After Scenic Route

Love caught up but was confused. She thought they'd be walking. She found out he was running a bit too late so jogged over to conserve energy. Upon his sparring request, Love giggled.

"Sure, why not. Um...you were mad at me before because I had been holding back...do I not?" her arms were behind her back.

Neji frowned. "It'll just be taijutsu for now. I don't want you to get too worn out. Just in case I want to eat out tonight,I can't very well have you fall asleep before you eat."he said and got into ready position.

Love grinned, "Well alright. You let me move first last time so-this time I will let you."

She braced herself. Her body was stiff but loose at the same time. Only certain parts of her body had grown tense while the others were being flexed.

Neji nodded and after taking one step forward,he punched her in the gut and then gave her a front snap kick right to the chin.

Love's hand struck down on his wrist after his fist met her stomach and she swiftly twisted it before thrusting her upper torso back to avoid the kick. SHe was in a bridge position and got out of it with a quick flip.

Love rocked herself a bit observing the terrain and Neji a bit before leaning forward with a strike made quickly by a thrust of her legs at an unmarked location of Neji's and then quickly pulled it back to herself balancing on one foot.

Neji withdrew his arm after she twisted it and once she dodged his kick,he backed away. When he was kicked,he blocked it with a palm and pushed it away. He saw her regain her balance and came charging toward her. He leapt forward into the air and used a tornado kick to her chest.

He landed on his hands and pushed himself back upright.

Love side stepped avoiding the kick and neared him as he stood back up but her speed had kicked in. She stood behind him with her arms slung around his neck. If he were to resist, the wire she had in her hands would cut his neck or choke him.

"Come come Neji kun!" she encouraged.

He used his gentle fist technique on her hands,making them let go of the wire but not using it to affect her chakra flow. He then used rotation and once he sent her flying he went to her, and kicked her straight down into the floor. He then got into ready position a few feet away as he let her get back up.

Love's hands twinged in pain and seeing him spin about as a way to force her off made her excited for during the repel she was thrusted off spinning as well. When he came with the kick, she held her arms out defensively taking the hit regardless and skidded down onto her butt.

She stood up a bit more wobbly and smiled, "Okay-okay! My turn!"

Love stretched and then gestured she was moving but vanished leaving only a kicked up cloud of dirt from where she last stood. A gentle breeze hinted she was attacking his feet but her leg came up with an inside kick knocking him from the side and the other came striking with the knee to stun his back. Love headbutted him down and gasped.

"Oops! Ne-Neji kun! Are-are you okay?" she frantically moved to his side and poked at his shoulder. "I am sorry. I did too much right?"

Neji `found himself on the floor,but he was glad that he could still move. During her assault ,he had noticed her attention to the points she was getting to and had moved with barely enough time to save his mobility. He sat up and grinne. He grabbed her ankle and pulled it from under her,making her fall on her butt to join him on the floor. "Not too much. I'm fine."

Love squeaked as she hit the ground and rubbed her hip. Seeing Neji smiling made her giggle and smile too. She touched his back gently and asked, "Does it hurt a lot? I hope not...I-I am used to fighting to terminate....I get carried away and well....I do not want to kill you!" she blurted out. "I am used to training alone so this is very new."

He looked away and raked the arena for a distraction from her slightly cute face. He didn'tknow why he was thinking this but it only lasted a minute before he shook his head.

"No,really. My back is fine. It's okay that you did that,just learn self control next time.."

Love hummed a bit taking in what he said and gave a thumbs up, "Okay! So-when fighting an opponent not meant to be killed I need hold back on my true power so as not to correct?"

SHe glanced around thinking he saw something she should be aware of.

"Um,that sounds good."he gave her a thumbs up that reminded him instantly of Rock Lee and he blushed,embarrassed that he performed such an act.

Love giggled again and pressed her mouth to his forehead, "You seem to have a fever. Your teperature just shot up out of nowhere. Are you okay?"

She leaned on her knees and checked his eyes and mouth with an index finger pulling on his face gently and pulling open his mouth.

"You seem to be fine...." she crossed her arms with a curius smile, "Is this part of your Byakugan?"

He shook no. "No.I am good."he got up and frowned. "I am good."he hit his arm nervously. "I need to stretch my legs is all."

She tilted her head with a blank face not exactly sure what he was doing and looked down at her lap wondering if he wasn't telling her something she might be doing wrong.

Seeing he was complaining about his legs made her grin, "Oh-I can help! I work with my legs most of the time. Here-" she stood up and thrusted her leg upwards leaving it in midair while balancing on one foot and switched, "-this loosens the tension in your muscles so that they do not cramp up while using them."

He looked at her funny and then gestured a thumb behind him. "We could do that and then we could take a short walk."
"Now show me how you did that."he said and copied her leg movements,seeing that she was right about it.

"Oh-okay."

Love showed him thatif he outstretched his leg like a kick and held it out the muscles would flex in a more stretching pleasure than sitting down.

"You just need a good sense of balance and the ability to endure the pain of keeping it up. It loosens your leg muscles allowng more freedm in your movement. I ppracticed first by resting my foot on some object that would keep me from letting my leg fall and eventually worked my way to nothing and can hold it long enough. Here, stretch your leg and rest it on my shoulder. I can hold you up."

"I think have rained enough to be able to hold my eg up on it's own."he said and kicked his leg out,holding it out and not letting it lower.

She giggled and nodded, "Alright."

She watched him kick out and tilte her head before tipping it up a bit more to make it totally straight and clapped.

"Neji kun is doing it!" she yipped excitedly.

He smiled and held it straight. "You are going to do this too or are you just making a fool out of me?"

"Hm? Oh-sorry." she blushed and stretched out one of her own legs. She stood beside him, "SO when are we taking this walk?"

"Directly after 15 minutes on each leg."Neji said and remembered to keep his leg up.

"Oh....so in a half hour? Hm-okay."

As time passed, the burn began. She did not show any reaction to it having gotten used to it and glanced over at him curious to see how he was handling it.