping to be surprised. It would be quite a shame to have the girl back down or, worse yet, not be able to back up her convictions.

Please don't be boring.