Chakra Wizard
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Alright, at this point, I’ve only got one thing I’m saving until later on, so let’s see how much of these two bad boys I can squeeze into these coming chapters*_* lol Enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 073: On Another Level
The sky was clear and the air fresh and cool as a young Boruto Uzumaki approached the Uchiha estate with his eldest son in hand. His triplet siblings were too young and feeble to leave their estate, causing his wife Inoue to stay behind, as well, but Airon’s surprising development made him more than capable of going out accompanied by his father – or by himself, for that matter. Upon crossing the parameters into their land, the young man and his son were quickly greeted by his rival of slightly younger years, as well as his ailing wife – Boruto’s younger sister – and their young son, whose development nearly rivaled Airon’s own. After being introduced for the first time since they became old enough to remember such events, the two boys immediately took off through the confines of the estates upon asking permission from their parents, the latter unworried that any sort of danger or harm might come across them as they played. The next hour was spent mostly on their own, engaging in various silly activities before they finally settled next to the large fountain in the center of the estate’s modest, but relatively large garden.
Airon: Is Auntie Himawari doing alright?
Manako: (He ran his small hands through the water with a melancholic expression on his face, while Airon sat next to him with his back against the fountain.) Yeah, she stays in bed all day, but she’s okay. She says she wants to have a huge party when she gets better, and she wants everybody to come to it.
Airon: Hehehehe, that sounds great! Tell her to get better soon then!
Manako: Hmhmhm, I will.
He continued running his hands through the water until several of the large koi fish that inhabited it began approaching, at which point he drew back and reached for one of the many small pails filled with feed that hung over the sides of the fountain. As he came up with a handful of it, though, he noticed Airon sitting beside him with his hands outstretched, a faint blue wave of energy dancing around them. Recognizing it after a moment, the boy’s black eyes widened in surprise.
Manako: Is that…chah-kray?
Airon: (He grinned in amusement.) Hehehahahaha, you mean chakra?
Manako: (He bit his lip in embarrassment before throwing the feed in his hand into the water.) Rrgh, whatever! …I’ve only seen Papa and Uncle Bolt using it before. How’re you doing it?
Airon: Wait, you mean you can’t do this?
Manako: (His matter-of-fact tone prompted him to look away as his cheeks swelled with hot air.) …No. And so what?
Airon: (His smile shrunk slightly as he stood up.) Sorry. …Have you tried doing it?
Manako: …I don’t know how to start.
Airon: (He grabbed his arm to prompt him to turn and face him, forming a standard hand sign once he could see him.) Oh, well then here. Hold your hands like this.
Manako: (Confused, he hesitantly copied the hand sign.) Like this?
Airon: Yeah. This is how Grandpa taught me to focus your chakra. You make a hand sign like this, then you just concentrate and the chakra will start building up in your hands.
Manako: (Though still too young to understand certain words, his basic grasp of Airon’s explanation caused his face to turn blank.) That sounds…easy.
Airon: Hehe, it’s real easy once you get the hang of it. …Now come on, try it out.
Still put off by the simplicity Airon presented the act with, Manako tightened his hands and shut his eyes, opening them again when he started to feel the chakra flowing up through his arms. Just a few moments later, faint swirls of blue began pulsating around his fingers, prompting him to look up at a smiling Airon with a large grin.
Manako: I see it…I see it! Airon, look! I’m making chakra!
Airon: Haha, nice! But you’re not really making it, cuz. It’s already inside you. You just bring it out when you do that. Watch.
He clasped his hands together again as Manako’s fell flat, producing more chakra than before. This, coupled with the fact that he accomplished it in mere seconds, prompted Manako’s eyebrows to drop as the rest of his face turned blank.
Manako: Showoff.
Airon: Hehehehe, come on, don’t get mad. You would do it, too, if you could.
Manako: (He tightened his fists upon hearing this subtle implication.) Alright, well then watch! I’m gonna keep on practicing and bringing out more and more, and before long, I’ll be building up more chakra than you ever could!
His statement slowly turned into a rant as he continued on, but that didn’t stop Airon from stepping back and holding up his hand, shaped into the Seal of Confrontation, much to Manako’s confusion.
Airon: I’ll take that as a challenge.
Initially seeing this challenge he presented as unfriendly, Manako frowned up at him in displeasure, though this distasteful expression quickly vanished when Airon’s smile made it clear to him that he had anything but hostility on his mind. A few moments later, Manako returned both his smile and hand sign in kind, signifying the beginning of what would soon become a lifelong rivalry.
The blinding light given off by their head-on collision soon ceased, and both genin leapt back without any semblance of a scratch on their skin or clothes, prompting the younger of their two grandmothers to grab her chest in relief as those around her looked on in astonishment.
Hinata: They’re okay…thanks goodness.
Chōjūrō: I’m amazed that they came out of that impact unscathed. …One would think it would’ve at least left them slightly fazed.
Sasuke: (He exchanged glances with Naruto, though the underlying amusement that once came with them was now gone.) One would, Mizukage…one would.
Down below, Airon and Manako’s feet reconnected with the ground, at which point a trio of kunai shot out from beneath the former’s sleeve at lightning speed. Noticing the string attached to each of their hilts, Manako took off in a run towards the audience side of the stadium.
Manako: (I’m not falling for that, Airon.)
Airon: (It wasn’t a choice, Manako.)
Contrary to Manako’s prediction, Airon began swinging the three projectiles in the opposite direction, causing them to circumnavigate the arena as they slowly sunk closer to the ground, eventually landing directly around Manako, who was unable to shift direction in time.
Airon: (I’m fighting Nakama.)
As his mind processed this thought, Airon reached for his katana and Manako for his own, the latter unveiling a kunai in his other hand as the former suddenly vanished, reappearing instantaneously above one of the three kunai surrounding his foe. What followed was an all-out war between teleportation and lightning-quick reflexes, one that carried on for almost a full minute without so much as an injury for or against either party, much to the amazement of even the strongest and most experienced members of the crowd.
Kurotsuchi: He’s actually…but that’s impossible.
Gaara: Such unyielding speed…and against the Flying Raijin.
Darui: How the hell is he doing that?
Sasuke: (He stared blankly down at his grandson’s unwavering eyes as he answered.) That’s his Mangekyō Sharingan. His reflexes on their own are virtually unrivalled, even against most of the people sitting up here, but with those eyes activated…even the Flying Raijin jutsu isn’t fast enough to land a hit on him.
Naruto: (Knowing a fair deal about their success against one another over the years, Naruto glanced over at Sasuke momentarily before looking away with a smirk.) We’ll see about that, Sasuke.
The battle of hand speeds lasted several more seconds before Airon had finally had enough, tossing a kunai off in the distance during a brief moment of hesitation, which he immediately teleported to once it hit the ground. Channeling lightning-enhanced chakra through his blade, Manako quickly did away with the marked hilts of the kunai surrounding him before taking a few deep breaths, savoring the moment of rest while it lasted.
Manako: (Alright…you had your first chance to dominate…so what’s next?)
Airon: (He grinned in response as he returned his sword to its sheath, unbuckling it and tossing it high into the air before sliding his coat off.) (Take a wild guess.)
He quickly formed an all-too familiar hand sign, which Manako duplicated as Airon’s sword began its descent back down to the earth.
Airon and Manako: Shadow Clone Jutsu!!
Three clones appeared around Manako in puffs of smoke, while around Airon came four, one of which grabbed his sword as it came down, thrusting it backwards to forcefully unsheathe it before charging forward. As one of Manako’s clones rushed forward to instigate a swordfight, the remaining clones began forming various hand signs, with the first to finish being among Airon’s.
Airon: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!!
An enormous stream of flames burst from the clone’s lips, which Manako’s quickly stepped in front of to meet head-on.
Manako: Water Style: Raging Waves!
A huge spout of water came forth and collided with the fire, producing a large cloud of steam as another one of Airon’s clones completed its required hand signs.
Airon: Earth Style: Mudshot Jutsu!
Using the element’s natural advantage over it, the clone sent the heavy surge of moist earth now spewing from its mouth crashing into the stream of water coming from Manako’s, pushing the battle between it and his other clone’s fire technique in his favor. Not about to give up so easily, the real Manako standing nearby held out his arm as sparks began building in his hand.
Manako: Lightning Style: Beast Tracking Fang!
The large ball of lightning-enhanced chakra quickly morphed into the shape of a hound to produce the desired technique, which immediately ran forward to assist his clone’s water technique. With one more doppelganger on his side, though, Airon slowly began taking in air, intent on winning this free-for-all.
Airon: Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!!
A concentrated gust of powerful winds ruptured from his mouth and collided with the ongoing struggle, resulting in a three-on-two clash between the elements that those watching couldn’t help but notice and be awed by.
Kurotsuchi: All five chakra natures…performed in unison.
Chōjūrō: That’s some amazing versatility for such young shinobi. …And the match has only just begun.
Darui: (Impressed, as well, he turned to the boys’ grandfathers in hopes of procuring more information.) Sorry for intruding, but exactly how many chakra natures do those boys have apiece?
Naruto: (He turned to Sasuke with his lips curled inward, seemingly on the verge of laughing aloud.) Manako can use all of them except for earth. …Airon’s got access to all five.
Sasuke: (Taking note of the smugness in his response, he turned away again as hot air excreted from his nostrils.) It’s not about how many they can use, idiot. It’s how well they can use them.
Their attention was quickly drawn back to the arena as the five-way struggle reached its end, with Manako’s final clone closing in and forcing two of Airon’s to fall back, leaving the third one to perish under the weight of his opponents’ techniques. What followed was a face-off between trios of doppelgangers which, with Manako’s unmatched reflexes applying to each of them, left Airon unable to land any decisive blows and eventually resulted in a one-on-three match that his rival’s grandfather couldn’t help but smirk at, considering his old teammate’s confidence just moments ago.
Sasuke: It looks to me like your grandson needs more than that to keep up with Manako.
Naruto merely shrugged this off, though, far too focused on his grandson’s declining success to give a comeback. Manako took notice of this, as well, smiling at Airon in amusement as he and his clones attempted to converge on him from every angle.
Manako: (Am I giving you trouble already, Airon?)
Airon: (He quickly retreated through clever use of his marked kunai, returning Manako’s gesture once he was out of harm’s way.) (Please, it’s no different than swatting at a fly, Manako. I’m gonna catch you eventually. …And I’m counting this as one of your moments to dominate, by the way.)
Manako: (He smirked at his remark before encircling him once again, each of his clones forming more hands signs once they were positioned several meters back.) (Whatever makes you feel better.) Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!
Each of them raised their heads and began spouting large quantities of water from their mouths, which quickly built up until they towered dozens of feet over Airon’s head. Unfazed, though, Airon waited patiently until they began crashing down over him before forming a few hand signs of his own.
Airon: Earth Style: Antlion Jutsu!
Immediately after announcing the name of his technique, he tossed a marked kunai high into the air and teleported out of harm’s way, leaving behind a small sinkhole that quickly began dragging every last drop of water towards its center, along with everything else within its considerably large range – including Manako’s clones. He waited until he was closer to ground level before throwing another kunai towards the wall, which he teleported to in order to stop his descent before looking back over at the sinkhole as the ground slowly ceased movement once again. To his dismay, though, it seemed only one of Manako’s clones had fallen victim to his technique, while he and the other one leapt to safety just in time.
Airon: (Dang it, two of them made it out alive. …This is gonna get annoying fast.)
Sliding back down to the arena floor, Airon reached into his weapons pouch and pulled out three more marked kunai while a large Rasengan quickly formed in his other hand, waiting until both of them had drawn their swords before rushing forward. The battle that ensued proved fast-paced but nonetheless fruitless for Airon, healing any small wounds he received from his foes with ease while he failed to lay so much as a scratch on either of them – at least, not one strong enough to force them to vanish. The longer it went on, the less effort he took to avoid injury, the latter fact adding to Manako’s frustration just as much as the former did to Airon’s.
Kei: Jeez, they’re really going at it, aren’t they?
Inase: (She tilted her head towards him before looking back down at the arena, obviously more focused on the fighting than she was at any other point during the tournament.) (Of course they are. …This is the fight they’ve spent most of their lives preparing for.)
In the adjacent section, Mirai’s team sat together with Shikamaru’s family, watching the match unfold with wide eyes as some of them took the opportunity to express their thoughts on its early stages.
Shikaru: Manako’s giving him a pretty hard time right now. I figured the match would be a bit more balanced, or even the opposite since Manako used up way more chakra in his other matches.
Chōzen: (He polished off a bag of potato chips as he chimed in.) Mmm, no kiddin’. Wunt Airon ‘posed to be the speed demon round ‘ere?
Kūrogane: (She rested her arms between their chairs to get closer as she added to the dialogue.) That’s to an extent, but where offense is concerned, Airon’s going up against Manako’s reflexes. …He can barely even touch him, let alone land a hard enough hit to get rid of those clones.
Mirai: (She smiled at this, in part for her pride in Kūrogane’s insightful nature.) That’s true, but Airon is a very cunning shinobi. He has more than enough resources at his disposal for finding out a way around this.
Shikamaru: (He nodded in apparent agreement, though his expression made it clear that he had a more pessimistic viewpoint.) (Still, I thought that kid would’ve had the upper hand in this match by now, especially after all I’ve seen or been told. …Exaggerating your claims again, were you, Naruto?)
On the balcony, those accompanying the Kage also watched attentively as Manako and his clone continued to tear away at Airon, among them the Kazekage’s nephew and grandchildren who, for the most part, were more awed by their performances than anything.
Yatsuri: They’re not even ten minutes in and they’ve already shown up pretty much everyone else here. …It’s like the other matches weren’t even a challenge to them until now.
Ryūza: They’re descended from the two strongest shinobi alive. It’s to be expected.
Yatsuri: Pssh, the way they’re fighting now, maybe THEY’RE the strongest shinobi alive.
Ryūza: Hm, well, don’t get ahead of yourself, Yatsuri. …They’re still just genin.
Sabure: (She squeezed her forearms as she leaned her back against the wall beside her brother, her support clearly more directed towards a specific contestant than those of her teammates.) (Come on. …You’ve got him, Manako.)
Down below, Airon’s frustration continued to boil over with his continued failures to land a hit on either Manako, made more intense by his most recent blow to the chest.
Airon: (Rrrgh, come on. I’ve gotta have something up my sleeve for this. It’s just two clones, for heaven sakes.)
His wishful thinking failed to pan out, though, and after less than another minute of his impatience catching up to his irritation, he finally succumbed to the one option he was hoping to avoid altogether.
Airon: (Huhh, forget it.) Shadow Clone Jutsu!!
Over a third of the arena was instantly covered in his doppelgangers, but Manako merely smirked at the gesture before dismissing his own clone and copying Airon’s hand sign.
Manako: (Two can play at that game, Airon.) Shadow Clone Jutsu!
An equal number of clones immediately appeared behind Manako, prompting Airon to cringe as the all-out war commenced. Unfortunately for him, the number held no effect on their individual abilities, and with Manako’s reflexes still a huge factor in the match, dozens of his clones were still active on the arena floor by the time Airon’s had been dwindled back down to one.
Airon: (Dang it! That just made it worse…come on, think.)
Manako: (Recalling their past, he couldn’t help but smirk at this somewhat amusing turn of events.) I’ll leave it up to you, Airon! One at a time…or all at once?
Airon could only look around with a grim expression at the swarm of clones encircling him. For the first time since the match began, though, this turn of events suddenly gave him a useful strategy to initiate, prompting him to smirk as he pulled out two kunai and dropped to one knee.
Airon: (You know how I like it, Manako.)
Without hesitation, the horde of doppelgangers closed in around him – save for the real Manako, who stayed behind in case the worst came to pass. To the confusion of the masses, though, Airon refused to move a single muscle until the first one’s fist was mere inches from his face, at which point he unveiled a wicked smirk as he slammed his palm against the ground.
Airon: (Gotcha!) Earth Style: Mobile Core!!
In an instant, an enormous square section of the arena vanished from the crowd’s sight, dropping several hundred feet below the surface within seconds while the area surrounding its borders remained unaffected, all of Manako’s clones going along with it. As it descended, Airon threw one of his kunai against the wall of the deep chasm, teleporting to it and out of the reach of Manako’s clones before using the second to teleport back to the surface. Once there, he quickly produced four more clones and positioned them on each side of the chasm before pressing his hands to the ground again.
Airon: Earth Hold Jutsu!!
Airon’s clones: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!
The audience looked on in awe as the gaping hole slowly began closing once again, while Airon’s clones continued to pour fire into it to prevent the clones trapped inside from climbing back up the walls. The tactic ultimately succeeded and he dismissed his clones shortly after the chasm closed up before dropping to a knee to catch his breath, those in the stands reflecting on the impressive range he showed in dealing with this setback.
Darui: All that trouble…just to get rid of a bunch of clones.
Chōjūrō: Those were some fairly impressive jutsu he did it with, though. …Far beyond what anyone else his age should be capable of.
Kurotsuchi: And on top of that, he doesn’t appear very exhausted after the fact. …With that chakra control of his, I can only imagine how little he had to waste using them all.
Gaara: (He nodded in agreement to this before turning to the one Kage who remained silent.) Your own thoughts on the match’s development, Lord Hokage?
Konohamaru: (Slumped back in his chair, he smiled in nostalgic amusement with his fingers intertwined in front of his face.) I spent most of my years as Hokage watching these two age and progress like their fathers before them. …Most of what you’ve seen so far is nothing new to me.
Down below, Airon returned to his feet and turned to face Manako, who stood motionless during the entire spectacle. They stared at each other in silence for a brief moment before smirking simultaneously.
Airon: (You knew I was gonna do that, didn’t you?)
Manako: (The journey to the end was more elaborate than I expected…but nonetheless, I took the necessary precautions.)
From behind Airon, one final clone suddenly emerged and charged towards him, katana in hand, having remained hidden in the nearby tree line the entire time.
Manako: Now kneel.
Airon: …Pssh, you gotta be kidding me.
Not moving even an inch as it closed in, Airon merely tilted his head off to the side as the clone lunged forward with its sword, catching the blade in his hand and pulling it forward before delivering a solid kick to its chest that dispersed it instantly. The sword quickly disappeared along with it, revealing a deep gash across Airon’s hand as the audience gazed at him in wonder.
Kurotsuchi: He just sacrificed one of his hands to get rid of the final clone. How does he intend-
Konohamaru: Hmhmhm, apologies, Tsuchikage. I’m afraid we’ve already witnessed his solution to that particular dilemma during this tournament.
Put off the sudden remark, Kurotsuchi stopped and looked back down at Airon’s hand, finding to her amazement – and embarrassing realization – that the wound left there by the sword had already been almost fully healed.
Kurotsuchi: Oh…right.
Flexing his hand once the wound had completely closed up, Airon looked around to ensure no other sneak attacks were lying in wait before looking back over at Manako.
Airon: (Did you know I’d do that, too?)
Manako: (He smiled as he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.) (What do you expect, Airon? …We know each other better than the backs of our hands.)
Taking the hint, Airon pulled out his sword once again and pointed it towards his rival as he did the same with his own.
Airon: (I thought for sure you would’ve run low on “chah-kray” by now.)
Manako: (Recognizing the intentional mispronunciation as a long-forgotten error on his part, he simply shook his head in both annoyance and amusement.) (You intend to hold that against me forever, don’t you?)
Airon: (Hmhm, until the day we sever our ties, Manako…so yes, forever.)
The two proceeded to stare at each other for the longest time until finally, their smiles disappeared and they charged at each other once again, the sound of the blades colliding echoing across the entire stadium.
Is there anything these two powerhouses aren’t capable of!!?
The End
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Chapter 073: On Another Level
– Eleven Years Prior –
The sky was clear and the air fresh and cool as a young Boruto Uzumaki approached the Uchiha estate with his eldest son in hand. His triplet siblings were too young and feeble to leave their estate, causing his wife Inoue to stay behind, as well, but Airon’s surprising development made him more than capable of going out accompanied by his father – or by himself, for that matter. Upon crossing the parameters into their land, the young man and his son were quickly greeted by his rival of slightly younger years, as well as his ailing wife – Boruto’s younger sister – and their young son, whose development nearly rivaled Airon’s own. After being introduced for the first time since they became old enough to remember such events, the two boys immediately took off through the confines of the estates upon asking permission from their parents, the latter unworried that any sort of danger or harm might come across them as they played. The next hour was spent mostly on their own, engaging in various silly activities before they finally settled next to the large fountain in the center of the estate’s modest, but relatively large garden.
Airon: Is Auntie Himawari doing alright?
Manako: (He ran his small hands through the water with a melancholic expression on his face, while Airon sat next to him with his back against the fountain.) Yeah, she stays in bed all day, but she’s okay. She says she wants to have a huge party when she gets better, and she wants everybody to come to it.
Airon: Hehehehe, that sounds great! Tell her to get better soon then!
Manako: Hmhmhm, I will.
He continued running his hands through the water until several of the large koi fish that inhabited it began approaching, at which point he drew back and reached for one of the many small pails filled with feed that hung over the sides of the fountain. As he came up with a handful of it, though, he noticed Airon sitting beside him with his hands outstretched, a faint blue wave of energy dancing around them. Recognizing it after a moment, the boy’s black eyes widened in surprise.
Manako: Is that…chah-kray?
Airon: (He grinned in amusement.) Hehehahahaha, you mean chakra?
Manako: (He bit his lip in embarrassment before throwing the feed in his hand into the water.) Rrgh, whatever! …I’ve only seen Papa and Uncle Bolt using it before. How’re you doing it?
Airon: Wait, you mean you can’t do this?
Manako: (His matter-of-fact tone prompted him to look away as his cheeks swelled with hot air.) …No. And so what?
Airon: (His smile shrunk slightly as he stood up.) Sorry. …Have you tried doing it?
Manako: …I don’t know how to start.
Airon: (He grabbed his arm to prompt him to turn and face him, forming a standard hand sign once he could see him.) Oh, well then here. Hold your hands like this.
Manako: (Confused, he hesitantly copied the hand sign.) Like this?
Airon: Yeah. This is how Grandpa taught me to focus your chakra. You make a hand sign like this, then you just concentrate and the chakra will start building up in your hands.
Manako: (Though still too young to understand certain words, his basic grasp of Airon’s explanation caused his face to turn blank.) That sounds…easy.
Airon: Hehe, it’s real easy once you get the hang of it. …Now come on, try it out.
Still put off by the simplicity Airon presented the act with, Manako tightened his hands and shut his eyes, opening them again when he started to feel the chakra flowing up through his arms. Just a few moments later, faint swirls of blue began pulsating around his fingers, prompting him to look up at a smiling Airon with a large grin.
Manako: I see it…I see it! Airon, look! I’m making chakra!
Airon: Haha, nice! But you’re not really making it, cuz. It’s already inside you. You just bring it out when you do that. Watch.
He clasped his hands together again as Manako’s fell flat, producing more chakra than before. This, coupled with the fact that he accomplished it in mere seconds, prompted Manako’s eyebrows to drop as the rest of his face turned blank.
Manako: Showoff.
Airon: Hehehehe, come on, don’t get mad. You would do it, too, if you could.
Manako: (He tightened his fists upon hearing this subtle implication.) Alright, well then watch! I’m gonna keep on practicing and bringing out more and more, and before long, I’ll be building up more chakra than you ever could!
His statement slowly turned into a rant as he continued on, but that didn’t stop Airon from stepping back and holding up his hand, shaped into the Seal of Confrontation, much to Manako’s confusion.
Airon: I’ll take that as a challenge.
Initially seeing this challenge he presented as unfriendly, Manako frowned up at him in displeasure, though this distasteful expression quickly vanished when Airon’s smile made it clear to him that he had anything but hostility on his mind. A few moments later, Manako returned both his smile and hand sign in kind, signifying the beginning of what would soon become a lifelong rivalry.
– Present-Day –
The blinding light given off by their head-on collision soon ceased, and both genin leapt back without any semblance of a scratch on their skin or clothes, prompting the younger of their two grandmothers to grab her chest in relief as those around her looked on in astonishment.
Hinata: They’re okay…thanks goodness.
Chōjūrō: I’m amazed that they came out of that impact unscathed. …One would think it would’ve at least left them slightly fazed.
Sasuke: (He exchanged glances with Naruto, though the underlying amusement that once came with them was now gone.) One would, Mizukage…one would.
Down below, Airon and Manako’s feet reconnected with the ground, at which point a trio of kunai shot out from beneath the former’s sleeve at lightning speed. Noticing the string attached to each of their hilts, Manako took off in a run towards the audience side of the stadium.
Manako: (I’m not falling for that, Airon.)
Airon: (It wasn’t a choice, Manako.)
Contrary to Manako’s prediction, Airon began swinging the three projectiles in the opposite direction, causing them to circumnavigate the arena as they slowly sunk closer to the ground, eventually landing directly around Manako, who was unable to shift direction in time.
Airon: (I’m fighting Nakama.)
As his mind processed this thought, Airon reached for his katana and Manako for his own, the latter unveiling a kunai in his other hand as the former suddenly vanished, reappearing instantaneously above one of the three kunai surrounding his foe. What followed was an all-out war between teleportation and lightning-quick reflexes, one that carried on for almost a full minute without so much as an injury for or against either party, much to the amazement of even the strongest and most experienced members of the crowd.
Kurotsuchi: He’s actually…but that’s impossible.
Gaara: Such unyielding speed…and against the Flying Raijin.
Darui: How the hell is he doing that?
Sasuke: (He stared blankly down at his grandson’s unwavering eyes as he answered.) That’s his Mangekyō Sharingan. His reflexes on their own are virtually unrivalled, even against most of the people sitting up here, but with those eyes activated…even the Flying Raijin jutsu isn’t fast enough to land a hit on him.
Naruto: (Knowing a fair deal about their success against one another over the years, Naruto glanced over at Sasuke momentarily before looking away with a smirk.) We’ll see about that, Sasuke.
The battle of hand speeds lasted several more seconds before Airon had finally had enough, tossing a kunai off in the distance during a brief moment of hesitation, which he immediately teleported to once it hit the ground. Channeling lightning-enhanced chakra through his blade, Manako quickly did away with the marked hilts of the kunai surrounding him before taking a few deep breaths, savoring the moment of rest while it lasted.
Manako: (Alright…you had your first chance to dominate…so what’s next?)
Airon: (He grinned in response as he returned his sword to its sheath, unbuckling it and tossing it high into the air before sliding his coat off.) (Take a wild guess.)
He quickly formed an all-too familiar hand sign, which Manako duplicated as Airon’s sword began its descent back down to the earth.
Airon and Manako: Shadow Clone Jutsu!!
Three clones appeared around Manako in puffs of smoke, while around Airon came four, one of which grabbed his sword as it came down, thrusting it backwards to forcefully unsheathe it before charging forward. As one of Manako’s clones rushed forward to instigate a swordfight, the remaining clones began forming various hand signs, with the first to finish being among Airon’s.
Airon: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!!
An enormous stream of flames burst from the clone’s lips, which Manako’s quickly stepped in front of to meet head-on.
Manako: Water Style: Raging Waves!
A huge spout of water came forth and collided with the fire, producing a large cloud of steam as another one of Airon’s clones completed its required hand signs.
Airon: Earth Style: Mudshot Jutsu!
Using the element’s natural advantage over it, the clone sent the heavy surge of moist earth now spewing from its mouth crashing into the stream of water coming from Manako’s, pushing the battle between it and his other clone’s fire technique in his favor. Not about to give up so easily, the real Manako standing nearby held out his arm as sparks began building in his hand.
Manako: Lightning Style: Beast Tracking Fang!
The large ball of lightning-enhanced chakra quickly morphed into the shape of a hound to produce the desired technique, which immediately ran forward to assist his clone’s water technique. With one more doppelganger on his side, though, Airon slowly began taking in air, intent on winning this free-for-all.
Airon: Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!!
A concentrated gust of powerful winds ruptured from his mouth and collided with the ongoing struggle, resulting in a three-on-two clash between the elements that those watching couldn’t help but notice and be awed by.
Kurotsuchi: All five chakra natures…performed in unison.
Chōjūrō: That’s some amazing versatility for such young shinobi. …And the match has only just begun.
Darui: (Impressed, as well, he turned to the boys’ grandfathers in hopes of procuring more information.) Sorry for intruding, but exactly how many chakra natures do those boys have apiece?
Naruto: (He turned to Sasuke with his lips curled inward, seemingly on the verge of laughing aloud.) Manako can use all of them except for earth. …Airon’s got access to all five.
Sasuke: (Taking note of the smugness in his response, he turned away again as hot air excreted from his nostrils.) It’s not about how many they can use, idiot. It’s how well they can use them.
Their attention was quickly drawn back to the arena as the five-way struggle reached its end, with Manako’s final clone closing in and forcing two of Airon’s to fall back, leaving the third one to perish under the weight of his opponents’ techniques. What followed was a face-off between trios of doppelgangers which, with Manako’s unmatched reflexes applying to each of them, left Airon unable to land any decisive blows and eventually resulted in a one-on-three match that his rival’s grandfather couldn’t help but smirk at, considering his old teammate’s confidence just moments ago.
Sasuke: It looks to me like your grandson needs more than that to keep up with Manako.
Naruto merely shrugged this off, though, far too focused on his grandson’s declining success to give a comeback. Manako took notice of this, as well, smiling at Airon in amusement as he and his clones attempted to converge on him from every angle.
Manako: (Am I giving you trouble already, Airon?)
Airon: (He quickly retreated through clever use of his marked kunai, returning Manako’s gesture once he was out of harm’s way.) (Please, it’s no different than swatting at a fly, Manako. I’m gonna catch you eventually. …And I’m counting this as one of your moments to dominate, by the way.)
Manako: (He smirked at his remark before encircling him once again, each of his clones forming more hands signs once they were positioned several meters back.) (Whatever makes you feel better.) Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!
Each of them raised their heads and began spouting large quantities of water from their mouths, which quickly built up until they towered dozens of feet over Airon’s head. Unfazed, though, Airon waited patiently until they began crashing down over him before forming a few hand signs of his own.
Airon: Earth Style: Antlion Jutsu!
Immediately after announcing the name of his technique, he tossed a marked kunai high into the air and teleported out of harm’s way, leaving behind a small sinkhole that quickly began dragging every last drop of water towards its center, along with everything else within its considerably large range – including Manako’s clones. He waited until he was closer to ground level before throwing another kunai towards the wall, which he teleported to in order to stop his descent before looking back over at the sinkhole as the ground slowly ceased movement once again. To his dismay, though, it seemed only one of Manako’s clones had fallen victim to his technique, while he and the other one leapt to safety just in time.
Airon: (Dang it, two of them made it out alive. …This is gonna get annoying fast.)
Sliding back down to the arena floor, Airon reached into his weapons pouch and pulled out three more marked kunai while a large Rasengan quickly formed in his other hand, waiting until both of them had drawn their swords before rushing forward. The battle that ensued proved fast-paced but nonetheless fruitless for Airon, healing any small wounds he received from his foes with ease while he failed to lay so much as a scratch on either of them – at least, not one strong enough to force them to vanish. The longer it went on, the less effort he took to avoid injury, the latter fact adding to Manako’s frustration just as much as the former did to Airon’s.
Kei: Jeez, they’re really going at it, aren’t they?
Inase: (She tilted her head towards him before looking back down at the arena, obviously more focused on the fighting than she was at any other point during the tournament.) (Of course they are. …This is the fight they’ve spent most of their lives preparing for.)
In the adjacent section, Mirai’s team sat together with Shikamaru’s family, watching the match unfold with wide eyes as some of them took the opportunity to express their thoughts on its early stages.
Shikaru: Manako’s giving him a pretty hard time right now. I figured the match would be a bit more balanced, or even the opposite since Manako used up way more chakra in his other matches.
Chōzen: (He polished off a bag of potato chips as he chimed in.) Mmm, no kiddin’. Wunt Airon ‘posed to be the speed demon round ‘ere?
Kūrogane: (She rested her arms between their chairs to get closer as she added to the dialogue.) That’s to an extent, but where offense is concerned, Airon’s going up against Manako’s reflexes. …He can barely even touch him, let alone land a hard enough hit to get rid of those clones.
Mirai: (She smiled at this, in part for her pride in Kūrogane’s insightful nature.) That’s true, but Airon is a very cunning shinobi. He has more than enough resources at his disposal for finding out a way around this.
Shikamaru: (He nodded in apparent agreement, though his expression made it clear that he had a more pessimistic viewpoint.) (Still, I thought that kid would’ve had the upper hand in this match by now, especially after all I’ve seen or been told. …Exaggerating your claims again, were you, Naruto?)
On the balcony, those accompanying the Kage also watched attentively as Manako and his clone continued to tear away at Airon, among them the Kazekage’s nephew and grandchildren who, for the most part, were more awed by their performances than anything.
Yatsuri: They’re not even ten minutes in and they’ve already shown up pretty much everyone else here. …It’s like the other matches weren’t even a challenge to them until now.
Ryūza: They’re descended from the two strongest shinobi alive. It’s to be expected.
Yatsuri: Pssh, the way they’re fighting now, maybe THEY’RE the strongest shinobi alive.
Ryūza: Hm, well, don’t get ahead of yourself, Yatsuri. …They’re still just genin.
Sabure: (She squeezed her forearms as she leaned her back against the wall beside her brother, her support clearly more directed towards a specific contestant than those of her teammates.) (Come on. …You’ve got him, Manako.)
Down below, Airon’s frustration continued to boil over with his continued failures to land a hit on either Manako, made more intense by his most recent blow to the chest.
Airon: (Rrrgh, come on. I’ve gotta have something up my sleeve for this. It’s just two clones, for heaven sakes.)
His wishful thinking failed to pan out, though, and after less than another minute of his impatience catching up to his irritation, he finally succumbed to the one option he was hoping to avoid altogether.
Airon: (Huhh, forget it.) Shadow Clone Jutsu!!
Over a third of the arena was instantly covered in his doppelgangers, but Manako merely smirked at the gesture before dismissing his own clone and copying Airon’s hand sign.
Manako: (Two can play at that game, Airon.) Shadow Clone Jutsu!
An equal number of clones immediately appeared behind Manako, prompting Airon to cringe as the all-out war commenced. Unfortunately for him, the number held no effect on their individual abilities, and with Manako’s reflexes still a huge factor in the match, dozens of his clones were still active on the arena floor by the time Airon’s had been dwindled back down to one.
Airon: (Dang it! That just made it worse…come on, think.)
Manako: (Recalling their past, he couldn’t help but smirk at this somewhat amusing turn of events.) I’ll leave it up to you, Airon! One at a time…or all at once?
Airon could only look around with a grim expression at the swarm of clones encircling him. For the first time since the match began, though, this turn of events suddenly gave him a useful strategy to initiate, prompting him to smirk as he pulled out two kunai and dropped to one knee.
Airon: (You know how I like it, Manako.)
Without hesitation, the horde of doppelgangers closed in around him – save for the real Manako, who stayed behind in case the worst came to pass. To the confusion of the masses, though, Airon refused to move a single muscle until the first one’s fist was mere inches from his face, at which point he unveiled a wicked smirk as he slammed his palm against the ground.
Airon: (Gotcha!) Earth Style: Mobile Core!!
In an instant, an enormous square section of the arena vanished from the crowd’s sight, dropping several hundred feet below the surface within seconds while the area surrounding its borders remained unaffected, all of Manako’s clones going along with it. As it descended, Airon threw one of his kunai against the wall of the deep chasm, teleporting to it and out of the reach of Manako’s clones before using the second to teleport back to the surface. Once there, he quickly produced four more clones and positioned them on each side of the chasm before pressing his hands to the ground again.
Airon: Earth Hold Jutsu!!
Airon’s clones: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!
The audience looked on in awe as the gaping hole slowly began closing once again, while Airon’s clones continued to pour fire into it to prevent the clones trapped inside from climbing back up the walls. The tactic ultimately succeeded and he dismissed his clones shortly after the chasm closed up before dropping to a knee to catch his breath, those in the stands reflecting on the impressive range he showed in dealing with this setback.
Darui: All that trouble…just to get rid of a bunch of clones.
Chōjūrō: Those were some fairly impressive jutsu he did it with, though. …Far beyond what anyone else his age should be capable of.
Kurotsuchi: And on top of that, he doesn’t appear very exhausted after the fact. …With that chakra control of his, I can only imagine how little he had to waste using them all.
Gaara: (He nodded in agreement to this before turning to the one Kage who remained silent.) Your own thoughts on the match’s development, Lord Hokage?
Konohamaru: (Slumped back in his chair, he smiled in nostalgic amusement with his fingers intertwined in front of his face.) I spent most of my years as Hokage watching these two age and progress like their fathers before them. …Most of what you’ve seen so far is nothing new to me.
Down below, Airon returned to his feet and turned to face Manako, who stood motionless during the entire spectacle. They stared at each other in silence for a brief moment before smirking simultaneously.
Airon: (You knew I was gonna do that, didn’t you?)
Manako: (The journey to the end was more elaborate than I expected…but nonetheless, I took the necessary precautions.)
From behind Airon, one final clone suddenly emerged and charged towards him, katana in hand, having remained hidden in the nearby tree line the entire time.
Manako: Now kneel.
Airon: …Pssh, you gotta be kidding me.
Not moving even an inch as it closed in, Airon merely tilted his head off to the side as the clone lunged forward with its sword, catching the blade in his hand and pulling it forward before delivering a solid kick to its chest that dispersed it instantly. The sword quickly disappeared along with it, revealing a deep gash across Airon’s hand as the audience gazed at him in wonder.
Kurotsuchi: He just sacrificed one of his hands to get rid of the final clone. How does he intend-
Konohamaru: Hmhmhm, apologies, Tsuchikage. I’m afraid we’ve already witnessed his solution to that particular dilemma during this tournament.
Put off the sudden remark, Kurotsuchi stopped and looked back down at Airon’s hand, finding to her amazement – and embarrassing realization – that the wound left there by the sword had already been almost fully healed.
Kurotsuchi: Oh…right.
Flexing his hand once the wound had completely closed up, Airon looked around to ensure no other sneak attacks were lying in wait before looking back over at Manako.
Airon: (Did you know I’d do that, too?)
Manako: (He smiled as he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.) (What do you expect, Airon? …We know each other better than the backs of our hands.)
Taking the hint, Airon pulled out his sword once again and pointed it towards his rival as he did the same with his own.
Airon: (I thought for sure you would’ve run low on “chah-kray” by now.)
Manako: (Recognizing the intentional mispronunciation as a long-forgotten error on his part, he simply shook his head in both annoyance and amusement.) (You intend to hold that against me forever, don’t you?)
Airon: (Hmhm, until the day we sever our ties, Manako…so yes, forever.)
The two proceeded to stare at each other for the longest time until finally, their smiles disappeared and they charged at each other once again, the sound of the blades colliding echoing across the entire stadium.
Is there anything these two powerhouses aren’t capable of!!?
The End
