'Today, you die!'
Kyojiro breathed in the dust and tiny gravel in the air. His eyes were locked onto the figure of the Jonin opposite him — brown hair, a huge body, arms and legs covered in a strange earth-style armor.
He brought his katana forward, moving toward the man quickly.
The Jonin rushed forward as well. His arm shot out for another punch, yet this time Kyojiro was ready. The veins on his arms bulged as his katana moved toward the fist.
TING!
It hit with a sharp sound, displacing the earth-covered fist by barely an inch.
Kyojiro couldn't help but widen his eyes. While he expected the man to be strong, not so much that he would only be able to displace him that little.
'I can't jab him now… the distance isn't enough.' His brows clenched, yet his eyes narrowed as he saw the left hand moving toward him.
Bringing his sword in front of him as defense, he gritted his teeth as he was lifted into the air. His arms trembled as he rag-dolled across the ground.
Yet the man didn't stop — he immediately reached Kyojiro, his fist swinging toward his falling figure.
SWOOSH!
Kyojiro turned mid-air, his sword moving in perfect synchronization. 'Flame Breathing – Sixth Form: Ring of Fire!'
His arms bulged immediately, his body twisting in the air as his katana cut through the very wind itself before landing directly on the man's fist.
BOOM!
Both of them froze in mid-air for a split second before rag-dolling away from each other.
Using his katana to stop, he dug it into the ground, his trembling arms barely holding on. His eyes widened despite his rage. 'This strength…'
However, the next second, they calmed.
'I have always been the weaker one in the fight. This doesn't change anything.' His jaw tightened, his eyes sharpening as he took a new stance.
His blood vessels expanded under sheer pressure as he locked onto the opposing Jonin.
'Flame Breathing – Ninth Form: Rengoku!'
CRACK!
The ground split beneath him, the dust unraveling in a majestic dance of flame. His figure barreled forward at lightning speed — his katana slicing through the air like a knife through butter....
The Jonin couldn't help but widen his eyes. That speed and power were too much — even for him. At the very last second, he gritted his teeth and brought his arms up in a last-ditch effort.
BOOM!
He flew through the air once again, anger rising in his heart. 'My leader sent me to kill the young… yet this guy keeps blocking me!'
Blood vessels burst from sheer rage as he stood up. His eyes darted toward his arm — the same one that had blocked the blow. 'It's injured… for the first time in my life, I've been injured while using this jutsu.'
He wasn't some normal Jonin — his extremely hard exterior made him close to an elite.
Shaking his head, he immediately rushed toward the fiery-haired ninja. 'Your specific sword moves… they need time to work, don't they?' His fist shot forward in a straight jab.
THUMP!
THUMP!
He saw as the man crouched under his fist, his katana coming toward him with a terrifying sheen.
Yet instead of backing away, he shot forward. 'Earth Armor – Protect me!'
His hand shot out, catching the blade tightly.
His lips tugged upward; he savored the look of shock on the Uchiha's face.
SWOOSH!
CRACK!
For a moment, he felt the thrill of battle — his heart thumping with adrenaline and excitement as he broke the sword while punching at the man in a single, fluid second.
His opponent dodged, the punch cracking the ground beneath them. Yet the Jonin couldn't help but smirk.
'For a ninja to be this strong at such a young age… one needs to be specialized.'
It was a common rule among ninjas — no one, and he meant no one, could break it.
A cruel smile lit his face. 'If I rid Konoha of such a talent, that alone would be sufficient.'...
Kyojiro's heart ached as he saw the pieces of his sword on the ground. The man hadn't just broken it — he'd fragmented it.
Yet despite the void in his chest, he couldn't stop.
He dodged another punch by a hair's breadth, his eyes widening as he stared at the armored man.
"Arghhh!" he shouted, his figure moving like a phantom, striking multiple parts of the giant's body.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Shivers ran down his back as he witnessed the result of his attacks — a faint sizzle mark, like something had been lightly roasted.
Taking the opportunity, the man immediately shot forward, his fist catching Kyojiro off-guard.
WHOOSH!
Kyojiro barely managed to raise his forearm in time. His fingers tried to reach for his katana… yet his heart stopped. 'It's broken… right?'
The next second, sharp pain exploded through his body. His vision nearly blacked out as he was lifted into the air.
Shockwaves rumbled outward — it felt like his entire bone structure was being crushed in a grinder.
BOOM!
He coughed out a huge amount of blood, flying through the air before landing with two painful thuds.
"Keugh!" He coughed up another mouthful of blood. The punch hadn't just hit his arm — it had Shook his insides.
He looked up only to find the brown-haired Jonin laughing sadistically at him. 'I… am I losing right now?'
The realization struck him like an anvil before a hammer. Ever since he'd gained those memories, he'd felt invincible.
He tried to stand, yet his legs trembled beneath him, his breathing short and shallow.
"Cough, cough!" Blood escaped his mouth like a faucet.
'I never thought I would lose so quickly again…' His eyes drooped, exhaustion creeping over him.
His heart thumped in despair. He needed to do something.
Yet before he could think further, a voice resounded beside him.
"Kyojiro… I believe in you!"
His eyes widened as he looked toward the trembling yet standing figure of Kushiro.
'What?'.