Chapter 80: Ringo 3

Konan arrived on their 'privatized' training ground via shunshin and harshly threw Ringo on the ground into the grass. Taking up a posture with crossed arms she waited until the redhead recollected herself, staring at her impassively.

It took Ringo a few moments to finally recollect herself. She could still feel Rei's lips when suddenly, she was yanked away by her neck! Of course, she would be disoriented! This was worse than any ambush in the field! Not even her instincts could catch such a treacherous strike! "What was that for!" She exclaimed and frowned when she saw Konan take out her small battle fan. Ringo instantly knew Konan meant business. She stood up and drew her Kiba blades. "What's gotten into you?" She asked Konan as she crouched down in preparation for the battle but Konan didn't answer. She just continued to stare at Ringo with her cold gaze.

Konan didn't like Ringo. She didn't mind Tsunade as the busty blonde came to them already prepared to forsake her former loyalties for Rei. No matter what it would take, Tsunade would go to admirable lengths for Rei. Konan could feel that during their joining and it made her begrudgingly accept and respect the blonde woman. Mei, on the other hand, was young and malleable. Konan had every intention to mold that girl into a woman worthy of keeping around. She would teach the girl a lot but she also expected a lot in return. Well, it was not like she was maliciously plotting against the girl. In the end, Mei would come out of it better than ever.

But Ringo was a different case. Ringo was half-assed. She wanted to be near Rei without giving her all to him. That, Konan didn't like. That, Konan couldn't allow. Because of that, she was now in an internal conflict of how to deal with it. Rei told her long ago he would probably have more women around him and she accepted. But she also decided to 'manage' this 'harem' of his and make sure her 'sisters' would be kept in line. Tsunade understood that and if Ringo wanted to become Rei's, she would too. But first, Konan had to give the girl a proper physical beating followed by a verbal rant. That however didn't mean Konan had to like it. "You are lucky Rei is fond of you. Otherwise, I would cut you down right here and now." Konan said quietly but for Ringo, it was as if somebody deafened her as Konan's bloodlust fell on her shoulders, making her slightly shudder. She was well aware of how dangerous Konan was.

Ringo didn't have time to contemplate the words she just heard from Konan. Before she even managed to widen her eyes in surprise, she was forced to block Konan's fan with her right Kiba blade. The second she blocked Konan's strike though, Konan twisted her wrist which made her fan push the Kiba blade to the side, and due to the speed of Konan, Ringo barely managed to block the second follow-up strike with her left Kiba blade. As their weapons touched, Ringo let a pulse of electricity run through her blade, creating a slight pushing force that made both women step back, ending the short exchange.

"Why did you attack me?" Ringo asked while her eyes dutifully watched Konan and her senses were scouting the surroundings for any surprise attack.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Konan commented coldly with a disappointed undertone, raising her fan in front of herself, unfolding it. Ringo could see Konan's chakra flooding the fan and gulped when she saw the paper part of it glow in a slight blue glimmer, signifying a very concentrated wind chakra. She instantly pushed lightning chakra into her blades in full throttle and coated them in it. She believed that nothing except her best would manage to block Konan's wind coating. Despite everything, Ringo wasn't afraid.

"This will not go like our last duel." Ringo said with narrowed eyes. "It's been two years and I became a much better swordsman during that time." In response, Konan only impassively raised her eyebrow, not deeming it worth it to answer.

As a breeze passed through the clearing, both women sprang up towards each other, clashing in a flurry of violent strikes, creating slight shockwaves that ravaged the ground as they danced dangerously around, leaving devastation behind. The longer their furious quick exchanges lasted, the more obvious Konan's disadvantage became. She just wasn't a melee-oriented fighter. Ringo was pushing her back quite easily even though it was an incredibly frustrating battle for her. Konan was always on defense. Deflecting and redirecting Ringo's slashes in a way that would disrupt Ringo's tempo and make her momentarily falter. Every time the lightning and the wind coating clashed, it would make the weapons bounce from each other. Ringo preferred a more instinctual approach to fighting but against Konan who had every move planned beforehand, it just didn't fare well. Worse yet, Konan's face was completely stoic and relaxed even though she was being pushed back!

The more time passed, the more frustrated Ringo became as she just couldn't get a proper hit in even though it was plainly obvious she was a better melee fighter. She was more proficient with her chosen weapon, she was stronger, faster, more experienced in melee clash, and yet... Every hit of hers was mitigated. She got impatient. And...

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"Lighting Release: Lightning Rod!" Ringo shouted as she jumped two steps back and her right hand rose towards heaven, pointing the tip of her Kiba blade at the clouds while her other Kiba blade in her left hand pointed at Konan. They weren't even five steps away from each other so Ringo was sure she would hit! She however didn't spot Konan's slight smile when she started her Jutsu.

Konan was practically goading Ringo to use ninjutsu the entire time. She knew she was worse than Ringo in weaponry but that didn't mean she could not defend herself. The tessenjutsu was very good in this regard and her wind was counter to Ringo's lightning. Konan could go for hours like this, chipping Ringo's stamina bit by bit but she decided to change this clash into ninjutsu one. Konan decided Ringo needed a proper reality check if her words should have the desired effect on the girl. As Ringo started her Jutsu, Konan also started hers.

"Wind Release: Swirling Winds." A protective barrier of rotating winds instantly appeared around Konan.

Ringo's Jutsu took only a second and a lightning strike fell from the sky, impacting Ringo's right Kiba. It then got redirected to her left sword which aimed at Konan, releasing concentrated and very dense lightning in her direction. But at the same time, the swiftly swirling wind barrier around Konan started spreading outwards, creating layers of winds around her. The two attacks met with a deafening boom and a shockwave spread through the clearing, flattening the grass and even cracking the bark of some trees at the edge. The result showed immediately as Ringo was sent flying by Konan's wind Jutsu until her body impacted the ground and uncontrollably rolled on it for a bit before she sprang herself onto her feet, panting slightly. Konan just stood in her initial spot with a slight provoking smile on her face.

"You know," She started. "in our line of work, it's not brute strength that wins most of the fights. Instead, it's some sleight of hand or a trick. Sure, having overwhelming power helps but it's not really that important." Konan told Ringo, making her furrow her brows. Konan didn't care about Ringo's internal musings and sprang herself towards her, swinging her fan. Ringo quickly put one Kiba blade in front of her chest with the intention to block but Konan was determined to prove her earlier statement. The wind coating on her fan quickly dissipated mid-swing, only to be instantly replaced by earth chakra coating which made Ringo open her eyes wide but she wasn't able to react. Both wind and earth countered lightning but both did so in a different way. The wind cut through it, figuratively speaking, while earth absorbed and nullified it.

Konan's fan hit Ringo's Kiba blade and instead of the awaited pushing force from the clash of wind and lightning, Ringo's Kiba's lightning coating was weakened and Konan's earth-hardened fan smashed right through Ringo's defense, hitting her chest, sending her rolling on the ground.

"As I said... just a little trick and you are already done." Konan calmly stated. Ringo stood up, spit a bit of blood to the side, and with a glare readied her Kiba for another round. She couldn't help but feel as if she was again that twelve-year-old girl who was continuously getting smacked around by Konan.

The clash continued... but this time, it was Ringo who was being pushed away. Konan was swapping wind and earth coatings according to the situation and Ringo was unable to react. She tried various lightning Jutsu and Konan was actually impressed at her repertoire when the count passed twentieth B+ rank Jutsu but the result didn't change. Ringo was getting smacked throughout the clearing no matter what she tried.

It took three whole hours for the battle to end. Ringo was panting sprawled on the ground while Konan was still her calm and collected stoic self, standing above her impassively. She looked towards Ringo, noting she had her full attention. "Ringo, no matter what you do, Rei will never accept you. Do you know why?" Konan asked and happily watched as the girl on the ground gnashed her teeth at her. "It's because he can't trust you." She said, making Ringo's breath hitch but Konan continued, not minding it. "Your priority is Kiri. Rei can never be sure that you just won't backstab him, you know? Unless you rethink your priorities, I would advise you to try and change the target of your affections. I won't accept a potential backstabber near Rei either. If you try..." Konan looked straight into Ringo's eyes to emphasize how serious she was. "I will end you." She plainly told the girl and shunshined away, leaving Ringo's beaten form in the clearing.

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