Benikage vs. Kozue Kaburagi - Out of the Shadows

Match Type: Standard
Victory Conditions: Pinfall, Submission, or KO

Benikage.

Kozue was going to have a match with Bloody Fucking Shadow.

She couldn’t believe it when she heard it, she couldn’t believe it in the week that followed after she heard it, and now, as she got wrapped up and prepared to have a match against the woman herself, she still couldn’t believe it.

She was a bit of a fan of the elder ninja. Obviously. While she wouldn’t say that the woman had been the sole inspiration for trying out wrestling, she had been a big factor when it came to training and ironing out her moveset. She took ideas from the Bloody Shadow’s matches, mirrored her techniques, built her entire style around the woman. With no Benikage, there was no Ninjette.

So to have this match, now? Perfect. After getting trashed by Scarlet, Kozue was in desperate need of something to get back on the right track in Friction. She couldn’t have a second debut, but this was the next best thing: snatching the torch out of Benikage’s hand, establishing that she was Friction #1 Ninja. Once she had that done, she could get back on track and worry about settling a score with a certain pirate bitch.

Her music started and she came out to the cheering crowd, still on her side despite the disappointing start she’d had. High-faves, waves, winks abounded, but Kozue was a lot quicker about this time, far more than usual, wanting to get down to the ring as soon as possible and kick this off.

Bursting with energy, she dashed in under the ropes, popped to her feet, and started bouncing from foot to foot, staying nice and limber while her music faded. Benikage would be coming out at any moment, but before she did, there was a quick thing that Kozue wanted to get out of the way…

She made her way to the opposite end of the ring and called for the microphone, getting it from a confused announcer. With a flick of the switch, she went live and marched back across the ring, pointing to the curtain as she went.

”Hey, Beni!” Kozue called out, already getting some in the crowd riled up with her nickname. ”Before you come out, just wanted to welcome you the AFW...and apologize. ‘Cause, see, I didn’t set this little match up, and I’m thinking they should’ve put you up against someone more your speed. One of the older vets. Reiko, Candy Cane if she’s still around, Aisha, whoever. Me?” She tapped her chest. ”I’m about to make you look bad. You don’t put the old version up against the new and expect anything less. So, before we start, just wanted to throw that out there. No hard feelings, old-timer.”

She tossed the microphone out of the ring as the crowd went in a mixed uproar, with some of the glad that the new guard was taking their place, while others saw it as a slap in the face. Kozue, however, didn’t care much, either way. She just wanted to stoke Benikage’s fire a little, get the best fight out the woman. She’d been around the block enough to know how this thing worked. Nothing personal.

The stoic yet noticeably irritated Kunoichi tentatively observed Kozue's blustering ramble from a section of the arena where none would notice her. Mostly because the acrophobic heights of the arena's rafters was simply a location that no one would dare to tread without the safety of a harness. Yet from here, Benikage could not have been more comfortable and in her element. One of the core tenets of being a silent assassin was to know where best you could observe and analyze the layout of an entire environment without being detected, where you could memorize all viable exit points upon completing her mission or should the mission go awry. Although her current mission didn't entail her life being in jeopardy should she lose, her training was nevertheless a core regiment she lived by to this day.

And right now her mission was simply to reacquaint herself with the ways of the wrestling ring, and in the process silence the tongue of an impudent welp who dares to claim the title of kunoichi but apparently practices little of its teachings. Kozue may not have arranged this match, but that was simply because Benikage took the liberty of arranging it herself. She had researched Kozue's matches and was insulted at how this self-proclaimed ninja sullied the sacred art of ninjitsu...and Benikage sorely doubted she was a member of any reputable Japanese ninja unit.

Luring out the reviled Anesthasia meant providing a target that would coax her from whatever rat's den she festers in, and she knew the vile nurse couldn't resist a target as tempting Benikage herself. This meant making a grand, loud, and impactful spectacle of her return match...and no one seemed louder than the "kunoichi" in the ring who was just than tossing her mic out of the ring. Which was good timing, considering that Benikage had heard all that she needed to. The farthest corner from where Kozue stood would suddenly explode in huge plum of grey smoke, startling the audience and the referee before the Bloody Shadow herself would come striding out to a thunderous ovation. The former Rumble Rose adorned in her skintight swimsuit style mesh garment that clung tightly to her voluptuous figure with a demonic face mask that she would take off so her words were not to mumbled.

"With age comes wisdom, patience, and the capacity to know your limitations. None of which you seemingly possess. I question whether you even have the skills to be considered a fledgling genin, so allow me to put them to the test. Against a worthy adversary who is more of a kuniochi than you may ever be." Beni coldly sated before flinging her mask to the side with her smoke bomb beginning to dissipate behind her...

”What the fuck?!”

The smoke bomb’s explosion scared the hell out of both Kozue and the referee, sending them scattering to the far sides of the ring. She figured out what was going on in an instant, remembering that this was one of Benikage’s trademarks, but even so, she didn’t think the old-timer would bust it out from the gate like this. She was just standing there, and BOOM! explosion. Kozue was surprised management even okayed that. When she’d floated a similar idea her way, they threw a bunch of health codes her way.

”Guess that’s what tenure gets you. Damn.” She waved the smoke out of her way, as Benikage stepped forward and gave her a lecture right off the bat. She stood there, hands on hips, while the elder ninja said her piece, and when she was done, all she had for the woman was a smirk and a shrug.

On the outside, anyway. Inside, she was having a little fangasm.

”Age brings some bad things, too. Weaker bones, you move slower, and your tits start to sag. Can already tell one of those is happening to you…”

That was a blatant lie. Benikage’s breasts were awesome. The chest envy was strong.

”...but I know how to figure out the other two.” She cracked her knuckles and started to bounce from heel to heel, getting more amped up with each passing moment. ”Let’s see if you’ve still got the goods, Beni.”

Benikage wasn't surprised in the slightest that her initial impressions of Kozue appeared to still hold water after having spoken with the boastful braggadocio. The self-proclaimed Kunoichi seemingly going out of her way to not show one iota of respect towards one of the "old-timers". A title to which Benikage was becoming visibly more irritated by from Kozue's continued sniping at her age. The master kunoichi knew that Kozue was just trying to rile her up considering she was barely creeping into her mid-thirties...but ninja or not, a woman'a age was a sensitive topic. And by the resentful look in Beni's glaring eyes, it was a topic the kunoichi didn't appreciate being mocked.

"...Tch, impudent-...Very well. It is sometimes up to the older generation to put the youthful upstarts in their place and teach them some humility. I can now see that this is precisely one of those times..." Benikage flicked her pitch black locks to the side in an exotic fashion before adopting her crouching wrestling stance to the tune of the ring bell clanging. Cheering fans voicing their approval of both the long-awaited return of a world-renowned Rumble Rose to the wrestling ring, and that Beni's flair for dressing in the most revealing of mesh outfits still remained intact. But no sooner was Beni beginning to approach Kozue, that she would sprint straight up to her and duck low for an attempted elbow strike straight to Kozue's breadbasket. Beni pushing into the jabbing with her other hand to really spike the point of her elbow into Koz's gut.

What should Kozue start with? What should be the kick off? She was standing there, looking right at Benikage, and her head was just racing with the possibilities. Should she get a little fancy? Maybe try to outdo her, show who was the real queen of the air? Maybe go brawling, take her down hard and fast.

So many chances, so many things to do…

”Get ready, granny.” She lowered into her stance and started to move in with tight fists, looking to clobber her on the outset. ”’Cause here I-”

It was fast, but it wasn’t just fast. Benikage closed the distance with almost no wasted movement, getting in Kozue’s personal space before she knew what was going on. An elbow sunk into the New Jersey’s Ninja’s gut and went deep, knocking her off her feet in an instant.

She went down to her knees, but started to push up right away, getting her breath back after that lucky shot.

Seamless precision. Being on reconnaissance missions meant having the agility to practically move like the wind and strike without hesitation nor any signs of remorse. Kozue should just be thankful that Benikage didn't have a kunai in her hand and she wasn't one of her intended targets on assignment. Otherwise that sharpened pointy feeling in her abdomen would not have been coming from her elbow.

"It appears I was the one who was ready...and you were the one caught unawares and with your defenses down. Now..again!! Back to your feet so we we can try this once more, but try not to embarrass yourself this time." Benikage authoritatively admonished with her stern eyes locked onto the New Jersey kunoichi on her knees before her. She turned around and started giving them some space with an unintentionally alluring sway of her shapely hips and view of her plump backside before turning to face Kozue once more.

Her manner still like a disapproving sensei as she once again adopted her combat ready pose to see if Kozue would approach her, or choose to be on the defensive.

Yeah, okay, that was a bad start. Kozue could be a little full of herself sometimes, she knew it, but she wasn’t stupid, and she didn’t need the hecklers in the front row to help her point that out.

She’d been expecting her foe to follow up right after, do something to make sure she stayed down, but nope - instead, Benikage just moved back, gave her space and time to rise, something that had the New Jersey Ninja’s eyebrow raising. A beating, she could take. She’d fought from the bottom during a lot of her Tension career, and it didn’t keep her from racking up a halfway decent ratio. But getting looked down, having Benikage treat her like she was some unruly student that needed a spanking from the big, bad master kunoichi? Yeah, that shit would not stand.

”You want it?” She spat off to the side, landing a bit too close to the referee for her comfort. ”You got, sempai.”

She snorted and pushed herself up hard, launching towards the elder ninjette at full speed, closing the distance in only two bounds. The moment her feet touched the floor in range, she swung her leg out with a wide, arching roundhouse kick, one that had most of her power and momentum behind it.

Kozue will not be the first impetuous, brash, and ill-tempered genin that Benikage has mentored. During her time bouncing between different Japanese black ops teams and ninja units, she took it upon herself to train the newer recruits when needed. In particular to those who lacked discipline and thought themselves to be the master of their craft when they were no more than children learning how to walk again. It was her job to teach them the error of their ways by breaking them down until their overconfidence in their abilities was no longer blinding them and clouding their mind.

And Benikage saw all of those negative traits and more in the New-Jersey kunoichi standing before her. Kozue fuming bitterly and already telegraphing her attack whether she was aware of it or not. From the tensing of her leg muscles to the subtle adjustment of her stance, Benikage read all of the telltale signs of an incoming spin kick well in advance and was able to swiftly duck under the kick that wafted through her raven-locks. The seasoned kunoichi spinning in place to deliver her own powerful roundhouse kick, but her target was Kozue's curvy backside once she had landed back on her feet.

"..." Beni would remain stoically silent while folding her arms behind her should her kick connect, a stern look of emotionless disapproval on her senpai's face.

Kozue’s kick was spot-on. She wasn’t the most well rounded wrestler, she could admit, but she had a good set of legs to work with and she knew how to use them. Combine that with a butt that wasn’t merely for show - she could summon some real power out of those glutes when the need arose. If her kick had landed, it would’ve knocked the older ninja flat on her ass, no question.

But it didn’t. It missed, and Kozue was left to stumble forward like a dumbass, nearly falling flat on her face. That would’ve been a bad look. Almost as bad having her ass literally kicked in retaliation, which just happened to be the next thing that happen.

”Fucker-” Kozue hopped forward and grabbed her butt, hissing as she got a few obnoxious giggles from the cheap seats. That just spurred her on further, and when she turned around to see Benikage standing there, looking at her like a disappointed mother at her unruly child, it pushed her to take up the attack once more. With a huff, she dashed back towards her opponent and lashed out with fists this time, throwing out a hard left and right, and ending it with a rising knee aimed at the chest. Pretty big target, she wasn’t likely to miss.

The audience had a hardy chuckle from Benikage disciplining Kozue like the child she was acting like. And with a swift spin-kick that was also coincidentally strengthened by her equally eye-catching backside. Beni than folded her arms behind her in a commanding pose before taking the time to resume her training lessons. "There is no need for vulgarity, and do not allow anger to cloud your judgment. It blinds you to what you need to improve on, which in your case is simply that-"

Beni balked and resumed her fighting stance when Kozue came dashing towards with her fists balled and an obvious intent toward using them. By deflecting Kozue's strikes with each of her shielded forearms, Benikage continued to finish her sentence mid-fight.

"...you..." Beni deflected the right hook...

"...lack..." Than deflecting left the cross...

"...discipline." Beni nimbly sidestepped the knee strike and caught the offending leg right underneath Kozue's thigh, than pulling the New Jersey native closer until they were inches apart so she could look her dead in the eyes when she said her final word. Unless otherwise thwarted, Benikage would tuck Kozue's neck under her armpit for a snug front headlock to balance the ensnared genin now being forced to bob up and down on her one foot. Benikage than bucked her hips and attempted flip Kozue overhead in a capture suplex, one that had the kunoichi bridging into it for a pin attempt.

"One!"