Jitters

Frowning as a brunet boy slumps down next to me, I sigh. Glancing at him nursing his bruises, I lazily eye the instructors. Yes, I said instructors. Not only are there five instructors here, but there are also a pair of medical ninjas on standby. Everyone loves graduation week, right? Watching the next two step up, I glance over at the other two fields. Grade B and C they call them, the fields that is. We've been separated according to combat potential into three groups to make the most out of this spar.

Cringing as the brunet in my field takes a shuriken to the gut, I watch as the medics start treatment as two instructors carefully move him off the field. For the first time, I can confidently say that we, the students, didn't get the short end of the stick. Carrying dozens of bloody brats, all screaming bloody murder, can't be fun. Hearing the whistle, I take a deep breath in before stepping up. Even I'm nervous here. Normally, lethal force is prohibited, but today everything is allowed. The instructors will only interfere with attacks that would be crippling or fatal.

One spar today and a rest day for me tomorrow. The last two days are reserved for torture and field aid instruction. Nothing fancy, but I'll know what to expect if I'm caught and not killed. The first aid taught is also the bare minimum. I might be able to stop someone from bleeding out and dress wounds to prevent infections, but anything else is up in the air. Shielding my eyes from the sun, I look up at the cloudless sky. Endlessly blue but seemingly shallow. It feels like I could just reach up and touch the edge of this world.

Hearing a grunt, I glare at the Hyuga on the opposite side. It's been a while since I've gotten a weapon user. Either the instructor finds a decent sword user or tries to pair me up with a quick close combat fighter. Nothing against ninjutsu users, but none of them have strong jutsus right now and a quick needle to the face always seemed to end the fight. You would expect the Nara kids to plan something elaborate, but their speed and defense are honestly terrible. If they had some support, they'd be terrifying, but alone they're not a problem.

Hyuga's on the other hand much like the Uchiha clan members have excellent taijutsu skills for our age and take a bit more to take down. Spacing is definitely important. I'm under no delusion that my self-taught taijutsu will be effective when it's only a modified version of the academy style. Hearing the signal to start, I throw a needle while jumping back to the edge of the field. Closing my eyes, I push my physical energy into the ground. Feeling the interactions with the existing physical energy in the ground, I grin. I can feel his footsteps! Already dashing towards me, no doubt having easily deflected my needle. Opening my eyes, I tap my foot against the ground. I should really stop announcing my moves with tell-tale signs, but what can I say? Habits are hard to break. Running at me with his eyes almost bulging out of his head, he suddenly stops as two stone needles attack him from behind.

What's the best way to deal with these clan wannabes? Tiring them out. There is no magical burst of chakra or hidden strength. It's like having a staring contest while doing something. It's hard. Tapping my foot again, I pull fallen leaves to my shins and arms. Not forgetting to throw two more needles, staggered this time, I focus on manipulating the leaves. Forming makeshift vambraces and greaves, I tightly knit the leaves together. Controlling all of them individually is still hard while fighting, but grouping them makes it easier. Why use leaves? Simple, they may be grouped now, but I can use them individually when needed.

Just a few meters away, the Hyuga continues to dash towards me angrily. Smirking, I silently push more chakra into the ground. Shifting a foot-sized stone in front of his outstretched sandal, I start throwing my needles. Injecting just the tiniest amount of chakra in each, I slow his approach. Grazing his cheek with one, I lick my lips. He's almost in striking range. Dashing to the right, I send more chakra into the ground, shooting another transformed needle from behind. Honestly, I'd love to use better angles, but the trees are a bit too far so I have to settle for ground-up attacks.

Keeping him a good three meters away, I watch him grow frustrated. Why is he so angry? Well, I've done this before. Sure fatal attacks weren't allowed, but none of my attacks are fatal unless he fails to dodge or deflect. Feeling my chakra dip to around eighty percent, I sigh. Still having problems with my chakra pool, but it's not like he has more. I'm sure he has about the same with him juicing up his eyes the whole time. The difference is that I have my preparations while he has made none since the match started.

Reaching the right corner, I pull out four disposable needles and launch them at him, this time with some serious force. If he was faster, he might have dodged, but at least two should hit him and as far as I know, he can't defect two at the same time. The problem with needles is that you can't just block them. Often times if you deflect them half-heartedly, they nip you on the way past. Ever seen someone with multiple needles just barely stuck in their face? I have, and it happens to be the guy in front of me.

Seeing his eyes widen, I drop one of my needles while carefully putting the others away. Slipping my foot over the fallen needle, I use chakra to create adhesion between my sandal and the needle before I dash towards the Hyuga. Seeing him do his little circular chakra dome jutsu, I close in on him. While I could have just kept wasting his chakra, I can't exhaust myself as well. I have things to do after this. I can't waste the day on something like this. As he comes to a stop, I push kick him before transitioning into a roundhouse kick. Transforming the leaves on my shin into short but sharp spikes, I let the needle stab into his upper arm. Grimacing as pain shoots through my shin, I hop back. Hearing him grunt in pain, I calm myself. Glancing down at my shin, I find the spikes missing. Trailing my eyes back to his feet, I find several pieces of torn leaves drifting in the wind.

Seeing the glint of metal under his torn sleeve, I scowl. Of course, he brought metal armor to the spar. Glancing at his covered legs, I sigh. He probably has well-made metal greaves and vanbraces. at least his aren't spiked. In hindsight, I should've known something was off when he was wearing full sleeves and loose trousers. Letting the leaves on my shins fall off, I pull the leaves on my arms to my hands. Transforming them two at a time, I start launching them at different parts of his body.

Deflects for the upper arms. Blocks with lower arms. Dodges for shots in the waist area. Ignores chest and abdomen shots. Ignores for lower legs, but dodges for feet and upper leg shots. Sighing, I start analyzing my options. I can't let him get close yet. Even if I can stop his palm strikes with leaf spikes, he can just hammer me with his armored arms and legs. His thighs, feet, waist, and upper arms are bare. I can always go for his face, but I need to wait for the opportune moment. On one hand, his armor makes this much harder than it needs to be, but on the other hand, he should tire out quicker.

Ignoring the pulsating pain in my shin, I wait. This really shouldn't be allowed, or at least be provided. I wouldn't mind some lightweight shin guards. Seeing him holding his shoulder while glaring at me, I chuckle. "Why don't you forfeit before you lose too much blood? It's not like all that hidden armor isn't exhausting you as well" I taunt. Honestly, he's not losing much blood. The wimp hasn't even pulled the needle out yet. The only problem he should have is moving his right arm higher than his waist before pulling that needle out. Wouldn't want to tear his shoulder muscles now, would he?

Seeing him stalling, I purse my lips. Thinking of an idea, I pull out a storage scroll and bring a drink out. Just a can of sweat fermented rice beverage. Putting my scroll away, I pop the tab open and take a few sips. Honestly, it tastes pretty good in the heat. Just as I reach the halfway point, the instructor steps toward us, "Stop this embarrassing behavior, Attack him or surrender. There is no pause on the battlefield!"

Smirking, I continue sipping my beverage, "I'm not the one with almost full body armor. I'm also not the one who has done almost nothing in the fight. I'm simply waiting for him to tire out y'know? If you want the fight to progress, tell him to stop waiting for me to kick the metal armor his mommy bought for him!"

Wrinkling his nose, the instructor, waves his arms at both of us, "I don't care who has the advantage, if you don't stop stalling, I'll count both as having lost." Stepping back off the field, he glares at us. Shrugging my shoulders, I quickly finish my beverage before flattening it. If he won't move, then I'll just have some fun. Using chakra to flatten the can completely, I slowly transform it into a chakram. Not that I know how to use one properly, but anything like a shuriken should work.

Transforming the rest of the leaves into needles, I slowly approach. Creating a chakra string to the chakram, I launch it like a frisbee before launching the rest of my needles as fast as possible. Not holding back chakra, he should be seeing several chakra-infused needles. Hopefully, my chakra string goes relatively unnoticed. Dashing at him as the last needle leaves my hand, I pull on the chakra string before letting go. The cool thing about chakra strings is that as long as the connection remains the speed of chakra transmission is insanely fast. The moment you cut the connection, the chakra string all but disappears.

Scrutinizing his position as he tries to deflect my needles, I enter his striking range. Focusing on the chakram's path, I watch as he covers his head with his forearms. Two meters away and the last one bounces off and grazes his nose. One meter and he looks at me confidently. Arms in standard Hyuga taijutsu form. Slightly yellow teeth grinning. No reaction to the chakram heading for his nape. If the chakram somehow doesn't hit, what happens?

He'll start closing my chakra passages and subdue me. I can fight him, but the armor gives him the absolute advantage if we trade strikes. Bending down lower, I stare at the palm farthest from me as a plan starts to form. Hearing the clink of metal against metal, I grit my teeth as the worst situation is confirmed. His palm strikes are faster and the chakram hit armor. I'm in his range and he is completely ready. I have to take the strike.

Forming chakra strings from my feet to my left hand, I tap his right arm, the one with less possible movement, and attack the chakra strings as his left palm pistons forward towards my heart. taking a breath in, I move as much as possible and squint as his palm smashes into my upper collar bone. Letting it take me off my feet, I wrap my arms around his before he can take it back. Pulling the chakra strings, I launch my feet around his arm before crossing and pushing down against his face, making that smug grin right off on the way. Finding my vision blur as tears roll down my face in pain, I leverage his arm against my thigh and snap it.

They said anything goes and this kid definitely agrees. Hearing an awkward squawk, I exhaustedly pull out a needle and flick it at his head. Seeing the instructor's calloused hand stop it just before it popped his bulging left eye, I groan as his arm thrashes against me. Letting his arm go and rolling away, I slowly get up while holding my left shoulder. No, my shoulder isn't hurt, but I can't touch my collar bone that's screaming murder. Trudging my way to the medics, One of the medics promptly checks me before putting my left arm in a sling and making a splint for my left leg. As he focuses on my collar bone, I notice that only my left side took a beating today. Falling into a daze, I flinch when something barrels into the bench space next to me.

Staring at him, I find Tanaka grinning in his baker's apron, "Hey, the patriarch wants to see you." Blinking at him stupidly, I avoid the glaring medic, "Okay?" Only letting his smile falter for a moment, he gives me a thumbs-up, "Great fight! I saw the whole thing! I'm here to take you after you get treated." Still blankly watching him, I find myself already off my adrenaline high. Sometimes you actively have to calm your jitters. Sometimes a wild, socially challenged Uchiha will come and make you forget about them.