Day One (Open)

The moment she forfeited the fight, a large breath was released from her brother. Instead of getting angry at her for giving up, he sounded relieved that she had taken him up on his offer. This realization caused the broken Hyuuga to look up at her brother with wide eyes. He hadn't been testing her after all. It was quite the contrary. It seemed Salzem wanted to cease his battering of her, and that was the best option he had thought to offer. Hikari had completely misread the situation it had seemed.

While she had her mini opithany, her dear brother had already shifted back into his smaller, but still rather large, human form, his hands glowing a familiar blue-green hue. She smiled softly to herself as she glanced at his hands. After all of their spars he always had to put her back together, mending her shatteredness. Despite him being the younger brother, he sure acted like the older sibling. His caring nature, always helping her when she needs it the most, and his unmatched shinobi skill. Hikari knew there had to be stronger ninja than Salzem, but she knew none of those stronger people- besides all of the Kages that is, but they didn't count since they aren't regular shinobi, they are exceptional and as such have the titles to prove it.

"Thank you. You did great as well!" Hikari was grateful for his compliment, but she felt undeserving of such praise. She tried not to show her doubt, knowing he would continue and try to convince her otherwise, so instead she smiled cheerfully at him as she was happy to be complimented by someone as brilliant as he. However, untill she was able to hold her own against Salzem, she would not allow herself to be indulged by such praises. It was more of a challenge to herself, to push her to become stronger, than a lack of confidence or from ignorance. 

By this time Salzem had finished healing her stomach and leg, and had moved on to fixing the smaller injuries she had endured. Him healing her reminded her of the previous moments, just before their spar ended, and the questions that had whirled through her. With the smile still upon her lips she voiced oneof her many questions aloud, "Your pheromone jutsu sure surprised me. How did you learn to do such a thing, utilizing the werewolf body like that?" Hikari asked, eyes brimming with curiosity. She had indeed wanted to learn if her deduction was accurate about his body being similar to a wolves. Of course she wouldn't dare ask how he had obtained such a body, it was not her place to inquire about that. So she kept her curiosity to a minimum and only asked the one simple question.

Sal smiled as Hikari returned his compliment, though he wasn't blind to the doubt that plighted his older sister. When one stuck around someone, caring for them, fighting them, knowing them as a person, one would get to know when they were trying to hide something and something was very clearly bothering the hyuuga. Perhaps it was the look in those pale eyes of hers, those mixed feelings... Perhaps she felt she didn't deserve his praise because she didn't beat him or that he wasn't pushed to his absolute limits. He figured it was something like that... Hmm...

The lycan was snapped out of his thoughts as Hikari COMPLETELY backhanded him with a curveball of a question, seemingly completely deduced the vehicle for his jutsu. It was so surprising to him that he blinked, seemingly not understanding what she was saying in that current moment. Salzem was going to give her a full day to look back on this experience and figure it out, maybe come ask him if that really was his jutsu but NOPE! Hikari seemed to be a LOT more perceptive than he gave her credit for.

"Uh... Well..." Salzem stuttered. "It was when I got this white-wolf form... I started learning my body and I discovered this gland when I was healing myself... I got into a fight with some thugs in Sunagakure's desert and I learned that this thing gave off pheromones... I had no idea what they did, but the smell gave it away... The technique is just me pumping more chakra into the gland, forcing it to over-work itself to bathe you in pheromones, since they're not compatible with the human body. A poison of sorts..." The lycan continued explaining his jutsu, hopefully to Hikari's delight. He found her interest in his techniques most gratifying... friendly... It was nice... "But enough about that... How did you get so strong, Hikari? You almost had me beaten once or twice."

It was a rare moment for the young girl, watching her brother blink in surprise and become, momentarily, speechless. Hikari quite enjoyed it, her eyes shining, and even more so because she had been proven right about her theories. It was not every day the Hyuuga was able to make such accurate deductions, and truthfully it was only due to her research on her own companion that led to her knowing such information- which she had even thought had been useless after having read it, as Kuro’s pheromones did not affect her, it was just knowledge about his species. Hikari wondered if Kuro would have been able to train those kind of jutsu’s, had he been more like a ninken, able to use chakra and perform jutsu’s.

Salzem encouraged her even more when he yet again confirmed her comparison of his technique to poison, how it could rapidly course through the body and disable anyone who came into contact with it. Hikari was amazed at his abilities, noting to herself that he was what a true medical ninja was like. Experimenting with the unknown, trying to create new out of the old. He used his experience with pheromones and his knowledge to craft a deadly jutsu, and without the help of anyone else guiding him to his conclusion. Salzem was a force to be reckoned with for sure, and Hikari was thankful he was her brother and greatest friend. Having to face him during a war would easily cost the kunoichi her life.

Her ears perked at the next few words that spilled out of his mouth, mentioning that she had almost bested him a few times during their spar. It was a surprise for her to hear that, as she had never gotten the feeling he was at his limits at all during their spar.

“Firstly, I just want to say that I really only knew about your pheromones because of my research on Kuro. I guessed that your werewolf form was similar to the anatomy of a wolf, but I was not 100% sure it would be alike to that extent.” She wanted to explain to him, to show that his jutsu was not easy to figure out but that she just had prior knowledge that most shinobi would not have. “Secondly, really? I almost had you beat once or twice?” One could almost feel the shock in her voice, her features slightly quizzical. “You are excellent at hiding your struggling then, because I never once felt you were at your limits. You always immediately had a retort to my jutsu’s.” Hikari thought she had fully explained herself, a small smile ending her response. But then she realized she never gave an answer to his question.

She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck as she stumbled through her response, “Well, I’m not really sure... I guess that was just me going all out, like we had agreed to at the beginning. Or...maybe it was just my drive to beat you that made me so strong.” Hikari wasn’t quite sure what it was, as she had not felt any different when fighting him this time. She always fought him with the desire to win, so that was not a new feeling, nor did she ever hold back into their spars, always hitting him with her strongest techniques.

"Oh." Salzem laughed as Hikari told him that the only reason she figured him out was because her wolf too produced pheromones and as such, she suspected that he might do something similar. She wasn't sure, of course, but it seemed her hypothesis held true and this was why she would be a great ninja... She could draw on her past experiences and think on her feet and because of this, she was able to figure him out if a bit too late. He smiled at his sister widely, proud she had grown so strong. Secretly, he took pride in himself that his training had resulted in such a powerful girl.

She then responded to his remark that she almost had him, seeming somewhat skeptical. No, he wasn't on his bare-edge exhausted and winning by a hair, but that doesn't mean she didn't get him once or twice. Her shoulder-grab would have worked on anyone else or him if he was tired and her speed was hard to keep up with without his Shadooukami.

"Really. You had me on my back foot for that last half of the fight." He confirmed, patting Hikari's head. "I promise, between that shoulder-grab and your on-point defense, I was having a real hard time actually getting through to you. I'm proud."

When he then asked how she got so strong, the hyuuga seemed to go sheepish, questioning whether it was her drive to beat him or that she was going all out from the start... She seemed to invoke nothing but smiles in him because that's exactly what she got... a proud smile of a teacher who's student far exceeded their expectations.

"Well... just get a little bit stronger and that drive will take you the rest of the way." He declared. Having finished his healing, the boy got to his feet, holding out a hand to his older, shorter sister to help her up. "You are a very strong, very smart ninja, sis... I think you've earned some food. What do you say we go get some, huh? We can go wherever you want."

In response to the cheerful laugh and grand smile Salzem graced her with, she herself also began to smile widely. Something about being with a close friend, and family member, just made her very happy, in fact she was happier than she had been in a long time. Sure she was joyful almost all of the time, but nothing can compare to being with someone you hold deep in your heart. Their presence just always lightens even your gloomiest of moods and they always know just the right things to say.

Her mood began to brighten even further as he explained how close she had come during their spar, reaching his hand out to gently pat her on the head. Hikari had never actually been patted on the head, save for a few times in her childhood, but she realized how reassuring and calming such a simple gesture could be. “Thank you, Salzem. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.” Her gratitude radiated off of her as she spoke, genuinely grateful for what he had said.

It was the nth time he smiled today, but Hikari was not complaining. She loved being able to smile and be happy with him, it was far better than him being sad and depressed. Hikari did not like to see anyone upset, especially not someone dear to her.

Salzem’s smiles were infectious as she began to grin even wider. He told her that with a little more strength she would be able to use her driving force to accomplish what she wanted to do. She believed him and made it a goal of hers to get stronger and to continue towards her many goals in life (one of which would now forever be to defeat Salzem at least once). The younger man rose to his feet after she was fully healed, his hand extended out towards her as an offer to assist her. She gratefully accepted his outstretched hand, cupping her own hand in his and allowing him to help her to her feet. He complimented her again, saying she was both very strong and smart. Hikari couldn’t help but continue to grin at his statement, she was beginning to feel as if he was right about her strength.

“I think we’ve both earned food, you fought just as hard bro. That spar sure worked up an appetite haha.” Hikari giggled lightly, back to her cheerful self. “I’d love to go get some food with you. How about we get noodles?” If he accepted her suggestion, she would prepare herself to leave, her body exhausted from the long, but very rewarding, day. Kuro would join them as they began to walk away, nuzzling Hikari’s leg before they left. He was thankful he didn’t have to intervene, that Salzem and Hikari were both able to keep their spar friendly and not deadly.

[Exit]
(TWC: 7,276)
(Using -25% WC due to max stats:
Claming 2250/2250 for Eight Trigrams: Palms Revolving Heaven & 3000/3000 for Early Sacrifice & 2026/3000 for Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher)

"Noodles, huh...?" Salzem smiled. That actually sounded kinda good... He'd walk along side his older sister back into the village, just all smiles... It was the happiest he had been in a long time.

(EXIT)

(WC: 7343)

Claiming 73 AP

Approved my good folks also good read this thread was really good. Y'all should do another

Thank you so much, Kobayashi! I'm really glad to hear it was a good read! I enjoyed writing it ^_^. Haha no worries, we'll have plenty of more threads like this :3

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What she said