Chakra Wizard
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Pretty emotional chapter last time, so for better or worse (depending on who you are), this one shouldn’t draw nearly as much sympathy
It’s also a lot shorter than usual, but it’s just the one fight this time with no cutaways, which is a bit unusual for me, I guess. lol Anyways, enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 101: The Bloodhound Boils
The mist continued to blanket the island, despite only one of the shinobi keeping it intact remaining alive. Perhaps it was for this reason that no one else on the shoreline rallied to give their own farewells to Tenten, whose family mourned her passing long after her body turned cold. The only ones to join them were Miyuki, her sole student in life, and Airon, who finally regained enough sense to remember the events transpiring around them, and kneeled down to take the old kunoichi in his arms.
Airon: I’ll take her to the morgue now. We can start collecting the rest of these shinobi once the fighting’s over. …They at least deserve a proper burial.
The four nodded feebly before gazing out at the surrounding landscape. The mist made doing so difficult, but the faint shapes of fallen shinobi could still be seen for some distance in any direction, causing some to wish the fog never lifted. In one direction, Airon could barely make out movement approaching from afar. He initially thought nothing of it, but a loud scream made it clear they were in hostile company and he quickly drew his sword.
Airon: Get behind me!!
It was wishful thinking on his part, since he already knew who the new arrival was, but Lee and the others nonetheless gathered behind him as a large wave of chakra cut through the mist and headed in their direction. His blade quickly became shrouded in his own chakra as a means to retaliate, but before he could use it, the wave dissipated against the bones of his rival’s black Susanoo.
Airon: Always showing up at just the right time, aren’t you?
Manako: (He managed a smirk before seeing who was laying dead in his arms.) It sure doesn’t seem like the right time.
The two shared a moment of silent mourning for their old blacksmith that was quickly interrupted by Daragetsu’s emergence from the mist, Kubikiribōchō in his one hand and Hiramekarei in the other. The young duo recognized the swords by sight and scowled at the idea of what became of their wielders.
Airon: You think you can hold him here? I’ve got a few stops to make.
Manako: (He drew his sword as the last embers of Susanoo disappeared.) As long as you need.
Airon: (He nodded before turning to the others.) Come on. I gave Lady Sakura a seal, too. I’ll leave you guys with the Medical Division.
Lee and Chan quickly stood up and put their hands on Airon, the latter with the former’s help, afterwhich he turned to Metal and Miyuki.
Airon: (And you two get moving fast. If he can’t get to me or Chan, he’ll definitely go after you.)
As he vanished in a flash, they ran to the nearby tree line, provoking Daragetsu’s rage once again.
Daragetsu: HEY!!! SOMEONE’S GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!!!
He lifted Hiramekarei above his head and brought forth another huge wave of chakra, which was stopped in its tracks by Manako’s own chakra-coated sword as they disappeared between the trees.
Manako: That guy was a killer and a psychopath. He got what he deserved…and so will you.
Daragetsu: (Taking note of his Sharingan, he held his swords out in front of him to meet his challenge.) Works for me. You can help me calm down so I can enjoy killing the others more.
In several ways, their duel started out similar to Daragetsu’s earlier face-off with Suigetsu and Kagetsu. The side wielding the legendary swords still found themselves at the mercy of the other’s superior swordsmanship, but likewise, Daragetsu remained untouchable through his constant Hydrafication. They stayed at this junction for some time, but the older of the two soon began to feel the toll of his extra effort.
Daragetsu: (Kid’s good. This might be harder than I thought.)
He put more focus into his use of Kubikiribōchō, hoping the “Executioner’s Blade” might live up to its nickname, but an added dose of lightning-enhanced chakra allowed Manako’s sword to slice it in half. In his brief moment of disbelief, Manako also took the time to kick Hiramekarei from his opponent’s hand.
Daragetsu: Shit!
What followed was a seemingly endless onslaught of slicing and dicing from numerous directions, once again made pointless by Daragetsu’s liquefied state. With careful timing, he reached out and grabbed Manako’s arm, but the young shinobi already had his free hand shaped into a seal for when this moment presented itself.
Manako: Fireball Jutsu!
Daragetsu pulled away, but not soon enough to avoid cutting his arm to stop the flames from spreading across the rest of his body. The blood collected from the amputation caused Kubikiribōchō to regain its lost length. His arm did the same moments later, and he proceeded to stare at it all the while flexing his fingers, thus far highly impressed by Manako’s skill.
Daragetsu: I can’t say I’ve ever thought about fighting one of the Uchiha clan, but now that I am, I gotta say that your reputation precedes you.
Manako: (He couldn’t help but smirk in response.) You should come by the Leaf Village some time. You’ll find a lot of people actually know me by my given name.
He watched as Daragetsu impaled the sand with Kubikiribōchō and removed his gloves, gazing over at Hiramekarei, as well, before asking the lingering question.
Manako: So…did you kill them?
Daragetsu: (He thought over it for a moment, eventually giving him half a sharp-toothed grin.) Not yet. Once I’ve gotten my revenge, though…I mean, it’s not like they’re going anywhere in that shape.
Manako cringed at the thought of Suigetsu and Kagetsu’s current states as his opponent formed several hand signs, all the while blood began to leak from beneath his feet and rises from the sand in small bubbles.
Daragetsu: Water Style: Water Balloon Jutsu!
The bubbles fired at Manako with alarming speed, though not enough to surpass his now infamous reflexes. In response, Daragetsu formed another hand signs, prompting the muscles in his arms and legs to swell with blood before charging him, yet another ill-advised move on his part which left him cut in half at the waist. With hand-to-hand tactics leading him nowhere, Daragetsu looked off toward the beach as an idea formed in his head, staring at it just a second long enough for Manako to catch on. They immediately made a break for the water as the latter attempted to slow him down with more flames, but this just provoked Daragetsu to cut himself down even further, the parts that fell in the sand quickly reemerging as clones and continuing his run for the beach. Only one made it, but that was all it took.
Manako: Shit. IF YOU’RE STILL IN THE WATER, GET OUT NOW!!!
As those who could hear his cry gazed around in confusion, Manako pushed back to the tree line while Daragetsu dissolved slowly into the water, changing it blood-red. A large wave suddenly began to form across the length of the western beach as the technique’s caster reemerged on top of it, his eyes piercing through the self-conjured mist and settling on Manako. With the force of a falling building, it crashed down on the shore, submerging it for several seconds and staining the beach red as the sand absorbed what blood it could. When the rest of it finally returning to the sea, Manako emerged from the safety of his Susanoo and looked around with his Sharingan. The bodies already scattered across the beach had been repositioned, but he was still able to make out a few that he hadn’t noticed before, ones that had obviously caught up in the wave. As he clenched his fists and looked around for his opponent, Daragetsu grabbed his leg from behind and flung him around, having emerged from the blood absorbed in the sand.
Manako: No!!
His Mangekyō Sharingan still active, Manako reflexively used Amaterasu to release himself, hitting Daragetsu square in his chest. Without warning, he dropped him and drew a kunai to amputate his arm, but the black flames had already covered most of his body and he began running for the beach as he screamed in pain. Manako watched in horror for the next minute as he splashed around in the water, trying and failing to put out the inextinguishable flames as his screams continued to echo across the island. He eventually succumbed to the pain and his body evaporated into thin air, leaving behind no trace of his existence. When this was all over, Manako sat up and laid there in the red sand for the longest time, pondering the fact that he had just killed someone, however deserving of death they might’ve been.
Miyuki: Manako!
Manako: (He looked around in surprise, eventually spotting her silhouette with his Sharingan.) Over here!
Miyuki and Metal emerged from the mist soon after, surprised to find him sitting alone and quickly piecing together where that loud scream had originated from.
Metal: Is the fight over?
He managed only a feeble nod, his mind still heavy with the reality of what just happened. Miyuki appeared stunned by this news, as well, and with nobody else around to take on this role, Metal took upon himself to kneel down beside him and attempt to ease his regret.
Metal: This is war, Manako. Casualties are unavoidable.
Manako: (He managed another nod, unable to look up into his eyes.) Yeah, I know. …I just never thought I’d be one of those racking up the numbers.
Miyuki: (She frowned at the thought of Deba and Tenten.) Well, a good thing you were, Manako. That guy and his partner had no reason to walk away from this war after all the crap they did.
Metal: (He looked up at her with disapproval before turning back to Manako.) Every ninja has his first kill. Some get lucky, like your grandfather, but almost all of us will eventually be forced to take a life. …But it may not be the last time you have to, so it is best to confront your feelings and accept your actions, Manako. …You are one of our best, after all. We need you in top physical and mental shape.
The praise in his closing remark left Manako unable to avoid smirking, while the one before it left him unable to argue his point. After a moment of meditation and deep breathing, he stood back up and went to pick up the two legendary swords Daragetsu had left behind. Miyuki heaved a sigh of relief.
Miyuki: At least all their key players are gone now. That should mean the fighting’s gonna end here soon.
Manako: No…this isn’t over yet.
Miyuki: What do you mean?
She looked around after asking this and suddenly realized that, despite Deba and Daragetsu both meeting their demise, the mist was still very much intact. Across the water, on a nearby island, the mist’s latest enabler sat tending to his massive sword as dozens of reinforcements gathered behind him, all with appearances marked by gruffness and experience and fitted with attire reminiscent of the Mist Village’s signature hunter-nin. He stood up and returned the sword to his back, pushing his tall blue hair back so his Kage cap would fit atop his head.
Unagi: Fine. …I’ll just finish them all myself.
Manako draws first blood, but the battle is far from over!!!
The End
It’s also a lot shorter than usual, but it’s just the one fight this time with no cutaways, which is a bit unusual for me, I guess. lol Anyways, enjoyHere’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 101: The Bloodhound Boils
The mist continued to blanket the island, despite only one of the shinobi keeping it intact remaining alive. Perhaps it was for this reason that no one else on the shoreline rallied to give their own farewells to Tenten, whose family mourned her passing long after her body turned cold. The only ones to join them were Miyuki, her sole student in life, and Airon, who finally regained enough sense to remember the events transpiring around them, and kneeled down to take the old kunoichi in his arms.
Airon: I’ll take her to the morgue now. We can start collecting the rest of these shinobi once the fighting’s over. …They at least deserve a proper burial.
The four nodded feebly before gazing out at the surrounding landscape. The mist made doing so difficult, but the faint shapes of fallen shinobi could still be seen for some distance in any direction, causing some to wish the fog never lifted. In one direction, Airon could barely make out movement approaching from afar. He initially thought nothing of it, but a loud scream made it clear they were in hostile company and he quickly drew his sword.
Airon: Get behind me!!
It was wishful thinking on his part, since he already knew who the new arrival was, but Lee and the others nonetheless gathered behind him as a large wave of chakra cut through the mist and headed in their direction. His blade quickly became shrouded in his own chakra as a means to retaliate, but before he could use it, the wave dissipated against the bones of his rival’s black Susanoo.
Airon: Always showing up at just the right time, aren’t you?
Manako: (He managed a smirk before seeing who was laying dead in his arms.) It sure doesn’t seem like the right time.
The two shared a moment of silent mourning for their old blacksmith that was quickly interrupted by Daragetsu’s emergence from the mist, Kubikiribōchō in his one hand and Hiramekarei in the other. The young duo recognized the swords by sight and scowled at the idea of what became of their wielders.
Airon: You think you can hold him here? I’ve got a few stops to make.
Manako: (He drew his sword as the last embers of Susanoo disappeared.) As long as you need.
Airon: (He nodded before turning to the others.) Come on. I gave Lady Sakura a seal, too. I’ll leave you guys with the Medical Division.
Lee and Chan quickly stood up and put their hands on Airon, the latter with the former’s help, afterwhich he turned to Metal and Miyuki.
Airon: (And you two get moving fast. If he can’t get to me or Chan, he’ll definitely go after you.)
As he vanished in a flash, they ran to the nearby tree line, provoking Daragetsu’s rage once again.
Daragetsu: HEY!!! SOMEONE’S GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!!!
He lifted Hiramekarei above his head and brought forth another huge wave of chakra, which was stopped in its tracks by Manako’s own chakra-coated sword as they disappeared between the trees.
Manako: That guy was a killer and a psychopath. He got what he deserved…and so will you.
Daragetsu: (Taking note of his Sharingan, he held his swords out in front of him to meet his challenge.) Works for me. You can help me calm down so I can enjoy killing the others more.
In several ways, their duel started out similar to Daragetsu’s earlier face-off with Suigetsu and Kagetsu. The side wielding the legendary swords still found themselves at the mercy of the other’s superior swordsmanship, but likewise, Daragetsu remained untouchable through his constant Hydrafication. They stayed at this junction for some time, but the older of the two soon began to feel the toll of his extra effort.
Daragetsu: (Kid’s good. This might be harder than I thought.)
He put more focus into his use of Kubikiribōchō, hoping the “Executioner’s Blade” might live up to its nickname, but an added dose of lightning-enhanced chakra allowed Manako’s sword to slice it in half. In his brief moment of disbelief, Manako also took the time to kick Hiramekarei from his opponent’s hand.
Daragetsu: Shit!
What followed was a seemingly endless onslaught of slicing and dicing from numerous directions, once again made pointless by Daragetsu’s liquefied state. With careful timing, he reached out and grabbed Manako’s arm, but the young shinobi already had his free hand shaped into a seal for when this moment presented itself.
Manako: Fireball Jutsu!
Daragetsu pulled away, but not soon enough to avoid cutting his arm to stop the flames from spreading across the rest of his body. The blood collected from the amputation caused Kubikiribōchō to regain its lost length. His arm did the same moments later, and he proceeded to stare at it all the while flexing his fingers, thus far highly impressed by Manako’s skill.
Daragetsu: I can’t say I’ve ever thought about fighting one of the Uchiha clan, but now that I am, I gotta say that your reputation precedes you.
Manako: (He couldn’t help but smirk in response.) You should come by the Leaf Village some time. You’ll find a lot of people actually know me by my given name.
He watched as Daragetsu impaled the sand with Kubikiribōchō and removed his gloves, gazing over at Hiramekarei, as well, before asking the lingering question.
Manako: So…did you kill them?
Daragetsu: (He thought over it for a moment, eventually giving him half a sharp-toothed grin.) Not yet. Once I’ve gotten my revenge, though…I mean, it’s not like they’re going anywhere in that shape.
Manako cringed at the thought of Suigetsu and Kagetsu’s current states as his opponent formed several hand signs, all the while blood began to leak from beneath his feet and rises from the sand in small bubbles.
Daragetsu: Water Style: Water Balloon Jutsu!
The bubbles fired at Manako with alarming speed, though not enough to surpass his now infamous reflexes. In response, Daragetsu formed another hand signs, prompting the muscles in his arms and legs to swell with blood before charging him, yet another ill-advised move on his part which left him cut in half at the waist. With hand-to-hand tactics leading him nowhere, Daragetsu looked off toward the beach as an idea formed in his head, staring at it just a second long enough for Manako to catch on. They immediately made a break for the water as the latter attempted to slow him down with more flames, but this just provoked Daragetsu to cut himself down even further, the parts that fell in the sand quickly reemerging as clones and continuing his run for the beach. Only one made it, but that was all it took.
Manako: Shit. IF YOU’RE STILL IN THE WATER, GET OUT NOW!!!
As those who could hear his cry gazed around in confusion, Manako pushed back to the tree line while Daragetsu dissolved slowly into the water, changing it blood-red. A large wave suddenly began to form across the length of the western beach as the technique’s caster reemerged on top of it, his eyes piercing through the self-conjured mist and settling on Manako. With the force of a falling building, it crashed down on the shore, submerging it for several seconds and staining the beach red as the sand absorbed what blood it could. When the rest of it finally returning to the sea, Manako emerged from the safety of his Susanoo and looked around with his Sharingan. The bodies already scattered across the beach had been repositioned, but he was still able to make out a few that he hadn’t noticed before, ones that had obviously caught up in the wave. As he clenched his fists and looked around for his opponent, Daragetsu grabbed his leg from behind and flung him around, having emerged from the blood absorbed in the sand.
Manako: No!!
His Mangekyō Sharingan still active, Manako reflexively used Amaterasu to release himself, hitting Daragetsu square in his chest. Without warning, he dropped him and drew a kunai to amputate his arm, but the black flames had already covered most of his body and he began running for the beach as he screamed in pain. Manako watched in horror for the next minute as he splashed around in the water, trying and failing to put out the inextinguishable flames as his screams continued to echo across the island. He eventually succumbed to the pain and his body evaporated into thin air, leaving behind no trace of his existence. When this was all over, Manako sat up and laid there in the red sand for the longest time, pondering the fact that he had just killed someone, however deserving of death they might’ve been.
Miyuki: Manako!
Manako: (He looked around in surprise, eventually spotting her silhouette with his Sharingan.) Over here!
Miyuki and Metal emerged from the mist soon after, surprised to find him sitting alone and quickly piecing together where that loud scream had originated from.
Metal: Is the fight over?
He managed only a feeble nod, his mind still heavy with the reality of what just happened. Miyuki appeared stunned by this news, as well, and with nobody else around to take on this role, Metal took upon himself to kneel down beside him and attempt to ease his regret.
Metal: This is war, Manako. Casualties are unavoidable.
Manako: (He managed another nod, unable to look up into his eyes.) Yeah, I know. …I just never thought I’d be one of those racking up the numbers.
Miyuki: (She frowned at the thought of Deba and Tenten.) Well, a good thing you were, Manako. That guy and his partner had no reason to walk away from this war after all the crap they did.
Metal: (He looked up at her with disapproval before turning back to Manako.) Every ninja has his first kill. Some get lucky, like your grandfather, but almost all of us will eventually be forced to take a life. …But it may not be the last time you have to, so it is best to confront your feelings and accept your actions, Manako. …You are one of our best, after all. We need you in top physical and mental shape.
The praise in his closing remark left Manako unable to avoid smirking, while the one before it left him unable to argue his point. After a moment of meditation and deep breathing, he stood back up and went to pick up the two legendary swords Daragetsu had left behind. Miyuki heaved a sigh of relief.
Miyuki: At least all their key players are gone now. That should mean the fighting’s gonna end here soon.
Manako: No…this isn’t over yet.
Miyuki: What do you mean?
She looked around after asking this and suddenly realized that, despite Deba and Daragetsu both meeting their demise, the mist was still very much intact. Across the water, on a nearby island, the mist’s latest enabler sat tending to his massive sword as dozens of reinforcements gathered behind him, all with appearances marked by gruffness and experience and fitted with attire reminiscent of the Mist Village’s signature hunter-nin. He stood up and returned the sword to his back, pushing his tall blue hair back so his Kage cap would fit atop his head.
Unagi: Fine. …I’ll just finish them all myself.
Manako draws first blood, but the battle is far from over!!!
The End
