On the sidelines...
"Did you two see it clearly?" Onime Kaede asked considerately.
Mangetsu and Zabuza both nodded in response.
Yagura's speed was like a thunderclap—whether sprinting, drawing his blade, or sheathing it, every action began and ended in an instant.
Yet, Jinin Akebino was even faster. Even at such speeds, he effortlessly dodged Yagura's strikes.
Both Mangetsu and Zabuza imagined themselves in Yagura's position. Even with Onime Kaede's support in reading Yagura's movements, their bodies wouldn't be able to keep up.
The gap in strength was too vast.
Despite their rivalry, both of them found themselves thinking the exact same thing.
"Two or three years?"
Yagura knew and admitted that there was still a considerable gap between him and a Jonin, but—"It won't take that long!"
Sensing Yagura's chakra surging once more, Jinin Akebino was genuinely surprised—he still had energy left?
"Hey, hey, hey! We agreed on just one move!"
"This is still the same move!"
Jinin Akebino hadn't even unsheathed his Blunt Sword yet!
Unwilling to concede, Yagura stepped back, gathering his strength once more.
Lightning crackled around him with even greater intensity as he murmured,
"Thunderclap and Flash!"
The same move again?
Jinin Akebino felt slightly bored. To Mangetsu and the others, Yagura moved at godlike speeds, but to him, it was just normal shinobi speed.
Of course, his standard of normal was quite different.
As Yagura's blade came slashing horizontally, Jinin Akebino finally moved.
Without even preparing, he effortlessly leaped high into the air, dodging Yagura's reckless charge entirely.
From behind, Yagura's low growl sounded.
"Triple Strike!"
Boom!
Yagura compressed his recovery and acceleration time to the absolute limit! The moment his first attack missed, he immediately lunged toward Jinin Akebino, who was still mid-air.
He can attack this fast again?
Not bad. A little faster this time.
Jinin Akebino silently praised Yagura's growth but stopped merely evading.
Hand seals—Water Clone Jutsu!
A mass of water separated from his body, rapidly forming a human shape. In the next instant, Jinin Akebino used his own clone as a stepping stone, propelling himself even higher!
So he created a foothold mid-air?!
Yagura's blade cut straight through the clone, slicing it in half. He landed atop a rooftop, eyes darting around in search of his target.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him.
As the dark silhouette expanded, Yagura realized too late. He snapped his head upward.
Jinin Akebino was falling toward him, leg raised high.
"Hahaha! What are you looking at, kid?!"
Boom!!
Sensing the incoming danger, Yagura instinctively activated his Lightning Release and leaped away just in time.
Jinin Akebino's foot crashed down, shattering the rooftop tiles and plunging straight through the building.
A sharp glint flashed through Yagura's eyes. Without hesitation, he followed, flipping into the hole and landing on the ceiling—upside down, staring down at Jinin Akebino with unwavering determination.
The confined space gave him the perfect battleground.
Jinin Akebino dusted off his clothes, completely unfazed by the unfavorable setting. He looked up with a provocative grin.
"Come on, kid! Show me how fast you can really go!"
"Quadruple Strike!"
Four strikes were the maximum he had practiced.
Ignoring the searing pain throughout his body, Yagura pushed forward yet again!
Jinin Akebino slammed his foot into the wooden floor, breaking off a thick plank and wielding it as a makeshift weapon to block the attack head-on.
"Quintuple Strike!"
The plank split in half. Jinin Akebino gripped both halves, crossing them in front of him as Yagura's next slash came down.
Boom!
The planks shattered once more, but Jinin Akebino had managed to deflect the blow, using the impact to shift his position.
Yagura landed and quickly turned to face him again.
A shudder ran through his right leg.
His leg had momentarily given out.
Though he swiftly adjusted his posture, both he and everyone watching realized the truth—
The next strike would be his last.
Ssshhh—
"Thunderclap and Flash—Sixfold Strike!!!"
He can still move?!
Mangetsu and the others were stunned.
Watching Yagura charge at him for the sixth time, Jinin Akebino burst into laughter, exhilarated.
By now, the wooden planks in his hands had been reduced to mere fragments, useless as weapons.
Clang!!!
In a flash of lightning, blade clashed against axe.
Yagura had finally forced Jinin Akebino to draw Blunt Sword.
"Fast! Very fast!"
He had reached the speed of an average Jonin.
Jinin Akebino effortlessly caught Yagura's strike with one hand, his voice booming: "But with that strength? You're not even worthy of sharpening my axe!"
...
Yagura gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of force into his grip. Yet the battle axe remained unmoving, solid as a mountain.
The difference in power was overwhelming—he couldn't shake it.
...
Was this the end?
Feeling the resistance weaken, Jinin Akebino smirked and exhaled sharply.
"Kid, watch closely."
"This is how you use a blade."
Boom!
Switching from defense to offense, Jinin Akebino applied just enough pressure, forcing Yagura's sword back against his own chest.
If his blade broke now, Blunt Sword would cut straight through his body.
And if Jinin Akebino had used his other hand—the one holding the hammer—the outcome would've been certain.
Sparks erupted where the lightning-coated blade met the unrelenting axe.
Yagura's legs trembled in a low crouch. His hands quivered, losing strength.
Not good—his hands were going numb.
He couldn't let this continue!
Yagura channeled Lightning Release into his left hand, pressing it against the axe blade.
"Coral Palm!"
In an instant, rapidly-growing coral spread across the blade, pushing it away and creating a brief gap between their weapons.
Jinin Akebino frowned slightly and exerted force—the coral shattered on contact.
But in that split second, Yagura had already withdrawn.
"That's better."
Jinin Akebino nodded approvingly, sheathing Blunt Sword with a smirk.
"If this were the battlefield, you'd have died a thousand times over."
He wasn't wrong.
Yagura lowered his head, silently acknowledging the truth.
He had managed to draw Blunt Sword, but Jinin Akebino hadn't even used his hammer.
His speed might've been impressive, but to Jinin Akebino, it was just... average.
And strength? That gap was even wider.
"Damn... a complete defeat."
The exhaustion caught up to him.
As soon as he released his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his body collapsed.
He barely registered the feeling of landing on something soft—like water.
Mangetsu had used the Jutsu to catch him mid-fall.
"Hey! You okay?!"
Mangetsu's worried expression would've been amusing under different circumstances. If Yagura could speak, he'd tease him.
But right now, every cell in his body was rebelling against him.
"Damn it! Don't close your eyes! Stay awake!"
"Shut up."
Jinin Akebino glanced over and remarked nonchalantly, "Just chakra exhaustion. No need to scream like someone's dying. You lot, take him to the hospital."
As they hurried to comply, he added one last thing.
"Make it quick."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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