[center][h1][color=f49ac2]Asuka Koizumi[/color][/h1][/center]
Once her eyes came into focus, Asuka looked over at the scene in shock. She had been too immersed in her own problems to see what had happened after she had thrown all those shurkien, but now that she was properly observing the two, she noticed that the boy who's name she didn't know was totally fine, not a single scratch visible on his extremely pale skin. How did he do it? The shurkien and kunai were headed straight towards him during that moment, so how could've he reacted in such a short period of time?

[i][color=f49ac2]I have no idea how that boy managed to deflect my omnidirectional attack, but at least he was able to. If a genjutsu was in fact casted upon him, then to believe he was able to dispel it and counter against my shuriken shower in such a short amount of time… Just how good is this boy's reflexes?
[/color][/i]

[color=00a651]"Mao-Sensei, if you EVER do that to me again, regardless of now serious you are about us having the intent to kill you, I swear to you I will!" [/color]

Asuka watched in astonishment. Whatever type of illusion that boy who's name she didn't know saw, it was most likely a very bad one.

[color=00a651]"EVEN IF I HAVE TO TEAR YOUR FUCKING THOAT OUT WITH MY GODDAMNED TEETH!!!!!!!!!"[/color] the boy roared in rage, tossing a small scroll up into the air. As soon as the fuma and normal shurkiens were produced, the boy who's name she didn't know threw them at Mao, his icy blue eyes darkening into a murky blue colour. Even from this far away, Asuka could sense the boy's lust for her sensei's blood. The boy released his shuriken at his opponent, flinging them at Mao with great force.

[i][color=f49ac2]Extremely skillful… A talented bukijutsu user indeed.[/color][/i]

Five seconds was all it took for Mao to deflect the blond boy's attacks. With one swift move, the taller man unravelled a scroll that held many weapons inside, hidden behind intricately drawn seals. Realising one of them in a puff of smoke, her teacher's fingers were covered in sharp metal claws, reminding Asuka of the razor talons of an eagle. Although she was quite far away, the sight of those sharp pieces of metal intimidated her a little. This man definitely not to be trifled with in the slightest. Biting her lip, her eyes widened at her teacher's incredibly swift movements.

[i][color=f49ac2]Oh no… Just what does Mao-sensei plan on doing to… him?[/color][/i]

[color=662d91]"Mao-sensei lecture number two and shinobi rule twenty five: a shinobi must never show their tears."[/color]

Placing his hand on the pain stricken boy's head, Mao ruffled his student's light blonde hair as if they were the feathers of a pale coloured bird. Although Mao seemed to be showing some slight fatherly attributes towards the boy who's name she didn't know, Asuka could see and sense the intensity in the man's piercing gold eyes.

[color=662d91]"All ninja experience pain in their life and the enemy will use that against you. You must never show your tears because you must never allow the enemy to see your weakness. You have to let your pain go and focus." [/color]

Asuka took a few steps forward, her right arm dangling at her side. The man was right. The pain of loneliness… Although it wasn't as extreme as what some other people might have felt in the past, Asuka had definitely felt it before. Even to this day, she missed her mother and father greatly, and just thinking about them in a situation like this saddened her greatly. No, she as going off track again. She had to focus. She had to be ready to fight. She had to be ready to face the trials of becoming a fully fledged shinobi. When everything was over, she could relax. 

But not now. Defeating her opponent was the goal here.

Mao pulled himself away from the boy, letting the shuriken wounded around his fingers drop to the ground. He extended the distance between himself and the boy who's name she didn't know, changing his line of sight from the blond to Asuka herself.

[color=662d91]"Now. I know both of you are tired, upset, and perhaps hurting just a little bit. That's alright, that's the way this is intended to go. We get hurt here, get angry here, cry our tears dry here because this is training. When the training's over, when the tears stop, when the pain subsides. . . that's when you'll be ready for a real mission." [/color]

Asuka stood still. Mao's little speech replayed over and over again in her head, his words sticking to her brain like glue. If there was one thing she was going to remember for the rest of her life, it would be this man's words. 

[color=662d91]"Again, but this time come as a team."[/color]

'Come as team'. How could she have missed that? To believe something so simple yet so important slipped her mind during times of need. Teamwork. 

Asuka couldn't help but smile. Yes, she had made many mistakes in the past, but from those mistakes, she would learn valuable things from them. As for the mistakes and trials to come as a ninja… Well, Asuka was just going to have to wait and see. She muttered a few words under her breath to quiet for the men to hear, looking directly towards the boy who's name she didn't know.

[color=f49ac2]"It's funny how the smallest and simplest of things can mean so much… With that in mind, there's no way I can fail here. No… There's no way [i]we[/i] can fail here. It'll be over eventually, though. There's no time for tears on the battlefield."[/color]

Standing tall and proud, Asuka's face expression became solid and serious, clutching the hilt of her sword despite the pain surging through her arm.

[color=f49ac2][i]After all…

I can always cry later.[/i][/color]