Kieda Uzai vs. Kozue Kaburagi - Ninjas Do It Stealthily

Kozue had to admit, she didn’t see this one coming.

There she stood, ready to start right back up, pumped to be back on the offensive, only for her opponent to come over and show a genuine display of sportsmanship. Kind of refreshing, really. The AFW could be some competitive sometimes, it was easy to forget what that was like. An interesting change of pace.

She accepted the handshake, smiled, and leaned forward. ”Thanks. Right back to you, all of that.” She gave Kieda’s hand a little squeeze. ”I’m going to arm drag you, now.”

And with that, Kozue fell back, yanked Kieda’s arm over her chest as she twisted her body, and attempted to send her flying with an arm drag. Never trust a ninja.

*As a more altruistic side of Kieda took control of the reins, she heard the audience collectively begin to chant* "Shake her hand! Shake her hand!" *And much to the Fashion Assassin's delight, that's precisely what transpired. Once both had established their rivalry as nothing more than a competitive test of individual will, she was quickly reminded of the cardinal rule between kunoichis!*

"Ggrrrhhh!" *Reluctantly being driven into the canvas with an infuriated countenance plastered across her face, Kieda relentlessly thrashed and squirmed to try and prevent the incoming damage, but to no avail as her taut figure smashed into the ground, effectively rendering her incapacitated for an undetermined length of time.*

Yup. Never trust a ninja. Especially when that ninja happens to be named Kozue Kaburagi.

The arm drag was hardly a devastating move on its lone, but when you piled on all the damage they’d dealt throughout this match, it had a serious effect on her opponent, leaving Kieda laid out and loopy. Maybe enough for something more substantial? Kozue couldn’t be sure, but she was in the mood to find out.

Kozue licked her lips and rolled away from her opponent, coming under the ropes to the apron. From there, she pulled up to her feet, moving over to the corner, and scaled the apron as quick as she could manage, careful to keep her wavering balance along the way.

With her opponent in sight, she waited until Kieda began to rise, watching as she came up, waiting for the right moment - and then she sprung into action. She leaped off the turnbuckle, doing a backflip as she flew and brought her legs in tight, looking to come down on her foe with a shooting star knee drop - her finishing move, the Shuriken.

*While quite the commonplace move amongst the more deft veterans within the squared circle, Kieda's withered energy and overall fatigued physique was enough to lay her out flat once she smashed into the ring's surface!*

"Nnnhhh!" *The brunt of the impact proved to keep her momentarily immobilized, body ubiquitously aching from the cumulative damage she'd been absentmindedly absorbing throughout the duration of the skirmish. Now, it was the dawn of her ruination at the hands of her relentless aggressor!*

*Struggling to obtain a replenishing breath of air, Kieda forlornly shuffled against the ropes, her current reality much bleaker than she'd prefer. Regardless, she still clung to a faint ember of hope, that is, until Kozue completely extinguished it with her next maneuver!*

"AAAAHHH!" *Unleashing a piercing wail from the discombobulating pain coursing through her, she subsequently collapsed against the ground, limbs sprawled out with the gentle rise and fall of her chest as the only indicator of her consciousness.*

From what Kozue could tell, people who shied away from the highflying style of wrestling did so because they lacked the confidence to put their bodies on the line. She couldn’t blame them. It must’ve seemed like a crazy thing, really. You threw yourself into the air, and you wouldn’t even know your target was there until you came crashing down. You knew the landing would suck, but never how much it would suck. The match hung on a knife’s edge.

Kozue loved it. The thrill. The suspense. Even now, as she flew through the air towards Kieda, she could feel her heart racing, her blood pumping. It was like riding a roller coaster with a blindfold on, never knowing when the next turn would come on when it would all end. Just let gravity do its thing, wait for it, and...

Bullseye.

Kozue came down on Kieda’s prone body like thunder, shaking the ring with her impact. Her entire body exploded on the hit, leaving her shocked and aching, but she knew there wasn’t time to wallow. She rolled off after the hit, took a second to seethe, then rolled back and flopped over on her writhing opponent’s chest, going for the pinfall.

The referee promptly slid over and started up the count, slapping the map beside them. ”1…!”

*She had struggled to discover her identity throughout the length of this gauntlet, hinging on spotlight star but occasionally trailing back into the category of serious competitor- This was Kieda's ultimate demise, and now, gazing up at the hazy lighting above the arena as the referee counted down to her inevitable defeat, she couldn't help but ruminate on how her hubris proved to be her greatest hindrence.*

"TWO!" *Such an innocent number on the surface- Inherently accepted as the first loser of digits, never knowing the glory and prestige of rising amongst the rest and relishing the spoils of victory. The mauve fashionista abhorred every definition of such a vile word, but even she, in her moment of weakness could accept the irony of it all- Her time for reclamation had passed, and all that was left was the next, final second...*

”3…!”

It had been a while since Kozue had heard that number come from a referee’s mouth, at least while she was on top of an opponent. It was surreal, this queer sensation that swept through her body all at once. It took her a moment to even recognize it, but when the crowd cheered and the bell rang, it all came down on her and sunk in.

She’d won. Holy shit.

Kozue rolled off of Kieda and laid beside, taking a moment to catch her frenzied breath, in and out. In that moment, it would’ve been hard to tell who was more worn out between them. This match had run her ragged, tested her in a way she hadn’t been in a long time. But she’d come out on the other end. Victorious. A sure sign that Benikage’s training had been worthwhile.

It felt good. Damn good. But she wasn’t done yet, though. ”Hey.” She nudged Kieda’s side with her elbow. ”You still alive over there?”

*It wouldn't be long before the repercussions of her ignorance would manifest into a tangible loss, the ubiquitous audience applauding their valiant efforts to outduel the other, but ultimately, Kozue had snagged the precious victory that both women were vying for. However, despite the sting of abject failure keeping her paralyzed, along with a few new contusions to boot, she didn't harbor an ounce of animosity towards the victorious woman.*

"Mmmmph~" *She muttered, conjuring up a bit of playful banter to try and break the palpable ice.* "F..five more minutes...I'm still tired~" *Rolling onto her side, Kieda planked onto her arm before making direct eye contact with Kozue, releasing an exaggerated yawn.* "Don't mistake my lethargy for boredom darling; you were magnificent...but you've earned a rival for life after having beaten me so thoroughly~" *Her voice emanated a playful cadence, with just a dash of vexation lurking underneath.*

Kozue giggled. Huh. That was weird.

Not so much for her to laugh, she did that all the time, but it was fairly rare for a real ‘giggle’ to pass her lips. A little too girly for her, a little too silly, but something about what Kieda said and the timing she said and the way it was delivered brought that out of her. Completely unexpected, not unwelcome.

She moved past it and sat up,  cringing along the way. She’d be hurting for a few weeks, sure, but it was worth it. Before she left the ring and started down the path to recovery, though, she had something to do.

Kozue rolled under the ropes, made her way to the announcer’s desk with staggering steps, and took a pen off one of the commentators. She snagged one of their script sheets, scribbled something on the back of it, and folded it up - yes, all without asking.

The whole trip took her a few moments, but she made her way back soon enough and sat down beside Keida. Reaching over, she stuffed the paper into the woman’s top, slipping it in nice and snug between her breasts. Good place to make sure she didn’t forget.

”My number. Call me sometime, okay?”

*The unexpected loss she had suffered wasn't as ego-shattering as she had anticipated- The Fashion Assassin was slightly dejected sure, that was to be expected after investing so much energy into the draining scuffle, but Kozue had a delicate manner of cushioning the blow by giggling at her atrocious attempt at small talk.*

"Was wondering what your voice sounded like outside of the occasional wailing and crying~" *Retaining her sultry tone despite her dwindling energy, gradually trusting her feet enough to balance and eventually returned to her standing position, attempting to strike a glamorous pose all the while as the cameras simultaneously flashed, reassuring her beloved entourage that the injuries she had sustained looked far worse than they actually felt.*

"Hmmm...now, where were...!!!" *On the cusp of addressing Kozue, she was suddenly greeted by a piece of folded paper being wedged into her chest wedge, face furiously flushing from the audacity of it all!* "Hey!!!" *She began, but the subsequent sentence assuaged her premature anger.* "Y...yeah...sure~" *The pair had an undeniable chemistry together, and as she started to full recognize it, the audience started chanting.* "Both these gals! Both these gals!" *A sentiment she wholeheartedly agreed with while trudging up the ramp, head held high after having won the favor of the audience.*