Chasing After You || Itachi

Ch. 21 - Open Season

A reluctantly stood on the sidelines as he watched the love of his life and his daughter settle their differences. Tora was agile and her low levels to the ground gave her the perfect increase in speed, however her mother was no easy target as she had her own unorthodox way of close combat. As much as he would've liked to be the first to test Tora's improvements, he knew how much this conversation was needed.

At first, it started out very simple as the two were feeling each other out. Without warning, Jaga immediately went in full-fledged with no hesitation. Sure, Tora had seen her mother fight before, but she'd never officially sparred with her. The bulk of her training either came from the Academy or Tsume since the two got along so well.

Jaga's fighting style was very hands-on and consisted of quick steps, jabs, punches, and knees. Every move was targeted and deliberate; it wasn't like anything Tora had encountered before as most shinobi were the type to rely on kicks and bladed arm movements. Although her mother's motions were focused and deadly, there was still a certain air of grace behind them that Tora couldn't explain. It wasn't until Jaga punched her daughter square in the jaw that the younger Dakuo finally fell to the ground.

"I expected more of a fight from you, Tora." Jaga cracked her neck, although she had her own set of bruises and cuts to show it wasn't a one-sided fight.

"I'm just taking my time." Her daughter retorted. "I'm nowhere near finished."

A watched as Tora was starting to get the hang of when to use and when not to use the lightning armor. It actually got to a point where it looked like she had the upper hand in the fight against her more experienced mother. To him, however, the spar resembled the actions of two cats play-fighting with each other. With one final push, Jaga tapped out and waved her imaginary white flag. Relieved, Tora fell back on the ground, completely exhausted.

"Having access to lightning release is really something." The older Dakuo placed her hands on her hips. "You should continue on your journey to master it. The proficiency you've shown so far is very impressive."

Tora frowned as she looked up at the sky. It was quiet as the wind blew through the surrounding trees. Suddenly, she looked towards her mother. "Do I still make you proud, Mom?"

"Why would you even ask that?" Jaga looked at her daughter in astonishment. "You already..."

She paused and sighed knowingly, moving to sit down next to the ravenette. "Tora, you're a wild card. You make your own decisions and follow your heart. Yes, it aggravates me at times because that's not how I think, but it doesn't make me any less proud of you. As your mother, I only want what's best for you."

"But I'm at the point where I know what's best for me too."

"...I know. I knew it was going to get to that point someday, and there's no way to prepare for it."

Tora sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. "It doesn't mean I don't need your judgment anymore."

"It's not like you used it anyway." Jaga rolled her eyes with a small laugh.

"I'm sorry, Mom, for what I said and how I treated you."

Jaga looked into the sincere eyes of her daughter. She could've seen how much that weighed on Tora's mind from a mile away and it pained her heart. They hadn't separated on the best terms and, although it was in the back of her mind, she didn't think about how it had affected Tora.

"Ah, my fierce little tiger." She pulled Tora into her embrace and kissed the top of her head. "What have I always told you?"

"It's you and me against the world."

"Always."

A watched in silent content as Tora and Jaga made up. Hopefully this would make up for the lost time they had accumulated and put everyone back on the right track. At one point, Jaga looked up at A and waved him over to join them. There was no telling when their moment would be interrupted by the reality around them, so he didn't hesitate to walk over and sit down next to them.