Episode 9: Yasu the Brawler versus Taro the Archer

Taro's arrow went right at him, but Yasu caught it, just before it hit him right between the eyes.

"If your earlier boast was true, then why did you catch it?" Taro asked, notching another arrow.

"If your earlier boast was true, then where's your headband?"

Taro's eyes widened, as he touched his forehead. His headband was still there.

Yasu laughed, pointing at him. "I really had you going there!"

Taro fired his arrow at him.

Yasu got struck right in the chest. "Aaaaahhhhh!" He yelled. "I'm dead! So very, very dead!" He then started laughing again. "Seriously." He yanked the arrow from his chest and then threw it to the ground.

"Before I wanted to fight the archer." Kidpachi smiled. "But now I want to fight them both!"

"Careful, Tiger." Said Tatsuzo. "You can only fight one of them."

Kidpachi frowned. "I know. And don't call me Tiger. It's weird." He paused for a moment. "If only the archer was in my spot and I could fight the man that can take arrows to the chest."

"Sadly, that's not how it works." Said Tatsuzo, half sarcastically.

"Sadly."

Taro clenched his jaw, letting another arrow fire.

Yasu caught it, and then threw it to the ground.

"I'm done screwing around." Yasu then charged at Taro, who teleported* out of the way by going into the air, and firing an arrow into his back. Yasu tore it out and threw it to the ground.

He's got to have a weak spot somewhere... Taro thought.

I have probably twenty minutes before I pass out from blood loss. Yasu thought. But I can't wrap things up when this guy won't hold still long enough for me to pound his face into the ground.

Taro landed on the ground, and fired at Yasu. Yasu charged him. Taro held his bow sideways, let go with one hand and then made a hand sign with his free hand, and it burst into flames. It struck Yasu in the chest. Yasu took the arrow from his chest and he hurled it at Taro who dodged it by teleporting into the air just above Yasu's head, and he fired an arrow then made a hand sign. This'll take a lot of chakra... but it should take him out... He thought.

The single arrow turned into a ton of arrows as they rained down on Yasu's head.

Taro landed on the ground, out of energy suddenly.

Yasu still stood, covered in arrows. He turned to Taro, and he started walking towards him.

Taro's eyes widened and he went for another arrow. But he ran out. He went to teleport but he was out of chakra, from teleporting around so much. He took a step backwards, and Yasu stumbled forwards.

Taro continued to back up as Yasu kept getting closer.

Taro then backed up against a wall, and Yasu stumbled forwards towards him.

Taro drew a kunai and stabbed at him, but Yasu caught his wrist. Then he grabbed his neck. "Got... ya..." He smiled.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Your... boast... is... not... true..." He said.

Taro had no idea what he meant until he remembered that he said he'd beat Yasu without Yasu being able to lay a finger on him.

Yasu then fell to the ground.

"The winner is Taro." Said the proctor, as the medics took Yasu away.

One of the proctors whispered in the Hokage's ear, and then teleported down the the proctor in the arena.

"Being as Rinji Toichi is still getting healed, his match will be post-poned until later in the tournament."

"Dang. I'm really hoping that Rinji gets better so I can kick his ass." Tatsuzo mumbled to Kidpachi.

"Yeah, I'm hoping that I actually get to fight this round."

"Don't worry, you're up."

"Finally."

"The next round is the nameless swordsman versus Taro. We'll wait ten minutes being as Taro just fought."

Kidpachi was down in the arena. Taro had another pack of arrows, and this time it was twice as filled then the one he used against Yasu. He wasn't injured in his last fight, but he was running low on chakra. But the ten minutes helped him regain some.

"I hope you don't run." Kidpachi said.

"I will not, nameless swordsman."

Kidpachi smiled. "Good, because I was looking forwards to fighting you!"

"I cannot say the same. You look to be a blow out to me."

Kidpachi frowned, and he went for his sword.

"Begin."

Kidpachi instantly drew his sword, Taro instantly drawing his bow and notching an arrow and firing at him.

Kidpachi slashed the arrow in half, and then he charged at him.

Taro swung his bow at him, but Kidpachi dodged it, and then kicked Taro in the chest.

"I wouldn't want to cut your bow in half so soon. But next time I won't give you another chance." Kidpachi grinned again, and he slashed at Taro who teleported backwards.

Kidpachi charged at him, and slashed. Taro teleported behind him and shot at him, but Kidpachi slashed his arrow in half again.

Taro started to pant a little.

"Getting tired already?" Kidpachi asked.

Damn that Yasu kid. If he didn't get injured so much I would have had more time to regain chakra... but I'm beat... Thought Taro. "No, I was just taking a deep breath."

"Good. Because if you were fired already, this fight would get pretty boring quickly. And I haven't even started yet."

Oh God, I'm going to die... Taro thought. Should I give up? No. I won't give up. Not until I have no more aces in the hole...

Taro fired an arrow at Kidpachi, who dodged it easily and then charged at him.

Taro fired at him again, but Kidpachi dodged it again. He slashed Taro across the lower stomach, and Taro fell to his knees.

"What are you waiting for?" Taro asked. "Finish me off. You need to finish what you started."

Kidpachi scoffed. "I'm not going to put you down like a sick animal. I have no reason to fight someone who can't even stand anymore."

"I can still stand...!" Taro grunted, trying to get to his feet. It took him almost a full minute- with the help of his bow.

"If you attack me, I'm going to kill you. This is your last warning to give up."

Taro pulled his bow up, and he drew an arrow and he snapped it in half. He then pulled something out of the arrow with his teeth, and he swallowed it.

Taro shook his head slightly, then threw the pieces of his arrow on the ground.

"That was a food pill. I'm back and ready for action now."

Kidpachi smiled. "I guess this won't be as boring as I thought!" Kidpachi slashed at him, but Taro blocked with his bow. Kidpachi cut the bow in half.

Damn... Taro thought. He pulled a knife from both sides of the broken bow, and he dropped the rest of the bow to the ground.

"You're full of tricks, aren't you?" Kidpachi slashed at him, but Taro dodged it, and then slashed at him with his knife. Kidpachi dodged it and slashed Taro's leg. Taro fell to his knee and then got back up and slashed Kidpachi's chest open. Kidpachi's grin broadened and he slashed Taro's shoulder open.

"Are you done?" Kidpachi asked. "Because this is getting old."

Taro broke another arrow, eating the food pill. He ate two more, and he stood back up. He tightened his grip on his knives, and he slashed at Kidpachi. Kidpachi blocked it with his sword, and then caught Taro's other hand by the wrist. Taro couldn't do anything.

"This is getting boring. I'm going to end this in one strike." Kidpachi then yanked his sword up, cutting Taro's knive in half. He then slashed diagonally across Taro's chest, knocking him on the ground.

Rinji came out of the medics office. "Whoa... our partner's kicking that guys ass... who am I up against?" He said to Tatsuzo.

"Me." Tatsuzo told him. "Then who ever wins fights the nameless warrior in the semi-final round. Then Kenpachi will fight that Azumaru guy in the finals. He seems like a pushover though."

"Oh dang..." Rinji said.

"Don't worry." Tatsuzo smiled. "I'll kick your ass, you won't need to fight him."

"The winner is the nameless swordsman." Called the proctor. "Now it's Tatsuzo Tekkan versus Rinji Toichi."

"I assume you won't drop out?" Tatsuzo asked, both of them in the fighting arena.

"No. Know this, once I beat you... you can't cry about it."

Tatsuzo laughed. "This isn't personal, Rinji. I just really want to win this."

Rinji cracked his knuckles.

Tatsuzo cracked his neck.

"Begin." The proctor said, while coughing into his hand a little.

Rinji drew a kunai and he slashed at Tatsuzo, who dodged it, and kicked him in the stomach.**

Rinji grunted, and he elbowed down into Tatsuzo's knee, and then Tatsuzo punched him in the face. Rinji jumped backwards.

Tatsuzo and Rinji charged at each other.

*Ninjas can teleport. As seen on several occasions. Maybe it's they're moving really fast and they're fast enough to speed blitz them. But I'm not really sure, so I'm just going to call it teleporting. Also, I might have said someone teleported before and I will say it later. So just so you know this is what I'm talking about.

If I call teleporting flash step (which I think I'll catch myself before I actually call it that) it's from Bleach, it's a mistake because this is in the Naruto universe and they can't actually do the flash step- which is what Soul Reapers do in Bleach. Quincies, Arrancar, and Fullbringers have their own versions of this ability. And I'm getting off track here.

**Remember, Tatsuzo doesn't have any weapons with blades- he doesn't have any weapons at all. So unless he beats Rinji bloody then there's no way his jutsu will activate. I might have confirmed this before, but I wanted to make it completely clear before the fight. Rinji's 'rage mode' if you will, only activates when he starts bleeding. It doesn't work for bruising, and it doesn't work for mental torture (like with Genjutsu).