>>5900849>>5900861>>5900898>>5901068>>5901120>>5901149>>5901627It’s hard to play to your strengths in this setting. Usually, it would just be a consideration of getting within arm’s reach as fast as possible. From there, you were reasonably confident that you’d be victorious.
Provided you could get within arm’s reach. Which for now, you can’t. She stands menacingly on the water, watching you. Her posture was unassuming, as if she wasn’t currently in a duel at all. But it wasn’t a civilian stance: She radiated palpable confidence, just analyzing you.
You probably radiated palpable confidence as well, just analyzing her. You had once been taught that patience in such a situation was a virtue, and as such you had impressed it upon yourself that, if you do anything at all, you should do with a sure calmness of heart. Instinct was an ally and an enemy. It could drive a decision faster than the mind could think, but it would drive mistaken action just as surely.
You lightly begin moving along the shore, slowly circling her position. It would look leisurely if not for the fact that you were purposefully managing your footing so that there isn’t an instant of time that would cause you to be caught flat-footed by some kind of ranged attack.
As such, you’re moving with a kind of stilted sidle.
“What’s wrong, Naoki?” She says. “You seemed so sure of yourself earlier. Scared of water?”
“No. I learned that trick you’re using right now, I’m just wary that you’ll use the water as a medium for some kind of electric cheat.” You lie. The problem wasn’t the lightning, it was being water-logged due to your own insecurity in remaining standing on it. The lightning was merely a modifier on top of how bad that would be.
“Wary, he says!” She announces to an invisible audience. Well, there was one. “And this is supposed to be the guy who lords around like he’s some untouchable badass! Why don’t you grow some balls and come at me?”
You snort. “Rich talk from the girl hiding over there. You know you can’t win without some stupid trick, so you’re-”
There it is, you think, reflexively throwing your head back with a jolt, narrowly avoiding the kunai that she sent sailing for your face. You think to say something about the fact that she’s already trying to stab you, but the time for banter wasn’t back yet.
You had a long familiarity with wire, due to the chakra wire being so central to your condition. There was a wire attached to the kunai. You didn’t have time to inspect it or check it out, but there would be electricity humming down in it in an instant. You were close enough that a nudge of chakra could probably send it into your newly convulsive body.
Instinct could drive a mistaken action, surely.
You grab it with your wooden hand, the sharp, razor edge of it scoring your wooden fingers as you yank it as forcefully as you possibly can: If it wasn’t in her hand, she couldn’t send lightning down it.
