"I did expect to see you," says the short cutie as she places her hands behind her back, a playful smile on her lips. "How are you doing?" she asks, her tone friendly and inviting.
"I was just wandering around, watching most of you during your training," answers Nobu as he walks closer to the girl. "Are you calling it a day?"
"I guess so. My shadow magic becomes a bit weaker without a source of light, after all," nods Sayuri, stretching her arms and turning towards Nobu. She looks a bit annoyed as she adds, "Most of our teammates, huh? Does that mean I'm the last one you came to see?"
"Uh... Yeah," Nods Nobu, playfully patting her head even though it's bugging her a little, "I mean, I'm not calling you pipsqueak for no reason, right?"
"I see..." mutters Sayuri to herself, leaving Nobu with a blank expression. But before he can react, she quickly channels four shadow slashes at different heights, attempting to land a hit on him.
"Oy, what's wrong with you?" questions Nobu in surprise at her sudden aggressive reaction.
"Oya!" He exclaims as he swiftly splits his legs, avoiding the first slash. He then braces himself, preparing for the next two incoming slashes. One almost touches the floor, while the other leaves about 60 cm of space between it and the ground.
"Yaya," mutters Nobu again, switching to the jackhammer pose, readying himself for the incoming slashes. As the lower slash almost touches his hand, he pulls it back just in time and stays in a mid-air position for a few moments until both slashes pass.
As the fourth slash joins the show, coming down vertically this time, Nobu quickly notices it and puts his hand back on the ground. With swift reflexes, he makes a one-handed air flare, repositioning his body with one hand to avoid getting cut.
"Yosh!" he exclaims, his confidence and skill evident in his movements. Nobu's movements were lightning-fast, allowing him to avoid Sayuri's slashes in mere seconds.
"Now balanced!" He says as he stands on his feet, both arms held horizontally. But as Sayuri tries to jump at him playfully to hit his face, he quickly kneels, leaving her facing the floor as she falls.
"You're so mean..." pouts Sayuri as she jumps on his back. "At least let me hit you once! Why did you visit the others before me?! I'm really upset!" She complains, her voice filled with mock anger as she lightly punches his back. Nobu chuckles at her antics, enjoying their playful banter.
"Alright, I'm sorry pipsqueak!" Nobu adds as he starts walking to leave the park. "I did want to spend more time with you, but I just wasn't able to, I guess."
Sayuri closes her eyes and rests her head on Nobu's shoulder, a contented sigh escaping her lips. She can't help but comment on the way he expertly avoided her slashes. "Your movements are incredible," she says, her voice filled with admiration. "It's like you're breakdancing, and you're doing it so fast."
Nobu grins at her, taking in the stunning sunset and the serene river flowing beside them. "That's because I used to be part of a breakdancing club," he confesses. "I learned all the moves and perfected them too."
"I figured since my best attribute is my agility, why not impress people with some of those moves? And it looks like it worked!" He chuckles softly.
"Wow, so you used to take dancing lessons?" Sayuri remarks, impressed by Nobu's confession. She raises her head, lost in her memories of learning to dance.
"I used to take private lessons too," she reveals with a smile. "It was just me and my mentor, but we had so much fun. She taught me how to move my body with grace and precision."
Sayuri pauses for a moment, lost in thought. "My style is quite different from yours, though. I prefer slow, rhythmic movements that are more composed. But it's amazing how dancing can bring people together, even if we have different styles."
Nobu nods in agreement, "Yeah, I see you dance so gracefully sometimes. Your movements are well composed indeed!"
Sayuri grins with pride, feeling validated in her passion for dance. She can't resist playfully drumming on Nobu's head, "I know! I know! Right? And it's all thanks to my amazing mentor!" She adds
"Nono, I don't really see you dance that much, do I?" Asks the girl as she raises an eyebrow, looking a bit skeptical.
Nobu looks a bit sheepish as he confesses, "To be honest, I'm not that interested in dancing in front of my friends that much. And when I do, they tend to miss most of my moves."
"They always tell me that my movements are a bit too fast for the eye to keep up with!" He chuckles softly.
"Well, it was rather fast, to be honest!" Sayuri exclaims as she recalls the way Nobu effortlessly dodged her attacks. "Even though my slashes were fast, you avoided them as if they were frozen in time! Maybe you can feel the presence of the slashes and execute those moves perfectly with every attack!"
"I bet you'll look even cooler if you adapt breakdancing to your fighting style!" beams Sayuri, sparking an idea in Nobu's mind.
"Breakdancing, huh..." Nobu muses, his mind racing as he recalls what Yagami had told him a while ago. Suddenly, his eyes light up with a great idea, "This is it!" Becams Nobu as he jumps up, nearly startling the girl beside him.
"Oy, be careful!" Sayuri stammers, her grip tightening on his hair in fear. "Are you trying to make me fall?"
"Ow ow ow! OUCH!" he cries out, wincing in pain. "Pipsqueak! Stop pulling my hair!"
"Oh! Sorry!" Sayuri quickly apologizes, releasing her grip. "What were you thinking about anyways? What you're lacking?"
Nobu grins widely, excitement bubbling inside of him. "It's about my fighting style," he shares eagerly. "Yagami told me to find a suitable fighting style for my stats, and I thought that maybe... just maybe, breakdancing moves might be a good idea!"
Sayuri considers his suggestion for a moment, nodding thoughtfully. "Well, it can confuse your opponent pretty well," she remarks. "And if you get the hang of breakdancing and your switch technique, that would be even more beneficial!"
The two of them fall into a comfortable silence as Nobu thinks more about the idea of incorporating breakdancing into his fighting style. He looks a bit hesitant, though, before finally mustering up the courage to ask, "Umm... Pipsqueak, are you free tomorrow?"
Sayuri's face brightens immediately. "Oh, yeah, I guess so!" she replies eagerly.
"Would it be okay if you help me adapt those moves to my fighting style?" he requests, his voice laced with hope.
Sayuri's eyes widen in excitement. "Sure thing!" she exclaims, a huge smile spreading across her face. "Count me in! I already said you'd look cool doing those moves while fighting. And I want to be the first one to see you moving like that as well!"
Nobu can't help but laugh in joy, feeling grateful for the support of his friend. "Great!" he beams, his eyes closing in contentment. "Old man Kaeya gave me my allowance today! Let's get some Yakisoba for dinner! It's on me!"
Sayuri's eyes light up at the mention of food, and she practically jumps with glee. "Hurray!" she screams, overflowing with joy. "Yakisoba! Just what I need! Thanks, Nono!"
Nobu grins, feeling happy and content at the moment. "Anytime," he replies.
As promised, Nobu and Sayuri meet up at the park the next day, ready to train and refine Nobu's fighting skills. The boy starts stretching his legs a little as Sayuri gets some distance between them.
"Alright!" says Nobu, summoning his sword and slightly jumping in excitement. "Ready when you are!"
Sayuri notices that Nobu is wearing a shirt instead of his usual uniform top and remarks, "Nono, you're not wearing your uniform today!"
"Well, long sleeves don't let me move my arms freely," explains Nobu. "I won't be wearing it in the tournament either. I already asked Old Man Kaeya, and he told me it would be okay as long as I wear the respective pants, so..."
"Anyways, let's go for it!" protests Nobu, his eyes gaining their usual determined purple hue.
Sayuri raises her hands and begins to chant, "Shadow Magic: Demolishing Shadows!" A series of dark bolts materialize out of the shadows around her and hurtle toward Nobu. He leaps forward, evading the first bolt with ease, but struggles to predict the trajectory of the others. He quickly brings up his sword and manages to deflect one of the bolts, but the second one strikes him squarely in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground.
"Ahhh..." As he picks himself up, Nobu grimaces and rubs his chest, feeling the sting of the impact. "That was tougher than I expected," he mutters
"Come on Nono!" Stammers Sayuri, "You did it perfectly yesterday!"
"I know, I know!" He replies, slowly standing up from the ground. "But as soon as I try to read your attacks, I find myself sacrificing my speed."
"Again, pipsqueak!" He demands, his determination unwavering.
With a nod of her head, Sayuri channels another wave of shadow bolts. This time, Nobu raises his left leg, kicking the first bolt with his heel as he jumps lightly afterward. He takes a quick glance at the second one while he's standing mid-air. As he holds his sword towards that bolt, a third shadow bolt comes from below and hits his back, making the boy fall again, with a thud on the ground.
"Ow..." Nobu mutters again, brushing his cheek with one finger. "Geez, when did you create that bolt?"
"Just now!" Sayuri answers, generating some magical energy between her arms. "I know it was an unexpected move, but you need to put that into consideration as well, you know!"
Nobu nods, realizing the truth in her words. "Yeah, I guess you're right!" he says, standing up again and widely opening his eyes, ready for the next attack. However, Nobu continues to struggle to avoid getting hit by Sayuri's bolts. Every time he deflects or avoids the first couple of them, he ends up getting hit by the rest. The situation persists for around three to four hours, and he didn't defend himself from any of her barrages.
"Pfffffffffff," Nobu mutters, spitting out a mouthful of grass as another shadow bolt hits him, "Why the hell do I keep getting hit by all of them?!?" he cries out in frustration.
Sayuri pauses for a moment, her gaze focused on Nobu's face, studying his features with a thoughtful expression. As the boy stands up, she approaches him with a renewed sense of determination, her steps light and sure.
"Nono, I have an idea!" she exclaims, a glint in her eye. She pulls a bandana out of her pocket and holds it up for him to see. "Can you kneel down for a sec?" she asks, holding the bandana in both hands and gesturing for him to comply.
"What are you trying to do?" asks Nobu as he kneels down to meet her height. To his surprise, Sayuri takes the bandana and blindfolds him.
"Ummm... Pipsqueak," says Nobu, reaching up to touch the blindfold, "Is this a good idea?"
"We're about to find out!" Replies Sayuri with a confident smile as she readies herself for the next attack. "Trust me, Nono. Just try sensing the presence of the bolts instead of relying on your eyesight to read their trajectory, okay?"
Nobu nods, feeling a bit nervous but also curious about this new approach. He kneels forward, gets back to his battle stance, and focuses his attention on his senses. The blindfold makes it challenging to see, but he feels more aware of his surroundings than ever before.
"Oh... 'Kay!" he says, feeling more confident than before.
Sayuri channels her magic and releases a flurry of shadow bolts toward Nobu. The blindfolded boy stands his ground, swaying back and forth as the bolts approach. Sayuri watches with bated breath, wondering if her impromptu training method will pay off, "So, did he get it now?" Thinks Sayuri, awaiting Nobu's action.
Nobu feels his heart beating faster as he focuses on sensing the presence of the shadow bolts rather than relying on his eyesight to read their trajectory. He carefully calculates their movements in his mind, anticipating their path and the right moment to strike. "Two flying simultaneously to my chest," he thinks to himself, "After those two, one will try to hit my left foot while the one beside it will change its trajectory and aim for my left shoulder. As for the last one, its' presence is doubled compared to the rest, it'll definitely split in two."
With lightning-quick reflexes, Nobu drops down into a breakdance move, spinning his body around and extending his right arm and leg outwards, flawlessly avoiding the first two shadow bolts aimed at his chest. With the grace of a seasoned dancer, he rises back up and kicks the third bolt with his left leg, sending it flying off course. Then, in a split second, he defies gravity and handstands on his right hand, evading the fourth shadow bullet with ease as he performs a perfect push-up with one hand, his body raised high in the air. As the final shadow bolt splits into two, Nobu's grin grows even wider, knowing his prediction was right. With fierce determination, he takes his Soul-Edge, swiftly cutting through the first split bullet, and simultaneously delivering a powerful knee strike with his right leg, obliterating the second split bullet in a spectacular display of skill and precision.
Sayuri watches in awe as Nobu effortlessly dodges the shadow bolts she had just launched at him. She marvels at the way he moved, so graceful and quick, without relying on his eyesight. It was as if he knew exactly where the attack was coming from, even before it materialized.
"Nono doesn't need his eyes to see," she thinks to herself, still in disbelief at the level of skill displayed by her friend. "He has something else, something that gives him a tremendous advantage in battle."
As Sayuri prepares to launch another attack, she can't help but admire Nobu's unique gift, "He's the only one in the world who can sense the presence of anything around him, no matter how well hidden it was. It's quite a gift, a card that only he can play."
With fierce determination, Sayuri channels all her energy into the next attack. As the shadow bolt emerges from Nobu's shadow, he feels it immediately. But instead of dodging, he does something that surprised Sayuri even more. He switches places with the shadow bolt, gaining his footing on the ground while kneeling.
As the shadow bolt flies off into the sky, Nobu's grin grows wider. Sayuri can't help but feel a sense of awe and admiration for her friend, "The way you switch and feel the presence of your surroundings is your greatest talent" Confesses Sayuri while Nobu unfolds his eyes, showing off how happy he is with those orange eyes, "And by adding agility and those moves as a fighting style, it'll only be a matter of time before you get acknowledged by everyone," She continues, pointing at the boy with a proud look on his face, "Good job, you did ace it just now!"
Nobu is in awe as he dashes next to Sayuri, exclaiming, "Who would have thought that sensing presence is what makes me stand out among all of you!" He squeezes her cheeks affectionately and continues, "So that's why you blindfolded me! I didn't expect you to come up with such a brilliant idea for my training! Maybe you're smarter than I give you credit for!"
Sayuri smiles in response, her cheeks still slightly pinched from Nobu's playful gesture. "Of course I'm smart," she says, giving him a playful nudge. "But you should have tried using All For One as well!"
Nobu grimaces as he remembers his past attempts at using the powerful technique. "I still collapse after using it though," he admits, raising his fist and punching the air. A surge of wind follows the flow of his punch, but he falls to the ground right away, rendering himself immobile. "See?" he protests, unable to move.
Sayuri can't help but laugh at the sight of Nobu on the ground. "Oh my God, you should have seen the way your body collapsed," she giggles, sitting on top of Nobu. "It was really hilarious!"
"Quit making fun of me already," Nobu grumbles, his eyes returning to their usual blue. "If you don't stop, I won't treat you to Yakisoba today!"
Sayuri quickly jumps off Nobu's back, kneeling gently next to him. "Oh, no! Stop... I mean, sorry!" she says, awkwardly laughing. "Want me to help you stand up or something?"
Nobu chuckles at Sayuri's reaction. "Pipsqueak... You're so easy to read!" he remarks, not surprised by her childlike behavior. "Not to mention that you act like a child sometimes!"
As Nobu and Sayuri continue their playful banter, the rest of their team watches from behind the trees, stunned by what they're witnessing. They can't believe that Nobu, known for his laziness, has not only discovered his own fighting style but has also put in the hard work and dedication necessary to perfect it.
Reina's face is surrounded by a bush as he watches Nobu and Sayuri playfully interact. "They do get along!" he mutters. "Why do I feel like Nobu is cheating on me? What if that girl becomes his new bestie and he forgets about me?"
Satomi overhears Reina's worried thoughts. "Cheating on you, huh?" she whispers, turning to face Reina. Her eyes are narrowed, and Reina can't help but wonder what's going on in Satomi's head. "Something wrong, Satomi?" he asks.
"Nooo," replies Satomi, her attention quickly shifting back to Nobu and Sayuri. "I just hope that he ends up cheating on you then..." she trails off, a sly grin on her face.
Reina looks at Satomi with confusion, unsure of what to make of her strange comment. But before he can say anything, Nobu and Sayuri catch their attention once again with a loud burst of laughter.
Ash can't contain his excitement as he watches Nobu practice his newfound fighting style. "So that's the dude that I'll be facing!" he exclaims, pacing back and forth. "Man, I'm gonna have fun..."
Katsu leans against a nearby tree, watching Ash with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you think you're cheating, Ash?" he asks. "Nobu visited all of us while we were training, except for you. He didn't want to scout you out, keeping your abilities a mystery for him until the day you face him!"
"Katsu, stop!" Ash replies, annoyance clear on his face. "You're making me sound like a total jerk."
"But still..." Mutters Ash, his demonic eyes never leaving Nobu, "I wonder if he still has other tricks up his sleeve..."