Ken followed the Uchiha to a secluded clearing.
Several trees were embedded with shuriken, their trunks scarred and splintered. Scorch marks marred the ground, blackened patches overlapping one another.
"Is this where you train?" Ken asked casually, twirling a kunai around his finger.
"Omika."
Ken paused. "What?"
"My name," she said. "Omika Uchiha."
Her voice dropped a few degrees.
"Oh. I'm Ken. Nice to meet you."
He completely ignored her tone.
"This should be enough talk, right?" Ken continued, already taking stance. "Let's start."
"And they call us battle maniacs…" Omika muttered.
"Speak louder," Ken replied, mildly annoyed.
Several shuriken flew at once.
They collided midair, altering their trajectories and sealing every escape route. Each one was aimed at a vital point.
Clang. Clang.
A pillar of earth erupted beneath Ken's feet, lifting him upward just as the shuriken embedded themselves into it.
Omika didn't pause.
she exhaled sharply
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball surged toward him.
Ken answered immediately, launching a dense mud sphere upward.
Though Omika had released her jutsu first, Ken's lack of hand seals allowed both attacks to collide midair. The explosion filled the clearing with smoke and debris.
Ken vanished.
He reappeared several meters away using Body Flicker. Staying inside smoke against a Sharingan user was suicide.
"Instant cast…" Omika murmured from within the haze. "not bad."
More shuriken followed.
Ken calmly drew his own kunai, deflecting each blade with precise movements.
The smoke cleared.
No one stood where she had been.
Swish.
Omika appeared above him, slashing downward in a diagonal arc meant to bisect him.
Fast.
Ken flickered backward, but not fast enough.
The blade grazed his chest, drawing blood.
"Is this it?" Omika asked, frowning. "After our last fight I trained extra hard and this is all you can show me"
It didn't sound like some trick to disturb him, Just disappointment.
She's right, Ken thought grimly. I've mastered my techniques—but I can't integrate them smoothly yet.
"Getting distracted mid-fight is the biggest taboo," Omika said.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire."
Several smaller fireballs rained down.
Ken raised an earth wall instinctively.
It cracked after the fourth impact.
The remaining flames broke through and struck him directly.
This is worse than last time, Omika thought. Did he really just increase his arsenal like a fool?
Suddenly, a hand burst from the ground and grabbed her ankle.
She reacted instantly.
Her body erupted into flames, burning away the grip.
Ken emerged from the ground, staring at his scorched arm with eerie calm.
"You're right," he said quietly. "But don't worry."
Then his expression twisted into a crazed smile.
"I won't lose before at least entertaining you."
He vanished.
Several Kens charged at her in a horizontal line.
Clones.
"Do you really think the same trick will work again?" Omika said, disdain creeping into her voice.
She flicked her wrist.
Shuriken flew.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Every shuriken was deflected.
All the Kens passed her—then began circling.
Wait… physical clones? Did he mix in some or are all of them real?
Her Sharingan spun.
One Ken suddenly lunged forward.
Unarmed.
She thrust her tantō—
Grrrk.
The blade screeched against his hardened arm.
Ken's arm deflected the strike. His leg followed through.
A hardened kick struck her chin, launching her upward.
She twisted midair, slashing—
The blade passed through him.
"Aah!"
The real Ken tackled her from behind.
Before she could hit the ground, a tearing sound cut through the air.
Ken's leg, hardened with earth, came down in a brutal kick.
Omika raised her tantō in time.
The impact still sent her skidding backward.
She landed in a defensive stance, panting. Her single tomoe spun rapidly.
Ken fared worse.
His hybrid Body Flicker had pushed his speed beyond safe limits. The illusion-physical mix had worked—but at a cost.
His leg muscles screamed.
His chakra was nearly gone.
He raised his hand.
"…I lost."
Omika relaxed.
She could see it. His condition was worse than hers.
The result stood.
"So," Ken said with a grin, "did I manage to salvage a bit of my reputation?"
She didn't answer that.
"What happened?" she asked instead. "Your battle IQ dropped."
Ken shrugged. "I expanded my arsenal. But without real fights, it's hard to integrate everything."
Then he added, "If you don't mind… can we spar again sometime?"
She was silent for a few seconds.
Then she nodded.
"Thanks," Ken said. Then turned and left.
Omika watched him go and shook her head.
"And they call us self-centered."