4th Strike: Moving On

Shadow Boxin'

"Get ready to feel the bruise if you see a battle rockin'
Guaranteed to lose, if you're caught up shadowboxin'"

- Twista, "Shadow Boxin'"

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"GAAAAAHHHH! That stings!"

Sakura rolled her eyes in exasperation as Ibuki recoiled over-dramatically from the healing ointment making contact with the fresh scar on her chest. Over an hour had passed since the fight at the convenience store, and the subsequent arrests of Sean and Enzo. During said fight, Sean's shoryuken had managed to leave a massive scar across Ibuki's entire torso; tearing through her clothes, in the process. Despite everyone's protests, Ibuki refused to go to the hospital, and the girls had to settle for buying ointment at a store to soothe her pain at their hotel penthouse.

Or so they thought it would. Between the ride back, arriving back at the penthouse, and getting into more casual wear, Ibuki screamed every time the ointment made contact with her scar, though Sakura and Elena thought she was overdoing it.

"Yes, I know, but it's either deal with temporary pain, and heal your scar, or let it get infected with something, and die," Sakura replied a bit sardonically as she gently rubbed the ointment on the kunochi's scar.

"I still - AAAHHH! - can't believe that son of a bitch had the nerve to hit me like that," Ibuki seethed as she squirmed in the recliner she was laying back on.

"And exactly who is to blame for that?" Elena asked rhetorically. The Kenyan princess was curled up on the couch, not taking her eyes off the novel she was reading. "I personally think everything could have been defused non-violently, but when you call someone's sister a whore, restraint and respect goes out the window."

"Hey, I wasn't lying!" Ibuki replied defensively. "Laura gets around like she's at a buffet! One time, she even- AAAAUUUGHHH!" Ibuki screamed in pain as Sakura deliberately slapped ointment on her tender scar harder than normal.

"It's still disrespectful to say to her family," Sakura said firmly. "Even if there is truth to it. Besides, you should be the last person talking about getting around."

"I've never slept with anyone," Ibuki retorted weakly.

"Not for a lack of trying," Sakura chuckled, causing Ibuki to snarl under her breath.

"Also, there was no point in adding fuel to the fire," Elena added, still not taking her eyes off her book. "It was bad enough Karin started hurling epithets at them, which I can't understand why she even did that."

"Me either," Sakura replied, frowning. "She's arrogant, but I've never seen her act racist like that."

"You two are really surprised a silver spoon-fed heiress who- UGH! - thinks the world revolves around her has ignorant views?" Ibuki commented.

"For as long as we've known her, I can't say I've ever heard her say anything like that to anyone," Elena said. "Honestly, she's lucky I have more restraint, or I'd have beat her up myself."

"You chewed her out pretty bad in the store and on the way back, though," Sakrua said.

"Because she deserved it," Elena finally put her book down, got up from the sofa, and began to stretch her legs. "I may have been collateral damage, but you still don't call anyone any type of slur. She should be happy she only walked away with a few bruises."

"At least they'll heal. Now I have to spend the rest of my life looking like Sagat!" Ibuki complained.

"Once again, who is to blame for that?" Elena replied, causing Ibuki to snarl in annoyance again.