twenty-nine crows (朱) action/video

[yourhatred]

[Itachi has dealt with a lot during his time in Luceti, and he's weathered it all as well as he can. As a ninja, he's been taught to withstand torture, and he had to deal with things that most would never even have to think about.

Sasuke and Naruto had gone home. He's happy for them, really. They're needed elsewhere. But for them to possibly lose all their memories of this place, for Sasuke to be without his mother again and for her to have to know that the son she'd talked to might be gone forever, it's heartbreaking. It's for the best, but his heart aches all the same.

He isn't a materialistic person, either. He could live with nothing but the clothes on his back and be fine. Losing items he's grown attached to is disheartening, but ultimately easy to get over.

Still, as he stands in his yard near the place his greenhouse should be, gently petting the small kitten in his hands that should be a fully grown cat, all but the most oblivious should be able to sense a dark aura of Displeasure about him. He'll stand there for some time, his attention to the cat becoming some small form of meditation.]

[video, later]

[Once he finally returns back inside, he'll spend some time in his living room - with a smoothie of all things, non-alcoholic. The kitten remains in his lap, having given in to the inevitable by now.]

Shifts like this.

It really makes you wonder about the nature of this place.

Comments

[deathsdoctor]

[No, this is not a kitten friendly activity.]

We better put our girls inside first. They're a little too little to be out here. [A raccoon might run across them and that wouldn't end well.]

Is there any type of spar you're feeling up for? [Hand to hand, filial magic, weapons...] Or should we have an anything goes match.

[They've have to take it far from people if they do the latter. Anything goes (meaning Devil Fruit abilities and the full range of ninjutsu) could get destructive.]

[yourhatred]

Just hand to hand should be fine.

[Simple. Basic. Something he can do practically on auto while still wearing himself down.

He turns toward the house and begins walking in that direction.]

[deathsdoctor]

Hand to hand it is.

[Law follows. Pumpkin gives a mew, otherwise the cats are silent. Hand to hand it is. Probably for the best.

It's not just the time shifts wearing on Itachi. It's the draft. It's Sasuke leaving. It's Mikoto. So while his husband intends to wear himself down, Law intends to wear him towards release and focus all that's brewing inside into an external outlet.

Perhaps others would say that would be better accomplished without fighting, but really that's the communication they know best. And it honestly speaks truer and more freely than words anyway.]

[yourhatred]

[The ninja prefers to keep the cats in their room when they're this small. Less avenues of escape, but more room to move around. Amaya is placed carefully upon his sheets, where she gives a cautious mew as he sets her down as though sensing his mood.

He sees no need to change. This will do just fine.]

[deathsdoctor]

[Law places Sumire and Pumpkin right next to her. Pumpkin immediately begins to wash her paws while Sumire... watches Law quietly. She was his cat alone first and best knows his moods. Just like Amaya knows Itachi's.

Law doesn't see any need to change either. Jeans and t-shirt is fine battle wear (some might say different). He just follows Itachi's lead, and once they are outside, drifts with him to the clearing in the woods behind their house that they typically spar in.]

[yourhatred]

[Itachi does shed the light overshirt he'd had on when they reach the clearing, going through a few short stretches. He still looks distracted, but gains more focus as he prepares to spar.]

What are your plans for the rest of the day like?

[deathsdoctor]

... cook up dinner, few chores. Gotta alter a few shirts. [Just regular housekeeping stuff - nothing much. Been to work already this morning - the rest of the day promises to be pretty lazy.] Nothing too exciting.

[Law stretches himself, eyes growing sharper as he too slides into focus. Whenever you're ready, partner.]

[yourhatred]

Alright then.

[He'd hate for them to go too far while sparring if Law planned on going back into the clinic.

The ninja bows to his husband, ready to begin.]

[deathsdoctor]

[A bow before Law's eyes suddenly narrow and he springs to the side inhumanly fast.

He lunges in from that side, fist flying towards Itachi's head in a feint to draw his husband into blocking that. Before at the last moment dropping and sweeping his leg out, attempting to knock the ninja off his feet.]

[yourhatred]

[A feint, but Itachi is an expert at those. Most of his focus isn't on what he can see, anyway. His eyes haven't been good enough for that for some time. It's on the little intricacies of Law's movements - the way he sounds, breathes, the way his chakra feels.

When the fist comes at his head, he doesn't move or flinch. Being able to judge killer intent and whether something headed in his direction is actually aiming to hit him is something he mastered before he even joined ANBU.

He hops up as the pirate aims for his legs, intending to then grab Law's shoulders and flip over him completely.]

[deathsdoctor]

[Didn't expect that to work, really, and there's the proof as Itachi's fingers dig into his shoulder as he flips over him.

The pirate knows who's winning this spar and it's not him. Hand to hand is Itachi's strength - not Law's. He's better with weapons in close combat (not that he's helpless without them); it's a simple truth. Another is that Law's true strength is in mid and long range combat. The only benefit he has here is raw strength and endurance.

Winning's not the point, though - getting his husband through what's weighing him is. So holding out till that is accomplished is the goal.

He's got a moment while Itachi's flipping over him to knock that movement askew. Instinct surges at the perfect second of when Itachi has the least chance of recovering, and that sweeping spin kick suddenly twists up. Law's body twists and contorts as hands slam against the ground and spin - an explosion of movement up and around.

Something from Sanji's Red Leg playbook. Although his fellow pirate would probably cuss him out for its execution.]

[yourhatred]

[He has less of a chance of recovering from that position, it's true, but the chance isn't zero. The ninja adjusts quickly, twisting in the air so that that kick just barely misses him, then flips back again after he hits the ground in order to put some distance between them.

No sharingan. No tricks. He's developed techniques to end fights quickly, as he gets no enjoyment in dragging out the pain of others. (The Tsukuyomi being something of an exception.) But this isn't a fight. This is a spar, and there's little need for him to resort to those methods here.]

[deathsdoctor]

[Law flips back on his feet and immediately on guard for the next attack. His eyes narrow in appraisal as he sees Itachi has put distance between them and he once again begins to drift to the side.

But he doesn't press the attack. Instead he waits, watching for an opening, allowing instinct to dictate that moment of attack or evasion.]

[yourhatred]

[There's a moment where Itachi squints, taking in the blur that his poor eyesight allows. Then he closes his eyes entirely. The less he tries to focus on what he can't see, the more he'll be able to focus on the senses that work. It's for this same reason that he'd been wearing a blindfold around the house on occasion.

The movement is incredibly quick, though not the flash-step type move he could perform using chakra. One moment he's crouched a ways away, the next he has an elbow aimed at Law's midsection.]

[deathsdoctor]

[He has warning. Instinct flares. And Law dodges to the side and forward, elbow skimming along his side, and the pirate's own knee coming up for an answering blow to Itachi's own midsection.

This close it should be a simple matter to get hold and pull the extended ninja further along his own line of momentum into that knee. Right?]

[yourhatred]

[It should be, but the dodge was expected - landing a hit on Law would rarely be that easy.

The moment he misses he twists, facing the pirate enough to use his knee as a springboard to hop away again. Except this time he doesn't stay back for long. He practically ricochets off the trunk of a nearby tree to come back at Law, and this time his aim is higher.]

[deathsdoctor]

[Failed again. And now he has a fist to the face to contend with. It doesn't hit full on, it grazes his cheek and Law moves with the blow to negate what impact there is.

It's still a hit though. It's an opportunity too and its worth that hit if he can get a blow under Itachi's guard somehow. Except a kick or a punch would be the expected response from him.

Instead Law attempts a throw as he falls back, twists, and lets that fist continue to travel. Even if he's outclassed, he should be able to catch Itachi once. He has to make it count when he does.]

[yourhatred]

[The throw succeeds, for the moment. Blind as he is, the follow-up would have been more difficult. He goes with the toss, but latches onto Law's arm in return.]

[deathsdoctor]

[Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap.

Twisting, twisting now in that grip. Congratulations, Itachi, you're taking Law with you.

Slamming right into you in the process. Just as planned, right?]

[yourhatred]

[Just as planned.

The ninja wraps both legs around the pirate to get them rolling, maneuvering their weight so that he can pin him to the ground.]

[deathsdoctor]

[Oh hey it's that game we play in bed. Law grins when it looks like Itachi has got him pinned. Leans up to steal a kiss.

Flip.

Gotta do better than that to keep him down, partner. Law's great strength isn't chakra enhanced at all. It is completely natural.]

[yourhatred]

[Unfortunately for Law, the ninja isn't quite in the mood.

Control is important. He's practiced it for years. It's why he's been able to endure as long as he has. It's why his eyes don't flash red as he's rolled back over.

But his teeth clench under a cold expression. He pulls his legs up in order to shove them hard into his partner and free himself from his current position.]

[deathsdoctor]

Oof--

[Ow. That smarts. Certainly not even approaching the worst he's ever had but, ow.

Back he goes and he's on his feet in a second and ready, tight smile on his face. There we go - there's the beginning of the slip he's been looking for.

He wants what's brewing in his husband out before it gets worse. He doesn't want Itachi to lock it down - it'd still be there - it needs to be on the surface and dealt with.

So he's on the attack once more. Hopefully before Itachi can completely close down.

Incoming.]

[yourhatred]

[Incoming. Itachi is ready before it even happens. He knows it's coming.

He's on his feet, moving to engage quickly. His arms are a flurry of motion, blows carefully aimed despite their speed.]

[deathsdoctor]

[For the moment Law's keeping up. He's got incentive to - a reason.

And everyone fought better with a reason.

Blows are blocked and returned. He presses forward, inch by inch. Not letting up. Not letting Itachi under his guard. Not relenting in trying to get under his husband's.

A fight isn't a just a fight after all. It's a conversation.

And the pirate presses forth even harder.]