__________ POV Narration __________
The moment Ken picked up that sword, it wasn't just his stance that changed, but the entire atmosphere around him.
Just in his transformation, he seemed to release an aura that was beast-like, almost feral even. It made it difficult for any opponent to keep his composure completely, only someone on the Raikage's level could manage that.
But the moment he grabbed his sword again, that feral aura shifted entirely. For a moment, it felt as if it lowered in intensity, but it gave off a much more controlled and dangerous sensation.
It was a sharpness that could be felt even in the wind around him. And everyone in the arena could feel it.
Takehiko trembled a bit when seeing that.
'That... That thing was supposed to be in the same generation as us?'
His teacher, Yorihikko, had tried to discourage him from comparing himself to Ken in the past. But his stubbornness still made him think that he had a chance to catch up. That he was somehow not that far behind from the strongest.
But the scene in front of him made it clear that Ken was not a member of his 'generation'. He was a beast that transcended any common understanding.
The children of the brotherhood already knew that very well, they were only really there to admire their father's strength.
Minato and Kushina also knew that Ken was a monster, but the following exchange was still going to leave them aghast.
The first one to move was the Raikage, his superior speed being showcased as he appeared in front of Ken, his finger already outstretched in a sharp dark lightning spear.
Ken's reaction time seemed to be on point this time, however.
He swiped the spear with the hilt of his blade and took a wide swing at the Raikage in the same move.
The Raikage's body immediately shifted, as he raised his leg up to block the blade with his shin guard. He could try to block it with his body, but he, for some reason, felt as if Ken's strikes weren't that easy to block.
The blue chakra around Ken's blade immediately came in contact with the Raikage's black lightning-covered shin.
Sparks didn't fly this time, there was no metallic clang, but the clash of chakra in itself sent lightning crashing through the area all around them.
The slash that Ken sent didn't seem to damage the Raikage's body, but the sheer remnants of it were enough to send a sharp shockwave all around them, cutting the Arena around them evenly.
The walls weren't just scratched, no they were entirely cut through. If someone strong enough was to push them the upper side would slide off of the foundation.
In the stands above, the Hokage sweated a bit. 'Good thing I called every shinobi in the village to maintain the arena during the fight...'
And he was right to do so, as the fighters below spared no thought to the stone walls surrounding them, both being closed off in their own world.
The Raikage's arm moved to the side, aiming to cut at Ken's head with the side of his spear. But Ken's wrist also moved, sending a strange tremor through his blade.
The Lightning-covered man grunted for a moment, as he felt a strange vibration through his shin, which forced him to stop any ongoing attack and dash backwards, his leg slightly trembling.
'An attack that goes through my guard?!'
Ken craned his neck as he held his blade to the side, the vibrations he had sent through it were of course, the technique of the former Number 1 Assassin in his previous world.
It had been difficult for Ken to master sending vibrations through his blade, but over the years, he managed to master it to a point where he could use it effectively in combat.
And truly, it was the only way that he could confidently damage the Raikage in his current form.
Using Nature Energy was also a method, but Ken would have to use a whole lot of it to go through the Raikage's defences and deal any meaningful damage, which would likely take him out of his Scaled Sage Mode, leaving him vulnerable if A was to still be able to fight.
But while the Raikage was somewhat surprised, and the watchers couldn't quite understand what had happened, the following exchange was still exhilarating.
Ken dashed forward, both of his hands on the hilt of his blade as it moved so fast that it felt as if a slash was being delivered both horizontally and vertically at the same time.
The Raikage's eyes followed it before they widened as he batted one slash to the side with his lightning spear and leaned back avoiding the strike.
Whilst dashing, Ken seemed to have pulled a sleigh of hand trick and transformed his long blade into two identically long and thin blades.
The Raikage's speed was superior to Ken's, but some of his senses still fell behind when compared to the Blind Assassin.
The human eye simply was not built to follow certain movements, especially when they were deliberately deceitful...
The length of Ken's second blade was certainly deceitful, as it expanded to still hit the Raikage's chest, despite him leaning backwards.
A's eyes widened as the vibrations within the blade shook the muscles underneath his skin.
The Raikage's knee-jerk reaction was to immediately kick at Ken's head, forcing the assassin to raise both of his blades to barely block the strike.
He was sent flying to the other side of the arena, only to spin around in mid-air and dig his blades into the ground, stopping his momentum before his back even touched the ruined wall.
The Raikage grasped at his chest for a moment, the vibration that the Blind Assassin unleashed with only one hand didn't seem strong enough to penetrate his muscle, but it still did some internal damage.
Ken's next move was simple...
He started to sway in the wind in a certain pattern, his blades and footwork moving in unison to create something akin to a dance.
His footsteps resonated with the trembling of the ground caused by Shinobi raising earth walls around the arena. His blades vibrated with each swipe creating something akin to a melodic hum as they danced through the wind.
Each slash, each swipe of the edge, every move that Ken made seemed to leave a mark on the wind around him, almost as if the very air around him was permanently scarred.
In the stands, Mifune's eyes widened. As a swordsman, he couldn't help but admire the masterpiece unfolding in front of him.
A dance that led to a painting, a painting that seemed to form what was likely the greatest display of swordsmanship that the old samurai had ever seen in his life.
'I knew he was a monster... But this is too much.'
Although serene, the dance was so fast that the Raikage didn't even get to dash towards the Blind Swordsman after recovering.
Instead, the two blades in Ken's hands swiped in every direction, as countless flying slashes were sent out towards the Raikage.
The Raikage immediately scowled and covered his head with his hand whilst stepping forward.
He was unable to dash forward, as the moment both of his feet left the ground he would be sent flying like a piece of wood bark in a tornado.
Whilst moving slowly, there were also more possibilities for him to counter any surprise attack from Ken.
Each step felt heavier as the flying slashes pelted his body more and more. But he wasn't receiving injuries.
The flying slashes were just there to suppress the Raikage, likely to cover his view as the Assassin prepared for a killing blow... At least A thought so.
In the middle of all of those countless slashes, one sent a shiver down the Raikage's spine, but he didn't have the time to move, nor could he.
In an instant, a thin line was formed on his torso, a flying slash penetrating his Lightning Armor violently and leaving a thin cut on his body.
It was not deep enough to be called serious, but it was not the only one...
The following barrage contained all manner of cuts, both with and without Nature Energy imbued within them, and the Raikage's slowly but surely collected more and more scratches, to the point where they were starting to bleed.
And it was at that point that the Raikage gave up on his initial slower approach.
"Petty tricks!"
In an instant, the Raikage lashed out, smashing his fist into the ground, sending a great tremor through the earth as an explosion of Black lightning hit the arena and created a shockwave large enough to stop the assassin's deadly dance.
"Petty tricks indeed..."
The Raikage heard that voice from behind him, but his reaction time fell behind.
He tried to raise his arm above his head, but it only twitched for a moment as he felt the blunt part of a blade hit the top of his head heavily.
"Don't forget, you are fighting a swordsman and an assassin here."
Those were the last words the Raikage heard, as the vibration pierced through his defence and immediately shook his brains around in his skull.
The large man's eyes rolled backwards, and his body limply crashed into the ground, unconscious and bleeding from the nose and eyes.
Ken's body was also shaking, his muscles contracting unnaturally and healing from burns as he had forced himself to rush into the explosion of black lightning that the Raikage had released.
It was the only way that the assassin could think of to take out the Raikage effectively. Without being taken by surprise, the Cloud Leader would have defended his head on all occasions.
While Vibrations through the body could wear the Raikage down eventually, Ken didn't wish for a prolonged battle. Their little showdown was nothing more than a spar at the end of the day.
The Dark Brotherhood Leader stood there for one second, black lightning still flickering around him. And then the cheers broke through, as the winner became clear to everyone.
Most of them couldn't appreciate the deadly and morbid beauty of Ken's sword dance just because of how far outmatched they were in comparison.
Very few could even follow Ken and A's movements enough to make out what had happened in the first place.
It had taken a second for all of them to catch up to what had happened, many could barely follow the fight with their eyes, but that made it all the more impressive to them.
"It seems the winner has been decided! I believe both fighters deserve a round of applause, an amazing display of strength!" The Hokage's voice broke through, as the cheers intensified from all of the people present.
Only one person in the arena seemed more concerned than cheerful. And that was Yugito Nii, despite not being treated all too well by her village the Raikage was a great exception to that.
Many feared Jinchuriki due to their own weakness. Weakness was something that the Raikage lacked, which allowed him to form a proper bond with the little girl.
He was a goal in her mind, a great mentor. And seeing him bloody on the ground was like a nightmare to her.
Thankfully, no words were needed to comfort her, as the Raikage's resilience and endurance were enough to reassure her.
The Cloud Leader woke up almost immediately when the audience started cheering, just as Ken wrapped his blade back up in a bandage and placed it on his back.
The Raikage's brains were still scrambled a bit, as he shakily raised his torso from the ground, supported by his arm as he heaved a heavy sigh.
"Shit, that was dirty Ken!" The Raikage grunted, clutching at his head as soon as his upper body stood upright enough to no longer need his hand for support.
"Eh, that's how I fight. It was great regardless." The assassin shrugged, tilting his head at the Raikage with a smile spreading underneath his mask.
'What a monster... Most people would be knocked out for weeks after receiving such a blow to the head.'
Despite winning the fight, Ken was still impressed with the Raikage. A's resilience was certainly deserving of respect.
A also respected Ken a lot and already knew that he would lose the battle, so he had no objection.
But his appreciation and respect for Ken rose considerably when the Blind Assasin extended his burly scaled arm towards him.
With a wide smile, the Raikage took it and allowed himself to be pulled up from the ground.
The Audience also seemed to appreciate the sight, as it further proved how close-knit the Three Corners Alliance was, a deep friendship between the leaders was always a good sign.
And just like that, the Chunin Exams ended with a bang, some scrambled brains and a heartwarming display of comradery.
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