The air was hot. But Tsuba didn't notice. She was too busy focusing on her katana strokes. Her father had been scolding her for not being well rounded enough. And so she began working with her shuriken for a week. Then her kunai for a week. And now she was working with her katana. She still missed her naginata.

If only Uncle Kensaki was home... surely he could smooth her routine out. He would likely even let her spar with him - though he'd take a defensive stance. She didn't want to get slaughtered just yet. Tsuba wasn't up to Anbu standards just yet. But she would be - soon enough.

Her twelve year old hands were too small for the sword, her brothers had said, but she didn't care. It was hers to use and she would do her utmost to excel. No dumb comments from her brothers would stop her.

She stopped moving for a moment and finally registered the sweat that was starting to show on her skin. It really was a great summer day, complete with perspiration. Tsuba sheathed her katana and wiped some of the sweat from her forehead, going over to her bag to retrieve her canteen of water. She gulped some down and glanced at the bento her mother had packed her. No, she would wait to eat it. It wasn't even two o'clock yet. She could wait until then.

But it did smell good...

No. She drank a little more water and then capped it, replacing it in the bag and heading back out to the center of the field, drawing her katana from her back with a slow, calculated movement. Oh, if Uncle Kensaki could see her now...

They went without me... I thought they said they'd wait and they went without me anyway...

Stalking through the forest, her satchel swinging carelessly at her side, thirteen year old Tsuchiya Chihiro ducked under a branch and kicked at the ground.

Because her co-ordination was poor - and maybe that was why her teammates and sensei had gone training without her today - she wound up smacking her nose against a tree when she stumbled.

"Oh damnit! Now even the trees are against me!"

It was stupid and it was babyish and it made something inside her burn back at another burn somewhere in her chest, so Chihiro shut herself up and just kept walking. Further into the forest and away from other people.

Which made it all the more surprising to run into another of Konoha's citizens in a small meadow five minutes later as she rubbed her bruised nose. A small female figure slipping through a beautiful series of katas with her katana, her blue and white clothes cutting a swift blur of colour across the green.

Chihiro pushed her glasses up onto her nose, felt the weight of her own second- hand sword on her back and could only watch for a long time. Hoping to learn something. Finally the other girl drew to a level stop and Chihiro had to say something.

"Uhm, that... that was really amazing!" she called out, tugging at her satchel strap and smiling uncertainly.

Tsuba had just finished that kata her brothers always stumbled through and grinned to herself. Only to freeze as she heard someone behind her. How had she not noticed them?

"Uhm, that... that was really amazing!"

An admirer? Usually she got scolded on having her foot in the wrong spot or almost losing her balance or... she was getting complimented? Only Uncle Kensaki did that... or the academy instructors. And her father always insulted them enough that Tsuba hesitated to truly accept the praise.

Tsuba turned around and lowered her katana, blinking as she saw a girl around her age. All by herself? Weren't all the other genin teams out training or on missions? Hers had just returned from a mission and her teammates were recouping from their injuries. Her parents wouldn't accept her getting hurt, so she had kept her senses so high that she hardly slept... and so she didn't get hurt. But she had been exhausted when they returned. And the very next day she had been pushed out the door to train. So was life, though.

"Thank you," Tsuba nodded her head. She was supposed to accept praise, but not take it to heart. She couldn’t allow herself to be lifted up in pride, right?

Who was this girl? Was she... wait. The Tsuchiya girl. The family that her family hated almost more than anything…

"Dishonorable, thieving merchants. Can't even keep their family within one country."

"Filthy little beggars. Not worthy of being in the same village."

But she didn't look too dirty. Or dishonorable. Maybe a bit clumsy and insecure... she was tugging at her satchel strap. But didn't Tsuba feel like that a lot of the time? She just couldn't show it, was all.

She smiled softly. Her parents weren't here to dictate her life right now. She rather enjoyed training. As long as she improved at a rapid pace what she did in her breaks between practice were her own choice.

"I'm Gekkou Tsuba, aren't you in the Tsuchiya family?"

Chihiro smiled at the other girl's friendly greeting. It wasn't exactly typical of how things went for her with the other young ninjas. Chihiro understood why that was, and recently she'd begun believing that if it was ever going to change it would be her who changed it. Nobody else seemed to know how.

Not that Chihiro knew how, but she figured if she thought about it long and hard and deep enough she would work out a way.

She took a few steps out into the summery field and stopped rubbing her nose.

"I'm Gekkou Tsuba, aren't you in the Tsuchiya family?"

Nodding, Chihiro piped up. "Yes, I'm Tsuchiya Chihiro!"

The sun was arcing high in the sky above them, and when Chihiro paused to glance up at the blue sky its light bounced in bright pools from her glasses. What a wonderful day.

She turned and smiled gingerly at the other girl. Though she looked a little younger somehow Chihiro felt like she was looking at someone alot more mature than she was. "Are you out here training by yourself, Gekkou-san?"

Then the stupidity of the question hit her.

"Oh, uhm, yes. Obviously you are. Only... obviously you're not because I'm here and..."

She closed her eyes and winced. Why did she always talk too much or talk too little?

Tsuchiya Chihiro. Tsuba thought the girl looked familiar. They'd graduated near each other, she thought. She sure seemed like a happy person, she was smiling at the sunshine, grinning and basically seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Are you out here training by yourself, Gekkou-san?"

Tsuba was going to nod or something, but Chihiro continued rambling.

"Oh, uhm, yes. Obviously you are. Only... obviously you're not because I'm here and…"

It was odd. As insecure as Tsuba often felt, Chihiro looked. Tsuba thought it must be terrible to have people know you're feeling insecure. And so it was with that train of thought, that Tsuba spoke.

"You shouldn't let them see it," she nodded. "Father always gets after me when I let my emotions show." Tsuba closed her mouth and looked away. Great, now she was scolding the girl.

"I mean..." she shrugged and sheathed her katana. "Ninjas aren't supposed to show weaknesses, right, Chihiro-san?" She paused. "I can call you Chihiro-san, right? Because you can just call me by my first name."

Chihiro blushed when Tsuba spoke. She was very right, Chihiro was often poor at hiding her thoughts and emotions. Not like the girl in front of her though. Everything about her was judged and leveled before she let anybody see it, Chihiro could tell.

I need to learn to keep my thoughts inside.

"Aah, very uhm... very t-true Tsuba-san," she said with a slight stutter. Another weakness showing through that she didn't think she could ever fight past.

She fidgeted a little more with her satchel strap, then realized what a tell that was and dropped her hands to clasp behind her back against the scabbard of her katana.

"So... I knew your clan are excellent swordsmen but I didn't know which kinds of blades you use. That really is a beautiful katana," she said, admiring the weapon sitting in its sheath in the other girl's grip.

She wanted to ask if she could stay and watch her for a little while, to try and learn something about that grace and skill she'd just seen. But she couldn't do that yet. She just... couldn't.

"Aah, very uhm... very t-true Tsuba-san."

Tsuba started to frown a little. Chihiro really was embarrassed. And not very good at hiding it. Tsuba would have to fix that. From what she remembered, Chihiro was the only ninja in her family. And that meant Chihiro would have to be quite strong, especially with such a clan in her background. Fidgeting, blushing, and even playing with her satchel strap again…

But she restrained herself, put her hands behind her back and spoke again. Stuttering less this time. That was an improvement, right?

"So... I knew your clan are excellent swordsmen but I didn't know which kinds of blades you use. That really is a beautiful katana."

Ah, the usual Gekkou commentary. "Thank you, Chihiro-san." Tsuba smiled and nodded. "Samurai honor and customs have been instilled in me ever since I can remember. I love my naginata, but Father said I needed to be well rounded. So I've been going through all the other weapons. Just started in with my katana again."

She pulled out the blade and smiled at it. "It used to be my grandfather's, but he's since passed on. And Father is helping me keep it in good shape, we even had to redo the binding on the handle, see, here?"

Tsuba pointed to the blue wrappings circling the handle. "It used to be red, but Father thought blue was a better color for me." She looked at Chihiro's katana and smiled softly. "I could redo yours, if you'd like. It should be done every so often, most people don't know that. And the best part about it?" She let her smile deepen a little. "With just a little sharpening, maybe tightening some screws, some polishing and a new wrapping any katana can look good.

The offer made Chihiro's face light up, despite her new efforts to act like a proper ninja with existant emotional control.

Well, she was still young, and as Sensei often pointed out she was far from perfect yet. So she nodded and let her dark eyes take in all the details of Tsuba's family heirloom.

"That would be r-really nice, Tsuba-san. I'm afraid I don't know enough about caring for my katana," she said, bringing it around so both of them could see it.

"I got it from my teammate, because he had trained a lot on it and gotten a new one from his parents, so he said I could have this one," she explained, fingering the scuffed sheath and smiling a little. "It was nice of him, because I had said I wanted to learn something besides jutsus and my own clan's ninjutsu..."

Chihiro lowered her voice and glanced side to side, looking for all the world like a girl keen not to get caught sharing gossip. "And I heard that in the Anbu this is one of the only weapons they use..."

"That would be r-really nice, Tsuba-san. I'm afraid I don't know enough about caring for my katana."

Tsuba smiled and lightly ran a finger along the handle, hilt, and sheath. It could be fixed up. Perhaps it would be best to replace the sheath, though. It was looking a little sad.

"I got it from my teammate, because he had trained a lot on it and gotten a new one from his parents, so he said I could have this one. It was nice of him, because I had said I wanted to learn something besides jutsus and my own clan's ninjutsu..."

Tsuba nodded and sheathed her own katana, her grin broadening as she heard Chihiro's next words.

"And I heard that in the Anbu this is one of the only weapons they use..."

"That was very nice of your teammate. I don't think I brought any wrappings with me, but we could sharpen and polish it a bit. That would help out some. I'd need my father's tools for the rest." Tsuba glanced around in an imitation of Chihiro's behavior and leaned closer, nodding. "My Uncle Kensaki is in Anbu and he's a master with his katana! It's definitely true."

With this cleared up, Tsuba started for her bag. "Let's see if we can get that katana sparkling, at least the blade, hm?" She crouched down in front of it and began to dig through the contents. She did bring a sharpening stone - she always had one with her - and even had some polish with her. But she didn't really have a rag... but she could maybe use part of her clothes. These were just practice clothing anyway. She could use the excuse of polishing her own blade. Her father would even commend her for taking such good care of her blade.

A secret smile couldn't help but pass Chihiro's face as Tsuba whispered back - just as reverently - about the Anbu.

She has an uncle in Anbu? Oh my gosh...

Then the smaller girl turned away and knelt in the grass, searching through her pack for cleaning tools.

Not sure if she should follow Tsuba to her satchel, Chihiro fiddled with hers a little before taking a steadying breath and following to hover uncertainly behind her. Over her shoulder she spied the sharpening stone and polish lying in the bag alongside a carefully prepared and oddly untouched lunch.

Then the obvious thought occurred to her.

"Oh, uhm... I'm sorry I d-don't mean to interrupt your training or your lunch Tsuba-san," she said quickly, gripping her katana a little tighter out of nerves. The sheath squeaked against the blade and she winced down at it.

No ninja's weapon should be so loud!

"Oh, uhm... I'm sorry I d-don't mean to interrupt your training or your lunch Tsuba-san."

Tsuba glanced back just in time to hear the sheath and blade squeak. She flinched and stood, smiling all the broader. "You're not a bother, Chihiro-san. Come on, let me see it then."

When the other girl just kept her face lowered, Tsuba grabbed the blade and unsheathed it, thrusting the sheath into the side of her hakama pants. "Hm," she ran her finger along the blade. She nodded to herself and then looked at the connection between hilt and blade. It was a little loose. But there wasn't much she could do about it at the moment. She'd have to meet up with Chihiro again to fix this; her father might let her borrow his kit if she told him she was assisting a friend with her katana. He was always telling her to befriend people - though not those of low standards.

So it would be for the best not to mention who she was helping… Tsuba plopped down on the ground and began to sharpen the blade, her entire focus on it.

Tsuba certainly wasted no time, and had no trouble doing as she wanted. When she took Chihiro's katana with confident hands, the other girl could only blink and watch as she set about examining the blade with careful dark eyes.

Chihiro thought she needed to learn to be so forthright. How else was she going to change anything between her clan and Konoha?

So with that spirit in mind, she sat across from Tsuba and watched her precise and practiced movements of the polishing stone on the katana. Perfect in every way that Chihiro could see from behind her glasses.

As always, Chihiro's fingers had to be doing something, so she dug into her satchel and pulled out a few squares of paper, idly folding them into new variations of standard creatures. The crane, the fox, the snake...

She should give one to Tsuba... just a way to say thank you. The crane would be best - they were for peace and friendship and their elegance suited the way Tsuba had moved with her katana in her hand.

Soon both of them were all but finished on their projects and Chihiro looked up with a small smile.

"Uhm... here, Tsuba-san," she said, putting a carefully made crane on the grass by the other girl's knee.

There. All done. Tsuba nodded softly to herself and blinked in surprise as Chihiro was sitting across from her - when had that happened? She must have been more focused than she thought.

"Uhm... here, Tsuba-san."

A paper crane? It was so beautifully done, too . . . Tsuba remembered that she had tried to make a frog once. It had ended miserably and her aunt had just smiled and patted Tsuba on the head. Her father had suggested working with her katana more.

Maybe that was all she was cut out for - fighting. She couldn't cook in the least bit, couldn't do origami, and certainly wasn't a dancer. Though that was odd since she seemed to be fair at doing her kata. It seemed easy enough in principle, but Tsuba just couldn't get her feet to move in the right ways or with the rhythm.

"Thank you," Tsuba set the katana on her lap and picked up the paper crane, examining it. "It's beautiful."

Of course Chihiro could make origami creations, she was a Tsuchiya. Their whole life seemed to be centered on paper. While her family focused on blades and fists and fighting . . .

"I think these are amazing," she smiled at the crane and set it down gently on her pack. "I'm hopeless with things like that. I tried to make a frog once," Tsuba shrugged. "Ended up in a little wad is all."

She hopped to her feet, grinning. Tsuba pointed the blade at Chihiro and then tossed it up, catching the dull end of the blade with her fingertips and holding the handle out to its rightful owner - it was a trick she'd managed to get right just last week. But at least it looked impressive.

"Let's see how you are with a blade, Chihiro-san."

Chihiro's glasses bounced the light off her katana as it flipped in the air. All the while it seemed in Tsuba's perfect control and it impressed Chihiro so much she almost jumped when it was presented to her.

Wow!

Getting to her feet, leaving her satchel by Tsuba's, Chihiro carefully gripped her gleaming katana and walked with Tsuba to the center of the field. Very aware of how uneven her walk was compared to the Gekkou girl's gliding gait.

"Okay... uhm..."

She was going to get royally schooled. But she would learn, she'd make sure she did.

So Chihiro bowed respectfully, held her katana defensively and waited for Tsuba to attack.

Tsuba prepared herself by evening out her breathing and soon was standing across from Chihiro. She drew out her katana and kept eye contact with Chihiro. Though perhaps they should run through kata first. No, Chihiro had bowed to her - she had bowed in return instinctively - so it would be best to honor her challenge.

A defensive stance. Was she sure she wanted Tsuba to attack first? Chihiro had to know that Tsuba was more experienced with katanas. She had to.

But there she was, waiting for her.

And so she struck, swinging slower than usual - just until she knew how fast Chihiro’s reflexes were - towards her shoulder. Surely she could block this . . . surely.

Chihiro - truth be told - had no idea how to make the first move in a sword fight, and she wasn't about to try her chances against someone with Tsuba's skill.

So she held her defensive postition and waited, not for long as it turned out, for the other girl to make her move.

Oh my gosh! So fast!

Chhiro raised her blade to block at her shoulder - just in time - in the best block she knew. Quickly stepping back she decided not to risk another of those strikes so soon and swept her newly-gleaming katana in a low strike for Tsuba's side.

Wow, was it almost her imagination but her katana seemed to move a little faster through the air now.

Not as fast as Tsuba had hoped for, but that could be improved. Pity she wouldn't be challenged much. Chihiro had blocked, that was enough for now. And then she backed away and went for Tsuba's side.

Typical first strike. Go where you think they're defenseless. Tsuba deftly shifted her blade to block the blow and then jerked upwards. It was obvious that Chihiro wasn't properly grounded, surely she would be knocked off balance. Tsuba only hoped she didn't knock Chihiro clear off her feet. If that was the case, well, she'd start her on kata and basic exercises immediately.

She had never thought she'd be grateful for the regimentation of her childhood. If nothing else, she had her balance and discipline.

And a lack of a friends.

The force and angle of Tsuba's reply was almost enough to topple Chihiro straight over, but not quite. She'd realized how much more skilled Tsuba was before the fight had even begun, and now she knew for sure she couldn't hope to win on just the pure katana skills.

So she threw all her weight backwards and flipped to land almost ten feet away from the other girl in a low crouch. It wasn't exactly a perfect landing, but it was good enough for Chihiro's sturdy legs to take. Narrowing her eyes, she leapt forward and clasped her hands together around her sword - forming handseals around the hilt.

Five bunshins - all perfectly formed - appeared around her and the six of them scattered around Tsuba's smaller form and got ready to attack.

Okay, one, two, three, four, and go!

As Chihiro rushed in right in the middle of her crowd of clones, she decided her lack of katana skills at least made pulling of a jutsu like this convincingly a little easier!

At least she didn't fall on her rear. Hm. Chihiro even managed to land - somewhat gracefully - after flipping a distance away. And then she was charging again. Tsuba slid into a crouch and prepared herself for a conventional strike. Oh dear. Handseals. Bunshin.

She narrowed her eyes and took a breath, not even flinching as six Chihiro’s appeared and circled her. The real one would strike, or at least that was the one to worry the most about.

And one came charging at her.

Simple enough to block out the other bushins. Tsuba blocked the strike with ease and spun away, not bothering to think about the bushins. She had made contact with the blade - she'd found the real one. Now all she had to do was keep her eye on it. Regaining her footing, she charged with renewed speed. Chihiro had upped the challenge, Tsuba was more than willing to match it. Though she'd see how far she could get with simply kenjutsu. Father would be proud of her, right?

She began what would be a relentless assault, striking first from the air. Chihiro managed to barely get her blade up in time. Tsuba then dropping to the ground behind her, striking towards Chihiro's arm and using her free arm to jam her elbow into the girl's spine.

Her brother's ruthless fighting style could come in handy afterall.

"Ack!"

Chihiro tried to dodge her body away from Tsuba's extremely pointy elbow but she just wasn't built for it. Pain shot up and down her back but she grit her teeth and refused to let it paralyse her as she slammed down and inward with her own katana - trying to knock Tsuba's blade into the ground.

Winded, but far from giving up, Chihiro commanded her bunshins to race at the pair of them and then cancelled the jutsu - filling the air around them with puffs of white smoke and noise. She threw herself backwards again and gasped heavily in the distraction, blue eyes blinking furiously behind her glasses.

Ouch! This was getting serious!

But she smiled just a little. This was the kind of training she wanted. She was sturdy enough to take a few knocks to make up for her lack of skill.

Gritting her teeth, Chihiro tried to adopt a little more of Tsuba's professional stance and went straight for her in a classic series of swipes. From above, left, right, left, upward, right, downward, forward thrust - and all as fast as she could make it.

Tsuba knew Chihiro couldn't get away from her strike - not when Tsuba was so much faster and so close behind her. And she understood how much it hurt - it'd been done to her plenty. And yet Chihiro managed to block Tsuba's blade to an extent. Impressive will power this Tsuchiya had. But Tsuba thought she must need it, being the only ninja in her family.

What was she doing now? The bushin were rushing towards them and then canceled right before. Oh no.

She flipped backwards quickly, coughing for a moment and blinking rapidly to clear her vision. She'd never fought Chihiro before, it would be best to keep her awareness very high - not that she should ever really lower it, so said her father.

Chihiro had backed away from the smoke as well and now looked more determined. Tsuba saw her coming and moved instinctively, sinking into a defensive pose. The strikes came quickly, but as Tsuba had worked with a katana so often and in such a regimented manner her body reacted instinctively. Block above, then to the left, the right, left again, dart out of the way, right side now, spin out of the way for the downward thrust, then pivot to the side to avoid the thrust. Tsuba really wished her father could see this, surely he'd be impressed at her flawless transitions.

But Chihiro had guts and a bit of skill. Perseverance. Perhaps she would become something after all.

Tsuba saw her opening - Chihiro was still following her blade forward - and knocked the blade out of her hands with her own, then grabbed the girl's wrist and pivoted inward, dropped her blade to the ground and flipped Chihiro over her shoulders and onto the ground. Tsuba backed away quickly and picked up her blade, flicking the dirt clod off it before sinking into an offensive stance.

She couldn't help but smirk. "Done already, Chihiro-san?"

Done yet? Like hell!

Chihiro rolled back onto her feet, got her sword back in her hands and decided this wasn't just about the katanas anymore.

"Just starting out Tsuba-san," she said quietly, coughing a little as her winded chest got moving properly again. Geez, that had been one nasty flip. One day Chihiro was going to have to learn how to do that kind of thing.

No time like today then, and maybe she could teach Tsuba a trick or two of hers in return.

She flicked a hand away from her katana's hilt and snagged a trio of paper squares from a seamless pocket in her dress. Darting back in an odd arc, to try and confuse Tsuba and distract from the paper in her left hand.

A few seconds later her best jutsu was in play - in a way she'd never thought to use it before. Running forward in another standard attack, Chihiro made her origami birds flit along at her shoulders - then sent them ahead to attack the Gekkou girl.

They'd be sliced into ribbons on that gleaming sword.

But the best thing was that that was the point.

Chihiro was back on her feet and armed. Though she was using a stance Tsuba had never seen before, unless... she wasn't trying to distract her was she?

She was - and Tsuba had fallen for it. Now she had to react immediately. The strangest thing was happening, Chihiro was charging at Tsuba but there were pieces of paper - no, origami birds - at her shoulders, following alongside her. She was Tsuchiya, Tsuba couldn't ignore or underestimate the paper.

As Tsuba prepared herself to defend the birds came rushing at her and she only got her hands half-way through the seals. She turned to her immediate defense, but she couldn't forget about Chihiro who was following the birds...

Tsuba sliced one bird in two and backed up rapidly, she needed space and time to deal with both birds and a Tsuchiya girl quickly advancing. She sliced another bird and then bit her lip as one of the birds had gotten past her and was biting her or doing something painful.

She had to keep her eyes on Chihiro, she would be major threat. She had to be.

Tsuba's katana strikes were perfect, paring the flitting birds into scraps of free-fluttering paper that whipped up around the eddys and currents her sword made in the air.

Chihiro focused, thankful she hadn't overestimated Tsuba's skill as she pivoted gracefully on her heel and bisected the one bird that had managed to get behind her and peck paper-cuts against the back of her shoulders.

Alright! Time to see if it works!

She made ready to slash out in another standard set of katana strokes, blade gleaming in the sunlight, sweat beading behind her glasses and then--

--feinted away and slammed a bare palm out with the shouted words "kami shibari no jutsu!" and a swell of hope and delicately focused chakra.

Please work, please work, plea-YES!

The Chuunin level technique succeeded, the flurrying remains of her three birds whipping through the air to cling to Tsuba's face and neck. Blinding and choking her as they sealed her eyes.

"You can't sort those out with a katana, Tsuba-san," she smiled quietly, nerves forgotten in the rush of this odds-against success. Gasping a little against the effort it was taking to maintain the jutsu.

It only lasted a few seconds before dispersing, but it was long enough for her to have another go at disarming the Gekkou girl.

If Chihiro was honest with herself, the only way she could possibly get that katana away from Tsuba was if she was blind and suffocating anyway.

Tsuba hated paper. It meant writing calligraphy that never looked right. Or scribbling down notes as her father lectured her on the advantages and disadvantages of different arts. But she especially hated them when they started attacking her.

This was definitely an experience she would never forget.

"You can't sort those out with a katana, Tsuba-san."

The paper had startled her and then she started to grow terrified as her eyes were held shut and the paper contracted on her throat. Hadn't she already shredded the birds? No, she'd just cut them in two. It was true she couldn't get them with just her katana, though. Not in the conventional way at least.

Guess she would have to use ninjutsu after all. She tried to listen for where Chihiro was, backing away as she got nearer, gathering chakra all the while. She found it hard to focus on her chakra, but knew her family would be disappointed if she lost to something so simple as blindness and suffocation.

Even if it was painful.

"Uzumaku tsugikaze!" Tsuba gasped with the last of her air and began sweeping her katana back and forth as fast as she could manage. It was much slower than she would have liked, but the ninjutsu worked. Her little bit of wind multiplied by tenfold and she grit her teeth. Her hair was whipping around enough, the paper would have to come off. It had to.

She felt her throat loosen and gasped for air, stopping the ninjutsu and falling into an offensive stance. Her heart was still racing with effort and while she took a moment to smirk at her opponent that was all she allowed it.

Chihiro wouldn't stay surprised for long. Tsuba sprinted forward - her lungs ached unnecessarily - and then jumped into the air, coming down to land on top of the Tsuchiya.

Thrilled by the success of the shibari jutsu, Chihiro realized too late that she had over-stretched herself. Before she could get close enough to Tsuba to take advantage of her state the other girl generated a piercing wind with her katana blade which tore her hard-won jutsu to pieces.

I need to remember that, chakra winds are a definite weakness of that technique and OH DAMN!

Suddenly the other girl was leaping through the air and Chihiro yelped and reacted instinctively with an upwards block with her katana. She just managed to deflect the blow of Tsuba's sword, but her own was catapulted right out her hands by the force of the attacking strike.

Not that Chihiro had much time to notice, the air was catapulted right out her lungs when Tsuba landed on her and knocked her flat to the ground.

Everything was very still, save Tsuba's ragged breathing and Chihiro's winded gasps. It was so hot both of them had sweat in their hair and red in their faces. In the near distance they both heard Chihiro's katana thunk tip-first into the grass where it finally fell.

Trying to focus past the black spots dancing in her vision and the pain in her chest where Tsuba's knees were digging in; Chihiro knew when she was beaten.

"Y-you win, Tsuba-san," she said. She was about to try and say something more, something along the lines of 'thank you' or 'really well done' or 'I'm sorry I tried to choke you with pieces of paper' but she never got the chance.

"TSUBA!" shouted a man's voice.

She succeeded. Tsuba stayed on Chihiro's chest, gasping for air and holding her blade above Chihiro's neck. Her lungs still ached. Sweat was dripping off her face but she didn't care. She had done her family well and won.

"Y-you win, Tsuba-san."

She started to ease herself off Chihiro, only to freeze as a familiar voice boomed at her.

"TSUBA!"

Tsuba was on her feet at once, bowing her head. "Uncle Kensaki."

He was standing a few feet away, crossing his arms and frowning. "What are you doing?"

"We were sparring, nothing more." She lifted her face and smiled. "I won!"

Kensaki's expression changed into a smile and he laughed. "As is expected, Tsu- chan." He pulled her to his side and ruffled her hair. "And who is your unfortunate foe?"

"Oh, this is Tsuchiya Chihiro. She put up a really good fight," she gestured to Chihiro and beamed. "She nearly got me with her origami birds. It was your Uzumaku tsugikaze that saved me."

"Ah," he nodded and smiled again. "I'm glad I taught it to you then." Kensaki's eyes then turned to Chihiro. "The one and only Tsuchiya genin I presume?"

Pushing herself up quickly, despite how winded and dizzy she was, Chihiro managed to get to her feet as soon as Tsuba leapt off her stomach. It wouldn't do to be lying on the ground defeated like that for more than a second, she might give the wrong idea. In just a moment she was standing at attention, fingers clenched at her sides, back straight as she could make it (despite the dent in her spine Tsuba's elbow had delivered).

Chihiro didn't look or act like someone with much pride, but it was there. It was how she was still herself after so many beatings and beratings. And she was more than ready to take another one when she heard a man shout Tsuba's voice.

But when she heard Tsuba call him "Uncle Kensaki" and saw the familiar way he treated her she blinked a little. Was this the...

"Oh, this is Tsuchiya Chihiro. She put up a really good fight... She nearly got me with her origami birds. It was your Uzumaku tsugikaze that saved me."

Chihiro blushed bright, bright red and her fingers fidgetted at her sides a little. Praise was so rare... and Tsuba was such a good fighter. She entirely expected this elder Gekkou to laugh.

"I'm glad I taught it to you then...The one and only Tsuchiya genin I presume?"

He turned to her and smiled, his dark eyes piercing straight through Chihiro.

"Uhm... uhm... y-yessir. Th-that would be me, Sir," she said quietly, bowing in respect and willing her hands to hold still.

She was so used to being called out by members of the old Konoha clans that Chihiro entirely expected to be dismissed at this point. But she wasn't. So she glanced up to meet Gekkou Kensaki's eyes again and this time did her best not to look away.

"D-did you really invent that katana chakra wind jutsu, Gekkou-san? I have never seen something like it before," she said, biting the inside of her cheek to try and keep from stammering even more.

"Uhm... uhm... y-yessir. Th-that would be me, Sir.”

Tsuba smiled and bowed reflexively. Kensaki dipped his head.

"D-did you really invent that katana chakra wind jutsu, Gekkou-san? I have never seen something like it before."

Kensaki smiled at Chihiro's darting glances. She was nearly as bad as Tsuba when she blushed. "Ah, I did. I taught it to Tsuba just last year and she's been trying to show it off whenever she can."

"I do not!" Tsuba whimpered, frowning. "It just was the only thing I could think of..."

"Of course, Tsu-chan," Kensaki chuckled and set a hand on her head. "It must have been some jutsu to catch Tsuba with paper. It was a Tsuchiya technique, wasn't it? I haven't seen too many of them, but they can be quite formidable."

Tsuba nodded. "I thought the birds were done after I cut them, certainly didn't expect them to attack again."

"Ah, that's why you have to say attentive," Kensaki smiled down at his niece. "You shouldn't underestimate your enemy's weaponry."

"Or my enemy," Tsuba nodded.

"That's my Tsu-chan."

Kensaki's statements left Chihiro a little open-mouthed. Respect for her clan's techniques... from a Gekkou? The clan with the most refined jutsus in all of Konoha, maybe the continent? And Tsuba saying as much too... and the ease of the way words flowed between them both. And gestures too.

Chihiro had to admire the relationship they so clearly had. Family and mentor and student and...

...I suppose if I had stayed with the clan's paper-making techniques... or with the ink and calligraphy groups... I would have something like that...

It wasn't a happy thing to think, but Chihiro couldn't help the smallest wistful smile tugging at her mouth. That was why Tsuba-san was so strong, and there was doubtless a price paid for it, but it was good that such a relationship existed in the other Konoha ninja clans.

Maybe one day, she would have other Tsuchiya look up to her like Tsuba-san looked up to Kensaki-san.

Now that was something to hope for. So she pushed her flyaway hair out her eyes and bowed to the elder Gekkou.

"Th-thank you, Sir. Our paper is... it's our strength. I'm glad I could at least give Tsuba-san a little opposition after I interrupted her training, and she so kindly helped me fix up my k-katana."

Oh no! Her katana!

Chihiro 'meeped!' and darted over to where it had fallen in the grass, dirt spread over the freshly polished blade and ratty handle. Frowning worriedly, she rubbed it down with the hem of her dress and patted what dirt she could out of the handle's bandages.

Great impression to make, especially in front of a clan of swordmasters!

"Th-thank you, Sir. Our paper is... it's our strength. I'm glad I could at least give Tsuba-san a little opposition after I interrupted her training, and she so kindly helped me fix up my k-katana."

Kensaki raised his eyebrows at that. Tsuba had helped fix up a katana - which the Tsuchiya girl squeaked and then ran over to pick up. Ah, no wonder the girl had been so outclassed. If Tsuba was nothing else, she was good with her blades. There were times he thought she was even better than her brothers had been at her age.

"Ah, it is no problem," he nodded his head and after a cursory glance at the weapon Chihiro was haphazardly trying to clean Kensaki turned his gaze to Tsuba. "You weren't done fixing it already, were you, Tsuba?"

Tsuba shook her head. "Oh, no. I just didn't have all the tools I needed. And she might need a whole new hilt, or at least new wrappings. And I didn't have any of those with me. Plus the screws seemed a little loose, and well, I didn't have any of the right tools..."

He ruffled her hair and pulled out his katana, tilting the blade up and crouching down to give a better view to the two small girls. "What else can be used as a tool, Tsu-chan? Chihiro-chan?"

Tsuba gasped. "Oh! I could have used my katana to tighten the screws!"

Kensaki laughed and nodded. "Ah, and you probably have some bandages in your bag. You always carry those around. Wouldn't they do for temporary wrappings?"

A blush spread over Tsuba's cheeks. "Ah, they would work."

Kensaki stood and resheathed his blade. "Good work, Tsu-chan. And good luck to you as well, Chihiro-chan." He set a hand onto Chihiro's head for a moment, then ruffled Tsuba's hair with his free hand and began walking out of the field.

"Uncle Kensaki!" Tsuba chirped, turning and frowning. "You don't have to go already, do you..."

"Anbu business, Tsuba." He waved a hand and disappeared from sight.

Tsuba all but started to pout as he was gone.

Chihiro blinked, amazement written all over her face as the Gekkou man rested a hand on her head and then strode away.

She didn't really hear the exchange between him and Tsuba, just the fact that he wished her good luck and then was going and gone.

Still clutching her katana in her hands, still marvelling in that unguarded way she still had, Chihiro turned to Tsuba and pushed her braid behind her ear.

"Y-your uncle is a very...

kind, strong, clever, amazing, inspiring

"...a good man," she said quietly. Understating.

Tsuba nodded at Chihiro's words, sighing. "I never get to see very much of him though. He's always got Anbu business to tend to, and my family doesn't like him much."

She sighed again and then smiled at Chihiro. "But Uncle Kensaki told me how to finish fixing up your katana, if you wanted..." Tsuba held out a hand. "I can tighten the screws with my own katana blade and I can use bandages for temporary wrappings. So that way you can get some wrappings yourself and since I did it in front of you, you'll know how to rewrap your blade. Does that sound good?"

"That s-sounds... lovely, thank you..." Chihiro said quietly, still a bit shocked, and still smiling a little.

She knelt down next to Tsuba and watched her work, focusing her dark eyes behind her glasses - and more than seeing the kindness of the other girl. And remembering with a lot of awe Gekkou Kensaki and his skills and his being in Anbu and...

It was all tied up in the way Tsuba's slender hands moved over that katana. The way she stripped and tightened the new bindings, millitary efficiency. Cleaned the blade with care and swift skill.

Chihiro thought Tsuba would be a brilliant ninja... maybe one day a brilliant Anbu.

Not like me, but I'll keep working. For all my clan to be like Kensaki-san and Tsuba-san. So that we can pass down our ninjutsu skills like we pass down our paper and ink crafts.

"Thank you, very much Tsuba-san," she said, meaning it with all her heart.

I'll be as good as you one day. I know it.

Tsuba set to work and focused entirely on it. Otousan would have stood for nothing less. She called on all of her memories of his instructions, all of the movements, timings, anything that would help make this easier for Chihiro to do later.

And she was a very observant learner. Tsuba just wondered if she was supposed to give verbal instructions, too. Soon enough the screws were tightened, the blade resharpened and polished, and the wrapping redone. She just wished she could have had real wrappings and perhaps a new hilt and a new saya. They were both looking in disrepair. Signs of a very well-used katana. But at least the blade was decent now. And the hilt didn't look half as bad, though the white bandages stood out brashly. She'd just have to remind Chihiro to change them soon.

"Thank you, very much Tsuba-san."

Tsuba looked up and smiled, looking over the blade one more time before sheathing it and handing it to the awestruck Chihiro.

"It should last for quite a while, though you may want to change the wrappings sometime soon. White isn't the usual color and I think...hm. I don't know what color would fit you, Chihiro-san." She lowered her eyes. "I've never done very well in the color coordination lessons Okaasan tries to give me."

Chihiro had to smile. Tsuba worried about the oddest things. When you had an uncle like that. And could use a katana with such skill and grace. And had so much bearing and strength...

...what did it matter if you were a little bit colourblind?

"I-I'm not very good at such things either, Tsuba-san," she assured her, taking a look at her so-serious face.

Chihiro decided maybe it would be worth the potential failure to try and raise a smile, so she haltingly told the Gekkou girl about the time she had been assigned flower arrangements at the Academy and... through a completely unique and understandable sequence of events... had managed to set fire to one of the weapons sheds.

It took a little while to tell, since Chihiro was still all stammers and glances to the clearing around them, but she did, and when she turned back to Tsuba she was glad to see the light of amusement in her noble features.

Chihiro was always so flattering. And told the most amusing stories. Tsuba couldn't keep her lips from wanting to smile. But she could restrain them from following through. No, it was her eyes she couldn't hold back.

She leaned closer as the story came near the conclusion and even sucked in a breath as she heard that the shed had caught on fire. Really. All from flower arranging...it was just too much. She couldn't help it.

For a minute or so more, she thought she might be able to keep herself contained. Just maybe.

"Ah, I'm glad I've never tried to do flower arranging, Chihiro-san. It likely would end up just as destructive and well-" her lips curled up and she covered her mouth, hunching up a little and letting out a little giggle. She knew it was too late to try and stop it.

She let her teeth show and laughed softly, looking to Chihiro and continuing it.

Tsuba's response was more than Chihiro would have hoped for, and she wondered if the other girl knew how pretty she looked when she grinned like that. Her fine features and clear skin so bright in the sunshine, lit up from within with that rare flash of humour.

Chihiro couldn't help it, she felt her own grin appearing too.

It wouldn't likely last - this partnership between a Gekkou and a Tsuchiya - and Chihiro knew it.

But... they were having a ball just now. Just as Tsuba and Chihiro. So she giggled too, and they spent the rest of the day in the woods working their way upwards towards the future.