Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Journeys We Make

Take This Outside

Because of Mana taking her time and preserving her stamina while dealing with her handicap and Shige-H not rushing past her opponent, the spectators of the Kumite match reached the yard outside first. It was a pretty yard of a thin layer of sand and luscious, wavering grass with a bean-shaped pool of water that was restrained with a small stone wall from all sides. One side hosted small, decorative woods, while the other had only a steep, sheer drop to the rocky shores and the foaming seas down below.

"Boss has the advantage. Besides having both of her legs, of course. She's always going to be able to just punch a hole through Mana by unmaking all of Mana's resistances," Endo crossed his arms. "This bout is so meaningless even I can see it."

"You dunce, they said they'd be doing it Traditional Shinobi Kumite style," Asuka flicked Endo's forehead with the back of her hand. "No one's going to go for the kill."

"Traditional Shinobi Kumite?" Endo looked to Asuka with bafflement splattered all over his expression.

"Are you serious? It's like Ninja Academy level stuff," Asuka crossed her arms while shifting her weight over her right hip as she shook her head in disbelief at how ignorant her squadmate was.

"I've never sparred under any other rules than cage deathmatch hanging over an active volcano..." Endo shrugged with a defensive expression as if his explanation vindicated him. "I'm not familiar with your half-assed ninja ways of doing combat. Whenever I fight, I fight to win, maim, or kill. Preferably all at once in that sequence."

"Well, Traditional Shinobi Kumite is a sparring method that's more of a ritual than an actual means of combat. In it, two ninja face-off using only their taijutsu and weaponry skills with severe restrictions to the ninjutsu techniques they can use. Different countries have different rules for what they permitted and what they don't. Kirigakure prefers to keep it strictly taijutsu and weaponry, with a few permitted ninjutsu techniques like the Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu or the Water Clone Jutsu. I'm not sure if those two will settle for a consistent rule set given their attitudes, though," Asuka explained to her oddball comrade.

"It is worrisome to see Allied Ninja sparring with undefined Traditional Kumite rules," Stea joined in on the discussion. "It's just asking for trouble."

"Yeah, if no one knows what's allowed and what isn't, the other gal is just going to bitch and whine about how unfair it all was and how unprepared she was for whatever won the other the match," Doma crossed his arms with a pout.

"I don't think either will do such a thing," Gasco shook his head with a firm and growling tone of voice. "This isn't about merely just winning for either of them. I'm not yet sure why the challenger requested this fight, but Mana went along with it to avoid dishonoring her squad leader."

"You heard that, big guy?" Asuka turned to Gwirlon who scratched his head waiting for Mana and Stea-H to line up in front of each other and make the Seal of Confrontation while staring each other down. "This is about honor to these two, so you can't interfere no matter what. Neither of them would appreciate it."

"I am my own man now," Gwirlon rumbled out with his thunderous voice while staring at the two sparring partners with a grumpy look. "I'll do whatever I feel like."

"Aren't you going to state any terms?" Shige-H asked Mana, with the two staring at each other with their Seals of Confrontation formed. "We haven't agreed on any rules yet."

"That's okay with me. I always use force in response to what my opponent shows. I'll adapt to what you deem acceptable," Mana replied with an unfaltering expression and moved her hand aside. A gust picked up specks of sand and carried them about as it formed a current underneath Mana, ready to elevate her and help the handicapped kunoichi keep her balance if needed.