Shinkokuna Tōsaku

Akashi rolled her shoulders back as she bounced on her feet. She had come into the AFW gym to see if she could get a spar in with someone she usually didn't train with. As much as she liked training with Cassie or Taylor, she always felt like she needed new challenges if she was going to stay at the top of her game and stay at the top of the league.

So today she was dressed in a pair of tight fitting green lycra shorts and a sports bra and stood in the ring, waiting to see if there was anyone who wanted to take her on. Maybe no one would. Maybe they would be intimidated by a former champ just sitting there with a determined face on. However, the gym always seemed like a friendly enough place.

Either way, Akashi had limbered up and was done stretching. She walked to the center of the ring and began to crouch. she clapped her hands together and then closed her eyes, pantomiming throwing salt. She pictured herself in the dohyou and smiled. She used to picture herself in the Great Sumo Hall, Ryōgoku Kokugikan. However, it had been a long time since that had been in her true thoughts. She still saw the dohyou, she'd never let herself forget the familiar feel of clay under her bare feet. But around her was that old familiar AFWDome. Sumo might have been her roots, but wrestling was her blood and she was glad where she was, even if she wasn't going to forget about the past.

In the few months since becoming champion at Avalanche Natasha had restricted herself to training solely in her own home, not wanting to have any prying eyes while she got herself physically ready for the gauntlet of matches she planned to take on now that she was a champion. But now that she had publicly made her intentions to fight any challengers, no matter the match, known Natasha felt that she needed to be more easily accessible by anyone wanting to take her up on that offer.

Of all the gyms and trainers that serviced AFW personnel she could have chosen Natasha decided on moving her work outs to the AFW gym, figuring it gave her the best odds at running into someone who would take her on. Sure enough there was no shortage of wrestlers hard at work in the gym that afternoon and after changing into a pair of gym shorts and a matching black tank top with a blue sports bra underneath Natasha set about finding someone to put in a few rounds with in the ring. Strength training and cardio were solitary exercises she could do anywhere, it was face time with other wrestlers she wanted and there was no better way to get that than in a sparring bout.

Natasha made her way to where a number of rings were set up for anyone to practice in, finding most of them in use though not by anyone she recognized. That was until she reached the last ring and found much to her surprise Akashi within those ropes, Natasha not sure if it was good or bad luck that she would run into her here. The truth was there were few better when it came to wrestling than Akashi but from her past run ins with the woman Natasha wasn't confidant she would even talk to her let alone spar with her. Natasha struggled with the decision for a short time, standing just behind and out of sight of Akashi while the woman moved about the ring, but in the end decided the opportunity was too good not to try.

"Looking good Akashi, seeing you in that stance reminds me of being thrown by you, not a pleasant memory actually." Natasha called out to Akashi, leaning against the edge of the ring with her arms folded over resting on the mat.

Akashi raised her eyebrow when she heard Natasha's voice and opened her eyes to see Natasha leaning against the apron. "Arigatou." Akashi said politely and stood up. She walked over to Natasha and looked down at her. From where she was standing, she would probably look even more gigantic to the woman but she wasn't trying to be intimidating.

"When it comes to the ring." Akashi said. "I hope that the memories aren't pleasant at all. Unless it was a hentai match." She said and smiled. "But... you don't seem to be interested in that anymore, now that you're the hentai champ." Akashi said. "Congratulations, though." Akashi added with a polite bow. She wasn't trying to sound condescending but she had seen what Natasha had said. She found it quite odd but Natasha seemed like the sort of person who just wanted everything for the sake of having it. At least, in Akashi's eyes.

The shadow cast by Akashi fell over Natasha even from where the woman stood in the middle of the ring, quite symbolic Natasha thought to herself considering Akashi was one of the few examples of a wrestler who was famous for both her wrestling and hentai ability. She was even a former holder of the Friction World title, proof a woman could fight in both divisions and be successful, but as intimidating as that and Akashi's size could be Natasha wasn't nervous. She had now proven herself a champion after all, that knowledge alone was all the confidence she needed.

Natasha chuckled at the woman's joke about memories in the ring only to then sigh in answer to Akashi's interpretation of what she had said during her recent in ring promo. "Thanks for the congratulations but I never said I wasn't interested in them anymore." She answered, bowing her head to acknowledge Akashi's bow. "I love what I do Akashi and thanks to my title I won't have any shortage of opponents anytime soon in the hentai division. But why stop at just hentai when I could draw all manner of fights to my doorstep? I do plan on being a fighting champion after all."

"Mm." Akashi said in response to Natasha. "Yes, I always make sure to never back down from a challenge myself." She said with a smile. She didn't either. Even if she might not have been the best at it, shed'd always try as a point of pride. Though in AFW, she was pretty sure that she was good enough to accept any wrestling challenge.

"Though, I suppose today's a bad day for challenges. No one seems quite in the mood for much of anything except the exercise equipment." Akashi shrugged.

"I thought you might understand even if we don't always see eye to eye." Natasha replied, relieved to hear that misunderstanding had been cleared up though it did make her wonder who else had gotten the wrong idea from her announcement. Natasha didnt mention wanting to prove hentai wrestlers were more than just good at sex though, Akashi had never seemed to have that problem and she doubted the woman would agree with her on the matter. It was best left unsaid.

Natasha looked around and found Akashi was right, most everyone else in the gym were on the machines working out alone. But if all Akashi wanted was a sparring partner then Natasha was more than willing to test herself against the woman. "Then let me be that challenge, just so happens I'm here to spar and I can't think of a better person to test myself against."

Akashi smiled as Natasha offered to spar. That sounded good enough and she stepped back to the center of the ring to give Natasha some room to get in. "That's fine, come on in." She said and beckoned her in with a gesture.

"I'm not looking to test my hentai skills, so... I guess you're in luck." She said as she crouched and took a proper wrestling stance.

Natasha flashed Akashi a smile and then reached up, pulling on the middle rope to haul herself up onto the edge of the ring. "Well thats good because I'm not here to test mine either." She said before stepping through the ropes and making her way towards the nearest corner, grabbing onto the ropes for a quick series of stretches to loosen herself up.

"You know I think this is the first time we've been alone in a ring together, this should prove interesting." Natasha said with a bit of excitement creeping into her voice, unable to entirely hide wht she was feeling. With one last lunging stretch done she stepped back and sent a kick up over the top turnbuckle, nodding her head in satisfaction before turning around to face Akashi. "Alright all loosened up, ready for me?"

Akashi watched Natasha carefully while she stretched. Even in rather plain clothes, she was a sight to take in. However, Akashi wasn't ogling, she was merely waiting. When Natasha turned and asked if Akashi was ready, the big Sumo was already clearing the distance and lunged at Natasha, trying to catch her in a traditional collar and elbow tie up before she could even set herself.

Natasha was feeling better than she had in a long time, with no lingering pains from any matches thanks to the break in her schedule. The height of her kick was proof of that. But she was eager to pick up some new pains today, knowing anything she felt tomorrow was proof of a good sparring match.

Akashi however showed herself even more impatient to get things underway than she was. Natasha had scarely turned around when the woman barreled into her, driving Natasha back several steps and right up against the corner. "You know there's usually a ringing bell sound before a fight starts." Natasha said, somehow laughing through gritted teeth as she pushed back in the lock up.