Bow Of The Hunter

Dozu

"Forgive me Ivara. I didn't know he would be here." Her father said and the distaste in her father's voice confused her.

She looked up at the boy and his bored white eyes looked everywhere but at her. "F-fight me." she stammered, catching her uncle and her father off guard. "I don't take children seriously." He sighed and Hiashi frowned at the boy. "I want you to f-fight me." she said once more and the boy rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to waste my time fighting a five year old from Branch house." He said offhandedly and Hizashi placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Ivara, don't mind him. It will be ok..." Hizashi said and Hiashi frowned. "Fight the girl, Dozu. Humor her." Hiashi said and Hizashi stared at his twin in shock. "Brother." Hizashi began but Ivara fell into the gentle fist stance.

"You don't even have Byakugan, you're just going to lose and it is going to be all your fault; so don't go crying to your mommy after I win." He said and she puffed out her cheeks in anger. "Brother, promise me you will stop this if it begins to get out of hand." Hizashi pleaded and Hiashi nodded. "I promise brother, you brought her here to train, did you not?" Hiashi asked and Ivara looked up at her father from the corner of her eyes. He could see the fear in her eyes, but he could also see her determination. "Yes... she came here to train."

"How better to teach her than to allow her to actually fight someone instead of practicing stances all day?" Hiashi asked and Ivara glanced back at her father as he stepped away. Her shaky eyes flicked back to the boy in front of her who dropped down into a more refined version of her stance. Ivara took a shaky breath then rushed at him. He dodged her hits effortlessly, but then leaned into a rotation, which sent her flying across the dojo. Hizashi wanted nothing more than to run over to her, but she stumbled back to her feet with tears in her eyes. "Practicing stances is much different than actually fighting, brat. Did you think it would be easy?" Dozu asked as he continued to kick her around.

She hit the floor and rolled back a few times. She was getting rag dolled by this older kid and there was nothing she could do about it...

Hizashi made a move to interfere, but Hiashi stopped him by holding his arm out in front of his brother. Hizashi looked at his twin with anger in his eyes, but once he saw the sadness in Hiashi's eyes he looked over to Ivara once more, who was struggling to get to her feet once more. "I won't call it off unless she says she quits or I think she can't continue." Hiashi said and Hizashi fisted his hands and watched his daughter continue to struggle. It was taking all of his willpower not to run over to her. She forced herself back to her feet and wiped the blood from her busted lip off on her sleeve.

"Why do you continue to try when you know you'll always lose?" Dozu sighed as he lunged at her once more, but he missed this time. He blinked and activated his Byakugan to see where she had gone. She was standing behind him struggling to keep standing. She dropped into her stance and rushed at him once more. He slapped away all of her hits then slipped down and swept her off her feet with a swift kick. He stepped back and waited for her to stand again. She struggled to shove herself off the floor, but eventually she managed it. She closed her eyes and was breathing hard. She rushed at him once more, but she didn't drop into the gentle fist stance like she had every other time before.

Dozu dropped into a lax stance and reared one hand back behind him. He waited for her to get close and then he lunged for her, instead of connecting with her his hand connected with the wooden floor, the force of the gentle fist hit sending splinters up from the floor. He spun towards her only to see her cheeks puff up. He furrowed his brow and tried to hit her once more, but she released the chakra that had built up in her cheeks, sending a ball of fire straight at him. It hit him and he yelped in pain, only to then begin kicking the smaller girl in his anger. Hiashi lunged at the boy faster than Hizashi had and sent the boy into the wall with a swift empty palm hit.

Hizashi crouched beside his daughter, who had her arms wrapped securely around her head and her knees pulled into her chest. "Are you alright, Ivara?" her father asked as he lifted her from her curled up position. He expected her to be crying, but she just smiled brightly at him. "Where did you learn that from?" Hiashi asked as he crouched beside her as well. "Forgive me, Ivara, I didn't know he would resort to such measures." Hiashi added and she smiled. "I'm ok. I promise." She said as she smiled at her uncle. "Did I do good?" she asked and he offered a small smile.

"I'm impressed, aren't you brother?" Hiashi asked and Hizashi nodded. "I am very impressed. I had no idea you had been training on your chakra control so in depth, I also didn't know you were messing with the elements." Her father said and she grinned. "I'm not strong yet... but I want to become very strong just to I can make you and uncle very proud." She said and Hiashi smiled. "Well, when that day comes that you are very strong, I want you to teach my children. They need a great cousin to show them what it means to be strong." Hiashi said and Hizashi smiled at his twin. "I would love that!" Ivara chirped and Hiashi chuckled.

"Now, let's go get you to a medic before your mother throws a fit because you got hurt like this. Come back tomorrow and we can all do some control training. How about that, Ivara?" Hiashi asked and she stared up at her uncle in excitement and awe. "R-really? You mean it?" she asked and he nodded. "As long as your father will drop by as well." Hiashi said and Ivara stared at her father with big pleading silver eyes. Her lower lip trembled and her father sighed. "Before you do the pout, yes. We can come back tomorrow." Hizashi said and Hiashi laughed as he ruffled Ivara's hair softly.

Hiashi picked Ivara up and set her on his shoulders as they made their way to the medic's office down the street from the compound.