Kieda Uzai vs. Kozue Kaburagi - Ninjas Do It Stealthily

Match Type: Standard Match
Victory Conditions: Victory decided by pinfall, submission or knockout.

***

Kozue Kaburagi found herself sitting on the turnbuckle, legs crossed, as the crowd cheered all around her. Her theme music blew out over the loudspeakers, rocking strong, and she hummed as they went along, absorbing all the vibes. She was smiling, cool as ever, playing up the whole image that her fans loved, but underneath there were a few more things going on than many would’ve guessed.

This was going to be her second match in Friction, with her first being a banger of a bout against Alaina Sanders. Former Entropy Champion, future World Champion, if she was a betting woman. Her and the Amazon had gone at it hammer and tongs, worn each other down to the nub, it was one of the best matches of her career...but she’d lost. A good, hardfought loss, but a loss all the same. After going through so much after years in Tension, having shots at championships, getting beat left and right, and finally getting trained under fucking Benikage, she’d hoped she was better than that, that she could at least start off on the right foot with her debut, but that wasn’t the way that things shook out.

It was frustrating. More than frustrating. She didn’t want to be grumpy about it, but it couldn’t be helped. She lost all the time in Tension, trained hard, and Friction was supposed to be a turning point. And here she was. Losing. Again.

Was there a chip on her shoulder? Yeah.

She leaned back as her theme faded with a water bottle in hand, chugging it down fast and emptying it right away. She tossed it off to the side, bounced up on the turnbuckle, and brought her legs out in time to plant her feet on the ring, perching there in a crouch. Kozue stayed in this position, perfectly balanced, looking over the ring like an eagle about to strike. She didn’t know who she was going up against, but truth told, she didn’t give a shit. She was taking this W.

*While not having abdicated every aspect of her kunoichi lifestyle, Kieda had certainly intertwined it with a unique sense of style and panache- Her vibrant colors, flashy moves and overall eccentric existence was enough to captive anyone and everyone that she came across. However, deep within the pit of her core, The Fashion Assassin couldn't help but marvel at the subtle impact her impending opponent had made upon her; clad in nothing else but sleek, obsidian black with a distinct headband as the audience expressed their appreciation by engulfing her with sonorous applause.*

"Hmph!" *Her pettiness starting to emerge from beneath the strata of confidence she boasted, Kieda marched through the backstage hallway, nonchalantly flipping her ponytail as she quickly approached the curtain leading towards the ring.* "If she honestly believes that my fans haven't transitioned over to the AFW, then she's in for a rude awakening!" *Fully aware that first impressions are everything, The Cerulean Shadow sashayed through the portiere, striking a dazzling pose once she was in the public eye.*

*As her theme dropped, she received a standing ovation from a significant amount of the live audience, causing her to subsequently bow as a response- Her reputation from LAW had obviously followed her over onto this new, exciting circuit, and expectations of her to remain as dominant as she had been before were now set in stone. The walk ramp suddenly permeated turquoise and pink mist, accentuating her primary colors even more.*

*After her superfluous entrance, Kieda promptly began ambling towards the ring, flaunting her voluptuous body as the cameras began to flash all across the stadium, capturing each and every angle of her gorgeous physique.* "Hmhm, yes, I am quite the fetching specimen~" *She remarked to herself, basking in the glow of her own hubris.*

Spoiler:

*Once she reached the steel steps, Kieda decided to take the express route and leapt onto the ring apron, landing on the bottoms of her platform boots before slipping through the middle of the ropes.* "Impressive, isn't it?" *She rhetorically asked Kozue before approaching her neutral corner.*

”Meh.”

That ‘meh’ was one of the bigger lies Kozue had told in a while, if you could really classify a three letter word as deception. The truth was that she had been impressed by Kieda’s entrance, liking what she saw coming down the ramp. It was definitely different from the boring, blasé way that most wrestlers came down with, more like she was moving down a runway than heading towards a ring. She had style, she had confidence - the colors were clashing a bit, but then, Kozue wasn’t one to judge there, more of a black-and-white sort of woman when it came to her clothing choices.

But she wasn’t about to give her opponent the satisfaction of knowing that right away, wanting to push her buttons first. That was the Kozue Kaburagi way, after all. She looked off to the side from her perch, feigning a yawn, before she somersaulted off the post and flew through the air. She stuck the landing in the middle of the ring, standing tall as the shock ran through the canvas, and arched her back to get out all those nasty kinks.

”I mean, it was an okay entrance. I guess. 5 out of 10.” She gave the turquoise diva a look over, head to toe. ‘Fashion Assassin’, huh? ”Man, you don’t do subtle much, do you? Can see that outfit from orbit.” She started stretching, rolling her shoulders back, one after the other. She was ready to begin, but something caught her eye, a little detail she’d missed at first but was begging her attention.

”What’s up with those?” She pointed straight at the kunai attached to Kieda’s legs, curious where that fashion statement came from. Seemed like a random thing to just have on her outfit out of nowhere.

*Once her entrance had reached its terminus, Kieda finally making her way inside the ring, she heard the slightly vexing remarks from her competition, goading out a vestige of her latent ire almost instantaneously.* "Oh? Are you trying to imply that I'm average?" *Kieda lashed out, reaching downwards to slip her dull knives out from within the slits in her baggy pants.*

"These are to honor my kunoichi heritage~" *She whipped them into her right hand, collecting them both before heading back towards her corner and stacking them in an orderly pile.* "While I've ascended past the dregs of those I share the locker rooms with, I'm certainly not above carrying my past with me."

*Cartwheeling towards where she previously stood, Kieda executed a corkscrew flip, landing on the balls of her feet to the awe and astonishment of the audience.* "I sincerely hope you can provide me with at least a modicum of entertainment- I cleared my entire schedule for you, after all~" *She giggled aloud, waiting for the bell to signify the beginning of their skirmish!*

”I’m not implying shit.” Kozue brought her arms up, locked her fingers, and stretched up high, showing off the full length of her body. This new outfit was tailor made to show off her best aspects, might as well flaunt it. ”I’m saying it straight out.”

The talk about kunoichi heritage was enough to pique her interest, though, and she was just about to call bullshit when Kieda went into a flipping routine that put some credit to her words. It wasn’t proof - the AFW had its fair share of non-ninja wrestlers who could pull off moves like that. It was good evidence, though, and Kozue knew exactly how to collect more.

”That a fact? Okay.” She brought her fists up and cracked her knuckles, getting some good sounds from her grinding bones. ”All right, Kieda Uzai. I, Kozue Kaburagi of the New Jersey Kaburagi Clan, formerly challenge you.” She brought her arms up, opens hands, and stepped into a bouncing stance, staying light on her heels. ”Say you’re kunoichi? Show me.”

The bell rang and Kozue stepped in right away, no hesitation, no waiting. She raised her leg, drew it in, and shot it towards her opponent's chest as she slid towards her, looking to knock her back towards the ropes.

*Hearing the snarky remark launched in her direction, Kieda narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brows together, clearly irate at the palpable tension that began to grow between herself and Kozue.* "New Jersey? I wasn't aware anything lingered in that repulsive city, besides gigantic rats and runway shows I wouldn't be caught dead modeling for~" *Deciding to sprinkle her own, condescending banter atop the foundation Kozue had laid, the bell finally sounded, perking The Fashion Assassin's uncanny reflexes!*

"Wooosh!" *The incoming kick missed its target clean, but The Cerulean Shadow just narrowly dodged out of the way, having dipped her taut figure downwards, spinning sideways and backwards before planting her hands firmly against the canvas.* "Oh, is this what passes for an ambush in that so called clan you hail from? Perhaps I should tie my foot behind my back to make things even~" *Her condescending tone was caught by a handful of front row viewers, who didn't hesitate to snap a handful of money shots during this prime photo opportunity!*

*Unable to resist the boisterous call of the limelight, Kieda instinctively struck a glamorous pose, kicking a solitary foot upwards and at an angle to show how unafraid she was of her current opposition.* "Yaaawn~ And to think I had considered you worthy of my precious time."

Spoiler:

If there was ever a time that Kozue had been bothered by cracks at her state, it had long passed. It was a nice try on Kieda’s part, one of the better knocks she’d heard, but ultimately ineffective. ”And malls. We’ve got malls out the ass.”

It was a fun little diversion, but Kozue wasn’t about to let up for too long. She clicked her tongue as her kick came up short, then looked over her shoulder to see her opponent move behind her...to strike a pose? Oh, that was cute. Cocky little bitch, she kind of had to respect it. Game recognized game, and the New Jersey Ninja had to appreciate her opponent’s attention to style, taking an obvious opportunity to flaunt.

”Give it a minute.” Kozue shrugged and faced away from her opponent, rolling her neck to whip her hair behind her back. ”Might surprise you yet.”

Instead of turning around the normal way, Kozue backflipped, soaring through the air and tucking her legs in with the motion. She shot her leg down as she came out, looking to stomp Kieda with both heels before she could rise to her feet or roll away.

*It was second nature for Kieda to conjure up condescending remarks about where people hailed from, typically sending someone into a frenzy as she did so, but Kozue was clearly cut from a different cloth- She even went so far as to contribute to The Azure Assassin's snarky remark, which momentarily baffled Kieda herself.*

"Hmph!" *She rolled her eyes, attempting to return to her feet by first rolling onto her midsection for balance. Unfortunately, she wasn't about to seize the opportunity without a little bit of pressure being applied first, feeling the platforms of both feet press into her backside the instant she tried to regain her footing!*

Spoiler:

"GGAAAH!" *Shrieking from the unbearably painful contact, Kieda began to incessantly thrash and struggle beneath Kozue's planted feet, her composure starting to fade with each passing second!* "Get your gigantic fucking feet off of me!" *She demanded, trying to roll herself sideways to disrupt Kozue's posture!*

Bullseye.

Granted, Kozue hadn’t expected Kieda to roll on her stomach when she flipped back, but whatever, the back was just as good a target at this front when it came to this. A standing moonsault stomp? Yeah, that was a good name for it.

It was effective as hell, if Kieda’s cries were anything to go by. Kozue stayed balance on her back for a moment, riding it like a surfboard, before all the thrashing got to be too much. She flipped off again, this time coming to a landing nearby and dropping into a sit, legs crossed Indian-style. With her chin resting against her fists, she sat and watched as her opponent dealt with the pain.

”We’re also real good about dropping people who talk too much shit. That’s a Jersey thing, too. Fair warning.” She ticked her head to the side, pouted, watching her opponent with an innocent gaze. ”You need a minute, blue? Trying to squeeze that pride down your throat, tight fit?”

*Having to eat her own words was a struggle in and of itself, but the instant Kozue decided to pour salt into the freshly opened wound was when Kieda felt a pang of nagging detestation towards the snarky kunoichi.* "Nnhh..." *Snarling under her breath, Kieda eventually crawled back onto the centers of her shins, never once breaking eye contact with her insufferable competition.*

"If you have the audacity to think for one second that a single move is enough to incapacitate me~" *She furiously shook her head to clear the slight grogginess from her clouded brain, her agitated leer speaking volumes about her current disposition.* "Then you have much to learn about underestimating your opponents!"

*As quick as a wink, The Periwinkle Punisher rotated herself sideways, thighs snatching Kozue around the base of her throat before subsequently attempting to plant her skull against the mat for a unique twist on a headscissors takedown move!* "Is being incapable of protecting yourself a Jersey thing, too?" *She barked in a pretentious cadence, eager to reestablish her dominance once more!*

Spoiler: