Chapter 18: Best friends, Worst rivals
- How did it get to this? - Asked Renji, regretting even coming here.
- What? Are you afraid you'll lose? - I mocked him.
I've always wanted to have an all-out fight with him ever since our first squabble. Then I was completely overwhelmed. His innate skill was something that at the time seemed unachievable, but always something I thrived to reach. The only pity was the conditions that led to this duel. Fighting in the middle of a literal blood forest as a punishment for blowing up a man couldn't feel good for Renji either.
Rakuma, who was now being carefully treated in the back by Lai, said to me:
- Roddie, I know you haven't trained with me for too long, but... Agh! Could you go easy back there? - He complained to Lai, who seemed offended by the comment.
- Then don't move so much, you brute!
- Grrgh! Look Roddie, I'll be pretty disappointed if you lose. I might actually kill you next class. - Rakuma threathened with a smirk. That was truly a terrifying man. Lai then said:
- You too, Renji. If you lose, you'll get a whole week of intensive training.
Renji looked at me with pleading eyes:
- Look, Rod, could you make this easy? I really don't want that week, and don't really feel like pushing myself too hard against you.
Its the same as usual. He always underestimated me, talked about how easy it would be to defeat me. I'll show him how much stronger I've become.
- Laidõ Explosion! - I propelled myself towards him, aiming my sword on his chest.
I obviously didn't intend to kill him. After all, we were using steel swords, if a single strike hit, it could be the end of either of us. The only reason why I launched myself at him was because I didn't make his mistake. I didn't underestimate him.
Renji held his one sword and blocked my strike. I grabbed my second sword, and aimed for his stomach. Renji used his chakra to push the first sword away, and was quick enough to block the second hit. He was a master at defense, but he probably wouldn't last too long against a barrage of slashes.
I kept trying to strike him, as he kept blocking any advances. He didn't even try to dodge, as he parried all my attacks with his single sword, which was only growing in chakra. His sword was now a two headed serrated blade made of blue chakra flames. Once he saw his chance to push me away he did, as he held both my swords with his and kicked me in the gut. I heard him say:
- Just give up, Rod. I don't want to hurt you.
- Then I guess I'll have to change your mind.
Now a couple meters away from him, I put both my swords in their scabbards.
- Double Laidõ Explosion!
I launched myself at double the speed of before, so Renji couldn't react. I successfully hit his helmet, throwing it out of his head, and revealing a new scratch on his cheek.
Renji dumbfounded, put his hand on his face, touching the drop of blood. He looked at it with an emotionless expression. I felt like something was about to snap in the air. I looked past Renji and saw Lai looking worried and saying:
- Renji, you don't have to do this. I forgot how reckless Rakuma's student could be.
- Oh shut up. - Growled Rakuma. - If you don't let him have fights like these he'll never grow. Honestly you're too soft with the boy, of course he is going to lose the drive to improve. - StupidFace then faced my direction. - Good job. See if you can cut him again.
Renji still seemed unresponsive. It only looks like I grazed, did it really hurt that much? I commented:
- Rakuma, I don't think this is a good i...
- You too? If neither of you are going to show this boy what tough love is, then I will. - The giant attempted to get up, but immediately fell forward on his injuries. Lai seemed to warn him about not moving for a bit, but all I heard was the brute shouting:
- If you don't hit him again. We'll have another sword slashing practice!
Oh god, I'd rather die than that. It was so awkward last time. Fine then, I'll tap Renji with my sword to see if he was still awake. I approached him with one sword and attempted to hit him. Renji barely had to look at my attack, and with a step backwards, he dodged it. He may look distraught but I knew he still was in the fight. Now let's do it more seriously.
I slashed again, and he lowered his back to avoid it, then I went for a kick, but he jumped above it, landing on my leg. Weightless as a feather, he was now on top of my extended leg.
-How? - I was able to mutter before being kicked in the face and thrown back.
I did a flip and quickly got back up. All the times I had been thrown by Rakuma had acclimated me to that. Renji seemed to mutter:
- You know. It's been quite some time since we last fought.
- Five years, I think.
- Don't interrupt me! - He shouted in pure anger. - As I was saying, last time we fought I destroyed you. I would hit you five times before you even had the focus to think of hitting me once. You were merely an ant before my feet, a spark before my breath. So how come I couldn't react to that? How come you hit me?!
This was a side of him that I had only seen once before, or more precisely, 4 years ago.
There was once a girl on our class, Sara, with green eyes and curly hair, a feisty girl who would skip class whenever she felt like. I would play around with her, some sparring here, some basketball there, it was a lot of fun, and I fell for her quickly. I once told Renji, how much I wanted to tell her what I felt. That was my worst mistake.
At the time me and him had a brotherhood, and even though we were around the same age, he was clearly the older brother. Taller, stronger and was the best student in class. Everything he attempted he would succeed. So he tried talking to Sara. He told me he would break the ice and next time I'd see her, she would be all over me. I was radiant. "Renji can do anything. I'll have Sara all for me.", I thought. The next day I saw her and she was afraid. She had a black eye and a cut on the lip. I heard that Renji had told her about my feelings, complimenting my determination and speed, however she didn't seem to care, and where a normal person would give up, he just persisted.
I confronted him that day, asking:
- What happenned? Why does she look like that?
- Shut up, Rod! - I was scared. He looked at me as if offended. - This happenned all because of you. Yes, you're the problem. She said no, because you already had ruined everything. Look at me being stupid and believing I could fix something as broken as your love life.
I swallowed my own fear:
- Renji! Why does she look like that?!
I got hit. A backhand slap to the face that threw me in the ground.
- Because she saw me just like you do now. With fear, with... - He started crying. - Why was she so afraid? I... All I did was ask her. Why was she trembling? I'm not a monster... I'm... - I hugged him.
We had been friends for a while and that was the first time he saw his own perfection defied. He couldn't accept defeat, but I would be there. If he were to ever react like this again, I would be there to calm him down.
But this time, I would be the one to beat him, and I didn't care if he cried.
- I am too fast for you now. I've trained to death all these years so that I could reach you and surpass you, and all that revenge Uchiha mess, but also to surpass you.
- Ha ha ha ha! - Renji laughed. - I haven't even gone all out, Rod, and I'm not going easy anymore. You can no longer catch me off guard.
I opened a gate, and with a faster laidõ explosion reached him in an instant. I avoided hitting him with my sword, and before he could react I kicked him in the stomach, launching him back.
- What were you saying?
Renji was mad. His perfect vision of himself, once again broken against me. I knew that from here on out, I wouldn't be able to hit him as easily, but that's what makes it exciting. He quickly leapt up, a few meters in the sky, and now wielding his sword shouted:
- 10 Heavenly Cuts.
Chakra slashes came shooting out of his sword towards me. With quick jumps, I was capable of dodging them, but he kept me occupied long enough to approach. He attempted slashing my neck, in the small space between my chest armor and helmet. He was going for the kill. I did a sommersault backwards and kicked him in the chin. He quickly passed his hand on the hit, surprised that I was keeping up, and with his chakra sword kept swinging at me, as I tried dodging it all. Blocking wasn't an option, since my lack of chakra control would mean that my sword would be cut right through, something I've learned the hard way.
I kept avoiding his attacks, and tried to hit him back, but now he was prepared, perfectly parrying my attacks and countering.
I got on top of a tree and heard some rustling behind me, but now I couldn't get distracted. After all, I had my pride to protect, and couldn't lose after Rakuma's threat.
Both teachers were watching from afar. Lai seemed to have finished the treatment on his equal, and was now staring at us in awe.
- This is what he has been missing. - Exclaimed Lai. - The drive to improve and fight. Your student is incredible, brute.
- Well, he is pretty impressive. Too bad he can't strenghten his sword, cause then this would... wait... what's that? Hmm, has he finally come? - Rakuma noticed something from afar, probably the source of the rustling.
Rakuma had been expecting someone to show up. If the causer of all the bloodshed around us was nearby, he would clearly be interested in all the ruckus we were causing. After all, he killed samurai just because they got in their way.
After looking for a while, Rakuma was able to see a person approaching holding two kunai in his hands. He quickly alerted:
- Kids, watch out. The murderer may have shown up. - He tried getting up, but couldn't. Even after the treatment, he was too badly hurt.
I heard what he had said, and Renji probably did as well, but we wouldn't stop our duel. It would only end when one of us was the winner. Even then, the man approached, saying:
- Look at all this bloodshed. Why don't they understand that the power they wield is too dangerous. - He looked forward, seeing us. - You're not the ones I expected to see.
Lai moved towards him, willing to fight, but then the man asked:
- Where is he? Tell me where the man who caused all this is at, or suffer the consequences.
- Who are you? - Asked Lai, unsheathing his sword.
- That's not for you to know. I've come to do justice for the world. If you're hiding him then show him now or...
I couldn't hear him anymore. It was too distracting, and I think Renji thought the same. With a quick leap from the trees me and Renji reached the man before he could react:
- JUST SHUT UP! - We both shouted as we hit him, I kicked him in te gut and Renji puched him in the face, throwing him away.
Nothing would stop our fight. The strongest had to be decided.
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