The Art of Life and Death

A/N: I am finally free, last few weeks have been hell with my brother's wedding preparation. Sorry for not updating sooner.

*******************

Ohma and Kuroda's grip turned tighter with ever passing moments, soon the sound of bones squeaking was heard from the bones. Nerves bulge in their faces as they gritted their teeth.

They looked at each other then pulled back their hands at the same moment. Ohma was the first to go offensive, throwing a barrage of punches toward Kuroda's face while his opponent subtly dodged all of them.

Kuroda ducked under a punch and tried gripping Ohma's hand. Ohma saw him coming and stomped on his feet at the same moment before going for a spinning elbow with the other arm.

Kuroda ducked and spun for a wide sweep with his leg, both hit nothing as Ohma jumped back at the last moment.

"You are strong," Ohma said. "It's been a while since I fought someone like you."

"If that's the case, then feel free to go all out." Kuroda took his stance.

"Then let's go at it." Ohma dashed forward and then came to a halting stop as a figure came between them. It was Takako.

"Stop this right now."

She approached Kuroda and grabbed his arm. "We are leaving right now."

Ohma dropped his arms and watched as Takako pulled Kuroda away from the scene.

"What the hell? I just started having fun."

*****************

Takako held Kuroda's hand and kept pulling him far away from the alley, he didn't resist letting her do as she wanted until they reached a bridge where their steps halted.

"Why did you stop me?" Kuroda asked. "That guy wasn't some amateur that needed protection."

Takako looked at him. "That's why I moved in, his hits were pointed at vital areas. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt if that had continued."

"I know... but am tired of holding back, Takako," Kuroda said. "It's not in my blood."

Kuroda pulled out his glove to see bruises marked on them. Takako moved closer to his face.

"But If you fight seriously, you'll end up killing someone again. I can't see you in that state again."

************

Later that day, Kuroda dropped off Takako at her house, she entered through the door while taking off her shoes. "I am home."

Her mother suddenly came, a woman who looked to be in her late twenties but was older. "You are finally home, come on a friend is waiting for you."

"A friend?" Takako raised her brows.

She followed her mom to the living room where she a familiar face with black seaweed-like hair sitting on the sofa.

"Yo," Ohma said raising his hand in acknowledgement.

Takako immediately reacted, "What are you doing here?!"

"Takako," Her mom said, "this isn't the way to talk to a friend."

"It's alright." Ohma interrupted. "She is often like that. Besides you should be more careful, you dropped your student id when you suddenly storm off. "

"Student id?" Takako looked at him.

"Yeah, this," Ohma said pulling out her id from his pocket. "Be careful with this, it has your address and everything. Besides you never told me your mom is so pretty, I thought she was your sister."

"You are making me blush."

Takako gritted her teeth and said, "Can we talk alone."

"Sure..."

Ohma followed Takako to her room upstairs. As soon as Ohma entered, she rushed and locked the door.

"What are you actually doing here?" Takako asked.

"To annoy you," Ohma replied. "And also to ask where your boyfriend is. The guy moves around a lot."

"Wait a minute..." Takako paused for a moment then screamed at Ohma. "You were stalking me! That's why you suddenly appeared in the alley!"

"Suggest a better way to find a guy like him than tracking his girlfriend," Ohma said bluntly.

"Stalking is creepy."

"Yet it's effective."

Takako looked furious then she screamed, "Find someone else to pick a fight. If you do it with Mitsuhide, one of you may die."

Ohma backed off. "Calm down, I not challenging him to a death match."

Takako stepped forward. "That wouldn't matter if Mitsuhide doesn't hold back. The last time he fought his opponent didn't die during the match but after during celebration, due to a brain haemorrhage from a kick. Mistuhide hasn't been in a single fight since then and he doesn't need-"

"-Yeah, alright I'll pay you extra, just tell me the location," Ohma said taking out his phone with an interruption. He placed the phone back in his pocket. "Alright, I get it, you won't tell me where he is. I'll find him myself."

"Did you even listen to what I just said?!" Takako shouted.

Ohma pushed past Takako and opened the door. "You are free to tag along if you want to see the fight."

*******************

-Town Cemetery

Kuroda joined his hand and prayed in front of a grave, the name Naruse etched upon the stone with an offering of flowers.

"I am still trying to hold back, Naruse," Kuroda said. "I still regret it and I won't ever know if you resent me for it."

"Oi, Kuroda!"

A voice from the right. Kuroda looked to see Ohma playing with a stone in his hand approaching him, ten feet apart.

"Tokita." Kuroda looked at him. "You here to offer something and pray?"

Ohma smiled. "Nah, just here to finish what we started."

Kuroda sighed. "Look, I am not in the mood in raising my hands today."

Ohma said nothing and threw the stone at a nearby tree, right into an honest nest. Buzz filled the air like swarms of hornets set their eyes on the two.

"What are you doing, Tokita?!" Kuroda shouted.

"They are coming, Kuroda, now raise your fists."

The swarm with a loud came near, entering their striking range. Ohma and Kuroda lashed out, their fists moving at blinding speed, striking the tiny hornets before they sting them. Both their fists moved, up and down, left and right. Dozens died with each strike, the dead hornets fell and made a circular boundary around them.

"Don't deny your feeling Kuroda," Ohma said. "You spent so much in achieving that speed and precision, you want a fight as much as I do."

He moved closer to Kuroda, his hands moving striking all the hornets that entered the striking range.

"It's painful, isn't it? To hold back?"

Ohma stepped closer.

"You are tired of the guilt holding you back, aren't you?"

Ohma was now near Kuroda's striking range. Kuroda grunted and lashed out with a roundhouse kick, Ohma dodged back but the swarms of hornets between them tore apart and fell in that one strike.

Ohma stopped moving as suddenly all the hornets flew away from them. "That's the kick you killed Naruso with?"

"You are looking to die, Tokita," Kuroda grunted.

Ohma grinned. "Think you can help me with it."

Kuroda took a deep breath and exhaled as took his stance.

"Show me your Nadashinyo," Ohma said taking his stance.

"You know?" Kuroda said sternly.

"I did my homework," Ohma said. "As the story goes - once there were two notorious sword experts known as 'Yagyuu of The East' and 'Marume of The West'. Marume was Nagayoshi Marume, guardian of the Imperial Archives, founder of The School of Shinkage, who developed an even more effective method of Traditional Reverse Sword or the Law of Concealment which was initialized by Nobutsuna Kami, Ise's protector, thus creating The 'Shinkage-Tai-Sha'. "

Kuroda interrupted continuing, " And afterwards, at the beginning of the Edo era, a known bargainer who had become rich in the exterior maritime business accredited by the Shogunate, Kishuusai Kuroda, isolated the part of 'combat with bare hands of the 'Shinkage-Tai-Sha' to make out of it an independent system in which he introduced additional combat techniques, bringing to completion of Nadashinyo. The 'Art of Life and Death'."

"And you are the current interior of Nadashinyo, a descendant of Kishuusai Kuroda," Ohma said to which Kuroda only grunted and tensed his muscles in response.