[Opening Scene – Kirigakure Academy, Combat Ring]
The dueling ground wasn't grand or ceremonial. Just stone tiles slick with morning dew, framed by mist and silence. In the center stood two figures.
On the left, Shiroku Hozuki, water-nature prodigy, heir to a ruthless line, eyes filled with cold intent.
On the right, Riku Kiryū, the boy with Crystal Release, untested in public since the accident.
Students and instructors formed a loose ring around them, their eyes hungry for blood. The Mist didn't believe in second chances. Only survivors earned respect.
Instructor Koruba stepped forward.
"Sanctioned duel. No interference. No killing—unless you can justify it. Begin on my mark."
[Pre-Fight Tension]
Shiroku smirked.
"Back for round two, 'gem boy'? Don't think I forgot what happened. I saw the fear in your eyes after you killed that runt. Wonder if you'll cry again today."
Riku exhaled slowly, trying to ground himself in the technique Mei had taught him. His new jutsu had never been tested under pressure.
Calm. Focus. Let the crystal form you, not the other way around.
Koruba raised his hand—then dropped it.
"Begin."
The Duel Begins
Shiroku moved first, fast and fluid—his body dissolving into water, reappearing behind Riku with a kunai slash aimed at his ribs.
Too fast—no time for hand signs.
Riku sidestepped and kicked off the ground, forming a single crystal blade mid-air to parry.
Shiroku smirked again and formed three Water Clones, circling Riku in a classic Hozuki tactic.
"Let's see how hard your pretty glass is when it's soaked."
Water bullets fired in unison—Riku spun into a one-handed seal.
"Crystal Style: Prism Wall!"
A multi-angled shield snapped into place, catching the barrage. It cracked—but held.
Riku dropped into a stance Mei had taught him, channeling chakra into his core.
"You wanted to see what I've really been working on?"
He formed a sequence of rapid hand seals—Boar → Horse → Ram → Tiger → Snake—and slammed his hands into the ground.
"Crystal Style: Fang Barrage Jutsu!"
The arena pulsed. The fog around them shimmered—then dozens of razor-thin crystal shards erupted from the ground like a blooming field of death.
Each "fang" honed to a needle point, fired like bullets in controlled arcs at the water clones, cutting through them with precision and speed.
Not random. Not flashy.
Each one aimed to disable—not kill.
Only one Shiroku remained.
He reformed from a puddle, eyes wide with rage—and fear.
"That—wasn't an accident."
Riku stood tall, blood from a cut on his arm running down one sleeve.
"No. It was a choice."
Final Clash
Shiroku lunged again, this time using a full-body hydration technique to liquify mid-strike. A cheap trick. Riku had prepared for it.
Another hand seal.
"Crystal Style: Shatter Field."
The crystal shards still embedded in the ground pulsed, then exploded into a brief wave of concussive light—not lethal, but enough to scatter the mist and water chakra nearby.
Shiroku was forced to rematerialize—and Riku was waiting.
He stopped the blade inches from Shiroku's throat.
"It's over."
Post-Duel Reaction
The crowd was silent.
Then Koruba raised his hand.
"Victory: Riku Kiryū."
A few students clapped. A few whispered.
"He beat a Hozuki…"
"With crystals. That's not just a kekkei genkai—it's precision."
Mei watched from the shadow of a second-story balcony, arms folded, a faint smile on her lips.
"He's learning restraint… but not weakness."
Closing Thoughts – Riku's POV
That wasn't for revenge. That was for control.
I didn't kill him. I could have. But I didn't.
That matters… doesn't it?
END
New Jutsu: Crystal Fang Barrage (Shōton: Kesshō Sōgeki)
Type: Offensive, Mid-Range
Chakra Nature: Crystal Release (Earth + Wind)
Description: Riku creates a burst of sharp crystal shards from the ground, which are launched at enemies in controlled patterns. The technique is designed for precise disabling strikes rather than killing blows.
Bonus Feature: Can "prime" leftover shards for a secondary effect, such as the Shatter Field pulse technique.