~Checkmate~
A slow, almost methodical tap could be heard...faintly, every two seconds or so. The fingers of a boy rapped against a wooden table whereat he was seated; the boy pondering in agonizing silence. Several seconds passed without disturbance or movement. His eyes scanned the pieces that were laid out in front of him, steadily analyzing the Shogi set before him. He was in the middle of a game which required preeminent astuteness and the utmost patience; a game which needed one to analyze and know beforehand what their opponent will do; a game that would determine who, in fact, was the best of the two parties.
Shogi...it was a simple, albeit intriguing game of cunning and preparation. Upon the beginning of the game, both players are handed a small army of pieces to control. It is with these pieces that one begins their conquest to take over, and ultimately capture the opposing player's King; arguably the most valuable piece one could have. One most think beforehand and begin planning their moves even before the game starts: the start of the game is referred to as the 'opening' and is when the players begin to set-up their defensive and offensive strategy. The mid-game is when things get interesting: players pounce on their opponents when they're offense is at its best and/or when there is an opening in the opposition's defense. The end-game is, well, when the player seizes the other and captures their King, resulting in what most call a "checkmate."
Hyuuga Simon was all too familiar with the phrase. He had had it spoken to him one too many times before. He was determined to flip the script and finally be able to utter the words he had grown so hateful of...he wanted nothing more than to say "checkmate" to his opponent; to his brother who lay only but a few feet across from him, but who has also become Simon's most hated archrival. After having played hundreds of games over the past few months, Simon was ready to finally win...and the odds were finally in his favor.
The methodical tap seized to exist and, after an almost unbearable three minutes of standstill war, Simon was prepared to make his move. He raised his arm and brought it hovering over the playing board, his wrist hanging on end and his fingers only but an inch or so above the pieces. He moved his arm around hypnotically before it shadowed one particular piece - his beloved promoted rook, the "Dragon King." His fingers began toying with the piece...almost as if to taunt his opponent, and before even laying a finger on the rook, Simon looked into the eyes of his brother, Keiko. He winked and proceeded with his move.
Picking up the piece, Simon moved it four spaces to the right. No pieces were captured and nothing seemed to have happened, but he was more than confident in his move. Keiko, on the other hand, didn't immediately see what Simon's motive was. At that, he carelessly advanced his rook a few spaces, moving into enemy territory. At this point, Simon smirked, causing Keiko to reanalyze the playing field. He took a few seconds then looked back at Simon.
"I knew you would do that." Simon said, his voice full of pride and accomplishment. "You see, I moved my Dragon King away from the center of the board for a reason: it left my queen vulnerable and my King without a defensive cover...but it would take you more than one move to take advantage of it. That's why I lured you in by making you believe I was open for the attack." He chuckled, the emotions becoming too much to handle. "You thought you had positioned yourself to put me in Check, but all you've really done is leave your King ripe for the taking!"
Simon, his body language having changed from tense to lively, went for his next move without hesitation. He took his Bishop, whom was trailing his rook, and moved it in for the attack. It advanced five spaces to the left, diagonally - ultimately capturing Keiko's knight and putting him in check. Keiko stood motionless for awhile, watching as Simon took his knight and placed it in his respective hand. The shock from Simon's unorthodox play set in, and Keiko grinned at the idea. Simon had grown from the troubled young boy that he was...and Keiko would have to work for this victory, something that he hadn't done in such a long time.
"I'm impressed." He paused for a moment, evaluating the pieces that he captured from Simon. He looked back into the eyes of his brother after having palmed one of the pieces that he captured earlier in the game, twirling it in his fingers while enlightening Simon on what he was going to do next. "Yet, it wont secure a victory; especially if I drop this piece right...over here." Keiko dispatched one of Simon's captured Lances in between his king and Simon's bishop.
Simon flinched. "Stop stalling - and accept that you lost!" He was becoming agitated and slammed his Bishop into Keiko's Lance, capturing it as his own. Keiko shook his head in amusement and took Simon's Bishop with his own. Simon groaned at this and leaned back in his chair. "Shit...I didn't see that coming." the next series of moves involved Simon retreating and regrouping, while Keiko restructured his offense to get ready for the next wave of attacks.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Pieces were slammed here and there, tension grew between the two opponents as Knights were captured and Generals were dropped. Queens moved to protect their Bishops as Pawns were sent to recon the battle field. The Rooks were involved in several moves that shifted the tide of battle in every which way imaginable - all the while, the two Kings were locked in an internal stare of epic proportions. Another few minutes passed, and Simon seemed to have run out of options. Keiko's forces had infiltrated his defenses and cornered him on the far right corner of the map...he was without his two Rooks and only had a Bishop, two Generals and Knights, coupled with a handful of pawns.
Keiko went in for the kill - his Queen taking out Simon's last line of defense, his General. It all happened so fast...at one point, Simon had the upper hand and looked in great shape. However, only but a few moves later, he was in a hole that he had dug himself into with careless mistakes. He had the game in the bag, but he lost grip under all the pressure. The excitement of having the opportunity to close the game out proved to much, it seemed, and left Simon with but three pieces: a knight, bishop and King. It was Simon's turn...
An entire minute passed, and Simon was ready to quit. He motioned to turn his King over to signal the sign of forfeit, but as he did so, his eyes caught something that he hadn't seen before - a fault; a chink in Keiko's armor. Simon hastily brought his arm back to his side and reevaluated the field. He did so not once, nor twice...but four times, letting six minutes pass without a move. Keiko was growing impatient as the seconds ticked away, but before he could say something about it, Simon initiated his move.
with a flick of the wrist and movement of his Knight, Simon finished his move. Keiko...oh the look on Keiko's face after realizing what Simon had done was priceless. His head hung low and Simon's high. They both knew what had just happened, and Simon was in a state of disbelief: he had finally won against his brother. He was now in his right to say the magical phrase that ended an opponent's game...he was in position to give Keiko what he himself had been handed over, and over again.
"Checkmate."
Midgame
Midgame
~Keiko's Secret~
"Checkmate."
Keiko jumped, his eyes widening at the thought of losing. He began to shake his head in denial but, after taking a moment to regather himself, donned a large grin. This time around, instead of leaving the table victorious and leaving Simon to sulk in his failure, Keiko arose to his feet and approached his little brother. His expression was humble and his smile was unmistakable. "Little brother..." He began. "How does it feel to utter those words?" Keiko questioned, chuckling as he placed his hand on Simon's shoulder. He was beginning to acknowledge the fact that Simon was growing and maturing at a quick pace.
It took a moment for Simon to catch onto what Keiko had said, but after having read his lips, he flashed a huge smile that only Simon was capable of wearing. "It feels great!" He announced, a surge of pride overflowing if a bit too early. "I was all 'pow,' 'pow' and 'bam!'" Simon expressed, pumping his fist in the air and swiping at the air with an exaggerated facade. Keiko looked at Simon deeply, dropping the grin he had held onto for a few minutes - his eyes narrowed and stared into Simon's. He then rose his left hand to Simon's face and snapped, causing his little brother to flinch. "Don't let it go to your head, you hear?" Keiko disciplined while tapping the side of Simon's head. "Besides, I let you win." Keiko laughed and ruffled Simon's hair playfully.
"HEY!" Simon exploded in anger, watching has Keiko laughed his way down the hall. "Where do you think YOU'RE going? you afraid I'll beat you again? HUH?" The little shinobi chased his brother down and, when he got close, jumped into the air to try and pounce his older brother. Keiko stopped dead in his tracks and sidestepped in his usual lackadaisical manner. this left Simon spiraling down, arms flailing, and ultimately led to his crashing onto the hardwood floor headfirst. Keiko watched in amusement, chuckling and shaking his head. "You're still such a loser, no matter what you do." Simon did nothing more but groan in anger as Keiko left for the backyard of the family house.
"Hey," Keiko called out to his brother. Simon's ears twitched - hearing a soft ringing, he turned to Keiko. "You say something?" This time Simon was facing his older brother, now able to read his lips to find out what it is that he wanted. "Yeah...come out here, I wanna' show you something." Simon shrugged and jumped off of the floor, landing softly on his feet. He walked towards, and followed his brother out into the back.
The yard was beautiful, and it was a while since Simon actually spent time out here. It was a wonder, too, since during his Academy days this was the exact area wherein Simon would spend hours training. It was a large, open glade - a wave of dark green, rich grass. A decorative fountain was placed in the middle of a paved path and provided a small drinking well for the birds of Konoha that inhabited this part of the area. It was nice without a doubt, but it was to the far back that held the most importance to both Keiko and Simon: it led to a small wood, concealed from the rest of the village. These woods were perfect for training, and that's where Keiko was leading Simon.
"Hey, Keiko...where exactly are we going?" Simon asked, looking around. The place was familiar but the path they were taking was headed somewhere deeper into the forest. Personally, Simon had never ventured far into the woods without anyone with him. Keiko didn't say anything, and even if he had Simon wouldn't have noticed - his back was to him, he didn't stop and continued walking. This continued for another minute or two, and Simon was growing impatient. "HEY! I'm talking to you, big brother!" He stomped his foot in frustration. "Where are we GOING?" Keiko didn't falter and proceeded to walk into the thick of the vegetation. He only stopped once he arrive, turning to face Simon. He rose his arm and motioned for Simon to step into the glade. "This...this is where I became who I am."
Simon could do nothing more than stare in awe at what lay before him. There was a clearing in the woods that yielded to a wondrous glade like no other. He slowly made his way into the field, taking each step carefully as if to pay the place his respect. He looked into his brother's eyes before passing. Keiko nodded cheerfully and allowed Simon to enter. Simon, meanwhile, was flooding with glee: the place was magnificent, beautiful and beyond explanation. He hadn't witnessed a place like it before, and he wasn't too sure that he'd experience something of the sort anytime soon.
"Why is it that you're showing me now?" Simon questioned, still gazing at the mountains that were visible not too far away. He turned around to look for a response, looking to see why exactly Keiko had decided to allow Simon into his little world. His eyes beckoned for an answer but Keiko remained silent for the most part. It wasn't until the little shinobi began to beg and plead was when Keiko spilled his beans.
"That match of Shogi we just played...it showed me something that I couldn't see in you before. It showed me that you were capable of maturing into someone worth respecting. You weren't always the brightest, nor the strongest of the family." Keiko looked ahead, digging his hands into his pockets. "But you were stubborn, and it turned out that it was for the better. You continued in my foot steps and never trailed far behind, you know? you were born with a special disadvantage - but even that didn't hold you back. You're one heck of a kid...and I thought it was about time that I let you into my world."
Simon felt a rush of satisfaction overwhelm him as he finally gained both the acknowledgment and the acceptance of the once person that he really ever wanted it from: his older brother, Hyuuga Keiko. His eyes glazed over and he broke into a sensational smile. "Really?"
"Yup. You're the smartest kid I know - and even though you don't act like it, you've got something special up here." He snapped at Simon and tapped the side of his head twice. "Just don't let me down, little brother. Don't make me regret this..." Simon nodded and looked up and past the mountains into the sky, witnessing the majestic Sun sinking beneath the horizon...what a scene.
"Checkmate."
Keiko jumped, his eyes widening at the thought of losing. He began to shake his head in denial but, after taking a moment to regather himself, donned a large grin. This time around, instead of leaving the table victorious and leaving Simon to sulk in his failure, Keiko arose to his feet and approached his little brother. His expression was humble and his smile was unmistakable. "Little brother..." He began. "How does it feel to utter those words?" Keiko questioned, chuckling as he placed his hand on Simon's shoulder. He was beginning to acknowledge the fact that Simon was growing and maturing at a quick pace.
It took a moment for Simon to catch onto what Keiko had said, but after having read his lips, he flashed a huge smile that only Simon was capable of wearing. "It feels great!" He announced, a surge of pride overflowing if a bit too early. "I was all 'pow,' 'pow' and 'bam!'" Simon expressed, pumping his fist in the air and swiping at the air with an exaggerated facade. Keiko looked at Simon deeply, dropping the grin he had held onto for a few minutes - his eyes narrowed and stared into Simon's. He then rose his left hand to Simon's face and snapped, causing his little brother to flinch. "Don't let it go to your head, you hear?" Keiko disciplined while tapping the side of Simon's head. "Besides, I let you win." Keiko laughed and ruffled Simon's hair playfully.
"HEY!" Simon exploded in anger, watching has Keiko laughed his way down the hall. "Where do you think YOU'RE going? you afraid I'll beat you again? HUH?" The little shinobi chased his brother down and, when he got close, jumped into the air to try and pounce his older brother. Keiko stopped dead in his tracks and sidestepped in his usual lackadaisical manner. this left Simon spiraling down, arms flailing, and ultimately led to his crashing onto the hardwood floor headfirst. Keiko watched in amusement, chuckling and shaking his head. "You're still such a loser, no matter what you do." Simon did nothing more but groan in anger as Keiko left for the backyard of the family house.
"Hey," Keiko called out to his brother. Simon's ears twitched - hearing a soft ringing, he turned to Keiko. "You say something?" This time Simon was facing his older brother, now able to read his lips to find out what it is that he wanted. "Yeah...come out here, I wanna' show you something." Simon shrugged and jumped off of the floor, landing softly on his feet. He walked towards, and followed his brother out into the back.
The yard was beautiful, and it was a while since Simon actually spent time out here. It was a wonder, too, since during his Academy days this was the exact area wherein Simon would spend hours training. It was a large, open glade - a wave of dark green, rich grass. A decorative fountain was placed in the middle of a paved path and provided a small drinking well for the birds of Konoha that inhabited this part of the area. It was nice without a doubt, but it was to the far back that held the most importance to both Keiko and Simon: it led to a small wood, concealed from the rest of the village. These woods were perfect for training, and that's where Keiko was leading Simon.
"Hey, Keiko...where exactly are we going?" Simon asked, looking around. The place was familiar but the path they were taking was headed somewhere deeper into the forest. Personally, Simon had never ventured far into the woods without anyone with him. Keiko didn't say anything, and even if he had Simon wouldn't have noticed - his back was to him, he didn't stop and continued walking. This continued for another minute or two, and Simon was growing impatient. "HEY! I'm talking to you, big brother!" He stomped his foot in frustration. "Where are we GOING?" Keiko didn't falter and proceeded to walk into the thick of the vegetation. He only stopped once he arrive, turning to face Simon. He rose his arm and motioned for Simon to step into the glade. "This...this is where I became who I am."
Simon could do nothing more than stare in awe at what lay before him. There was a clearing in the woods that yielded to a wondrous glade like no other. He slowly made his way into the field, taking each step carefully as if to pay the place his respect. He looked into his brother's eyes before passing. Keiko nodded cheerfully and allowed Simon to enter. Simon, meanwhile, was flooding with glee: the place was magnificent, beautiful and beyond explanation. He hadn't witnessed a place like it before, and he wasn't too sure that he'd experience something of the sort anytime soon.
Glade:
"Why is it that you're showing me now?" Simon questioned, still gazing at the mountains that were visible not too far away. He turned around to look for a response, looking to see why exactly Keiko had decided to allow Simon into his little world. His eyes beckoned for an answer but Keiko remained silent for the most part. It wasn't until the little shinobi began to beg and plead was when Keiko spilled his beans.
"That match of Shogi we just played...it showed me something that I couldn't see in you before. It showed me that you were capable of maturing into someone worth respecting. You weren't always the brightest, nor the strongest of the family." Keiko looked ahead, digging his hands into his pockets. "But you were stubborn, and it turned out that it was for the better. You continued in my foot steps and never trailed far behind, you know? you were born with a special disadvantage - but even that didn't hold you back. You're one heck of a kid...and I thought it was about time that I let you into my world."
Simon felt a rush of satisfaction overwhelm him as he finally gained both the acknowledgment and the acceptance of the once person that he really ever wanted it from: his older brother, Hyuuga Keiko. His eyes glazed over and he broke into a sensational smile. "Really?"
"Yup. You're the smartest kid I know - and even though you don't act like it, you've got something special up here." He snapped at Simon and tapped the side of his head twice. "Just don't let me down, little brother. Don't make me regret this..." Simon nodded and looked up and past the mountains into the sky, witnessing the majestic Sun sinking beneath the horizon...what a scene.
"No, seriously. Shut the fuck up."
Midgame
~Opportunity to Shine~
A slight breeze blew past the two siblings, the wind brushing against their bare cheeks. The sky was becoming progressively darker, with hues of orange and red being brushed onto the canvas up above. The clouds continued their eternal dance across the heavens above - breaks in the clouds allowed for the dying, magnificent rays of the Sun to shine down. It was beautiful, to say the least and Simon stared vacantly at the sky past the mountains. An agonizing moment of silence engulfed the area - Keiko took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Despite the beauty of the secluded glade, however, he didn't introduce Simon to it so that he could gaze into the stars. Keiko needed to know Simon was ready...
"Show me...that I'm right."
Suddenly, without any prior warning, Keiko launched a kunai at his little brother. The concealed weapon passed directly in front of Simon's line of sight, shocking him and causing his eyes to widen with fear. Instinctively, Simon reacted by activating his Byakugan - there was no hesitation, nor was there any time to think...a sudden surge of chakra was directed to and concentrated on his eyes, morphing them into their more detailed and powerful counterparts. The veins adjacent to his eyes bulged with this new found power and, just like that, Simon was granted a nearly undeniable scope of sight.
Before Simon could confront his brother, Keiko had bolted in his direction with inhumane agility. The explosiveness of his movements were incredible, and he was headed directly towards Simon, fist cocked back and ready to deploy. As soon as he had let his punch fly, Simon arched his back, letting it cave into his frame, and fluidly rolled his head back to avoid the blow. Keiko's fist nearly missed Simon by an inch or two - the dodge was both critical and lucky. Had Simon been hit he would have surely been slammed into the ground. Simon knew now why he had been led here, and wasn't about to let his brother down: this was his opportunity to shine!
After the dodge, Simon fought for positioning: he needed to get behind Keiko so that he could be in his element. He circled his right foot around himself, twirling his body a complete one-hundred eighty degrees: the two brothers were now back to back. Keiko knew what it was that Simon was doing and looked to stop him dead in his tracks. The older brother reached around with his left arm, making it so that Simon couldn't continue to his left, ultimately canceling out his momentum. After that, Simon wrapped his right arm around Keiko's left and forced it up and above his own head.
At this point, Simon took his right leg and reached across with it, planting it to Keiko's left. With their arms locked, Simon tucked his head underneath his arm and twirled his right arm so that Keiko was facing him. The younger shinobi had his left arm cocked back and delivered a devastating blow to Keiko's chest. Yet, the only problem was, it didn't land. Keiko had incredible speed and was able to catch Simon's fist before it was able to do any damage. He smiled, "Is that the best you can do...?"
Simon frowned in dissatisfaction and pushed off of his brother, creating about five feet of space between them. He changed his stance to that of a basic defensive Ba Gua and was prepared to begin circle walking. Keiko too the stance as a challenge and charged forth, delivering blow after blow in rapid succession. Simon was overwhelmed at first by the incredible speed, but caught on to his brother's movements before too long. He began deflecting each punch, and with each successful block or evasion, he took steps that led him around a circle.
Yet, before Simon was able to take advantage of his growing momentum, Keiko was able to land a solid kick on Simon's knee, sending him crashing into the ground. The young boy collapsed, and fell prey to Keiko's next attack: "Eight Divination Signs Air Palm!" The invisible wave of chakra was unavoidable, and Simon could do nothing more than suffer the pain as he was driven into the ground. He coughed and groaned afterward, turning to his side while clutching his chest. "Argh! Why'd you do that for?" He cried out.
Keiko chuckled and helped his brother up. He's becoming a challenge...the way he was able to maneuver around my every attack was impressive. If he would've delivered that last counter-attack, I don't know what would've happened. "You know, you've got some pretty slick footwork there. Who taught you that style?" Keiko was curious as to who showed Simon such amazing evasiveness. It was versatile and not like most other Hyuuga fighting styles.
Simon got on his feet prior to dusting himself off. "I made it myself." Keiko jolted upright; jaw dropped and eyes widened. "Well, you know what I mean. I take bits and pieces from here and there and mesh it together and applied my philosophy of battle - you know, the same one I use in Shogi."
Yes, of course. Simon's always been a defensive minded player, in Shogi at least. He would sit back and form the foundation of his defense during the opening of the game and avoid confrontations until the middle of the game. Then, he'd let the opponent attack while he maintained field advantage - all the while looking for faults in their own defense. When he found an opening, he would strike with a counter attack. It's an interesting way to think...and it's that way of thinking that led to the creation of this style. The boy's a damned gifted thinker and it makes up for his lack of speed or strength.
"That's pretty impressive, little brother - but you're still the inferior Hyuuga in this family." Keiko grinned, giving his brother a thumbs-up. Yet, despite his carefree exterior, Keiko was silently acknowledging that Simon could very easily become a far superior shinobi at any given time. After all, he was driven by Keiko's own success - he never let himself fall too far behind and he's kept his pace despite all the challenges he's faced. "Plus, I didn't even use my Byakugan." Keiko shrugged, his arms crossed on top of his chest.
Simon frowned. "Oh, whatever! I didn't even have all my gear - I would've destroyed you had I had my staff with me. You couldn't lay a finger on me until the very end, admit it!" Keiko said nothing at that and turned to start walking back home. He stopped a few feet ahead and turned to Simon so that he could know what he was going to say next. "Hey, Simon, feel free to use this place whenever you want. You've earned it...but let's go home for now, got it? We'll come back some other time - the Sun's already set."
Simon nodded and trailed his brother, repeating what he had said over and over in his mind. That's pretty impressive little brother...you've earned it. He sighed a sigh of relief and happily followed his brother, accepting and even enjoying being in his shadow for just this once; just this once, though. Simon wouldn't let Keiko stay in front of him for too long - he'd surpass him in due time, and he knew he was on his way.
He just needed the opportunity to shine.
A slight breeze blew past the two siblings, the wind brushing against their bare cheeks. The sky was becoming progressively darker, with hues of orange and red being brushed onto the canvas up above. The clouds continued their eternal dance across the heavens above - breaks in the clouds allowed for the dying, magnificent rays of the Sun to shine down. It was beautiful, to say the least and Simon stared vacantly at the sky past the mountains. An agonizing moment of silence engulfed the area - Keiko took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Despite the beauty of the secluded glade, however, he didn't introduce Simon to it so that he could gaze into the stars. Keiko needed to know Simon was ready...
"Show me...that I'm right."
Suddenly, without any prior warning, Keiko launched a kunai at his little brother. The concealed weapon passed directly in front of Simon's line of sight, shocking him and causing his eyes to widen with fear. Instinctively, Simon reacted by activating his Byakugan - there was no hesitation, nor was there any time to think...a sudden surge of chakra was directed to and concentrated on his eyes, morphing them into their more detailed and powerful counterparts. The veins adjacent to his eyes bulged with this new found power and, just like that, Simon was granted a nearly undeniable scope of sight.
Before Simon could confront his brother, Keiko had bolted in his direction with inhumane agility. The explosiveness of his movements were incredible, and he was headed directly towards Simon, fist cocked back and ready to deploy. As soon as he had let his punch fly, Simon arched his back, letting it cave into his frame, and fluidly rolled his head back to avoid the blow. Keiko's fist nearly missed Simon by an inch or two - the dodge was both critical and lucky. Had Simon been hit he would have surely been slammed into the ground. Simon knew now why he had been led here, and wasn't about to let his brother down: this was his opportunity to shine!
After the dodge, Simon fought for positioning: he needed to get behind Keiko so that he could be in his element. He circled his right foot around himself, twirling his body a complete one-hundred eighty degrees: the two brothers were now back to back. Keiko knew what it was that Simon was doing and looked to stop him dead in his tracks. The older brother reached around with his left arm, making it so that Simon couldn't continue to his left, ultimately canceling out his momentum. After that, Simon wrapped his right arm around Keiko's left and forced it up and above his own head.
At this point, Simon took his right leg and reached across with it, planting it to Keiko's left. With their arms locked, Simon tucked his head underneath his arm and twirled his right arm so that Keiko was facing him. The younger shinobi had his left arm cocked back and delivered a devastating blow to Keiko's chest. Yet, the only problem was, it didn't land. Keiko had incredible speed and was able to catch Simon's fist before it was able to do any damage. He smiled, "Is that the best you can do...?"
Simon frowned in dissatisfaction and pushed off of his brother, creating about five feet of space between them. He changed his stance to that of a basic defensive Ba Gua and was prepared to begin circle walking. Keiko too the stance as a challenge and charged forth, delivering blow after blow in rapid succession. Simon was overwhelmed at first by the incredible speed, but caught on to his brother's movements before too long. He began deflecting each punch, and with each successful block or evasion, he took steps that led him around a circle.
Yet, before Simon was able to take advantage of his growing momentum, Keiko was able to land a solid kick on Simon's knee, sending him crashing into the ground. The young boy collapsed, and fell prey to Keiko's next attack: "Eight Divination Signs Air Palm!" The invisible wave of chakra was unavoidable, and Simon could do nothing more than suffer the pain as he was driven into the ground. He coughed and groaned afterward, turning to his side while clutching his chest. "Argh! Why'd you do that for?" He cried out.
Keiko chuckled and helped his brother up. He's becoming a challenge...the way he was able to maneuver around my every attack was impressive. If he would've delivered that last counter-attack, I don't know what would've happened. "You know, you've got some pretty slick footwork there. Who taught you that style?" Keiko was curious as to who showed Simon such amazing evasiveness. It was versatile and not like most other Hyuuga fighting styles.
Simon got on his feet prior to dusting himself off. "I made it myself." Keiko jolted upright; jaw dropped and eyes widened. "Well, you know what I mean. I take bits and pieces from here and there and mesh it together and applied my philosophy of battle - you know, the same one I use in Shogi."
Yes, of course. Simon's always been a defensive minded player, in Shogi at least. He would sit back and form the foundation of his defense during the opening of the game and avoid confrontations until the middle of the game. Then, he'd let the opponent attack while he maintained field advantage - all the while looking for faults in their own defense. When he found an opening, he would strike with a counter attack. It's an interesting way to think...and it's that way of thinking that led to the creation of this style. The boy's a damned gifted thinker and it makes up for his lack of speed or strength.
"That's pretty impressive, little brother - but you're still the inferior Hyuuga in this family." Keiko grinned, giving his brother a thumbs-up. Yet, despite his carefree exterior, Keiko was silently acknowledging that Simon could very easily become a far superior shinobi at any given time. After all, he was driven by Keiko's own success - he never let himself fall too far behind and he's kept his pace despite all the challenges he's faced. "Plus, I didn't even use my Byakugan." Keiko shrugged, his arms crossed on top of his chest.
Simon frowned. "Oh, whatever! I didn't even have all my gear - I would've destroyed you had I had my staff with me. You couldn't lay a finger on me until the very end, admit it!" Keiko said nothing at that and turned to start walking back home. He stopped a few feet ahead and turned to Simon so that he could know what he was going to say next. "Hey, Simon, feel free to use this place whenever you want. You've earned it...but let's go home for now, got it? We'll come back some other time - the Sun's already set."
Simon nodded and trailed his brother, repeating what he had said over and over in his mind. That's pretty impressive little brother...you've earned it. He sighed a sigh of relief and happily followed his brother, accepting and even enjoying being in his shadow for just this once; just this once, though. Simon wouldn't let Keiko stay in front of him for too long - he'd surpass him in due time, and he knew he was on his way.
He just needed the opportunity to shine.
"No, seriously. Shut the fuck up."