Chapter 50: Chojuro vs. Ringo Ameyuri
Haruna looked curiously at the boy who had suddenly appeared beside her but still spoke proudly, "Of course my sister is amazing. But you know her? Who are you?"
"My name is Ranmaru," the boy replied softly, his voice nervous and uncertain.
It was his first time speaking to someone his own age. Because of his frail body, Ranmaru had never had friends. After being taken in by Kurosuki Raiga, he had been even more isolated from others.
Ranmaru?
A thoughtful look flashed across Haruna's face before her eyes brightened. She patted his shoulder excitedly. "I remember now! My sister once said she brought back a kid named Ranmaru during a mission. That must be you, right?"
Her tone was full of excitement, completely oblivious to the fact that she was just as much of a "kid" herself.
Ranmaru fidgeted, clutching the hem of his clothes, and gave a small, awkward nod.
While the two children chatted animatedly, the atmosphere in the arena grew tense—Chojuro and Ringo Ameyuri were already facing each other at the center of the training field.
"Truthfully, Miss Ringo Ameyuri," Chojuro said gently, "you already qualify to wield the Lightning Blade: Kiba. After all, defeating Kurosuki Raiga proves your worth."
"I don't see it that way," Ringo replied firmly, her tone sharp. "He may have been strong once, but after years of betrayal and wandering, relying on a mere child's protection… he'd long lost the resolve of a true warrior."
"If someone like that exposes even a single weakness in battle, the fight is already over. Besides, that mission wasn't something I completed alone."
Holding both blades in her hands, her eyes gleamed with excitement.
Spinning the twin swords lightly between her fingers, Ringo fixed her gaze on Chojuro. "Compared to Kurosuki Raiga, I desire your acknowledgment more, Chojuro-senpai. And I'll prove to everyone here that I, Ringo Ameyuri, am the rightful wielder of the Lightning Blade: Kiba!"
Chojuro sighed quietly. It seemed there was no avoiding this duel.
He unstrapped the Twin Swords: Hiramekarei, gripping them firmly. Though his boyish shyness remained, his eyes reflected nothing but seriousness.
Ringo narrowed her gaze. Hiramekarei could change size and form depending on how much chakra it absorbed—it was the only sword among the Seven capable of ranged attacks.
If she wanted to win, she had to close the distance.
Crossing her blades before her chest, she clasped the hilts tightly and formed a rapid series of hand seals.
"Lightning Release—Lightning Fang!"
Arcs of lightning danced between her hands before erupting forward in a blinding flash aimed at Chojuro.
His expression remained calm. Raising Hiramekarei, he blocked the attack head-on.
The moment he moved, Ringo followed up—her entire body launching forward like an arrow, electric sparks coursing down her legs.
She had channeled the lightning's charge into her muscles, doubling her speed in an instant.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, she appeared behind Chojuro, thrusting the Kiba blades toward his back.
Bang!
Before her blades could strike, Chojuro's form burst apart into a stream of water.
A Water Clone?
Ringo's eyes narrowed slightly. So he performed the seal while using his sword to block.
"Hiramekarei—Release!"
His calm voice came from her left.
Chojuro stood with both hands gripping his weapon, now expanded to more than two meters in length. He swung the massive blade forcefully toward her.
A concentrated beam of pure chakra fired from Hiramekarei like a cannon of light.
Seeing this, Ringo crossed her blades, shouting, "Lightning Release—Lightning Sphere!"
Lightning-natured chakra surged into the twin swords, converging into a dense, crackling orb of energy at their tips.
Boom!!
The lightning sphere, the size of a basketball, shot forward and collided with the chakra beam fired from Hiramekarei. The impact produced a deafening explosion that echoed across the training field.
At once, every watching shinobi turned their gaze toward the clash. Faces lit with intrigue, even the candidates waiting for their own trials paused, captivated by the fierce battle unfolding in the arena's center.
"How interesting… they're both fighting seriously now," murmured one of the Hozuki jonin, his eyes narrowing as he watched.
"Water Release—Great Waterfall Technique!"
Ringo Ameyuri's hands flashed through seals in a blur before she opened her mouth, unleashing a massive torrent of water that surged toward Chojuro like a crashing wave.
Chojuro frowned slightly. The jutsu was powerful, yes—but it posed little threat to him. With her skill level, she had to know that.
Raising Hiramekarei, he swung the blade in a single fluid motion. A chakra-formed blade of light burst forth, cleaving the waterfall in two and scattering the water harmlessly to either side.
Whoosh!
Ringo's figure darted forward again, twin swords crackling with lightning.
"Hiramekarei—Split!"
Chojuro's arms moved sharply, pulling the weapon apart. The sword's body separated into its twin forms—two symmetrical blades joined normally as one.
Gripping a sword in each hand, Chojuro charged. Though Hiramekarei was famed as a long-range weapon, that didn't mean its wielder was weak in close combat.
A true jōnin never had a single specialty; they simply emphasized their strongest aspect.
It was like a student who always scored full marks in mathematics and slightly less in literature—still excellent by any standard.
Seeing him rush in, Ringo's lips curved upward. Her advancing motion stopped abruptly; her body twisted mid-air, and with a sharp flick of her wrist, she hurled one of the Kiba blades like a spear.
Whoosh!
Chojuro swung one half of Hiramekarei, deflecting the flying blade, which clattered to the ground beside him.
"It worked!"
Ringo's face brightened. She planted the remaining Kiba blade into the ground.
"Lightning Blade Technique—Thunder Gate!"
Lightning-natured chakra surged into the grounded sword.
Crack! Crackle!
Chojuro's body suddenly stiffened. The moment he deflected the first sword, arcs of lightning erupted violently from it, crawling up his arms.
The power wasn't overwhelming, but it was enough to immobilize him briefly. His expression darkened. "This is… a Lightning Blade Technique!"
From the sidelines, the Hozuki jonin's eyes gleamed with appreciation.
"Clever," he murmured. "She used the Great Waterfall Technique to dampen the field, then exploited the Kiba blades' properties to form a conductive field—trapping Chojuro in place. A well-executed tactic."
Facing her momentarily paralyzed opponent, Ringo smiled radiantly.
"Forgive me, Chojuro-senpai!"
"Lightning Blade Technique—Falling Thunder!"
The electrified field converged rapidly toward the fallen Kiba sword beside Chojuro.
A moment later, a massive pillar of lightning erupted from the ground with a thunderous roar!
(End of Chapter)
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