A/N: We've hit target hit our first target, so there will be a double release next week Monday. For a Triple Release, let's hit 900 powerstones by Sunday. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Goal: 900 Powerstones!
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Kabuto lunged at Goro, but Goro easily parried Kabuto's attack with his kunai. The clash caused Goro's kunai to snap.
"Impressive little trick you've got," Goro said, following up with a sharp kick to Kabuto's stomach, sending him stumbling back.
'Not only does he have medical capabilities, but he has some useful ninjutsu. His skills will be a great asset after I copy them...'
Kabuto winced, clutching his abdomen as he struggled to regain his balance. "He's got power behind his attacks... This brat is too annoying," Kabuto contemplated.
Goro refused to allow Kabuto to rest. He charged towards Kabuto, weaving hand signs as he got closer. "Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!" Goro exclaimed.
Hearing Goro call out the name of a B-rank jutsu that required an excessive amount of hand signs, while only weaving a few, made Kabuto doubt the sincerity of the attack.
"He's bluffing. There's no way he can use that jutsu with barely any hand signs. I have to brace for his physical attack; this is a feint," Kabuto mused.
To his dismay, however, water began to converge above Goro from outside the arena, forming a water dragon.
Upon seeing the Water Dragon, Kabuto realized what he was up against. "To pull water from so far out?! This child isn't the average chunin... This fight will drag out longer than I want it to, allowing for reinforcements to arrive. I've got to get away. My part of the plan is completed, after all." Kabuto thought.
Taking one more glance at the Water Dragon, Kabuto's resolve hardened. "There's no chance I'm staying here!"
Kabuto started to run away, running up the arena walls and out of the arena, but Goro was right behind him.
'I've been meaning to use him as a test dummy. Here's my chance. When he gets far enough, I'll test all the skills I never had a chance to use. With Kabuto, I'll test the true potential of my abilities.'
Goro continued to stalk Kabuto, allowing him to gain a fair amount of distance from the arena.
"The brat is following me... Fine... If he's alone, I should be able to handle him," Kabuto muttered, stopping in an empty training ground.
Turning around to face Goro, Kabuto smirked once more, stretching out his hand and gesturing for Goro to come.
"You're all alone. Don't try to run now!" Kabuto exclaimed.
'The fool. I thought I'd be the one stopping him, but for him to stop on his own? He's underestimating me.'
"If a personal one-on-one is what you wanted, I can give that to you," Goro said, stepping closer.
'He'll die soon, so I guess I'll show him my ability to cast jutsu with no hand signs.'
"Dome of Magnificent Nothingness," Goro uttered. A ring of ice encircled the two and began to rise, engulfing them completely, creating a dome.
'I've used the jutsu twice, creating two layers of ice around us. There's really no escape now. The weaker one between us will die. It's not a good day for you, Kabuto.'
Startled, Kabuto's head swiveled from side to side, trying to figure out if there was a third person that cast the jutsu, but he failed to find any trace of another. "H-how?" Kabuto stuttered.
Goro wiggled his finger, shaking his head. "You chose this. It isn't the time to ask questions, but to fight. You should've chosen your enemies wisely—you and Orochimaru..."
Kabuto clenched his fists and imbued them with chakra once more. "Fine. As you wish," he said, throwing a kunai with an explosive tag attached at Goro.
'Storm Chakra Mode'
Goro's body was engulfed in the familiar flowy, light blue chakra. The chakra began to flash white, signaling its completion.
The kunai continued its path, straight towards Goro. Kabuto, taking advantage of the explosive, rushed in behind it, using it as a shield of sorts.
Goro didn't move. Instead, he allowed the kunai to hit its mark.
"He's done for," Kabuto thought.
The kunai dug deep into Goro's chakra, sinking deeper and deeper, but not cutting through. As Kabuto got closer, the kunai bounced back, heading back in the trajectory it had. "Huh?!" Kabuto exclaimed, jumping to the right to avoid the kunai.
Goro took slow strides towards Kabuto. "I have to thank you; you taught me something I wasn't aware of," Goro said, continuing his march towards his enemy. "You taught me that my Storm Chakra Mode allows me to choose where exactly attacks are deflected to."
"Quit babbling nonsense!" Kabuto roared, throwing a kick towards Goro's head. Again, Goro decided not to move. The kick sunk into the chakra around Goro's head, but at some point, it stopped, not going any further.
With Kabuto's leg stuck in Goro's chakra, Goro replied, "You're too weak, Kabuto. Your attacks cannot pierce my defense. You're severely outmatched. I almost feel bad."
Goro repelled Kabuto's kick, making Kabuto fall to the ground. "You also taught me another thing. I learned that weak kicks like yours can be trapped in my aura," Goro added, making a fist.
Kabuto flinched at Goro's subtle movement, reflexively holding up his arms. Goro felt no pity for him. Instead, with his open hand, he lifted Kabuto up and stared him in the eyes. Having tasted the fear of his foe, Goro cocked back his fist and slammed it into Kabuto's guard, breaking Kabuto's arms in the process. "ARGHH!" Kabuto roared in pain.
Unable to bear another strike with the same amount of power, Kabuto pulled himself onto his feet and turned to run, but was met with the wall of the ice dome Goro had created.
"Damn it!" Kabuto yelled, clawing at the walls, trying to get out. Using his chakra scalpel, he tried carving through the ice, but he left nothing but mere scratches.
'This is the power of x5. My jutsu aren't like Haku's. They're far stronger.'
Leisurely walking towards Kabuto, Goro mocked, "What's the matter? Weren't you the one telling me not to run? So, why are you running?"
Kabuto ignored Goro's words and resumed his futile attempt to escape the ice dome. "How—how were you able to know?! You used a jutsu that protected the arena from our attacks almost instantly, but that's not what makes things fishy. It's that you knew to use it on the whole village! Who are you and how did you know?!" Kabuto questioned, still clawing at the ice dome.
"You want to know how I knew? I think it's okay to tell you the truth. I knew of all your plans to begin with. Even when you met me at the first Chunin exam, I already knew about all of it, and I was going to let it happen," Goro explained.
Kabuto fell silent and turned towards Goro. "Then you had a spy?!" Kabuto said, trying to figure it out.
"No. I—" Before Goro finished his sentence, he flickered to where Kabuto stood, punching Kabuto's face, caving it in. Kabuto fell through the first layer of the ice dome and entered the second. Goro squeezed through the hole in the dome made by Kabuto's body and flickered to Kabuto, who was sprawled on the ground, barely conscious.
"I reincarnated," Goro revealed, slamming his fist into Kabuto's stomach and punching a hole right through. Crouching down, Goro pulled a kunai from his pouch to cut Kabuto's ear off.
As he was doing so, Kabuto's finger twitched, and his hand became imbued with chakra one last time. Attempting to pierce Goro, Kabuto threw his sharpened hand towards him, but Goro slapped his hand away, causing Kabuto's wrist to break.
'He has tenacity, I'll give him that.'
"I hate you," Kabuto said as he breathed his last breaths.
Taking a moment to look at Kabuto, who was still smirking, Goro replied, "Likewise," before cutting his ear off and standing up.
[Beginning Copy…]
'Not now, System. I still have other things to take care of.'
Pulling out a scroll from his pocket, Goro laid it out on the ground and extracted the mask he had used in the Hidden Cloud, storing Kabuto's ear inside. He then took Kabuto's blood-stained cloak and wrapped it around himself.
'It's time for my next move.'
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Reminder: For a Triple Release, let's hit 900 powerstones by Sunday. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Goal: 900 Powerstones!