In the training ground 6. Tsunade along with shizune and azuma were waiting for kuro to arrive. It was near the scheduled time but kuro hasn't shown up yet.
"Are you sure he knows the exact time of the match Tsunade sama?" asked asuma since kuro was nowhere to be seen yet and the appointed time is almost up. Then as if timed perfectly after he said that a teenage boy with dark red hair just appeared in the training field. On his waist were 30 katana with markings on their hilts placed together on one large sheath.
"Although I'm not late. I guess I still need to apologize huh? hehe.., Sorry for making you wait Asuma-san." apologized kuro who just showed up.
"Well you're technically not late so it's okay for me. I don't know about the Hokage though" replied asuma as he looked at tsunade. Kuro also looked at tsunade but in an his apologetic smile vanished instantly. What came in Tsunade's sight was a only serious face.
"Humph! As long as you're not late. Then, let's get this match over with." Tsunade was annoyed so she closed her eyes and look away at the same time crossed her arms together. Giving a result of the twin peaks getting choked together on full display to everybody in the training ground.
Asuma who was looking at tsunade after asking the question immediately looked away. But kuro who had a serious face on had a different expression he couldn't control. His mouth curved into a smile and his face showed a look of affection which he immediately covered with his hands as he had a sudden shocked expression at what just happened to him then he turned around to calm himself down.
'Damn it! What the hell is this.!? I thought I was over her??' shouted kuro in his mind while clutching his chest with a loudly beating heart. He was clearly affected after seeing tsunade's behavior.
Shizune who was observing by the side clearly saw kuro's expression even though for just a moment. She saw something different. Normally when men look at her master, it would be purely or with a hint of lust. They would always stare down at those twin peaks of hers and some even get nosebleed out of it. But kuro was different. He didn't look down, no. She saw exactly at how genuine those affectionate eyes were that were staring at her master's face coupled with a smile that admires her master's face. She then looked at her master's only to see her annoyed face looking away while her eyes were close. She almost laughed at this but immediately blocked her mouth with both her hands.
'This person.... he really does have true feelings for Lady Tsunade. How unfortunate that he's too young and have a bad timing to enter in her life' Shizune could only regretfully say to herself inside her mind.
"Ehem... Asuma-san. Shall we proceed over there to get more space for our match?" said kuro to asuma so they could start. Asuma nodded and they moved away to a more open space.
"Well then. This will match is a test for Ito Kuro's promotion to becoming Jonin. The condition is simple. Defeat Asuma Sarutobi with your strength. Killing is not allowed for any of you so make sure you use a jutsu you can control. There will be no time limit as long as one side is defeated that marks the end of the match. Are the both of you ready?" Tsunade was the one to provide instructions. Then she asked them to which both of them nodded. Tsunade then signaled for the match to start and quickly get out of the way. Maintaining a safe distance with Shizune as they observe the match.
Kuro pulled a katana with his right hand and put down the sheath on the ground. He then pulled another one with his left hand but this time on a reverse grip. Meanwhile Asuma put on his uniquely-designed trench knifes worn like brass knuckles, with a zigzag-shape blade to give them "teeth". It's called 'chakra blade' as chakra starts showing to cover it and he takes his stance like that of a barehanded fighter. Both shinobi stared at each other on a silent face off.
"Here I go.!" Kuro started by throwing the katana on his left hand directly to asuma's face. 'Hokage sama mentioned that I should watch out for his katana since he can teleport directly in it just like the 4th does.' Asuma dodge the katana by making some distance to the left away from it so he won't be caught off guard. He then dashed to Kuro as he used his chakra blades to attack and he caught nothing but empty air. He turned around to see kuro throwing his katana again but this time both of the katana were coming at him. One was going straight at him while the other one was hurled to curve to his right which means if he follows his way of dodging earlier, either dodge the same way to the left or jump. Jumping would obviously make himself open for an attack mid air so the only option was the dodging the same way.
As Asuma dodges to the left to create distance from the katana kuro was already done with his signs.
"Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" a ball of fire was fast approaching asuma who made his own fireball to counter it and he grabbed his weapon he sent in the air as kuro was already beside him with a katana.
Kuro slashed him from his right side so he blocked it with his right hand with the chakra blade. However unlike what he planned of countering with his left hand. The katana was already pulled back by kuro who immediately raised it above his head and slashed down. Asuma defended with his left hand and lowered his right so he can counter as soon as possible before kuro pulls the katana back.
As the slash made contact with his left hand overhead he also unleashed his right hand fist chakra blade which kuro was able to block by simply shifting the katana right to it. Kuro pulled his katana back again and thrust it forward which asuma deflected with his left hand. This gave him enough force to twist to the right and stab kuro with his right chakra blade in a reverse position. But he again caught empty air as kuro appeared from a distance where his other katana is.
"Your fast. I wasn't even able to immediately put my chakra back to my weapon. If I did, I may have been able to go through your defense" lectured asuma to kuro who only gave him a smile. before saying.
"Tell me Asuma-san. If one day you face an enemy far stronger than yourself threatening to destroy your home and kill those whom you love. What will you do?" kuro asked him a question out of the blue.
"I will still protect those that I need to protect. Even if it cost me my life."
"A good answer. But that's not what I'm looking for." Kuro mentioned as he goes to where his sheath was earlier. He throws it in the air and by the doing so the blades rained down on the ground all 28 of it. Asuma made some distance away from where all the katana landed. Kuro hurled the 2 katana in his hands towards asuma and pick up another 2 but immediately throws it over to where asuma was. While Asuma kept on making some distance in every katana that goes his way the places where he could dodge this was slowly getting smaller.
Kuro was starting to get annoyed. So he picked up a katana and dashed towards asuma. As he was approaching asuma flames ignited and the katana he was holding was covered in flames. A clash of taijutsu or shall we say kenjutsu between the 2 started. (don't know if it applies to asuma's weapon, but their technically still blades right?'chakra blades')
However as the breathtaking and fast paced clash was happening. Kuro began to disappear and appear with more and more katana being summoned. It was just like his fight with flightless. As the speed was getting faster, Asuma was having less time to react. Kuro would disappear the moment the burning katana in his hands made contact with asuma's chakra blades. And he would again attack from a different angle from where the other katana on the ground or still in the air was. Leaving so very little time for asuma to react and causing him to receive some minor cuts all over his body.
Tsunade and Shizune on the side could only look in amazement on how kuro was pushing back a veteran Jonin back. That Jonin was the son of the 3rd Hokage, he wasn't a simple Jonin.
After a few more cuts and overwhelming advantage he shown to Asuma. Kuro retreated back a few steps and gave Asuma time to recover a bit. 'What's he gonna do now? This match is as good as his so why did he stop' asuma was trying to catch his breath.
"If you give your life to protect those you love just because the enemy is stronger than yourself. Then that would also mean you are abandoning them alone. Wouldn't that make them sad without you Asuma-san?" Kuro asked again in a serious voice. Asuma who received the question became quiet. 'Is he serious right now? or is he just saying that so I would let my guard down?'. Asuma didn't think about it and just focused on the match. But kuro kept on talking.
"Imagine a child never knowing his/her father's face and could only remember you in a portrait left behind that looks like you. A child who would never feel the warmth of his/her father's embrace and could only shiver as the cold wind blows when the child visits your grave. Will the child even know how much he/she is loved by his/her father.?" Kuro could only ask in a lonely voice and depressed face.
A moment of silence accompanied kuro's lonely question. Asuma never planning to think about what kuro said as he might get ambushed the moment he put his guard down. Sweats trickling past his face. Then he felt it. Kuro's cold chakra. Even tsunade and shizune was able to feel it. It wasn't killing intent or bloodlust. It wasn't even because he has a large amount of chakra reserve. It was simply his chakra masked by his emotion at the moment. They were able to feel it, and it was ice cold.
'How is he able to make me feel his chakra? It doesn't even feel he has huge amount of it. It's just that I feel it. How is this possible?' All 3 shinobi at the moment have the same thoughts.
'When I came to this world. I was afraid because of how easily I could die without any strength to protect myself. Now as I grow stronger, that worry was pushed at the back of my mind. But thinking on how some will die if I don't interfere. Just brings me great sadness. All those deaths. The 3rd Hokage, Asuma, Jiraiya and Neiji. I would be lying if I haven't cried back on earth as I watched the grief of each person that knows them. I'm not a hero. But if I can change that the way I did with the 3rd. Then why not?' Kuro smiled at Asuma retracting his chakra without even noticing at how he impacted the 3 of them awhile ago.
"I'll end this now. Asuma-san." declared kuro as he pointed the katana to asuma. He did inverted the katana in reverse so that when he attacks it would be the back of the katana that will hit not the sharp end.
'Here he comes' was what Asuma's thinking. But he wasn't able to react to kuro's attack which was the hilt of the katana to his stomach. 'Such speed, was he holding back awhile ago?' after that hit came the second to his right shoulder. The back of the katana was sticking to his body as more and more of them were stuck in him by kuro. His back. His sides. Even his legs and hands were not spared. It was finished by a pat to his shoulder and a blade by his neck. "Seems like I won, Asuma-san."
"You were holding back huh." was the only sentence asuma could muster while smiling as he fell to his back and all the katana stuck on his body fell down.
"So, I'm Jonin now? Hokage sama?" asks kuro towards Tsunade who was approaching.
"Yes you are. Congratulations." says tsunade who was certainly amazed at what she witnessed. 'Sarutobi sensei. You were right about him. We should nourish him more so he would stay loyal to konoha.'
"Congratulations kuro-kun. You were amazing back there. I didn't know you have mastered the 4th Hokage's Hiraishin to that extent" Shizune also congratulated him.
[AN\ Honestly speaking. Flying Thunder God Jutsu is too damn long. So I hope it's okay to shorten it to Hiraishin. Searched it up and have always thought it Hiraijin but the correct word was really Hiraishin. Peace out]
"Uhm shizune-san. Please just call me kuro and drop the kun. I have mentioned this to my students as well but I don't feel like it's me when someone calls me kuro-kun or kuro-sensei. It just doesn't feel right. So from here on out, just please call me kuro. I would really appreciate it. hehe" kuro immediately explained. He's definitely not some yellow octupos from assasination classroom nor is he a phantom sixth-man from kuroko no basket. It just sounds the same you see.
"what's this? after moving on from me you are immediately making a move to my pupil. Your a smooth one aren't you Ito Kuro." Tsunade teased him but shizune was the one to blush.
"First of all. I am not making a move towards your disciple. Second, I actually haven't move on from you yet. So please just forget about it already. I'm sure I'll be over you soon. And third, you should treat his wounds soon." Kuro started picking up his katana as he finished saying that.
A few moments later
"Then I'll be going ahead first Hokage-sama. I'm sure my parents are waiting for me." Kuro vanished from his spot and left them.
"sigh. Have you noticed it too shizune?" tsunade asked to which she got a nod as an answer.
"He really does have feelings for me. Too bad he's still a brat in the end. I'm sure he will meet more astounding women as he grows. What am I even saying. I should be thinking more of the village's problems. Let's take him to the hospital. It seems like he's not waking up soon."
They haven't noticed the marking kuro has left on Asuma's body. That's right, kuro plans on rescuing asuma on his fight with the 2 immortal akatsuki. Right now Naruto was training with kakashi to develop the rasengan further. This was initiated by kakashi himself while Sasuke was talking with the Hiruzen about Itachi's past. Sakura was the only who has nothing to do. So he accompanied kuro to visit his old teammates and have a casual chat with them.
While everyone in Konoha was busy. Someplace else the 2 tailed Jinchuuriki Nii Yugito was being hunted down by the akatsuki duo, Hidan and Kakuzu. This would later be learned by konoha and send Asuma, Shikamaru and the 2 guards of konoha's gate, Izumo and Kotetsu.
[AN. Will Asuma die even with kuro's interference? or will he save Asuma from death.? I wonder. ]