Training Ninjutsu C > B

Word Count: 1,530/1,900

Training Ninjutsu C > B

Word Count: 1,913/1,900

Gakuto was very close at this point, and he swiped his blade horizontally across Nagare's chest. Nagare dodged this, of course, but the dragon that followed the tip of the blade wasn't as easy. It collided with Nagare, catching him in his current and continuing until they both crashed into an arena wall. He slumped against the wall, with his head in pain and his body drenched. He slowly got back to his feet, looking back at Gakuto.

Gakuto had gotten significantly slower in his actions. There was heavy breathing accompanying most of them. He was sweating, and his Sharingan eye almost twitched with fatigue. The transplanted eye must have been a huge drain on his chakra. Nagare saw his chance to strike.

He took the scroll from his hip, and summoned Takeshi and Amaya. The two bats circled Gakuto ominously in the dark. He struggled to make a hand sign, but could not manage to from sheer exhaustion. It was a trait of the Sōseiji; they had terrible stamina. In combination with a Sharingan that wasn't his sapping chakra from his body with the Eizou active, he was nearly out of it. Nagare turned to the Eizou who was just now getting off of the ground, and blasted a series of three fireballs at it. The Eizou noticed them in time, and dodged the first, but couldn't dodge the next two and was overtaken by the flames. Its death was showcased by a brilliant light and its figure fading away.

Now, Nagare faced back to the bats flying over Gakuto. He made another hand seal, and began taking slow steps to the group."Summoning Collaboration Technique: Hellfire Cage,"

Amaya flew at a higher altitude and released a plume of noxious gas, unnoticeable to the naked eye. The gas blanketed the area, choking the olfactory senses of Gakuto. Nagare made another hand seal, and began to charge Katon chakra. "You may have a Sharingan, but I'm the ringmaster here. Burn in my rampage!"

Takeshi released a Wind Release: Great Breakthrough in a full circle around them, pressurizing the gasses and confining them to the space around Gakuto. He used a Wind Release: Wind Vacuum Wave just after. Nagare took responded immediately, and blew a spew of his own flames, lighting the wave on fire (a technique he had practiced in his fight with Zetsume). The blades of raging flame expanded as they grew closer and closer to Gakuto's weakened body. They finally hit the border of the noxious gas, and a giant explosion erupted, shaking the arena and sending a shockwave out. The blades of wind covered in flame shattered, sending millions of microscopic wind shards flying in all directions. Nagare, Takeshi, and Amaya all jumped back from the blast, landing safely. The dust cloud cleared after a few seconds, but the flames raged afterwards. They were a deep red, as red as Nagare's eyes, as red as Gakuto's Sharingan. Nagare released the summoning jutsu, and Takeshi and Amaya disappeared. He stood silently, waiting for a response. A shadow emerged from the destruction. Looking up, the shadow was clearly Gakuto, who was half-hunched over, looking uncomfortably up at Nagare. His entire body was covered in severe burns and tiny cuts. The only areas that weren't mutilated by one of the two were his hair and his eyes. His Sharingan seemed more vibrant against the light of the flames. His clothes were burnt, and he was breathing even harder than before.

"Must I kill you now? I don't want this any more than you do."

"Ha. I've definitely underestimated you. You'll get your chance to kill me, just not now. You've used plenty of chakra, pulling off that combo right then. And you're in no condition to chase after me. As far as I'm concerned, that's all I wanted from this battle." He turned away from Nagare, and faced the flames. "I'll see you again, once I'm immortal. Your finite existence will be your downfall." And with that, he was gone, without one step, without one movement. He disappeared entirely.

Nagare sat down and watched the flames die out over the course of an hour. He was left alone in the dark, with even the moonlight being shaded over by clandestine clouds high above. He would've have cried for his fallen friend, left in the wake of this new Gakuto, but instead stood up and began walking home.

His eyes were too tired for tears, but even in sleep, the image of Gakuto's Sharingan haunted him.


{Exit, Thread Closed}