A divided focus.
A collab between :
- Lillydove
- Gerontis
- Lesli
Aiko has rallied her team in a tea shop. After both her students have arrived, she decides to test them a bit with an ordinary spar between the genins. Only for her to receive something through her earphone communicator.
Saying nothing as Aiko introduced him to the newest member of the team, Koike waited patiently as Aiko then told that they were going. Briefly he glanced at Yukara before turning around and following Aiko. There was no signal of his thoughts or emotions as he kept up the neutral expression on his face. Some training would be better than talking around. He wasn't really interested in chattering the time away.
Yukara had hoped that Koike would introduce himself but Aiko Sensei seemed to do it for him, which in her mind had defeated the point of her demanding one. With a shrug, she turned and followed nicely after the two without a word, just a trouble frown set on her lips. Curious to what kind of training they were going to start with and excited about her first training in Team 8.
With the two genin following her lead, something caused Aiko to wrinkle her nose. ''I am going to do it a bit different.'' She muttered as she performed the Shadow Clone Technique. Next to the original of Aiko, a shadow clone poofed up. Turning around, the real Aiko faced her students. A friendly smile present on her lips as she started to explain what the next training would be. ''I need to check something, but don't worry. I still am going to let you train together. My shadow clone will keep an eye on the training and making sure that when you have questions, you can ask them.'' Again, she looked at a direction, towards the east. ''I really need to check on something. Don't cause any trouble, okay?'' Without giving them any chance to respond, she was already off. The shadow clone then started to brief them about the training.
''Its going to be simple. Once we have arrived at the trainingsfields, we will be having a friendly spar. It is said when two shinobi clash, that they can sometimes connect to each other. Seeing you two are now team members, you need to understand each other. Though Koike, you're not allowed to use most of your techniques to make it fair for Yukara. Come, lets first go to the training field.'' The shadow clone finished her briefing before heading off, in a pace that she was sure both could keep up with and wouldn't tire out.
Finding it a bit strange that Aiko sensei had ran off like that, he wouldn't question her. She was a caring mother and as long they would train, he would be content. Only when she mentioned that he and Yukara would do a spar, he had to ressist to frown. Though he didn't know the other genin, he wasn't sure if that would be fair. Only when it was explained he wasn't allowed to use most of his techniques, he understood it. This was both a test for him and her. ''Understood.'' Koike said with a calm voice, following the shadow clone.
Never getting the chance to ask Aiko Sensei what she had to check on, she watched a bit stunned as she left with a shadow clone and Koike. Slowly turning on her heels to face the two, she looked to the clone of her sensei and listened to the briefing that was given. A friendly spar, that was the training? It seemed a bit sudden to have to fight her team mate, as much as she had a bit of an issue with Koike, it still did not mean that she wanted to fight him. It became apparent to her that he was older than the average genin, she wondered if there was something wrong with him but said nothing as she followed along quietly.
It wouldn't take long before they were near the training fields. Without any of them both complaining about the spar, the shadow clone was glad about that. Looking for a suitable field, they went to the training field that had the number 7. A grasfield with some trees in the surroundings. Furthermore, a river dividing the field in two. A good field for an all round spar, in her opinion. ''First. I want each of you showing some respect with the Seal of Confrontation. Remember, this is a friendly spar. Not a fight on life and death. Koike, you're not allowed to use [i]those techniques.''[/i] Unlike the tone that she had been talking with, the last sentence was said with a much more sterner voice. The emphasis on the word ''those'' would make it clear to Koike what she meant. Taking several steps back, the clone would start to observe them.
Arriving at the field, Koike listened to what their sensei told them. Though he had seen it coming, he found it a bit dull he couldn't use his whole arsenal. But to test them against his team member wouldn't be testing them properly. Nodding to the shadow clone, to give the signal he understood it, his attention went to Yukara. Slowly he raised his right hand, forming the Seal of Confrontation. ''Ready when you are.'' He said on a neutral tone, focussing on what she would do. Though he had gained some experience, he wasn't sure what his new team member was capable off.
Yukara nodded briefly before she too rasied her right hand and formed the Seal of Confirmation, her other hand slipping behind her to grab a kunai as she took another step back. Bringing her hands together after saying "I am always ready." Doing the required hand seals for the Demonic Illusion: Hell Veiwing Technique before darting away into the small amount of trees, with another kunai in her other hand.
A genjutsu? Koike noticed the leaves surrounding him as he narrowed his eyes slowly. Bringing his hands together, he managed to dispell the genjutsu. So she knew genjutsu? Sadly for her, he also was able to perform that technique and had no trouble of dispelling it. But it still gave her time to dart away. Looking around, he decided to play it on a defensive manner. He wasn't one to prove he was the better, seeing no gain in it. Pulling out a kunai, Koike stayed still and listened to his surroundings.
Not one to put herself directly in the line of fire, she performed the seals for the clone jutsu, having one appear beside her she sent it out in the open to face off against Koike. In the mean time, it would give her time to come up with a better plan and observe his fighting style. Her clone, ran at him like a blind idiot with a kunai pointed at him and did not care to try a less direct path. It took all of her self control not to yell at the clone, gritting her teeth together she took out her Shuriken and made another clone in which she planned to use in conjunction with the Shuriken.
He noticed Yukara charging at him, with a kunai. Readying himself, he was wondering why she was charging at him like that. For a moment, he almost had glanced at the shadow clone. How much would he need to hold back if she would just charge at him like that? Focusing on the clone, he noticed something strange. Aiming his kunai, Koike threw it towards the clone and realized what was going on. It was an illusion clone. The kunai phased right through it, as it was after all an image. Feeling a bit embarrassed he hadn't notice it earlier, he pulled out another kunai. The illusionary clone was something he could ignore as it would just distract him.
Frowning once she noticed that he realized it just illusionary, which would simply make him keen on finding on finding her location. She was curious as to what he was not allowed to use on her but she supposed it was good thing as it would only make it harder on her to fight him. Again, she made another clone and sent another out there as she threw her own kunai at Koike before stealthly leaving the location that it was thrown from, leaving the clone previously made to take the hit forr it as she quickly performed the Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique as she threw another Kunai at him from a different direction this time.
Hearing some sounds, Koike turned to the direction where it came from. Another charge? This time with a kunai thrown in his direction. Dodging it with a quick step the right, he looked at the grass. After some moments he looked around again, ignoring the other clone. ''Throwing kunai and illusionary clones aren't going to work.'' He calmly said. Hearing another sound, of something heading towards him, Koike turned his head to see another kunai heading his way. Deflecting it with his kunai, he narrowed his eyes, clearly not pleased she was using these kind of tactics. Wondering what her next move would be, he already started to think of a plan on how to put pressure on her side.
The distractions or what they could offer, bought her enough time to form her own plan, as she hid herself in the shadows of the trees before making one last clone. This time, she had the clone throw the Shuriken while she managed to conceal herself outside of her last genjutsu and then in no time, she was being thrown straight at Koike with a kunai hidden in shirt. When she was close enough to him, she flung her kunai at him from behind and moved herself so that she could easily escape any attacks as the Shuriken came ever so close to him.
Still not pleased with seeing another clone, Koike evaded the shuriken with ease. Then he noticed she came again towards him. The only difference that he could see that the grass moved as she ran towards him. Was she planning on a close ranged combat situation? Readying himself, he noticed her arm moved and as an reflex, he moved a step backwards while raising his kunai to defend himself. The attack parried, Koike used his free hand to grab another kunai as he readied his defense again.
The parried attack between the two caused her to lose her footing and before it became to big of a problem, she regained her footing before darting off again. Her combat style was more or less, attack hard then retreat for the moment. Weaving together more hand seals as she performed the Cat Genjutsu while he still in the other one, this time she took three Kunai out although her arsenal was low she needed to keep a steady distance away from him. Throwing one at one place and darting away to another spot as she threw the second from there before scaling the tree closest by. Propelling herself towards Koike from the top of the tree and angling herself so her foot would hopefully make contact with him in some place.
So she was running again. Lowering his defense, Koike was wondering what she was trying to achieve with such a tactic. Suddenly he was somewhere else. Another genjutsu? Koike, wary now, decided that he would stop being on the defense. Aiko sensei had told him to hold back, but he wasn't planning on to become a training doll for his team member. Storing away a kunai, he then noticed a cat charging at him. ''Genjutsu won't work now.'' He mumbled, flipping the kunai and slicing a cut in his right leg. The pain disturbed the genjutsu. That was when Koike heard something approaching him. Quickly diving to the right, he evaded the weapons. Getting up, he did noticed how a few hairs fell as he rose up. It was enough. Storing his kunai, he caught her in his sights. Weaving several handseals, he held the last one.
''Wind Release : Protective Dome Technique/'' He muttered, as around him a dome of air started to spin around, likely throwing Yukara away from him. Once that would be done, Koike would just wait till she either had managed to avoid his attack or be thrown away by the wind technique. ''Got anything else?''
Sadly, she did not quite catch his hand seals, unable to stop her momentum from carrying her to the wind protecting Koike. She could only think of one thing to do, quickly as her panicked hands would allow she weaved the seals for the replacement jutsu and was able avoid any major injuries but the wind still caught her as she tried to escape and threw her against one of the trees, causing some scrapes and bruises. Her breathing heavy and loud, she knew that she would need to do something soon because she was running out of ideas and ways to attack him. For now, she was going to go on the defense and give her some time to formulate another plan of action.
Waiting till she would get up again, Koike noticed she took a more defensive stance. It was maybe just a funny coincidence as he had decided to take up the offensive. Moulding his chakra, through weaving handsignals at a fast speed that his clan was infamous for, Koike prepared the Spiralling Wind Ball Technique. After bringing his right hand to his mouth, he blew out several spheres of wind towards Yukara. They were heading as fast as thrown shuriken towards the girl, putting the girl into the defense while he would try to close in the distance.
Scrambling to her feet as she saw the wind spheres coming towards her at that speed, she was unable to avoid getting hit by the majority of them but managed to evade the last of them as she darted towards the river. While she ran, she concentrated the amounts of charka she had left to her hands and brought her hand to her opposite arm to heal her more serious injuries. She did not stop running as she continued to put distance between the two of them while struggling to come up with another plan.
Squinting his eyes, Koike noticed she did something strange. Following her, he wasn't going to make it easy for her to keep running away. Pulling out three kunai, he quickly attached wire to them. Still chasing down Yukara, Koike threw the kunai. Not aimed to go directly towards his team member. Their aim was slightly off and Koike would wait for the last moment to reel in the wire, making the same sound when a fisher would reel in. The kunai would fly towards Yukara, trying to catch her in the wire.
Noticing the sun glint a little on the wire that he had attached to the kunai that were being thrown at her rather quickly, she gritted her teeth and threw the last of the kunai she had to parry them but it did not seem to work. As they flew towards faster than her own kunai traveled to parry it, getting caught in the wires, she struggled to use a small dagger that she had been planning on using in her back up to cut herself free as he continued to close the distance between them.
''Yukara Cho, stop.'' Koike instructed her. He still held the wire, not intending on releasing her right away. But he wasn't making her trip or pull hard to cause her to lose balance. ''Think we have exchanged enough blows for now.'' Koike politely said as he released the wire. It would be easy for her to free herself as Koike shot a glance in the shadow clone of Aiko. He knew that it wasn't his place to stop the spar, but he saw no need in putting the girl in her place. She had done nothing to cause him to go on and do it. Though he didn't ask if she was alright.
Upon hearing her name, she froze but did not stop the process of freeing herself from the wires and until she was standing. Putting her dagger away, she simply watched him for a moment before nodding silently and going around to collect her kunai and Shuriken. "Yes... I think we have as well..." she said with a sigh. She hoped that she had done enough to prove that she was a more formidable opponent than most would have her, her red eyes turning to the shadow clone to await a response or action.
Silently, the shadow clone had watched how her students had sparred for a bit. Like expected, Koike had managed to keep his ground. At the same time, she had noticed that Yukara had some good attitude. Even while the odds were against her, she kept trying to fight back. Only she had actually little offensive skill. But she could learn that, so it wasn't a big problem. When Koike was clearly gaining the upper hand, he stopped. A bit surprised as she had suspected that Koike would continue until Yukara had been beaten. ''This is enough indeed. You both did well.'' She said, smiling at the genins.
Though glad to hear they did well, Koike didn't feel like he had done anything great at all .Glancing at his team member, he wondered what kind of training she would get. From what he had seen so far, her offensive abilities weren't that great when her opponent would be versed in genjutsu. The more that Koike thought about it, the less he was sure if Aiko wanted them to really exchange blows with each other. There was something iffy about this.
Yukara brushed the remaining dust off her clothes, adapting a rather disinterested look and crossing her arms. Waiting for further instruction from Aiko Sensei, she went through the sparring match, it was obvious that she lacked offensive jutsu, it was also obvious that Koike was holding back and that irritated her. Did her sensei think that she was too weak to handle what he could do offensively? It was depressing, to the point that she began to dislike Koike because of it and her expression turned into a deep scowl the longer she thought about it.
Aiko's shadow clone observed how both her students were doing. Koike was like usually, being neutral and rather distant about how it had went. Yukara looked like she was discontent with how it had went. But at least she had now some knowledge on how her students were. From Koike, she already knew, but it was important to see how he was with the newest member of Team 8. Yukara had shown that she could use some more training in offensive abilities, but Aiko had noticed the generic talent for genjutsu. Thus it was more than likely that with some training, Yukara would be able to be better at offensive prowess. ''I think both of you need to rest out. I want each of you here tomorrow. At the time of 11:00 AM.'' That said, the shadow clone would wait to see if both of them had understood it before it would release itself.
''Understood.'' Koike simply replied, nodding as well. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants, he was already turning around. Though he had actually hoped for some training, he had the idea something was going on. Aiko had left them with a shadow clone and the spar seemed a bit odd. But he wouldn't suspect anything behind Aiko. She had been his sensei for quite some time and he had learned that trusting her would work out in most situations. Not really saying goodbye, Koike was already with his mind at training his chakra control at home.
"Mkay" Yukara said in a light tone, running her fingers through her hair before watching Koike leave without a word. Biting her lip, she surpressed the urge to throw something at him as she was still irritated with him and then she, herself, turned to leave. Promising herself that she would be better than both of them one day and would have to deal with her lack of offense for the time being.
The shadow clone noticed how both left. Already she had suspected this to become one interesting team. Releasing herself, the real Aiko gained the knowledge of what the Shadow clone had learned. But on her way to the hospital, the woman didn't really care for that now. It was pushed back into her mind as she raced towards the big building. There seemed to be some panic, but neither was she worried for that. She had one goal with reaching the building and she cared little else at the moment. Guilt, anger and sorrow were running through her body as she thought of what she had heard. Miharu was kidnapped.
