Description: Hotaru learns the hard way what it means to be a student of Kyokugen Ryuu by way of ninjaing in the face. A closer battle than one might expect.
It has been some time since Eiji had made any attmepts at making his presence known to the Kyokugen clan. There hasn't been a peep from him since he and Rolento had attacked Robert and Yuri to leave that pair injured and bloodied in the dojo. Of course there was no response to that attack so obviously it seems that the Sakazaki family has no interest in seeing just how serious Eiji is about snuffing them out. Of course he has been training now to become stronger to where he can finally defeat Takuma, the only one of the clan that can easily defeat him. The return of Zansatsu has been helping with that.
After a few weeks of training it seems like a proper time to strike. It seems that the crazy old man and his equally nutty family has actually started to get students. Well then it is time for them to get a crash course in how bad of an idea this is. While using that Kasumi wench could work since he doubts either new student could beat that rather boisterous woman he rather take it upon himself to attack and make sure his skills remain honed perfectly. It didn't take much research to find where both students usually are either.
Kasumi helped in showing where Akira usually stays. That one seemed harmless enough. No real skill at all in that one. The other? Well she sounds like she could be much more problematic. Strolheim didn't have much on record about Hotaru, but using the proper resources it is easy to find anyone short of the likes of Vega or people on par with him. That is why the ninja remains silently sitting in the shadows high on the roof of the church, perched there like some sort of gargoyle as his gaze searches over the surroundings. His prey will arrive eventually. He'll wait as long as he has to.
Ah... Sundays. While Hotaru is slowly getting better at the gruelling workout and training Ryo is putting her through, Sundays are a day to herself to spend however she would like. And she just so happens to like spending the day training even more! Only, this training is a little different than the Kyokugen training. While Ryo works on her endurance and strength, by having her run laps, do pushups and situps until her limbs are a trembling mass of exhaustion, and yes, doing tedious chores for hours on end, Hotaru spends her private training time emphasizing the other aspects of her fighting style and paying proper homage to the Kenpo arts her father passed down to her.
Eiji will have easily found in his research that this very site is property of the Futaba estate. No congregation has met here for years, ever since old man Futaba purchased it in order to prevent its demolition. The reasons for such an odd purchase wouldn't have been a matter of record, however. Yet while the church is not in 'use' per say, everything here is still maintained. There's even a fairly nice flower garden running along one of the side walls, the blossoms there in full bloom for the Spring months.
When Hotaru enters the iron gate that is always left open, she makes directly toward a tree-covered corner of the church yard. From a long branch dangles several two-by-fours, held in place by ropes. The purpose is obvious - evasion training by standing in the middle of the blocks of wood and avoiding their random swings while kicking and punching them to keep them moving. Approaching the setup, Hotaru lowers a bag she had slung over her shoulder to the grass. It contains lunch intended for later. Tasty lunch. Not like the burning noodle death Takuma makes back at the dojo from the to time.
It looks like he doesn't have to wait long as soon someone starts to enter the churchyard. As much as he just rather strike first and ask questions later her remains perched where he is, watching Hotaru like a hawk as he tries to judge what kind of fight he might be in for. The girl supposedly has been semi successful in the tournament scene, but that makes it hard to say how good she is. There are some real lemons out there, afterall. He faced quite a few in both the Neo League and in the World Warrior tournament.
After seeing the girl get her perparations done the ninja flickers away from where he was perched and with lightning quick speed he starts to flicker back into sight not too far from the younger fighter. His arms are folded over his chest and his head his tilted to the side while eyeing Hotaru from behind. "Miss Futaba I presume?" comes a rather quiet and soft voice that doesn't seem to go at all with the cold and calculating gaze of the Kisiragi ninja.
Hotaru pauses to stretch and warm up before beginning the more demanding portion of her routine. The exercises she choses when left to her nothing like the brute force workout regimen Ryo runs her through daily. A slow Tai Chi kata as taught to her by her father is how she begins, slowly working her way through the practically dance-like movements.
She freezes in the middle of a slow leg extention as Eiji appears. Even though she isn't facing him, it's clear that she knows someone is there even before he speaks. Visitors are hardly rare around here. Sometimes people will wander in, thinking this as public a property as any other church site, and will come to seek a moment of peace to reflect, beg forgiveness, pray, read, or participate in any other number of outward manifestations of faith. She doesn't mind such visitors, as long as they aren't disruptive or destructive.
Lowering her leg, she turns toward Eiji, the smile coming to her lips a slightly reluctant one, torn between politeness and concern. "Yes, that's me," Hotaru replies. "Can I help you?" she offers, the tone suggesting that if he needs aid of somesort, she won't mind delaying whatever it is she was engaged in to do so.
A bit of a sly smile creases the mask that the ninja wears when that question is asked. "Perhaps." He hasn't moved since appearing. There is no showing that he has violent intentions as of right now. Afterall things may be falsified and he rather not waste his time on someone if they truely weren't dealing with the Sakazaki clan. Then again he did come all the way out here wishing to see blood. Depending on the answers she gives he shall then decide if it is worth the effort or not.
"I have heard that you were perhaps dealing with the practitioner's of Kyokugen Ryuu." he murmurs as his head tilts the other way. "This is something that greatly interests me and a few other people so I decided to find out if it is true." Even if he doesn't move his body does look like it is tensing up like a cat about ready to pounce. To the trained eye of someone like Hotaru she can tell that he is ready to strike at any moment if she gives a response he doesn't like.
Honest, perhaps to a fault, deception is not something Hotaru has much practice in. As a result, when faced with scenarios like this, where giving the wrong answer may be the provocation that leads to a fight, she still sticks to the truth. It takes experienced liars to weave convincing falsehoods, especially under pressure, and that is something she is definitely not. So the very exercise of trying to predict which answer this stranger might be interested in is a step that she doesn't spend much time on.
Besides, he will be able to tell before she even speaks; the slight change in expression at the mention of Kyokugen Ryuu, a subtle sparkle in her eye suggests the subject seems to be one of importance to her. "I have begun training under Master Ryo at the Kyokugen Dojo, yes," she says, her voice steady though her body tenses as well, blue eyes studying the impassive figure, questions burning in the back of her mind. One such forms the rest of her reply, "Who are you?"
He really didn't expect any other sort of answer. Even if she did answer differently just the way her face seems to light up a bit is enough to let him know that the sources were valid and that he didn't waste a trip to this church yard. "There is a simple answer to that question." the ninja replies in that soft tone, his eyes closing for a moment as he takes a deep breath. "I am your enemy." With that response being given the ninja flickers briefly again before going on the move.
It may come off as if he is teleporting to the unseasoned fighter, but Hotaru can tell it is just extremely quick movements on the ninja's part that puts him right up close to the younger fighter. Murderous intent fills those eyes as he narrows them and brings a hand around open palmed intent on bringing it across the face of Hotaru in a rather harsh manner. "Blame your affiliations for this night for you may not survive."
COMBATSYS: Eiji has started a fight here.
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Eiji 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Eiji
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Eiji's Quick Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Eiji
You know, the one thing the Kyokugen Dojo could really use is some type of disclaimer pamphlet for new students. Like the small print foldouts you get with credit cards that warn you of the million and one ways you can incur a fee or penalty. The Kyokugen disclaimer should warn students about Takuma's noodles. It should also warn them about Takuma's random psychotic periods where he will put on a Tengu mask and run around insisting that he is the Karate Goblin while picking fights with the likes of Geese Howard. Hell. It should just warn about Takuma in /general/.
It would also be nice if it warned students about the potential for random ninja attacks. It's a rare thing for Hotaru to find herself under an unprovoked assault. While Eiji didn't exactly ambush her out of the shadows, he's still caught her well enough off guard. The incoming attack is fast as Eiji moves at speeds she's rarely had to face directly. Such a strike from a slower opponent would have probably had her trying to dodge, or attempting to deflect the incoming attack with a sweep of her hand or leg. But in this case, she simply pulls both of her arms up and blocks the hit by just bracing for it.
Certain that attack wasn't all he had in mind, Hotaru decides to not wait around and find out. She flips forward into the air just enough to give her a little altitude. Her foot comes down, a heel kick aimed for Eiji's shoulder. If she is able to get a moment of fooding in, she'll use that chance to push off him and try to put a bit of distance between the two of them.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Eiji with Koushuu Da.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Eiji
The slap ends up being redirected enough to not land as it was planned, but the ninja is already working to press his attack. He rather not have distance between the two if he can help it and that is why he starts to step towards the kick aimed at his shoulder intent on just overpowering and striking back towards the girl. She ends up having a bit more umph to her strike than anticipated, though. It is enough to stagger him back a step and allow some distance put between the two. "Tch..."
He isn't staying still for long and he isn't going to give the girl a breather if he can help it. He rushes forward a few steps then leaps upwards into the air with hands clapping together while flaring red with energy. He comes downwards while slicing his hands at an angle with enough force that the energy being released is enough to cut at both cloth and the surface of the skin.
COMBATSYS: Eiji successfully hits Hotaru with Mist Slash.
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Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Eiji
Landing from her second leap from the young man's shoulder, Hotaru hits the ground ready to try and put more distance between them. He already has the advantage of having been able to watch her first. Not to mention he's years more advanced in his art than she is in hers. The least she can hope for now is to get enough space to try and study him more, but the ninja clearly has different plans.
The slashing energy strikes her in the upper back, Hotaru not having had the chance to turn around after her feet touched the ground - so swift was his pursuit of her. "Ah!" she gasps, the energy slicing through both the blue vest and white shirt beneath to render skin and draw blood. It hardly felt like a chi attack at all, she realizes, feeling like she was just cut with a phyiscal weapon.
She turns around to face him now, all friendliness gone from her expression, the little game of trying to get space not working out very well at all. Trying to turn the tables a little, the young fighter reaches for Eiji, attempting to grab hold of his arm in an attempt to gain leverage for the rest of her attack. If she can, she will switch to a sequence of kicks, each one higher than the last, as she escalates him almost like a set of stairs, striking shins, stomach, chest, and finally leaping from his shoulder to once again attempt to gain ground.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Eiji with Shin-Jou Tai.
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Hotaru 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Eiji
The first blood has been drawn. That enough has put a smile on the ninja's face despite the fact that the girl might prove to be tougher than expected. Even so he doesn't look too worried that she actually managed to land a hit on him. Then again he might start minding if things continue this way. Even as he starts to move to get out of the way of her strike he finds his timing slowed just a bit too much and the quickness of Eiji fails him as she gets in a series of hits that send the ninja back with the last few blows.
"I have yet to see any arts performed by the Sakazaki clan. Why does a fighter with decent skill train under such a disgraceful name?" he asks despite usually being one not to speak much during a fight. Sometimes even he gets caught up in curiousity. He could see why a failure like the Kazama girl might fight with them, but this one seems to already have proper training. He forgets asking more questions for now and instead he rushes forward, his feet pushing off the ground again as he flips forward and extends a leg intent on bringing down the heel of his foot right on top of the girl's head.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru endures Eiji's Light Kick!!
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Hotaru 1/----===/=======|=====--\-------\0 Eiji
He's quite right. So far, Hotaru has put little of her training from Master Ryo to use in trying to survive his onslaught, and the words ring true to her. On the other hand, thus far she's been kept to basic training. Exercises, chores disguised as training, then more exercises, then more chores. But there is one other thing she's had drilled in over and over by the Kyokugen instructors. Quite being afraid of getting hit!
"I am only a new student," she replies, "I still have a lot to learn from them. My style was taught to me by my father who is gone now... I have had to seek training from others to continue improving."
As Eiji jumps in with his foot, Hotaru decides to use the one piece of Kyokugen training that comes to mind. Just take it. And so, smart move or not, Hotaru takes the kick to her head without any attempt at evasive action. Simply bracing herself and getting brained for her trouble. She has admittedly felt that it is a strange technique, but she keeps getting it hammered into her over and over - quite literally this time by Eiji's foot.
But having taken the hit, she doesn't get knocked as far as she might have otherwise. Immediately she's back on Eiji, trying to press back with an attack of her own. A quick hop for momentum, then she begins to strike out at him with a sequence of rapid jabs, palm strikes, and punches, all in an attempt to find a crack in his defenses. Swing after swing is attempted, the girl trying to pry her way past however he choses to defend against it.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Eiji with Ten-ren-ge EX.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\1 Eiji
Once she finds an opening, she'll begin to strike harder and faster to press an advantage. But it doesn't end with fists alone as the moment his balance seems off, she'll slam into him with all her strength, trying to knock him the rest of the way over with a rising shoulder tackle. The finishing blow is a spinning kick while in mid-air, intended to knock him away.
The lost of a teacher. That is something Eiji will soon feel. Zansatsu will be dead shortly himself and once again Eiji will be the one carrying the mantle of being the master of Kisiragi arts. Though his sacrafice is for the greater deed of dragging Takuma to hell with him so Eiji feels no sadness in the fact that one of the last true Kisiragi ninja will soon be dead. That is why he has taken the short time to train under his old master once again to fully realize his true potetial. Of course given how this fight is going it has only shown that Eiji still has a long way to go it would seem.
The furious assault pushes back the ninja and Hotaru finds herself once again a fair distance away from Eiji by the time she knocks him away. Twirling about the ninja lands in a crouch while breathing rather heavily, his eyes narrowing once again as he just begins to chuckle. "You will only taint yourself instead of finding your true potential. If you wanted to realize your true strength you should have come to Strolheim. You may have been found worthy." He then straightens up. "It is still an option if you survive. Lord Krauser is always looking for new recruits." He says no more and the red energy that surrounded his hands earlier flares up around his entire body, a loud laugh escaping the rather demented ninja as he bursts forward intent on plowing right into Hotaru.
COMBATSYS: Eiji successfully hits Hotaru with Dark Hunter.
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Hotaru 1/-----==/=======|=------\-------\0 Eiji
The ninja quickly drives his shoulder hard into the chest of the younger fighter then leaps upwards to use his momentum to bring her into the air before twisting about and bringing a foot flaring with red chi to kick her up skywards. The ninja then just simply disappears for a few moments and soon four copies appear on each side of Hotaru with knives in hand as they all come downward from each direction to slash at her, each knife oddly enough cutting despite the use of what looks like simple shadow like clones being what strike her and drive her to the ground. The four clones soon disappear while the true Eiji slowly flickers back into existence just a short distance away from Hotaru with arms crossed. "This is over."
The mash into her chest folds the frailer fighter over and there's nothing she can do to prevent the rest of the punishing attacks. The strong, chi-enforced kick is jarring, but none of that compares to the wide eyed terror at being attacked by four shadowy images while being helpless to do anything about it. It all happens too fast for each individual hit to register in her mind, and then she's driven back to the ground where she lands in a heap with a gasp of pain.
His assessment is nearly spot on as Hotaru only barely feels able to push herself back to her feet after lying still for several seconds. But she's back up, all the same, teeth gritting, her fist clenched with determination. He said 'If she survives.' That would coincide with the murderous intent in his eyes and the merciless nature of his attacks. Failure here may be a final failure indeed.
The slash marks become visible quickly. A gash on her leg, a slash through her vest and shirt on her side, another on her opposite arm, and a second wound on her back, crossing the previous one he had landed.
Not out yet though, Hotaru pushes herself into charging Eiji again, much like her previous attack. Another hop, then a sequence of punches intent on pushing through his ability to defend. She's slower now, worn down by effort and the wounds are clearly taking their toll on the younger fighter. As she rushes him, his words echo in her mind. Strolheim he had said, a name imprinted in her mind. If she does survive this, she will have to find out more about it. Interested perhaps? Maybe.
COMBATSYS: Eiji dodges Hotaru's Sou-shou Tenrenge.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Eiji
A brow quirks slightly when he realizes the girl isn't quite finished. As much damage as her body has taken she is still finding a way to keep moving. Despite being so small she seems to be quite a resilient little thing. "So you wish to continue. Very well." It seems like he also has finally got the timing right on when he needs to get moving on the oncoming attacks. Even as that first strike comes in she is hitting air from where the ninja had disappeared from where he was standing, another chuckle coming from him. "I like you I think. Perhaps I am getting too soft." Perhaps it is too much time hanging around that damn Todoh woman. She will be the death of him probably since he decided to help Kasumi against the Sakazaki family instead of kill her outright.
Though he thinks it is time to try and end this and instead of a sneak attack the girl soon finds the ninja reappearing not far ahead of her as he leaps forward and twists in the air, his feet coming down at her as he seems intent on continuously drive both of them into her with a series of kicks before flipping backwards and away from her when all is said and done.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Eiji's Stallion Kick.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Eiji
When he vanishes, Hotaru slides to a stop, recovering her footing quickly and bracing herself for retaliation... only she can't even really tell from what direction it would come. She hears his voice, accompanied by a chuckle that does little to comfort the girl. While he speaks, she works on tying to keep breathing, having pushed herself very hard with the last two attacks and still dealing with the gradually spreading agony of the slashes she's suffered from him. As he mentions going soft, she scans the area around her, trying to predict where the frighteningly fast ninja will attack from next.
"It's possible that the Kyokugen karate I am learning is not as deadly as what I could learn at Strolheim," she replies to the emptiness. "But there is more to an art than the moves it imparts. There is also the person it makes you into. Master Ryo is a good man and I find no shame in learning what his art has to teach me. There is more than one way to improvement - being more ready to attack unprovoked or kill one who has done you no harm is not a path I seek."
As he reappears, her eyes lock back on him and then the girl hops backward, arms raising and lowering as she takes a new position some feet away. Her next attack is to retaliate though, jumping into the air with just enough altitude to try and land a palm strike for Eiji's masked face.
COMBATSYS: Eiji interrupts Quick Punch from Hotaru with Strong Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Eiji
"Strolheim teaches deadly arts?" There is a hint of confusion in Eiji's voice only for a brief moment. Is he trying to be deceptive over it all or has he truely been confused for a brief moment. "While my tactics are deadly it is not what is taught at Strolheim." As much as he would like to teach his arts to a new group of people, he has yet to see anyone promising enough to learn the Kisiragi style. "Krauser wishes for people to improve their own style and find their true potential. It is to help eliminate weakness in one's body. While I find his goals silly he pays well so I stay around."
He only breaks in speaking when he finds the girl coming in to slam her palm into his face. Tching lightly he steps right into it, letting the hit smack him right where she aimed only to bring his own fist forward to slam hard into Hotaru's stomach as hard as he can. "As for your master....he isn't as great as you think. He and his father is why my sensei is crippled and soon to be dead. They are the reason why a acquaintence of mine has a father who has lost his faith as a fighter and has gone slowly mad. You call that being a good man? At least I don't bother trying to mask what I am." He pushes her back after speaking that and folds his arms over his chest again. "I suggest you look further into things before deciding who is good and bad when there are so many shades of gray to be seen."
That name again - Krauser. It rings a bell, but she can't place it now, her mind focused on the fight at hand. Her palm lands as intended, but the blow to her stomach is by far the most effective of the exchanged attacks. Crumpling from the pain, she just sort of stays there, pressed against his fist, eyes widened as she finds she can't even take a gasp of breath for a moment.
His words are heard though, as the girl is still quite conscious for the moment, one hand coming up to rest against his arm as if trying to get enough support to push herself off of him on her own. Master Takuma and Ryo-sensei have something to do with this ninja's sensei dying? The second accusation stings harder though, the girl sensitive to the loss of a father, though her own loss was far swifter than a slow decline into madness. A tear rolls down Hotaru's cheek as she remains bent over his fist, the combination of pain she's enjuring and moment of shared loss he describes prevent her holding back the unwanted sign of emotion.
As he finally shoves her away, putting an end to the pressure that was stiffling her ability to breath, Hotaru tumbles backward to the ground. An attempt is made to rise again - half sitting, pushing with one hand. Come on hundreds of situps, don't fail me now! she thinks, struggling to keep going. But the effort is too much and she collapses backward, one arm over her stomach, her other arm sprawled out at her sides, the slow exhalation making it clear she has nothing left in her now.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.
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Eiji 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru can no longer fight.
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Eiji 0/-------/----===|
As much as she may expect it there is no more pain to be inflicted by the ninja. He has accomplished what he wanted to and that alone seems to please him. "If you do not believe me then seek out Kasumi Todoh. I am a liar at times, but she has the honor to tell you the truth." With that being said he turns about and starts to wander off while managing to not show that he isn't as truely exhausted by that fight than he truely is. He messed up too early and it ended up with him getting banged up more than anticipated.
He does pause again and he glances over his shoulder, that cold glare still present as he looks her over again. "Either way I suggest avoiding the Sakazaki family for awhile. My sensei is soon to expire so we must make with what time we have and things will get bloody. Next time I might not let you live." With that being said he fades away from sight again to move on. His intentions are complete. He has managed to inflict both physical pain as well as doubts in the mind of the young woman. Another job well done.
COMBATSYS: Eiji has ended the fight here.
Log created on 12:22:46 05/20/2007 by Eiji, and last modified on 19:57:15 05/20/2007.