Snippet #2286192

With Sugahara Matsu's sharp cry to declare the start of the duel, Miyazaki thrust her hand into her hip pouch as she darted forward to close the distance between them, throwing two smoke pellets with a swift underhand motion without breaking stride. Her aim was for her opponent's chest, but two pellets at once made for a less accuracy. Whether or not her attack succeeded in hindering Akimoto's vision with thick black smoke she would follow through with sword thrusts -- quick jabs and strikes of the ninjato here and there aimed at various parts of his body, none of which she committed her full strength or balance to. Her objective was not to break through his armor, but to probe her opponent's defensive maneuvering before forcing a mistake in his positioning and footwork that she could then exploit.

The disadvantage to such a sudden flurry of strikes and thrusts is that, if you are not careful you can find your own positioning turned against you, so if Akimoto were to withstand her initial lightning attacks without giving her an opening, she would attempt to disengage and leap back a few paces, to reevaluate her strategy accordingly.

***** *****

The fat old scholar gave the signal for the muketsu duel to begin. Keeping his eye on the fight, he spoke to Zetsumie with a conspiratorial whisper. "Are you interested in leading a mission of mine, Zetsu-san?" If the legendary shinobi said no, then the winner of the duel would be none the wiser. If he agreed -- well, either Miya or Akimoto were welcome to challenge him for the leadership. Matsu's small lips twitched with a smile at the thought. Duels with Zetsumie were quite rare, but the quick bouts were always as entertaining for the spectators as they were educational for the loser.

Some might see dishonor in asking Zetsumie to take leadership despite the duel being contended, but the success of the mission and the security of the clan as a whole trumped such considerations.