Chapter 23: The Battle Commences
Moguro had continued to refine the special taijutsu he had learned. After his previous battle with Deidara, during which his blood burst had a short duration, he was now capable of maintaining the blood burst for much longer. Additionally, he had also begun to grasp several other combat techniques. Although the guy he faced wielded a sword and looked quite formidable, Moguro didn't believe he would lose.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Five clones appeared, and Moguro blended in among them. The five of them leaped in different directions, launching a coordinated attack toward Yamamoto Mirai.
However, Yamamoto Mirai remained unflustered. He performed a swift motion to draw his sword and slightly bent his knees, shouting, "Sword Draw Slash!"
A long blade sprang from his waist, sweeping through Moguro's clones, causing them to disperse one after another.
With a series of *bangs*, all the clones were eliminated.
Seeing this, Moguro decided to stop testing the waters. Given the opponent's impressive strength, he would have to go all out.
Since his opponent used a sword, Moguro's usual hard-hitting style posed a disadvantage. He pulled a pair of iron gauntlets from his ninja tool pouch and put them on. Then, he flashed to Yamamoto Mirai's side.
He threw a punch, but Yamamoto swiftly dodged. It was laughable; he was well aware that his style wasn't about direct confrontation, and a sword was not suited for that approach.
Noting a flaw in Moguro's strategy, Yamamoto instinctively sliced out with his blade, targeting the opening. However, Moguro reacted quickly, raising his hand to block the strike.
But the blow left a white mark on his gauntlet. Moguro couldn't help but wonder; his gauntlets were specially made, and under normal circumstances, they wouldn't leave a trace. Clearly, the sword was of a superior material.
He couldn't afford to keep taking hits like that; before long, his gauntlets would be ruined. Determined, Moguro resolved to increase his speed.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Another two clones appeared, stealthily moving behind Yamamoto Mirai, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Yamamoto Mirai never underestimated any opponent, especially since Moguro had just demonstrated his capabilities. He wouldn't believe that Moguro would forget so easily; thus, this was a setup.
Indeed, as he dodged the clones' feigned attacks, Yamamoto suddenly sensed a powerful wind rushing towards him. Without hesitation, he activated his acceleration technique!
With a swift motion, Yamamoto evaded the attack, while Moguro, engulfed in red energy, struck the ground, creating a large pit.
Moguro didn't panic upon realizing that his attack had missed; instead, he retreated to create some distance and prepared for another opportunity.
Yamamoto touched down and assessed the two clones surrounding him; he decided it was best to eliminate them first. If not, when they fought for real, their interference could put him at a disadvantage.
He unleashed a wave of sword energy toward one clone while charging toward the other.
The clone struck by the sword energy dissipated, but the remaining one reached out, grabbing Yamamoto's sword with its gauntlet.
Not good! Yamamoto thought, struggling to pull back the blade. In that moment, a swirling wall of red energy rushed in, catching him off guard.
Meanwhile, Deidara had chosen Chou Ichiya as his opponent and had moved to the side.
"Ha! I hear you're also a Doton ninja!" Chou Ichiya spoke first. "It seems the Third Tsuchikage has taken you on as a disciple; what a lucky guy!"
Deidara smiled lightly and replied, "Too kind; I didn't expect my modest name to reach your ears. Also, my becoming the disciple of the Third Tsuchikage isn't due to luck."
"Oh? What is it then?" Chou Ichiya asked with interest.
Deidara glanced at him and said, "If you can beat me, I'll tell you." As soon as his words fell, he had already performed his technique.
"Doton: Earth Spear!" Several earthen spikes erupted from the ground beneath Chou Ichiya's feet, aiming for vital points on his body.
Chou Ichiya reacted swiftly, using taijutsu to create distance while forming hand seals. "Doton: Rock Drop!" A sizable rock appeared above, crashing toward Deidara.
Deidara didn't dodge; instead, he formed more seals. "Doton: Earthen Wall!"
Two curved earthen walls rose up to protect Deidara, sealing him off. The rock smashed against this barrier without causing any further damage.
If Deidara chose to remain hidden inside, he could potentially last for ten minutes. However, given his recent performance, Chou Ichiya expected he wouldn't take such a passive approach.
Thus, he decided to attack. Just as this thought crossed his mind, Chou Ichiya leaped into the air. At that moment, a hand reached out from the ground, grasping for Chou Ichiya's ankle.
"Doton: Mind Severing Technique!" Deidara's voice echoed.
But due to Chou Ichiya's timely reaction, this attempt missed. Deidara emerged from the ground, realizing that he couldn't use the same trick twice on an opponent like this. Repeating it could lead to him being defeated by his own opening.
In contrast to Deidara, Chou Ichiya was also an adept Doton user. After evading Deidara's attack, he wasted no time and immediately launched a counterattack.
"Doton: Earth Shattering Palm!" Chou Ichiya struck the ground, causing tremors that made it difficult for Deidara to maintain his balance.
And this was just the beginning of Chou Ichiya's onslaught.
"Doton: Earth Eruption!" A powerful force surged from underground, propelling Deidara into the air. Subsequently, Chou Ichiya used another technique: "Doton: Earth Dragon Jutsu!"
The ground cracked open, and a massive earthen dragon charged toward Deidara, who found himself unable to evade.
"Hmph!" Chou Ichiya scoffed at the sight. Was this the strongest of their generation? He was about to take him down. "Let me be merciful and tell you that you will fall to my consecutive Doton techniques. I call it the Earth Dragon Assault!"
"So that's what this technique is called!" Deidara's voice came from behind Chou Ichiya. Taken by surprise, Chou Ichiya turned to see that the figure he had attacked had transformed into a clay puppet.
Deidara, though somewhat disheveled, had no apparent injuries. Chou Ichiya grew serious, realizing he was up against an opponent worthy of his full effort.
Meanwhile, Moguro struggled to catch his breath. The blood burst was a taxing technique for him. He had almost succeeded just now, but that guy had evaded using a substitution technique.
He had thought that someone who specialized in swordsmanship wouldn't resort to other forms of ninjutsu. But that guy didn't play by the rules, and Moguro was caught in a tough battle.
In contrast, Yamamoto Mirai was still brimming with energy, displaying ample physical stamina.