The crowd watched in anticipation as Sakumo Hatake and Tsume Inuzuka stepped into the arena. Both were well-known among the students for their raw talent, and today's match promised to be an exciting one. The cheers grew louder as the principal raised his hand to signal the start of the fight.
Sakumo stood still, his white hair catching the light of the midday sun, a short sword in hand. The blade shimmered faintly as he poured chakra into it, preparing for his fight.
His opponent, Tsume, crouched low, a feral grin on her face, with her loyal dog Kuromaru at her side. Her fingers twitched, her nails gleaming with chakra as she prepared to sharpen them into deadly claws. The air between them crackled with tension.
The moment the signal was given, Tsume darted forward without hesitation, her speed almost animalistic as she charged toward Sakumo. Kuromaru sprinted alongside her, the two moving in perfect sync.
Sakumo, expecting her aggressive approach, stood his ground.
As Tsume closed in, she slashed at him with her chakra-infused nails, aiming for his chest. Sakumo sidestepped just in time, his sword flashing as he deflected the blow. The clang of metal against chakra echoed in the arena. Tsume spun around, swiping at him again, but this time, Sakumo raised his short sword, channeling more chakra into it. The blade glowed brighter as he parried her next attack, the force of the impact pushing both of them back.
"Not bad, Hatake," Tsume growled, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "But you haven't seen anything yet."
Sakumo smirked but said nothing. Instead, he threw a handful of shuriken at her, the sharp projectiles whistling through the air. Tsume leaped back, dodging them with ease, but Kuromaru, barking loudly, jumped into action.
The dog weaved between the shuriken, snapping one out of the air with his teeth before rushing at Sakumo with blinding speed.
Sakumo reacted quickly, flipping backward as Kuromaru lunged at him, fangs bared. Mid-air, he threw two kunai toward Tsume, forcing her to dodge as well. The moment his feet touched the ground, he charged chakra into his sword again and dashed toward Tsume, their attacks clashing in a flurry of movement. Sparks flew as Sakumo's blade met Tsume's claws, each strike faster than the last. It was clear that both were testing each other's limits.
In a sudden burst of speed, Sakumo swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming for Tsume's shoulder. She blocked with her forearm, her chakra-enforced nails holding against the blade, but the force of the strike pushed her back.
Before she could regain her footing, Sakumo threw a smoke bomb at the ground. The arena filled with thick, gray smoke, obscuring her vision.
Tsume crouched low, her senses heightened as she tried to detect Sakumo's movements. "Kuromaru, now!" she shouted.
Kuromaru barked in response and leaped into the smoke, sniffing out Sakumo's location. The dog lunged at a shadow, but as his jaws snapped shut, his target vanished. It was a clone. Sakumo appeared behind Tsume, his sword raised for a decisive blow.
But Tsume was no novice. She felt the shift in the air and twisted at the last moment, her claws slashing upward. Sakumo dodged, but not fast enough. Her sharpened nails grazed his arm, drawing blood.
He winced but didn't falter. The momentary distraction gave Kuromaru the opportunity to attack, and the dog launched himself at Sakumo's legs.
Sakumo backflipped again, his chakra surging through his body as he flipped mid-air. He landed a few feet away, clutching his sword tightly. "You're quick, Inuzuka," he remarked, his voice calm despite the growing tension in the fight.
Tsume grinned, her wild eyes gleaming. "And you're not half bad yourself, Hatake. But you can't outrun Kuromaru and me forever."
Sakumo smirked, raising his sword again. This time, he concentrated more chakra into the blade, making it glow with a pale white light. "We'll see about that."
He charged forward, his speed faster than before, and swung his sword in a precise arc. Tsume raised her claws to block, but the chakra-enhanced blade cut through her defense, forcing her to retreat.
Kuromaru tried to flank Sakumo, but the young Hatake was ready. He tossed a kunai toward the dog, not to harm but to distract. Kuromaru dodged, leaving Tsume exposed for a split second.
That was all Sakumo needed.
He closed the distance between them and aimed a quick strike at her side. Tsume barely managed to block, but the force of the blow knocked her off balance. She stumbled back, and before she could recover, Sakumo was already on her, his sword pointed at her throat.
Tsume froze, breathing heavily as Kuromaru barked from the sidelines, ready to attack again. But before the dog could move, Sakumo stepped back, lowering his sword.
"It's over," he said calmly, his usual smirk fading into a more serious expression.
Tsume, panting from the intense battle, narrowed her eyes. "You're not finishing me off?"
Sakumo shrugged, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I don't think it's necessary. Besides…" He hesitated for a moment, then grinned, "I'd rather ask you out on a date."
Tsume blinked, caught completely off guard by the sudden proposal. "W-what?" she stammered, her face turning slightly red as the audience, already tense from the fight, burst into laughter and chatter.
Sakumo sheathed his sword and gave her a playful wink. "You heard me. A date. After all, I think we'd make a great team. Don't you?"
Tsume, still reeling from the fight and his unexpected question, glanced at Kuromaru, who tilted his head as if just as confused. She opened her mouth to reply, but all that came out was a flustered laugh.
"Let's finish this tournament first, Hatake," she finally said, her tough demeanor returning. "Then we'll see about that date."
Sakumo chuckled, nodding in agreement as the referee called the match in his favor.
Both fighters walked off the field.
---
As Satoru sat in the stands, he observed the next match with sharp focus. After watching Sakumo's fight, he now knew that the white-haired boy wasn't just talented with swordplay but was also adept in chakra augmentation.
---
But now, it was time for another match—one that would reveal more about his friend Tatsuo. Across the ring, Tatsuo faced off against Kaito, who was visibly prepared for battle, his stance solid and confident.
Kaito wasn't from any clan, everyone knew him for his incredible physical strength and proficiency in sword combat. Unlike many others, Kaito had worked hard to hone his natural strength rather than relying on chakra augmentation. His muscles were lean but powerful, built from years of intense training.
Tatsuo, on the other hand, took a balanced stance. His fighting style, a fusion of ninjutsu and taijutsu, allowed him to switch between close-range hand-to-hand combat and mid-range ninjutsu with ease.
The principal signaled for the match to begin, and they wasted no time.
Kaito lunged forward with his sword in hand, moving with a speed that surprised Tatsuo. The air whistled as he swung his blade toward Tatsuo, who quickly dodged to the side, barely avoiding the sharp edge.
The force of Kaito's swing was evident—it cut through the air with a vicious hiss, leaving Tatsuo on the defensive.
Tatsuo stepped back, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed Kaito's movements. 'He's fast,' he thought, 'and his strength isn't something to take lightly.' He knew he couldn't afford to let Kaito's blade connect. One clean hit, and it could be over.
Kaito pressed his attack, swinging the sword with both hands in wide arcs, trying to corner Tatsuo. Tatsuo, using his superior agility, weaved between the strikes, his movements allowing him to move just in time. But Kaito's relentless attacks were hard to avoid for long. Tatsuo had no opening to counterattack.
Kaito's speed increased as he adjusted his footing, closing the distance between them. He spun mid-step, the blade whirling toward Tatsuo's midsection. Tatsuo ducked low, barely avoiding the slash, and immediately countered with a punches aimed at Kaito's ribs.
Kaito twisted his body at the last second, absorbing the blow with his arm instead of his ribs. He grunted in pain, but his sword came crashing down toward Tatsuo's back. Tatsuo was forced to disengage, flipping backward to gain distance.
The crowd was on edge, watching the clash of pure physical power versus the precision and technique of chakra-enhanced taijutsu. Neither fighter was giving an inch.
Tatsuo, knowing he couldn't keep dodging forever, decided to switch tactics. He infused more chakra into his body, his muscles tightening with the added power. He needed to disarm Kaito. As long as Kaito had his sword, Tatsuo was at a disadvantage.
Kaito charged again, bringing the sword down in a diagonal slash. But this time, Tatsuo didn't dodge. Instead, he moved forward, meeting the attack head-on. His left arm, glowing faintly with chakra, blocked the sword by catching the flat side of the blade between his forearm and hand. The chakra reinforcement allowed him to withstand the blade's impact without it cutting through.
Kaito's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't have time to react before Tatsuo's right fist came crashing toward his face. Kaito ducked, but Tatsuo had anticipated this. He released the sword with his left hand and slammed his knee into Kaito's stomach.
The impact was brutal. Kaito staggered back, his grip on the sword weakening. Tatsuo seized the opportunity and kicked the sword out of Kaito's hand, sending it flying across the arena. The crowd gasped as the weapon clattered to the ground, leaving Kaito unarmed.
Now the fight had shifted into Tatsuo's territory—hand-to-hand combat. Tatsuo smiled slightly, feeling more confident without the looming threat of Kaito's blade.
But Kaito wasn't out of tricks yet.
Despite losing his sword, Kaito smirked and squared his shoulders. "You think this is over because I lost my weapon?" he asked, cracking his knuckles. "I've trained too hard to rely on a sword. Let's see how you handle me in hand-to-hand combat."
Tatsuo's expression remained serious. "I'm not underestimating you. But without your sword, this is my game."
Kaito wasted no time, launching himself at Tatsuo with a flurry of punches. His speed and strength were overwhelming, even without chakra augmentation. Tatsuo blocked and parried, using his reflexes to deflect the blows. But Kaito's raw power was something else entirely.
Every punch from Kaito felt like a sledgehammer. Tatsuo winced as he blocked another heavy strike, his arms stinging from the impact. 'This guy's natural strength is insane,' Tatsuo thought. 'I have to end this quickly.'
Kaito swung a wide hook at Tatsuo's jaw, but Tatsuo ducked and countered with a swift elbow strike to Kaito's ribs. The hit landed cleanly, and Kaito grunted in pain.Instead of backing down, he used the momentum to spin around and deliver a backhand punch aimed at Tatsuo's temple.
Tatsuo ducked again and unleashed a rapid series of punches to Kaito's torso. Each hit connected with precision, causing Kaito to stumble backward, gasping for breath. Tatsuo didn't let up, pressing the attack with a spinning kick that sent Kaito crashing to the ground.
Kaito lay on the ground, panting heavily. He tried to push himself up, but Tatsuo was already standing over him, his fist glowing with chakra, ready for the finishing blow.
"You've got incredible strength, Kaito," Tatsuo said, his voice calm but firm. "But this fight is over."
Kaito looked up at Tatsuo, his expression a mix of frustration and admiration. He knew he had been beaten, but he couldn't help but respect Tatsuo's skill and determination. Slowly, he nodded and relaxed his body, signaling his surrender.
The referee stepped in and declared Tatsuo the winner. The crowd erupted into cheers, but Tatsuo's attention remained on Kaito. He extended his hand to help his opponent up.
"You fought well," Tatsuo said as Kaito took his hand and stood up. "You've got serious talent, and your strength is no joke."
Kaito chuckled weakly, wiping the sweat from his brow. "You're not bad yourself. I'll have to work harder if I want to catch up to you."
Tatsuo smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."
As they left the ring, Satoru watched from the stands, impressed by the fight. Tatsuo had proven once again why he was one of the top six.