Space to Breathe - [ Sakura Haruno ]

CHAPTER 20

Hinata watched calmly, standing across the opening in the forest from Tayuya, the red headed Oto kunoichi. She was still, not betraying her thoughts as strategies and plans to face an unknown enemy raced through her mind.

When Tayuya pulled a flute from her person, Hinata was confused, when she realized it was for Genjutsu however, she almost sighed in relief.

“Byakugan,” she spoke softly, activating the Kekkei Genkai of her clan, watching as the chakra within the sound itself moved, trying to penetrate her psyche but being unable, being dispelled immediately upon managing the task.

“Tch,” Tayuya scowled, watching the Hyuga girl carefully, “trust me to get lumped with the girl with eyes able to see through my Genjutsu.”

Hinata didn’t respond, however, instead remaining in her stance, ready to combat the girl at any given moment.

“We’ll have to try this instead, then,” Tayuya groaned, clearly not enjoying the effort she’d have to go through to combat the Hyuga.

When Hinata watched as her opponent’s chakra grew, the new mass of the energy originating from a single point, she made to move.

Intercepting Tayuya before she managed to complete her transformation, she lowered into the stance of the Eight Trigrams Formation, bearing down the full weight of her gaze.

“You were too slow,” she said, barely raising her voice above a whisper.

Then she burst forth, stabbing harshly into different points on Tayuya’s body, the positions with tenketsu hidden beneath.

Soon after her onslaught begins, Hinata’s breath turns ragged though, struggling to keep up with where her brain wanted her to land strikes. She managed up to thirty two strikes before a harsh spin kick from Tayuya sent her flying backwards in a moment of weakness.

“Fuck,” the red headed Oto kunoichi swore, rubbing idly at her arm as she focused, “now i really need to activate my seal.”

So, she did, straight lines emerged from the seal and wrapped around her body in a zigzag pattern, Hinata barely had time to stand properly before Tayuya began wailing on her.

Hinata struggled to block each attack, pushing only a few away with carefully timed strikes at tenketsu in her opponents arms. Other strikes landed painfully against her limbs, but her body itself was protected, as was her face.

“God, you’re annoying!” Tayuya complained, jumping backwards to catch her breath after a particularly painful strike to the stomach. “Just roll up and die already.”

Hinata still refused to respond, simply watching and catching her own breath before the Oto kunoichi came towards her again.

The dance of a taijutsu battle continued for a while, but neither shinobi made much headway. Tayuya would make a few strikes against Hinata, but the Hyuga would make just as many right back at her. It felt to be a stalemate, at that point, only to give out when one or the other became tired.

Hinata was clearly on the back foot in that department. Her breath was already ragged, her movements choppy and Tayuya was slowly working her out.

Tayuya wasn’t perfect either, breath heavy and eyes darting around wearily, and she’d been unable to progress her cursed seal any further due to the constant pressure.

So instead, she slammed her hands together in a series of five seals, slamming one with a pricked finger to the ground and called out.

“Summoning!”

Hinata’s eyes widened to the size of saucers as she watched the three beasts emerge, tall and bulbous, and all tremendously imposing.

When Tayuya pulled her flute out again, Hinata prepared to dispel another attempt at Genjutsu, eying her opponent’s summons carefully.