Chakra Wizard
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Man, I’ve been waiting forever to get this far, and I’m sure those who’ve stayed with me up till now have been, too. lol Thanks a lot to everyone who’s been reading this fanfic and I hope this penultimate match-up winds up being as exciting as I can make it for you guys*_* As always, please enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 072: The Blood Feud Ensues
Baiko: Nakama and Hitomi Hyūga, make your way to the arena!
Both contestants were alert to his summoning, but bided their time a few seconds longer as Airon walked to the foot of the wall beneath the balcony, at which point two pillars of earth rose from the ground and up to the railing, one of them carrying Airon with it. After he stepped off and thanked the genin responsible for this, the two stepped over the railing onto one of the two pillars before they began descending again, at which point the contestant who stayed behind approached Airon with mild irritation and relief in both his expression and voice.
Manako: I hope you were going easy on him, Airon, cause that got embarrassing for both of us.
Airon: (He smiled in amusement as he rested his forearms over the railing.) You wanna try your luck against his defense, Manako, be my guest.
Manako: (He smirked in return before turning and resting his own arms against the railing.) Hm, who would’ve thought the other contestants here would’ve put up such a fight?
Airon: Hehehe, well, we can’t all be as effortlessly brilliant as Nakama. You and I still have to move around and form hand signs, after all…and on that note…
They both looked down at the arena floor as Nakama and her chronically ill-fated opponent took their positions at the center of the stadium, taking immediate pity on the latter.
Airon: These exams have been pretty cruel to him, haven’t they?
Manako: (He recalled his meeting with him in the Forest of Death as he replied.) No kidding. …If he’s lucky, he’ll make some sort of impact here.
Manako was hardly the only one hoping for good fortune on Hitomi’s part, his family and teammates being amongst the most obvious candidates.
Lee: It is now or never, Hitomi! You can do this! She is not as strong as she looks!
Miyuki: (Though she recognized and shared his intentions, she couldn’t help burying her head in her hand at the contradictory nature of his remark.) Huhh, think first before you speak, Sensei. Seriously…
Not too far away in the same section of the stands, Hitomi’s grandfather also awaited the start of the match with less than satisfying expectations.
Neji: His opponent is Naruto’s surrogate granddaughter. …This doesn’t appear favorable for Hitomi.
His wife gently wrapped her arm around his own and opened her mouth to speak, though she couldn’t find a positive message that didn’t contradict her own prediction of the match’s outcome. Seeing that both her parent’s had lost hope, Otome frowned at them before standing up and holding her hands up to her mouth.
Otome: Come on, baby! You can beat this!!
Hitomi heard her call but couldn’t bring himself to respond, turning away and clenching his fist as Nakama looked on sympathetically.
Nakama: I can take things slow if you’d prefer, Hitomi. …It may give you some leeway to impress the Kage further.
Hitomi: (He stared up at her in minor resentment.) If I get left behind with the others this year, it was my fate from the very beginning. Don’t pity me, Nakama. …Just fight me.
He entered his battle-ready stance as he spoke, prompting her to heave a sigh after a moment of silence before looking over at the proctor, looking back at Hitomi when she saw his arm already in the air to start the match.
Baiko: Now then, if both of you are ready, …begin!
Hitomi immediately charged forward, but mere moments before he made contact, a large wall of earth shot up from the ground, separating him and Nakama as the latter rose up into the air via a small mound of rock and dirt. With her now out of his reach, Hitomi’s only option was to ceaselessly dodge the army of pillars protruding from the ground in every direction, which his advanced speed made a fairly simple task. Minutes into the match, however, he found himself surrounded on all sides, much in the same way Kagetsu was during the very first match of the tournament. His escape cut off, he gritted his teeth before doing the only thing he still could.
Hitomi: Rotation!!
The power of his technique expanded upon that seen in his match with Taigen, deteriorating or pushing back everything within twenty meters of him. Unfortunately, no sooner after the technique fell flat, another barrage of pillars replaced those he had destroyed, prompting those in the stands whose hopes had been brought up by his previous display to sigh with disappointment.
Mei: Poor boy. He never stood a chance.
Konohamaru: (Hoping for a better outcome himself, he rested his cheek against his hand as he contemplated what to do now.) (…This’ll be a tougher decision than I thought.)
Hitomi’s quick reflexes helped him dodge the first pillar, only for the second to plow into his back, lunging him forward directly into the third, which sent blood gushing out from his mouth as it collided with his chest. This back-and-forth continued for several seconds until Nakama finally allowed him to tumble to the ground, immobile but still holding onto consciousness. With no indications of him getting back up in sight, Baiko disappointedly raised his arm to confirm the outcome.
Baiko: The winner is…Nakama!
The applause break that followed was arguably the smallest yet seen in the tournament, just as many disappointed by the quickness and one-sidedness of the match as there were paying it no mind as they awaited the one to come. Again, the most disappointed were those closest to Hitomi, many of them expressing worry for both his physical and occupational futures.
Tenten: I hope he’s alright. …That was almost brutal.
Lee: (He watched as two medical-nin entered the arena with a dejected look in his big, round eyes.) I am sure he will be fine. …It is his chances of promotion I am more worried about.
As Tenten looked up at him in worry, their old teammate a short distance away lowered his head, distraught by the result and how soon it came after the match began.
Neji: I guess it was to be expected. That girl was more power than most of the shinobi here.
Shien: (She grabbed his hand to comfort him, though she couldn’t bring herself to smile.) He showed more fortitude than her other two opponents, though. And he made it to the semi-finals along with her, Airon Namikaze, and Manako Uchiha. …He has a lot to be proud of, dear. We shouldn’t worry about him.
He smiled softly in gratitude, bringing a small one to her own as she looked back down at the arena floor, where the medical-nin were lifting him onto a stretcher. Before they began lifting him, though, their patient began sitting up, his hand outstretched to stop them.
Hitomi: Wait. …Ngh, take me up to the stands. …I want to see the next match.
The two looked at each other for a moment before gazing over at the contestants’ balcony, smiling in both amusement and understanding before nodding to one another as they lifted him up and carried him away, intent on granting his wish. As they walked away, Nakama silently finished undoing any remodeling she had done to the arena before returning to the balcony, where she was greeted by a smiling Airon.
Airon: I hope that wasn’t too painful for you.
Nakama: (She smiled up at him, grinning as she made her latter remark.) Taigen’s our friend, Airon. It’s the least he can take to make up for ruining his entire career as a ninja. …And whether you’d like to think so or not, you’re not the only sadist here who enjoys dishing out punishment.
Airon: …Don’t ever say that.
Nakama: (She lowered her head and giggled softly at his nigh disturbed expression.) Hmhm, it was a joke, Airon.
Manako: Wrecking your perfect image of her, is she?
Airon: (He whipped around and stared at him with his tongue pressed against his teeth.) I was playing along, Manako. Don’t get me started.
Manako smiled in amusement at this as Airon and Nakama chuckled softly, their little episode cut short by an announcement the entire stadium had been waiting for all day.
Baiko: Manako Uchiha and Airon Namikaze, make your way to the arena!
Everyone in the audience immediately fell into an unnerving silence, several of them looking off to the right at the balcony where the two genin stood, both of them staring blankly down at the arena whilst trying to hide how excited they were.
Boruto: Jeez, could they make it anymore uncomfortable for those two?
Itachi: (He glanced around at the other spectators before smiling in amusement.) Hmhm, it’s the price they pay for their talent, you might say.
Inoue: (She smiled at this, as well, though her expression quickly became more worrisome as another thought crept into her mind.) I just hope they don’t get too extreme. I wouldn’t want them going too far and hurting one another.
Boruto: (He exchanged grins with Itachi upon hearing this.) (I think you’d be the only one, babe.)
Indeed, the rest of the audience had come to expect the most of these two genin, and many were greatly anticipating the same here. Across the stands, their peers weighed in the outlook of the match, their views and stances differing greatly between them.
Kūrogane: (The entire day has been building up to this showdown. …Don’t disappoint us, you two.)
Shikaru: (Huhhh, jeez, we’re gonna be here for a while now. …Well, at least it won’t be too boring.)
Chōzen: (Man, you can just feel the tension right now. Whatever goes down, it’s gonna be big, that’s for sure.)
Inoka: (Oh man, they’re both so amazing! I don’t know who I wanna root for more!)
Kemono: (Jeez, everyone’s just staring like a bunch of idiots. …Guess I can’t really blame ‘em.)
Raiden: (…Finally, a match that isn’t so predictable.)
Miyuki: (The two strongest genin in the entire village…it was so easy to tell where all of this was heading, but now…I’m not sure what’s gonna happen.)
Kenji: (Manako beat Irezumi with only a little burn on his leg, and Airon can heal any wounds he gets easily. …This ain’t looking too good to me for Manako.)
Ide: (I was afraid those two would meet in the arena. …I hope things don’t become too violent.)
Sakebi: (The cat who took out Z goin’ up against the guy who pummeled the Kazekage’s granddaughter. …Hell, that’s a tough bet if I ever seen one.)
Tomoi: (You can do this, Manako Uchiha! Make that guy pay for beating Z!)
Katsuto: (The one guy who always manages to show up the Uchiha clan…come on, Manako. Don’t let him walk away this time.)
Akame: (He fought both Irezumi and the Kazekage’s granddaughter in the previous rounds, while Airon got stuck with Minto and that jive talker from the Cloud Village. He’s obviously got more chakra stored up right now. …This isn’t looking good for you, Manako. Try to prove me wrong.)
Yatsuri: (That’s the guy who beat Sabure. He’s gotta win this one. …There’s no way he can’t after seeing that.)
Ryūza: (Grandfather spoke highly of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha and said their grandsons were strong, as well. I never expected them to be this powerful, though. …It almost makes me glad not to be in the semi-finals with them...or that girl.)
Sabure: (…Come on, Manako.)
Airon and Manako didn’t wait much longer before bidding farewell to Nakama with a simple nod and heading into the corridors, preferring to take the long way this time around. Just minutes after they left, however, she was joined again by two other previously eliminated finalists, one of whom was a ninken and the other of whom was incessantly juggling a mint between his teeth.
Minto: Did we miss them?
Nakama: (She smiled with delight at their arrival before gazing over at the corridor entrance.) …They’re on their way down now.
Minto: (He followed her gaze, looking at the open doorway for a moment before looking down at Taigen, who was trying desperately to keep out of the audience’s point-of-view.) …Good.
They were not the only new arrivals to the stadium, though. At the top of the stands, a small group of medical-nin formed a path for a few previously admitted contestants, among whom were Kagetsu, Chan, Z, and Irezumi. Their arrival caught the attention of most of the audience, many of whom applauded them for their earlier performances and several others commented on their early departure from the hospital.
Kei: Heh, guess there’s a lot of people who wouldn’t miss this fight for the world.
Inase: (She smiled up at them before activating her Byakugan, scanning the walls of the stadium until she found the next two competitors, still just barely within her range of vision.) (Of course they wouldn’t. …We have an amazing brother, after all…and an amazing cousin.)
Within the corridors of the stadium, now free from public view, Airon and Manako allowed the grins they had been holding back to surface at long last, though only Airon had the capacity to express his enthusiasm with laughter – as was the usual.
Airon: Hehehehehe, I’m not sure which of us was waiting for this moment more, Manako.
Manako: (He looked to his side with a smile before looking ahead again.) Should we set some conditions this time? It’s supposed to be a showcase of our talents, after all.
Airon: Hmhm, good point. …Care to share your suggestions first?
Manako: (He glanced up at the ceiling for a moment, giving it some genuine thought.) Well, we should allow them the opportunity to see every ability we have to offer. So, taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and swordplay all have to be utilized at some point in the match, and that includes every elemental nature at our disposals. …Anything else?
Airon: (He waited until he was finished before looking up in thought, as well.) Hmmmmm…well, how about this? It’s no fun if the match is pretty even all the way through, so why don’t we give each other a couple chances to completely dominate one another?
Manako: Hoping to try out your little display with the string?
Airon: Hehehehe, well, I did work hard on it. I think I’ll limit my use of telepathy, too. …Even against you, I’d say that’s probably overkill.
Manako: (Slightly offended by this assumption, he glared at him sarcastically before looking ahead with a smile.) Whatever makes you feel more at ease. …Anything else?
Airon: (He looked up and gave it one last run-through before lowering his head again.) …Nah, that’s it.
Their smiles gradually disappeared as the doorway to the outside came into view, and they placed their hands on the hilts of their swords as they fought the urge to look at each other one last time.
Airon: Let’s make this our best fight yet, Manako.
Manako: A duel fit for a daimyō.
They each took one half of the doorway and pushed it open, allowing the sunlight to pour into the halls, though neither batted an eye at it as the vast arena on the other side became visible to them. Many members of the audience had already begun clapping prematurely as they started walking to the center of the stadium where Baiko was waiting. Up in the stands, the new arrivals slowly made their way to their respective families or teammates, all the while contemplating their own thoughts on the match to come.
Z: (Give it to ‘em good, dog. …Ya beat me already, so ya better not let ‘im beat you.)
Kagetsu: (The winner here goes on to fight that powerhouse chick. …I don’t really give a damn who wins as long as they beat her afterwards.)
Chan: (Finally. It has come down to Manako and Airon. …Now the only question is who will emerge victorious.)
Irezumi: (I only regret that I couldn’t be down there to fight in Manako’s stead. Hmhmhm, but I suppose this was everyone’s preference. …They always do put on a good show.)
Kei: (He watched as Airon and Manako walked across the arena before turning to his sister.) What do you think the conditions are this time?
Inase: (She smiled at the obviousness of the answer.) …Leave it all in the arena…what else?
Kei’s lip curled slightly in embarrassment for having needed to ask, while up above the stands, the Kage had their own last-minute thoughts on the match.
Darui: (I assumed a bout between these two would be anything but dull, but…I actually feel eager to see them fight now.)
Kurotsuchi: (It’s like the war all over again. …Will it end the same way?)
Gaara: (They look different, but the air about them reminds me so much of their grandfathers, it’s astounding. …I hope this stadium is large enough to contain their match.)
Chōjūrō: (Their reputations have really exceeded them, and that’s surprising considering who they’re descended from. …They could easily surpass their grandfathers by the time they’re in their prime.)
Konohamaru: (And so their blood feud continues…hmhm, though I guess it’s more of a competition now.)
At long last, Airon and Manako took their places across from each other, smirking in amusement at the fact that Baiko had apparently taken a few steps back from his usual spot, as if to allow him a quicker getaway the moment he let the lion out of its cage. He took a moment to ensure they were both ready, raising his arms when they both nodded in his direction as if telling him to hurry and start the match.
Baiko: Alright…
He paused, as if in some lame attempt to build up tension, not knowing the tension had already reached its peak and the only thing he was doing now was building on the aggravation of the genin standing on either side of him.
Manako: (You look bored already, Airon.)
Airon: (…No more than you are.)
Baiko: …if both of you are ready…
They didn’t even wait for the trigger word before charging forward, a large Chidori already forming in Manako’s right hand while an even larger Rasengan began forming in Airon’s left.
Baiko: Hey, I haven’t started the match yet!
Inase: (You might as well drop it, proctor. …No one’s standing between these two.)
He didn’t take the time to look around and see whose voice that was in the back of his mind before leaping back, escaping to the safety of the stadium walls as the competitors called out the names of their respective techniques.
Manako: CHIDORI!!
Airon: RASENGAN!!!
All the sound in the arena ceased moments before they collided, encasing them both in a blinding light as those who had the ability to stare into it looked on in amazement, among them their respective fathers and grandfathers.
Naruto, Sasuke, Boruto, and Itachi: (It’s started.)
The fated showdown has begun!!!
The End
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 072: The Blood Feud Ensues
Baiko: Nakama and Hitomi Hyūga, make your way to the arena!
Both contestants were alert to his summoning, but bided their time a few seconds longer as Airon walked to the foot of the wall beneath the balcony, at which point two pillars of earth rose from the ground and up to the railing, one of them carrying Airon with it. After he stepped off and thanked the genin responsible for this, the two stepped over the railing onto one of the two pillars before they began descending again, at which point the contestant who stayed behind approached Airon with mild irritation and relief in both his expression and voice.
Manako: I hope you were going easy on him, Airon, cause that got embarrassing for both of us.
Airon: (He smiled in amusement as he rested his forearms over the railing.) You wanna try your luck against his defense, Manako, be my guest.
Manako: (He smirked in return before turning and resting his own arms against the railing.) Hm, who would’ve thought the other contestants here would’ve put up such a fight?
Airon: Hehehe, well, we can’t all be as effortlessly brilliant as Nakama. You and I still have to move around and form hand signs, after all…and on that note…
They both looked down at the arena floor as Nakama and her chronically ill-fated opponent took their positions at the center of the stadium, taking immediate pity on the latter.
Airon: These exams have been pretty cruel to him, haven’t they?
Manako: (He recalled his meeting with him in the Forest of Death as he replied.) No kidding. …If he’s lucky, he’ll make some sort of impact here.
Manako was hardly the only one hoping for good fortune on Hitomi’s part, his family and teammates being amongst the most obvious candidates.
Lee: It is now or never, Hitomi! You can do this! She is not as strong as she looks!
Miyuki: (Though she recognized and shared his intentions, she couldn’t help burying her head in her hand at the contradictory nature of his remark.) Huhh, think first before you speak, Sensei. Seriously…
Not too far away in the same section of the stands, Hitomi’s grandfather also awaited the start of the match with less than satisfying expectations.
Neji: His opponent is Naruto’s surrogate granddaughter. …This doesn’t appear favorable for Hitomi.
His wife gently wrapped her arm around his own and opened her mouth to speak, though she couldn’t find a positive message that didn’t contradict her own prediction of the match’s outcome. Seeing that both her parent’s had lost hope, Otome frowned at them before standing up and holding her hands up to her mouth.
Otome: Come on, baby! You can beat this!!
Hitomi heard her call but couldn’t bring himself to respond, turning away and clenching his fist as Nakama looked on sympathetically.
Nakama: I can take things slow if you’d prefer, Hitomi. …It may give you some leeway to impress the Kage further.
Hitomi: (He stared up at her in minor resentment.) If I get left behind with the others this year, it was my fate from the very beginning. Don’t pity me, Nakama. …Just fight me.
He entered his battle-ready stance as he spoke, prompting her to heave a sigh after a moment of silence before looking over at the proctor, looking back at Hitomi when she saw his arm already in the air to start the match.
Baiko: Now then, if both of you are ready, …begin!
Hitomi immediately charged forward, but mere moments before he made contact, a large wall of earth shot up from the ground, separating him and Nakama as the latter rose up into the air via a small mound of rock and dirt. With her now out of his reach, Hitomi’s only option was to ceaselessly dodge the army of pillars protruding from the ground in every direction, which his advanced speed made a fairly simple task. Minutes into the match, however, he found himself surrounded on all sides, much in the same way Kagetsu was during the very first match of the tournament. His escape cut off, he gritted his teeth before doing the only thing he still could.
Hitomi: Rotation!!
The power of his technique expanded upon that seen in his match with Taigen, deteriorating or pushing back everything within twenty meters of him. Unfortunately, no sooner after the technique fell flat, another barrage of pillars replaced those he had destroyed, prompting those in the stands whose hopes had been brought up by his previous display to sigh with disappointment.
Mei: Poor boy. He never stood a chance.
Konohamaru: (Hoping for a better outcome himself, he rested his cheek against his hand as he contemplated what to do now.) (…This’ll be a tougher decision than I thought.)
Hitomi’s quick reflexes helped him dodge the first pillar, only for the second to plow into his back, lunging him forward directly into the third, which sent blood gushing out from his mouth as it collided with his chest. This back-and-forth continued for several seconds until Nakama finally allowed him to tumble to the ground, immobile but still holding onto consciousness. With no indications of him getting back up in sight, Baiko disappointedly raised his arm to confirm the outcome.
Baiko: The winner is…Nakama!
The applause break that followed was arguably the smallest yet seen in the tournament, just as many disappointed by the quickness and one-sidedness of the match as there were paying it no mind as they awaited the one to come. Again, the most disappointed were those closest to Hitomi, many of them expressing worry for both his physical and occupational futures.
Tenten: I hope he’s alright. …That was almost brutal.
Lee: (He watched as two medical-nin entered the arena with a dejected look in his big, round eyes.) I am sure he will be fine. …It is his chances of promotion I am more worried about.
As Tenten looked up at him in worry, their old teammate a short distance away lowered his head, distraught by the result and how soon it came after the match began.
Neji: I guess it was to be expected. That girl was more power than most of the shinobi here.
Shien: (She grabbed his hand to comfort him, though she couldn’t bring herself to smile.) He showed more fortitude than her other two opponents, though. And he made it to the semi-finals along with her, Airon Namikaze, and Manako Uchiha. …He has a lot to be proud of, dear. We shouldn’t worry about him.
He smiled softly in gratitude, bringing a small one to her own as she looked back down at the arena floor, where the medical-nin were lifting him onto a stretcher. Before they began lifting him, though, their patient began sitting up, his hand outstretched to stop them.
Hitomi: Wait. …Ngh, take me up to the stands. …I want to see the next match.
The two looked at each other for a moment before gazing over at the contestants’ balcony, smiling in both amusement and understanding before nodding to one another as they lifted him up and carried him away, intent on granting his wish. As they walked away, Nakama silently finished undoing any remodeling she had done to the arena before returning to the balcony, where she was greeted by a smiling Airon.
Airon: I hope that wasn’t too painful for you.
Nakama: (She smiled up at him, grinning as she made her latter remark.) Taigen’s our friend, Airon. It’s the least he can take to make up for ruining his entire career as a ninja. …And whether you’d like to think so or not, you’re not the only sadist here who enjoys dishing out punishment.
Airon: …Don’t ever say that.
Nakama: (She lowered her head and giggled softly at his nigh disturbed expression.) Hmhm, it was a joke, Airon.
Manako: Wrecking your perfect image of her, is she?
Airon: (He whipped around and stared at him with his tongue pressed against his teeth.) I was playing along, Manako. Don’t get me started.
Manako smiled in amusement at this as Airon and Nakama chuckled softly, their little episode cut short by an announcement the entire stadium had been waiting for all day.
Baiko: Manako Uchiha and Airon Namikaze, make your way to the arena!
Everyone in the audience immediately fell into an unnerving silence, several of them looking off to the right at the balcony where the two genin stood, both of them staring blankly down at the arena whilst trying to hide how excited they were.
Boruto: Jeez, could they make it anymore uncomfortable for those two?
Itachi: (He glanced around at the other spectators before smiling in amusement.) Hmhm, it’s the price they pay for their talent, you might say.
Inoue: (She smiled at this, as well, though her expression quickly became more worrisome as another thought crept into her mind.) I just hope they don’t get too extreme. I wouldn’t want them going too far and hurting one another.
Boruto: (He exchanged grins with Itachi upon hearing this.) (I think you’d be the only one, babe.)
Indeed, the rest of the audience had come to expect the most of these two genin, and many were greatly anticipating the same here. Across the stands, their peers weighed in the outlook of the match, their views and stances differing greatly between them.
Kūrogane: (The entire day has been building up to this showdown. …Don’t disappoint us, you two.)
Shikaru: (Huhhh, jeez, we’re gonna be here for a while now. …Well, at least it won’t be too boring.)
Chōzen: (Man, you can just feel the tension right now. Whatever goes down, it’s gonna be big, that’s for sure.)
Inoka: (Oh man, they’re both so amazing! I don’t know who I wanna root for more!)
Kemono: (Jeez, everyone’s just staring like a bunch of idiots. …Guess I can’t really blame ‘em.)
Raiden: (…Finally, a match that isn’t so predictable.)
Miyuki: (The two strongest genin in the entire village…it was so easy to tell where all of this was heading, but now…I’m not sure what’s gonna happen.)
Kenji: (Manako beat Irezumi with only a little burn on his leg, and Airon can heal any wounds he gets easily. …This ain’t looking too good to me for Manako.)
Ide: (I was afraid those two would meet in the arena. …I hope things don’t become too violent.)
Sakebi: (The cat who took out Z goin’ up against the guy who pummeled the Kazekage’s granddaughter. …Hell, that’s a tough bet if I ever seen one.)
Tomoi: (You can do this, Manako Uchiha! Make that guy pay for beating Z!)
Katsuto: (The one guy who always manages to show up the Uchiha clan…come on, Manako. Don’t let him walk away this time.)
Akame: (He fought both Irezumi and the Kazekage’s granddaughter in the previous rounds, while Airon got stuck with Minto and that jive talker from the Cloud Village. He’s obviously got more chakra stored up right now. …This isn’t looking good for you, Manako. Try to prove me wrong.)
Yatsuri: (That’s the guy who beat Sabure. He’s gotta win this one. …There’s no way he can’t after seeing that.)
Ryūza: (Grandfather spoke highly of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha and said their grandsons were strong, as well. I never expected them to be this powerful, though. …It almost makes me glad not to be in the semi-finals with them...or that girl.)
Sabure: (…Come on, Manako.)
Airon and Manako didn’t wait much longer before bidding farewell to Nakama with a simple nod and heading into the corridors, preferring to take the long way this time around. Just minutes after they left, however, she was joined again by two other previously eliminated finalists, one of whom was a ninken and the other of whom was incessantly juggling a mint between his teeth.
Minto: Did we miss them?
Nakama: (She smiled with delight at their arrival before gazing over at the corridor entrance.) …They’re on their way down now.
Minto: (He followed her gaze, looking at the open doorway for a moment before looking down at Taigen, who was trying desperately to keep out of the audience’s point-of-view.) …Good.
They were not the only new arrivals to the stadium, though. At the top of the stands, a small group of medical-nin formed a path for a few previously admitted contestants, among whom were Kagetsu, Chan, Z, and Irezumi. Their arrival caught the attention of most of the audience, many of whom applauded them for their earlier performances and several others commented on their early departure from the hospital.
Kei: Heh, guess there’s a lot of people who wouldn’t miss this fight for the world.
Inase: (She smiled up at them before activating her Byakugan, scanning the walls of the stadium until she found the next two competitors, still just barely within her range of vision.) (Of course they wouldn’t. …We have an amazing brother, after all…and an amazing cousin.)
Within the corridors of the stadium, now free from public view, Airon and Manako allowed the grins they had been holding back to surface at long last, though only Airon had the capacity to express his enthusiasm with laughter – as was the usual.
Airon: Hehehehehe, I’m not sure which of us was waiting for this moment more, Manako.
Manako: (He looked to his side with a smile before looking ahead again.) Should we set some conditions this time? It’s supposed to be a showcase of our talents, after all.
Airon: Hmhm, good point. …Care to share your suggestions first?
Manako: (He glanced up at the ceiling for a moment, giving it some genuine thought.) Well, we should allow them the opportunity to see every ability we have to offer. So, taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and swordplay all have to be utilized at some point in the match, and that includes every elemental nature at our disposals. …Anything else?
Airon: (He waited until he was finished before looking up in thought, as well.) Hmmmmm…well, how about this? It’s no fun if the match is pretty even all the way through, so why don’t we give each other a couple chances to completely dominate one another?
Manako: Hoping to try out your little display with the string?
Airon: Hehehehe, well, I did work hard on it. I think I’ll limit my use of telepathy, too. …Even against you, I’d say that’s probably overkill.
Manako: (Slightly offended by this assumption, he glared at him sarcastically before looking ahead with a smile.) Whatever makes you feel more at ease. …Anything else?
Airon: (He looked up and gave it one last run-through before lowering his head again.) …Nah, that’s it.
Their smiles gradually disappeared as the doorway to the outside came into view, and they placed their hands on the hilts of their swords as they fought the urge to look at each other one last time.
Airon: Let’s make this our best fight yet, Manako.
Manako: A duel fit for a daimyō.
They each took one half of the doorway and pushed it open, allowing the sunlight to pour into the halls, though neither batted an eye at it as the vast arena on the other side became visible to them. Many members of the audience had already begun clapping prematurely as they started walking to the center of the stadium where Baiko was waiting. Up in the stands, the new arrivals slowly made their way to their respective families or teammates, all the while contemplating their own thoughts on the match to come.
Z: (Give it to ‘em good, dog. …Ya beat me already, so ya better not let ‘im beat you.)
Kagetsu: (The winner here goes on to fight that powerhouse chick. …I don’t really give a damn who wins as long as they beat her afterwards.)
Chan: (Finally. It has come down to Manako and Airon. …Now the only question is who will emerge victorious.)
Irezumi: (I only regret that I couldn’t be down there to fight in Manako’s stead. Hmhmhm, but I suppose this was everyone’s preference. …They always do put on a good show.)
Kei: (He watched as Airon and Manako walked across the arena before turning to his sister.) What do you think the conditions are this time?
Inase: (She smiled at the obviousness of the answer.) …Leave it all in the arena…what else?
Kei’s lip curled slightly in embarrassment for having needed to ask, while up above the stands, the Kage had their own last-minute thoughts on the match.
Darui: (I assumed a bout between these two would be anything but dull, but…I actually feel eager to see them fight now.)
Kurotsuchi: (It’s like the war all over again. …Will it end the same way?)
Gaara: (They look different, but the air about them reminds me so much of their grandfathers, it’s astounding. …I hope this stadium is large enough to contain their match.)
Chōjūrō: (Their reputations have really exceeded them, and that’s surprising considering who they’re descended from. …They could easily surpass their grandfathers by the time they’re in their prime.)
Konohamaru: (And so their blood feud continues…hmhm, though I guess it’s more of a competition now.)
At long last, Airon and Manako took their places across from each other, smirking in amusement at the fact that Baiko had apparently taken a few steps back from his usual spot, as if to allow him a quicker getaway the moment he let the lion out of its cage. He took a moment to ensure they were both ready, raising his arms when they both nodded in his direction as if telling him to hurry and start the match.
Baiko: Alright…
He paused, as if in some lame attempt to build up tension, not knowing the tension had already reached its peak and the only thing he was doing now was building on the aggravation of the genin standing on either side of him.
Manako: (You look bored already, Airon.)
Airon: (…No more than you are.)
Baiko: …if both of you are ready…
They didn’t even wait for the trigger word before charging forward, a large Chidori already forming in Manako’s right hand while an even larger Rasengan began forming in Airon’s left.
Baiko: Hey, I haven’t started the match yet!
Inase: (You might as well drop it, proctor. …No one’s standing between these two.)
He didn’t take the time to look around and see whose voice that was in the back of his mind before leaping back, escaping to the safety of the stadium walls as the competitors called out the names of their respective techniques.
Manako: CHIDORI!!
Airon: RASENGAN!!!
All the sound in the arena ceased moments before they collided, encasing them both in a blinding light as those who had the ability to stare into it looked on in amazement, among them their respective fathers and grandfathers.
Naruto, Sasuke, Boruto, and Itachi: (It’s started.)
The fated showdown has begun!!!
The End
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