Alright, three chapters away from the semi-finals, and I’m celebrating the occasion with yet another triple release
(The huge wait probably cancels it out, though). lol Let’s try to make this last match as interesting and exciting as possible. Enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 069: Don’t Get Too Close
The match-up now set, Airon and Minto descended to the arena below via Nakama’s series of earthy pillars as, in the nearby stands, the former’s parents slipped away from Kei and Inase to join the latter’s in the adjacent, much to their surprise as Suzaku looked up to see who was nudging his shoulder.
Boruto: Care for a little company this time around?
Suzaku: (He grinned up at him and subtly shook his head, half-expecting he would show up at some point.) Not at all. The other two doing all right?
Boruto: Hehehe, wouldn’t you believe it. They’re practically waiting for their new flak jackets at this point. …Hey, Ayumi.
Ayumi: (She returned his smile and greeting before turning to the genin sitting beside her.) Hello, Boruto. Raiden, Uncle Bolt’s come to sit with us.
Unsurprisingly, Raiden gave only the slightest semblance of recognition as he stared off towards the next two combatants, arms crossed over the seat in front of him. Ayumi and Suzaku looked at him in discontent as they hopelessly awaited a response, something Boruto took note of as he smirked and looked away casually.
Boruto: Eh, forget about it. Wasn’t really fond of the little bastard anyways.
Raiden: (His eyes quickly lit up as he looked up from his seat, just as Boruto anticipated.) I’ll show you a-
Boruto: Kidding, kidding. Just tryin’ to get some emotion outta you.
When this episode finally passed, Raiden had returned to his previous seating position while Ayumi and Inoue engaged in small talk, their husbands gazing down at the arena floor where their respective sons had just taken their starting positions.
Suzaku: You suppose it’s destiny we reached this point?
Boruto: Hmhm, seems that way. …Time to see how far Minto’s come after all this time.
Suzaku: (His amused expression gradually became more melancholy.) The odds are still in your son’s favor, however much of a fight mine brings.
Boruto: Ehhh, I wouldn’t say that. …Airon’s pretty convinced Minto has a strong shot.
As Suzaku turned to him in surprise at his previous statement, down below, Airon and Minto had become engulfed in a pre-match discussion of their own, this one centered around a half-sincere request from the former.
Minto: I swear, man! Out! Completely!
Airon: Minto, you DON’T run out, okay!? They’re in your pocket, I know they are, so give me one!
Minto: Dude, this is my last pack! I wanna save them!
Airon: No it’s not! Minto, you’ve got hundreds more stuffed in your dresser or wherever the heck you keep those things! Parting with one isn’t gonna kill you!
Minto: (He considered the notion for a moment, eventually reaching into his pocket with a disgruntled look on his face.) Rrrrgh, fine! Whatever.
Airon: (He waited patiently for him to finish, in the meantime having yet another thought that prompted him to grin as he stretched out his arm.) …Matter of fact, Minto, gimme the whole pack.
Minto: What!?
Airon: Just do it.
After a moment’s hesitation, Minto finally caved, reaching back into his pocket and murmuring under his breath as he threw the pack of mints over to Airon, who grinned in amusement as he popped two into his mouth and put the rest in his coat pocket.
Airon: Quit whining, baby. You’ve got two more stuffed in your back pocket.
Minto: (Knowing this to be true, he looked off towards the wall of the arena as he heaved a sigh of annoyance.) Y’know, one of these days I’m gonna run out of them completely. And I’m gonna look at you for compensation.
Airon: (He smiled in amusement and shook his head as he bit one of the mints in his mouth in half.) Oh, shut up. I ask for one of these every so often. You chew on them CONSTANTLY.
Minto maintained a blank face as he reached into his back pocket for one of the packs Airon just accused him of having, waiting until he emptied one mint into his mouth and returned it to his pocket before letting out a soft chuckle at long last, which Airon was quick to mimic. Their little episode finally came to an end as both of them rested their good hands inside the pouches around their waists, which contained their whips and kunai, respectively.
Airon: Make this a good one, alright? I wanna be nice and warmed up for Manako next round.
Minto: (His smile quickly morphed into a serious glare as Baiko held up his hand to start the match.) You’ve got bigger issues to worry about than who you’re fighting next round, Airon.
Baiko: Alright…if both are you are ready…begin!
Not wasting a second, Airon’s hand returned to the fray with a marked kunai gripped beneath its fingers, which he immediately chucked towards his opponent with blinding speed. Not long after, though, Minto’s own hand came forth with one of his signature weapons in its grasp, pouring chakra through it and cracking it with such force and speed that it split the projectile clean in half, making sure to do so right across the handle where Airon’s seal was located. All noise within the stadium ceased save for the clinking of metal, the faint sound of Minto’s whip falling flat against the ground, and a loud whistle echoing from between Airon’s curled lips.
Airon: Whew…hehehehe, you’re not playing around today, are ya?
Minto returned his amusement with a smirk as those in the stands struggled to grasp the idea of a leather-bound rope cutting through solid metal, something even the Kage overhead found some difficulty doing.
Kurotsuchi: He just sliced it right in half…and he even cut off his technique in the process.
Gaara: Something like that would require immensely powerful chakra to pull off…this match may prove more balanced than I first thought.
Darui: It seems that way now…but Naruto’s grandson can read minds and teleport, Kazekage. I don’t know what you see that looks so favorable for the other boy, but even now, I don’t see this match ending any other way. …Sorry, Hokage.
Konohamaru: (He smiled in amusement at his contriteness as he continued to stare down at the two combatants.) Hmhm, you’ve got nothing to be sorry about, Lord Raikage. Let’s just watch the match and see how things play out.
Darui and the others complied almost immediately, his smile quickly disappearing once their eyes had diverted back to the arena floor, where Minto was now attempting to land a hit on Airon with the Shock Lashes.
Konohamaru: (Come on, Minto…you can do this…)
Airon: C’mon, quit dancing and hit me already!
This remark was followed almost immediately by a whip crashing down on the spot where he stood as he made it, which he escaped from just a fraction of a second beforehand. Minto followed this up with several similar attacks, both vertical and horizontal motions, the length of each whip changing drastically as he poured more chakra into them with every swing. One such swing in the latter motion came mere centimeters from grazing Airon’s shirt as he leapt, prompting his chronic grin to disappear for the briefest moment, though he was quick to cover it up.
Airon: Whoa ho! Easy there! You nearly cut me in half!
His ruse fooled most of the people in the stands, who still seemed convinced he was simply messing around with Minto for the time being. One of the few who saw through it was his sister, courtesy of their shared telekinesis, who shook her head at his attempt to keep up a strong act before turning to their brother to inform him.
Inase: He can’t stop messing around for a second, can he?
Kei: No kidding. HEY, AIRON!!! QUIT SCREWIN’ OFF AND FIGHT ALREADY!!!
Airon: (He smirked in amusement as he dodged yet another swing of Minto’s whips, backing up just out of his range in the process.) (Alright…you asked for it, little brother.) Heads up!!
As he spoke, a kunai leapt out from his sleeve and into his hand, which was quickly revealed to be three with a flick of his wrist. He threw them all in rapid succession, but like the one he threw at the beginning of the match, each one was quickly swiped from the air by the Shock Lashes, sliced in half directly along the seal located on the handle. Airon showed no frustration at this, though it soon began surfacing in small amounts with each kunai Minto knocked out of the air, the latter’s skill with his bizarre weapons awing nearly everyone in the stadium, including their respective fathers.
Boruto: He’s gotten pretty good with those, hasn’t he?
Suzaku: No kidding…I wonder how far he’ll go using them like that.
Boruto: Hehe, might even see Airon on his toes a few more times before this is over. …Your big brother’s doing alright, isn’t he, Raiden?
He glanced past Suzaku and their wives as he spoke, finding to his aggravation and his father’s dismay that the young genin he was addressing made no attempt to respond. He continued to lean over the top of the seat in front of him and, although his face was blank, there was no question what he was thinking as he sat there, prompting a heavy sigh from Suzaku as he looked back down at the arena floor.
Suzaku: Could be worse.
Boruto: (He reached behind him and patted him on the back before leaning forward in his seat.) …He’ll come around…don’t worry about that.
As Suzaku silently prayed for this to be true, Airon continued his attempts to land a kunai somewhere within his opponent’s immediate vicinity, the revelation of how many he had already wasted bringing a scowl to his face for the first time in the entire tournament.
Airon: Yo, chill, Minto!! I’m not made of these things, y’know!
Minto: Quit whining, baby. …You’ve got more stuffed in your pockets.
Airon was holding back another kunai, prepped to throw until he heard him say this, at which point his arm fell limp. Recognizing his similar remark from before and the fact that Minto was now mocking him for it, he stood there in silence for a moment before a wicked smile found its way onto his face and he began chuckling under his breath.
Airon: Okay…if that’s how you wanna play…
He quickly dropped the kunai and undid the strap holding his sword to his waist, letting it fall to the ground beneath his feet before taking off his overcoat and pulling out his black gloves, which he slipped on as those in the stands speculated what was to come – and certain others reminisced on what had already passed.
Naruto: Wow…I didn’t think Minto would give him this much trouble.
Sasuke: He’ll cave eventually. …Nothing’s gonna stop Airon from facing Manako.
Naruto: (He agreed on some level, but couldn’t help but second-guess himself as he looked down at Minto’s determined expression.) (…I have to wonder about that.)
Now prepped for what was soon to become a contest of speed between hands and feet, Airon reached down and retrieved his kunai before motioning to Minto to make the next move. Without hesitation, he began sending ripples down the lengths of his whips until both had completely left the ground, taking a few more seconds to build momentum in their movements before jumping right in with the first of his three defensive patterns, smiling up at Airon once instinct had kicked in and his hands essentially went into autopilot.
Minto: I’m all set now. …Go ahead, Airon. Try your luck.
Airon gave no immediate response, but after a moment of standing there frozen, he moved his left foot back, prompting Minto to shift suddenly to his second pattern. The change was subtle and his smile didn’t break for even a second as he made it, but his reaction was enough to make Airon smirk in amusement as he contemplated his next course of action.
Airon: Just keep smiling, Minto. …You won’t be able to hide behind the Shock Lashes forever.
Minto proves himself in the match’s early stages, but how will his defense hold up against the fastest genin in the tournament!!?
The End

Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 069: Don’t Get Too Close
The match-up now set, Airon and Minto descended to the arena below via Nakama’s series of earthy pillars as, in the nearby stands, the former’s parents slipped away from Kei and Inase to join the latter’s in the adjacent, much to their surprise as Suzaku looked up to see who was nudging his shoulder.
Boruto: Care for a little company this time around?
Suzaku: (He grinned up at him and subtly shook his head, half-expecting he would show up at some point.) Not at all. The other two doing all right?
Boruto: Hehehe, wouldn’t you believe it. They’re practically waiting for their new flak jackets at this point. …Hey, Ayumi.
Ayumi: (She returned his smile and greeting before turning to the genin sitting beside her.) Hello, Boruto. Raiden, Uncle Bolt’s come to sit with us.
Unsurprisingly, Raiden gave only the slightest semblance of recognition as he stared off towards the next two combatants, arms crossed over the seat in front of him. Ayumi and Suzaku looked at him in discontent as they hopelessly awaited a response, something Boruto took note of as he smirked and looked away casually.
Boruto: Eh, forget about it. Wasn’t really fond of the little bastard anyways.
Raiden: (His eyes quickly lit up as he looked up from his seat, just as Boruto anticipated.) I’ll show you a-
Boruto: Kidding, kidding. Just tryin’ to get some emotion outta you.
When this episode finally passed, Raiden had returned to his previous seating position while Ayumi and Inoue engaged in small talk, their husbands gazing down at the arena floor where their respective sons had just taken their starting positions.
Suzaku: You suppose it’s destiny we reached this point?
Boruto: Hmhm, seems that way. …Time to see how far Minto’s come after all this time.
Suzaku: (His amused expression gradually became more melancholy.) The odds are still in your son’s favor, however much of a fight mine brings.
Boruto: Ehhh, I wouldn’t say that. …Airon’s pretty convinced Minto has a strong shot.
As Suzaku turned to him in surprise at his previous statement, down below, Airon and Minto had become engulfed in a pre-match discussion of their own, this one centered around a half-sincere request from the former.
Minto: I swear, man! Out! Completely!
Airon: Minto, you DON’T run out, okay!? They’re in your pocket, I know they are, so give me one!
Minto: Dude, this is my last pack! I wanna save them!
Airon: No it’s not! Minto, you’ve got hundreds more stuffed in your dresser or wherever the heck you keep those things! Parting with one isn’t gonna kill you!
Minto: (He considered the notion for a moment, eventually reaching into his pocket with a disgruntled look on his face.) Rrrrgh, fine! Whatever.
Airon: (He waited patiently for him to finish, in the meantime having yet another thought that prompted him to grin as he stretched out his arm.) …Matter of fact, Minto, gimme the whole pack.
Minto: What!?
Airon: Just do it.
After a moment’s hesitation, Minto finally caved, reaching back into his pocket and murmuring under his breath as he threw the pack of mints over to Airon, who grinned in amusement as he popped two into his mouth and put the rest in his coat pocket.
Airon: Quit whining, baby. You’ve got two more stuffed in your back pocket.
Minto: (Knowing this to be true, he looked off towards the wall of the arena as he heaved a sigh of annoyance.) Y’know, one of these days I’m gonna run out of them completely. And I’m gonna look at you for compensation.
Airon: (He smiled in amusement and shook his head as he bit one of the mints in his mouth in half.) Oh, shut up. I ask for one of these every so often. You chew on them CONSTANTLY.
Minto maintained a blank face as he reached into his back pocket for one of the packs Airon just accused him of having, waiting until he emptied one mint into his mouth and returned it to his pocket before letting out a soft chuckle at long last, which Airon was quick to mimic. Their little episode finally came to an end as both of them rested their good hands inside the pouches around their waists, which contained their whips and kunai, respectively.
Airon: Make this a good one, alright? I wanna be nice and warmed up for Manako next round.
Minto: (His smile quickly morphed into a serious glare as Baiko held up his hand to start the match.) You’ve got bigger issues to worry about than who you’re fighting next round, Airon.
Baiko: Alright…if both are you are ready…begin!
Not wasting a second, Airon’s hand returned to the fray with a marked kunai gripped beneath its fingers, which he immediately chucked towards his opponent with blinding speed. Not long after, though, Minto’s own hand came forth with one of his signature weapons in its grasp, pouring chakra through it and cracking it with such force and speed that it split the projectile clean in half, making sure to do so right across the handle where Airon’s seal was located. All noise within the stadium ceased save for the clinking of metal, the faint sound of Minto’s whip falling flat against the ground, and a loud whistle echoing from between Airon’s curled lips.
Airon: Whew…hehehehe, you’re not playing around today, are ya?
Minto returned his amusement with a smirk as those in the stands struggled to grasp the idea of a leather-bound rope cutting through solid metal, something even the Kage overhead found some difficulty doing.
Kurotsuchi: He just sliced it right in half…and he even cut off his technique in the process.
Gaara: Something like that would require immensely powerful chakra to pull off…this match may prove more balanced than I first thought.
Darui: It seems that way now…but Naruto’s grandson can read minds and teleport, Kazekage. I don’t know what you see that looks so favorable for the other boy, but even now, I don’t see this match ending any other way. …Sorry, Hokage.
Konohamaru: (He smiled in amusement at his contriteness as he continued to stare down at the two combatants.) Hmhm, you’ve got nothing to be sorry about, Lord Raikage. Let’s just watch the match and see how things play out.
Darui and the others complied almost immediately, his smile quickly disappearing once their eyes had diverted back to the arena floor, where Minto was now attempting to land a hit on Airon with the Shock Lashes.
Konohamaru: (Come on, Minto…you can do this…)
Airon: C’mon, quit dancing and hit me already!
This remark was followed almost immediately by a whip crashing down on the spot where he stood as he made it, which he escaped from just a fraction of a second beforehand. Minto followed this up with several similar attacks, both vertical and horizontal motions, the length of each whip changing drastically as he poured more chakra into them with every swing. One such swing in the latter motion came mere centimeters from grazing Airon’s shirt as he leapt, prompting his chronic grin to disappear for the briefest moment, though he was quick to cover it up.
Airon: Whoa ho! Easy there! You nearly cut me in half!
His ruse fooled most of the people in the stands, who still seemed convinced he was simply messing around with Minto for the time being. One of the few who saw through it was his sister, courtesy of their shared telekinesis, who shook her head at his attempt to keep up a strong act before turning to their brother to inform him.
Inase: He can’t stop messing around for a second, can he?
Kei: No kidding. HEY, AIRON!!! QUIT SCREWIN’ OFF AND FIGHT ALREADY!!!
Airon: (He smirked in amusement as he dodged yet another swing of Minto’s whips, backing up just out of his range in the process.) (Alright…you asked for it, little brother.) Heads up!!
As he spoke, a kunai leapt out from his sleeve and into his hand, which was quickly revealed to be three with a flick of his wrist. He threw them all in rapid succession, but like the one he threw at the beginning of the match, each one was quickly swiped from the air by the Shock Lashes, sliced in half directly along the seal located on the handle. Airon showed no frustration at this, though it soon began surfacing in small amounts with each kunai Minto knocked out of the air, the latter’s skill with his bizarre weapons awing nearly everyone in the stadium, including their respective fathers.
Boruto: He’s gotten pretty good with those, hasn’t he?
Suzaku: No kidding…I wonder how far he’ll go using them like that.
Boruto: Hehe, might even see Airon on his toes a few more times before this is over. …Your big brother’s doing alright, isn’t he, Raiden?
He glanced past Suzaku and their wives as he spoke, finding to his aggravation and his father’s dismay that the young genin he was addressing made no attempt to respond. He continued to lean over the top of the seat in front of him and, although his face was blank, there was no question what he was thinking as he sat there, prompting a heavy sigh from Suzaku as he looked back down at the arena floor.
Suzaku: Could be worse.
Boruto: (He reached behind him and patted him on the back before leaning forward in his seat.) …He’ll come around…don’t worry about that.
As Suzaku silently prayed for this to be true, Airon continued his attempts to land a kunai somewhere within his opponent’s immediate vicinity, the revelation of how many he had already wasted bringing a scowl to his face for the first time in the entire tournament.
Airon: Yo, chill, Minto!! I’m not made of these things, y’know!
Minto: Quit whining, baby. …You’ve got more stuffed in your pockets.
Airon was holding back another kunai, prepped to throw until he heard him say this, at which point his arm fell limp. Recognizing his similar remark from before and the fact that Minto was now mocking him for it, he stood there in silence for a moment before a wicked smile found its way onto his face and he began chuckling under his breath.
Airon: Okay…if that’s how you wanna play…
He quickly dropped the kunai and undid the strap holding his sword to his waist, letting it fall to the ground beneath his feet before taking off his overcoat and pulling out his black gloves, which he slipped on as those in the stands speculated what was to come – and certain others reminisced on what had already passed.
Naruto: Wow…I didn’t think Minto would give him this much trouble.
Sasuke: He’ll cave eventually. …Nothing’s gonna stop Airon from facing Manako.
Naruto: (He agreed on some level, but couldn’t help but second-guess himself as he looked down at Minto’s determined expression.) (…I have to wonder about that.)
Now prepped for what was soon to become a contest of speed between hands and feet, Airon reached down and retrieved his kunai before motioning to Minto to make the next move. Without hesitation, he began sending ripples down the lengths of his whips until both had completely left the ground, taking a few more seconds to build momentum in their movements before jumping right in with the first of his three defensive patterns, smiling up at Airon once instinct had kicked in and his hands essentially went into autopilot.
Minto: I’m all set now. …Go ahead, Airon. Try your luck.
Airon gave no immediate response, but after a moment of standing there frozen, he moved his left foot back, prompting Minto to shift suddenly to his second pattern. The change was subtle and his smile didn’t break for even a second as he made it, but his reaction was enough to make Airon smirk in amusement as he contemplated his next course of action.
Airon: Just keep smiling, Minto. …You won’t be able to hide behind the Shock Lashes forever.
Minto proves himself in the match’s early stages, but how will his defense hold up against the fastest genin in the tournament!!?
The End