Seeing Lee, Tenten and Neji start to make their way towards his ship, Mazui instantly threw several shuriken at them with deadly precision. But the deadly throwing stars were quickly deflected off their targets by another wave of shuriken from Kakashi.
"Like I said earlier. Your opponent is me." Kakashi had his Sharingan out and was ready for battle.
Mazui turned his attention back to the Jonin in front of him and smiled. "So be it. I'll kill them after I kill you."
Battle: Kakashi vs Mazui Begins.
—-
Several meters away from Kakashi and Mazui were Guy and Bozui.
Might Guy suddenly appeared on Bozui's left side and struck with a roundhouse kick to the head. The former cloud Jonin had experience fighting with fast opponents and was able to easily keep up with Guy's speed. He raised his hand and defended against the powerful kick of the Taijutsu master.
A small shockwave that rocked the water appeared when their limbs connected. The water below Bozui caved from the force for a few moments due to the blow he blocked before returning to normal. Bozui was just as fast as Guy and the second he blocked Guy's kick, he tried to land a punch on the other Jonin's throat. But Guy saw it coming and raised his forearm to defend against the punch. Both of them separated and landed a few meters apart.
Bozui grinned as the lust for battle awakened in him. "Hahaha… That speed and strength. It seems this might be a lot more interesting than I thought."
Guy too smirked hearing that. "My specialty is Taijutsu. I devote my life to improving my battle skills. So allow me to show you my passionate spirit." Guy got into a fighting stance and Bozui also got ready.
Battle: Might Guy vs Bozui Begins.
—-
As the battle between the Jonins was starting, Daichi created a shadow clone and it accompanied the other Genins. "I'll be with you guys. We'll get this done much faster."
Neji looked at clone Daichi with his Byakugan and frowned. "That clone jutsu you just used cut your chakra in half. Are you sure about this?"
"I'll be fine Neji." Daichi dismissed the other Genin's concerns. He had certain plans in mind and the clone was an insurance.
'I can't let anything happen to anyone on my side if I want to successfully complete this quest. So I can't let anything go to chance. And I need to raid that ship and take some items with me. With a shadow clone present I won't have to worry much. '
And so the three Genin of Team Guy and Daichi's shadow clone made their way to the ship that was coming closer and closer to their location.
—-
As all this was happening the real Gamer ninja sped towards the fishman enemy. The unknown person immediately tried to escape underwater but Daichi didn't let up. He cut off chakra to his feet and plunged into the sea just as the figure disappeared beneath the waves.
Daichi's senses allowed him to keep track of the enemy. The next second he boosted his limbs with chakra and thanks to the evolved Agility skill 'Shadow Speed' he was able to reach the enemy before he got away.
The water around Daichi violently spread in all directions with how quickly he was moving and the force he was generating. When Daichi neared the enemy, instead of striking with an attack he grabbed his opponent's head and forced him away from the other battlefields. The Leaf Genin concentrated and sent a burst of his killing intent at the enemy, reducing his resistance. Daichi swam a couple hundred meters away from the Jonins.
'I can't incapacitate or kill this guy. Not yet. I need to get him away from Kakashi and Guy and make him talk. The information I want from him, I need to make sure no one else finds out.'
Daichi, having formed some plans of his own, decided to take advantage of the opportunity that unexpectedly arose. The enemy ninja could do nothing but grip the Genin's arm as the Leaf nin dragged him along.
As Daichi gripped the enemy's head in his palm and got away from the other fights, he thought about the decision he had made on the ship. 'I've been playing the hero for a while now. But if I want to reach the apex of this world, playing the role of a goody two shoes won't help. The plans in my mind… I won't be able to execute them if I keep playing nice… I guess it's time to step into the role of a villain. But I have to make sure… That I don't lose myself to the darkness.'
And so Daichi made a choice. A choice that would one day affect the balance of power in the world.
Once the Leaf Genin was sure that he was sufficiently out of range from the other Jonins he threw the captured ninja upwards and out of the water. 'Oh man. It's a good thing I learned to hold my breath much longer or this would have been more tedious. I'm out of Kakashi and Guy's range but they are still in mine. Thank you 'evolved sense' skills.'
The fishman ninja was blasted out of the water and skipped on the ocean surface for several meters before he used chakra to stop himself. The enemy was in disbelief at what had just happened.
'Damn it. What the hell? My strength had increased a lot after the experiments. And yet I couldn't get out of his grip no matter how hard he tried… And that speed. He was faster than even me, and that too underwater? There is no way he's a Genin.'
Daichi appeared a short distance away and looked at the ninja.
[LV.66] [Onizaki]
Age: 26
HP: 12425 CP: 9020
Affiliation: Gladiator pirates.
[Onizaki is a former Chunin from the Land of Rain. He came to the Land of Sea on a mission and was captured by Orochimaru and used as an experiment. Due to the experiments Amachi and Orochimaru conducted on him, he had gained fish-like appearance, ability to breath underwater, increased stamina, higher muscle and bone density and higher than average water affinity. He is one of the few people that survived the experiments. After the experiments were conducted he was locked up due to his rebellious nature but was set free when Bozui and Mazui raided the lab. Now he serves under them.
STR - 223
AGI - 177
INT - 40
The physical stats maybe subjected to change if chakra or technique is applied. ]
Daichi had a small frown as he looked at the information. 'Shit! So Bozui and Mazui already raided the lab? If they killed that man, then this whole endeavor might be pointless. No. I need to confirm his status before I jump to any conclusions.'
"Who are you? Really? You're not a Genin." The question came from Onizaki.
Daichi had a stone cold face as he looked at the enemy. "Who I really am…? You're not ready to hear that answer."
Onizaki gritted his teeth as he looked at Daichi. 'It doesn't matter who he is or how strong he is. Those experiments gave me power far beyond ordinary ninjas. He just caught me off guard that time. Yeah that's it. And it won't happen again. I can win this fight.'
Having made his decision no more words were spoken as Onizaki rushed towards Daichi.
The Gamer ninja looked at the enemy and let out a small breath of air. 'He won't give me the answers I want like this. I need to make sure he understands his situation. I'll beat him till near death and then give him hope. At that moment if he values his life, he'll sing like a canary.'
Once Onizaki neared the Leaf Genin he made several seals and instantly 4 high pressure water streams with enough power to slice through buildings shot towards Daichi from the ocean.
Onizaki smirked at the execution of the jutsu. 'At this short distance he won't be able to dodge. I'm going to skewer you to bits, you arrogant brat.'
The lightning fast water attacks pierced through Daichi and cut him to shreds. Onizaki smirked but the next second a powerful punch hit his left cheeks sending him flying. Blood splattered and several teeth fell out as his body was thrown across the ocean floor.
Before he could think or even stop himself a powerful kick struck his back sending him flying up high into the air.
Daichi went through a few seals and used his next attack. 'Lightning Style - Blitz arrows.'
Lightning covered Daichi's hands as he pointed them at the airborne Onizaki. The next second several blue lightning arrows formed from his lightning coated arms and flew at the enemy ninja.
"Ahhh…" BOOM!
A few seconds later the former Chunin from the Hidden Rain village fell down to the ocean. He had several burn marks on his body and was not fully conscious. He slowly sank but Daichi knew the man was far from dead. He decided to wait and give him a chance to retaliate.
Onizaki sank beneath the waves and it took a short while for him to regain his bearings. 'Fuck. That almost killed me. How is he so fast and strong? Those punches… If I didn't have this body I'd be a smear right now… I need to attack him from a distance.'
The speed and strength Daichi displayed reduced the arrogance in the man and he became cautious. 'If I can't defeat him then I'll need to get Mazui and Bozui's help.'
He readied himself and went through several seals. 'Water clone Jutsu.'
Several water clones rose out of the ocean around Daichi and began to attack him. The Leaf Genin easily evaded and destroyed them one by one with precise aim and powerful strikes. Daichi was keeping a close eye on the real one and found his intentions.
'He's trying to escape from here and get back to the others. Can't let that happen.'
The Leaf Genin made a few seals and placed his palms on the water. 'Water Style - Drilling bullets.'
Dozens of drilling water bullets were shot at Onizaki. Thanks to his fish-like features and abilities he almost evaded all of them. A few clipped him drawing blood but he didn't stop. His goal was to get to the others and use combination jutsu.
But his escape plan was a failure. Daichi appeared a few meters in front of him underwater.
Onizaki clenched his fists at the blatant arrogance. 'You think you can fight me underwater?'
Anger clouded his judgment and he rushed forward towards the Genin. A clenched fist was sent at Daichi's face who tilted his head to the side and avoided the punch. Onizaki with the other hand made a clawing motion and several thin water needles formed and attacked Daichi. The thin water needles didn't do much damage due to Daichi's numerous passive defensive skills.
A fast punch buried Onizaki's gut the next second and he was forced upwards again and out of the water. Daichi created a shadow clone and then quickly followed him. Once he was out of water, he threw several shuriken at the other ninja who evaded the throwing stars.
The next second several water tendrils rose and restrained his hands and legs. Onizaki struggled against the jutsu but it was no use. 'This kid. He distracted me with those shurikens. He must have a large volume of chakra to keep using Jutsu like this… Shit! I can't break free.'
Daichi landed a couple meters away from the restrained ninja. "I remember you using a combination attack at the beginning. Lemme try what that's like."
The next second Lightning came through the water tendrils and it completely electrocuted him.
His jaw clenched and his muscles tightened. Onizaki groaned from the pain as he was paralyzed by the attack.
Daichi kept his combination jutsu going for a few more seconds before dropping it. The shadow clone appeared out of the water behind the ninja pirate and stood with his arms crossed. 'That strength stat is no joke. Even after all that, he's still conscious. Just as I thought. Orochimaru's experiments are certainly strong.'
Onizaki was breathing hard and coughing. He was down to his knees and struggled to even stand. He looked at the Genin standing in front of him and then glanced at the other one behind. 'There's no doubt that I've got internal injuries from his attacks. If I keep fighting, I'll die… But if I surrender… Maybe I'll get the opportunity to escape later… It's my only choice. But what if the Lightning Twins win against the other Jonins? Then they'll probably kill me for surrendering… Fuck!'
"You're realizing it now aren't you? Your situation. There is no escape and winning isn't in the cards for you." Daichi said with a cold tone as he crossed his arms and looked at the ninja.
Onizaki sighed and slowly stood. "I resigned myself to death when Orochimaru captured me. I guess, after everything that's happened, I suppose it's my time."
Daichi narrowed his eyes and spoke. "I can give you a choice."
Onizaki slightly tilted his head at that statement. "And what's that?"
"I want you to answer a few questions I have. If you do, I'll show you mercy."
Daichi's reply drew a scoff from the man. "I might be dead by the end of this fight but I ain't telling you shit!"
Daichi smirked at that predicted response. "You didn't hear my whole offer."
"If I talk, are you willing to let me go?"
"No." Daichi shook his head and the certainty in the Genin's voice confused Onizaki.
"So if you're not gonna let me go then what are you gonna offer me in return for answering your questions?"
At the man's question Daichi turned serious and all humor left his face. Killing intent surfaced as he answered the man.
"A quick death!"
That answer stunned Onizaki for a few moments before he started chuckling. Those chuckles turned into full blown laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA…."
"You think I'll talk just because you'll be generous and give me a quick death?" The expression on the former Rain Ninja's face instantly changed into one of absolute fury. "STOP FUCKING AROUND YOU LITTLE SHIT!"
The next second the enraged Onizaki zoomed towards Daichi and their hand to hand combat began. Daichi blocked and redirected the attacks while noting the increased power behind the attacks.
'It seems rage increases his strength. But this still won't be enough against me.'
Daichi clenched his hand and concentrated a small portion of his chakra to his fist. The next second he directly punched at the incoming fist and released his stored up chakra.
BOOM!
"AAAHHH!" Onizaki screamed in pain as most of the bones in his right arm were broken and muscles were torn. He was tossed back from the blow and landed a few meters away. He took several deep breaths of air as he looked at the Leaf Genin. His right arm hung limp as it bled profusely from multiple areas.
"If I… If I don't talk… What are you gonna do? Torture me?"
Daichi calmly walked up to the man and replied. "No. If you don't talk, I'm gonna capture you and hand you to a certain man in the Leaf village. Perhaps you might have heard of him. Danzo Shimura. He's the one who's gonna do the torturing."
Onizaki broke out in a cold sweat as he heard that name. He indeed knew who the man was. He had heard rumors about him.
Seeing the man's expression, Daichi continued. "You see, Danzo is interested in creating powerful shinobi for the village. Once you're in his hands, he'll conduct experiments on you to study you and replicate your powers. He'll make Orochimaru look tame in comparison. He is a man who will do anything to strengthen the Leaf village. And when he finds out you were Orochimaru's experiment, he'll torture you for information on that man, even if you don't know anything. You'll spend the rest of your days in agony and pain. And then weeks, months or maybe years later when you're of no more use to him, that's when he'll kill you."
Daichi kept a calm face as he told the man a bold faced lie. 'There is one perk about Danzo and his cruel methods and infamy. I can use it to scare enemy ninjas and get what I want.'
Seeing Onizaki silent, Daichi continued in a slightly softer tone. "I could have lied to you, told you that I would let you leave here alive, if you gave me what I wanted but that's not my style. At least not when it comes to shinobi. I respect you as a ninja. It's why I'm telling you what will happen. You have a choice. You give me the information I want and I will give you a swift relatively painless death. It'll be all over in seconds. If you refuse, I'll knock you out and take you back to the village and you'll live in prolonged agony before dying. You have a decision to make."
Onizaki gritted his teeth in anger as he looked at Daichi. Small drops of tears appeared in the corner of his eyes. 'If the rumors about Danzo Shimura are true, then dying is a better alternative than getting caught… After everything I've suffered, I can't believe this is how it ends for me…'
Daichi seeing the man struggle, decided to use Mana puppetry.
'Its over. I don't want to be tortured again. There's no need to continue struggling. Let's just get this over with. I'll have better luck in the next life.'
Seeing the man getting closer to making a choice, Daichi gave him one last push. "I'll give you a quick death. And as a bonus I'll also take revenge on the people who did this to you."
A few moments later a notification appeared.
[Target has accepted the suggestion.]
Onizaki gave up resisting and looked at the boy. "What do you want to know?"
Daichi uncrossed his arms and began his questioning.
—--------------
Author's Note:
Another 3k word chap.
There are a few things that I think I should clarify right now.
Daichi won't be a full blown villain.
He'll still keep his persona of the good guy. He still has standards and values. He'll still help his friends but he'll do some morally questionable things in the shadows. But only to those that deserve it.
Daichi has some plans in mind but to get it started he needs to do some questionable things.
I told you guys from the beginning. Daichi is gonna be a grey ninja. Neither a saint nor an evil bad guy. I'll see if I can strike that balance.