Hisame starts acting tired after a bit of this, letting Chihiro get the distance she wants. (It's an act, but Hisame is very good at pretending.)

She'll have to be very on point, or Chihiro will turn her feigned weakness into a real one.

She's practiced this. Mostly against Itachi, who sometimes even lets her get away with it.

Distance means Hisame can disengage as she breathes a rather large fire ball right at Chihiro's face as she moves back.

Chihiro jumps up and over it to land behind Hisame, doing a flip along the way.

Hisame's ready for her, knives flashing.

Chihiro switches her grip to one more suited to close fighting and renews the attack.

"Not in the mood to let me win anymore?" Hisame - who had always been the top of their class in effectively any fighting metric that didn't allow Elieyha to use her sand - asks, teasingly.

"There is no reason to." Chihiro had always been solidly in the middle of the pack.

She laughs.

"What was your reason earlier?"

"I did not wish to attract attention."

"And now you do?"

"Now it matters less."

"You're an interesting person."

"If you say so."

She grins and keeps fighting.

Still, Chihiro's going to be able to get the definitive upper hand eventually.

Only natural.

"Enjoy yourselves?"

"Absolutely! Chihiro's very good."

"Yes, she is. I suppose I'm next."

"I think I'll have fun watching this fight, all things considered."

"Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint you, of course."

"You never do."

She steps away from Hisame and turns to Chihiro.

"Come on, then."

Chihiro analyzes Elieyha's relaxed stance for a moment, then darts in.

She's not quick enough to get around the sand, but she is able to dodge Elieyha's first few counterattacks, which is better than most.