Kaza walked along the training arena, eyeing his opponent. This was going to be his battle, him against a grass ninja, one he had no prior knowledge of. He had to figure out how this foe fought; he wasn't going to back down. He was going to give it his all. As he looked up, he resolved not to let someone speak ill of his family. That was unacceptable for Kaza Togusa, even if they were all dead. It was his responsibility to stand up when someone demeaned them, especially someone who never knew them.
The opponent was a tall, strong youngster, likely around his age, maybe a year older. Kaza had no idea about any connection between their pasts. He didn't know about the battle that had taken place between the two men years before. The opponent had dark brown hair, long and unkempt, and golden eyes. Kaza could tell this person was stronger than usual. He couldn't afford to underestimate him, but then again, underestimating anyone wasn't his style. As he circled his opponent, he realized for once he wasn't going to be underestimated either.
The young man glared at Kaza with anger, eager to take him down. Unlike Kaza, he knew the past and the truth behind it. Many years before, his father had led a rebellion against the authorities when he felt that he and his fellow ninjas were being mistreated. The movement gained momentum until it was quashed, by Ryota Togusa—the man who killed his father, Kaza Togusa's father. Of course, that wasn't the whole story, but it was the version Aosuke had been told by his mother, who only knew part of the story herself.
The battle commenced swiftly as Aosuke moved in, cutting across the field before him. He wanted to test Kaza with a quick kick, pivoting on his foot as he launched the straight kick, eager to gauge the challenge ahead. This was the son of Ryota Togusa, a man mistakenly revered as a hero in this part of the world.
Kaza blocked the strike, deflecting it to the side. He noted that his opponent was quick, his movements crisp. This was going to be as challenging as he feared. He blocked a few follow-up strikes, his hands moving quickly to deflect punches with his forearms and a kick with his leg. He let Aosuke throw everything at him, measuring his movements, attack patterns, and natural fighting skills. The initial exchanges were rather basic as Kaza waited for an opportunity to counter, testing the waters. He moved inside his opponent's defense, aiming a quick punch before Aosuke launched another attack.
Aosuke was caught off guard. His fast strikes and aggressive style weren't effective against Kaza. As he dodged the counter, he grew more frustrated by the lack of success. This was his chance to prove that his family wasn't forgettable. He placed his hand on the ground, narrowing his eyes. "Earth release, earth armor," he declared as the ground rose around him, forming a sleek and functional armor. He smirked at Kaza. "Togusa, let's go. Warm-ups are over," he declared openly, his smirk widening.
Kaza seized the opportunity, recognizing that his opponent had some jutsu to support him. This made the fight more intriguing; it wasn't going to be just a basic spar. With no one intervening, he faced his opponent squarely. "So, that was just the warm-up, huh?" Kaza remarked, never one to back down from a challenge. He smiled at his foe. "This isn't a fight you should want. I will show you the power of the Togusa. I will show everyone that no one will look down upon my family ever again," he declared as he reached out. "Light release, light sword," he said as the blade formed around his wrist, smirking as he then reached out with his other hand. "Fire release, flame sword," he announced, creating a second sword of flames before jetting forward using his light release.
Kaza's speed was insane as he launched his attack. Aosuke was shocked. This was the power of the Togusa, the light release—what had killed his father, though likely much stronger than what he was facing now. He blocked, using the earth armor, but he was quickly forced onto the back foot as he was driven backwards. His anger grew as he realized he was losing the fight rapidly. The speed and power of Kaza Togusa were impressive, and he felt anger coursing through him. As he got hit on the side of the arm, those watching began to consider ending the fight as it was becoming too intense.
"Earth release, earth explosion jutsu," Aosuke exclaimed as he launched his own armor into many small rocks that flew dangerously in all directions. He figured that he could hit Kaza with at least a good percent of his armor and deal him a significant blow. He wasn't holding back at all now. "Damn Togusa, pay for your father's actions."
Kaza was hit by one of the rocks, but he had a split second to act. He then used it. "Light release, light speed jutsu," he said as he disappeared, moving through the attack with ease. Time seemed to slow down as the attack literally stopped before his eyes. He moved back, finding a path to cut between the rocks and ending up point blank as time returned to normal for those around them. Kaza's movement would appear instant to anyone observing. His light speed release was his trump card that he could barely control, but for a second or two, it served him well. He slammed his fist into the gut of this grass ninja.
"Don't you dare talk about my father like that. He wasn't a failure; he did his best, I'm sure of it," Kaza asserted, his anger palpable as he glared at Aosuke, who narrowed his eyes in response.
"What the hell are you talking about, Togusa? Everyone knows Ryota Togusa is a hero, the man who quelled the great rebellion after the Third Shinobi War, the man who ended the…" Aosuke yelled, but was interrupted by Kotai.
"Oh, they actually don't know, do they, Anko-san?" Kotai interjected as he moved in. "I'm sorry, Aosuke-kun's father was the one who led a rebellion against the ninja system after the last war. He and many other discontented ninja rose up to overthrow the system, and well, if not for your father, Kaza Togusa, they would have succeeded."
"No, we don't. Most likely, I imagine that was kept under lock and key. The idea that ninja were rebelling against the system could spread to other regions if it got out, and thus it was hidden away. Plus, that's the battle where Kaza's father died as well," Anko added, recalling the details from her memory.
"Yes, our records are more or less hidden, except it happened here so people do remember. The rebellion advanced towards a large city when Ryota Togusa stopped the group and stood against them in a narrow valley. That was where the battle happened," Tokai explained, his calm and collected demeanor shifting momentarily to one of emotion. "Ryota stood against the group to protect the ninja world, but more importantly, to protect the village they were marching on. I have no idea why he was in the area, but it was for some personal mission, I guess. Ryota Togusa, hero of the Third Ninja War, stopped the army himself, giving his life to do so and preventing another great war."
Kaza stood there in shock as he listened to the revelations about his father. The man he never met, the man he was told since childhood was a loser, a failure who was killed by bandits, was not a failure at all. This was a shock to his system. He was a hero. This was something the boy never knew. There was something rather bittersweet about this revelation, about the truth that, outside of his home, his father had been a hero, but the village of Konoha had never seen him as such because the truth was unknown to them. He at least knew that his pride in his family was not misplaced at all.
"Next time I won't lose, Togusa. I will train hard and kick your ass," Aosuke declared as he got up after the gut punch had left him knocked down, having had the wind knocked out of him. He looked at Kaza with determined eyes. "I don't care if your father was some hero. I will show you in this generation that my family is going to be better. I will achieve greater heights than you, Kaza-san. From this moment on, you are my rival," he declared loudly and proudly, the tone not as angry as before.
"Fine, sounds good, but don't expect keeping up with me to be easy, Aosuke-san. I will never give up working hard, so if you ever want to beat me, you better work just as hard," Kaza declared, breathing heavily from the fight. Had the fight gone on, he would've been at a disadvantage; the light speed move took a lot out of him, and he gambled on the gut punch. He was lucky it worked, and also fortunate the fight stopped when it did. He knew he had to get stronger.
"Good, the Chunin Exams are in Konoha this year, right? In a few months, we will be there, and we can have our next match there too," Aosuke declared, locking eyes with Kaza. "See you there. Best be ready for a real fight then," he added firmly before taking his leave to rejoin his team.
Kaza watched them leave, standing there in contemplation. This was new; he now had a self-proclaimed rival, his view of his family had changed, and he had a new challenge to push towards. This mission had been life-changing for the young teenager; he never would have seen this coming. Taking a moment to gather himself, he addressed his sensei, "Please keep training me as hard as ever. I don't ever want to lose to that guy."
Anko observed Kaza for a moment, her expression inscrutable as she processed the events that had unfolded. "Of course, who do you think I am, I know you have what it takes. Now I want to push you even more and get you to even higher heights, Kaza Togusa, I think you have what it takes to be great, don't you agree?"
"Of course, now I know, my father was a hero, I have no reason to doubt myself. I want to be as awesome as he was, Sensei, I want to be a hero as well," Kaza declared as he stood there with his teacher. His eyes filled with the fire of determination.
Anko nodded approvingly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "That's the spirit, Kaza. Keep that fire burning, and you'll go far. Remember though, that you tend to be a bit reckless, and there are many people who count on you," she said pausing as she noticed the thoughtful look on his face, "What is else is on your mind kiddo?"
"I also want to find out what mission had brought my father way out here, that might take some time, but it had to be important, we are pretty far from home after all," Kaza added as he had a new mystery to figure out, but he knew that mystery was going to be a hard one to crack and take a lot of time.
Anko nodded in understanding. "That's a worthy goal, Kaza. Finding out more about your father's mission could provide valuable insight into his character and motivations. Just remember to approach it with caution. Some secrets are buried for a reason and uncovering them may lead to unexpected consequences. But if anyone can unravel the mystery, it's you. Just take your time and trust your instincts."