'Think, think, what's the strategy?' the voice in her head spoke again. "I don't know," Naka admitted. She had never fought anyone beyond Genin level, and Phoenix was clearly stronger than a Chuunin. Naka suddenly smiled and threw her huge sword Phoenix's way.

Phoenix tilted her head slightly then blinked. Instead of blocking or jumping, she moved her sword to the side then shifted and caught the handle of her sword carefully. The movement wouldn't slow her as she spun it then darted at Naka.

After the sword was deflected by Phoenix, Naka had lunged forward, kunai in hand. Her own sword flew at her, and she dodged just in time. Naka threw the kunai at Phoenix, and jumped back, grabbing her sword. She shot another kunai at Phoenix, but it landed one foot away. An exploding tag was attached to it, and was immediately activated by Naka.

Phoenix slapped the first kunai away with the back of her hand. She shifted and stepped back at the next, letting it fly past before she glanced to the last kunai. She seemed to blink as the explosion enveloped her body. Only when the smoke started to ebb away did she stand from crouched, having leaned the sword on her shoulder and used a jutsu to create a shield of chakra.
She shook her head and picked up the blade, smiling to Naka as she held it by her side. She vanished a second later, two clones in her place that leaped at her, both taking white kunai in hand.

Naka knew her attacks wouldn't work. But it was fun trying. She bent the sheath to form a line between her arm and the sword. With this, she swung the sword at the...two Phoenixes?

Both clones did a double take, one letting the sword make contact, making it shatter into shards of ice onto the ground a moment later. The other one danced around, holding the kunai up to block her blade. The real one suddenly appeared in front of her, a thinner blade, a katana more or so swinging at her neck. She would stop it before it made contact with her skin.

Naka deliberately moved forward, letting the blade cut her forearm. She jumped back, and smiled. Turning the sword over, Naka wiped her blood on its blade, making it shine crimson red. Her chakra flowed with the blood, so that the sword was covered in offensive chakra. Naka ran forward again, swinging the sword at both Phoenixes. Even if it didn't directly hit, then she could splatter some of the blood at them, along with her chakra.

Phoenix blinked at the movement softly and smiled, shifting back with the clone. As soon as she swung forward again, the clone jumped forward, lettings its arm stop the sword by hitting and it shattered into ice as the real Phoenix flipped away elegantly, straightening her thinner blade.

Naka had kept the wound open so that fresh blood dripped from it to the sheath and the sword. Even though she was a medic nin, the smell of blood was a bit disturbing to her. She ran forward, spinning the sword in a full circle, splattering the blood at a 180 degree angle.

Phoenix lightly tensed her legs as she came then jumped up. Instead of landing again, she took to grabbing a tree limb above her then swung around, swing her sword at Naka's. If it did make contact, she would have pinned both blades into the ground. If she hadn't, she would have done her next motion anyway. Leaping at Naka and attempting to catch her shoulders against a nearby tree.

Naka would have let go of her sword, but it was still attached to her arm. Phoenix's katana got tangled with the sheath and this movement forced Naka back. She quickly unwrapped the sheath and used it to cover her torso like she did before. Once again, she ran forward, and shot multiple smoke bombs in the area.

Phoenix briefly closed her eyes at the smoke bomb and shook her head. Glancing around as she had purposely let go of her sword. She shifted now and threw a hand sign, a line of water flowing from her hand to wrap around it, making a whip. She spun it above her head then around, banishing the smoke slowly before aiming it as soon as she sensed Naka to wrap around her legs.

Naka felt something wet and solid wrap around her ankles in the smoke, and couldn't move. She blew an area of the smoke away from her feet, and saw two long streams of water around them. Quickly she put an exploding tag, each near her feet. It will hurt, but at least she'd escape.

Phoenix seemed to sense this, because small orbs of water surrounded the tags, thick enough that the explosion was softened, simply spraying water over the ground and she walked up to Naka softly. She gave her a soft smile and released her, suddenly coughing a bit as she covered her mouth. "Your...really good for just graduating..." She said quietly when she had gotten over her fit. She didn't like seeing people hurt, but was happy to see how she had come so far.

Naka smiled back at her and laughed nervously. "It was because of my master. He trained me 'til I could barely walk." She sealed the cut on her forearm and put back her sword into its sheath. "But you're much stronger, Phoenix-san. I'm not able to do any elemental jutsu yet."