And so, the two traded off. Counter punching and maneuvering around each other like some kind of elaborate dance - only this was a groove of violence! For every welt inducing blow that he took, Gene attempted to dish out one of his own aimed for a weaker area of the body. Without Chakra enhanced fists at the least however, Gene's knuckles suffered moderate swelling as each blow to Kazuo was directly crippling himself. Fortunately, his body was still young and growing strong: He'd feel the shit out of this spar afterwards for sure, but it'd only make him stronger; tough, more in tune with himself. Despite not having formed any expectations prior to the beginning of his time spent at the Dojo, Gene had come around to the idea long before now. His only concern, was that if anyone else walked through those double doors he'd have to combat them with the same intensity that he had not used against Kazuo.
My insides feel like they're on fire and my right hand has gone almost completely numb from clashing fists with him...And yet....
Damn the pain, Gene realized that even though he was sore and bound to get even more sore before things had come to an end - he was having the time of his life. In what may have only amounted to a few seconds of combat seemed (to Gene at least) be the equivalent of running a marathon. His arms and legs carried noticeable red markings showing just where he had been struck and Gene's breathing though slow and deliberate, was also heavier than usual. In the time that he and Kazuo traded blows and shuffled their defenses, Gene had noted a few false openings; exposed areas that alone, appeared vulnerable but circumstances would prevent any attempt to capitalize upon them. Apparently, his time of easy openings and counter punches (if ever there was one that he didn't have to force) was coming to an end but luckily, he'd managed to keep his wits about him so far.
And then....it was over.
With a loud boom the two separated and what was once two blurred shadows became walking, talking, feeling humans again. Not that they weren't before but - try explaining to a farmer how a human could move so quickly and not be a devil; apparently, neither Gene nor Kazuo had considered the possibility of spectators so when Gene caught the words
"You've got to see this I mean it's totally bonkers! One minute they're standing there, the next POOF and I can't see bubkiss!" he could only grin at his comrade, being reminded of just how different he and the others were from everyday citizens. Conversely, during the separation Kazuo seemed to give Gene credit for holding his own which only gave the young man more determination to fight! Although, secretly, he had already made several reservations to the hotsprings in his head - Kami knew that he would need to soak for a long, long long , LONG time to soothe his body when all was said and done.
Meanwhile, Gene took notes on his strengths and weaknesses with the intent of improving upon his lesser points at a later time. Kazuo was right, in order to turn the tides of battle swiftly and effectively, he would need to harness strength in short controlled bursts while not impeding upon his own fighting style - after all, speed was a cornerstone in his offensive and defensive techniques. Without it, he wouldn't have lasted for so long - of that Gene was sure. He hadn't particularly liked the fact that their close exchanges were often decided by a combination of raw physical power or experience - two things that Kazuo had over Gene in spades. If only he could create a technique that could performed quick enough in the heat of battle while still retaining maximum stopping power - something that could be used for all purposes, but what?
Gene had been interrupted in his silent musings by the sound of Kazuo's voice pulling him out of his mind's cubby hole. He'd always thought that it was ironic hearing people talk about the shadows and darkness now that he had spent the better part of two years enlisted with Special forces - a decision made in secret and good confidence at the time, but now the line between right and wrong didn't appear to be so clear. Kazuo had no idea that the young Shinobi he had been giving the speel to about having a faint heart, just might have been one of the coldest Shinobi of the new wave but that was exactly what Gene had signed on for - to protect and serve from the shadows casting out the light in favor of what comfort could be found in the darkness.
"Yeah," replied Gene taking the moment to stretch out and loosen up his muscles in preparation for the second half.
"I suppose you've got a point. Though he would never say so and certainly didn't betray his innermost feelings to the outside world, Gene held on to the possibility that the Genma could run amuck and when that happened - it wouldn't matter who Taiga was or where he'd come from, on the day of reckoning a task force with a very special agenda would be sent out with a job to do: Eliminate all hostiles.
Friend or not, Gene would do exactly what needed to be done when the time came.
20 Minutes later
Outside the dojo were a gathering sea of bodies who had heard the commotion, drawn by the sounds of loud noises and strange whooshing sounds many of the villagers wished to see for themselves what was taking place inside. One villager even went so far as to try opening the doors to the dojo but for him they would not budge; created by Shinobi for Shinobi, the doors were reactant to Chakra present in humans only - it had to be above a certain threshold to even register. Inscribed in the very walls themselves, fuinjutsu detracting the authenticity of their (Gene and Kazuo) true voices making them sound like strange anomalies to those outside listening in or attempting to do so.
Can you see anything?! One curious villager asked and immediately was awarded a dirty look for his inattentiveness. Whatever had been going on inside...it was far to secret for their eyes.
