In an unprecedented turn of events, the challenge Iori issued to the veterans on the field was answered by fledgling swordsmen. Standing on the railing Sasuke faces that pressure that kept everyone else from daring to approach. As he drops into the arena, the barrier closes behind him preventing others from following. Sasuke makes a mad dash to catch up like he was under some sort of spell, armed with only the wooden sword on his hip. Many wondered why the clan leader (along with his family and friends for that matter) would let the child go on but there was nothing they could do to stop him that barrier opened especially for him.
"How did that boy get on the field!?!" Homura yells. "Someone stop him before he gets himself killed!"
One of the ninja on standby moved when Kojiro stands up. "Sasuke!" He calls out snapping the boy from his trance. "Can you see your path now?"
"I can see it clearly," the young Uchiha nods agreement. In this moment he had never felt more sure of something in his life.
'The sharingan? Sasuke has it too?' Hiruzen thinks noting another unexpected development, a quick glance showed his associates were just as surprised. Did he just acquire it now? If so it may be a good idea to let him go, this could be a moment of explosive growth for him.
"Good…you've taken your first step towards being called a true swordsman." Kojiro gives a slight smile. "That wooden sword won't serve you very well here. Take this," Kojiro tosses a black sword to Sasuke. While the sword is very plain, Sasuke didn't care. Holding it felt right, like a missing part of him had been restored. One quick look at the blade and it showed superior quality in luster and sharpness. He turned and bowed to Kojiro while clutching his new sword.
"THANK YOU MASTER!" An elated Sasuke shouts at the top of his lungs.
"Hmm, no need to thank me…now go, I will be waiting for you at the summit." Kojiro says before turning to go back to his seat.
"Y-you just gave the boy a sword and sent him to his death!?! Are you a fool!" Danzo raves, though he doesn't like the Uchiha. Sending a child to die in front of the whole village was in no way beneficial or entertaining. "Even if he has awakened his sharingan that doesn't suddenly make him invincible! Someone go get him!" He barks to one of his ninja.
"No." Before he could move the ninja the presence of a cold blade at his throat, "I gave MY disciple a sword to advance in his training. I am aware of his limitations…and his strengths." Kojiro says not having moved from his seat, his eyes were glued to the boy clamoring after the others.
Farther up the hill Rana and Gai's feet smash into one of the gillian's faces simultaneously, severely damaging its head. On either side another gillian prepare to fire cero at them and they both leaped out of harms way, the ensuing explosion demolished their injured comrade. "Hey Ugly! Up here!" Looking up one of the hollows sees Rana dropping down with a blazing foot. "Diable Jambe! Extra Hache'!" Unleashing a fury of blazing kicks so fast and intense it looked like a small meteor shower was unleashed on the gillian's face.
Off balance and with a cracked mask, the hollow stumbles backwards as Rana gracefully lands in front of it. Drawing in a deep breath, she crouches low and holds her sword straight out to her side. "Rabbit breathing second form: spring dance." Leaping straight up at the hollow, it tries to swing at her but she kicks off of the air and takes that hand off. Composing herself midair, another kick sent her jetting towards his face, and then she changed direction again and again. She was darting all around the hollow leaving deep gashes before a devastating slash from behind removed it's head.
"The Shinsengumi are amazing! Did you see that, each zodiac has already defeated a gillian with very little effort!" A spectator shouts.
"What kind of training do they have to undergo to be able to fight like that? They move and strike with an expert level of efficiency, especially to all be so young."
Despite the praise the audience showered the Shinsengumi with the leaf village's ninja were not playing to lose. "Leaf cutting whirlwind!" With a high speed spinning kick Gai smashes his way through a second gillian's mask, and the force of the tempest created was great enough to slice it's head to pieces. Not slowing his momentum any he rushes alongside Rana dealing crippling blows to the gillan as they blast by, leaving their subordinates to finish the hollows. "Don't think that you'll be reaching the top first!" He shouts to her, smashing his nunchaku straight down on another's head.
"Hahahaha! It is a race! Keep up if you can!" She answers, cleaving through another hollow.
Higher up the hill, Kakashi and Souma pick up their pacing as well. Nearing the third and final stage the gravity had continued to increase, it was getting harder to move and even harder to breathe. The rising pressure had slowed their dash to more of a speedy trot. Even still the pressured gillian had no intention of letting them escape. A cero blast crashes down, but the two of them narrowly avoid it.
"Persistent, aren't they?" Kakashi sighs still moving forward.
"Well then, we should deal with them quickly." Souma answers with an excited smile. "It's only going to get more difficult as we go up. Also, we can't keep Iori waiting forever." Atop the hill, the tiger watches impatiently waiting for his first prey to come to him.
'He's right…I don't intend on losing this challenge…' Kakashi thinks to himself. Turning to face the pursuing gillian Kakashi readies two handfulls of shuriken. "Lightning style: shuriken chain current!" Throwing all of them at once, they scatter and fly all around several oncoming hollows as if they have a mind of their own. Suddenly arcs of lightning connect the flying blades and constrict tightly, electrifying and immobilizing them.
The hollows howl in pain, shrieking and thrashing in pain. "I see he's only utilizing lightning-style jutsu. I've heard they are especially effective against soul-based creatures and techniques," Yoriichi speculates. "If they're realizing this, I'm sure he's created a whole new arsenal of lightning style jutsu to use."
Before Kakashi can weave the signs for use his next attack, Souma appears in the midst of them. "Gourmand breathing fifth form: fillet" With both blades swift simultaneous swings reduces the hollows to slivers. Nice assist Ka-" Before he could finish his sentence, Kakashi attacks him with a kunai coated in lightning that forms a short sword.
"You talk too much," he says continuing his attack. The two exchange blows, darting to and fro across the hillside. Kakashi retreats a step and throws his kunai, which sets off a trap behind Souma. A massive pillar of ice erupts encasing everything nearby, but Souma is nowhere to be seen.
Using flash flicker he appears behind Kakashi taking a swing at him, but thanks to the sharingan Kakashi was able to react just barely. A lightning saber blocks Souma's attack at the last second and they struggle to push the other back, when Souma kicks Kakashi in his stomach sending him crashing into the ice. "You're right, this is a competition…I guess I was being too friendly." He crosses his blades in front of him, taking a wide stable stance.
'That buildup of chakra…another of those postures.' Fugaku notes watching the attack in question.
"X slash," Souma says swing his blades at full force. Upon release two giant razor sharp shockwaves are sent flying at Kakashi lying in the rubble. Everything in its path was blown away by the extreme force. When the dust settles all that is left is a cross shaped gash in the hillside…and a small hole in the ground. "Hmph he dodged that…where'd he go?"
Kakashi emerges a short distance behind him, finally able to get another jutsu off against the swordsman. "Water style: Water dragon jutsu!" Throwing a scroll after weaving his hand signs were complete, an absurd volume of water spilled out and formed into a giant serpentine water dragon jaws wide open ready to bite down on Souma.
"Not bad but-" Souma rushed to meet the dragon head on when he saw something coming in his peripheral vision. A lightning charged kunai landed just short of his feet. "You missed!"
"I think I did well enough," Kakashi responds as the dragon crashes down near the kunai and explodes into an electrically charged geyser that dwarfed the zodiac.
"Ahhh darn," Souma says pulling something out of his fanny pack. A small piece of chocolate. He pops it in his mouth as the wave crashes down on him.
"That should hold him for a bit." He thinks before a huge surge of chakra stops him dead in his tracks. Weaving to the side he barely dodges a flying slash that parted the waters between he and Souma.
"Not bad, not quite enough." Souma says with a finally serious expression. Visible chakra radiates from his body as he holds his blade out towards Kakashi. The two face off for a moment when two pursuing Gillian charge at them, but neither give them any opportunity to attack. "Gourmet breathing second form: clean cut" With a swift burst of speed a single strike decapitates one.
Kakashi throws a cluster of explosive spirit tags at the other, blowing it's head clean off. Almost immediately after they finish them they turn towards each other to clash again when another slash comes flying down the mountain. They look up to see Iori waving with a friendly smile and his sword still sheathed in hand. The two of them glance at each other and set their sights on advancing to the last level…the peak.
Down below Sasuke follows after everyone without breaking pace . He follows the path carved out by the others taking a route that allowed him to dodge many traps. However one that went unnoticed summoned a smaller tier hollow that immediately lunges at him. "Hahahaha freedom and a free meal!" All throughout the stadium people gasp in fear of what will become of the by.
'Fools…' Benimaru thinks. 'Sasuke may be inexperienced, but I must credit him two things…One. Sasuke is far stronger than he originally was last time, I've tempered him a few times and showed him a few tricks myself. And Two. The talent of Indra is nothing to scoff at.' Of everyone there, Benimaru spent the most time with Sasuke. He saw a long time ago, that like his brother he wouldn't be weak.
Sasuke stops and takes a low stance while leaning forward. Relaxing his body while holding the sword on his hip he takes a split second to concentrate.
"Wait…I've seen that stance somewhere before…" Mikoto says watching her son.
"Hmm? Where?" Fugaku asks.
"So you were most definitely worth taking as a disciple," Kojiro smirks.
"What do you mean?" Hiruzen asks, but looking at the boy he notices something interesting. "That surge of chakra…Is he?"
"Yes, and I've only showed him once." Kojiro watches proudly.
"Out of my way!" Sasuke shouts as he swing a swift quickdraw that cleaves his enemy in two. A small shockwave continued up the hill leaving a deep gash behind.
"D-damn you brat…" the hollow groans as it disintegrates and Sasuke continues onward.