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Fugaku countered Ay's raw aggression with precision. Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) erupted from his mouth, great spheres of flame that Ay narrowly dodged. Not giving Ay any time he made an another jutsu Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique) scattered burning embers across the field, forcing Ay to weave between explosions. And with every motion, Fugaku's Sharingan glinted, probing for an opening to pull Ay into a trap of genjutsu.
Ay's fists tore through trees, shattered rocks, split earth but Fugaku danced away, always one step ahead, his body moving with eerie foresight.
"Your fists are fast," Fugaku admitted, his tone calm. But his thoughts beg to differ [If I am not careful, a solid hit could end me. Good thing, I didn't bring Itachi.]
Ay grunted, forcing himself to ignore the taunt. He ducked low, sweeping his leg to smash Fugaku off balance. Fugaku leapt, landing lightly, and Ay surged up with a spinning elbow that barely grazed him. Sparks flew from the clash, Fugaku's armor singed.
But then Fugaku's Sharingan caught Ay's gaze for a fraction of a second. (Sharingan: Illusion Technique) flickered.
The world wavered. For an instant Ay saw his comrades collapsing around him, Kumo shinobi screaming in fire. His heart lurched, his body hesitated.
And Fugaku's kunai aimed to slice his throat but he broke the genjutsu by hurting himself but instead his arm had a slice.
Ay staggered back, blinking, gritting his teeth. Blood trickled down his arm, but he forced his chakra to flare.
Kumo was losing ground inch by inch, their morale battered. Every eye on the field flicked toward the duel between Ay and Fugaku, knowing its outcome could decide the tide.
Ay lunged again, fists like hammers, blows landing hard enough to crater the ground. Fugaku countered with Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique) and shuriken infused with flame, his movements graceful, his Sharingan tracking every twitch of Ay's muscles.
But even Fugaku felt the weight of the clash. Ay's speed, though rough, was monstrous. Every strike forced him to the edge of evasion. One mistake, and the Ay would break him and he was getting tired of always avoiding fatal blows.
Still, Fugaku pressed, layering genjutsu between his strikes. A flicker of shadow here, a phantom kunai there, illusions meant to chip at Ay's focus, to wear him down. Katon: Makyōka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Demon Fire Technique)
And Ay… Ay fought with sheer stubborn will. He refused to falter. He refused to bow. Not to Konoha.
The fight dragged on, sweat dripping from both warriors. Ay's muscles screamed, his body aching from burns and cuts. Fugaku's breath quickened, his chakra taxed by constant fire techniques and genjutsu.
Finally, Fugaku made his move. His hands flashed through seals, his lungs expanded and a torrent of fire erupted, a roaring inferno that swept across the battlefield. Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) intensified.
Ay raised his arms, lightning flaring across his body, Raiton: Hiraishin (Lightning Release: Thunder Crash). The flames engulfed him, the heat unbearable, but he forced his way through, emerging like a thunderbolt.
His fist connected. The ground exploded. Fugaku staggered back, blood on his lips, armor cracked.
For a moment, silence fell. Both sides froze, watching.
Ay stood panting, smoke rising from his body, fists still clenched. Fugaku wiped the blood from his mouth, his Sharingan blazing brighter than ever.
"This battle isn't yours to win," Fugaku said softly. But his eyes betrayed respect.
--
The other side, another battle raged. Konoha pressed their advantage, the Ino-Shika-Cho formation but Kumo withstood. Inoichi Yamanaka and Chōza Akimichi weren't just leading their squads... they were carving through the Kumo lines with perfect coordination. The classic Ino–Shika–Chō formation.
Dodai, the vice-commander of Kumo, had been holding the center for hours. He was sweating, panting, and yet his mind remained razor sharp. He knew he wasn't as physically overwhelming as Chōza or as elusive as Inoichi, but his strength had always been in tactics.
Yoton: Nenten no Jutsu (Lava Release: Elastic Shield)
Which let him redirect blows, his rubber nature chakra flexing like armor. He used it to slow momentum, redirect power, and smother enemy advances.
Chōza's booming steps thundered closer. His arm expanded grotesquely into a giant club of flesh and muscle with Baika no Jutsu (Multi-Size Technique). He swung down with enough force to split the earth, but Dodai curled instantly into a perfect rubber sphere with Kaidan no Bōgyo (Rubber Dome Defense), absorbing the impact with an elastic bounce. The ball ricocheted backwards, smashing through trees as Dodai rolled himself away from the crushing force.
"Inoichi!" Chōza barked, chasing the bouncing rubber ball.
Inoichi's pale eyes followed the arc. His voice was calm, commanding. "Don't let him retreat. Cut off his options."
Dodai heard it. He could practically feel Inoichi's mind mapping the battlefield, tracing every escape line he had left. His rubber ball smashed into a rock wall and rebounded, spinning fast, but Dodai felt the net tightening around him. Konoha's formation wasn't just physical... it was psychological. They suffocated you until panic did the rest.
For a moment, Dodai considered standing his ground. But if he burned his chakra here, he'd collapse before the day's end. He needed something unexpected. Something new.
And then he saw him from the hole of the rubber ball.
Across the chaos, a shinobi with ash-gray hair and flak jacket scorched black stood. Every motion carried heat and pressure. His hands sparked explosions that ripped through Konoha squads, scattering them like toys. Unlike most Kumo shinobi, his style wasn't speed or brute force... it was explosion control.
Bakuton: Jibaku Hō (Explosion Release: Blasting Cannon) roared from his palms in precise bursts, detonations that sent enemies flying without leaving openings.
Dodai narrowed his eyes. He is from the Hibaku clan known for their Explosion Release. Once they had been Iwa's shinobi, a volatile family. They had never fit comfortably in Iwa's rigid hierarchy. Too dangerous. Too independent.
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A/N: I have added some new OC and some minor clans for flavor. Young Ay is struggling and injured. Dodai is getting mid-diffed by inoichi and choza.
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