Progressing (Inarie)

Sweat glistened on his upper body as he fought his opponent. He was bare chested, his shirt and jacket hanging on a tree branch near a large stone that would make for a good place to sit while on a break. On the stone sat a few things, including a scroll, kunai, shuriken, and other such things. His fight now was with taijutsu only and his opponent was just as fast and deadly as he was. It was after all, a shadow clone of himself after all. His long hair was tied into a long tail and while he normally wore a pair of glasses because he liked the way they looked today they were not in evidence. His pale eyes studied his opponent, Byakugan inactive as they sparred. They weren't trying to close Tenketsu, as a matter off act they weren't even using chakra in their spar. It was a purely physical duel between him and his clone. Their hands blurred between them as they stepped, side stepped, spun, jumped, kicked, dodged, parried, and redirected palm and finger strikes that for all intents and purposes, were perfectly lethal.

They had been sparring for hours and thankfully the lack of of using chakra in the spar meant that no strike was strong enough to disperse the clone. It made for a perfect training partner for his Gentle Fist style. Both Madrigal's breathing were haggard as they moved, their total focus on each other as they worked to tag the other. Both moving at their peak speeds as they fought. If one looked closely one could see evidence of just how long the man had been there, as upon the stone sat multiple clean white towels, with a few that were soiled from sweat sat within a small pile near the stone, and more importantly, downwind of it. Empty water bottles sat nearby as well the contents having been used to help energize the training shinobi as he threw himself into his efforts to progress.

As they continued their dance the focus the two sparring individuals, one a mere facsimile of the other, their focus would be absolutely laser tight on each other. The decision to not use the Byakugan was intended to limit all chakra consumption so that he could focus on his physical stamina. Chakra reserves were made from spiritual and physical components after all and for that reason he was sparring with no chakra constraints at that moment. Both individuals bodies moved with instinctive foresight into the others movements and counters were so swift as to be aimed before the attack was even fully started. Eventually Madrigal, the real Madrigal would manage to slide in a tap, his counter against his doppelganger not the one his creation had expected and the maneuver had moved him out of position. The tap against the chest was that was required. For the Gentle Fist style was absolutely deadly with that simple touch. Immediately the spar stopped, and both individuals, raggedly breathing as give a polite bow to each other before the clone dispersed in a plume of smoke.

He stood there a moment, catching his breath. So long as the clone didn't spend any of the chakra that Madrigal gave it on creation then the technique itself cost him nothing. This way he got a perfect sparring opponent, and saved on how many towels and water bottles he went through. He took a moment to look up and enjoy the day, the late morning sun peeking in through the trees as small shafts of light dotted the landscape around him. He had been here since well before dawn and intended to stay for quite a while longer yet. After his moment of enjoying the scenery he would turn, and moving toward the stone where he would retrieve a towel and wipe himself down. Then he would refold the towel and set it on the stone. One use did not mean it was soiled enough for the pile yet. More evidence of just how much the man had been working. Then he would reach for the scroll and open it, before unsealing another water bottle before setting the scroll aside and taking a long drink of the water. He would lean against the stone and tilt his head up and listen, the surrounding birdsong around providing a relaxing melody as he rested from his most recent sparring session.

Whether it was in the Trenches, a job outside of Kirigakure, or even at the Cursed Eastern Gates. There was always something going on, and at the heart of each one involved powerful opponent's. Both unfamiliar and familiar as the latest skirmish involved not just the clan leader of Kaguya. Not just the Mizukage, but also what Inarie once claimed to be friends with Chigetsu. Instead, they chose to strip Kirigakure of everything, leaving it completely defenseless against Kumogakure's wrath because of Hana's actions. The mere thought only seemed to harden Inarie's resolve that even within these walls, there are enemies everywhere she looks. She's supposed to protect these people, yet the very same people seem eager to stab her in the back.

While she has been trying to patch the tension between Kirigakure and Konohagakure. Hana was in the background mucking everything up with Kumogakure. Now they must deal with that threat on a near daily basis. Inarie's fists of anger slammed into her clone's throat with more force than she intended as the shadow clone poofed into non-existence. Inarie was garbed in her uniform and armor decorated her body. Though she has a hip pouch, her katana rests against the palm tree just at the edge of the clearing. A sigh escaped from her lips as Inarie attempted to dispel the frustration her own clansmen brought upon the village. Inarie formed the tiger handseal to conjure another shadow clone, and from there they continued to trade blows. Inarie was exploiting the clone's weak points while the clone sought to overpower her. The main difference was that Inarie was sitting still as she kept evading while also countering to exploit a weakness. It wasn't anything wrong with her clone, but rather Inarie uses the ferocity in strength and speed to strike at the weak points within the body. Eventually whittling the clone down until it was forced to be dispelled.

"I swear, either the clan leader boards a ship and permanently leave or tries to bring destruction to their own village. Kaguya's clan leaders really don't care about the village…" Inarie muttered to herself before she focused on her Shikotsumyaku along her spine. Inarie reached over her shoulder as a bone spike protruded from between her shoulder and neck. Once Inarie drew it out, it was in short a bone whip that does eerily look like a human spine. With a sharp lower of her hand, she cracked the whip that echoed throughout the training grounds. A click of her tongue as she was simultaneously disappointed as well as satisfied with her grasp over her bones.

"My blood still resists me… c'mon now." Inarie cracked her whip again that left a deep gash into a tree. Yet the results aren't what she was aiming for.

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A sharp resounding crack would echo through the nearby grounds and instinctively his eyes would come active, searching for threats. Such an act wasn't particularly necessary here, he was as safe here as he could be. He was simply still a bit jumpy from the trenches in regards to sudden sounds. In speaking of the trenches, his eyes would show him where that sound had resonated from. Smiling softly, he would see Inarie, in an adjacent clearing, with a whip in her hands of some kind. He would read her lips from there instinctively, something about her blood still resisting her. That made sense to Madrigal, given that he had been there when the curse of one of the woman's bloodlines had tried to kill her and the physical capabilities of the other had saved her. It had come at a cost though. Now it seemed she was trying to work on progressing through her bloodlines once more. Nodding his head in approval, he would begin to gather his things. He would see if he could go join her. He made a clone and had it carry the pile of towels that had been soiled. He would wash them later but he didn't want to reseal them into the scroll which would of course also house the clean ones in the same space.

He would toss the empty water bottles into it though, they weren't dirty, just empty, and once he had everything, he would move toward Inarie. It wouldn't take long for him to arrive and when he did he would stop near the edge. Coming upon a fighter suddenly wasn't a good idea, not if you didn't want to be attacked. So he would speak from there "Words cannot express how lovely it is to see you again Inarie. Might I join you?" He would ask, his head tilted to the side as he asked and looked upon her. His eyes were deactivated at this point, not needing them to guide him to her location once he had seen it. While his own heavy breathing was over with, his breath now coming calmly, he was still covered in a thin sheen of sweat from his own training exercises. Provided she agreed, he would locate a similar rock, that was clear, and set up with small rest station, with the added bonus that now they could share it if they wished. He unsealed the clean towels, set them aside, hung his shirt and coat up again, while his clone dropped the pile of dirty towels before dispersing. He would take out two water bottles before holding one up with a curious eyebrow raised. A wordless offer, but one easily understood. If she accepted he would moved toward her and hand it to her. If she didn't he would set it down before moving toward her regardless. "So, how have you been since the trenches? Working hard I take it?" He would ask, a small smile on his features toward her.

Inarie's eyes lingered on the whip of bone as she never felt so weak before. She couldn't manipulate her bones as well as she did before, and never has her blood been so rebellious to her. It was like trying to tame a teenager, although the irony was that Inarie was still a teenager herself. Not to mention the atrocity the previous clan leader of Kaguya had pulled the highest charade of dumping her problems upon the village while Inarie was doing her best to hold the tides of war away from Kirigakure. Yet Hana had the audacity to bring the full hate of Kumogakure right to Kirigakure's doorstep. Even though Inarie wasn't responsible for what had transpired, the latest of Kaguya's clan leaders have not been doing the clan justice. Both were incompetent leaders to a fault as in the end they only sought to satisfy their own greed for power and desire.

A momentary flash of anger crossed her face as Inarie lashed out with her whip as Raiton flowed through the whip and sliced deep into a wooden dummy. That was when a presence came from the side, a familiar face of Madrigal as it were. He was present when Inarie's powers were mysteriously locked away, and the fact that the Curse nearly killed her. It was the same disease that all Yoru possessed, and the only way to keep it at bay was to use their dragon's power. The sight of him nearly banished the negative energy that dwelled in her thoughts. So much had happened while she was gone, when word of Hana's involvement in Moonspire reached Inarie's ears. Fury had taken hold of the hybrid, but punishment for Hana's transgressions had already been dealt with.

"It's good to see you again as well, Madrigal." Her expression visibly softens up as she spoke to Madrigal and the Raiton that cloaked her whip started to die down to normal Kaguya bone. Unlike the normal bone white, Inarie's whip is dark as the night with a metallic blue along the edges of each small blade. This actually gave her an idea. A theory of sorts. Madrigal inquired if he might join, and she nodded in acknowledgement as the whip retreated to her person. Almost like a living snake as it loosely coiled itself around Inarie’s feet.

”Thank you. I take it-” Inarie accepted the bottle of water from Madrigal, but she accidentally started to talk over him and she stopped the instant he was saying something. Usually she was more attentive to the conversations, yet she was a bit free to speak her mind. Madrigal inquired about her activities since the Trenches, and Inarie sighed out of reluctance before she took a sip of water.

”Other than finding out the former clan leader and Mizukage betrayed us, I’ve taken up the mantle of Kaguya and Yoru clan leaders. Of course, some people didn’t like that I claimed to be the leader of two clans, but after Hana’s fatal stunt I have to keep the Kaguya in line before they do something they’d regret.” Inarie answered, and her rose pink eyes glanced down at the spinal whip that formed a circle around her. The instant Inarie dropped the handle however, the whip suddenly became stiff as it remained poised in the air. Talking about Hana brought a slumbering anger swelling within Inarie’s body, almost like her inner dragon was trying to claw its way out. Yet Inarie kept those emotions at bay. She didn’t want Madrigal to see that part of her as the young Kaguya hybrid stepped outside of the encircled spine.

”What about you?”