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"Bend your knees more. It'll help when projecting power, and allow you to punch even harder " she said.
Kaito adjusted his stance, shifting lower. It felt a little awkward at first, but he could already tell the difference in balance. He tested it with a light punch, feeling the extra force behind it.
"Like this?" he asked, glancing at her.
Izumi nodded, then stepped forward, tapping his side lightly. "Good, but if you really want to add power, twist your torso with the punch. It lets you put your whole body behind it, not just your arm."
Kaito adjusted, trying it out. His punch felt heavier this time, more solid.
"Yeah, like that," Izumi nodded, then pointed down at his feet. "And always stay on your tippy toes. It'll keep you light, make you more agile and flexible. If you're flat-footed, you're easier to read and slower to react."
Kaito shifted his stance again, keeping his weight forward. "Tippy toes, twist the torso… got it."
Izumi smirked. "Now do it until it's second nature." She crossed her arms before adding, "If anything, the most important part of Taijutsu is footwork and your core. Those are the two things you need to focus on the most. Footwork is essential in maintaining balance and stability....Your core? That's where all your power comes from."
She tapped her temple lightly. "But above all, your eyes."
Kaito listened as she continued. "Even the smallest twitch in someone's arm or leg can tell you what's coming next. You need to train yourself to catch that, the goal is to set yourself up so that, no matter what your opponent does, you're already one step ahead."
Kaito nodded, rolling his shoulders. "Got it."
Izumi grinned. "Good. Now show me you actually do."
Kaito kept light on his feet, shifting his weight between his toes, hands up, guard tight. Izumi wasn't the type to wait—she struck fast, and he knew she'd already decided how she was gonna dismantle him before he even blinked.
And just like that, she was on him.
Her fist shot forward, a straight aimed for his face. Kaito snapped his head to the side, just barely dodging, but then...bam!. A heavy kick slammed into his ribs. His body jerked from the impact, a deep ache settling in his side, but he powered through it, bracing himself as she closed the distance again.
She moved like a damn ghost, fast and untouchable.
Izumi launched a quick jab, then another, testing his defense before twisting into a heavy cross. Kaito barely blocked in time, the force of her punch rattling his forearm. She didn't let up. She followed up with a low kick, but he jumped back just before it connected, trying to create space.
No chance.
Izumi pushed forward, firing a brutal one-two combo. He swayed, dodging the first, then caught the second on his shoulder. The sting shot down his arm, but he ignored it, countering with a quick hook.
It clipped her, just barely, but it was enough to make her take a step back.
Kaito took his shot.
He dashed forward, throwing a fast feint to bait her guard up, then twisted his torso and drove a knee toward her ribs. Izumi's arm came down just in time to block, but he followed up instantly—an elbow slicing toward her chin.
She ducked.
Before he could adjust, she slammed a front kick into his stomach. Air whooshed from his lungs, his body jerking back. His vision blurred for half a second, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself forward again, swinging hard.
Izumi dodged, barely.
His fist grazed past her cheek, and for the first time, he saw a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Good.
He pressed on, throwing a rapid combo—jab, cross, another elbow. Izumi blocked most of it, but his last punch caught her shoulder, knocking her slightly off balance.
This was his chance.
Kaito lunged, aiming to finish it, but—
She caught him.
Her hands clamped around his wrist mid-swing, and before he could react, she yanked him forward, driving her knee into his ribs. The pain exploded instantly, but she wasn't done. Using his own momentum against him, she twisted, throwing a crushing elbow straight into his gut.
His breath hitched. His body folded.
Then her leg swept behind his, and just like that...he was airborne.
The ground slammed into him hard, the impact rattling through his bones. For a moment, all he could do was lay there, staring up at the sky, trying to force air back into his lungs.
Izumi stood over him, hands on her hips, shaking her head.
"You almost had me."
Kaito groaned, rubbing at his ribs. "Yeah... almost."
She smirked, then held out a hand. "Get up. We're going again."
He stared at her, sighed, then grabbed her hand and let her pull him up.
Kaito pushed himself up, brushing dirt off his clothes. "I think I get it now…" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
He sank back into his stance, weight shifting onto the balls of his feet. His hands rose, steady and controlled, his fingers curling just enough to keep them relaxed. He drew his foot back, feeling the rough scrape of dirt beneath him. His breathing evened out.
His face went blank...devoid of everything but the raw intent to win.
Across from him, Izumi noticing this grinned. "That's more like it," she said, settling into her own stance. Just like that Izumi was already closing in again. She launched a quick jab. Kaito swatted it aside. Another punch...he ducked. But then her knee came rocketing toward his ribs. He twisted his torso just in time, the strike grazing past him.
"Better," Izumi said. "But don't just dodge... try to counter it."
Kaito didn't hesitate. He shot forward, fist cocked back, aiming straight for her jaw. She saw it coming and tilted her head, the punch barely missing. But he was already moving—twisting into an elbow strike aimed at her temple.
She caught his arm mid-swing.
"Good flow," she admitted. "But you're still stiff. Loosen up."
Before he could respond, she yanked him forward and slammed a palm into his chest, forcing him back. Kaito stumbled but planted his foot quickly, digging into the dirt before lunging forward again.
This time, he led with a feint...quick jab, nothing behind it. Izumi moved to block, and that's when he twisted his hips and fired a short, quick uppercut straight at her chin.
She barely dodged. His knuckles skimmed past her jaw.
Izumi's smirk widened. "That's more like it."
Then she exploded forward.
Her fists became a blur...jab, cross, hook, elbow. Kaito's arms moved on instinct, blocking, parrying, dodging, his body reacting faster than his mind could process. Each strike came closer, but he wasn't just taking hits anymore, he was flowing with them, moving with the rhythm.
"Don't stay flat-footed!" Izumi called out between blows. "Keep moving—stay on your toes!"
Kaito adjusted instantly. He ducked under a punch, twisted his torso, and countered with a quick, snapping elbow. It slammed into Izumi's shoulder, knocking her off balance for half a second.
He didn't let the opening go to waste.
Kaito dashed forward, delivering a brutal one-two combo, finishing with a heavy overhand. Izumi crossed her arms just in time to block, but the impact sent her sliding back a few steps.
For the first time, she actually looked impressed.
"Not bad," she admitted. Then her smirk returned. "But you're still too predictable."
Kaito barely had time to react before she was right back on him.
She faked a punch, but at the last second, she spun..her elbow whipping toward his head. Kaito barely ducked, but the second he did, her knee shot up and cracked against his shoulder. The pain flared, but he gritted his teeth and rolled with it, pushing himself off the ground into a counterstrike.
His fist came fast, straight for her ribs. Izumi twisted mid-air, using his momentum against him, and suddenly, she was behind him.
He knew what was coming.
Before she could grab him, he threw himself forward, flipping over his own shoulder to escape her hold. He landed on his feet, twisting to face her again, breathing heavy but still at a somewhat steady pace.
Izumi grinned. "Now you're getting it."
They didn't stop.
Fists flew, elbows cracked, sweat dripped. Kaito was adapting, absorbing every lesson mid-fight, feeling his body move smoother than ever before.
He wasn't just reacting anymore...he was reading her.
Izumi threw a jab. Kaito deflected it, weaving under a cross, stepping into her space with a crushing punch to the ribs. She gritted her teeth from the pain, but retaliated instantly, catching his wrist and twisting it before driving a knee up—
Kaito twisted with it, breaking free, spinning into a counterpunch that barely missed her cheek.
Their movements blurred together.
Strike...Counter....Strike....Counter.
Kaito could feel it...he was keeping up.
No...he was pushing back.
And Izumi knew it too.
She suddenly stopped, stepping back, hands still raised but no longer attacking. Kaito froze, panting, sweat dripping down his face. His body was burning, every muscle aching, but he felt...good.
Real good.
Kaito let out a heavy breath, his arms dropping limply to his sides before he gave up entirely and collapsed onto the ground, landing flat on his ass. His body ached, every muscle screaming, and his lungs burned from the nonstop exchanges. Fighting someone on Izumi's level took everything out of him—and then some.
"You did good," Izumi said, her tone firm but approving. "You just need more practice. Spar more often." She crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as she studied him. "It's kinda scary how fast you were improving… You're not the same Kaito from last year, that's for sure."
Well, she wasn't wrong.
Kaito wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, looking up at her with a half-smirk. "Yeah? What makes you say that?"
zumi tilted her head slightly, thinking it over. "Well, I don't know... you look happier. More mature." She was blunt, as always. "Before, you were always gloomy. It was kinda sad to watch all the time."
Kaito shrugged. He figured as much. The old him had nothing going for him, his diet was garbage, his parents had died a few years back, and he'd spent most of his time just drifting through life. Of course, he probably looked miserable.
"Oh, well, I'm good now," he said, flashing a small smile.
Izumi's eyes narrowed slightly before she pointed at his face. "See? You never used to do that."
Kaito raised a brow. "You mean smile?" There was a slight amusement in his tone.
Izumi nodded. "Yeah, I don't have a problem with it, but it's still weird to see," she admitted, a small smile on her face.
Kaito let out a breath and dropped onto his back, staring up at the afternoon sky. His body ached, exhaustion weighing down on him, but in a good way. The kind that made him feel like he actually accomplished something.
"I guess at some point, everybody changes…" he muttered, watching the clouds drift by.
Izumi hummed in agreement, stretching her arms behind her head as she looked up at the sky too. "Yeah… guess that's just how it is."
For a moment, neither of them said anything. Just the sound of the wind rustling through the trees and the sound of birds flying. It was… peaceful.
Then Izumi sighed, rolling her shoulders like she just remembered something. "I should probably get going," she said, glancing toward the setting sun. "Dinner time and all. If I'm late, my mom's gonna kill me."
Kaito snorted. "Tragic."
Izumi smirked and nudged his leg with her foot. "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you probably at school, alright?"
"Yeah, see you," Kaito said, still lying there as she turned and walked off.
He didn't get up right away. His body was too sore, and honestly, he just wanted to enjoy the moment a little longer.
Tilting his head slightly as he watched her walk off, Kaito let out a breath before pressing his hands against the ground and pushing himself back up to his feet. His muscles ached from the fight, but nothing he couldn't handle. With a quick pulse of chakra, he activated his Mystical Palm Jutsu, running his hands over the sore spots, easing the strain.
He rolled his shoulders, testing his range of motion...better. The exhaustion was still there, but at least the pain wasn't.
No point in wasting the rest of the day. He tightened his fists and took a deep breath in. Even if he wasn't going to see major gains overnight, getting in a few extra training sessions never hurt. One more round...just him, the open field, and the grind.
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