Episode 10: Tatsuzo versus Rinji
Rinji's fist collided with Tatsuzo's, and then he slashed at him with his kunai.
Tatsuzo dodged it, and then jumped backwards a step.
Rinji put his kunai away. "You know what? I'm not going to use weapons anymore." He dropped his weapon pouch to the ground.
Tatsuzo nodded. "That's fine with me. As long as you can still hold your own against me."
"I will ,Tatsuzo. Don't you worry about that." He said, kicking up at Tatsuzo's head, who blocked it with his forearm. Rinji yanked his leg backwards, and Tatsuzo punched him in the chest. Rinji jumped backwards, and then punched Tatsuzo in the face. Tatsuzo punched him back. Rinji stumbled back, and then upper cutted Tatsuzo, and knocked him down.
Tatsuzo was quickly on his feet again, and he punched at Rinji.
Rinji readied to catch his hand but Tatsuzo kicked Rinji in the chin, and knocked him on his back.
Tatsuzo jumped up and then stomped down at him, but Rinji rolled out of the way, and then flipped back onto his feet.
Tatsuzo kicked at his head, but Rinji ducked and then punched him in the exposed crotch. Tatsuzo grimaced, and then got hit in the nose. Rinji knocked him backwards, and blood dripped from Tatsuzo's nose.
Crap the nose! Tatsuzo thought. I better avoid Rinji's nose, I don't want his jutsu to go off.
I better hurry up and beat him... I don't want this to drag out any longer. If Tatsuzo beats me, his friendship with our teammate might not be the same after that. Then they'd be at each others' throats when we're on missions and stuff. Rinji thought.
"YOU TWO GOING TO SIT THERE MAKING GOOGLY EYES AT EACH OTHER OR ACTUALLY FIGHT!" Some old guy in the audience yelled. "WE PAYED GOOD MONEY FOR THIS, I AIN'T GOING TO STAND BY AND WATCH YOU TWO JUST SIT THERE!"
"He's right." Rinji said. "We better give them a show."
"Right." Tatsuzo agreed, and then punched at him. Rinji caught it, and then tried to break his arm but failed when Tatsuzo pushed him backwards.
Rinji then shoulder bashed Tatsuzo backwards, into a wall.
Tatsuzo clenched his teeth, and then elbowed sharply down into Rinji's back.
The crowd started cheering.
The crowd's getting a kick out of this fight... Tatsuzo thought. It's exhausting...
Rinji was back on his feet, and he clenched his fists. he punched at Tatsuzo, who rode the punch and Rinji hit the wall.
"Damn!" He cried, and then Tatsuzo head butted him, knocking him backwards.
Rinji kicked Tatsuzo in the side of the head and knocked him backwards.
Tatsuzo rolled to the ground.
They're definitely fighting intensely. Kidpachi thought. I wonder which one of them will win. It's hard to tell, being as their battle's going back and forth too much.
Rinji then jumped backwards as Tatsuzo jumped back to his feet.
Rinji looked down and he saw his weapon pouch, several yards from him. Tatsuzo saw it too, and both of them darted towards it.
Rinji kicked Tatsuzo in the throat, and then put it as it was supposed to be, at his side.
He drew a paper bomb, and he slammed onto a wall. It wasn't lit.
Tatsuzo kicked at Rinji, who dodged it, drew a kunai and slashed at him. Tatsuzo dodged it, and then Rinji drew another kunai with his other hand and cut Tatsuzo's arm.
I didn't see him draw the other kunai. He thought. I better pay closer attention.
Rinji slashed at Tatsuzo, who did a partial front flip over him. He made some hand signs, and then took a deep breath. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Tatsuzo blasted fire at the paper bomb Rinji planted.
Damn it! I was going to use that in a second! Rinji thought. He ran backwards and avoided the explosion. Rinji imagined slashing Tatsuzo backwards in the wall, jumping backwards then throwing a kunai with with another paper bomb- that was actually lit- and then both of them would explode and then that'd be Rinji's victory. But no, Tatsuzo figured him out.
Rinji tightened his grip on his kunai.
Tatsuzo cracked his knuckles, and then punched at Rinji's head. Rinji dodged partially, and then held up the kunai so Tatsuzo's fist hit it.
Blood splattered to the ground, and Tatsuzo continued to push on Rinji's kunai. The more Tatsuzo pushed, the more blood he spilled.
Tatsuzo punched at him with his other arm, and Rinji stopped pushing against Tatsuzo's hand and he dodged it. Tatsuzo then punched Rinji with is bloodly fist while he was distracted by the other fist.
Rinji fell backwards, and he hurled his two kunai at Tatsuzo's head. Tatsuzo ducked, and then punched Rinji in the head. Rinji fell backwards, drew another kunai and he stabbed at Tatsuzo. Tatsuzo caught Rinji's kunai by his wrist, then Rinji yanked his wrist free, but left his kunai.
Tatsuzo wondered why, but then he realized that Rinji left him a present on the kunai. A lit paper bomb.
Tatsuzo hurled it against a wall, and it exploded almost on contact.
"Tatsuzo." Rinji called.
"Yeah?" Tatsuzo asked.
"This has gone on long enough. Let's end this."
"Right."
The two charged at each other, Tatsuzo gathering chakra all over his arm, and he punched at Rinji. Rinji drew another kunai and he stabbed at him.
Both of them got hit the their foe's attack, Tatsuzo hit Rinji across the face. Rinji stabbed Tatsuzo in the side.
Rinji hit the ground, and Tatsuzo ripped the knife out of his side, and he dropped it on the ground. Tatsuzo fell down on one knee, and he picked the kunai up, and put it in his boot without most of the crowd noticing.
"The winner is Tatsuzo Tekkan."
Tatsuzo got another ten minutes because he just fought. Then he had to fight Kidpachi.
"The next fight is Tatsuzo Tekkan and the nameless swordsman." The proctor called.
Tatsuzo cracked his knuckles. Kidpachi grinned. "This'll be fun."
"No hard feelings once I beat you?"
"If you beat me." Kidpachi's grin broadened.
"Begin."
Instantly Kidpachi drew his sword and slashed at Tatsuzo, who managed to dodge most of the attack but it cut his shoulder.
I may have bitten off more then I can chew... Tatsuzo thought. But I won't give up.
Kidpachi slashed him again, this time catching Tatsuzo in the shoulder. Tatsuzo got him right in the nose, and then knocked him back a step.
Kidpachi then stabbed at him, but Tatsuzo jumped to the side, and kicked him in the chest.
Kidpachi grabbed Tatsuzo's arm with his unarmed hand, swung him forwards, and then stabbed at him.
Tatsuzo managed to kicked Kidpachi's sword wrist out of the way to avoid the attack, and then he punched Kidpachi in the jaw to make Kidpachi drop him.
Kidpachi still had the grin on his face. "I'm starting to enjoy this!" He slashed at Tatsuzo who ducked, and he swept at Kidpachi's feet. Kidpachi jumped up into the air, and then swung his sword around and slashed down Tatsuzo's shoulder.
Kidpachi laughed, and he yanked his sword up, slashing down at him again.
But this time Tatsuzo blocked it with a kunai that Rinji stabbed him with. Tatsuzo dropped it, then hid it in his boot.
Kidpachi yanked his sword backwards, and then Tatsuzo jumped back, dropping the kunai down his boot again.
"Come on, you aren't going to drop out now? Now that we're having sooo much fun!" Kidpachi charged towards him, slashed down to the ground.
Tatsuzo dodged it, and kicked Kidpachi in the side. Damn, my blows don't even seem to effect him... He thought. It's like he doesn't even feel pain... He swallowed. Should I start using Jutsus?
Kidpachi slashed sideways at Tatsuzo who rolled out of the way.
Tatsuzo made a few hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" He blasted fire from his mouth right at Kidpachi.
Kidpachi didn't try to dodge it. He just stood there.
The fire cleared pretty fast, probably because Tatsuzo didn't have Fire chakra.
Kidpachi then forwards, stabbing at his chest.
Tatsuzo instantly dodged to the side, and then he elbowed down into Kidpachi's back. Still Kidpachi didn't seem effected.
Kidpachi slashed at Tatsuzo, cutting his chest shallowly.
It's hopeless... Tatsuzo thought. I can't beat him... Taijutsu didn't work. Ninjutsu didn't work. And I don't have any Genjutsu in my arsenal... I'm sunk...
"Having second thoughts, Tatsuzo?" Kidpachi stabbed at him, but Tatsuzo jumped up into the air and dodged it. He drew the kunai from his boot.
"I'm done screwing around." Tatsuzo held the kunai up, close to his face. "Now you're gonna die."
Kidpachi grinned. "Give it your best shot!"
Tatsuzo charged at Kidpachi, and Kidpachi charged at him. They ran passed each other, and slashed. Instantly Tatsuzo's shoulder was cut, and so was Kidpachi's.
Tatsuzo fell to his knees, and he dropped the kunai. He fell on his hands, breathing deeply. Kidpachi slashed his blade around, flicking the blood from it. Then he swung his sword onto his shoulder.
"I..." Tatsuzo mumbled. "Can't fight any longer..."
This guy's hardcore... Thought Azumaru. "I withdrawal!" He called.
"Damn, I really wanted another fight." Kidpachi mumbled, walking away.
The proctors were all sitting at a table, discussing who would become a Chunin.
"The winner was the nameless swordsman. He showed some aspects of a Chunin, but he enjoys fighting too much, and he'd put himself and the rest of his squad at risk with that. He is unfit to be a Chunin."
"I beg to differ." Said another Chunin. "He wouldn't kill his foe if they couldn't walk anymore, so that is a Chunin quality."
"Did you not hear of his actions in the Forest of Death? He slaughtered more then half of the other Genin taking the test."
"Do you realize that he's from Squad Eleven, of the Village Hidden in the Steel?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"That squad is organized differently then any squad in the Leaf. The test was to see if he was a good fighter. And he has proven this. I'm sure you've heard of them name Kenpachi."
He shivered. "Yeah..."
"The current Kenpachi always leads that squad. And he's survived quite a few missions with Kenpachi, and he hasn't been killed. I think him, and the rest of his squad, should be promoted to Chunin."
"Alright..." The proctor that was arguing with him wrote a letter to the Kinkage, and then gave it to a messenger bird, and the messenger bird flew off.
