Tournament Training

Those of you that have been selected get priority in the training grounds just on the edges of the village. So feel free to play out your interactions and preparation here. Kazekage will come by every now and again to evaluate your progress as will your team lead Zitei Kishuma. https://narutokai.rpg-board.net/t59-main-npc-s

Mianyi walks out to the training grounds with butterflies in her stomach. She can't help but focus on how nervous she is right now about doing well so that she represents the village at the tournament. The Kazekage said to not worry about winning or losing, but she can't help but think that's the whole point of a tournament.

When she arrives at the training grounds she looks around nervously to get a sense of who is there and what is already set up.

Tonou had reluctantly traveled to the training grounds. He felt like he would be better of training with his Jounin mentor and father figure. However it was asked that those who were attending the tournament would come to the ground to train, so a sulking Tonou traveled to the grounds, his hands in his pockets. When he arrived he scanned the grounds to find the girl from the Kazekage's office had already arrived.

Mianyi looks over at the new arrival, recognizing him from the Kazekage's office. She nods her head, just barely, at him in greeting and then looks back out to the training grounds. She is either reluctant to start, or unsure of where to start. Perhaps the timid girl is both.

Tonou sighs, he knew that the only other person going to the training grounds was going to be the kunoichi. He figured he would at least be training with the Kazekage or a Jounin, but it was obvious no one was going to come and that these two were meant to train with one another. "Hey, you came to train, yeah?" Not a moment later Tonou rushed toward the girl, ready to deliver a strike with his left hand.

Mianyi looks over at Tonou when he speaks, but has no immediate reply for him. After a second she nods and then her eyes widen as as he comes charging after her. She stands like a frightened deer for a moment before she shifts to the side. Her movement comes a bit too late and Tonou manages to touch her, although the strike does not land where it was intended or as hard as intended.

From her sideways shift she bites her lip before she acts, aiming to strike low on the back of Tonou's leg, a handspan above his knee.

Tonou allows the counter-attack to hit in order for him to set up a counter attack of his own. The blows sting, but he grits his teeth and finds his balance after the strike. While in close proximity he pulls back his left fist. Then he propels it forward towards Mianyi's gut.

"Oukashou!"

Oukashou:

Mianyi is excited that she actually managed to land a strike, and so well! And so she is of course distracted by her own apparent success that she realizes too late that he let her hit him and she is far too close to do much about it. She tries to move away from that attack, but is hit square in the abdomen and blasted back several feet, ending up in a curled up position around her aching solar plexus and gasping for air.

Tonou begins to sprint towards Mianyi and land another attack, but before he strikes her he stops himself. It was rare for Tonou to stop once he had begun a fight. Growing up on his side of the village, you finished the fight before they got the chance to, but out here in the training grounds, something he didn't understand stopped him.

"Hey. Get up. I'm going to show you how to dodge close combat." And for the first time in his life, Tonou meant to help another person. Another first, he held out his hand to help her up.

Mianyi catches her breath and starts to get up, making it to one knee before Tonou comes to offer her a hand up. She looks up at him and makes eye contact briefly before she slowly takes his hand and stands up. "Th-thanks," she mumbles, avoiding any further eye contact.

Tonou still trying to figure out why is helping her comes to the conclusion that making another Suna Genin stronger will in turn be beneficial to him. Sparring partners are rare, and his mentor had been becoming busier and busier as the days went on. Yes, that had to be it. He simply was doing it for training efficiency.

"When you don't have time to adjust your body, you need to trade blows. It's easier said than done, but by releasing chakra from your palms or fists you can win a Taijutsu trade regardless how much more mass your opponent has. Don't kill me, but I am going to strike your side. Then use my close proximity to strike back, except release chakra like I just did."

'Here goes nothing.'

Tonou threw a punch at Mianyi's side, but it was much softer than any of the strikes before.

Mianyi listens, her head tilted slightly, before she nods in understanding. Or well, she thinks she understands what he means. She 'oofs' a little when he hits her side again. Even though he's pulling the punch, she's still tender from earlier. But instead of crumpling, she finds some inner resolve and channels chakra into her fists and strikes back at Tonou's side, releasing the chakra if her fist contacts his body. She may not be as strong as someone with better taijutsu training than her, but she is quite skilled at channeling the chakra into her fists for the attack.

Tonou is launched backward a few feet, rolling, tumbling, sliding, and crashing into the sand around him. He stands up and walks back toward Mianyi. "If you get the chance to do that, don't hesitate. You are fighting for the village." He raises his hand as if to pat her on the shoulder or shake her hand, but thinks better of it and leaves, not saying another word as he goes.

[Exit]

Mianyi looks at her fist in surprise, as if it had suddenly turned into a magical gem or some other item of wonder. Then she looks between her fist and Tonou and where he ended up.

She nods in reply to his words and mumbles another 'thanks' as he leaves the training field. She continues to stand there for a few minutes, processing what she just learned and was able to do.