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Description
Part 12:
A Hunter’s Confidence:

Tansho entered the arena with her head held high with her right hand on Koan’s neck scratching him behind his ears.  With each step she began to study her opponent Funabashi Zeshin.  It was something that she had learned from Daito-kun and like her father told her time and time again: “Never enter a battle without studying your foe.”
Tansho was from the Mitzusaka clan, a specialized clan of Hunter Nin who exclusively used bears and has faithfully served this country for over six decades.  She had a name to uphold because she knew that every noble in this arena from the Emperor to wealthy merchants knew of her clan.  She knew there was a possibility that she could lose but she could at least give them one hell of a show.
Funabashi Zeshin was the biggest contender here height and size wise.  Tansho only came up to his chest and his arms were the width of her waist.  Zeshin wore his headband to the side of his head just over his ear; he had brown eyes, green mid-back length hair that covered his left eye, a black mesh shirt, a dark red vest, and black baggy shorts.  She knew he was from the Hidden Village of the Moon whose members utilized a great deal of earth, lightning, and wind element jutsu not to mention their genjutsu users but what was he capable of?
When she came face to face with him Zeshin glared at her with an emotionless grimace as he looked down at her.  Tansho couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated despite having Koan at her side but she decided to make the best of her situation.
“It is a pleasure to be your opponent honorable Funabashi-sama,” announced Tansho as she bowed slightly to him.  She could see by his sudden expression that he was not prepared for such a greeting and she knew at that moment his thoughts were unbalanced.  Mitzusaka knew she had just won the first part of a battle, the element of surprise.
“FIGHT,” shouted the examiner as he dropped his hand.
Zeshin hesitated and Tansho took full advantage by sweeping his feet out from under him.  The large ninja landed hard on the ground but was back on his feet within seconds and immediately found his target.  Tansho was still standing in front of him so Zeshin obliged her with a solid punch to the face.
However to the genin’s surprise the image of Tansho vanished in a puff of smoke revealing that the one he struck was Koan.  He barely dodged the bear’s powerful swipe and Tansho could tell by his confused face she had won the second part of battle, the battle of wits.  She saw that Funabashi was losing his temper and she knew she was about to win the third part of battle, the battle of a balanced heart.
“I’ll crush you,” growled Zeshin as he made several hand signs, “Earth Element:  Stone’s Striking Embrace!”
Mitzusaka Tansho watched with amazement as her opponent’s skin turned to stone.  She had never encountered this jutsu before and she imagined it was one of his clan’s specialties so she would have to test it.  She threw one of her kunai directly toward his arm and as she surmised he allowed it to hit him.
Although despite the obvious advantages of this stone armor she saw that several chips of stone crumbled off at the point of impact.  The one thing that she did not anticipate was the fact his speed did not decrease.  She used her taijutsu skills to stay one step ahead of Funabashi and with each dodge she could tell his anger was increasing.  She also realized that this armor could only be maintained for a short time because his skin was beginning to crack.
Tansho used her smaller size and agility to weave around the rock encased foe while she performed a silent jutsu.  She knew that she would just have to bide her time a little bit more.  Tansho signaled for Koan to engage her opponent and the moment he turned his attention to her bear she struck.  Tansho drove her elbow into the small of Zeshin’s back cracking the stone and causing him to drop his guard creating a perfect opening for Koan.  The large bear swiped Zeshin directly across the chest shattering his stone shell and sent him sailing backwards.
Tansho then took this opportunity to deliver a devastating axe kick to his exposed chest, driving her heel into his ribs unleashing a loud cracking sound and slamming him to the ground.  Funabashi Zeshin now lay on the ground in labored breathing unable to continue.  She waited for the examiner to announce her as the winner before she went to check on her downed opponent.
“Funabashi-sama are you okay,” asked Tansho as she knelt beside his head.
“H (cough)…How did y (cough)…you hit so hard (cough),” inquired Zeshin as he coughed up a small amount of blood, “It felt (cough)…like your (cough)…bear hit me.”
“In my clan when you’re two years old you are paired with a bear cub and then a special jutsu is performed binding you together as one,” she said as she took a cloth from her pocket and wiped away the blood from his face, “From that day forward you share each others strengths and with a simple jutsu Koan’s great strength became my own.”
“I’m (cough) glad you beat me (cough),” spoke Zeshin in a worsening voice, “You are honor ...(cough)...able (cough, cough).  Be careful (cough).”
“Why,” she asked as the medical nin approached.
“I was (cough, cough) told to (cough, cough) kill you,” stated Zeshin with a serious look on his face right before he suffered a violent seizure causing blood to spew forth from his mouth like a small geyser.  Tansho feel backwards from her squatted position landing on her rump as the statement her opponent just made caused all the color in her face to drain away.  She attempted to stand and run back to tell her sensei what he just said however she only saw the ground coming quickly toward her face before everything went black.
Ohira Satoko, Tokukami Ren and Katsukawa Kira ran to her side as another group of medical nin came out to respond to her.  When they reached her side Zeshin was being carried away on a stretcher and Satoko could tell he was already dead.  Koan began to lick Tansho’s face as the medical nin arrived.  Nakamura Akonda stayed in the waiting area in the back corner of the room away from the other contestants because he was receiving a message of vital importance.
“Nakamura-sama,” spoke a soft voice only he could hear.
“Yes,” he replied in a similar voice without moving his mouth.
“I come with a message from the Kedamono Kage,” spoke an ANBU member with a blue kitsune mask standing back to back with Akonda, “The Emperor plans to set up a special match against the Tokukami heir.”
“A special match,” questioned Akonda with no emotion on his face.
“The details are unknown but it was the idea of the Garandou Kage,” she said with a condescending tone, “If Tokukami refuses there could be severe consequences for your village Nakamura-sama.”
“I understand.  Thank you Kitsune-sama,” replied Akonda as she vanished into the shadows, “So it begins.”
“What begins Akonda-sensei,” asked Ren as he returned to his side.
“What happened to Tansho-san?”
“She fainted,” replied Ren as he stretched his back, “Koan, Ohira-sama and Kira-san are going with her to the recovery area.”
“That’s good,” stated Akonda as he turned to his genin placing his hands on his shoulders, “Listen to me Ren-kun what is about to happen is a direct request from the Emperor and if we refuse it could mark the end of our village.”
“What are you talking about Akonda-sensei?”
“The next match is a special request from his grand majesty the Emperor,” announced the examiner as the crowd began to cheer for the potential of the match, “The next bout will be Tokukami Ren from the Village of the Hidden Blade versus Moto Oniji and Nawabe Seibei both from the Village of the Hidden Chasm and Fuchida Jinzaburo from the Hidden Village of the Void!  This will be a three on one match but keep in mind that the Hidden Blade shinobi has the right to refuse!”
“I have no doubt they’re going to try and kill you Ren-kun,” added Akonda as he looked toward the arena, “What are you going to do?”
“Defeat them all,” spoke Ren as he leapt over the railing of the waiting area and yelled, “Examiner I accept the challenge!”

To be continued…

Description
Part 12:
A Hunter’s Confidence:

Tansho entered the arena with her head held high with her right hand on Koan’s neck scratching him behind his ears.  With each step she began to study her opponent Funabashi Zeshin.  It was something that she had learned from Daito-kun and like her father told her time and time again: “Never enter a battle without studying your foe.”
Tansho was from the Mitzusaka clan, a specialized clan of Hunter Nin who exclusively used bears and has faithfully served this country for over six decades.  She had a name to uphold because she knew that every noble in this arena from the Emperor to wealthy merchants knew of her clan.  She knew there was a possibility that she could lose but she could at least give them one hell of a show.
Funabashi Zeshin was the biggest contender here height and size wise.  Tansho only came up to his chest and his arms were the width of her waist.  Zeshin wore his headband to the side of his head just over his ear; he had brown eyes, green mid-back length hair that covered his left eye, a black mesh shirt, a dark red vest, and black baggy shorts.  She knew he was from the Hidden Village of the Moon whose members utilized a great deal of earth, lightning, and wind element jutsu not to mention their genjutsu users but what was he capable of?
When she came face to face with him Zeshin glared at her with an emotionless grimace as he looked down at her.  Tansho couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated despite having Koan at her side but she decided to make the best of her situation.
“It is a pleasure to be your opponent honorable Funabashi-sama,” announced Tansho as she bowed slightly to him.  She could see by his sudden expression that he was not prepared for such a greeting and she knew at that moment his thoughts were unbalanced.  Mitzusaka knew she had just won the first part of a battle, the element of surprise.
“FIGHT,” shouted the examiner as he dropped his hand.
Zeshin hesitated and Tansho took full advantage by sweeping his feet out from under him.  The large ninja landed hard on the ground but was back on his feet within seconds and immediately found his target.  Tansho was still standing in front of him so Zeshin obliged her with a solid punch to the face.
However to the genin’s surprise the image of Tansho vanished in a puff of smoke revealing that the one he struck was Koan.  He barely dodged the bear’s powerful swipe and Tansho could tell by his confused face she had won the second part of battle, the battle of wits.  She saw that Funabashi was losing his temper and she knew she was about to win the third part of battle, the battle of a balanced heart.
“I’ll crush you,” growled Zeshin as he made several hand signs, “Earth Element:  Stone’s Striking Embrace!”
Mitzusaka Tansho watched with amazement as her opponent’s skin turned to stone.  She had never encountered this jutsu before and she imagined it was one of his clan’s specialties so she would have to test it.  She threw one of her kunai directly toward his arm and as she surmised he allowed it to hit him.
Although despite the obvious advantages of this stone armor she saw that several chips of stone crumbled off at the point of impact.  The one thing that she did not anticipate was the fact his speed did not decrease.  She used her taijutsu skills to stay one step ahead of Funabashi and with each dodge she could tell his anger was increasing.  She also realized that this armor could only be maintained for a short time because his skin was beginning to crack.
Tansho used her smaller size and agility to weave around the rock encased foe while she performed a silent jutsu.  She knew that she would just have to bide her time a little bit more.  Tansho signaled for Koan to engage her opponent and the moment he turned his attention to her bear she struck.  Tansho drove her elbow into the small of Zeshin’s back cracking the stone and causing him to drop his guard creating a perfect opening for Koan.  The large bear swiped Zeshin directly across the chest shattering his stone shell and sent him sailing backwards.
Tansho then took this opportunity to deliver a devastating axe kick to his exposed chest, driving her heel into his ribs unleashing a loud cracking sound and slamming him to the ground.  Funabashi Zeshin now lay on the ground in labored breathing unable to continue.  She waited for the examiner to announce her as the winner before she went to check on her downed opponent.
“Funabashi-sama are you okay,” asked Tansho as she knelt beside his head.
“H (cough)…How did y (cough)…you hit so hard (cough),” inquired Zeshin as he coughed up a small amount of blood, “It felt (cough)…like your (cough)…bear hit me.”
“In my clan when you’re two years old you are paired with a bear cub and then a special jutsu is performed binding you together as one,” she said as she took a cloth from her pocket and wiped away the blood from his face, “From that day forward you share each others strengths and with a simple jutsu Koan’s great strength became my own.”
“I’m (cough) glad you beat me (cough),” spoke Zeshin in a worsening voice, “You are honor ...(cough)...able (cough, cough).  Be careful (cough).”
“Why,” she asked as the medical nin approached.
“I was (cough, cough) told to (cough, cough) kill you,” stated Zeshin with a serious look on his face right before he suffered a violent seizure causing blood to spew forth from his mouth like a small geyser.  Tansho feel backwards from her squatted position landing on her rump as the statement her opponent just made caused all the color in her face to drain away.  She attempted to stand and run back to tell her sensei what he just said however she only saw the ground coming quickly toward her face before everything went black.
Ohira Satoko, Tokukami Ren and Katsukawa Kira ran to her side as another group of medical nin came out to respond to her.  When they reached her side Zeshin was being carried away on a stretcher and Satoko could tell he was already dead.  Koan began to lick Tansho’s face as the medical nin arrived.  Nakamura Akonda stayed in the waiting area in the back corner of the room away from the other contestants because he was receiving a message of vital importance.
“Nakamura-sama,” spoke a soft voice only he could hear.
“Yes,” he replied in a similar voice without moving his mouth.
“I come with a message from the Kedamono Kage,” spoke an ANBU member with a blue kitsune mask standing back to back with Akonda, “The Emperor plans to set up a special match against the Tokukami heir.”
“A special match,” questioned Akonda with no emotion on his face.
“The details are unknown but it was the idea of the Garandou Kage,” she said with a condescending tone, “If Tokukami refuses there could be severe consequences for your village Nakamura-sama.”
“I understand.  Thank you Kitsune-sama,” replied Akonda as she vanished into the shadows, “So it begins.”
“What begins Akonda-sensei,” asked Ren as he returned to his side.
“What happened to Tansho-san?”
“She fainted,” replied Ren as he stretched his back, “Koan, Ohira-sama and Kira-san are going with her to the recovery area.”
“That’s good,” stated Akonda as he turned to his genin placing his hands on his shoulders, “Listen to me Ren-kun what is about to happen is a direct request from the Emperor and if we refuse it could mark the end of our village.”
“What are you talking about Akonda-sensei?”
“The next match is a special request from his grand majesty the Emperor,” announced the examiner as the crowd began to cheer for the potential of the match, “The next bout will be Tokukami Ren from the Village of the Hidden Blade versus Moto Oniji and Nawabe Seibei both from the Village of the Hidden Chasm and Fuchida Jinzaburo from the Hidden Village of the Void!  This will be a three on one match but keep in mind that the Hidden Blade shinobi has the right to refuse!”
“I have no doubt they’re going to try and kill you Ren-kun,” added Akonda as he looked toward the arena, “What are you going to do?”
“Defeat them all,” spoke Ren as he leapt over the railing of the waiting area and yelled, “Examiner I accept the challenge!”

To be continued…