The disciples looked on in awe, unsure of what would happen next. Shiraku's frown deepened, his eyes locked on the struggle. He was waiting for something, perhaps a sign of weakness, maybe a break in the stalemate, but it wasn't coming.
The air cracked as my shadow tentacle shot toward Indra—fast, precise, relentless. But in that moment, something shifted.
His eyes flared with raw determination, the Sharingan spinning wildly as his chakra surged like a tempest.
"Dammit—!" I muttered, realizing too late what was about to happen.
CRACK!
With a roar of defiance, Indra shattered through my shadow binding, tearing it apart with sheer force of will. The ground trembled beneath his step as he lunged forward at blinding speed. I barely had time to react.
His foot collided with my gut like a sledgehammer.
"Guh—!"
The force of the blow sent me flying back, my body skidding across the dirt, carving a trail through the arena. Dust kicked up all around me. My ribs throbbed, breath knocked out of me—but thanks to the shadow armor still clinging to my body like a second skin, I wasn't too badly hurt. It absorbed most of the impact.
I groaned, clutching my side, wincing at the pain that rippled through me.
"Danava!"
"Oi, are you okay?!"
Ashura and Shiraku rushed in, dropping to their knees beside me. Ashura's eyes were wide with panic as he grabbed my shoulder, while Shiraku stood on alert, his eyes flickering toward Indra, who now stood still, chest heaving, Sharingan glowing like embers.
"I'm fine… I think," I muttered, forcing a grin through clenched teeth.
Ashura exhaled in relief. "You idiot! Why'd you go full force like that?"
"I had to…" I wheezed. "He's getting stronger. If I don't go all out, I'll get left behind."
Shiraku narrowed his eyes, sweat still glistening on his forehead. "He didn't just break your technique… he obliterated it.
I glanced toward Indra.
He stood alone at the far side of the field, back turned to us now, his aura unsettlingly quiet.
I didn't say it out loud, but I felt it too.
This wasn't just a spar.
Something had changed in him. Something was brewing inside.
And it was only the beginning.
Indra stopped in his tracks, his back still facing Ashura, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. The sun had dipped low now, casting long shadows across the courtyard. A gentle wind rustled the trees, but the air between the two brothers was anything but calm.
"Elder brother Indra!" Ashura called again, more forceful this time, his brows furrowed with frustration. "Why did you go so harsh on elder brother Danava?! He wasn't fighting to hurt you—he just wanted to spar!"
Indra turned slightly, just enough for Ashura to catch a glimpse of his eyes—red with the two tomoe Sharingan glowing softly, filled with something deeper than anger. Something bitter.
"Because he thought he could beat me," Indra said coldly. "I won't lose. Not to him. Not to anyone."
Ashura blinked, stunned. "That's not what it was about! He was just—he's your brother, Indra. We're all brothers! This—this isn't a war!"
Indra scoffed again and looked toward the setting sun. "It will be… one day."
Ashura stepped closer, clearly upset. "That's not the path Father wants for us. That's not what you used to want either. What happened to you, Indra?"
There was silence for a moment. A long, painful silence.
Then Indra replied in a low voice, barely audible, but heavy with emotion.
"Maybe I woke up."
And with that, he walked off into the shadows, leaving Ashura standing there with clenched fists, watching his elder brother fade into the dusk.
Back near the training ground, I sat on the ground, sensing something shift in the air.
The sun was setting again. The sky looked orange, almost like it was on fire. I sat under a tree, holding my side. My body still hurt from Indra's last kick, but my pride hurt more.
Ashura came walking back to me and Shiraku. His face looked sad. He had just run after Indra.
I looked up and smiled a little.
"Ah… I got my ass kicked pretty well, huh?" I said with a small laugh, even though it hurt to talk.
Ashura sat down next to me and nodded. "Yeah… you did. But you fought well, Danava. Really well."
Shiraku handed me some water. He still looked nervous. "That wasn't a normal spar. Indra… he was serious. Like, really serious. I think he wanted to hurt you."
Ashura looked at the ground. "He told me… that there will be war someday. That he won't lose. Not even to us."
I stayed quiet for a second, then looked at them both.
"…Then we have to get stronger. We can't let him walk this path alone."
Ashura looked at me with a soft smile. "Yeah. We'll train. We'll stay together."
Shiraku gave a quick nod. "Count me in."
I leaned back against the tree and smiled to myself.
"I'll master Ten Shadows completely. I'll keep growing stronger… for him."
"Now come on, you two," I said, holding out my arms with a tired grin. "You won't let a disabled man walk on his own, right?"
Ashura immediately grabbed my right side, and Shiraku took the left. "You're not disabled, you're just dramatic," Shiraku muttered.
"Yeah yeah," I said with a smirk as they helped me up. "Still hurts like hell though."
As I stood, leaning on both of them, I looked toward the sky again. The stars had just begun to show.
"Let's go home," I said. "Before I fall again and you both have to carry me like a sack of rice."
Ashura laughed. "You already weigh like one."
"Shut up," I said, but I was smiling too.
As we were slowly walking down the path, still supporting me on both sides, we saw a familiar figure running toward us.
"Danavaaa!" Shirai's voice rang out through the trees, her long dark hair bouncing as she sprinted up the trail.
Oh no—here we go.
She stopped right in front of me, eyes wide with panic. "What happened to you?! Why do you look like you rolled down a mountain?! Are you hurt? Did you fight someone? Was it a bear? No—was it bandits?!"
"Whoa, whoa, calm down." I raised a hand to try and slow her down. "It's nothing that dramatic. I just had a little sparring match with Indra."
Shirai blinked. "You fought elder brother Indra?! Are you insane?!"
"I've been told that more than once today," I muttered with a tired smile.
"You should've seen it," Ashura said proudly. "Danava almost had him. Used his shadow like whoosh and spread it everywhere."
Shiraku nodded. "Yeah, I thought he had it in the bag too. Indra just powered through."
Shirai crossed her arms and looked at me with that classic scolding look. "You're always pushing yourself too far. One of these days, you're gonna break something important."
"Already did," I said with a smirk. "My pride."
Ashura laughed, Shiraku snorted, and even Shirai had to suppress a smile.
"Come on," she sighed. "Let's get you home before you do something else stupid like challenge father next."
"…I was thinking about it," I said jokingly.
"NO!" all three of them said in perfect sync.
Yeah. Definitely not a good idea.
After we reached home, Ashura and I waved goodbye to Shiraku and Shirai as they turned down the path back to their own place.
"See you guys tomorrow!" Shiraku called out.
Shirai lingered just a second longer, her eyes on me before she gave a small, shy wave. "Take care, Danava… don't go getting kicked again."
"Heh… no promises," I said.
Once they were gone, Ashura leaned in close to me, a mischievous little smirk on his face. "Elder brother… I think Shirai likes you."
I froze. "Huh?"
I turned to look at him, blinking. Wait, what? How the hell does Ashura know about that? This idiot brother of mine can barely figure out the difference between spices when cooking—and now he's suddenly a love expert?!
I stared at him in disbelief, more shocked at his awareness than the actual idea that Shirai might like me.
"You—you're saying that you noticed something like that?" I said slowly, still trying to process it.
Ashura nodded proudly. "Yup! She was blushing and acting nervous around you. That's what happens in the scrolls Shirai reads."
"…Wait, you read those too?"
"I peeked, okay?!"
I sighed and rubbed my forehead, mumbling, "What is happening to this world…"