Kai gritted his teeth, his breath ragged, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His Yamigan flickered, the glow fading as his chakra reserves dwindled.
The child behind him clutched his sleeve, sobbing softly, terrified beyond reason.
And in front of them—
A Daimyo's shinobi stood tall, a cruel grin stretching across his scarred face. His kunai gleamed, still stained with dried blood.
"You really thought you could take us all on, brat?" the shinobi mocked, stepping closer.
Kai's legs trembled, but he didn't back down. He lifted his kunai, ready to fight to the death.
The shinobi scoffed.
"How pathetic. I'll make this quick—for the kid's sake."
He raised his weapon—
And then—
A sharp gust of wind tore through the battlefield.
The shinobi froze.
The air shifted.
And suddenly—they were not alone.
A shuriken whistled through the air, embedding itself into the ground right at the shinobi's feet.
The man barely had time to react before—
A voice cut through the tension.
"That's enough."
The shinobi's head snapped up—
And his eyes widened in shock.
Stepping onto the bridge was Kenshiro Arataka—his black cloak billowing, his Akarugan-covered headband casting a shadow over his unreadable expression.
Behind him—
Ryuji, Aiko, Serena, Jasper, Sienna, and the Landlord stood tall, the village's last hope against the invaders.
The shinobi's grip on his kunai tightened.
"That headband… That stance… You're—"
Kenshiro's gaze pierced through him.
"The Blazing Fang."
A ripple of fear passed through the enemy ranks.
Even the ones who had been laughing moments ago were now dead silent.
"Impossible," one of them muttered. "We thought you were dead…"
Kenshiro didn't respond. He simply tilted his head slightly, expression calm.
"Leave now, and I won't have to prove otherwise."
The shinobi gritted his teeth.
But before he could react—
"HAHA! THE BACKUP HAS ARRIVED!"
Ryuji stepped forward boldly, fists on his hips, chest puffed out like a champion.
"I AM RYUJI INAZUMA! NUMBER ONE SHINOBI! NUMBER ONE BLADER! AND YOU ALL ARE ABOUT TO GET YOUR ASSES KICKED!"
Aiko facepalmed.
Kai, still recovering, let out a weak groan.
"Please… someone shut him up…"
The shinobi visibly twitched.
"You little—"
But before they could react, Kenshiro lifted his hand.
"Enough."
His tone was sharp, cutting through Ryuji's excitement.
Kenshiro turned to Serena, Jasper, and Sienna.
"You three, take the child and the Landlord and stay out of this."
Serena grumbled.
"Tch. You really think I'm gonna just stand here?"
Jasper crossed his arms.
"Yeah, what the hell is this? Babysitting duty?"
Kenshiro's expression darkened.
"If you get involved, this conflict will escalate into a full-scale war."
His gaze was deadly serious.
"You fight only if there's no other choice. And if it comes to that—taijutsu only. No swords."
Jasper scoffed.
"What the hell is taijutsu?"
Sienna, without missing a beat, answered flatly.
"Basic hand-to-hand combat. Martial arts."
Jasper rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed.
Sienna sighed, adjusting her wristwatch and typing something quickly.
"'First Shinobi Battle Encounter: Witnessing Tactical Strategy & Combat Ethics in Kamizuki Conflict,'" she muttered to herself as she recorded everything.
Serena smirked and elbowed Jasper.
"Guess that means no fancy sword tricks for you, tough guy."
Jasper huffed.
"Whatever. Ryuji, show them what we're made of."
Ryuji grinned.
"ALRIGHT, YOU BASTARDS! IT'S TIME FOR A BEATDOWN!"
The enemy shinobi regrouped, more cautious now.
One of them narrowed his eyes, scanning the newcomers.
"Wait… that woman…" He pointed at Sienna.
Another shinobi stiffened.
"The intelligent guest of Hikarashi… She's with them?"
His gaze then shifted to Jasper and Serena.
"And those two… the outsiders."
A sudden flurry of movement.
More Yamigawa shinobi arrived, their numbers growing rapidly.
The battle was about to explode into chaos.
Kenshiro exhaled, flexing his fingers.
"Aiko. Ryuji. Kai."
His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.
"You know what to do."
Ryuji grinned wildly.
"OH HELL YEAH!"
Kai, now back on his feet, wiped the blood from his lip.
"Finally."
Aiko, kunai in hand, simply nodded.
The enemy shinobi lunged.
And the battle—
Began.
***
The air was thick with tension, the smell of blood and burning ash clinging to the battlefield. The once-still bridge was now a whirlwind of motion, the clash of steel against steel ringing through the valley.
The Yamigawa shinobi surrounded them, their numbers growing, but Kenshiro and his team stood their ground.
Ryuji grinned wildly, cracking his knuckles as he stepped forward.
"Alright, Kai! Time to show these guys why we're the best!"
Kai exhaled sharply, his crimson Yamigan gleaming.
"Just don't get in my way, idiot."
Ryuji smirked. "You wish!"
And then—
Ryuji formed a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOF!
Five identical copies of Ryuji appeared in an instant, surrounding the enemies on all sides.
The shinobi hesitated, eyes darting between the clones.
"Which one's real?" one of them muttered.
Before they could figure it out—
The clones attacked all at once.
One clone slammed a kunai into a shinobi's chest, another swept low, kicking a man's legs out from under him.
Ryuji himself launched forward, driving his fist into an opponent's stomach, sending them flying backward.
Kai, watching the chaos, sighed.
"Show-off."
Then—he vanished.
The moment Kai moved, the battlefield slowed in his vision.
His Yamigan pulsed, reading the movements of every enemy.
One shinobi swung a kunai at his head—he ducked.
Another lunged from behind—he sidestepped, twisting their arm behind their back.
A third threw a shuriken—Kai caught it mid-air and flung it back at them.
His movements were perfect.
Not a single wasted step.
One shinobi rushed him, sword raised.
Kai's eyes narrowed.
With a flick of his wrist, he dodged, stepped into their guard, and drove his elbow into their ribs.
CRACK.
The shinobi collapsed, gasping for air.
Kai didn't even glance at him before moving to his next target.
While Ryuji and Kai tore through their enemies, Kenshiro moved like a shadow.
Unlike the others, he didn't need to be loud.
He was precise. Deadly. Efficient.
One moment, he was standing still.
The next—
He was gone.
Lightning crackled around his feet.
"Lightning Style – Thunder Step Jutsu."
Before the enemies could react—
Kenshiro appeared behind them.
A flicker of movement.
A flash of steel.
And then—
CRACK!
One shinobi's neck twisted violently, his body crumpling instantly.
Kenshiro disappeared again.
Another shinobi barely had time to turn before—
CRACK!
His body hit the ground before he even registered the pain.
The remaining shinobi staggered back, terror creeping into their faces.
But Kenshiro wasn't finished.
He formed a hand sign, his voice calm.
"Water Style – Tidal Break Jutsu."
From his feet, a wave of water erupted, crashing forward with immense force.
The Yamigawa shinobi were swept off their feet, their bodies slamming into the bridge railing, coughing up water.
Some were knocked unconscious instantly.
The battle was turning in their favor.
At the far end of the bridge, Serena leaned against the railing, arms crossed, grinning.
"HAH! GET 'EM, RYU!" she called, fist-pumping the air.
Aiko, ever watchful, stood guarding Sienna, Jasper, and the Landlord, kunai ready in case any enemies broke through.
Jasper, meanwhile, was mesmerized.
His blue eyes were locked onto the battlefield, completely absorbed in the shinobi's movements, the speed of their attacks, the raw power behind their techniques.
"This is…" he muttered, his usual cocky expression replaced with pure fascination.
Sienna glanced at him.
"You're impressed?" she asked, her tone casual.
Jasper didn't respond.
Sienna smirked slightly.
"This is what real combat looks like, Jasper. It's not just swinging swords around."
Jasper huffed, finally snapping out of his daze.
"Tch. It's not that cool."
Sienna chuckled. "Sure."
But instead of arguing, Jasper turned back toward the fight—
And cheered for Ryuji.
"OI, RYU! HIT THEM HARDER!"
Sienna sighed, shaking her head.
"Unbelievable."
Just as it seemed like Kenshiro's team had control—
More Yamigawa shinobi appeared, dropping from the trees and the surrounding cliffs.
Their leader stepped forward, smirking.
"Tch. I was wondering when we'd get some real action."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Alright, boys. Let's see how long these Hikarashi dogs last."
Kenshiro's gaze darkened.
Ryuji and Kai both stiffened, preparing for another round.
The battle wasn't over yet.
It was just getting started.
The battlefield, once filled with the chaotic clash of kunai, fire, and lightning, suddenly fell silent.
A massive shadow loomed overhead, moving unnaturally fast.
Then—
BOOM!