The Way of the Fist

Hanabi made her way to the training grounds, rubbing the back of her neck and groaning. She was still pretty sore from the previous fight she had but hopefully this was some light work training and teaching. Unlike Airi, Hanabi decided to give her chest a break from the tight binding. She knew airi’s struggle And hoped that seeing Hanabi without much bandage, gave Airi a sense of comfort or.. easement. To know that another girl understood her. Either way, they needed a break to breathe. Hanabi left her robe at home and walked around with a tank top and her regular cropped leggings. Her sword maintained on her back, slighting moving around with every step.


Coming upon the training grounds, she gave a small wave and called out to Airi. Getting closer, she realized that Airi… had actually bandaged her chest up. Hanabi looked dumbfounded and thought she didn’t do anything like that.. her face grew red with embarrassment. “Y-yo.” Hanabi looked to the side, still quite embarrassed. “Thank you for coming out and helping me with Taijutsu.. I hope I can learn a lot from you” Hanabi took her sword off and placed it on the ground, the girls moving with every chance they could get. Hanabi was used to this but it just felt weird now knowing that Airi had done the same thing. She would get over it in due time though. “Where do we began?” She gave a slight smile before standing back up, once again, bouncing up and down from gravity and movement. This would be fun..

Hanabi gave a clueless blink, chuckling nervously as she was accused of being an imposter. She waved her hands and arms in front of her, denying the accusation. When she put her arms down, she felt a small poke on the side of her breast. Her face became blank, wondering why someone was poking them. Caught off guard, she looked to Airi, listening to her suggestion that binding should’ve been done. “Yeah haha… I just needed them to breathe..” A small chuckle came from Hanabi before feeling like an arrow went through her chest. Her face turned red from the comment of Taco being a lucky guy. “W-What do you mean by that.. M-Me and him aren’t together! Why does everyone think that!” She began questioning things, putting her index fingers together and fiddling her thumbs. She didn’t think they were together, let alone really much close. Was something coming off like that? He was a good looking guy after all but he didn’t strike her as being interested in her. Her face grew more red with the thoughts of him being interested. She covered her face, leaving a space her for eye to see out.


“C-Can we s-start th-the training..” Hanabi’s eyes wondering everywhere besides Airi, avoiding eye contact from the embarrassment. Did Airi and Ren know something that she didn’t? She cleared her throat and tried composing herself as Airi showed her the stance to be in. Her face died down in color but it was still visibly red. Hanabi nodded to the position Airi referenced, also making a comment about the other one. She made a nervous chuckle and get herself ready. Breathing in and breathing out. She placed her legs apart and pointed her toes in the same direction, mimicking the sitting position that Airi did. So this wasn’t a fighting stance but more of training. It wasn’t comfortable but it wasn’t unbearable. Her legs slightly shook here and there, not used to being in this stance. Her feet remained flat on the ground and she placed her arms to her sides. “Like this?”

Hanabi’s eyes widened with the possible creation of a bra that was comfortable. “R-Really! I’d love to try it!” She didn’t necessarily smile but her eyes sparkled with such excitement. If she had a tail, it’d be going crazy right now. She was suddenly taken aback by the burst of laughter coming from Airi. Did she say something? Was she rude? Hanabi’s face got red again when she was told she interpreted what Airi said wrong. “Oh… haha… I knew that.” She made a nervous chuckle.


Hanabi took note of the compliment and direction from Airi. Wobbly legs? Check. On the right track, ready for improvement. Hanabi thought about it for a movement after hearing the thought of it being vital for Kenjutsu. Thinking about it, she was pulled away from that thought when Airi continued her training speech. Watching Airi’s direct movement, looking at her crab walk in front of her, she looked into Airi’s eyes, focused. With the punch Airi threw, a crack was heard and hanabi watched her arm from neutral to thrown and back. As Airi described how to punch, Hanabi did it at the same time. Thumb OVER the knuckles, not in. She placed them out in front to make sure she did it correctly, keeping her stance while doing so. Hanabi brought her arms back to a neutral point and breathing in and out. Her eyes became relaxed and her breathing became steady. She shook her dominant hand and place it back into a fist, shaking any nerves away. Hanabi went to throw her punch, trying to copy the turn that Airi did at one point. While punching, her chest moved quite a bit but not really everywhere, more of a side to side jiggle motion. A snap wasn’t heard but maybe she had the form down? She brought her arm back and shook it again. It kinda felt weird. Maybe she did something wrong? “How was that?”

Hanabi gave a slight nod to Airi, agreeing to have her measurements being taken. She noticed the small blush on Airi’s face and got a little confused. Was she distracting her? She shook her head from the obsessive thoughts of overthinking. She gave a slight shrug and regained her focus. When she did her punches Airi gave the question Hanabi expected. She cocked her head to the side, making an ‘Eh’ noise. “You weren’t really distracting. I noticed maybe once or twice but it wasn’t enough for me to just continuously stare..” She spoke with not much emotion or more of a not caring attitude. Her face grew red and clarified what she meant. “Not that I WOULD stare but I didn’t stare.” She made a small cough before trying to change the subject but Airi had already done so. Complimenting her form, Hanabi became focused again.


She took note of how many punches she wanted and nodded, getting ready to continue her instructions. Before starting, she shook her head and looked at Airi. Did she just… say she wanted to see them jiggle? Hanabi gave a nervous chuckle before shaking her hands once again before starting. Airi suddenly gave her another question which resulted Hanabi loosening up. “Arhat? Strong fist?” She looked up and pondered for a moment. “Maybe strong fist? I would like to throw strong punches. Maybe kicks but not as much as punches.”


After going through the small questionaire Airi gave her, she did her thing once more. Now doing one punch on each hand and switching over. Her body tense, her chest moving as usual and her eyes laser sharp. Her determination drove her to getting the right form. Every few punches, a snap was heard. Each snap made Hanabi happy, an audible cue telling her that she was doing something right. Each punch she took her time, almost about two minutes each. From switching, to throwing the punch and letting her arm rest afterwards. She made sure Airi got the full view of what she needed to measure out her stance and performance. Hanabi wiped her face, sweat dripping down. She was shaking a bit more since being in this stance for a while. “How was that?” She said, breathing heavily. It was hot, she was sweaty and her chest did not appreciate the combo of those two, even without the bind.

Hanabi gave a small nod and a smile to Airi, hearing the positive praise. She gave a small chuckle and fixed her composure, standing straight up. Going back to her original height, her chest softly bouncing, more sweat coming down. Hanabi the open her forehead and neck, feeling her hand become wet. She shook whatever liquid that came onto her hand off and looked towards Airi. “Thanks.” She gave a coy response, not so much of emotion except for appreciation.


The woman took notice of Airi getting into a different stance and explaining what to do and how to do it as well as the differences between hers and the one Hanabi would be doing. She took a moment to study the stance and got into position. Her left arm out, her right hand back. Same went for her legs. It was a bit more uncomfortable just because she was a bit tired and it was a different stance. “Like this?” Hanabi asked before blinking like she was oblivious. She noticed a few things off from hers and Airi’s stance and took a moment to fix them. Each small movement, her chest jiggled. Maybe she should hit the hot springs after this training.

Hanabi watched Airi’s demonstration of the proper way to jab and hearing all of her explanations. She slightly chuckled to the comment of not knowing why they had to breathe like that. She wouldn’t question it but she felt like it was for some control. After being shown what to do, she stared at Airi, being told not to mind what she would do. She tilted her head, almost like a confused dog before scrambling to her butt on the floor, covering her face. Hanabi’s face became just as red as Airi’s. “A-Airi! W-what are you doing?!” Hanabi was so confused and more worried about how she would keep her composure later on with the team. So many surprises came with this team, let alone her own self.


After hearing Airi say there was a reason, Hanabi calmed down just enough to be able to make a gap with her fingers to see what she was doing. After a while, her face calmed down, her hands were off her face and she was looking at Airi’s hips. Frilly.. white undies? She didn’t expect that from Airi. She continued to watch as she struck her fist, noticing how her hips turned when she struck. She gave a few nods before getting back into the previous stance. “Right.” She took note of her hips and her arms. Breathing in and breathing out, with the gist of it now, she struck her punch. It was great but hanabi didn’t breathe out and she didn’t turn her hips. She blinked and gave a nervous chuckle, fearful of what Airi may do. One more time. Breathing in, breathing out. Hanabi threw her jab, exhaling and turning her hips, making a very sharp “Hah-“ sound. Hanabi looked to Airi whether she did good or not. Geez… she was more like a dog wanting approval than anything. Guess that’s the Inuzuka side…

Hanabi gave a few small nods to Airi, accepting her criticism. "Thanks.. I guess it is the Uchiha in me.." She made a low grumble from admitting the Uchiha side of her. Once Airi brought up the idea of her going to her dojo, she immediately put an X with her arms to decline the offer. "Sorry, I just don't see it benefitting either of us.." She gave a nervous laugh. "As you say, I understand the Hyuga clan.. I am a known Uchiha... I don't think we'd get along.." Hanabi put her arms down, looking down at the ground. She really hated being this weird outcasted person. She wasn't welcomed really near the other families that had issues with the Uchiha, let alone her. Her head perked up with Airi's continuation of the training and followed closely.


Seeing Airi punch with such delicacy and such precision made Hanabi hopeful that she could be diverse in Taijutsu. She wanted to be able to defend on her own without her sword or ninjutsu if there ever was a time to do so. Even if there wasn't, she could probably do some deadly combos with her Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. Hanabi put herself in the similar stance as Airi and began focusing hard, comparing each punch, stance and foot placement to her own. She began making a fist with the proper technique Airi instructed earlier and began making a jab with her right then left, trying to do hooks. Although they were hooks, they weren't as pretty as Airi's. It was a start though and Hanabi was proud of what she had accomplished so far.

Swinging her arms, she noticed Airi focusing hard as well, noticing something off. She stopped as Airi began getting into place in front of Hanabi. Watching her put up a defensive stance, she was instructed to throw punches at Airi. Hanabi’s eyes widened and got nervous, afraid she’d hurt her own team mate. “Okay.” She cleared her throat and got back into the stance she was in, shaking any nerves off. Her dedication got her this far, she could do a few swings at Airi.. 25%… okay, you got this Hanabi…


Hanabi threw her jabs at her forearms and a straight reverse in the mix of it. The slapping noise from skin to skin was prominent from the force she used on her forearms. There wasn’t much to squish as Airi’s forearms we’re pretty muscular and could hold up on their own. Her strength wasn’t that great but she was still worried. Now going to the hooks, she tried bringing her arm back and swinging around her forearm, and stopping right before contact with the side of her face. Hanabi breathed in and exhaled heavily, nervous that she might’ve hit Airi. “S-sorry.”

Hanabi blinked like a confused child before stammering over her words, realizing she almost clocked Airi. “I-I’m s-sorry! I g-guess I just g-got i-into it-t at th-the end.” She claps her hands together and bowed, apologizing in a formal manner. “I’ll treat you to some ramen, on me!” Her eyes were closed shut and her head was lower than her arms, signifying she was embarrassed and ashamed.

After Airi took a few steps back and regained her composure, hanabi properly apologized once again, still feeling bad. “Should we take a break?” She made a gulp and looked around, avoiding eye contact with Airi. “Maybe.. we should practice with a dummy too… or..” She made a fist and hit the palm of her hand. “Why not make some clones?!” She looked to Airi with her great idea. “Why didn’t we think of that!!”

Hanabi gave a small chuckle and fixed her composure, standing straight up. Airi’s expressive responses surely made it worth while for this training. She gave a little bounce and gave Airi a thumbs up, her chest softly bouncing, more sweat coming down. “Sounds like a plan!” She gave a smile to Airi, promising her ramen after this training. She then wiped her forehead again, shaking the sweat off and looking towards Airi. “Uppercut?” She gave a blank response, titling her head.


The woman took notice of Airi getting into the same stance as before, following her lead once again. As Airi began showing the movement, Hanabi slowly followed behind with the uppercut, mimicking a slow and weak one. She took a moment to practice the motion before attempting it herself. It was quick but she made just enough force with her stamina to make a sharp uppercut, her muscles becoming more defined as she swung up. She was more tired than before and it was a long day. She had ramen on her mind, maybe the bathhouse as well. Her mouth salivated for a moment before she swallowed her saliva. “Seems powerful…”

“Sure I’d love that.” Hanabi responded while standing up straight and heading over to a place to sit down. Hanabi shook her head, closing her eyes and opening them again. “Maybe just a girls day? Katsu trains a lot so I think he’ll be okay. Plus I would like to go to the bath house and soak in some hot water.” She stretched her arms, her chest perking up and going back down once she stopped stretching. “It should be a good time for a break unless you want to continue..” Hanabi rubbed the back of her neck and fanned her face from the heat. “Maybe some ramen with him wouldn’t be bad.. The bathhouse, no.” She chuckled, pondering to herself.

She looked to Airi now waiting for a response as to what they should do about training and more. “So what’s you’re verdict, sensei?”

Hanabi began picking her sword up and dusting the sheath off from all the dust and dirt on it. She looked up to Airi, slowly blinking and making her way to her. “Yeah, we can go get some. Maybe the bathhouse after or what not. Either or doesn’t matter to me.” She gave a wide grin before heading towards the entrance of the training room. While walking, she heard Airi comment about the name Sensei and to not call her that. Hanabi waved her hand towards Airi, looking back at her over her shoulder. Her back had multiple scar wounds and a most recent burn that peeked out from her tank top. It was a snakes head that stared towards Airi. The heat of the day made the pain a bit uncomfortable but it wasn’t something Hanabi couldn’t deal with. “Don’t worry about it! I think you did fine! Besides…” Hanabi turned around, placing her sword on her shoulder, lifting her arm up and almost catching something mid-air with her hand. She pointed towards herself with her thumb and called out. “We have to learn from one another if we’re gonna get stronger! I think you’ll do fine in the battle between all of us. You’re an amazing taijutsu artist!” Hanabi stayed out for a moment, waiting for Airi to get her things so they could get some ramen. Hanabi was more eager plus she didn’t have much with her so she just wanted to head out first. Hanabi enjoyed Airi’s training and hoped to take her lessons forward with her if she ever needed to.