Chapter 5: Crimson and Green
Might Guy muttered under his breath, his eyes wide. "So this… this is the power of an Uchiha genius? He's only a few years older than us…"
Before the towering wall of flame, Fuguki Suikazan bellowed, "Water Release: Exploding Water Wave!"
A massive torrent of water erupted from his mouth, colliding head-on with the advancing inferno.
HISSSSSSS!
The meeting of water and fire filled the air with a scalding, dense steam that blanketed hundreds of meters in an instant. The fog was thick and blinding, but it didn't last. Under the relentless force of Akira's wind technique, the vapor was ripped upward, forming towering, fast-moving clouds in the sky above the forest.
"Shibuki: Release!"
Jinpachi Munashi's roar cut through the chaos. A colossal blade of blue energy, projected from the explosive sword, sliced through the swirling white wind, its path threatening to cleave the entire forest in two.
The energy blade was fast, but Akira was faster. With a dazzling flash of blue-white lightning chakra, his figure vanished from its path, reappearing a hundred meters away in an instant.
BOOOOOOM!
The giant blade of light flashed past, carving a devastating trench through the earth and trees as far as the eye could see. The ancient forest groaned under the assault.
From within the dissipating steam and smoke, a furious voice rang out. "Lightning Release: Lightning Burial, Feast of Thunder!"
The next moment, a dense, branching web of purple lightning erupted from the haze, forking and arcing directly toward Uchiha Akira's new position.
Akira's Sharingan spun rapidly, tracking every bolt. Lightning chakra flared around his own body, concentrating around his hands into spheres of brilliant, crackling blue energy. With sharp, precise motions, he deflected and dissipated the incoming arcs, the attacks canceling each other out in bursts of light and ozone.
No sooner had he neutralized the lightning than a heavy, rope-bound blade—the hammer-headed half of Kabutowari—swept down from above with a menacing hum. The user, the wild-eyed Jinin Akebino, had chosen his moment perfectly, striking as Akira's momentum from the deflection ebbed.
CLANG!
A clear, metallic ring echoed through the battlefield. Akira had drawn the ninja sword from his back just in time to block the heavy blow. The force of it vibrated up his arms.
A cruel smile spread across Jinin's face. With his other hand, he swung the axe-like blade of Kabutowari in a short, powerful arc, slamming it directly onto the back of the hammer currently pressing down on Akira's sword.
CRACK!
The sound was sharp and final. The ninja sword in Akira's grasp, caught between the two forces, shattered.
THUNK!
The axe-blade, driven by the hammer's impact, sheared downward unimpeded—and cut clean through Uchiha Akira's torso, cleaving him from shoulder to hip.
But then, the triumphant grin on Jinin Akebino's face froze solid. The bisected body of Uchiha Akira didn't bleed. Instead, it erupted with a violent ZZZRT! of electricity, transforming into a blinding, expanding ball of raw lightning that engulfed him completely.
It was a Lightning Clone!
SHINK!
From the churned earth directly beneath the stunned Swordsman, the real Uchiha Akira erupted. In his hand was a kunai sheathed in an almost invisible layer of compressed wind chakra. He drove it upward with brutal efficiency, piercing through Jinin's chin and deep into his skull.
A sharp twist, a swift pull, and it was over. Jinin Akebino collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
In the distance, Might Guy, Genma, and Ebisu stood utterly stunned.
"Incredible…" Genma Shiranui whispered, the senbon falling from his slack jaw. "No wonder the rule in Suna is to flee from a lone Uchiha. I see it now."
The battle had lasted only moments, and two of the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen were already dead. If Kushimaru's defeat could be blamed on initial carelessness, this second kill was a straightforward demonstration of overwhelming skill and tactics. The Swordsmen's fearsome reputation only made Akira's display more terrifying.
Ebisu pushed his crooked sunglasses back up his nose, muttering, "Unbelievable. Are all the Uchiha like this?"
Might Guy clenched his fists so tight his knuckles turned white, a fierce determination burning in his eyes. "One day… I will become that strong. Strong enough to protect everyone."
On the battlefield, Akira was already moving again. His hands flew through seals in the blink of an eye.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
Four roaring dragons of flame, each over ten meters long and terrifyingly lifelike, erupted from his position, weaving through the air as they sped toward the source of the last lightning attack—Raiga Kurosuki.
By now, the remaining Swordsmen had fully shaken off their arrogance. Seeing another comrade fall so swiftly, they abandoned any pretense of individual combat and began to converge on Akira from all sides.
Jūzō Biwa and Fuguki Suikazan moved in tandem.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!" Jūzō spewed a colossal orb of water that crashed to the ground and became a raging river, rushing to intercept the fire dragons.
"Water Release: Water Pillar!" Fuguki, wielder of the chakra-devouring Samehada, possessed reserves far beyond the norm. The torrent he unleashed was like a dam breaking, a solid pillar of water with immense force.
HISSSSS—BOOM!
Steam erupted on a cataclysmic scale. The combined water techniques swallowed the fire dragons whole, the elemental disadvantage decisive. The battlefield transformed in seconds; the scorched earth and shattered trees were now submerged under a shallow, churning lake.
Standing atop the water, his Sharingan scanning continuously, Akira allowed himself no pause. He knew an attack was coming.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!" Raiga Kurosuki roared, launching his assault. Brilliant blue electricity enveloped him, channeling down the twin Kiba blades. Two dragon-shaped bolts of pure lightning tore across the newly made lake's surface toward Akira.
At that exact moment, a streak of green light shot from the tree line.
A figure moved with speed that blurred the naked eye, intercepting the attack mid-field.
The green light flashed—a punch moving faster than sound. The twin lightning dragons met the fist and shattered, dispersing into harmless sparks that fizzled across the water.
Might Guy and the others felt only a rush of wind. Their vision blurred for an instant, and when it cleared, a familiar, muscular figure stood firmly on the water between Uchiha Akira and the incoming lightning.
It was Might Dai, Might Guy's father. His body was enveloped in a vibrant aura of green chakra, and a powerful, visible current of air pulsed from him, causing ripples to spread across the lake's surface. He had opened the Sixth of the Eight Inner Gates: the Gate of Joy.
"Dad!" Might Guy cried out, a mix of shock and worry in his voice.
"My apologies for the delay, Uchiha-kun!" Might Dai called over his shoulder to Akira, flashing a brilliant, thumbs-up smile. "You've done more than enough! Leave the rest to this passionate old man! As Guy's father, I owe you my thanks!"
With that, he turned back, his expression settling into one of intense focus as he faced the five remaining Swordsmen.
"The Eight Gates Released Formation… and you've opened the Sixth Gate already," Uchiha Akira observed, his Sharingan clearly perceiving the torrential, dangerous flow of chakra within Might Dai's body. "Are you planning to use the Eighth?"
Might Dai's voice was steady, but held a grim finality. "I have no other choice. As an 'eternal genin,' this is the only significant technique I have to offer. When my comrades and my son are in danger, it is the time to burn my youth with all my might!"
"If we fight together," Akira said quickly, "you might not need to open the Eighth Gate. Your 'youth' could continue."
Given the current opponents—powerful, but lacking an absolute monster like Kisame—Akira judged that the Seventh Gate would likely be sufficient, especially with his own support.
"Uchiha-kun, these are not ordinary foes," Might Dai replied, his gaze fixed on the encircling enemies. "The Gate of Joy alone may not be enough to crush them. I might only be able to handle two, perhaps three. To protect everyone and end this quickly… the final gate may be necessary."
"It will be enough," Akira stated firmly.
Their brief exchange ended as the five remaining Swordsmen closed in, their earlier contempt replaced by cold, professional lethality. They would not underestimate the green-clad man after seeing his speed.
In the next instant, the battlefield exploded into motion again. A blur of green light and flashes of blue lightning filled the clearing. Even surrounded by five elite jonin, the green vortex that was Might Dai held his ground, his overwhelming speed and power creating a stalemate of furious clashes.
(End of Chapter)
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