"Rengoku."
The word fell like thunder across the battlefield.Shinohara, who had nearly accepted his fate, stood wide-eyed.
He could barely track what happened next — a gust of wind so fierce that his eyes blinked instinctively.
BOOM.
His heart thundered within his chest, pounding so violently it hurt. His gaze darted around, searching for the lightning-shrouded opponent. And when he finally found him, his eyes widened in disbelief.
A — the man who had gone toe-to-toe with the Leaf's Sannin, Orochimaru himself — now stood in a crater.Two massive slashes marked his arms.
Blood poured down them like from a broken faucet. His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. We still need to get out of here, he thought.
Being shocked by Kyojiro's feat could wait another day. His voice cracked through the chaos like a thunderclap."Let's go, ninjas!"
…..
A coughed up a blob of blood. The metallic taste filled his mouth, sharp and bitter.
He glanced down at his injuries, then slowly straightened his back.
Across the ruined field stood the fiery-haired ninja, upright despite his exhaustion.
That strike… even I couldn't react to it properly. He recalled how he barely managed to put up a defense before the blade found him.
Spitting another clot of blood, his chakra flared to life once more. A violent lightning shroud enveloped him, crackling with renewed fury. His smirk returned, fierce and competitive.
That snake couldn't match my speed — but a normal ninja can? His arms flexed as he stretched, his voice booming with arrogance."Come, Konoha ninja. Let's see if you can match my speed!"
B, who had been ready to transform again after seeing his brother injured, calmed slightly.If Bro A thinks he can still fight, then I'll trust him, he thought before grinning."Go beat him up, bro! Bakayaro! Konayaro!"
Kyojiro straightened his posture, his heartbeat pounding like war drums. His chakra reserves were dangerously low, almost hollow.
He inhaled deeply — a massive, shuddering breath. The air smelled of everything: blood, ozone, metal, and raw death.
My chakra channels feel like they're on fire, he grimaced, the Sharingan in his eyes spinning faster and faster.
Taking another breath, he hardened his gaze.
Flame Breathing, Fifth Form – Flame Tiger.
The moment his feet struck the ground, it cracked beneath him.
He moved like a phantom in the wind. One instant, he was meters away from A — the next, he was right beside him.
His katana sliced through the air, unhindered by friction or weight. A blur of gleaming steel bore down upon the Raikage's heir.
But then, every hair on Kyojiro's body stood on end. Danger.
A wasn't slow — not in the least. His punch surged forward, deceptively calm, as if the world itself slowed around them.
Kyojiro's smirk faltered for a moment. Is this it? It's nowhere near as fast as before…
But Kyojiro wasn't done yet. The veins on his arms bulged, his expression strained, and a guttural grunt tore from his throat.
Move! he roared inwardly — and his katana obeyed. Just barely.
The blade interposed itself between A's fist and his face.
BOOM.
Blood sprayed from Kyojiro's mouth. The impact tore through his defense, the flat of his blade slamming into his chest.
A katana-shaped dent marred his armor as his body flew backward, spinning through the air.
His limbs barely responded; every nerve screamed. It felt as if molten lead had been poured through his veins.
A looked on, unimpressed. So weak, he thought with a sigh of disappointment.
Before Kyojiro even hit the ground, A was upon him again — a lightning-fast shadow, his fist descending like divine judgment.
But Kyojiro's mind was elsewhere.
I can't win here… am I really going to let all those people die?
Images of Shinohara and the other Konoha shinobi flashed through his mind.
Then came the voice of his mentor, Kyojuro Rengoku — calm, powerful, and unwavering.
"Strength is not dependent on us," the memory whispered.
"We are not demons. Some of us are bound by talent, others by circumstance."
His fist clenched subconsciously.
"However… what we can do is never give up. Always give it our all."
"Because we humans… never back down."
Before A's punch could land, something changed within Kyojiro. His chakra broke through — not dark, not corrupted, but radiant. Pure. Born of a will to protect.
Set your heart ablaze.
His two-tomoe Sharingan spun faster and faster until — from within — a third tomoe emerged.
Power flooded his body. Strength returned to his limbs, if only for a moment.
Flame Breathing, Fourth Form – Blooming Flame Undulation.
His vision cleared. Pain receded beneath instinct. Twisting midair, he moved with blinding precision.
A, who had dropped his guard, widened his eyes. His fist, which should've turned the Uchiha into dust, froze mid-strike.
Kyojiro's katana arced through the air, slicing downward in a blazing crescent aimed at A's arm.
BOOM.
Both shinobi were thrown apart by the force.
A's armored brace — once pristine — now hung in tatters. His arm bore two deep, angry gashes, blood seeping freely.
His fist clenched, frustration bubbling beneath his composed expression. Twice now… how dare he injure me!
Without hesitation, he lunged again.
Kyojiro had barely regained his footing, his breath ragged, his body trembling. But his newly heightened vision — the evolved Sharingan — finally tracked A's movements clearly.
His arms throbbed in agony, but his resolve was unshaken. There's only one way I can win this.
He inhaled again, fighting against the strain. It doesn't matter if my chakra channels are breaking… I just have to buy time.
Strength filled him anew, even as pain surged through every fiber of his being.
He slid into a familiar stance.
Flame Breathing, First Form – Unknowing Fire.
BOOM.
Two shinobi collided in the center of the battlefield — lightning and flame clashing in a cataclysmic storm of steel and light.
.........
Ok ok, let me explain y'all. I was planning to write a chapter yesterday as well, but yk wtf happened with me.
Recently I have been travelling on bikes a lot, like hour long drives.. with umm... very bad posture, so yesterday when I bent down to pick up some clothes.. my literal back fucking broke( it was aching basically).
Had to sleep and rest because could barely move( why do i have the same problem as old people).
Plus I bet y'all must have noticed that I only post a chapter a day nowadays.. Guys, basically I want to truly finish this novel in an epic ending- and writing more than I can wit college and shit is difficult currently.
So am keeping the work load more or less manageable, so yeah, Honestly any criticism or good thing you have for the story, you can write it here.
Sorry for the miss yesterday, ( Imma catch up on it on Sunday, double updates that day alright )