Leaf Whirlwind

Salzem walked cautiously through the training grounds, dodging other fighting ninja swiftly in his search for a empty spot where training wouldn't be and issue. He had found the one spot where no one was fighting. It was near the last dummy on the edge of the grounds. Salzem moved as quickly as the combat-driven ninja would allow.  Someone moved in Salzem's way, blocking his vision of his spot. When the person finally moved, someone else was already training there. He growled. He was not going to fight his way back out of this place. He had already decided that that area will be his. Salzem walked up to the ninja, hand on his katana's hilt. The ninja did not notice Salzem, too wrapped up in her own training. He figured this would get her attention. He put his hands together in the tiger sign, molding his chakra into a liquid bullet. He spat it out, it slamming into her training dummy, drilling a hole right through it. As Salzem wanted, she turned to face him. He glared at her through his mask but she seemed to be unimpressed with his display.
"What do you want?" she asked, eying him over.
"Listen, I had to dodge through all those people back there," Salzem said pointing at the fighting ninja behind him with his thumb. "For this spot. I would be much obliged if you would let me have it." The girl just smiled as if he just spoke the stupidest joke ever said.
"If you can beat me, you can have the spot." She said, lowering herself into a fighting stance. Salzem did the same, drawing his blade.
(TWK:278)

He struck first, slashing at her testingly, trying to get a feel for her. She easily dodged his cut, bringing her leg up in a powerful kick aimed at Salzem's head. He had just enough time to duck before the kick arced in front of his face. Salzem attempted to counter but she kept up the pressure, kicking faster and faster, forcing him on the deteriorating defensive. He tried pushing her attacks away with his free hand but it had too much force. It connected, sending Salzem flying backwards and crashing into a tree. He shook his head, blinking the fuzziness out of his vision from the force of the kick. The girl did not continue her assault, rather she stood in place, smiling all confident-like. Salzem was slightly aggravated by her confident demeanor but he too smiled. He put his hands together in the tiger sign, splitting his chakra into three shadow clones. All three clones attacked with a combination of taijutsu and and swords slashes. The girl dodged each attack with much more difficulty. Each clone coordinated with each other, following up on each others attacks flawlessly. The true Salzem creeped around the girl while she focused on the clones, bringing his sword down in a back-slash. Apparently, she had known he was there all along. She turned, stepped inside Salzem's strike, grabbed the collar of his flak jacket, and threw him into his clones. He could not stop himself as he barreled into his copies, causing them to dissipate as they all crashed into the ground. Salzem sat up, shaking his head, trying to shake the throbbing pain that was collecting around the top of his skull.
"Bah..." He snarled to himself as he got to his feet again. He was obviously not going to win with his katana. He slipped it into the sheath on his back and raised his open palms, ready for a pure taijutsu duel.

(TWK: 600)

The girl obviously out classed him in speed and strength. The girl was breathing hard, chest rising and falling with the ever-present pain of exhaustion. Salzem was not necessarily tired, more he was aggravated. The girl came at him and Salzem played the defensive card. He watched as he redirected each blow. The force of which, falling rapidly. Her face grew red with blood as the searing pain of exhaustion coursed through her body. Salzem soon found openings in her guard and threw a few of his own blows, none connecting, but they did drive her back. Eventually, Salzem was on a role, kicking rapid strikes at her as she did to him. She was struck hard by each kick, sending her a step back each time Salzem's feet connected with her face or body. Finally, Salzem stopped his assault, letting the girl regain her footing. At first, she looked surprised, then her eyes seemed to glow with rage as Salzem stood, copying her once-cocky stance. She charged at Salzem, enraged that he was playing with her. Salzem simply stepped out of her way and brought his leg around in a sweeping motion, catching her legs and sending her spinning into a near by tree. Salzem turned to face her, ready to face face her again, should she attack again. She was lying face-down facing the tree. Her forehead seemed to be dripping small amounts of blood. She was a worthy opponent, one he would gladly face again. To show his respect for her, Salzem lifted her up and propped her up against a tree. He sat down next to her, waiting for her to wake up as his father had done for him all those times before.
(TWK: 888)

The girl awoke slowly, the feeling of blood trickling down from her forehead. She couldn't believe she had lost to that masked kid, and just when she was winning too... She pouted for awhile, taking no notice that Salzem was sitting next to her. Only when she noticed him when she saw that Salzem was no longer in front of her. Salzem waved with one of his hands, the other resting on his knee.
She blushed in shame. She had lost to this kid... It cannot be true... Salzem noticed her stress but knew not what to do. He was not really a people  person so he did not know how to comfort her.
"You fought well Salzem said, pointing his blood-red eyes toward her. He was not going anywhere for a while so breathing-training appeared to be in order. He slipped his mask off, revieling his pale (near white) Face and Blood-red eyes. If the girl was disturbed by his appearance, she did not show it. The girl looked at him strangely, then spoke.
"How do you know that technique?" She asked him. Now it was Salzem's turn to look at her strangely.
"What do you mean?" Salzem asked her. She continued to stare at him. (More specifically, his eyes) Salzem looked down and blushed, embarassed that he was being probed so thoroughly and so closely to.
"Remember when I was kicking at you, each attack gaining in speed?" Salzem nodded. "That was called 'Leaf Whirlwind' and somehow you knew it. How? It took me weeks of practice to learn that."
Salzem shook his head mutely. He did not know... "I just copied what you did..." he answered truthfully. She laughed at that and Salzem laughed to. They both sat against the tree trunk, laughing to themselves for what felt like and 30 minutes. For a time, they couldn't even remember what they were laughing about. When they both ran out of breath, the laughing stopped. Salzem looked at the girl, noticing the blood was still there upon her face. Salzem dug around in his back for a cloth he uses to clean wounds, intending to wipe the sanguine river from her features.
(TWK: 1252)
(Claiming Leaf Whirlwind Jutsu and 6 skill points)