You Never Walk Alone - Ch. 2/2

Chapter 2: The clan's pride at stake - Morinaka vs. Myoka.

Ayane's POV.

Ayko immediately created an Earth clone and came at her with full speed. Even thought their previous attacks had been exhausting,  it seemed the Myoka still had enough stamina left. When suddenly Ayko formed signs and used Fire Needles, Ayane lost her focus on the real Myoka and couldn’t avoid getting hit by the katana. She felt how the cold and sharp steel carved into her leg and tried to ignore the pain. The entire arena gasped and looked at the two kunoichi’s.

The Myoka didn’t waste a moment to attack her a second time, but this time Ayane was able to avoid another hit and managed to throw her kunai to take care of the clone. Ayko was obviously surprised by this action, and so was Ayane. But this gave her some time to think of a good counter attack. Judging the previous attack, she knew Ayko wasn’t a skilled Earth Release user, which made her a bit more confident. She would only have to get her trapped in her genjutsu and the fight would be over.

But the Myoka wasn’t as hesitant after getting hit as Ayane hoped for, and formed the signs for her next attack. Ayane didn’t have much time to think, since in a flash a bunch of flames came her way, sharp like needles and coming at her with a incredible speed. Realizing she couldn’t avoid getting hit without using a jutsu, she used the Earth and Stone Dragon. While using the dragon to shield her from the flames, she created an Earth clone and dispelled the dragon to create a giant cloud of dust.

By the time the Myoka realized what was happening, Ayane took out some shuriken and used the dust to attack her from out of nowhere, with help of the clone she made. Only a only a few seconds later she heard a scream and knew either she or her clone managed to hit the Myoka. After the dust cleared up, Ayane witnessed a bleeding and huffing Ayko.  The Myoka was looking at her with such fear and anger at the same time, it scared her and at the same time made her more confident about her skills.
She knew this was the start of a fight between skilled kunoichi, both determined to win, no matter what cost.

Ayko's  POV.

While she scanned the Morinaka heiress Ayko quickly performed the hand signs needed for her tsuchibunshun no jutsu. The bunshin came charging at high speed at her opponent. Ayko felt that she still had quiet alot of stamina left to finish the job. The way things were going right now, it wouldn't take too long. While her bunshin distracted the green-haired kunoichi with her Fireneedles-jutsu, Ayko slashed her way to her and hacked into the unexposed flesh of the Morinaka's upper leg. Blood poured out and the hiss Ayane uttered made it clear to Ayko she was able to land a clean hit on her. Ayko, who planned ahead for her next move, was too busy to hear the yelps and held breaths from the audience. As she moved her way in to cut her opponent again she was met with resistance from the girl before her.

'She managed to dodge it... I guess she wasn't that shaken up from our previous encounter.' Ayko realized as she suddenly witnessed her bunshin fall apart into mud. Ayane called her bluff when she threw that kunai and dispelled her bunshin.

'Fuck! She saw through it! Damn, she must've read my facial expression. Wait...? Is she surprised too?' Ayko huffed as she tried to read Ayane's face. The girl gave her a smirk, almost as if she believed the battle would end in her favour. Ayko's right brow started twitching in annoyance; if that's what the Morinaka chick thought then she didn't know who she was dealing with. Ayko narrowed her eyes on the other heiress and in reply she immediately performed her Fireneedles-jutsu aiming straight at her. Just when Ayko thought she had this one in the bag, the Morinaka heiress pulled another trick. From the ground a giant earthstone dragon rose to repell the impact of the needles. Everything after that happened very fast; first the green-haired girl dispelled the dragon-jutsu calling up dust from the arena and performing a tsuchibunshin at the same time. With the dust coming up she had created a curtain of fog leaving Ayko blinded from any upcoming attacks. A sudden rain of shuriken hit in on her without her being prepared for their impact. Her upper-arm, right cheek and lower left leg were cut deeply, but not fatal. As the dust-cloud settled Ayko was able to see the Morinaka heiress again and she felt really pissed off. She glared at her with both fear and fury. Ayko wouldn't hold back anymore, this match went from measuring each other up to a full-out battle. Their motivation had just hit the maximum level.

The black haired teen stood her ground; she swept some blood away that was trickling down her mouth. Her eyes darted back to the Morinaka immediately, her look never changing. Ayko had decided to make this match as pleasing as possible; she excitedly wished to use one of her latest perfected attacks. Since the other heiress had no way of knowing she was a skilled master of the kinton, this knowledge could decide the outcome of all this entirely. Ayko's infuriated face melted into a confident smug grin startling the green haired kunoichi for a moment.

"Hey! Ayane was it, right?" Ayko called out to her opponent, not afraid to bluff this time either. "I can tell you're strong by the way you battle me, but don't you think we've been playing around for a bit too long? If it was up to me I'd like you to go full-out on me; I know you're a genjutsu-user. So why don't you show me that technique of yours?" Ayko noticed how the Morinaka's expression changed from surprise to confusion. Not only did the Myoka's statement make no sense to her, but the entire crowd could clearly hear her provocation broadcasted over the stadium. What exactly was she trying to accomplish by doing that?

Somewhere in the higher rows of the stadium Mazuiko Myoka's look changed to utter devastation; her daughter had just provoked an opponent that had the upper hand. Kaito Noraishi laid his warm hand over his wives’. "Show some pride in her, Mazuiko-koichi! She's our daughter and by the way she's grinning I know she's got something up her sleeve. She's always been as cunning as you were." the sandy-blond stated smiling in trust of his youngest child. Mazuiko sighed in response, she didn't seem convinced one bit.

In the meanwhile the Morinaka heiress straightened her stance to better observe Ayko. Why did she even bother to say that out loud? 'She could've used this moment to land a surprise attack on me, but she didn't... Is she really that confident?' Ayane thought.