Benikage vs. Kozue Kaburagi - Out of the Shadows

The pain wasn’t the worst part of all this.

Oh, Rikkudo was painful, don’t get it wrong. Kozue was  in a world of hurt. It felt like her body was being compressed, her muscles pressed tight, her legs stretched in the worst way. She struggled, but that just made it worse, like she was stuck in a giant Chinese finger trap. Any effort she exerted just made the hold tighter, made her prison more confining, and Benikage’s choke was helping.

But the worst part was the position itself. Kozue had never felt more helpless in her entire life, as she was held in Benikage’s grasp like an unruly child. People were laughing, she could hear them. Cameras were clicking. Images of this would be on the internet, circulating through thousands of GIFs, poured over by hundreds of Youtubers in their little clickbait videos. She was going to be a meme.

Benikage’s words sent shivers through her body, and just reinforced a decision she’d already made. ”I...I give…”

The referee, who’d been nearby, kneeled down and got closer. ”Kozue?” She spoke loud and clear, making sure she could be heard under the muffling din. [B]”Kozue, do you-”[b]

”Yes! Fuck!” She screwed her eyes shut and cried out. ”I give, I give up, I submit, she wins, just call for the fucking bell!”

The referee did. The bell rang, Benikage’s music played, and the match was over. Just like that.

...and just as swiftly, Benikage would relent the pressure onto the body-crunching submission and allow Kozue to unfurl to the side. As evidenced by her prompt releasing of Rikudou, the seasoned kunoichi did not take any semblance of enjoyment from humiliating the rookie genin in such a manner. But Kozue needed to be taught this lesson about the folly of prideful arrogance. And by someone who was not so malicious as to continue torturing the poor soul even after the deed had been done. There was once a time long ago when as a rookie herself, Beni thought her fighting skills were impervious, and needed to be humbled herself by the head grandmaster of her ninja faction. Who also took pity and relented on the exact same submission after voicing her own trembling admittance of defeat.

Benikage stood triumphantly beside Kozue with her sweat-sheened skin glistening in the light, a somber stare being directed downward at Kozue as the referee raised her right arm to the cheering adulation of the masses. Kozue was a formidable adversary in the end, the lingering exhaustion and near pinfalls in her favor being evidence of that. But she still had a long way to go in order to fulfill her true potential. Benikage than took one step backward...punched her hand into the palm of her other hand in front of her...and solemnly bowed. A final show of genuine respect between warriors, before Beni would turn to leave if uninterrupted...

Kozue wasn’t an alcoholic. Some people thought she was, just because she liked to drink all the time, but she would kindly explain to fucking idiots like that the difference between wanting to drink and needing to drink. She wasn’t addicted, she could go without whenever she needed to. She wasn’t any more hooked on beer than a wine taster with wine.

But all the same, she understood the concept of a ‘moment of clarity’. That golden moment in an achoholics life, the eye of the storm, where everything just sort of clicks. It all makes sense. You can look back and see yourself heading down the wrong path.

When the bell rang and Benikage released her, Kozue had hers.

It happened as she laid there, breathing hard, trying to refill her lungs after the thrashing she’d taken. It wasn’t just that Benikage had beaten her, but that she’d beaten her at her own game. She’d taken some hard losses lately, but this was the first time she’d ever been outninja-d. Outclassed. Benikage was the better kunoichi, there was no question about it. Kozue could either ignore that, keep pushing on like she had, or she could try something and make a change.

”Wait.”

She called out to Benikage as she started to leave, and rolled forward on her knees, swallowing all of her pride as she lowered her head and upper body in total submission. She couldn’t put words to why she was doing this, why she preparing for the words that would come next, only that it was something that needed to be done.

”Benikage. I, Kozue of the Kaburagi Clan, acknowledge you as my superior and offer myself to you. I pledge my respect, loyalty and abilities. Please,” She sucked in a deep breath. ”Teach me.”

Resting and relaxing for the night after a steamy shower...curling up with a nice book and her favorite gelatin dessert...all sounded simply divine to Beni after tonight's kunoichi showdown. But what sounded unbelievably off-putting, was Kozue's voice halting her advance out of the ring. The bloody shadow stopped halfway towards making her departure and turned back to face the genin half expecting some manner of retaliatory strike...which Beni already was in a position to counter. But what she witnessed was simply something she couldn't have expected...the foul-mouthed genin from earlier whose rebellious immaturity irritated Benikage to no end...was now swallowing her pride, prostrating herself in humble devotion, and pleading for tutelage...

Beni balked with widened eyes but did not let her surprise be known by some overblown reaction. Such an act would sully this revelatory moment in Kozue's life. For someone of such prideful, bratty braggadocio to cast aside her ego in such a short span of time...tonight...was certainly a night chock full of surprises. It spoke to just how much this loss may have impacted her, and whatever previous setbacks in her life led her to this profoundly adult decision. But as Beni pondered what her judgment was going to be while furrowing her brow...once she felt a swelling amount of pride in Kozue's decision...the answer became as clear as a beaming ray of sunlight.

...Beni remained stoically silent for several seconds before taking a deep breath and letting her answer be known with stern voice and her arms folded across her chest. "Arrive at this federation’s training facility tomorrow morning, 6:AM sharp. If our training regimen goes as it's intended, you will experience pain, agony, and exhaustion beyond what you can comprehend, but that just means the training is working. I cannot promise you the focus, discipline, and abilities you seek...I can only promise that I will do all that I can to help you achieve the pinnacle of mastery in the ninja arts..." Benikage than turned in place to take her exit, but would turn her head to say one final thing."...and you're lucky this old-timer believes in second chances..." Beni coyly replied with her rarest of smiles brightening up her face, before dropping a smoke pellet and disappearing once the fog began to dissipate...

Humility wasn’t an easy thing for Kozue, and just asking for this was giving her some flashbacks to a less-than-pleasant period of her life. She’d humbled herself and asked for help from one person, who wound up walking all over her and making a joke of it. She’d sought help from another person and even started up a relationship with her, something that could’ve really developed into a good thing for her life...and then that person up and left without a word of explanation.

And here she was again. On her knees, asking for help, putting trust in a woman she barely knew. Half of her was ringing the alarm bells, telling her that Benikage would dump her like the rest, that this wouldn’t work out, that she’d end up regretting it.

But the other half was so relieved when Benikage accepted the offer. After everything she’d said and done, all the shit she’d pulled, she was still down for it. That was kind of surprising, but a welcome surprise. She’d take it.

With a deep sigh, Kozue walked through the dissipating smoke, rolled out under the bottom ramp, and promptly started limping her way up the ramp, taking care not to make anything that felt bad even worse. First priority? Getting home and getting as much sleep as she could. She had an important appointment in the morning, and she wanted all her bones to be in the proper place.

Tomorrow, things started to change.