fandomhighdorms | The Roof, Tuesday Evening

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The Roof, Tuesday Evening

Working inside all day had left Ino craving fresh air and evening found her sitting up on the roof of the dorms, dangling her legs off the side of the building and reviewing her Ethics notes in an attempt to keep Master Skywalker from threatening her with detention for the third week in a row.

It wasn’t going so well.

She kept getting side-tracked by other things, like the wind, or the sky, or how she should probably be training instead of wasting her time – but lacking the energy to go and do something constructive – or coming up with a way to write her dad without mentioning anything that had happened on the weekend.

Ino leaned further over the side of the roof. Maybe she should practise her chakra control? Walking down the building would be more of a challenge than the wall over her bed.

Hmmm.

[Open like an open thing!]

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"It's easier if you have a rope," Cassandra offered as she stepped out onto the roof and saw where Ino was looking.

It took Ino a moment to figure out what the girl meant and waved it off with a laugh, "I wouldn't need a rope, unless I was tired." She grinned.

"Really?" Cassandra frowned, "What if there weren't any handholds down there?" She knows that there are because she's climbed that side before, but Ino seemed to mean something different.

Ino kicked her feet out, "Using chakra, um, spiritual energy, I can 'stick' to surfaces." Not the most elegant explanation but it would do. "But if I was tired, I'd slip and fall because my chakra would be too low to stick properly."

"Huh. Interesting," Cassandra considered that, "Can you stick to other stuff too? Like... people?" That could end up being really useful in a couple of situations Cassandra could think of.

Ino twisted around so that she could better see Cassandra, and frowned thoughtfully. "I can stick to things like armor and cloth, but I'm not sure if I'd want to try using chakra to hold on to someone else. What if my chakra reacted badly to theirs?" She shook her head, "Not a bad thing if it's an enemy - but what if it was a friend?"

"Oh. I... hadn't thought of that. I... don't know anything about the 'chakra' thing." She shrugged, "Just how to fight."

Ino thought that this was perfectly interesting, "What kind of fighting?"

"Most kinds?" Cassandra considered. "I learn fast." She eyed Ino, "You're not bad yourself."

Ino beamed at this compliment, seeing no reason to disagree. "Not good enough to hide it though, right?" She shrugged, unconcerned, "Form-wise I'm pretty good, control too - it's my lack of power that winds me up in trouble."

And her terrible impulse control. But Ino wasn't going to mention that.

"There are ways to make a little power do a lot," Cassandra suggested.

She laughed sheepishly, "Asuma-sensei tells me that all the time. It's just so irritating being the physically weakest, on my team back home." Ino frowned pensively, "I've been trying to get better lately, any helpful suggestions?"

If Cassandra could tell that Ino was a fighter, well Ino could tell just as clearly that the other girl was far superior to her.

One thing that Cassandra was always willing to do was teach what she knew. Stephanie had taught her the value in that.

"With any opponent, you will always be stronger in some way. Faster, more flexible, smarter, better knowledge of terrain. And there are ways of making your strengths the important ones."

She considered for a moment, then continued, "You can walk on walls, but I can't. So I would fight you here." Her eyes flit around the roof, "No walls."

Ino swallowed, and took a good, long look at the other girl, mentally tallying up the fact that Cassandra out weighed her, had a longer reach than her, and definitely looked like she'd had more training as well.

"Is that a challenge?" Ino asked while getting to her feet, a smile still on her face, "Wall walking isn't the only thing I can do."

She hoped it was.

It only took a moment for Cassandra to assess the way Ino held herself. "It can be one if you want. I... could use some exercise."

"I wouldn't mind." Ino said while flexing her wrists, and using the time to try and get a better idea of the layout of the roof. Cassandra's mention of handholds meant she'd been up here before, so Ino was at a futher disadvantage.

"All in good fun of course. And it's hard to help someone unless you know what you're dealing with."

Cassandra nodded. Then she pressed her fist into an open palm and bowed, keeping her eyes on Ino. "I am Cassandra. When you are ready..."

The bow threw her off for a moment, and Ino stared before shrugging and bowing back, "I'm Ino," then she grinned, "Shall we dance?"

The only answer Cassandra gave was a sudden rush forward. Not enough to close completely, just a move to see how Ino responds.

Ino's eyes widened and she moved backwards quickly, being careful of the drop behind her. Falling off the roof while sparring? Bad idea.

She put as much space as possible between her and Cassandra, all the while keeping as close to the edge of the roof as possible.

Cassandra stopped to nod in approval and then began to close more carefully. Watching Ino as the distance began to close, almost to the point where a few kicks might be thrown.

Ino eyed the distance between them then, without giving herself the time to think better of it, lashed out with her feet, aiming for Cassandra's knees.

But Cassandra had already moved, sweeping back and then forward again in one smooth motion and then dropping low enough to sweep back.

Oh, that wasn't fair. She didn't stand a chance against someone who moved like that.

Ino narrowed her eyes, slipping out of the way quick as an eel then moving to flank Cassandra. This time, she aimed higher.

Cassandra watched the other girl move critically. She was good, especially for someone so young. Time to push a bit. She let the kick come in, rotated to rob it of most of its force. Then she responded with a rapid series of strikes aimed all over: thigh, shoulder, ribs, ankle, wrist.

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