Chapitre 215: CH_6.44 (215)
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The link is also in the synopsis
———
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Toridasu looked between the two fighters, and the speed of his fan grew slower as the fight progressed. Most direct confrontations involving shinobi were short affairs of a few minutes until one party was defeated, or the fight broke up because one party decided to escape. Other real-life factors changed those time observations, but the median range of durations was consistently short.
Seeing Masumoto unable to wrap up the fight quickly told Toridasu that he had underestimated Takuma's combat ability. The injuries on Masumoto were proof of his misjudgment. He had expected Takuma to take on a beating for provoking a chunin, but Masumoto's state was out of his expectations.
He glanced at Anko, who was occupied with the fight. "It seems you won't get to fight Masumoto," he said.
"Aww, I was looking forward to playing with him. Look how angry he is; it would've made my week," Anko snorted with faux amusement but her worry for her genin slipped between the curtain of her sarcasm. She eyed Toridasu with a look. "You better not stop me from interfering in case of an incident… I will protect my team."
"You underestimate him," Toridasu said, watching the water clone form beside Takuma.
"I know Takuma well enough. Masumoto is the one I don't trust. I can tell he's the petty kind; they can be particularly nasty fellows." Anko looked directly at Toridasu as she said the words.
Toridasu found the veiled insult equal parts amusing and adorable.
"Why do you think he's doing this? Is it simply for something lowly like revenge? You must've signed off on this," Toridasu asked.
"He's doing this for you," said Anko, surprising Toridasu with her answer.
"…For me? Pardon me but I didn't ask for this."
"Didn't you though? I asked you to put Team-9 on the precursor mission but you made it clear we weren't getting it when you gave Takuma a dressing down in front of Shirakumo. He blames himself and wants to make it up to the team."
"He went behind our backs."
"Net profit."
Toridasu disagreed with that but couldn't say that he was hoping to exploit their allied nation by having them fork over a portion of the extracted gold from the mines. They still would have recaptured the Gojiro Gold Mines for the Hidden Steam, but they would've done so with some demands. Toridasu would've spun a political web for that to happen—but when Benzou brought them the plans for recapture— and destruction—of the mines, it was after he had consulted with the powers at home. Toridasu was completely cut off and didn't even get the chance to convince them to keep the mines running, much less put pressure on the Hidden Steam and the Land of Hot Water.
Anko continued, "This is a showcase for you that Team-9 has two members with a field combat chunin's fighting ability." — Anko wasn't a field combat chunin with her specialty residing in information extraction, but the Snake's student was anything but not deadly. While not tested, Anko was among the strongest chunin in Camp Banana. — "He's making a case for you to consider, appealing that you set aside your personal feelings and appoint the best team for the mission. We didn't lose any members in Gojiro Gold Mines operations, we are equipped to gather intel out there for the subsequent recapture mission, and we obviously have enough firepower."
Toridasu tapped the bottom of his chin with his closed fan and shook his head.
"I'm sorry but this just looks like a child's petty revenge to me."
"People can have multiple intentions, sir. I mean, who doesn't?"
Toridasu watched as Takuma and his clone cornered Masumoto like it was a street-side brawl.
"I still don't think I will give it to you. I didn't like the Snake very much."
"And you think I love him, sir?" Anko scoffed. "Madmen like him hurt the people closest to them the most," she said in a quieter voice. She took in a deep breath and audibly exhaled. "And I don't care if you give the mission to me, sir. I don't care anymore—about your misplaced grudge or the mission."
"Is that so?" Toridasu smiled, calling her bluff.
"It is. You just told me I have a new job waiting for me back home in the T&I department." Anko smiled refreshingly at him. "You just made my day, sir, and for that, I thank you. I'll treat you to a meal when we return home. I know a killer corner joint that serves sweet bean soup and dango to die for."
"I prefer my food to be spicy."
Anko laughed. "No wonder we don't get along."
———
.
"Scars."
"Takuma."
Takuma and Clone stood next to each other and communicated their role to each other. Clone only had ten percent of Takuma's chakra and was a level inferior in terms of physical capabilities—but other than that, they were completely identical.
Water Style: Eight Tentacles
The water tentacles formed behind their backs.
Opposite them, Masumoto breathed out a jet of fire that fanned back to form a ring around him before splitting into nine orbs. The orbs split into two different orbits that crossed each other, forming an X-shape.
Fire Release: Fox Fire
"He's quick, but he doesn't like to move around, so we have to be on the move," said Clone.
Takuma eyed the fire orbs rotating around Masumoto and felt that they were rather similar to his water tentacles. He wasn't familiar with the jutsu, but he could guess that the fire orbs had considerable range and speed, and that any contact with them would burn harshly.
"Allocate half of the tentacles for defensive purposes," Takuma said to Clone.
Clone scoffed. "I should be saying that. You're Scars."
"Let's go."
Takuma and Clone were on the move. They went into diverging directions with the intention to flank Masumoto from either side in a pincer movement.
Masumoto's eyes moved between Takuma and Clone. He assumed a stance, and the moment they were close enough, the fire orbs broke from their stable orbital movements and flew erratically. Six orbs shot toward Takuma while Masumoto took three orbs with him and charged Clone. The tentacles behind Clone jolted into action. One whipped the first fire orb away from Clone. Three tentacles tried to envelop the second orb in an attempt to extinguish it, but the third orb pushed the trapped second orb. The second orb was smaller with the tentacles having done some damage, but it drew closer to the third orb, and in a moment, swelled back to its previous size and intensity.
Clone made a note of it and clashed with Masumoto.
There were no quips exchanged as the two fought. Masumoto was more aggressive and the Ring influence showed in his style—his body shots looked for the liver and kidney, frequent kicks were aimed at the joints to disrupt the balance and take out the base, and he was more than willing to trade damage for opportunities to inflict more and worse pain.
He noted that this must be what others felt when they fought him. The fire orbs acted like extra arms, just like his water tentacles did and Masumoto used them viciously, targeting his face to damage his eyes and ears. Clone felt the heat near his face—but the water tentacles kept the fire orbs away.
Clone, like an ice skater on the rink, was constantly on the move as he targeted Masumoto from both sides. Masumoto was quick, but he wasn't light on his feet. Clone exerted himself to jump around and push his speed even further, turning the pressure so Masumoto would make a mistake.
He was on the hunt for a counter opportunity.
Alas, Clone was slower than Takuma and Masumoto was difficult to pressure. Less than ten seconds after their clash, Clone pulled back away from Masumoto.
Masumoto wasn't confused and immediately turned and pulled up a block. Takuma smashed a devastating augmented cross into his arms. Masumoto held his ground but was forced to skid several meters back. He growled in pain as he flexed his arms to stop them from trembling.
Clone shot back in from behind with a flying augmented kick to Masumoto's head that his opponent parried and redirected skillfully. When his feet landed on the ground, Clone jumped again for a spinning kick.
Masumoto tried to pull back, but five of Takuma's tentacles wrapped around him from behind, holding him in place. Clone slammed the kick into his shoulder and he jerked, still trapped within the water tentacles. Clone tried to convert his one hit into a chain combination—but three orbs shot toward him in quick succession, all blocked by the three remaining water tentacles.The other five slipped off Masumoto as Clone was sent flying —the fire orbs were heavy as cannon balls.
As Takuma stepped from behind to stab Masumoto in the back, another orb rushed toward him. The tentacles moved to intercept it, but it pulsed dangerously and exploded.
Takuma's body spun through the air; the tentacles plunged into the ground, slowing him down. Takuma rose unsteadily as the tentacles snaked around his body to cool the burns. He gazed at Masumoto. The man was rolling on the ground, putting out the fire from his own explosion. His clothes were ruined, and the skin on his back was charred and angry.
"Fuck," Takuma touched behind his ringing left ear. He raised his left hand to his right shoulder and snapped the dislocated shoulder back into his place with a wince.
It didn't surprise Takuma that Masumoto was willing to trade damage, but not to this degree. It was something the Ring did to its fighters—genin who walked out of the Ring were much more willing to trade injuries, a dangerous habit to fall into on the field. Takuma was trying to hammer down that same instinct to this day and assumed that Masumoto, who had retired by the time he became Scars, would've done the same.
Has he not done so yet, or is Masumoto taking greater risk on purpose, Takuma wondered—if it was the latter, then why?
Takuma exchanged glances with Clone, and both ran toward Masumoto again in a pincer movement. Masumoto was breathing heavily on his knees. The remaining fire orbs mobilized, and a pair whizzed towards each of them.
Takuma tried to dance around the fire orbs, but now that he knew they could explode, he kept his distance and was always ready to jump away at the moment's notice.
Clone, on the other hand, decided to experiment; he ran around looking like he was trying to get past the fire orbs. He came very near the fire orb before jumping away to a dead still. The fire orb bobbed after him but halted halfway.
Clone looked at Masumoto, who was now frowning.
He grinned before yelling, "Ten to twelve meters!"
Takuma jumped backward until he was more than twelve meters away from Masumoto and immediately weaved hand seals.
Water Release: Wild Water Wave
Takuma had purposefully overcharged the jutsu. It had double the range and the water retained much of its damaging pressure. The jutsu barreled toward Masumoto, who was clearly injured as he was still kneeling.
Two fire orbs shot towards the wave of water and exploded, neutralizing the ninjutsu. A light splash of water washed over Masumoto, leaving him drenched. Masumoto finally got up, and the six remaining fire orbs pulled back closer to him.
He started, "You think you're—"
Ding!
Masumoto froze up with a jolt. He groaned in agony as a harsh sound pierced his ear, and he began to see clones of Takuma pop around the field.
One of Clone's tentacles was holding a scuffed bell.
Genjutsu: Bell Clone Jutsu
Takuma immediately took off toward Masumoto. Just when he thought he had a freeway, the nearest fire orbs moved, giving him a scare. He looked at Masumoto, who was still frozen up from the genjutsu. Then he noticed that the fire orb was moving erratically and much slower. It seemed that genjutsu only froze up the body, and the mind was affected, but not completely.
He learned more every day.
Takuma clicked his tongue and jumped away just a moment before the fire orb nearest to him suddenly exploded.
"He's free," Clone shouted.
Masumoto shook his head, trying to shake off any lingering effects. It was unclear if exploding the fire orb snapped him out of the genjutsu or if he exploded the orb after he snapped out of it. He turned a glare towards Clone, sending two fire orbs chasing after him.
Clone put himself far outside of the fire orb's range and was thinking about baiting Masumoto by stepping in and out of the range and occupying his attention so that Takuma could breach and get close to him. During that thought, one of the fire orbs struck the second from behind a moment before exploding. The second orb absorbed the explosion, growing bigger, and shot beyond its tracking range toward Clone..
He thought he was safe as long as he was outside the range, and the sudden collapse of that logical conclusion made him freeze up. He watched it pulse and grow brighter like all the other orbs did before exploding. A split second later, Clone snapped into action and punched out toward the orb just as it was less than a meter away from him.
Chakra Augmentation: Second Form
The chakra bubbling inside Clone's arm traveled to the front of his fist and then shot out in a directed beam of concentrated chakra that struck the fire orb before it could hit Clone. It wasn't as powerful as the usual augmented strike and took more chakra to perform, but it added extra range to his melee attack.
The fire orb, heavy as a cannonball, being propelled by an explosion much like a cannon, had an overwhelming force behind it—and for a moment, it looked like the second form punch failed to stop the bull run, but then it was smashed away into the air a moment before it exploded. Clone pulled his arms up in protection with a pleased grin. He felt the heat but little of the explosive force. It was the first time the second form punch was used in battle, and it was a success even though he had yet to test it in spars.
On Masumoto's side, he looked up to see a flurry of kunai and shuriken tearing in his direction. He narrowed his eyes and caught explosive tags fluttering behind a few kunai mixed in with the bunch. He sighed, and with a flick of his wrist, three of the remaining four orbs met the weapons in mid-air. They exploded and the barrage of projectiles was blown away in all directions. Metal shards and broken hilts clattered across the field.
Masumoto looked ahead and found Takuma missing. His pupils shrunk, and goosebumps erupted across his bare skin. He turned around and felt the ground beneath him shift. Takuma broke through a crack in the ground. The last remaining fire orb flew toward Takuma, who punched out with a weaker second form augmentation and sent it a few meters away.
Takuma slashed Masumoto across the chest with the kunai in his other hand. Blood spattered over his face as Masumoto stumbled back. Takuma struck with his kunai again, but Masumoto grabbed the blade, cutting the inside of his hand. He muffled his grunt and kicked Takuma's legs from under him, followed by a stomp to his chest, pinning him to the ground. The fire orb rushed in from the side, and Masumoto jumped away. Takuma saw the orb glowing brighter; he couldn't get up to run in time, so he took the next option of weaving hand seals for Earth Style: Earthen Dome. He knew the jutsu wouldn't make it time, but it was his only option.
Just as the orb expanded, a second away from blowing up, Clone came flying in. He enveloped his body around the orb the moment it exploded. Clone blew up into a mass of water, and in his last moment, his body blocked the explosion that would've hit Takuma. While the fire hadn't touched him, the force of the explosion sent him flying and he smashed his elbow against the ground..
His vision swam. He spat out the blood pooling in his mouth as he got up and fixed his gaze toward the blurred figure he assumed to be Masumoto. As his vision settled, Takuma saw Masumoto weave hand seals, the gash on his hand dripping with blood.
A layer of visible blue chakra covered Masumoto's body. Takuma looked closer and saw the air around Masumoto's body shimmering with sheer heat. The grass around Masumoto's feet burned, turning black with embers.
"Takuma!" Anko yelled from the sidelines. "That's a B-rank ninjutsu— be careful!"
Masumoto threw his head back, flexed his entire body, and yelled to the sky.
The chakra layer sparked and surged into a blazing fire, surrounding him like a scorching aura, trying to burn everything and anything within its reach. Steam rose from the ground around Masumoto, the moisture being burned, and within a couple of seconds, he was standing in a smoldering ring.
A fresh coat of sweat erupted across Takuma's body, running down his face and evaporating before it ever hit the ground.
A hundred thoughts flashed across his mind as he ran simulations on how the fight would go.
The result was the same every single time: he couldn't win—not against this.
.
———
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The link is in the synopsis!
Chapitre 216: CH_6.45 (216)
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to Patreón @
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The link is also in the synopsis
———
.
Team-9 ran to Anko, worried and apprehensive. Anko herself looked nervous as the waves of heat and chakra washed over her and felt the danger Masumoto posed— she herself felt danger from Masumoto as he was now. She didn't know if Takuma would be able to defeat him.
"Anko, you should call the fight," said Iori, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Anko glanced at her team before turning to Toridasu.
She asked, "What is that jutsu?"
Just from the chakra saturated the environment, it was clear that this was a B-rank ninjutsu at the minimum—maybe even higher.
"It's Fire Style: Chakra Mode, a B-rank ninjutsu of the supplementary category. He's coating his entire body with a cloak of fire chakra. In theory, the jutsu is fairly simple. The fire incinerates any attack thrown at him, and it allows him to scorch through his enemies with a very potent nintaijutsu."
A term used to describe fighting styles that incorporate the use of ninjutsu and taijutsu.
"This jutsu has limitless potential. The Raikage uses the lightning version of it, Lightning Style: Chakra Mode—in fact, it's his signature jutsu. He's arguably the most powerful shinobi currently alive and his use of that jutsu is heavily responsible for that." Toridasu looked at her. "Your boy is in danger, Anko. Both of them are close-range melee fighters. And Mausmoto just got an extreme boost to his taijutsu. You might want to listen to your team's suggestions… call it off," he said without the usual lightheartedness in his eyes.
Anko turned her gaze back to the fight. Takuma had his raised hand up in front of his face to protect it from the sheer heat, and it looked like he couldn't even stand properly from the fringe effects of Masumoto's jutsu.
"Anko!" Iori urged.
Protecting her own was Anko's responsibility as their leader. In her opinion, Takuma had already proved his value and Team-9's virtue for the benefit of Toridasu. He didn't need to prove himself more than he had already shown.
But the truth was that none of it mattered anymore.
"He failed his academy graduation test twice," Anko said to Toridasu, recalling Takuma's file, what he told her, and something she heard from Kameko. "He told me that you were there for the third attempt, which he passed—but what's surprising is that they didn't give him a chance to get on a jonin team because his grades were piss poor…. They pushed him into the Genin Corp without allowing a jonin to check him.
"I don't think that boy, who was denied that basic opportunity, and then managed to climb his way to a leadership position in the Uchiha's den would appreciate anyone telling him what he can or cannot do."
Anko crossed her arms and returned to the fight, much to the wonder of Toridasu and the astonishment of her team.
Inside, however, she was struggling to convince herself that she'd made the right choice.
———
.
The smoldering heat made Takuma wish he had at least kept his inner vest on. He absently wondered if this was what working in a smelting factory felt like but reined his focus in. It was tough to stay focused right now: he had lost a lot of blood, was dehydrated, and was dealing with dozens of injuries of various seriousness.
"You're good as dead, kid!" said Masumoto; the flames around his body roared as he pointed at Takuma.
And then there was him.
Takuma took a hot breath and weaved hand seals for the Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu to alter the playing field and give him some cover while he spent some time thinking about how to proceed.
He quickly followed with Water Style: Eight Tentacles, grimacing as lances of pain shot up and down his elbow. Two tentacles merged into one and wrapped around his hurt arm to support his injured elbow. He had done it for his out-of-commission leg during the assassination attempt, and luckily for him, his arm wasn't completely disabled nor did it bear half of his body weight so two tentacles were enough for support. The remaining tentacles covered as much of his body as they could to provide any protection against the oppressive heat.
His ears were damaged, dulling his hearing, and in any other case, he wouldn't have used the Hidden Mist Jutsu as he relied on his ears to traverse under the fog, but Masumoto had turned himself into a walking light bulb… one that could easily burn him to ashes..
Takuma pulled out three shuriken, intending to see if Masumoto's chakra cover deflected solid metal. He got himself in the position and was about to throw the shuriken when he noticed the visibility improving by the moment, and in just a few seconds, the mist had dissipated, turning increasingly thin.
In front of his eyes, Masumoto went from a mass of light to a blurry humanoid figure, coated in angry flames.
'H-He's heating the mist into vapor,' Takuma gasped in astonishment.
Masumoto turned to face Takuma, who saw his grin through the translucent flames. "Found you," he grinned before breaking into a sprint, heading straight for Takuma.
With the mist neutralized, Takuma had no choice but to face the threat head-on. He immediately fell back, keeping a safe distance away between them and threw three shuriken. Masumoto laughed, and a ring of fire burst out of his body. It passed through the shuriken and they lost all their momentum, burning cherry-red and sinking to the ground.
"I don't like running, Scars!" Masumoto yelled, stretching his words.
When Takuma didn't reply, Masumoto punched out a dense cloud of fire with a smokey trail. For a moment, Takuma wondered if he had thrown Fire Style: Fireball at him. He broke it apart with a second form punch.
"But can you do that like this?!" Masumoto jabbed in quick succession, sending half a dozen burning fire clouds toward Takuma.
Masumoto deduced it right. Takuma couldn't use his augmentations in quick succession. He jumped around to evade the fire clouds—but in doing so, he let Masumoto close the distance. The flames around his arm morphed into a rough gauntlet, much like his previous ninjutsu.
Takuma jumped to the side at the last moment. The flaming gauntlet struck a glancing blow to his shoulder. Takuma felt the force travel around his torso and spun like a top before slamming into the ground. Through the nausea, Takuma thanked higher powers that they fought on soft ground instead of concrete or tar roads.
He could smell his burnt hair but he didn't have time to worry. Running wasn't an option so he pulled out a kunai and stood his ground.
Masumoto looked irked that Takuma had gotten up. The chakra cloak that had subsided to a modest fire flared back to its peak ignition as Masumoto surged ahead.
Takuma pushed his body to the limit, dancing around Masumoto. His chakra cloak granted him dangerous power, but it didn't fix his habit of not moving around enough. Takuma ducked and rolled under Masumoto's high-intensity assault. He jumped back and forth, going in and out of melee range to force Masumoto to move around.
It was painful. The tentacle armor protected him from most of the heat, but it wouldn't last for long. Masumoto's elevated strength, his ranged fire clouds, and the fire's blinding light were hindrances that Masumoto took full advantage of as he stirke through Takuma's defenses. He was gave Takuma the Ring treatment: his shoulders and knees were given repeated beatings; he had to protect his calves and thighs from searing kicks that had struck him one too many times; he had to protect his face from sudden attacks that would then be followed by quick body strikes that hurt his organs.
Not to mention his elbow: Takuma did all he could to make sure Masumoto didn't damage it even further.
Takuma felt the fatigue building up in his aching muscles. He could no longer see properly from his right eye because of how swollen it was. His breathing grew labored as his offense built on the continuous movement to break through Masumoto's weak points wasn't doing much damage, not enough to pull him down to Takuma's level.
As the exhaustion set in, his mind grew heavier, and so did the desperation to find something to turn the tide. He had one more untested weapon in his arsenal, but he needed time to weave hand seals and carefully direct his chakra. Option after option rushed through his mind; he dug deep into his previous fights, looking for anything he had done that would work—but everything failed.
Even bombarding Masumoto with explosive tags wasn't viable.
But then his augmented headbutt came forth and center of his thoughts, and Takuma felt an epiphany open up his mind.
He didn't need to augment his eight points of contact (2 fists, 2 elbows, 2 knees, 2 shins)̦—he could augment anything with striking power.
Takuma dug his feet into the ground and charged at Masumoto instead of being forced to move back.
Masumoto was all the happier to have his target come closer and upped the heat, every step of his leaving behind a burning footprint in the grass. A trail of fire lit up behind him and the two met in a sea of flames created by their fight.
Takuma readied an aching shoulder and summoned chakra toward the tenketsu points near his shoulder, arm, and upper chest.
Masumoto pulled his arm back and swung it hard for a haymaker that hit Takuma straight in the face, but in the same moment, Takuma bodied Masumoto with an augmented shoulder charge more powerful than any taijutsu attack he had ever used.
Masumoto didn't fly away over the field, instead, he blasted down to the ground. The air was knocked from his chest, and his eyes were on the verge of popping out as he made a crater around him. Takuma, however, was blown back for miscalculating and overloading the augmentation, along with Masumoto blasting him with fire. Unlike Masumoto, Takuma flew away, hit his head on the ground, and was dragged for meters until his face and neck were buried in dirt.
But there was no time to moan about the pain.
Takuma slowly pulled himself up to his knees, wheezing and coughing all the dirt he had in his mouth and nose—he no longer had any strength in his legs and core. He saw Masumoto get up, looking hurt and angrier than before. With the blood flooding down his face and the burns all over his body from the earlier explosion, he looked absolutely terrifying. The dim chakra cloak roared as though responding to his overflowing rage and he thundered toward Takuma with earth-burning stomps.
The tentacle armor didn't make it out intact from the impact and he had to bear the awful pain from his elbow as he weaved hand seals. He joined his trembling hands together, with only his index and middle finger stretched out to the front, making the colloquial hand gesture for mimicking a gun.
A globe of water formed in front of the finger gun.
Water Release: Spirit Water Wave
"Bang."
A pressurized water bullet, as wide as his finger, shot out of the water glob. It immediately broke the sound barrier with a sharp snap. Masumoto, who was watching his hand seals and expecting Water Release: Wild Water Wave, didn't change his path, confident in his chakra cloak's ability to shrug the ninjutsu away. He froze, caught between the thought of holding confidence in his cloak or jumping out of the way—in the end, he chose to rely on his cloak's defense.
The bullet penetrated the fire cloak, sliced through his shoulder, tore a chunk of muscle, and shattered his collarbone. Masumoto screamed in agony and dropped to his knees. He shuddered and whimpered in pain as he held his useless shoulder
Takuma took in a deep breath. His head hung for a moment after he saw the water bullet hit his target. Hope filled him as he raised his hand and readied another shot.
"Bang."
The bullet didn't fire, and the globe splashed down to the ground. The jutsu failed. Takuma expected that to happen when he fired the first bullet because he had only used the jutsu a few times with great failure during training.
"Come on, come on, come on…" He muttered to himself as he weaved the hands seals for the Water Release: Spirit Water Wave again.
He looked up and saw that Masumoto was back on his feet.
"Bang."
The moment the water globe formed; Takuma took his shot. But this time, Masumoto was ready for it. He squared his guard and thrust his hands forward; a wall of fire extended from his cloak. The water bullet pierced the wall, but lost most of its speed and power doing so. Still, it left a bruise on Masumoto's lower thigh, which he shrugged off and continued marching toward Takuma.
The ninjutsu failed again, and Takuma felt helpless. He took out three kunai with explosive tags and chucked them at Masumoto. The fire cloak once again foiled his plans and burned through the tags before they had the chance to explode.
"COME ON, FALL!"
As though responding to Takuma's frenzied cries, Masumoto's knees gave out on him, and he fell to the ground. The burning cloak flickered like a weak bonfire on a windy night. Masumoto got up and dragged his feet across the ground to reach Takuma, who wasn't in the shape to avoid him.
When he was a few meters away, the cloak flickered crazily and went out for good.
"Fuck!" Masumoto cursed but continued to move closer to Takuma until he could no longer do so and sagged to the ground on his knees. He was still conscious but barely, and looked so exhausted that breathing was all he could do.
Takuma, still on his knees, closed his eyes and let his shoulders relax.
He had done it.
He wasn't able to beat Masumoto, but he won.
.
———
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AN: Running an experiment this week. Going to post chapters one at a time.
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———
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The link is in the synopsis!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
200+ Classement
Power Stone 
109 Power
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