Temari's fist slammed against Soren's guard. He blocked just in time, but the sheer force of the impact sent him skidding back several steps, carving grooves into the sand.
"A promise," Temari repeated while following him relentlessly. "What kind of promise would make you do something as stupid as challenging me?"
"The promise to prove to you that I'm worthy!" Soren ducked a right hook and countered with a low kick. Temari hopped over it with ease.
"Worthy?" She landed on one hand and used the momentum to launch a spinning kick that Soren blocked with both arms. "Worthy of what?"
"Of your attention!" Soren shouted as he pushed the girl's leg aside and lunged forward. "Of the chance to get to know you beyond your reputation as a kunoichi!"
His fist flew toward Temari's face. She dodged by tilting her head to the side, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.
"Wait," she said while blocking Soren's flurry of punches. "Is this really about the date?"
"Of course it is!" Soren jumped back to gain some distance. His chest heaved and sweat poured down his face. "Why else would I put myself through this?"
"I thought you were just crazy," Temari admitted. "I don't know, I just figured you were another idiot who wanted to prove he could beat the Fourth Kazekage's daughter."
"Well," Soren smiled despite the pain radiating through his entire body, "technically I am an idiot. Matsuri tells me that all the time. But I didn't challenge you to feed my ego."
"Then why?"
"Because," Soren straightened up completely, looking her directly in the eyes, "ever since I saw you, I haven't been able to think about anything else. So I decided to show you my interest the only way I knew you'd respect: by fighting."
Silence fell over the training ground. The desert wind brushed past them, kicking up small clouds of sand. Temari looked at him with an expression Soren couldn't quite read. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. Was it from the exercise or something else?
"You are," Temari began slowly, "the biggest idiot I've ever met."
"I know!"
Temari shook her head as a soft smile escaped her lips.
"But," she continued, "no one has ever challenged me like this before. Usually, people just... avoid me."
"Why would they avoid you?" Soren tilted his head in confusion. "You're amazing."
The blush on Temari's cheeks definitely intensified.
"Shut up," she muttered. Then, she cleared her throat and regained her serious expression. "Anyway. This battle isn't over yet. And just because I admit you have guts doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you."
"I wouldn't expect anything less!" Soren settled back into his stance. Every muscle in his body protested, but he ignored the pain. "Give me everything you've got, Temari-sama!"
"Stop calling me that."
"Never!"
Temari sighed as a predatory grin played on her lips.
"Fine," she said as her hands blurred into signs. "But this is your own fault. Wind Style: Sea Foam Scythe Jutsu!"
A blast of cutting wind exploded across the training ground. Soren felt the very air turn into invisible blades aimed directly at him.
Crap! She's using ninjutsu now!
He dove to the side, rolling through the sand. The wind blades sliced the air exactly where he had been standing. He heard the deadly whistle as they passed inches from his head.
"You almost took my ears off!"
"That was the idea!" Temari was already forming more signs. "If you want to impress me, you're going to have to do more than just dodge!"
Soren scrambled to his feet. His mind was racing. She's right. If I just stay on the defensive, I'll never have a chance to win. I need to pressure her. But how do I get close when she can keep me at a distance with wind jutsus?
Then he remembered something Baki-sensei had told him during training: "The best defense against long-range ninjutsu is to close the gap before they can finish their signs."
"Here I come!" Soren exploded forward with all the speed he could muster.
Temari smirked. "Predictable."
Another gust of cutting wind shot toward him. But this time, Soren was ready. Instead of dodging to the side, he leaped straight up. The wind blades tore through the air beneath him.
"Take this!"
He threw three kunai in an arc while mid-air. Temari saw them coming and ignored them; they were too high to be a threat. Or so she thought.
The moment Soren landed, he formed a single-handed sign.
"Kai!"
The kunai exploded into clouds of smoke. They were disguised smoke bombs. The dense curtain fell directly over Temari, blocking her vision.
"Cheater!" he heard her voice call out from within the cloud.
"All's fair in love and war!" Soren yelled as he charged into the smoke. His heart was pounding. This is my chance. If I can reach her before she recovers...
He burst through the gray curtain. His eyes scanned the area quickly for Temari. There she was: a shadow moving to the right. Soren pivoted and threw a punch. His fist connected with something solid.
I did it!
Then he felt the texture under his knuckles. Wood.
"Oh no."
POOF!
The log thudded to the ground as the smoke from the Substitution Jutsu mixed with the bombs.
"Look up," Temari's voice came from above.
Soren barely had time to look up before she descended rapidly. Her foot slammed into his shoulder with brutal force.
CRACK!
Soren crashed into the ground. The air was knocked out of his lungs for the second time. Pain radiated from his shoulder down his entire arm.
"Too obvious," Temari said as she landed gracefully beside him. "The smoke was a good idea, but the moment you ran straight into it, I knew exactly what you were planning."
"Ouch," Soren groaned without moving from the shallow crater his body had made. "Mental note: Temari-sama is much smarter than I thought."
"Than you thought?" Temari leaned over him with her hands on her hips. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing bad. Just that you're beautiful AND smart. It's a dangerous combination."
Temari's face turned bright red.
"Stop flirting in the middle of a fight!"
"Why?" Soren smiled despite the pain. "I'm already on the ground anyway. Might as well let you know how incredible I think you are."
"You...!" Temari stepped back quickly; her ears were red. "Get up. I'm not going to beat you while you're lying there like an idiot."
"See? There's another thing I admire," Soren slowly stood up, clutching his aching shoulder. "Your sense of honor. You could end this right now, but you won't because you want a fair fight."
"If you don't shut up right now," Temari threatened, "I'm going to forget that sense of honor and blast you across the desert."
Soren laughed. It hurt, but he couldn't help it.
"Okay, okay. No more distractions. I promise the rest of this fight will be one hundred percent serious."
"You better believe it," Temari took her stance again. "Because I'm going for real now."
"Perfect!" Soren ignored the pain and resumed his posture. "Because so am I!"
They stared each other down across the training field. The wind blew softly, kicking up small dust devils between them. Then, they both moved at once.
Their fists collided in the center with a loud thud. Neither of them backed down this time. Instead, they engaged in a fierce exchange of blows and blocks. Left, right, low kick, high block, sweep, and jump. Over and over.
Soren could feel every impact reverberating in his bones. But he could also see something in Temari's eyes: that same thrill he was feeling. The adrenaline of a real fight against someone who wouldn't quit.
"You're good!" she admitted as she blocked a three-punch combination. "Much better than I expected, even if it's just taijutsu."
"I told you I could give you a decent fight!" Soren dodged a counter and responded with a body hook. Temari blocked it with her elbow.
"Decent, maybe," she swept his legs; Soren jumped. "But still not enough to beat me!"
"Then I'll make it enough!"
Soren channeled chakra into his legs. It was the training he had been doing in secret for the last three weeks. All for this moment. When his feet hit the ground again, he exploded forward with a burst of speed he hadn't shown before. Temari barely had time to widen her eyes before the boy's fist grazed her cheek.
So close!
"What?" Temari leaped back. "Where did that speed come from?"
"I've been training!" Soren didn't give her time to think. He lunged forward again, his legs fueled by chakra. "Spending all this time preparing for this very moment!"
His attacks were coming faster now. Temari was still blocking them, but Soren could see she was having to put in effort. She no longer looked bored or just tolerant. She looked... excited.
"Incredible," Temari muttered as she deflected an uppercut. "You really trained yourself just to challenge me."
"Of course! I wasn't going to come here unprepared!"
"You're an idiot," but she smiled when she said it. "But you're a dedicated idiot. I can respect that."
Soren's heart skipped a beat. Respect? She respects me?
That moment of distraction was all Temari needed. Her foot connected with Soren's chest in a perfect front kick. The boy flew backward. This time, when he landed, he knew he had hit his limit. His chakra was nearly depleted and his body was screaming in protest.
But he was smiling. I got further than anyone expected. Including myself.
Temari walked toward him slowly. The sun had almost set. The wind played with her blonde hair, making her four ponytails dance behind her. She looked absolutely beautiful.
"Tell me something," she said as she stopped in front of him. "Of all the girls in the village... why me?"
Soren laughed weakly from the ground.
"Because," he said, looking her straight in the eye, "the moment I saw you, I knew you were special. And I thought... if I could be with someone like that, then any challenge would be worth it."
Temari looked at him for a long moment. Her dark green eyes studied his face, as if looking for any sign of deception. Finally, she reached out her hand.
"Get up, idiot."
Soren took it. She helped him to his feet with surprising gentleness.
"You won," Soren said, even though it hurt to admit. "I guess that means I'm your punching bag for a week."
"That's right," Temari crossed her arms. "But you said you'd give a decent fight. And you did."
"Does that mean...?"
"It means," Temari interrupted, "that maybe, JUST MAYBE, I can consider it a technical draw."
Soren's heart leaped. "A draw?"
"Don't get too excited," Temari warned quickly. "This doesn't mean I'm going to go out with you immediately."
"Then what does it mean?"
Temari sighed.
"It means that next week, when you're supposed to be my practice target, we can... train together instead. As partners. And IF during that time you prove you aren't just an idiot with guts but someone with a brain, THEN maybe—and I emphasize MAYBE—I'll consider that date."
Soren felt like he could fly. The pain vanished under a wave of pure joy.
"Yes! That's all I need! I promise you won't regret it, Temari-sama!"
"Stop calling me 'sama'."
"Never!"
"Agh! Forget it. Now come on. You need to get to the infirmary before those bruises get any worse."
"Are you coming with me?"
"Someone has to make sure you don't get lost on the way."
As they walked together out of the training grounds, with the sun disappearing below the horizon, Soren couldn't stop smiling. This, he thought as he glanced at Temari, was the best day of his life.
*****
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