The dense forest on the outskirts of Konoha rustled under a warm breeze, shadows of foliage dancing across the mossy ground. Takeshi, katana strapped to his back, advanced cautiously, his instincts on high alert.
A presence brushed past him, and Anko Mitarashi sprang from a tree, a predatory grin on her lips, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Shit…!" Takeshi thought as he looked at her. He had barely recovered from his last battle, and already, he was plunged into another.
The woman stood on a branch, a gleaming katar in one hand, a spinning kunai in the other.
"Lost, kid?" she taunted, her voice sweet but sharp.
Takeshi, thrown off by her confidence, gripped the hilt of his katana.
He was usually the hunter, but today, his intuition told him that roles might be reversed.
Anko struck first, her katar aiming for his chest. Takeshi sidestepped, his fist shooting toward her jaw.
She tilted her head, her black hair slicing through the air, and countered with a knee to his gut. Takeshi blocked with his forearm, pain vibrating through him, and tried a backhand elbow.
She was too fluid—like a serpent, she slipped under the strike, her kunai grazing his neck, a bead of blood appearing.
He jumped back, heart pounding, shaken by her speed.
"She's strong!"
In less than ten seconds, Takeshi realized the woman before him was not to be underestimated. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know much about Anko's skills—after all, who cared about a barely secondary character?
But he might pay for that oversight.
The taijutsu exchange escalated, Anko toying with him. She feinted with her katar, then swept low, aiming for his ankles.
Takeshi leapt, his heel targeting her shoulder, but she rolled aside, a senbon darting toward his thigh.
He parried with his katana, steel ringing, and countered, his blade arcing toward her flank.
Anko, laughing, dodged in a flash, her katar slashing his forearm. Blood dripped onto the moss as Takeshi growled, feeling control slip through his fingers.
He didn't even have time to breathe before Anko went on the offensive, her hands forming seals.
"Katon: Dragon Fire!"
A wave of serpent-shaped flames roared, scorching the underbrush. Takeshi activated the Body Flicker, reappearing ten meters away, but Anko, anticipating, hurled a kunai laced with an explosive tag.
BOOM
The blast grazed him, burning his sleeve, and he dove in, his katana aiming for her throat. She blocked with her katar, sparks flying, and murmured:
"You're cute when you're desperate."
Stung by her words, Takeshi threw a kunai marked with a Hiraishin seal into a tree and teleported to gain distance.
He quickly formed hand seals.
"Katon: Fireball!"
A blazing orb shot forward, but Anko, agile, summoned the Snake Technique. Shadowy serpents burst from the ground, absorbing the flames, and she charged, her katar aimed at his chest.
Takeshi flickered away, appearing behind her—but Anko, cunning as ever, had anticipated it. Her Hidden Shadow Snake Hands struck, shadow serpents wrapping around his legs, trapping him.
"Shit…!"
He slashed them with his katana, but Anko was already upon him, her kunai stabbing into his shoulder, sharp pain radiating.
"You're slow," she mocked, her katar grazing his cheek.
Panting, Takeshi formed a shadow clone that charged with raised katana while he teleported via Hiraishin, reappearing five meters away.
"At this rate, I'm really gonna die…"
Since his fight with Deidara, he hadn't felt such pressure. He tossed an explosive kunai for distraction, the blast lifting a cloud of dust.
Anko, unfazed, emerged from the smoke, her katar slicing his side. Blood soaked his jacket as he staggered, confidence shaken.
She was playing with him—her movements precise, her taunts wearing him down.
"I saw you kill that Jōnin, but it seems you're not all that, kid," she whispered, weaving a subtle genjutsu.
The forest shadows seemed to stir, illusory snakes slithering toward Takeshi. He quickly channeled chakra to break the illusion, but Anko took advantage of his distraction, her Dragon Fire roaring again.
Takeshi dodged with a flicker, but the flames scorched his back, heat biting into his skin. He counterattacked, his katana aiming for her arm, but she parried with her katar, spinning to launch a senbon into his calf.
The pain made him stumble, blood spilling onto his boot.
Cornered, Takeshi attempted a ruse. He sent two shadow clones—one feinting a frontal assault, the other circling around.
She sliced through the first with her katar, dispelling it, but the second planted a Hiraishin kunai into the ground.
"Good."
Takeshi teleported, his blade aiming for her back. Anko, anticipating, summoned her shadow snakes, which coiled around his katana, stopping it. She spun, her katar slashing his chest—a shallow but burning wound.
"You're predictable," she hissed, eyes gleaming with sadism.
What the hell? Wasn't he supposed to be Jōnin-level?
He retreated, hurling a flurry of kunai to distract her while sealing a fire technique.
A storm of flames burst forth, forcing Anko to dodge, her cloak singed. Takeshi used Hiraishin to teleport behind a tree, catching his breath.
He planted a trapped kunai in the ground—a setup for his next move. Anko, relentless, charged, her Dragon Fire scorching the forest floor. Takeshi evaded, teleporting to the kunai, triggering the explosion.
The blast hurled Anko back, but she rolled to her feet, unscathed, a coarse laugh escaping her.
She shifted into high gear, her shadow snakes spreading in a complex web, trapping the terrain.
Takeshi, cornered, slashed at the shadows, but Anko burst forth, her katar aimed at his heart. He blocked, steel screeching, and used the Body Flicker to gain distance.
She pursued, senbon flying like deadly needles. One grazed his cheek, another embedded in his arm, blood running in streams.
Exhausted, Takeshi sent a clone to distract, the clone charging while he teleported via Hiraishin, his blade targeting her side.
Anko, untouchable, dodged, her katar flashing in retaliation, slashing his chest. Blood splattered the moss as Takeshi staggered, breath ragged.
She approached, her predatory grin widening.
"You're fun, but I'm done playing." She sheathed her katar, hands forming seals, a crushing aura emanating from her.
"Time to get serious, kid."
The ground trembled, her shadow snakes rising, ready to strike. Takeshi, bloodied, katana trembling, realized he was no longer the predator. The forest, witness to their duel, seemed to hold its breath, the wind carrying the scent of blood and ash.