Chakra Wizard
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Alright, the first multi-chapter fight of the finals! I’ll try pulling out all the stops for these two. As always, enjoy*_*
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 054: Brain vs. Brawn
Kei and Inase stared at each other for the longest time following Baiko’s announcement. The former was wearing a grin substantially larger than the latter’s smirk, but it was obvious to their peers that both of them were brimming with the same level of confidence. With Nakama having taken off to watch over her teammate, the two chose the shortest route available and leapt over the railing, sliding down the wall towards the arena floor and not taking their eyes off each other the entire time. A short distance from the balcony, Boruto and Inoue sat anxiously in wait for the match to begin, interrupted momentarily by the arrival of the former’s childhood rival.
Itachi: You seem rather worried.
Boruto: (He smirked in response.) Should I not be? My kids are fixing to fight each other. How worried can a parent get?
Inoue: (She took ahold of his hand to quell his nervousness.) There’s nothing we can do from up here, Boruto. We just have to wish them both the best of luck and hope they don’t hurt each other too badly. …They can still become chūnin even if one of them loses, so everything should turn out fine.
Boruto: (He squeezed her hand in return, relieved to have her by his side.) Yeah…heh, still makes me wish this would end in a draw, though. Then, at least I wouldn’t have to choose a side.
Itachi: Hmhmhm…your children are strong, Bolt. And the fact they know each other so well should make this the most interesting fight yet…until my son squares off with yours, that is.
They exchanged looks of amusement as Kei and Inase reached the arena floor. As they walked towards the proctor, their grandfather also mulled over the possible ways this match could pan out, much to the amusement of his own rival.
Sasuke: Hmhm, it’s not every day I see YOU so worked up about something, Naruto.
Naruto: Ah, shove it, why don’tcha? At least you don’t have to worry about your grandkids fighting each other since two of them are already-
Sasuke: I dare you to finish that stateme-
Their squabbling was quickly put to rest by the latter’s wife, who dealt a blow to the backs of both their heads before burying her face in her hand.
Sakura: Both of you, I swear. Just watch the match for crying out loud.
Those sitting behind them laughed in amusement at their antics before turning their attention towards the two combatants.
Konohamaru: Talk about a toss-up.
Kurotsuchi: You sure of that, Hokage? From what I saw in the preliminaries, that girl could end this match before it even begins.
Konohamaru: (Having seen the two in action before, he smiled in amusement at Kurotsuchi’s ignorance.) Every powerful technique has its drawbacks, not to mention a handful of people who can work their way around it. …This match will be closer than you expect, Lord Tsuchikage. That I can assure you.
Darui: I sure hope so. We got another three rounds to go after this one and I’d say the last thing our audience wants is a dull spectacle.
His four compatriots nodded in agreement as Kei and Inase assumed their positions on the arena floor. Neither had said a word to the other yet, nor had their confident expressions faded away either. Kei finally broke the silence as Baiko raised his arm to begin the match.
Kei: A hundred ryō says I win this match by a landslide.
Inase: (Her annoyance with his persistent gambling notwithstanding, she shook her head and smirked in amusement.) …I’ll raise you to five hundred. I can read minds, y’know.
Kei shrugged this subtle remark off with a smirk as Baiko looked to ensure both of them were ready to begin the match.
Baiko: Alright, if both of you are ready, …begin!
The match started, but contrary to the expectations of most of those who knew the competitors, neither one made a move – even the normally hotheaded Kei. They simply stood there, eyes locked, for several seconds until Kei finally smirked and crossed his arms, while faint signs of disappointment emerged in Inase’s eyes. This only served to confuse most of the match’s onlookers, though, including Z.
Z: What the hell are they doin’? Make a move already, somethin’!
Airon: (Well aware of what just transpired, he smirked in amusement as he walked over beside Z.) Inase already did. Kei’s just goading her on how she failed to do anything.
Z: (Surprised by his intrusion, he looked at him for a moment before gazing back down at the arena.) Wait, she did what? Cause I didn’t see a damn thing happen just now.
Airon: You recall Inase’s match during the preliminaries, Z?
Z: (Looking at him for a second in confusion, he tilted his head up as he tried to recall the match in question.) Aw yeah, when the little twerp pussied out? Wait, so she did that?
Airon: (He nodded to confirm his suspicions.) She just tried doing the same thing to Kei, but there’s only one problem. Her target has to have some trace of self-doubt for it to work. …Kei’s far too cocky to fall for a technique like that.
He smirked at the thought of this as the two redirected their attention back towards the match. True to Airon’s words, Kei grinned out of a combination of pride and amusement before addressing his sister’s failed tactic.
Kei: Got anything else for me, sis?
Inase: (She smirked in response and began motioning for him to attack her, having already formed another strategy.) I should be able to think of something.
Accepting the challenge with a grin, Kei formed an all-too familiar hand sign.
Kei: Shadow Clone Jutsu!!
In an instant, roughly forty to fifty clones had surrounded Inase, though her Byakugan allowed her to keep each one in her sights. She held up two kunai in preparation for whatever attack they threw at her, but to her feigned surprise, each one settled to throwing down a smoke bomb, blocking them from their view. She activated her Byakugan in order to see what they were doing on the other side of the fumes, but upon doing so, she discovered that half of the clones had disappeared, prompting her to look up to find them plummeting down from overtop the smoke, a Rasengan in each one’s hand.
Kei: Haha!! Whatcha gonna do now, sis!?
Inase: (Little time to react, she dropped her kunai and began spinning around rapidly.) Rotation!
The force of her barrier sent all the incoming clones flying past the wall of smoke, which had also been pushed back slightly by her technique. As soon as she came to a stop, though, she found herself overcome by chains, produced by the clones that still remained. Seeing little chance of her escape, Kei immediately started grinning and called out to her, not bothering to conceal that he was, in fact, the real one amongst the clones.
Kei: Ha!! Who’s the smart one now!?
No sooner after he said this, an enormous surge of pain began coursing through his chin as he flew up and back several meters, his clones disappearing in light of the heavy blow.
Kei: What the-
He continued to lay there on the ground, lifting his head just slightly to find Inase standing where he once stood, smiling connivingly down at him.
Z: Pretty nice genjutsu she got there. That boy looks about ready to call it in now, don’t he?
Airon: Hmhm, one would think so. …Kei’s a lot tougher than that, though. Trust me.
Coming to this same conclusion after a minute of thought, Kei wiped a speck of blood from his lip and stood back up slowly with a frown.
Kei: Alright, that didn’t work out like I thought it would.
Inase: (She smirked at this.) What, you thought I wouldn’t be able to tell what you were planning? C’mon, Kei, you know I’m too smart to fall for something like that. …You can talk down at me all you want, but you can’t change facts.
Kei: (He took a moment to catch his breath and began cracking his neck.) Alright. …Guess I’ll just play against your strengths, then.
He held his arms down on either side of him and opened up his hand, allowing two more chains to slowly begin leaking from the middle of his palms. Several members of the audience recognized this as a sign of more intense fighting to come, including his father and his rival.
Itachi: Things are starting to get exciting now.
Boruto: (He nodded in agreement as his head started leaning forward a short ways.) (C’mon, Kei…show ‘em what you can do.)
The chains finally stopped flowing once two fairly long bundles were laid coiled upon the ground at Kei’s feet, prompting him to wrap his fingers around the ends of them and begin rotating them around, slowly but surely bringing the remaining length of the chains up off the ground.
Z: He got those chains again. …What the hell are they, anyway?
Airon: Whaddaya mean?
Z: I mean, he ain’t summoning ‘em or nothin’ from what I can tell and it don’t look like they’re comin’ out of his sleeves, either. So what’s the deal?
Airon: (He smiled as he gave his answer, a hint of jealousy in his eyes for what Kei had that he didn’t.) …It’s his chakra.
He looked to his side to find Z looking at him with surprise and intense interest in his eyes, prompting him to explain himself further.
Airon: It’s a very rare technique our great-grandmother shared that Kei somehow inherited. It moulds their chakra into highly durable chains that could rip right through a tree trunk if they so pleased, the power level of the user’s chakra determining the strength of the chains. …Our grandmother supposedly used them for sealing purposes, but…let’s just say that Kei takes a far less subtle approach with them.
He tipped his head towards the arena floor as he finished, just as Kei finally brought up the entire length of his chains, which were now spinning rapidly and violently through the air. He stopped for a moment and proceeded to grin over at Inase before stepping forward and sending one of them crashing down on her current location. She narrowly dodged it in time, but was forced to duck as he brought his second chain around in a horizontal motion. This dance continued for a few more minutes as the audience looked on in wonder, while the Kage overhead shared their thoughts on Kei’s technique…and how it related to its original user.
Darui: Well, …he’s certainly no Kushina Uzumaki.
Kurotsuchi: Hmhmhm, his skill with those chains is very impressive, though. That girl’s lucky she can read minds, otherwise I’m not so sure she’d have dodged all his attacks up until now.
Gaara: (He smiled at this as he looked up at the two competitors’ grandfather.) You’ve been blessed with a very strong bloodline, Naruto.
Naruto: (He smirked at this as he continued watching the fight.) Please, I’m still waiting for a few more tricks they have to pop up.
The Kages looked at him in confusion, as did his old teammates, as Kei finally stopped his advances and his chains disappeared. Making full use of the opportunity, Inase stopped and took a moment to catch her breath, almost as exhausted as he was.
Kei: Huhh…huhh…you tired yet, sis?
Inase: (Thinking for a moment, she held up her hands and formed a seal with her fingers.) Huhh…a little bit…huhh…but why don’t I just kick it up a notch?
She was quickly joined by a single clone, which held out its hand as Inase began swirling her own around it. After a few seconds, the chakra that had already become visible began taking a familiar shape, much to the shock of several audience members – among them Naruto’s old teammates.
Sakura: That’s the…
Sasuke: Naruto, when did you teach-
Naruto only grinned in response as the jutsu finally took form in the hand of Inase’s clone, at which point the original took hold of its free arm and spun her around.
Inase: Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!!
Just as she called out the technique’s name, Inase launched her clone across the arena, giving Kei just enough time to summon his own clone and throw himself out of range as it made impact, the resulting explosion consuming the two clones and forcing Baiko and even those in the first few rows of the stands to shield their eyes from its blinding light. Still trying to catch his breath, Kei leapt back up and immediately began screaming across the arena floor.
Kei: (Phew, holy cow, that was close!) What the heck are you tryin’ to do, sis!? KILL ME!!?
Inase: (She smirked in amusement, though hints of shadiness could also be seen in her expression.) I knew you would dodge it, Kei! …Just a distraction, that’s all.
A pair of clones suddenly appeared behind Kei, using their combined strength to bring him to his knees and restrain his arms. To their surprise, though, his attempt to resist was much more feeble than they expected, not to mention his panicked face was quickly replaced by a conniving grin.
Kei: Ha!! Two can play that game, sis!
Reaching under his jacket collar with his teeth, he revealed a small paper tag which he proceeded to bite down on, catching both himself and the two clones in the following explosion. Immediately afterwards, the real Kei emerged from the ground beneath Inase’s feet, sending her flying as his fist collided with her chin. Before she even hit the ground, though, she vanished in a cloud of smoke.
Kei: What the-
Before he could turn around, the real Inase emerged behind him, delivering a sharp kick to his back which revealed him to be yet another clone. As it vanished, the real Kei emerged from the hole made his clone, using his chakra chains to quickly restrain Inase before she could react. Reveling in his “victory” for a brief moment, he then noted her blank expression before coming to a sudden realization, at which point he bit down on his hand to dispel Inase’s genjutsu. He then looked off to his left to find the real Inase standing there, a playful expression on her face as she tapped her finger against the side of her head. The two now where they were before this back-and-forth started, the audience took a moment to reflect on how the match had played out until this point, as well as which of the two was showing more promise going into its latter half.
Manako: (Genjutsu and the Byakugan, plus she can read minds…hmph, this match-up almost seems unfair.)
Airon: (Hmhmhm, yes, but Kei’s got more than enough tricks of his own to counter them all. …The match is still pretty balanced right now, right?)
Manako nodded in agreement at this before directing his attention back towards the match, where Kei had once again taken a more hands-on approach, while Inase resorted to reading his mind in order to dodge his faster and much stronger attacks. This pattern continued for another long stretch until both of them stopped to take another breather, at which point the Kage reflected again on how the match was playing out.
Chōjūrō: This match is turning out a little more balanced than I assumed it would.
Kurotsuchi: (Having expected Inase’s genetic and intellectual gifts to be a deciding factor from the beginning, she couldn’t help but look on in amazement.) It’s like whatever tricks one of them throws out, the other always has something to counter with. It looks as if they’re growing exhausted at about the same rate, too.
Gaara: …They’re almost evenly matched.
Konohamaru: (Having known the two since their birth, he couldn’t help but smile down at them as he voiced his own thoughts.) Well, they’re siblings, after all, and triplets at that. …What DON’T they know about one another’s abilities yet?
Down below, Kei and Inase continued their staring contest as they each tried to regain some of their strength. The vitality of their opponents and just how difficult it would be to defeat them had gradually been setting in for some time now. Of course, so too was the fact that with every passing minute, this match was slowly but surely becoming more fun for both of them, and the two smiled in amusement at one another before beginning the fight anew.
Kei and Inase are evenly matched!!!
The End
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 054: Brain vs. Brawn
Kei and Inase stared at each other for the longest time following Baiko’s announcement. The former was wearing a grin substantially larger than the latter’s smirk, but it was obvious to their peers that both of them were brimming with the same level of confidence. With Nakama having taken off to watch over her teammate, the two chose the shortest route available and leapt over the railing, sliding down the wall towards the arena floor and not taking their eyes off each other the entire time. A short distance from the balcony, Boruto and Inoue sat anxiously in wait for the match to begin, interrupted momentarily by the arrival of the former’s childhood rival.
Itachi: You seem rather worried.
Boruto: (He smirked in response.) Should I not be? My kids are fixing to fight each other. How worried can a parent get?
Inoue: (She took ahold of his hand to quell his nervousness.) There’s nothing we can do from up here, Boruto. We just have to wish them both the best of luck and hope they don’t hurt each other too badly. …They can still become chūnin even if one of them loses, so everything should turn out fine.
Boruto: (He squeezed her hand in return, relieved to have her by his side.) Yeah…heh, still makes me wish this would end in a draw, though. Then, at least I wouldn’t have to choose a side.
Itachi: Hmhmhm…your children are strong, Bolt. And the fact they know each other so well should make this the most interesting fight yet…until my son squares off with yours, that is.
They exchanged looks of amusement as Kei and Inase reached the arena floor. As they walked towards the proctor, their grandfather also mulled over the possible ways this match could pan out, much to the amusement of his own rival.
Sasuke: Hmhm, it’s not every day I see YOU so worked up about something, Naruto.
Naruto: Ah, shove it, why don’tcha? At least you don’t have to worry about your grandkids fighting each other since two of them are already-
Sasuke: I dare you to finish that stateme-
Their squabbling was quickly put to rest by the latter’s wife, who dealt a blow to the backs of both their heads before burying her face in her hand.
Sakura: Both of you, I swear. Just watch the match for crying out loud.
Those sitting behind them laughed in amusement at their antics before turning their attention towards the two combatants.
Konohamaru: Talk about a toss-up.
Kurotsuchi: You sure of that, Hokage? From what I saw in the preliminaries, that girl could end this match before it even begins.
Konohamaru: (Having seen the two in action before, he smiled in amusement at Kurotsuchi’s ignorance.) Every powerful technique has its drawbacks, not to mention a handful of people who can work their way around it. …This match will be closer than you expect, Lord Tsuchikage. That I can assure you.
Darui: I sure hope so. We got another three rounds to go after this one and I’d say the last thing our audience wants is a dull spectacle.
His four compatriots nodded in agreement as Kei and Inase assumed their positions on the arena floor. Neither had said a word to the other yet, nor had their confident expressions faded away either. Kei finally broke the silence as Baiko raised his arm to begin the match.
Kei: A hundred ryō says I win this match by a landslide.
Inase: (Her annoyance with his persistent gambling notwithstanding, she shook her head and smirked in amusement.) …I’ll raise you to five hundred. I can read minds, y’know.
Kei shrugged this subtle remark off with a smirk as Baiko looked to ensure both of them were ready to begin the match.
Baiko: Alright, if both of you are ready, …begin!
The match started, but contrary to the expectations of most of those who knew the competitors, neither one made a move – even the normally hotheaded Kei. They simply stood there, eyes locked, for several seconds until Kei finally smirked and crossed his arms, while faint signs of disappointment emerged in Inase’s eyes. This only served to confuse most of the match’s onlookers, though, including Z.
Z: What the hell are they doin’? Make a move already, somethin’!
Airon: (Well aware of what just transpired, he smirked in amusement as he walked over beside Z.) Inase already did. Kei’s just goading her on how she failed to do anything.
Z: (Surprised by his intrusion, he looked at him for a moment before gazing back down at the arena.) Wait, she did what? Cause I didn’t see a damn thing happen just now.
Airon: You recall Inase’s match during the preliminaries, Z?
Z: (Looking at him for a second in confusion, he tilted his head up as he tried to recall the match in question.) Aw yeah, when the little twerp pussied out? Wait, so she did that?
Airon: (He nodded to confirm his suspicions.) She just tried doing the same thing to Kei, but there’s only one problem. Her target has to have some trace of self-doubt for it to work. …Kei’s far too cocky to fall for a technique like that.
He smirked at the thought of this as the two redirected their attention back towards the match. True to Airon’s words, Kei grinned out of a combination of pride and amusement before addressing his sister’s failed tactic.
Kei: Got anything else for me, sis?
Inase: (She smirked in response and began motioning for him to attack her, having already formed another strategy.) I should be able to think of something.
Accepting the challenge with a grin, Kei formed an all-too familiar hand sign.
Kei: Shadow Clone Jutsu!!
In an instant, roughly forty to fifty clones had surrounded Inase, though her Byakugan allowed her to keep each one in her sights. She held up two kunai in preparation for whatever attack they threw at her, but to her feigned surprise, each one settled to throwing down a smoke bomb, blocking them from their view. She activated her Byakugan in order to see what they were doing on the other side of the fumes, but upon doing so, she discovered that half of the clones had disappeared, prompting her to look up to find them plummeting down from overtop the smoke, a Rasengan in each one’s hand.
Kei: Haha!! Whatcha gonna do now, sis!?
Inase: (Little time to react, she dropped her kunai and began spinning around rapidly.) Rotation!
The force of her barrier sent all the incoming clones flying past the wall of smoke, which had also been pushed back slightly by her technique. As soon as she came to a stop, though, she found herself overcome by chains, produced by the clones that still remained. Seeing little chance of her escape, Kei immediately started grinning and called out to her, not bothering to conceal that he was, in fact, the real one amongst the clones.
Kei: Ha!! Who’s the smart one now!?
No sooner after he said this, an enormous surge of pain began coursing through his chin as he flew up and back several meters, his clones disappearing in light of the heavy blow.
Kei: What the-
He continued to lay there on the ground, lifting his head just slightly to find Inase standing where he once stood, smiling connivingly down at him.
Z: Pretty nice genjutsu she got there. That boy looks about ready to call it in now, don’t he?
Airon: Hmhm, one would think so. …Kei’s a lot tougher than that, though. Trust me.
Coming to this same conclusion after a minute of thought, Kei wiped a speck of blood from his lip and stood back up slowly with a frown.
Kei: Alright, that didn’t work out like I thought it would.
Inase: (She smirked at this.) What, you thought I wouldn’t be able to tell what you were planning? C’mon, Kei, you know I’m too smart to fall for something like that. …You can talk down at me all you want, but you can’t change facts.
Kei: (He took a moment to catch his breath and began cracking his neck.) Alright. …Guess I’ll just play against your strengths, then.
He held his arms down on either side of him and opened up his hand, allowing two more chains to slowly begin leaking from the middle of his palms. Several members of the audience recognized this as a sign of more intense fighting to come, including his father and his rival.
Itachi: Things are starting to get exciting now.
Boruto: (He nodded in agreement as his head started leaning forward a short ways.) (C’mon, Kei…show ‘em what you can do.)
The chains finally stopped flowing once two fairly long bundles were laid coiled upon the ground at Kei’s feet, prompting him to wrap his fingers around the ends of them and begin rotating them around, slowly but surely bringing the remaining length of the chains up off the ground.
Z: He got those chains again. …What the hell are they, anyway?
Airon: Whaddaya mean?
Z: I mean, he ain’t summoning ‘em or nothin’ from what I can tell and it don’t look like they’re comin’ out of his sleeves, either. So what’s the deal?
Airon: (He smiled as he gave his answer, a hint of jealousy in his eyes for what Kei had that he didn’t.) …It’s his chakra.
He looked to his side to find Z looking at him with surprise and intense interest in his eyes, prompting him to explain himself further.
Airon: It’s a very rare technique our great-grandmother shared that Kei somehow inherited. It moulds their chakra into highly durable chains that could rip right through a tree trunk if they so pleased, the power level of the user’s chakra determining the strength of the chains. …Our grandmother supposedly used them for sealing purposes, but…let’s just say that Kei takes a far less subtle approach with them.
He tipped his head towards the arena floor as he finished, just as Kei finally brought up the entire length of his chains, which were now spinning rapidly and violently through the air. He stopped for a moment and proceeded to grin over at Inase before stepping forward and sending one of them crashing down on her current location. She narrowly dodged it in time, but was forced to duck as he brought his second chain around in a horizontal motion. This dance continued for a few more minutes as the audience looked on in wonder, while the Kage overhead shared their thoughts on Kei’s technique…and how it related to its original user.
Darui: Well, …he’s certainly no Kushina Uzumaki.
Kurotsuchi: Hmhmhm, his skill with those chains is very impressive, though. That girl’s lucky she can read minds, otherwise I’m not so sure she’d have dodged all his attacks up until now.
Gaara: (He smiled at this as he looked up at the two competitors’ grandfather.) You’ve been blessed with a very strong bloodline, Naruto.
Naruto: (He smirked at this as he continued watching the fight.) Please, I’m still waiting for a few more tricks they have to pop up.
The Kages looked at him in confusion, as did his old teammates, as Kei finally stopped his advances and his chains disappeared. Making full use of the opportunity, Inase stopped and took a moment to catch her breath, almost as exhausted as he was.
Kei: Huhh…huhh…you tired yet, sis?
Inase: (Thinking for a moment, she held up her hands and formed a seal with her fingers.) Huhh…a little bit…huhh…but why don’t I just kick it up a notch?
She was quickly joined by a single clone, which held out its hand as Inase began swirling her own around it. After a few seconds, the chakra that had already become visible began taking a familiar shape, much to the shock of several audience members – among them Naruto’s old teammates.
Sakura: That’s the…
Sasuke: Naruto, when did you teach-
Naruto only grinned in response as the jutsu finally took form in the hand of Inase’s clone, at which point the original took hold of its free arm and spun her around.
Inase: Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!!
Just as she called out the technique’s name, Inase launched her clone across the arena, giving Kei just enough time to summon his own clone and throw himself out of range as it made impact, the resulting explosion consuming the two clones and forcing Baiko and even those in the first few rows of the stands to shield their eyes from its blinding light. Still trying to catch his breath, Kei leapt back up and immediately began screaming across the arena floor.
Kei: (Phew, holy cow, that was close!) What the heck are you tryin’ to do, sis!? KILL ME!!?
Inase: (She smirked in amusement, though hints of shadiness could also be seen in her expression.) I knew you would dodge it, Kei! …Just a distraction, that’s all.
A pair of clones suddenly appeared behind Kei, using their combined strength to bring him to his knees and restrain his arms. To their surprise, though, his attempt to resist was much more feeble than they expected, not to mention his panicked face was quickly replaced by a conniving grin.
Kei: Ha!! Two can play that game, sis!
Reaching under his jacket collar with his teeth, he revealed a small paper tag which he proceeded to bite down on, catching both himself and the two clones in the following explosion. Immediately afterwards, the real Kei emerged from the ground beneath Inase’s feet, sending her flying as his fist collided with her chin. Before she even hit the ground, though, she vanished in a cloud of smoke.
Kei: What the-
Before he could turn around, the real Inase emerged behind him, delivering a sharp kick to his back which revealed him to be yet another clone. As it vanished, the real Kei emerged from the hole made his clone, using his chakra chains to quickly restrain Inase before she could react. Reveling in his “victory” for a brief moment, he then noted her blank expression before coming to a sudden realization, at which point he bit down on his hand to dispel Inase’s genjutsu. He then looked off to his left to find the real Inase standing there, a playful expression on her face as she tapped her finger against the side of her head. The two now where they were before this back-and-forth started, the audience took a moment to reflect on how the match had played out until this point, as well as which of the two was showing more promise going into its latter half.
Manako: (Genjutsu and the Byakugan, plus she can read minds…hmph, this match-up almost seems unfair.)
Airon: (Hmhmhm, yes, but Kei’s got more than enough tricks of his own to counter them all. …The match is still pretty balanced right now, right?)
Manako nodded in agreement at this before directing his attention back towards the match, where Kei had once again taken a more hands-on approach, while Inase resorted to reading his mind in order to dodge his faster and much stronger attacks. This pattern continued for another long stretch until both of them stopped to take another breather, at which point the Kage reflected again on how the match was playing out.
Chōjūrō: This match is turning out a little more balanced than I assumed it would.
Kurotsuchi: (Having expected Inase’s genetic and intellectual gifts to be a deciding factor from the beginning, she couldn’t help but look on in amazement.) It’s like whatever tricks one of them throws out, the other always has something to counter with. It looks as if they’re growing exhausted at about the same rate, too.
Gaara: …They’re almost evenly matched.
Konohamaru: (Having known the two since their birth, he couldn’t help but smile down at them as he voiced his own thoughts.) Well, they’re siblings, after all, and triplets at that. …What DON’T they know about one another’s abilities yet?
Down below, Kei and Inase continued their staring contest as they each tried to regain some of their strength. The vitality of their opponents and just how difficult it would be to defeat them had gradually been setting in for some time now. Of course, so too was the fact that with every passing minute, this match was slowly but surely becoming more fun for both of them, and the two smiled in amusement at one another before beginning the fight anew.
Kei and Inase are evenly matched!!!
The End
