"Again."
The leg, sweeping out, bent at the knee and was withdrawn under his body in a single gesture. A hand, turning in a delicate gesture, brushing aside the quick jab to his jaw, flashed downward as the follow-up kick caught him in the ribs, and threw him to the ground.
"Again."
He followed the routine once more - sweeping kick, stop-thrust coupled with a strike to his opponant's groin with his off-hand... met again failure as a smashing blow from above struck his shoulder, numbing his arm.
"Again."
He feinted the sweeping kick, but bent deeply this time, throwing his weight back and he struck, not outwards, but upwards, towards his opponant's jaw. Mikoto easily side-stepped the blow, but this interfered with his follow-up, allowing Kesuan to snap a jab to Mikoto's midsection. Mikoto was prepared to block the blow before Kesuan had even put the strike in motion.
"Stop."
Kesuan rose to his feet, breathing heavily. Mikoto looked at his student.
"That move is dangerous." Mikoto said.
"From the greater peril comes the greater success." Kesuan replied.
"You ought not to speak like a Matsu," Mikoto grumbled, "when you study under a Togashi."
Kesuan, his eyes downcast, smiled for an instant.
"Had your opponant knowledge of your intention, he might have had the opportunity of snapping your leg." Mikoto growled, "as I should have done."
"Had my enemy knowledge, yes." Kesuan agreed.
"Then why didn't I do that?" Mikoto demanded.
"Because you wish to preserve your student." Kesuan replied.
"You over-rate your importance." Mikoto said. "Because few could foresee the maneuver, is the better answer. I permitted you the ruse only because it might have succeeded. Surprise is a powerful advantage, but it is not the only advantage."
Kesuan nodded, and before he had raised his head, Mikoto had fallen into his jiujitsu stance and was lashing out at his unprepared student.
Kesuan leapt into the air, fire running through his limbs as the Blood of Togashi worked within him. His hand whiplashed forward, catching Mikoto across the eyes. Mikoto's strike fell on empty air, and he collapsed to the ground, his hand clasped to his face.
Kesuan fell to earth, and ran to his stricken master. Mikoto took his hand from his face, and Kesuan saw blood where his hand had raked above Mikoto's brow. Despite his wound, his teacher grinned at him, pleased with his student. "Surprise can be foiled by an unforeseen advantage; acting with surprise denies you knowledge of your enemy's disposition in many cases. It can lead to your own harm, unless caution is exercised."
Kesuan heard him, but had eyes only for the deep gash running over Mikoto's brow, perilously close to the elder ise zumi's eyes.
"Fetch water, and return with the shugenja. I have need of his services." Mikoto said, mopping his brow as though removing sweat.
----------------
Daini sat amid the papers and charts detailing the position of his army. He had spent several hours sequestered away with them, meticulously examining each in turn, then setting it aside as he turned to a new document. Having gone through them all, he noted that he did not remember anything about them.
He grimaced, his face contorting with frustration, before he mastered his passion and found his center. Hitomi's insistence in accompanying the Dragon army south gnawed at his heart, and burned slowly in the pit of his stomach. His expectations before his meeting with Yokuni had been high, and glory had seemed to be the prospect; increasingly his supervision of the Dragon armies had become a tedious chore, a burden of shame and dishonor which he was anxious to discharge. Hitomi's presence further galled Daini.
Yet also Yokuni's words remained with him -- "For it is in the surrendering of this burden that you will prove your mettle in receiving it." He was being tested, tested sorely, and despite the shame he felt, he burned with the chance to redeem himself in Yokuni's eyes. There was but one path open to him to glory, a path painful and solitary, but there was hope in his treading it - if he tread it with care and cunning.
Despite his words to his sister, he had little intent to offer the Dragon armies to the Crab; having said this, however, he was bound by his word, and so he moved deeper into the heart of the Crane Clan, speeding toward where rumour placed the Crab, perhaps there to fight a pitched battle -- for if the Dragon were not placed under the command of the Crab, Daini could see no reason why Hitomi would neglect to attack her adversary - drawing her army into her schemes. Daini, honor-bound, would have to stand by his sister.
Once more, he questioned the wisdom of Yokuni deep in his secret heart.