Chakra Wizard
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I just realized I’m over a quarter of the way done with this series now (if I decide to finish the whole thing). Granted, it doesn’t really say a lot when you do the math, but it does make me a lot more confident about finishing it*_* lol Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 055: Polar Opposites
The match between Kei and Inase ensued well past any time limit set by the previous fights, their back-and-forth having eventually settled into a strict attack and strict defend tactic, respectively.
Kei: Shadow Clone Jutsu!!
For one of several times this match, Kei surrounded Inase with doppelgangers, and once again, he armed them with his grandfather’s signature technique before charging her, a tactic she easily evaded.
Kei’s clones: RASENGAN!!!
Inase: Rotation!!
Once all the clones had been dealt with, the original retreated back to rebuild his strength, while Inase caught her breath and waited patiently for his next barrage of attacks. Having seen this pattern go on for some time now, those in the competitors’ balcony began voicing displeasure or worry for how the match between the two was progressing.
Z: This is gettin’ kinda ridiculous. They been doin’ this dance forever now and ain’t nothin’ changed about the match.
Irezumi: (He nodded in agreement.) It won’t be long before they both run out of chakra…with Kei going first from the look of things.
Hitomi: (Having been using his Byakugan to watch the match, he quickly jumped in to clarify things.) That’s not exactly true. It’s true that Kei is using up chakra much faster than Inase with his large-scale attacks, but his chakra supply is also larger than hers.
Airon: (He nodded to confirm this.) And if you look at them more closely, Inase’s also using up a lot more energy fending off his attacks than he is making them, even taking the faster drainage of his chakra into account. …I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes on all like this until one of them collapses just from exhaustion.
Looking down to confirm Hitomi and Airon’s words, they once again became absorbed by the progression of the match, while the latter was approached by his rival with his thoughts on how things stood at this point.
Manako: (Kei’s found a viable tactic, it seems.)
Airon: (He nodded in agreement.) (His only one at this point, to be honest. He can’t attack her head-on with her Rotation, plus her genjutsu has a range, as well, so he risks being deceived by it if he moves in too close. Not to mention, with her mindreading technique, even if he did resort back to his direct approach, she could just use it to predict his moves while preserving as much chakra as she can. …He’s deliberately wasting his chakra on second-nature things like clones and Rasengan to get her to waste hers on more powerful techniques like her Rotation. …Hehe, I’d be shocked if Inase hasn’t realized it by now, but I guess she doesn’t have any outs at the moment either way.)
Down below, Inase had once again fended off an onslaught of Rasengan-equipped clones, leading her and Kei to yet another intermission. At this point, her exhaustion was beginning to show through, something Kei obviously noticed and took advantage of.
Kei: Shadow Clone Jutsu!!
Inase: Wha-
She saved herself with another Rotation, though only by a slim margin, and immediately retreated further back to catch her breath before facing Kei again.
Inase: (This is pathetic. He’s trying to tire me out with all these attacks and at this rate, it’ll probably happen before he runs out of chakra. …Maybe I can…no. I just need to sustain myself as long as possible and I’ve got this.)
She quickly entered a battle-ready stance as Kei sent another group of clones to surround her. Before any of them could form a Rasengan, though, Inase charged them, taking them out one by one with basic taijutsu while using her mindreading technique to counter any moves they made against her. She wasted no time preparing for the next wave of clones when all those from the previous one had been defeated, but was quick to receive a fair warning from the original just before rushing towards them.
Kei: Quit gettin’ all cocky, sis!
Inase barely caught all of his words before she was forced into a wicked frenzy to avoid the sea of kunai coming her way. She immediately took the offensive once she evaded them all, only to frantically conjure up another Rotation upon finding, courtesy of her mindreading technique, that each of them was equipped with explosive tags beneath their jackets. Her technique lasted longer than the explosion by only a narrow margin, and she fell to one knee as soon as it ended while Kei looked on from a short distance, clearly proud of his own instinct.
Kei: Yeah, you can read my mind and all, but it’s not like I don’t know you pretty well myself! Face it, I can practically read your mind, too!
Not sure when his next wave of clones would appear, Inase used the brief window of opportunity to glance up at their older brother, who was watching amusedly from the balcony.
Airon: (Hmhm, well, he’s not wrong.)
Inase: (…Hm, yeah, I guess not. …I suppose I’ll have to go to him, after all. Either way, though, I’m breaking this little loop he has going now.)
Airon: (Hmhm, that a girl.)
As Kei raised his hands and formed the seal necessary to perform the Shadow Clone technique, Inase raised her own and began building up chakra, which exploded around her before charging a stunned Kei. His strength and speed superior to her own, he just narrowly dodged her first blow, finding the same level of difficulty evading those that followed it.
Kei: (Holy crap, she just got fast! …What the heck’s she going after me for now!?)
Inase: (Hmhmhm, what’s the matter, Kei? I thought you could read my mind, too.)
Now frustrated, Kei reached into his pouch and tossed a kunai at her, only for her to block it by tossing one of her own. This coupled by a failed attempt to leap over her and escape her advance, which ended with a heavy blow to his left shoulder, quickly tipped him off as to how she was seemingly predicting his movements.
Kei: Rrrrgh, so you have been reading my mind, huh!? Alright, then! Keep it comin’!!
Unfortunately, Kei’s actions hardly lived up to his words, since with Inase already on the offensive and constantly peering into his thoughts, any attempt to change their positions would’ve ended in failure or, at the very least, come at a considerable price. So, Kei continued backwards away from her attacks, constantly on the lookout for a viable opening. At times, he considered quickly changing his tactics the moment she launched her counterattack, but by this point, it had become clear to even him that no matter how far ahead he planned, she already knew the end result. This heavy thinking on his part gradually slowed down his movements over time, something that became obvious to those watching the match as he incurred blow after blow from a fully focused Inase.
Kurotsuchi: His movements are starting to get a bit sloppy. He might wanna fix that if he plans to keep the match going.
Sasuke: (Intrigued by her remark, he looked down with his activated Sharingan to inspect the match further.) Hmm, they are, actually. It’s almost as if he’s dividing his attention between dodging and…something else.
Sakura: (Expecting him to understand Kei more than they would, she looked over Sasuke’s shoulder towards the boy’s grandfather.) What is he doing now?
Naruto: (Thinking it over, he answered with the only logical solution he could come up with.) …Right now, I think he’s tryin’ to outsmart her.
Darui: And exactly how’s he supposed to do that? Sorry, Naruto, but your granddaughter can read minds. He doesn’t have a lot to go on if he’s tryin’ to get to her that way.
Gaara: I’d have to agree with the Raikage, Naruto. Your grandson is strong, but so far, I think it’s become clear that your granddaughter has the advantage mentally.
Konohamaru: (Having watched him and Inase grow up, he was quick to defend Kei’s abilities and the potential of a turnaround.) Well now, don’t jump to any conclusions. Let’s just see how things play out.
His fellow Kage agreed to this and directed their attention back towards the match, meanwhile a similar discussion was being held in the competitors’ balcony a brief ways away.
Z: That boy better get with the program, dog. He trippin’ like ain’t nobody’s business.
Airon: (He nodded in agreement, slowly starting to pity his brother’s predicament himself.) True that. (Kei, you might as well back off. She has our mindreading technique so you can’t possibly outwit her, no matter how in depth you go trying to do it.)
Kei: (Rrrrgh, mind your own business, Airon!)
Not too surprised with his reaction, Airon still proceeded to widen his eyes and bat them, saying nothing more – to Kei, anyways.
Airon: He needs to stick to what he’s good at.
Z: Whaddaya mean?
Airon: Well, brawn over brain, of course. …Hmhmhm, you’ve noticed it, haven’t you…their similarities?
Z: (Not sure what he was getting at, he looked down at the two competitors as he thought of an answer.) Well, …naw. What similarities are you talkin’ bout, cause I don’t see none?
Airon: (He smirked in response.) That’s just it, isn’t it?
He looked to his side to see Z’s reaction, the obvious curiosity in his expression prompting him to continue.
Airon: They’re polar opposites, Z. In every way, from their gender and hair color down to their fighting style and mannerisms. It’s practically impossible to tell that they’re siblings without already knowing it. …Kei strategizing during a fight is like Inase going berserk and just attacking at random. That’s why it’s funny seeing him try to THINK of a way to get past her when he knows she’ll just read his mind and counter whatever he comes up with.
He looked to see Z’s response again, his dumbfounded look this time around prompting him to smile in amusement.
Airon: In other words, Kei’s overthinking things, Z.
Z: Aw, no shit. …Wait, and you’re not tellin’ him this?
Airon: (Looking down at Kei with a mixture of amusement and frustration, he started pressing his tongue against the back of his teeth.) He already rejected my offer to help once. I’m not wasting my time if he doesn’t appreciate me.
Z: …Man, you’re a cruel bro to have, y’know that?
Airon: Hmhmhmhm, well, when the other competitor is my sister, that kinda leaves me at a crossroads, doesn’t it?
Down on the arena floor, Kei’s tactics made short work of proving Airon’s claims. By this point, he had already received several heavy blows from Inase courtesy of her intrusion into his thoughts, and with their chakra supplies now almost equal in size and rate of decrease, the chances of his stamina outlasting hers had practically vanished. The futility of his previous strategy also fell on him soon after, like a concrete block.
Kei: (Dang it!! She’s still reading my mind and predicting my moves! Doesn’t matter how fast I try to switch ‘em up! …Come on, how the heck do I get her outta my head?)
He made no progress in finding an answer before he received his next strong kick to the chest, robbing him of all his air and sending him flying several meters back. Earlier in the match, he might’ve used this newly created distance to his advantage, but with his energy and chakra now running low, he only had enough time to stand up and catch his breath before jumping right back on the defensive. His hopeless situation was slowly becoming apparent to everyone watching it unfold, including his brother.
Z: Don’t look like he’s makin’ much progress? You sure he gonna figure out what he’s doin’ wrong sometime soon?
Airon: (He rubbed his eyes in irritation as he answered him.) Probably not without me telling him…how do you know to stop thinking things over when you’re already overthinking?
Towards the middle of the stands, their father and his rival also made notice of Kei’s fading chances of success.
Itachi: They’re both running low on energy, but now it looks like Kei’s chakra is getting lower than Inase’s.
Boruto: (By now, feigning indifference between his children had become futile, and he squeezed Inoue’s hand as their worry for Kei’s chances came forth.) The moment Inase started taking the initiative, she got the upper hand. …She has the Byakugan and she can read his mind. There’s no way he can fight back if she keeps attacking him at a close range.
Up above the stands, even the Kage began to recognize what outcome the match was quickly heading towards, starting first with the one who initially retained faith in Kei’s ability to pull off an upset.
Konohamaru: I see it now. …She’s got him completely cornered.
Chōjūrō: Hm? What do you mean by that, Lord Hokage?
Konohamaru: She’s predicting his movements and countering them with her mindreading technique, even when he tries to change his approach at the last minute. He can’t even attack her without her just turning it back on himself. …She’s only using enough chakra to keep her technique going and to match her speed with his, and since he’s moving backwards, he can’t move fast enough to get away from her, especially since she’s using her technique to close the distance between them. …He’s got no way out, and this far into the match, it won’t be long before he either runs out of chakra or passes out from exhaustion.
Catching wind of this by the railing, Sasuke relayed their words to their grandfather, who was also begin to show worry.
Sasuke: I think he’s right, Naruto. …Still finding it easy to remain neutral?
Naruto didn’t bother responding, his mind already full as it was, but it was evident from his expression that he was hoping Kei might find a way to turn this around. Down below, his grandson wasn’t so quick to agree, his confidence finally beginning to slip at long last.
Kei: (Come on, gotta stay focused. …Feels like I could pass out at any minute. Dang!! It’s all cause of that cheap jutsu she’s got! Jeez, I got a hard time just reading my opponent’s moves whenever I fight and she can just look in his head and see what he’s thinkin’ about doing!)
Inase: (Hmhmhmhm, and you know I’m doing it right now, right, Kei?)
Kei: (Rrrrgh, all right, fine!! Then have a look at this!)
Almost instantly, Inase’s eyes slammed shut and her next attack fell flat, allowing Kei to step back a short ways and regain some of his strength. When she opened her eyes again, they were burning with hatred, while her face slowly turned beet-red.
Inase: (Kei, you pig!! What the heck is your problem!?)
The incident didn’t go unnoticed to the audience, many of whom began questioning Inase’s sudden misstep. Their fellow competitors did the same and suspecting he’d know more than the others, Z turned to Airon for answers, finding to his surprise that the corner of his mouth was now twitching uncontrollably.
Z: Hey, you chill, bro? What’s goin’ on?
Airon: (Oh no…this is almost too good to be true.)
Inase: (Airon, shut up! Don’t-)
Kei: (Ahhhh, now I get it. So, you don’t wanna look at that stuff, do ya?)
Putting this revelation to full use right away, Kei jumped Inase, throwing punch after kick after punch as he kept the risqué images that he conjured up before at the forefront of his mind, preventing Inase from reading his thoughts without fear and disgust stopping her midway. Unable to control himself, Airon fell to the floor and immediately began laughing so loud that even some of the audience members in the seats nearest the balcony caught wind of his howling.
Manako: Hm? Airon, what’s going on?
Airon: Hehehahaha HAHAHAHAHAAAA!!! Oh my gosh!! HEHAHAHAHAAAA!!!
Inase: (Kei, I mean it! Cut it out!!)
Kei only grinned in response as he reached out to punch her again, which she narrowly dodged. Now avoiding his attacks just off their nigh predictable pattern alone, it wasn’t long before Inase had run out of breath, finding herself in almost the same position she had him trapped in only seconds ago, much to the wonder of those watching from overhead.
Inoue: Oh? It looks like he has the upper hand again.
Boruto: (He tried his best not to grin in satisfaction, still attempting to feign indifference.) But how? …Itachi, what happened?
Itachi: I can only see so much with my Sharingan, Bolt. I’m guessing he managed to get her out of his mind, though.
Boruto: (Now a little embarrassed for asking, he looked back down at the match.) (Kei…what the hell did you do?)
A similar exchange was happening above the stands, with the Tsuchikage being the instigator this time around.
Kurotsuchi: It looks like your previous statement has been overruled, Hokage.
Konohamaru: (He made no response physically, his eyes set on the two combatants.) I don’t see how. From what I know, Kei doesn’t know how to repel mind techniques, …so how did he manage to get past her?
Gaara: Does your grandson have any such abilities, Naruto?
Naruto: Nah, I never taught him any, but…I wonder.
He gazed down at the arena floor, as well, quickly noticing Inase’s reddened face and, from there, putting enough pieces together to form an answer that he couldn’t help but chuckle at.
Naruto: Hehehehe, that sure would explain things. (Kei, you sly little bastard.)
Sakura: (Curious, she looked down to see what he just realized, lowering her head in annoyance when she came to the same answer.) I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?
Naruto rubbed the back of his head in amusement when she said this, and Sakura couldn’t help but smile nostalgically as they turned their attention back towards the match, where Inase had all but depleted what remained of her chakra and stamina.
Inase: (Huhh…huhh, no good. …Huhh, I can’t read his mind now that he’s decided to be a pervert. …Huhh, maybe just…huhh…enough chakra left for a genjutsu. …Huhh, that should get me out of this.)
She raised her hands and formed her usual hand sign as she continued leaping back and away from Kei, prompting him to stop and form his own upon recognizing hers.
Kei: (She’s gonna try genjutsu on me…all right, then.) Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Roughly a dozen clones suddenly appeared around him, his chakra distributed evenly among them to prevent her Byakugan from pinpointing the real one, and with her position exposed the moment one of them vanished, Inase found herself at a brief interlude. However, something else popped into her mind in the midst of all this, namely what was going through Kei’s at that moment.
Inase: (He actually thought ahead to stop me this time…which means…)
Finding her prediction to be correct upon gazing into his thoughts, she quickly ascertained the position of his real self.
Inase: (That’s the one!)
She immediately leapt forward and drove her leg into his side, only for him to suddenly reveal himself to be a clone.
Inase: What!?
Realizing she was tricked, her eyes widened in shock as Kei’s remaining doppelgangers closed in on her, save for one. Noticing this, she sighed in disappointment and smirked before spinning around, dispelling the remaining clones with a Rotation while the real one came up moments after it ended, catching her in the stomach with a sharp left hook. The entire stadium fell silent as they stood there, several seconds passing by until finally, Inase’s legs started to give way, leaving her slouched over Kei’s arm.
Kei: Huhh…huhh…huhh, hehehehehe. …Huhh, who’s the smart one now? (Can’t believe you fell for that, sis.)
Inase: Huhh…yeah yeah. …Huhh, there’s a first time for everything. (Yeah, whatever. I didn’t think you could convince yourself that one of the clones was the real you.)
Exhausted, Kei let his arm fall flat, relieving Inase of her only means of standing and sending her crashing to the ground. The stands immediately broke out in thunderous applause as Baiko stepped forward to announce the results of the match.
Baiko: The winner is…Kei-
Before he could finish, Kei suddenly fell forward alongside his sister, all his energy exhausted. The audience fell silent once again, many of them unsure what to make of this strange turn of events.
Itachi: Seems he pushed himself too hard during that final stretch. Quite a shame. …But I guess you got your wish, after all, Bolt.
Boruto: (He smiled at this as he exchanged pleased expressions with his wife.) I think we did pretty good, no?
Inoue: (She giggled and playfully rested her head on his shoulder in response.) Please, dear, I can’t take credit for any of that.
Boruto chuckled in response to this, meanwhile down below, Baiko fumbled to correct his previous announcement.
Baiko: Uh…both combatants have lost the ability to continue! Therefore, this match will be declared a draw and both of them will be pulled from the tournament!
To his surprise, however, the audience broke into the same outpour of praise as before, all of them greatly pleased with the performances of the two combatants, though a select few had mixed feelings about the conclusion.
Naruto: Well…that’s kinda pathetic.
Sasuke: (He smirked and shook his head when he said this, sighing as he caved in and gave his honest opinion on the match.) It was a good run, though. For both of them.
Sakura: I guess even the most balanced matches can be decided with just a single slip-up.
Behind them, the Kage also shared their opinions on the match, the verdict being pretty much unanimous.
Darui: Well, I’m pretty impressed with both.
Kurotsuchi: Hmhmhm, no kidding.
Gaara: Two completely different skill sets, yet they both make the most of their abilities.
Kankurō: Heh, and a little bit of luck from what I’ve just seen.
Chōjūrō: Hm, the fact that they turned the tables on one another so many times is impressive in it of itself, too.
Konohamaru: (He merely smiled as he listened to each of their remarks.) Yeah…but not entirely unexpected. (They are triplets, after all.)
With the two still conscious and the medical-nin on their way, Airon took the opportunity to leap over the railing, landing gracefully on the arena floor before walking over and kneeling over his siblings, speaking first to Kei.
Airon: Man, you look terrible, little brother.
Kei: Ah, screw you!! Just wait till you fight Manako, Airon!! I’ll be laughing in your face when you’re passed out on the ground, too!!
Airon: (He chuckled at this before looking down at him with a gentle smile, resting his hand on his shoulder as he gave his sincere opinion of his performance.) That said…you did extremely well, Kei. I’m proud.
Kei’s anger quickly faded upon hearing this, and he smiled back up at him before closing his eyes and giving in to his exhaustion. Once he was passed out, Airon turned to Inase, eager to get out what had been on his mind since the match’s turning point.
Airon: Well, …that was an embarrassing turnaround.
Inase: (Don’t even start…you didn’t see the images he was conjuring up.)
Airon: Hehehehe, no, but I’ve got a fair assumption. You could at least give him this one, though. …You have a lot of gifts that he doesn’t, Inase. He should be proud of himself.
Inase: (She sighed and looked up at the sky before answering.) (…Yeah. I can let him have that.)
Airon: (Hearing this, he smiled down at her as he began gently stroking her hair.) (You did great, too, little sister. …Not that I’d expect anything less.)
Inase: (She smiled back up at him before closing her eyes.) (Thanks…big brother.)
Seeing the medical-nin approaching from a short distance away, Airon stood back up and walked back towards the balcony with his hands in his pockets, taking a moment to turn back and watch they lifted both of them onto stretchers and carried them away. Having witnessed the entire episode from overhead, both Sasuke and Naruto smiled as they thought the three and their peculiar upbringing.
Sasuke: They really are close, aren’t they?
Naruto: (He nodded as he looked down at Airon, who was apparently showing off by walking slowly up the wall towards the balcony, hands still in his pockets.) They’ve been together for so long. I would certainly hope so.
As Airon leapt back over the railing, Naruto gazed up at the clouds overhead.
Naruto: (Let’s hope things stay that way…for years to come.)
The clash between polar opposites ends in stalemate!!!
The End
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 055: Polar Opposites
The match between Kei and Inase ensued well past any time limit set by the previous fights, their back-and-forth having eventually settled into a strict attack and strict defend tactic, respectively.
Kei: Shadow Clone Jutsu!!
For one of several times this match, Kei surrounded Inase with doppelgangers, and once again, he armed them with his grandfather’s signature technique before charging her, a tactic she easily evaded.
Kei’s clones: RASENGAN!!!
Inase: Rotation!!
Once all the clones had been dealt with, the original retreated back to rebuild his strength, while Inase caught her breath and waited patiently for his next barrage of attacks. Having seen this pattern go on for some time now, those in the competitors’ balcony began voicing displeasure or worry for how the match between the two was progressing.
Z: This is gettin’ kinda ridiculous. They been doin’ this dance forever now and ain’t nothin’ changed about the match.
Irezumi: (He nodded in agreement.) It won’t be long before they both run out of chakra…with Kei going first from the look of things.
Hitomi: (Having been using his Byakugan to watch the match, he quickly jumped in to clarify things.) That’s not exactly true. It’s true that Kei is using up chakra much faster than Inase with his large-scale attacks, but his chakra supply is also larger than hers.
Airon: (He nodded to confirm this.) And if you look at them more closely, Inase’s also using up a lot more energy fending off his attacks than he is making them, even taking the faster drainage of his chakra into account. …I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes on all like this until one of them collapses just from exhaustion.
Looking down to confirm Hitomi and Airon’s words, they once again became absorbed by the progression of the match, while the latter was approached by his rival with his thoughts on how things stood at this point.
Manako: (Kei’s found a viable tactic, it seems.)
Airon: (He nodded in agreement.) (His only one at this point, to be honest. He can’t attack her head-on with her Rotation, plus her genjutsu has a range, as well, so he risks being deceived by it if he moves in too close. Not to mention, with her mindreading technique, even if he did resort back to his direct approach, she could just use it to predict his moves while preserving as much chakra as she can. …He’s deliberately wasting his chakra on second-nature things like clones and Rasengan to get her to waste hers on more powerful techniques like her Rotation. …Hehe, I’d be shocked if Inase hasn’t realized it by now, but I guess she doesn’t have any outs at the moment either way.)
Down below, Inase had once again fended off an onslaught of Rasengan-equipped clones, leading her and Kei to yet another intermission. At this point, her exhaustion was beginning to show through, something Kei obviously noticed and took advantage of.
Kei: Shadow Clone Jutsu!!
Inase: Wha-
She saved herself with another Rotation, though only by a slim margin, and immediately retreated further back to catch her breath before facing Kei again.
Inase: (This is pathetic. He’s trying to tire me out with all these attacks and at this rate, it’ll probably happen before he runs out of chakra. …Maybe I can…no. I just need to sustain myself as long as possible and I’ve got this.)
She quickly entered a battle-ready stance as Kei sent another group of clones to surround her. Before any of them could form a Rasengan, though, Inase charged them, taking them out one by one with basic taijutsu while using her mindreading technique to counter any moves they made against her. She wasted no time preparing for the next wave of clones when all those from the previous one had been defeated, but was quick to receive a fair warning from the original just before rushing towards them.
Kei: Quit gettin’ all cocky, sis!
Inase barely caught all of his words before she was forced into a wicked frenzy to avoid the sea of kunai coming her way. She immediately took the offensive once she evaded them all, only to frantically conjure up another Rotation upon finding, courtesy of her mindreading technique, that each of them was equipped with explosive tags beneath their jackets. Her technique lasted longer than the explosion by only a narrow margin, and she fell to one knee as soon as it ended while Kei looked on from a short distance, clearly proud of his own instinct.
Kei: Yeah, you can read my mind and all, but it’s not like I don’t know you pretty well myself! Face it, I can practically read your mind, too!
Not sure when his next wave of clones would appear, Inase used the brief window of opportunity to glance up at their older brother, who was watching amusedly from the balcony.
Airon: (Hmhm, well, he’s not wrong.)
Inase: (…Hm, yeah, I guess not. …I suppose I’ll have to go to him, after all. Either way, though, I’m breaking this little loop he has going now.)
Airon: (Hmhm, that a girl.)
As Kei raised his hands and formed the seal necessary to perform the Shadow Clone technique, Inase raised her own and began building up chakra, which exploded around her before charging a stunned Kei. His strength and speed superior to her own, he just narrowly dodged her first blow, finding the same level of difficulty evading those that followed it.
Kei: (Holy crap, she just got fast! …What the heck’s she going after me for now!?)
Inase: (Hmhmhm, what’s the matter, Kei? I thought you could read my mind, too.)
Now frustrated, Kei reached into his pouch and tossed a kunai at her, only for her to block it by tossing one of her own. This coupled by a failed attempt to leap over her and escape her advance, which ended with a heavy blow to his left shoulder, quickly tipped him off as to how she was seemingly predicting his movements.
Kei: Rrrrgh, so you have been reading my mind, huh!? Alright, then! Keep it comin’!!
Unfortunately, Kei’s actions hardly lived up to his words, since with Inase already on the offensive and constantly peering into his thoughts, any attempt to change their positions would’ve ended in failure or, at the very least, come at a considerable price. So, Kei continued backwards away from her attacks, constantly on the lookout for a viable opening. At times, he considered quickly changing his tactics the moment she launched her counterattack, but by this point, it had become clear to even him that no matter how far ahead he planned, she already knew the end result. This heavy thinking on his part gradually slowed down his movements over time, something that became obvious to those watching the match as he incurred blow after blow from a fully focused Inase.
Kurotsuchi: His movements are starting to get a bit sloppy. He might wanna fix that if he plans to keep the match going.
Sasuke: (Intrigued by her remark, he looked down with his activated Sharingan to inspect the match further.) Hmm, they are, actually. It’s almost as if he’s dividing his attention between dodging and…something else.
Sakura: (Expecting him to understand Kei more than they would, she looked over Sasuke’s shoulder towards the boy’s grandfather.) What is he doing now?
Naruto: (Thinking it over, he answered with the only logical solution he could come up with.) …Right now, I think he’s tryin’ to outsmart her.
Darui: And exactly how’s he supposed to do that? Sorry, Naruto, but your granddaughter can read minds. He doesn’t have a lot to go on if he’s tryin’ to get to her that way.
Gaara: I’d have to agree with the Raikage, Naruto. Your grandson is strong, but so far, I think it’s become clear that your granddaughter has the advantage mentally.
Konohamaru: (Having watched him and Inase grow up, he was quick to defend Kei’s abilities and the potential of a turnaround.) Well now, don’t jump to any conclusions. Let’s just see how things play out.
His fellow Kage agreed to this and directed their attention back towards the match, meanwhile a similar discussion was being held in the competitors’ balcony a brief ways away.
Z: That boy better get with the program, dog. He trippin’ like ain’t nobody’s business.
Airon: (He nodded in agreement, slowly starting to pity his brother’s predicament himself.) True that. (Kei, you might as well back off. She has our mindreading technique so you can’t possibly outwit her, no matter how in depth you go trying to do it.)
Kei: (Rrrrgh, mind your own business, Airon!)
Not too surprised with his reaction, Airon still proceeded to widen his eyes and bat them, saying nothing more – to Kei, anyways.
Airon: He needs to stick to what he’s good at.
Z: Whaddaya mean?
Airon: Well, brawn over brain, of course. …Hmhmhm, you’ve noticed it, haven’t you…their similarities?
Z: (Not sure what he was getting at, he looked down at the two competitors as he thought of an answer.) Well, …naw. What similarities are you talkin’ bout, cause I don’t see none?
Airon: (He smirked in response.) That’s just it, isn’t it?
He looked to his side to see Z’s reaction, the obvious curiosity in his expression prompting him to continue.
Airon: They’re polar opposites, Z. In every way, from their gender and hair color down to their fighting style and mannerisms. It’s practically impossible to tell that they’re siblings without already knowing it. …Kei strategizing during a fight is like Inase going berserk and just attacking at random. That’s why it’s funny seeing him try to THINK of a way to get past her when he knows she’ll just read his mind and counter whatever he comes up with.
He looked to see Z’s response again, his dumbfounded look this time around prompting him to smile in amusement.
Airon: In other words, Kei’s overthinking things, Z.
Z: Aw, no shit. …Wait, and you’re not tellin’ him this?
Airon: (Looking down at Kei with a mixture of amusement and frustration, he started pressing his tongue against the back of his teeth.) He already rejected my offer to help once. I’m not wasting my time if he doesn’t appreciate me.
Z: …Man, you’re a cruel bro to have, y’know that?
Airon: Hmhmhmhm, well, when the other competitor is my sister, that kinda leaves me at a crossroads, doesn’t it?
Down on the arena floor, Kei’s tactics made short work of proving Airon’s claims. By this point, he had already received several heavy blows from Inase courtesy of her intrusion into his thoughts, and with their chakra supplies now almost equal in size and rate of decrease, the chances of his stamina outlasting hers had practically vanished. The futility of his previous strategy also fell on him soon after, like a concrete block.
Kei: (Dang it!! She’s still reading my mind and predicting my moves! Doesn’t matter how fast I try to switch ‘em up! …Come on, how the heck do I get her outta my head?)
He made no progress in finding an answer before he received his next strong kick to the chest, robbing him of all his air and sending him flying several meters back. Earlier in the match, he might’ve used this newly created distance to his advantage, but with his energy and chakra now running low, he only had enough time to stand up and catch his breath before jumping right back on the defensive. His hopeless situation was slowly becoming apparent to everyone watching it unfold, including his brother.
Z: Don’t look like he’s makin’ much progress? You sure he gonna figure out what he’s doin’ wrong sometime soon?
Airon: (He rubbed his eyes in irritation as he answered him.) Probably not without me telling him…how do you know to stop thinking things over when you’re already overthinking?
Towards the middle of the stands, their father and his rival also made notice of Kei’s fading chances of success.
Itachi: They’re both running low on energy, but now it looks like Kei’s chakra is getting lower than Inase’s.
Boruto: (By now, feigning indifference between his children had become futile, and he squeezed Inoue’s hand as their worry for Kei’s chances came forth.) The moment Inase started taking the initiative, she got the upper hand. …She has the Byakugan and she can read his mind. There’s no way he can fight back if she keeps attacking him at a close range.
Up above the stands, even the Kage began to recognize what outcome the match was quickly heading towards, starting first with the one who initially retained faith in Kei’s ability to pull off an upset.
Konohamaru: I see it now. …She’s got him completely cornered.
Chōjūrō: Hm? What do you mean by that, Lord Hokage?
Konohamaru: She’s predicting his movements and countering them with her mindreading technique, even when he tries to change his approach at the last minute. He can’t even attack her without her just turning it back on himself. …She’s only using enough chakra to keep her technique going and to match her speed with his, and since he’s moving backwards, he can’t move fast enough to get away from her, especially since she’s using her technique to close the distance between them. …He’s got no way out, and this far into the match, it won’t be long before he either runs out of chakra or passes out from exhaustion.
Catching wind of this by the railing, Sasuke relayed their words to their grandfather, who was also begin to show worry.
Sasuke: I think he’s right, Naruto. …Still finding it easy to remain neutral?
Naruto didn’t bother responding, his mind already full as it was, but it was evident from his expression that he was hoping Kei might find a way to turn this around. Down below, his grandson wasn’t so quick to agree, his confidence finally beginning to slip at long last.
Kei: (Come on, gotta stay focused. …Feels like I could pass out at any minute. Dang!! It’s all cause of that cheap jutsu she’s got! Jeez, I got a hard time just reading my opponent’s moves whenever I fight and she can just look in his head and see what he’s thinkin’ about doing!)
Inase: (Hmhmhmhm, and you know I’m doing it right now, right, Kei?)
Kei: (Rrrrgh, all right, fine!! Then have a look at this!)
Almost instantly, Inase’s eyes slammed shut and her next attack fell flat, allowing Kei to step back a short ways and regain some of his strength. When she opened her eyes again, they were burning with hatred, while her face slowly turned beet-red.
Inase: (Kei, you pig!! What the heck is your problem!?)
The incident didn’t go unnoticed to the audience, many of whom began questioning Inase’s sudden misstep. Their fellow competitors did the same and suspecting he’d know more than the others, Z turned to Airon for answers, finding to his surprise that the corner of his mouth was now twitching uncontrollably.
Z: Hey, you chill, bro? What’s goin’ on?
Airon: (Oh no…this is almost too good to be true.)
Inase: (Airon, shut up! Don’t-)
Kei: (Ahhhh, now I get it. So, you don’t wanna look at that stuff, do ya?)
Putting this revelation to full use right away, Kei jumped Inase, throwing punch after kick after punch as he kept the risqué images that he conjured up before at the forefront of his mind, preventing Inase from reading his thoughts without fear and disgust stopping her midway. Unable to control himself, Airon fell to the floor and immediately began laughing so loud that even some of the audience members in the seats nearest the balcony caught wind of his howling.
Manako: Hm? Airon, what’s going on?
Airon: Hehehahaha HAHAHAHAHAAAA!!! Oh my gosh!! HEHAHAHAHAAAA!!!
Inase: (Kei, I mean it! Cut it out!!)
Kei only grinned in response as he reached out to punch her again, which she narrowly dodged. Now avoiding his attacks just off their nigh predictable pattern alone, it wasn’t long before Inase had run out of breath, finding herself in almost the same position she had him trapped in only seconds ago, much to the wonder of those watching from overhead.
Inoue: Oh? It looks like he has the upper hand again.
Boruto: (He tried his best not to grin in satisfaction, still attempting to feign indifference.) But how? …Itachi, what happened?
Itachi: I can only see so much with my Sharingan, Bolt. I’m guessing he managed to get her out of his mind, though.
Boruto: (Now a little embarrassed for asking, he looked back down at the match.) (Kei…what the hell did you do?)
A similar exchange was happening above the stands, with the Tsuchikage being the instigator this time around.
Kurotsuchi: It looks like your previous statement has been overruled, Hokage.
Konohamaru: (He made no response physically, his eyes set on the two combatants.) I don’t see how. From what I know, Kei doesn’t know how to repel mind techniques, …so how did he manage to get past her?
Gaara: Does your grandson have any such abilities, Naruto?
Naruto: Nah, I never taught him any, but…I wonder.
He gazed down at the arena floor, as well, quickly noticing Inase’s reddened face and, from there, putting enough pieces together to form an answer that he couldn’t help but chuckle at.
Naruto: Hehehehe, that sure would explain things. (Kei, you sly little bastard.)
Sakura: (Curious, she looked down to see what he just realized, lowering her head in annoyance when she came to the same answer.) I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?
Naruto rubbed the back of his head in amusement when she said this, and Sakura couldn’t help but smile nostalgically as they turned their attention back towards the match, where Inase had all but depleted what remained of her chakra and stamina.
Inase: (Huhh…huhh, no good. …Huhh, I can’t read his mind now that he’s decided to be a pervert. …Huhh, maybe just…huhh…enough chakra left for a genjutsu. …Huhh, that should get me out of this.)
She raised her hands and formed her usual hand sign as she continued leaping back and away from Kei, prompting him to stop and form his own upon recognizing hers.
Kei: (She’s gonna try genjutsu on me…all right, then.) Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Roughly a dozen clones suddenly appeared around him, his chakra distributed evenly among them to prevent her Byakugan from pinpointing the real one, and with her position exposed the moment one of them vanished, Inase found herself at a brief interlude. However, something else popped into her mind in the midst of all this, namely what was going through Kei’s at that moment.
Inase: (He actually thought ahead to stop me this time…which means…)
Finding her prediction to be correct upon gazing into his thoughts, she quickly ascertained the position of his real self.
Inase: (That’s the one!)
She immediately leapt forward and drove her leg into his side, only for him to suddenly reveal himself to be a clone.
Inase: What!?
Realizing she was tricked, her eyes widened in shock as Kei’s remaining doppelgangers closed in on her, save for one. Noticing this, she sighed in disappointment and smirked before spinning around, dispelling the remaining clones with a Rotation while the real one came up moments after it ended, catching her in the stomach with a sharp left hook. The entire stadium fell silent as they stood there, several seconds passing by until finally, Inase’s legs started to give way, leaving her slouched over Kei’s arm.
Kei: Huhh…huhh…huhh, hehehehehe. …Huhh, who’s the smart one now? (Can’t believe you fell for that, sis.)
Inase: Huhh…yeah yeah. …Huhh, there’s a first time for everything. (Yeah, whatever. I didn’t think you could convince yourself that one of the clones was the real you.)
Exhausted, Kei let his arm fall flat, relieving Inase of her only means of standing and sending her crashing to the ground. The stands immediately broke out in thunderous applause as Baiko stepped forward to announce the results of the match.
Baiko: The winner is…Kei-
Before he could finish, Kei suddenly fell forward alongside his sister, all his energy exhausted. The audience fell silent once again, many of them unsure what to make of this strange turn of events.
Itachi: Seems he pushed himself too hard during that final stretch. Quite a shame. …But I guess you got your wish, after all, Bolt.
Boruto: (He smiled at this as he exchanged pleased expressions with his wife.) I think we did pretty good, no?
Inoue: (She giggled and playfully rested her head on his shoulder in response.) Please, dear, I can’t take credit for any of that.
Boruto chuckled in response to this, meanwhile down below, Baiko fumbled to correct his previous announcement.
Baiko: Uh…both combatants have lost the ability to continue! Therefore, this match will be declared a draw and both of them will be pulled from the tournament!
To his surprise, however, the audience broke into the same outpour of praise as before, all of them greatly pleased with the performances of the two combatants, though a select few had mixed feelings about the conclusion.
Naruto: Well…that’s kinda pathetic.
Sasuke: (He smirked and shook his head when he said this, sighing as he caved in and gave his honest opinion on the match.) It was a good run, though. For both of them.
Sakura: I guess even the most balanced matches can be decided with just a single slip-up.
Behind them, the Kage also shared their opinions on the match, the verdict being pretty much unanimous.
Darui: Well, I’m pretty impressed with both.
Kurotsuchi: Hmhmhm, no kidding.
Gaara: Two completely different skill sets, yet they both make the most of their abilities.
Kankurō: Heh, and a little bit of luck from what I’ve just seen.
Chōjūrō: Hm, the fact that they turned the tables on one another so many times is impressive in it of itself, too.
Konohamaru: (He merely smiled as he listened to each of their remarks.) Yeah…but not entirely unexpected. (They are triplets, after all.)
With the two still conscious and the medical-nin on their way, Airon took the opportunity to leap over the railing, landing gracefully on the arena floor before walking over and kneeling over his siblings, speaking first to Kei.
Airon: Man, you look terrible, little brother.
Kei: Ah, screw you!! Just wait till you fight Manako, Airon!! I’ll be laughing in your face when you’re passed out on the ground, too!!
Airon: (He chuckled at this before looking down at him with a gentle smile, resting his hand on his shoulder as he gave his sincere opinion of his performance.) That said…you did extremely well, Kei. I’m proud.
Kei’s anger quickly faded upon hearing this, and he smiled back up at him before closing his eyes and giving in to his exhaustion. Once he was passed out, Airon turned to Inase, eager to get out what had been on his mind since the match’s turning point.
Airon: Well, …that was an embarrassing turnaround.
Inase: (Don’t even start…you didn’t see the images he was conjuring up.)
Airon: Hehehehe, no, but I’ve got a fair assumption. You could at least give him this one, though. …You have a lot of gifts that he doesn’t, Inase. He should be proud of himself.
Inase: (She sighed and looked up at the sky before answering.) (…Yeah. I can let him have that.)
Airon: (Hearing this, he smiled down at her as he began gently stroking her hair.) (You did great, too, little sister. …Not that I’d expect anything less.)
Inase: (She smiled back up at him before closing her eyes.) (Thanks…big brother.)
Seeing the medical-nin approaching from a short distance away, Airon stood back up and walked back towards the balcony with his hands in his pockets, taking a moment to turn back and watch they lifted both of them onto stretchers and carried them away. Having witnessed the entire episode from overhead, both Sasuke and Naruto smiled as they thought the three and their peculiar upbringing.
Sasuke: They really are close, aren’t they?
Naruto: (He nodded as he looked down at Airon, who was apparently showing off by walking slowly up the wall towards the balcony, hands still in his pockets.) They’ve been together for so long. I would certainly hope so.
As Airon leapt back over the railing, Naruto gazed up at the clouds overhead.
Naruto: (Let’s hope things stay that way…for years to come.)
The clash between polar opposites ends in stalemate!!!
The End
