Yae Mochizuki vs. Kozue Kaburagi - Twin Shadows

Kozue was a blur of movement, moving so fast, so intricate, so wild that it was tough for even her to keep track of movements all the way. Her palms were on the floor, twisting in the exact way they needed, maintaining balance as she broke into a wild spin. Her legs were whipping around, twirling in the wild dance. It must’ve been something to see from the audience - going off the cheers, they dug it. For her, though, it was just chaos. Crazy spinning chaos.

She laughed the entire time. Hadn’t felt this alive in years. God, she’d missed the ring. Missed the fight. There was just no replacement for something this crazy.

”Ha!” Her laughs came louder as she struck Yae’s…something. She couldn’t be certain what she was hitting on her opponent, but it felt meaty and substantial, whatever it was, getting enough impact to force a retreat from her fellow knucklehead ninja, as brief as it would no doubt be.

It all worked out, better than she could’ve hopped. Not only did she score some real damage, but she was able to bring Yae to the floor, something she was betting wouldn’t happen too often in a match like this. She was all-too ready to capitalize on that, too, except for one little problem - just because her opponent was down, didn’t mean she was out. That might’ve been the rule for a lot of opponents, but women like them were trained to fight from every angle. There was no such thing as a ‘vulnerable position’.

She took a step to move in after Yae, looking to drop a knee on her while she was down, only to wind up with with a kick in her gut, made all the worse by the forward momentum she crashed into it with. A kick to the face followed right after, making her head jerk back, and there was no helping what happened after that - she spun about on her heel, stunned and staggered into the nearest corner, leaning up against the pads as she recouped.

There was quickening in the blood racing through her veins, scorching to a near boiling point along with that burn on the side of her face. Couldn't lose that pace now.

Even with little more than a breath to spare, Yae had to keep finding her footing, even if it was all over Kozue's face. She could say that was all motivated by the fear of defeat, that itch to win thinking of all the quick cash and fame waving right in front of her face.

That'd be one big ass lie, because she was having way too much fun, no small part of that being thanks to her opponent. The Jersey girl's laughter was infectious and that was saying something considering how hard that kick to the ribs was. Speed, skill, and all the style to make it look easy, this was panning out to be the kind of fight Yae had dreamed about in her adolescence, when cranky old coots and dirty temple floors were all she had to look forward to.

This was starting to be everything she wanted it to be. It was why she was down, so down, for all that laughter she was hearing all over the place. It was why she had that stupid grin across her face when she pounced off the floor and kicked Kozue right in the face. Her feet found the floor gracefully, her fingertips touched the canvas and arced her body as a sprinter eyeing her mark.

Right away she saw the spot that Kozue was stumbling towards and let her mind work two steps ahead. Yae pushed herself into a run, breaking off towards the ropes as her chase took the high road. Her sprint wasn’t broken at all as her foot found the middle rope and brought hers into a nimble run along the razor-thin length of the top rope. She rushed at high speed to meet her at the corner. The moment Ninjette found her back to the wall was the same moment Yae would jump at her with a roundhouse kick clean to the back of the head.

Ah, that was how it felt to get kicked in the face. It had been a while since she’d had the displeasure. Even when they sparred, Benikage was more about striking at the back of her head or fucking up her legs or drilling her in the chest with some those kneepads of hers. But a kick in the face? Oh, that was special. Really cleared the mind. Thank you, Yae.

The blow was enough to scramble Kozue’s brain and send her stumbling towards the corner, leaving her open for a few precious seconds. She knew Yae wasn’t going to let this go to waste, it was one of the biggest opportunities that had come either of their ways in this match, a real chance to take the advantage over a clone. There was going to be a followup and from what direction?

What would she do in this situation?

She’d do as she was taught - go for the blind spot.

Sure enough, she could see a flash of movement in the corner of her eyes as she was knocked backwards, a sure sign that Yae was whipping around her into the shadows. It would probably hit her in the back of the skull, and it would probably suck. It was just a matter of what she intended to do about it.

Since Yae was probably going off where she expected her to be, Kozue decided to just not be there. Instead of just letting her back hit the corner, she kicked her legs out and fell towards it instead. She reached up and grabbed the ropes with both hands, stopping her fall and leaving her mostly horizontal, a position that allowed her to view Yae’s roundhouse pass her by overhead, barely missing her. Hell of a kick, too. Really would’ve done a number on her if it hit. Damn shame.

With the kicked missed, however, she was given a rare opportunity of her own, as the momentum brought Yae around. Kozue yanked hard on the ropes and threw her body upwards, rocketing up to meet her foe while she was still in the air. She wrapped her arms around her fellow kunoichi’s waist, pulled them together, and for one wild second, the two of them were in a tight embrace, coming close like lovers in the air, tight enough for Kozue to whisper in Yae’s ear.

”Hey.”

Kozue whipped around as the fell back to the canvas, jerking Yae out of the air in a mad attempt to bring her to the ground hard on her shoulders. An aerial version of the German Suplex, if she had to put a name to it, but she’d come with something more original later.

Becoming a ninja was probably the best thing to ever happen to Yae. She loved thinking on her feet and moving fast, never one to plan her next move, think of attack strategies. She loved the speed, the thrill. But more than anything was that nonstop satisfaction when you got someone off guard. The best ones were the ones that made you work for it, fought tooth and nail every step of the way to not get caught in her grasp, but it was only ever a matter of time. Drawn out battles just weren’t her forte. The chase was what she was in it for.

And Kozue gave her that. She was good, leaps and bounds beyond the usual fun she’d be having back home. In the back of her head there was some slight interest to see how she’d handle Iga’s best and brightest after a train ride west. But this wasn’t the proving grounds, and neither of them were taking it easy. When her kick came slicing from behind, it was with intent to kill. The only thing she’d be seeing was stars in three, two-

“Fuck.”

Yup.

Something deep down inside of her said that Kozue wasn’t going to just take that. They hadn't shared this space for long but it was clear from the start that she had a sharp nose on her. Guess she had to get a little bit serious. For now, Yae had to focus on landing without a plan. She spied the top rope a couple feet to her right. So, before she hit it, she had to twist her body and throw her legs off to the side to avoid it. Then once she was clear she could reach out and-

Hey. Yae looked over her shoulder where the ground should have been only to find a hauntingly familiar East coast countenance staring right back. What the hell it was doing there, she had no clue. Even when those slender arms wrapped around her waist, she still had no clue. But when she was thrown head over heels and found herself plummeting headfirst to the floor? Clear as day.

Her back hit the floor with a crash, sending a shock up her body that threw her eyes wide open and reverberated through her noggin. The air punched clean out of her, all she could do was let the toned legs over her head fall limply to the floor with her arms at her side.

BOOM!

God, Kozue had missed the ring. Training with Benikage had been fun, but this? There was no replacement for this. The energy she got in the ring, that adrenaline high, the crazy crowd cheering her on, the way things could change directions in a singel heartbeat. It was a drug, and one that she couldn’t have gone with for too long. And to think, there was a time when she’d actually considered leaving it all behind. Seemed nuts, now.

One of the things she’d missed most, though, was just the sensation of slamming someone on the canvas like this. That impact. That sound. That feedback. Sent shivers down her spine, and even though it wasn’t that fun for her - she came down hard on her back thanks to the height - it was way worse for Yae. As she rolled over to her chest and saw her opponent flop about, she could tell that much.

”Heh.” She smacked her lips and pushed up to her knees. ”Gotcha.”

The audience was losing their shit, but Kozue knew better than to get too enthused. That move would ruin her day, but it wasn’t enough to beat her, even on a bad day. She doubted it would be enough for a win on Yae. Still, Benikage was always getting on her about that sort of thing, telling her to pin more often, use it to gauge her opponent’s strength. Good advice.

Scrambling forward, she laid on Yae’s chest, grabbed a leg, and pulled it up for a pinfall, pressing her back against Yae’s generous chest. When Yae likely kicked out, she’d send her kunoichi off with a little smack on the butt, throw in a little tease to rattle those feathers. All in good fun, no harm.

So when Yae was a kid, she was doing her usual runs along the mountain forests. It was the same course she’d ran a million times and she felt like showing off a bit. Getting dangerous with it and throwing in some extra flips and turns that were completely unnecessary; straight-up dangerous. And why? Because she was with Toshi. Toshi with the mysterious eyes, long dark hair, and chiseled arms poking out of that sleeveless tunic he’d opted for that day. Could you blame her? Yeah, maybe.

Anyway, it turns out trying to do a backflip onto a mossy branch isn’t in the ninja handbook for a reason. It couldn’t have been more than a ten-foot fall, but it felt more like a hundred. And the rocky riverbed below beneath didn’t do her back any favors.

It was a pretty unwelcome moment of nostalgia that somehow made this intimate little moment on the floor hurt all the worse. It wasn't easy to numb the pain with a pair of lungs punched clean of air, especially not when someone decided to steal her leg and lay down on her chest. She knew Kozue would go for it and knew that she knew it wouldn't be enough to keep Yae down. But options were spent at the moment.

Yae kicked out fairly easily and rolled herself over onto all fours. Her back still wasn't entirely up for the ascent but it'd be good in a moment. A moment that she was sure Kozue wouldn't let pass. She listened for what might be coming next. A kick to the head? Arm around the throat?

Slap to her ass. That was new.

Yae's head whipped around and locked on that gloved hand moving an inch away from her rounded behind. Her fingers shot out behind her and swiped at Kozue's retracting hand, seemingly going to slap it away and falling short. She clicked her tongue and let a smirk force its way across her lips. Couldn't be mad, she'd do the same thing. She slowly pushed her way up to both feet, eyeing her the blue-clad ninja the whole way.

"Oh, you are just so fuckin’ proud of that one, aren’t you?" She slid into a comfortable stance, crouched forward with one hand locked in a fist, the other open-palmed.

Benikage was probably berating whatever television she was watching right now, shaking her head as she watched Kozue slap her opponent’s ass instead of following up with something, well, useful. Most likely, there’d be a scroll waiting on the bed when she got home, detailing her mistakes and giving detailed instructions on the exercises she’d have to do as penance. Kozue would counter, though, saying her little love tap was a way of lowering her opponent’s defenses, getting in her head, playing those oh-so crucial mind games. Benikage did want her to get more cerebral with her approach, right? There you go. Playing the long game.

Besides, she had to see the way Yae reacted, couldn’t miss that opportunity. Worth the trouble, too.

Kozue popped back into a crouch as her opponent’s hand shot back to fend her off, giving her a teasing wave and a slim smile to go with it. A little cheap, yeah, but Yae was a good sport about it, no harm, no foul. This match was far from over, and the woman would get her back sooner or later. Kozue was just eager to see what she’d come up with.

”Fuck yeah, I’m proud.” She jerked her head back, getting her ponytail clear of her face. “I don’t do shame.”

She rose along with Yae, standing straight up as her foe slid into a stance. Solid looking one, too. Kozue could be cocky, but not too cocky, she’d won that exchange out a razor-thin margin, could’ve gone either way. Keep fighting smart.

Staying loose, Kozue started bouncing on the balls of her feet, moving a little higher after each footfall, building up a steady rhythm, almost dancing, her hands coming up at the ready. ”Five, four, three, two-”

In a burst of motion, Kozue dashed towards Yae’s right, then juked to her left a half-second later, going towards one blind-spot to the other. Her feet only touched the canvas for the bare minimum of time needed before she sprang in and launched her attack, leaping forward with one snap kick aimed at Yae’s chest, then raising her other leg for another snap kick targeting her head, pouring the pressure on fast.

Shit, it had been a while since Yae had hit her back like that.

Getting back on two feet wasn’t that big of a deal. The adrenaline was keeping her motivated and the pain clear of her head. But now that she was sliding back into attack position and getting in the zone, her body started to remind her of what she was really capable of.

It wasn't a total loss, though. Yae at least got a clearer picture of what she had to do to win this. Kozue had more skill than she gave her credit for, a mind made for this kind of work. Yae wasn’t worried, though. Quite the opposite. Those kinds of moves were what she was begging for back in Iga. It was the kind of fight she’d travel across half the country for.

And Ms. Jersey was more than happy to give it. Kozue was there one minute and a blue streak the next. Yae's stance hardened, watching closely with honed as eyes as her opponent zigged one way and zagged the other. A lifetime of training and she was just barley able to keep her in eyesight. The first kick sliced its way in and chopped her good on the side with a hard wince. Yae kept one eye open for the second. If that were her, she would...yeah, go for the head. A nice angle on that strike too. Yae barely managed to get her arm up to guard it, and even then her head rang after the clap reached her forearm. The way the violet ninja stumbled a step to the right before she braced said plenty about how close this night had come to a knockout. Not a good look.

But that smile said something different. It was wide and voracious...and looking right at Kozue before she had a chance to fully retract that leg. Yae's closed fist suddenly came up and opened wide. From her fingers extended thin beams of light moving to and fro, as though they were simple reflections dancing on air. A closer look at Yae's hand would reveal the thin wires behind the mystery, wrapped tightly around her fingers and extending all the way across the space between them to the wrist on Kozue's gloved hand. The same hand that thought it had gotten away from her reach a moment ago.

Yae yanked back on the cords with a dramatic flourish of her trenchcoat, hiding the exact movement from all these prying eyes around her. As she brought Kozue stumbling forward, Yae would whip around like a tornado and kick her foot straight out from the shade of fluttering cloth, looking to nail the Jersey girl between the eyes with her kunoichi-brand spinning back kick.

Kozue couldn’t keep a cheeky little grin from settling in after her kick connected. Nice. Clean, that one, and she kept up the trend with its brother. She put a little more oomph into that one and got a good payday off it. Yeah, Yae blocked it. Good on her. But her honed ninja senses hadn’t missed that stumble there. Yeah, they were close in terms of stats, she could tell that, but when it came to dealing damage, the New Jersey Ninja had a small lead on the scoreboard. Not a big one, things could change fast, but she was in good standing and aimed to keep it that way.

She just had to keep this up, peck away at Yae, really work that advantage and widen the gap, and then…

Yae was smiling.

Why was Yae smiling?

That was a distressing question that occurred to Kozue as she started to retract that kick and, lucky her, she wouldn’t have to wait long for an answer. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the flickering wires, the telltale sign of the wires, felt them wrap around her hand nice and tight, and heard Benikage’s lecture echo in the back of her mind: ”Assume your opponent will do the worst thing possible, and you will only be disappointed, never surprised.”

Good advice. Not helpful now, though, as she was yanked forward and left with a huge opening. It was one that Yae filled quickly, too, as a foot came streaking out of the shadows right into Kozue’s face.

Her body went into limbo mode for a second after the impact, as spittle flew through the air in a wide arc, leaving her bent backwards, tottering at an odd angle. Gravity had enough of that soon enough, though, and she flopped flat to the mat with her focused on the ceiling, looking up in a daze. Wondering how she’d missed that, how she could’ve countered it, but most importantly, why the fuck hadn’t she done that first?

A ninja sees through deception, that’s why Yae preferred hers to be invisible. Truth be told, she stole the little trick from old grump master Atsuji, one of his old favorites whenever she tried to go for the key to the sweet buns cabinet he always carried around his hip. That probably was the start of her whole fascination with sleight of hand and disappearing tricks. Especially when the payoff was so worth it.

The kick was one thing. Everything that Yae could have asked for. Good impact and even better feedback. The clap she got from it made a few heads reel out of the corner of her eye. That crucial balance of speed and power that only came from years of fine-tuning and plenty of cramps flashed forward in a beam of ebony light. The satisfaction was written all over Yae’s face seeing the results unfold right before her eyes.

But that look on her face? Priceless. She let her leg descend nice and easy with a feather’s grace. Her grin stayed on wide and bright the whole way.

“Whoops. Took a tumble?” Yae flipped forward into a handstand and twisted herself around on the spot as she came down behind Kozue, gliding herself to a sitting position at the top of her head. “I gotcha bitch.”

Her hand reached down and gave a nice tug on her ponytail to lift the kunoichi’s head off the floor. While she was focused on the attack, Yae’s touchy-feely mind subconsciously admired the feel of the locks between her fingertips at the moment. Silky, smooth, strong. Not unlike the pair of legs that snaked around Kozue’s neck, tightening to a vacuum-sealed clamp with a lethal figure-four.

“You’ve got some moves for a genin with no wits.” Yae gave her legs a little shake, rattling the brains around in the Jersey ninja’s oxygen-starved skull. “Got something for this?“