It had been a few days since the slime incident. It was hard explaining everything to Aya at school but somehow Haruka managed it. She was sat in her room reading some ancient book her sister gave her, said they inherited it from their grandmother who inherited it from hers. Coming from a long line of ninja women this made the book invaluable. The only issue was the language used was a little old and Haruka was needing to read through much slower than she usually would. She sighed and put the book down, spinning in her desk chair as she gazed out the window.
Haruka knew she needed to improve on her training. She felt like she only narrowly escaped the slime demon. If her sister and cousin didn't come looking for her she would have been done for. She had already made some notes from the book but she would have to start implementing these new moves into her daily training. If she was honest with herself though sometimes her daily training wasn't so daily, but it was important now that she actually put her head down and do what she needs to do.
The doorbell rang and Haruka's ears perked up. She ran downstairs to see who it was. Being home alone she would be the only one available to answer the door.
Haruka swung the door open to see a tall slender woman. She had these catlike eyes and sleek long black hair.
"Hello, is Ayame home?" the woman spoke.
"No, my mother is out right now. Would you like to come in for some tea?" Haruka replied.
The woman nodded and stepped through the threshold of the home. "My name is Kagura, I had some business with your mother," she spoke as they walked to the kitchen.
"What kind of business?" Haruka asked. The woman sat down at the table and Haruka stepped toward the stove to put the water on for boil so she could make the tea.
"I'm from Nakasato, we have some ninja business to attend to," she replied.
Haruka turned around as an idea popped into her head. "Do you mean the local ninja village?"
"Yes, that's the one."
The water finished boiling and Haruka got to making the tea. She presented Kagura with the pot and cups pouring it in front of her before offering her some sweets they had on hand. Kagura politely declined and then Haruka sat down across from her with her own cup.
"If you don't mind me saying," Haruka began, "I feel like you being here without my mother being home is some kind of fortune. You see, I need someone to help me improve my ninja skills. I have only just been gifted the family scroll not that long ago," Haruka began to explain herself.
Kagura's eyes lit up. "I could go for a sparring match."
***
"We'll spar so I can see your abilities, then we can go from there," Kagura explained. The women were standing in Haruka's backyard. She had changed into some shorts and a sports bra. She offered Kagura a change of clothes but Kagura said she was fine to spar in what she was wearing, a flowy pair of culottes and a tank top.
"Alright," Haruka said. She was on her tip toes with her hands up in a defensive position. Neither of the women were wearing shoes and the soft grass meant no one would get hurt.
"Are you going to come at me?" Kagura asked, clearly amused.
Haruka didn't reply and instead flung toward Kagura. She skipped forward, back foot before front foot so your opponent doesn't see you coming until the last second. Her fist bolted toward Kagura's face, only leaving a hair's width between her fist and Kagura's face.
Kagura dodged the first hit. Haruka was shocked that even with the art of surprise she wasn't able to get her. Then Haruka tried again. She gave Kagura a double strike, where the first one aims at the face but then you drop and hit the body as they block. Kagura narrowly missed these as well.
Haruka wracked her mind as quick as she could, mid fight when milliseconds count. She tried several more strikes and kicks on Kagura to no avail. Her mind was spinning and her chest was heaving with how tired she was.
Finally Haruka ran in with a modified roundhouse style kick and Kagura blocked her so effectively she flew and landed right on her ass. She wasn't hurt but her ass would surely be bruised.
"Had enough?" Kagura teased her.
The whole time Kagura had barely moved a muscle. She was more or less in the same spot bar a step here and there.
"No not yet," Haruka replied. Kagura offered her a hand and Haruka took it.
"Your moves were great," Kagura said.
"Really? But you blocked me so easily…" Haruka trailed off with a nervous chuckle.
"I am much more skilled than the demons you will be facing," Kagura said. Haruka nodded and then they stood apart again in a fighting stance.
"This time I want to see you attack with your spirit energy," Kagura said.
Haruka thought about it for a moment before nodding. She focused all of her energy into her limbs, planning her attack meticulously so the fist she would strike with would be completely charged before she stepped forward. Ready to go Haruka stepped forward and lunged a punch directly at Kagura's face. Kagura knocked Haruka's fist with a strike of her forearm. Haruka's energy burst at the seams like she was no longer controlling it almost making her fall in the direction her fist was pushed.
Haruka stood back and tried again. They spared for what felt like forever. With each kick and punch she was focusing her energy. More and more concentrated as she went on. Kagura's encouraging words were ringing in her ears. Her head was spinning from exhaustion but she was determined to just keep going and going.
***
Haruka slumped in her fighting stance. Kagura cocked her head to the side and dropped her fists.
"I think that's enough," Kagura said.
"No, I can…I can keep going," Haruka replied.
"You are clearly exhausted," Kagura chuckled looking her up and down. Haruka nodded and fell in a heap on the ground. She sat and then decided she should lay down. She let her aching chest heave up and down as she tried to regain some energy.
Kagura sat cross legged where she was standing and then Haruka sat up. "You are completely fine and well I'm exhausted," Haruka said to her.
"Well, the difference lies in our fighting styles," Kagura said to her.
Haruka cocked her head to the side. "You were barely even fighting, just blocking me."
"Yes, but I have control of my spirit energy and you do not," Kagura explained.
"I don't understand…"
"The energy in my body is like a flowing river. I have an ecosystem of energy that flows through me in a harmonious way. Even when I am fighting it is rare that I lose my breath. I keep control of my energy and I am able to harness new energy as I need it. When you were fighting on the other hand your energy was bursting out of you like firecrackers. You have a volcano that needs to be settled."
"I don't understand…"
"A flowing river brings life and balance to the world. It's great rapids are a powerful force that can kill but it can be controlled by nature and by man with the right equipment. A volcano on the other hand is also a great powerful force that can kill. But it is too destructive in its nature and once it runs out of steam it will take hundreds of years to alight again. Rivers on the other hand flow each and every day, constantly, and consistently," Kagura explained.
"So it's a metaphor?"
"Yes. But a metaphor will help you cement the image of your spiritual energy through your body. If your mind can not grasp your energy as a clear concept you will find the whole process a lot more difficult."
Haruka nodded. She understood what Kagura was saying to her. But then as she continued to think, the topic of more energy, how could she muster to get more, from where?
"Where does this new energy come from?" Haruka furrowed her brows.
Kagura pointed her hand into her solar plexus. "It comes from here."
"So, do you have more energy than me?"
"Not more energy. We all have the potential to harness great amounts of spiritual energy. But if you think of it as a well, my well is deeper than yours. Through training and meditation you will grow your well of spiritual energy," Kagura told her.
"So if I improve my spiritual energy and control, how I harness that energy will improve along with my fighting abilities?"
"You're a quick learner," Kagura said before standing up.
***
The last Haruka saw of Kagura she was meditating in their backyard whilst Haruka said she needed a shower. Kagura's words rang in her mind. She decided once she was done in the shower she would go back to the book and look for energy rituals and other information on her spiritual energy rather than just cataloguing new martial art moves to practise.
Kagura was right. If Haruka could get more stamina through spiritual energy control then she wouldn't need as many moves to win. She could just work with what she has and wait for the demons to get tired. Besides, there was rarely just one demon but rather a whole crew of cronies doing the bidding of the one Haruka had her eyes set upon. Kagura really was an inspiration to Haruka.
As Haruka's mind was lost in thought and she continued to scrub herself the bathroom door popped open. Kagura was standing there in nothing but a towel. Haruka's eyes almost popped out of her head as shock rang through her body.
"I haven't finished showering. What are you doing here?" Haruka questioned her.
"Back in the village everyone baths together after training," Kagura shrugged before hanging her towel up on a hook.
Haruka couldn't do anything but nod. She watched as Kagura walked over. She pretended not to watch Kagura but from the corner of her eye she was looking. Haruka couldn't help it.
Kagura had a long, lean, toned body. As she reached down to scrub her legs the muscles in her arms and thigh popped out making Haruka's head spin. Kagura had various scars and spots on her body that marked the work of a long time ninja. Then she, without thinking, glanced between Kagura's legs to see her long cock.
Haruka's mind was in a daze at seeing that. What was worse though was the spark of arousal that shot up her spine. She looked down to see her own cock was now rock solid. She turned away and began to scrub herself.
"Pass that other soap will you? That one smells like cherry blossom." Kagura asked.
Haruka couldn't ignore her, she picked up the body wash and handed it over to Kagura. Her eyes passed over Haruka's body catching the sight of her hard cock. Haruka's face reddened without warning.
"Oh, are you embarrassed to be showering together?" Kagura asked, cocking her head to one side.
"I–" Haruka's words caught in her throat. She rinsed herself off and grabbed a towel before leaving the room. She wasn't sure how she would be able to face Kagura ever again. But she was sure Kagura would tell everyone about her erection, humiliating her endlessly.