Journey of the Three Failures

Chapter 16: Clash in Sand

Journey of the Three Failures

Sixteen: Clash in Sand

Part One: Plight of the Hyuuga

Hanabi ハナビ

"Haaa!"

–"Tatakatte. Fight, Hanabi-sama."–

Smat-smat! Tmp-SMAT!

–"Fight, every single day."–

"Eek!" She shrieked as my palm barely missed her side.

–"Fight, and become stronger."–

She was backpedalling hastily, blocking, deflecting.

–"Fight, m'lady."–

A nonlethal palm to the heart, a quick shot to the right lung. Her back met the wall. She lunged to the side.

–"Fight."–

If one were struck thrice, or fell to their knees, the match would be called.

–"Fight."–

"Wait, s-slow down–!"

Swiftly my left feinted for her thigh, my right feinted for her face, left fist was tucked into right palm, and I lunged to jam my elbow into her stomach.

"Three strikes..." Hikujaku remarked happily as I heard my opponent's Byakugan waver.

Withdrawing the offending elbow, I raised my head and drew myself up to full height. The older girl winced with a tiny, wettish cough, and as the rigidity of shock left her body she hugged her middle and sank to her knees.

"And down for the count!"

Hiyuki let out a long whimper, her eyes shut. "Itai...!" she whined.

My face softened as I worked myself down from combat mode. "Daijoubu, Hiyuki-nee-san?"

She nodded. "H-hai..."

"Don't use your elbows," Hiryuu said. "Even if Hiyuki is ... not the most gifted of Hyuuga her age, you should avoid making a habit of shortening your already inferior reach."

"Hai."

I stepped back shortly, and Harumi flashed by in front of me, a fierce palm outstretched. Hikujaku came from the other side, and I deflected his palm before planting my own on his shoulder. One foot lashed back, catching Hitaka's ankle as he lunged to strike from behind. Using his force with my own, I carried him momentarily on my back and flung him over myself; Harumi's advance was halted as she caught the boy, and I darted in to lash a palm lightly against her belly.

"Snap, she killed us!" Hikujaku exclaimed.

I turned to Hiryuu, prepared to face an attack that I probably wouldn't be able to fend off, but he simply nodded. His kekkei genkai faded.

"Good. That's enough sparring for today."

Neji ネジ

I gazed steadily at the withered old man seated across from me as the tea was served. A gentle smile was borne on a face that had probably been quite handsome in youth but now sagged with age, and folds of skin crinkled at the corners of kindly white eyes dull as once great, ancient candles that could at any given moment now, seemingly at the slightest, whimsical brush of the air, glimmer their last and flicker out for eternity.

"It is not common for the leader of the clan to consult me," he ground out in a gravelly voice, knobbly, wrinkled fingers lifting his teacup. "But I suppose it's not common for anyone else to consult me, either."