Basara POV
The Inuzuka Compound
Konoha
I followed behind a frustrated Tsume, who had not taken no for an answer. Kuromaru wore a smug, almost amused look on his canine face as he walked next to his partner, as we made our way through the Inuzuka compound.
Her frustration was palpable, though I didn't think it was anything I'd done. Her displeasure was evident on her face. As we crossed through the heart of the compound, we passed a large open area that looked like a nursery. I caught sight of several young ninken pups tumbling and playing with one another. It was oddly wholesome, a rare soft side to the usually rowdy clan.
I could sense more clan members noticing us. Their chakra signatures flickered with curiosity as they started to congregate in our general direction. I got the feeling this was going to be more of a spectacle than a private spar, and I wasn't entirely sure why, but I had a damn good guess. She veered off the main path, leading us toward a quieter, more secluded part of the compound.
Wanting to speak with her alone, I picked up my pace and walked closer to her side.
"So..." I began. 'What's this all about? I'm feeling like a show pony, you know..."
She gave me a dull side-eye, then finally spoke. "You put me in a pretty unique position in the clan, Basara. Everyone's insinuating that I knew about your bloodline the whole time. As your squad leader—"
I opened my mouth, but she continued before I could get a word in.
"Most people in squads do mention what they can and can't do to their teammates. Sure, shinobi are a secretive bunch, but you build trust. You share enough so you can actually plan on the battlefield. You rely on each other."
I felt a sting of awkwardness and tried to speak. "Tsume, I—"
"But in your case," she cut me off, "you probably did the right thing keeping it to yourself... at least on the warfront. Even if I think you should've told someone."
I exhaled quietly. "Thanks... I guess."
She didn't respond, just kept walking. We eventually reached a large, open training ground on the outskirts of the compound. I could sense quite a few people watching from the trees. Even Asuka-sama was already there, leaning casually against a thick tree trunk with her arms crossed, looking thoroughly entertained.
Tsume suddenly stopped in the middle of the clearing and turned to face me. Her expression was fiercer now.
"Most of the clan thinks I was trying to woo you, keeping your secret to myself," she said bluntly.
I blinked. "What?"
She stepped right into my personal space. I instinctively took a half-step back, but she followed, eyes locked on mine.
"Well, they're stupid and wrong," she growled. "I would never do something like that." She leaned in closer, voice dropping. "If I wanted you, I'd simply have you."
I felt my face turn awkward.
She waved a hand dismissively. "And all this is just them wanting to see what the Senju heir can do."
"I'm not the Senju heir!" I protested loudly.
Tsume just shrugged, utterly unfazed at my rejection of the title. "Whatever. You're still going to fight me. And you're going to take this seriously... or I'll hurt you."
Feeling slightly annoyed now at all this, I took a few steps back as she did the same, creating space between us. She then crouched, along with Kuromaru, who crouched as well.
Asuka-sama's voice rang out from the side of the clearing, her voice loud and amused.
"Are you both ready? The reconciliation seal!"
We both formed the seal quickly.
"Fight!"
Tsume blurred forward with her claws fully extended and aimed straight for my throat. At the same moment, Kuromaru peeled off to flank me from the side. I flooded my body with chakra, reinforcing my arms just in time to slam my forearms up and block her swipe.
The impact jarred through my bones as we exploded into a furious taijutsu exchange. I was barely keeping up, parrying and countering where I could, my body moving on pure instinct as we fought. I landed one blow for every two of hers.
I've gotten stronger... I thought, gritting my teeth as I blocked another heavy kick that made my shin ache. A few weeks ago there was no way I could fight Tsume head-on like this. And she's definitely not holding back.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Kuromaru lunging in to rip into my exposed flank.
I gathered chakra in my foot and slammed it down hard into the ground.
Crack!
The earth splintered beneath us. The shockwave forced both Tsume and Kuromaru to leap back, giving me precious breathing room. Tsume used the momentum to flip backward, flinging a barrage of shuriken at me mid-air.
Shit...
I jumped back as well, pulling out one of the few kunai I had on me and desperately deflecting the incoming blades with sharp metallic clangs.
I really should've brought my tantō, I thought. I'm not as experienced with a kunai... You want to fight? Let's do this.
Tiger → Ox → Monkey → Rabbit → Dragon → Snake → Ram
I gathered a large amount of chakra, molding it with the hand seals.
Suiton: Bakusui Shōha (Exploding Water Colliding Wave)
I dropped into a low stance, bracing myself, and unleashed it.
A massive tidal wave exploded outward from my position, easily three meters high and covering half the training field. The sheer weight of the water crashed forward, smashing through loose rubble and sending spray flying everywhere.
Tsume and Kuromaru leaped high into the air at the last second. She flashed through hand seals mid-jump and roared,
'Katon: Endan!'
A blazing fireball slammed into my wave, instantly boiling the front of it and creating a thick, sizzling mist that blanketed the field. The sudden steam cloud blinded me for a critical second. Suddenly, two figures burst out of the mist—one Tsume, the other Kuromaru as a perfect Man-Beast Clone of Tsume. They came at me from both flanks, attacking in perfect sync on top of the water I had created.
Shit...
I was suddenly overwhelmed.
Their coordination was terrifying. Claws, punches, and kicks came at me from every angle, but they moved like one being with two bodies.
Okay... I can't keep doing this.
I formed the half-Ram seal and pushed chakra into the water beneath us. Water spikes erupted from beneath us, shooting upward like spears. Tsume and Kuromaru were forced to dodge, giving me a precious moment of space.
Then I heard something that made my blood run cold.
"Garōga!"
The two of them spun into a massive, whirling drill of chakra and raw destruction, carving straight through the water and earth toward me like a living tornado of destruction.
Even a strong enough Doryuuheki couldn't block that, I thought, staring at the size of the incoming attack.
Fine. If they want a spectacle...so be it.
I quickly flashed through hand seals: Snake → Ram → Rat → Bird → Snake → Ram → Dragon. Then I slammed my hands together.
Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan (Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence)
The ground beneath us erupted violently.
Tens of enormous trees exploded upward in an instant, roots thick as pillars and branches lashing out like living whips. A small forest burst into existence in the middle of the training ground. The Inuzuka pair smashed through the first few trees, splintering wood everywhere, but the sheer volume was too much.
One thick branch grew directly beneath me, lifting me high into the air to avoid the pair and give me a better vantage view. I manipulated the others with precise control, wrapping them around Tsume and Kuromaru, slowly but surely constricting their movements and suppressing their chakra flow.
"Alright, fight's over," I called down, breathing hard. "Surrender, Tsume. I can crush you if I have to."
She struggled for a few more seconds, eyes burning with intensity, before calming herself. Breathing hard, she nodded slowly. I released the jutsu with a sigh of relief. The massive trees groaned and released them slowly as they retracted into the ground, but the training ground was now essentially a small forest: deep gouges, splintered wood,and torn-up ground marked the scene.
Clapping echoed from the edges of the clearing.
Asuka-sama walked over with a strange smile and a sharp look in her eyes, scanning the destruction I had caused. She let out a low whistle as she took in the scene.
"Incredible," she muttered, almost to herself. "I had not believed the rumors at first... but yes. Very well," she said, looking me up and down.
Only then did I realize how many people were watching. At least a hundred Inuzuka clan members—along with their ninken—had gathered around the clearing. They stared at me with a mix of awe and curiosity. I brought my breathing under control as Tsume and Kuromaru got back up, walking over towards us, both of them breathing heavily, Tsume looking a little grumpy.
"That's enough," she said firmly, grabbing my wrist. "We're leaving."
Asuka-sama gave a small, amused chuckle. "You're welcome in the clan anytime, Senju Basara. Don't be a stranger."
I bowed respectfully to her. "Ah... Of course. Thank you, Asuka-sama."
With that, Tsume practically dragged me away, Kuromaru padding along beside us. I could feel the eyes of the entire clan following us as we left the training ground.
"So, where are we going...?"I asked the woman who was dragging me away.
"Anywhere but here," she said. Fair enough, I suppose.