Chapter 6 - Sweet Victory: Who's Coming Out on Top?

“Kakashi-Sensei, do you think Ekyt has a chance?” Sakura asked anxiously. Kakashi chuckled in amusement. “Sakura, the master of statistics! You know he has a chance. The fact that you’re asking for my reassurance tells me that you’re not sure about something…care to tell me what it is?” Sakura almost said something, then shook her head. “No, thanks, Kakashi-Sensei.” Kakashi reached behind him and pulled out that orange book. “You might read this Sakura, it might” “FOCUS SENSEI!” she shouted, storming out. “Something I said?” Kakashi muttered, going back to his book.

“That was an interesting choice.” Sasuke said to Ekyt. “Thanks…I think. Interesting in a good way or a bad way?” Ekyt returned. “Geez Sasuke, you’re so stupid! Can’t you just say “good job?” He’s not me, ya know! Ya don’t have to treat him like dirt too!” “Maybe you’re right, loser.” Sasuke turned to Ekyt again. “Good job.” Naruto gritted his teeth in anger. Lee and Linda marched up next. “I want to offer my congratulations on your victory.” Lee said, bowing. Ekyt bowed back. “Well, you helped Lee. Thank you.” Linda seemed subdued. “Congratulations. I guess we were wrong, you can handle it. But now…” she trailed off, then piped up again, her familiar grin back in place “Now you gotta win it all!” “I’ll do my best.” Ekyt answered.

Shikamaru and Asuma, Lee and Might Guy, Kakashi and Sakura. All of them were sitting, huddled quietly, students together, teachers together. “If he’s going to get through this, he needs guidance.” Kakashi said in a low voice. “Agreed. He’s eaten through darn near every scroll he can find, and he keeps adding to that one he’s been writing. Guy, did you catch the title? I thought it might interest you.” Asuma asked, nodding toward Guy. “No, I didn’t.” “It’s Sho-bu.” “Sho-bu? As in “To win, but to lose?” Guy asked. “Why would that pertain to me?” “Apparently,” Kakashi began “You aren’t familiar with his old school’s slogan. It’s a rough western translation meaning “To win, but to lose if we don’t train hard enough.” Guy understood the meaning this time around.

“What’s he training for? He never explained the eye to me.” Shikamaru asked Sakura and Lee. Sakura sighed. “It’s awful. You know Linda?” Shikamaru nodded. Obvsiously Lee knew. “Well, I’m not sure it’s my place to tell. But Linda and he were close once. On the trip here, they met Gaara…” Shikamaru’s left eye twitched slightly. “He didn’t know about chakra, so he did the only thing he could: He dove in front of her, to save her.” “And he lost his eye that way?” Shikamaru asked. “Indeed. But I am afraid things got worse. Linda told me that one of his group, one of his students from their old school, turned on him. He went with Kabuto and someone named “Fushouchi”.” “What a drag.” Sakura nodded her agreement, then continued. “Since that happened, he’s given up everything for training. No close friends, distanced from his own group. He doesn’t think they understand, they didn’t take all this as personally as he did.” “He would be correct.” Lee added. “They have all gone their separate ways, and the team is becoming a hazard. They must either pull together, or disband.”

The next came all too soon, it seemed. Not that Ekyt wasn’t ready. But he knew today would be a tougher fight. This time, he brought his staff and kunai with him. He wasn’t going to go in unarmed again. If it came to it, he could put his weapons aside and fight empty-handed, if that’s what his opponent was doing. He looked in a small, cracked mirror in his new “apartment”. He thought he had an idea for a quick trick at the beginning of the match.

“Alright, this is it! Whatever you do, go out there and win!” Naruto’s “Peptalk” actually eased Ekyt’s nerves, forcing him to laugh. “No Sasuke today?” Naruto shrugged. “Kakashi needed him for some mission. So, I’m here.” “I appreciate that Naruto. Do you know anything about who I’m fighting?” Ekyt asked, stretching his neck. “Just his name: Naofumii Kawadashi. Hey, maybe you should ask Sakura, the next time you two…you know…heh heh heh.” Ekyt rolled his good eye. “Funny. I’m telling you, she’s just helping me study.” “Studying what? Anatomy?” Naruto laughed. Ekyt had to give him credit for originality. He had also realized they weren’t so different. He had heard about Naruto’s past. It wasn’t that far from his own, he decided.

“Paricipants, please kneel.” Anko ordered. When everyone was comfortable (Or as comfortable as you can get in seiza, lol, right A1?), she began. “So far, we’ve narrowed down the participants to the following: Kawadashi, Naofumii. Miokawa, Akira. Kiku, Fajita. And Ekyt.” Excited whispers came among the students. “I’ll reveal more to you after the winners of the next two battles have been announced. Will Ekyt and Naofumii Kawadashi step forward now.” Ekyt stood up and walked to the front. Naofumii, he saw, was about his size, but more muscular. Naofumii was wearing non-descript black sweat pants, with charcoal gray shoes, a charcoal gray shirt, and even charcoal gray marks under his eyes, which seemed to be gray themselves. “Do either of you want to back down?” Anko’s tone was almost challenging. Neither one made a move. “Alright. Go to your respective sides. At my signal, begin.”

“Kakashi, will you put that book away?” Guy hissed. “Oh, sorry, have they started?” Kakashi pocketed his book. “This should be good. Our mystery kid against one of the most promising academy students. I hope Ekyt knows what he’s in for.” Asuma took a long drag off his cigarette, exhaling, looking relaxed. The only one showing any emotion was Guy. And he was, as per usual, confident. The other students, however, were worried.

“I don’t know what he’s trying to prove Lee! He’s gonna get killed!” Linda protested. “Ekyt is a warrior, I am certain he will be fine. He has trained hard, as I can bare witness too.” “Yeah, yer worrying over nothing girlie.” Kayla added, wishing she was sure herself. Ino and Shikamaru were watching, interested in the match. Well, as interested as they ever got. Sakura was chewing her nails to shreds. Come on, you can do this!

“You can do this! Believe it!” Naruto yelled. “Ready…begin!” Anko’s voice said. Ekyt didn’t move. Naofumii was running full tilt, no weapons visible, hand seals in the opening stages. Ekyt reached for his headband. He put two fingers to it. “Sharingan!” he shouted. The whole stadium went quiet. Naofumii stopped running, just shy of Ekyt.

“Sharingan?” “Sharigan? He’s an Uchiha?” Kakashi leaned forward, everyone waiting for something to happen.

The pause was just what Ekyt needed. His right hand connected under Naofumii’s jaw, his teeth clicking together. He sailed backwards, landing hard on his back, then skidding a few feet. “Good trick. Too bad it’s assured your death!” Naofumii called. Kunai drawn, he and Ekyt clashed, both blocking with one hand. A power struggle began, neither giving an inch. The kunai were both withdrawn, the schiiiiinnnnggg sound of metal meeting metal echoing in the still-silent building. Sparks flew toward each combatant. It seemed the two were evenly matched in terms of speed. Both stabbed at the leg, then at the chest, meeting each other’s strikes.

Sakura joined Naruto on the sidelines. “Alright! What a move! Great trick!” Naruto shouted. The crowd understood what happened. Some were giving Ekyt dirty looks, but most were looking with admiration. “It was a trick! Wow!” Sakura couldn’t believe it. It was lucky that Ekyt’s opponent believed him. I wish Sasuke could have seen this…

Ekyt kicked low, feinted high, then truly kicked high. A low kick forced him to retract to block with his shin. He stepped down hard, trying to trap Naofumii’s foot. Naofumii slid sideways, dodging backward at Ekyt’s side-kick attempt. He kicked hard, aiming for the underside of the leg, missing narrowly, mostly due to Ekyt’s left fist aiming for his stomach. Naofumii blocked down with his right forearm, then scored his first hit of the match by hitting Ekyt in the head with a punch. It wasn’t an overly strong one, though, just enough to stun his opponent. But that was enough for Naofumii to get an opening. “Body Replacement Technique!” he called, disspearing with a puff of smoke, his place taken by a log. He landed behind Ekyt, landing a kick to the back of the head that made the populated arena wince in harmony. Ekyt softened the blow slightly.

“Clone technique!” Naofumii shouted. Four clones of himself came flying at Ekyt. Ekyt dodged backward, skidding momentarily. That’ll likely have sapped his chakra, but good…After that, I should have the advantage…soo…check and mate! he thought. He wasn’t really that confident, but had to give it a shot. The clones attacked rapid fire. Ekyt swept kicked, then fling his arm up, hitting a clone under the chin. Another one tried to tackle him, but he spun around and leaned to the side. That gave him momentum to run at the wall, and up it for a short time. But he put that time to good use. “Clone technique!” he leapt off the wall backward, a single clone following him. Before he could leap of the wall entirely, two clone’s kunai struck his arm. He blocked out the pain, only to be hit in the leg. They weren’t deep cuts, but they still hurt.

“Only one? What’s he thinking?!” Ino asked. “He’s wearing Naofumii down. Ekyt can fight without chakra, Naofumii can’t…good plan, provided he isn’t killed first.” Shikamaru pointed out, not exactly helping the situation. “That’s a human life! Don’t you care?” Linda shouted. Shikamaru looked her way. “It’s a drag.”

Ekyt and his clone ran side by side. Ekyt had to pick out the real Naofumii, or wear him down so completely that he would give up. He knew which was more likely. With Naofumii already panting with the effort of keeping up his clones, Ekyt made a move that would use the last of his chakra. “Dragon Ember Jutsu: Clone instigation!” he called. “What?!”

“Clone instigation…I’ve never heard of that!” Asuma admitted. “Well, your training helped him with this one Asuma.” Kakashi said, pointing to the floor.

Ekyt’s clone used the Dragon Ember jutsu, while Ekyt stood next to him, apparently manipulating the clone with his chakra. One by one, all of Naofumii’s clones were hit. Leaving one. The real one. “Ha! Too easy!” Naofumii taunted, stepping backward. The Dragon Ember could only reach so far, and Naofumii had done his homework on the mystery kid.

Out of the flame, a nearly-unscathed Ekyt came rushing out. While running, he leapt, getting speed. With some help from his chakra, he spun his foot around. His foot was the only part visible from inside the flame, but it struck home, on the side of the face, his heel breaking a couple small bones. Naofumii fell to the ground in pain, holding his face. He tried to stand again, but his sensei rushed out onto the floor. “Stop the fight! Stop the fight!” He threw a white towel, which fluttered to Anko’s feet. “Winner: Ekyt.” She said.

Ekyt couldn’t believe that had worked. Suddenly, the other sensei darted forward an attacked him, knocking him flying with multiple attacks. He knocked Ekyt down, then picked him up by the shirt lapels all in a matter of two seconds. “You like this punk? Ruining Naofumii? Huh? How about I break a few of your bones.” Ekyt’s chakra was gone, but he still had his regular stamina. Making eye contact, he noticed that this sensei seemed afraid. He was holding Ekyt out farther from his body. That left Ekyt the perfect amount of room. WHAM! OOHHH! The two sounds were Ekyt’s right leg hitting the sensei’s groin, the OHHH! Was the crowd’s reaction. Kakashi, Asuma, and Guy all were suddenly next to Ekyt. Asuma had grabbed the sensei off the floor. “Get up. You’re a disgrace, attacking a student. He didn’t cheat, he won fair and square. And if you’re in pain right now, you deserve it for attacking him.” Anko was over there in an instant. “Let go Asuma.” Asuma dropped the man roughly. Anko looked down at him. “You’re a disgrace to our village, you know that. I hate cowards. You know the rules of this fight, and the risks. Do NOT make the mistake of attempting this again. Or I will have to deal with you…personally.” She turned away from the crying sensei. “WINNER: EKYT!”

Everyone flocked around Ekyt, not believing it. “Man, that jutsu was awesome! Clone instigation? Where’d you get that?!” Naruto exclaimed. “I just kind of…blurted it out.” Ekyt asked, somewhat questioning. “I meant it as a bluff, but it actually worked.” “Good idea, using that “Sharingan.” Kakashi said, apparently pleased. “You gave me the idea, Kakashi-sensei. Since we have the same taste in headband style (Group laughs, with a few groans) I thought Naofumii might bite.” “Move over, move OVER! One side!” Sakura pushed her way to the front. “Let’s let Sakura tend to her patient.” Kakashi said, as much an order as a suggestion.

“How are you feeling?” Sakura asked, silently asking to see Ekyt’s wounds. His left arm and right leg taken a pounding. “I’m fine. A little bit of pain.” Ekyt said, trying to lighten the mood. Sakura didn’t buy it. “You’re going to have to trust me on this, okay?” At Ekyt’s nod, she made a series of hand seals. “Chakra Scalpel!” Using this technique, Sakura concentrated her chakra on Ekyt’s wounds, helping his body speed up repairs on itself. “All done!” she said. “Thanks Sakura.” She offered her hand to help him up. Without thinking, he took it. They both let go, blushing. “Oh, it’s nothing!” Sakura added with a nervous laugh. “Attention!” Anko was calling everyone’s attention to her.

“As a surprise, the next match, Ekyt vs. Akira Miokawa, is going to have a time limit of twenty minutes. If both survive, in tact, the match will be declared a time-limit draw, and there will be no winner. Weapons other than Kunai/throwing are illegal, and will be confiscated. Should they decide to, the respective sensei, or sensei’s, and teammates of each combatant may accompany them to the floor. Any questions? No? Good. The match starts in one hour. Good luck to both of you.”

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