Ichiha stood over Kaku, breathing hard. His chest rose and fell with each sharp breath. Blood trickled down his face, but his hand stayed firm on the handle of the knife now stuck in Kaku's chest.
Kaku was on one knee, head lowered slightly. He looked up at Ichiha and gave a small smile.
Ichiha's eyes narrowed. "Uncle…" he said, his voice shaking, "I don't even know if you deserve to be called that. But this knife—it's going to kill you."
Kaku laughed—a deep, slow laugh that echoed around the cracked land.
"Still stupid as ever."
In one quick move, Kaku grabbed Ichiha by the leg. Ichiha's eyes widened, but before he could react, Kaku swung him up and slammed him into the ground.
BANG!
The ground cracked from the impact. Ichiha let out a groan as his back hit hard against the stone. He bounced slightly, rolling onto his side, pain shooting through his body.
Kaku stood up slowly, grinning. His red eyes glowed slightly as he looked down at the knife in his chest. With no sense of pain or urgency, he grabbed the handle and pulled the blade out.
Sticky blood ran down the wound—but then it started to close. Red mist swirled around it as the skin healed completely.
"You thought disrupting my powers with your wave, then stabbing me with a little knife would work?" he asked with a chuckle. "You really believed that?"
Kaku tossed the knife aside and walked toward Ichiha, who was struggling to sit up.
"You thought," Kaku continued, grinning wider, "that if you disrupted both our powers, I'd be weak enough for you to finish off? Small mind. Always thinking small."
He now stood over Ichiha, who could barely lift his head. Kaku crouched.
"I had good plans for you, Ichiha. But you… you betrayed me."
Without another word, Kaku drew back his fist and punched Ichiha in the face.
SMACK!
Ichiha's head snapped to the side. Kaku didn't stop. He grabbed Ichiha by the collar and hit him again.
SMACK! SMACK!
Over and over—fist after fist—Kaku laid into him, his smile never fading. Ichiha tried to block the punches, but his arms were too weak. Blood splattered across the ground.
"You'll never match the power of a perfect vessel," Kaku growled through clenched teeth.
Finally, after a dozen blows, Ichiha's arms dropped. His eyes rolled back, and his body went limp.
He was unconscious.
Kaku stood up, breathing calmly, and looked at Ichiha's broken form.
"Run along, Ichiha," he said with a mocking tone.
That's when Ozaki appeared like a blur, rushing toward Kaku. His silver scythe glinted in the light. In one fluid motion, he slashed.
Kaku leaned back, just dodging the blade, but a few strands of his hair were sliced off.
He blinked and then smiled.
"Oh?" Kaku said with a chuckle. "Still full of surprises, my friend."
Ozaki didn't speak. His calm eyes locked onto Kaku, and he spun his scythe once in his hand.
Behind them, Yamato walked over to Ichiha, knelt beside him, and gently picked him up. Blood stained Ichiha's shirt, and his face was swollen from the beating.
Yamato didn't speak at first. He carried him quietly over to the others.
"Lumei," Yamato said softly, "use the shadow ink. Wrap Ichiha in it. It heals faster than anything we have."
Lumei nodded, his usual smirk missing for once. He raised his hands, and the dark ink rose from the ground like water, gently covering Ichiha's body. It wrapped around him slowly, forming a healing cocoon.
Sora stood beside them, arms crossed, eyes serious. The wind gently pushed her hair as she watched the scene unfold. Chella knelt beside Ichiha, placing a hand near the ink to help stabilize it. They all stayed silent, watching the two most powerful men on the field.
Yamato looked at them and said in a firm voice, "This time, we can't just watch. Master Ozaki might not be able to win alone. If he falls, we fight."
The team nodded. There was no fear—only quiet resolve.
---
Far away, back at the school…
Regns had dismissed the students from his realm. They were sent out with no warning. The glowing training realm faded from view.
Now, Regns sat alone in his office, his hands clasped together, head lowered.
His eyes were closed, his expression unreadable. For the first time in years, his face showed deep concern.
He muttered to himself, "That aura... Ozaki… who are you really fighting?"
---
Back on the battlefield…
The wind howled through the open land. Rocks floated slightly from the pressure in the air.
Ozaki and Kaku now faced each other, a good distance between them.
Ozaki bent his knees and leaned forward, spinning his scythe behind his back. A calm smile formed on his face.
"If I go down today," he said softly, "I'll do it in style."
Kaku smirked, raising one hand as shadows formed around his arm.
"They won't let you go down," Kaku replied. "But I'm definitely going to win."
The final battle was about to begin.