Chapter 69: The Final Showdown (Part 1)

As the flames on the pier kept burning below, Tony considered walking away when suddenly something came running up the wires. It was Gelato.

"You b****rd!" Gelato cried, punching Tony in the face harder then he did before.

However, Tony barely flinched. This angered Gelato, so he kept punching Tony till his knuckles were covered in blood.

"Is that the best you can do?" Tony mocked, looking at Gelato. "I barely felt anything, and I haven't even activated my Specchio Occhi (Sharingan) eyes yet."

Then Tony kicked Gelato off the tower and kept kicking him as they both fell. But while Tony managed to land on a pier that was adjacent to the one that was still on fire, Gelato landed on some pieces of wood that were sticking out near the shore.

"If I kept slumming with the Foglia family, I wouldn't have been able to do that," Tony said as he tossed the pouch with the throwing knives and the gun toward Gelato.

In response, Gelato got up and caught the things Tony threw.

"Now let's finish that fight we had on the roof of the hospital," Tony suggested. "This time, there will be no interruptions."

Glaring, Gelato leaped onto the boardwalk next to the pier while Tony did the same.

"Once you've tasted the true power of the Specchio Occhi eyes, you'll wish you hadn't even gotten out of bed," Tony stated as his eyes changed to red with two black swirls in each of them.

"Bring it on!" Gelato responded and said, "Homunculus, arise (Shadow-Clone Jutsu)!"

After summoning several versions of himself, Gelato attacked Tony. But like before, Tony defeated every single one.

"Thought you had me fooled," Tony rushed at Gelato and gripped his wrist tightly. "Because I had the Specchio Occhi eyes, I knew who the real one was the whole time."

Next, Tony threw Gelato into the air and used the Prometheus Fire spell (Fireball no Jutsu) to send a giant ball of fire in Gelato's direction. As the trees along the boardwalk were set ablaze, Gelato was nowhere to be seen.

"What was all that big talk from earlier?" Tony shouted. "Did you chicken out at the last minute or something?"

From behind a parked car, Gelato emerged.

"A fool to the end, huh?" Tony clenched his fist and ran towards Gelato. "Looks like I haven't gotten through to you yet!"

He punched Gelato several times as they flew through the air until Tony managed to knock Gelato back into the water while he landed on the second tower. Looking down, Tony saw Gelato resurface and kneel on top of the water using his nature energy (Chakra).

"I thought we were comrades, even though we hated each other," Gelato said, gritting his teeth. "You're saying none of our time spent in Squad 7 means nothing to you now?"

"Of course it does," Tony replied. "Because you're my friend."

Gelato blinked. "Friend? They why are we fighting?"

"Because it'll be meaningful once I destroy you."

Angered, Gelato ran up the base of the bridge while Tony ran down towards him. They met partway and halted one another.

"Spauracchio (Kakashi) isn't here to stop us," Tony reminded Gelato. "So don't hold back!"

Tony took a throwing knife (Kunai) from Gelato's pouch and let go. As he threw it, Gelato took out his gun and fired the knife away. They both then landed below the bridge on the surface of the water. While Tony charged up his Mille Aquile (Chidori), Gelato summoned a Homunculus to create the Spiralis (Rasengan). The two then charged at one another with their respective attacks, creating a giant eruption of water between them. As the attacks collided, Tony and Gelato went flying backwards into the water. A few moments later, the two boys resurfaced.

"You know it's said that when two powerful Mafioso (Shinobi) fight, they can read each other's thoughts through their facial expressions," Tony muttered as the black flames from his Vampire's Curse (Cursed Seal of Heaven) covered his body from head to toe. "Can you read my thoughts? Salamander* Cast: Phoenix Fire Blast (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique)!"

From his mouth, Tony produced a series of small fire blasts that went in different directions. Gelato managed to dodge them, but Tony came up behind him while he wasn't looking and socked him several times. Grabbing Gelato by the collar of his shirt again, Tony charged up another Mille Aquile as a cold blue aura surrounded Gelato.

"Whatever this is, it won't save you now!" Tony grinned and shoved the Mille Aquile into Gelato's chest.

His Mille Aquile-charged hand went right through Gelato's left lung, creating a gaping hole.

"I was aiming for your heart, but it seems you diverted my attack at the last minute," Tony realized, noticing Gelato's hand pressing against his. "Not that it matters. You're still going to die."

Gelato's hand gripped harder, forcing Tony to let go. To his surprise, Gelato still stood as the blue aura around him grew stronger. Then as Tony watched, the aura formed a giant creature that had a dragon-like body and multiple serpentine heads. The hole in Gelato's chest healed itself, as Gelato looked up at Tony. His eyes had become gold-colored and serpentine and the scale-marks on his face had stretched.

"I'm not going to let Typhonragazzo have you!" Gelato declared. "I'll break every bone in your body, and drag you back to the Foglia family if it's the last thing I do!"

After punching the water with his fist, Gelato sent Tony flying upward and proceeded to punch and kick him several times till he fell into the water. But Gelato wasn't finished as he struck Tony from underwater and made him crash into the side of a boardwalk on the other side of the bridge leaving a giant hole in it. Gelato then ran up to Tony and gripped him by the collar of his shirt.

"Now let's go home," Gelato growled. "Becoming stronger isn't worth betraying your friends!"

"You…have no idea, what I've been through," Tony murmured as he glared at Gelato.

End of Chapter 69

*Salamander is the elemental spirit of fire