Naruto rebirth! Born again with a system.

Chapter 46: Clash of Determination! Kōzaru vs Aotaka!

Kōzaru and Aotaka faced each other across the training ground, the air crackling with anticipation. Both fighters had taken their positions, their earlier friendly banter replaced by the focused intensity of serious competitors preparing to test everything they had learned against one another.

"Ready?" Tatsuma called from the sidelines, his voice carrying the authority of someone who had just experienced the incredible effects of a soldier pill. His chakra reserves were fully restored, and he found himself genuinely excited to witness what promised to be an intense display of skill.

"Ready," both fighters replied in unison, their eyes locked on each other as they settled into their respective combat stances.

Kōzaru dropped into a low crouch, his hands positioned for either taijutsu or weapon work, while Aotaka's right hand rested on his sword hilt, the weapon still sheathed but ready for instant deployment. The contrast between their fighting styles was immediately apparent—Kōzaru's stance emphasized mobility and speed, while Aotaka's position spoke to precision and the devastating power of his Senju strength.

"Begin!" Tatsuma shouted.

"Here I come!" Kōzaru yelled as he charged forward, running low along the ground as he closed the distance between himself and Aotaka in an instant.

Aotaka's eyes widened at his friend's explosive speed, but instead of drawing his sword he released the hilt of his blade and raised his hands in a defensive position, wanting to test his taijutsu against his friend.

"Let's do it!" Aotaka yelled back, his voice filled with determination.

The two fighters clashed in a whirlwind of motion, with Aotaka doing his best to block and defend against what was clearly Kōzaru's superior taijutsu prowess. Kōzaru's movements flowed like water, each strike flowing seamlessly into the next as he unleashed a barrage of punches, kicks, chops and palm strikes against Aotaka. His friend found himself caught off guard by the sophisticated combinations—feints that left him guessing, guard-breaking strikes that opened his defenses, and rapid combination attacks that pushed him steadily backward.

[Health: 204/204 → 189/204]

Kōzaru landed a crisp right straight against Aotaka's face, the impact sharp and clean. Without missing a beat, he followed up with an impressive roundhouse kick to his friend's leg that pulled him off balance, creating the perfect opening for Kōzaru to spin and throw another powerful side kick into Aotaka's gut.

Aotaka managed to block the final attack, his arms absorbing most of the impact as he skidded along the ground. He saw the system notification about his HP drop and spat a small amount of blood onto the floor, his eyes narrowing with newfound respect.

Damn... His taijutsu is impressive. I didn't realize it was this good, he thought to himself, knowing he would have to step up his game if he wanted to turn this fight around.

"I'm just getting started," Kōzaru said with a confident smile as he settled back into his fighting stance, knowing Aotaka was far from finished.

"Your taijutsu skill is impressive," Aotaka acknowledged, slowly drawing his sword with a metallic whisper. "But how will it fare against my kenjutsu?"

"Hmm, guess I'll have to take it up a notch too," Kōzaru said, lowering his stance and coiling his muscles like a spring ready to release.

Body Flicker Jutsu.

[Chakra: 160/160 → 150/160]

Kōzaru vanished from sight, his form blurring as he closed the distance between them in an instant. He reappeared inside Aotaka's guard, moving even faster than before and forcing his friend to desperately step back to avoid the incoming attack.

But Kōzaru was too quick. His uppercut connected solidly with Aotaka's jaw, snapping his head back, before he spun around and landed a devastating spinning heel kick to his ribs that drove the air from his lungs.

[Health: 189/204 → 145/204]

"You bastard!" Aotaka yelled, pain flashing across his features as he swiped with his sword, using the back of the blade as promised to try and catch Kōzaru in the head.

However, Kōzaru ducked at the last moment, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to avoid the sword slash as he dropped onto all fours like a predatory animal.

Aotaka's frustration boiled over, and he used his free hand to smash his fist into the ground with all of his Senju strength. The earth erupted around the impact point, uprooting the ground and creating a massive cloud of debris that engulfed both fighters.

Kōzaru's body flipped gracefully through the dust cloud as he landed back on his feet, having avoided Aotaka's earth-shaking punch. He cleared the dust from his eyes, but suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Damn, that Senju strength is no joke," he muttered, his enhanced senses screaming danger.

"You aren't the only one who's fast!" Aotaka's voice rang out from behind him.

Kōzaru's enhanced sense of smell had picked up on his movements at the last minute, realizing that Aotaka had taken advantage of the dust cloud to reposition himself for a surprise attack.

Kōzaru ducked under the first sword swipe, the blade whistling over his head, before twisting his body to the side to avoid a diagonal slash that would have caught him across the ribs. However, the kick that followed was too close to dodge completely, and he was forced to block it. Crossing both arms in front of his body, he absorbed the impact, but the force still sent him flying through the air for a moment before he landed back on the ground, skidding to a halt.

[Health: 168/168 → 160/168]

"Damn... He packs a hell of a punch," Kōzaru said, feeling the sting in his forearms.

Tatsuma watched from the sidelines, his eyes tracking the high-speed combat with growing amazement. The level of skill both fighters were displaying was far beyond what he had expected.

Incredible... That's some serious improvement from both of them. I wonder how I would fare against them now, he thought, feeling himself getting excited at the prospect of testing his own abilities against his friends.

"Guess I'll have to get more serious if I want to beat you with that sword of yours," Kōzaru said, earning a confident smirk from Aotaka.

"All Fours Jutsu!" Kōzaru declared as he dropped to his hands, letting his chakra burst to life around him.

[Chakra: 150/160 → 120/160]

Kōzaru's muscles expanded slightly as his fangs grew longer and his fingernails extended, growing razor-sharp. He took on a more beastly appearance—even his hair became more wild and spiky, the transformation letting Aotaka know that his friend was finally getting serious.

"The All Fours Jutsu... This should be interesting," Tatsuma commented from the sidelines, noting the dramatic changes as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Here I come!" Kōzaru yelled, his now fang-like eyes narrowing as they fixed on Aotaka with predatory intensity.

Kōzaru exploded off the ground with inhuman speed, moving even faster than before and taking Aotaka completely by surprise.

"Shit, he's even faster!" Aotaka yelled as he raised his sword in a defensive position, gripping it with both hands as he prepared for the incoming assault.

Kōzaru appeared behind Aotaka, getting ready to deliver a powerful strike. However, Aotaka had predicted the movement pattern, turning around as he delivered a powerful horizontal swipe with his sword.

"Predictable!" he yelled, almost smiling as he watched his sword arc through the air toward his target.

Shock set in as his blade passed through what turned out to be nothing more than an afterimage of Kōzaru's body, the illusion fading as his sword cut through empty air.

"A clone jutsu?" Aotaka said, his eyes opening wide with shock as the real Kōzaru appeared behind him again, this time landing a powerful palm strike into the centre of his back that sent him flying along the ground.

"Predictable, was it? How about that," Kōzaru said with satisfaction as he watched Aotaka bounce off the ground before flipping over and landing on his right knee, flicking his sword to the side of his body in a fluid recovery motion.

[Health: 145/204 → 115/204]

"That was a good hit, I felt that one..." Aotaka said as he looked down at his body, seeing the clear mark left on his clothing from the impact. Despite the pain, his eyes held a new fire of determination.

"However, I'm just getting started," Aotaka declared as he slowly stood to his feet, allowing his chakra to flow through his blade and activating his chakra flow ability.

His sword began to glow with an intense blue light as chakra coursed along its length, as both the reach and cutting power of the blade increased dramatically.

[Chakra: 149/149 → 129/149]

"I hope you're ready for this," Aotaka said, his voice carrying a new edge of confidence as the chakra-enhanced blade hummed with power.

From his position, Kōzaru's eyes locked onto the pulsing chakra blade below, its ethereal glow casting dancing shadows across the training ground. The weapon's energy signature sent ripples through the air, and he could feel how it fundamentally shifted the tide of their confrontation. Despite the danger, or perhaps because of it, his lips curved into a feral grin. Adrenaline surged through his veins like fire, causing his muscles to twitch with barely contained excitement.

"Oh, I'm ready alright!" His voice carried across the distance as he launched himself forward, abandoning any pretence of human movement. His body dropped low, hands and feet finding purchase on the earth as he bounded toward Aotaka like predator attacking his prey. Each leap covered impossible distances, his form a blur of motion that seemed to defy the very laws of physics.

Aotaka's stance shifted seamlessly into a defensive posture, his grip tightening on the sword's hilt as both hands wrapped around the leather binding. His eyes tracked Kōzaru's approach with the practiced calm of someone who had spent countless hours honing his craft. His uncle's voice echoed in his mind like a mantra from their training together.

Focus. Kenjutsu requires more than just one's eyes to see.

The attack came without warning. Kōzaru's form suddenly exploded upward, his clawed hand slicing through the air toward the left side of Aotaka's head with lethal precision. Time seemed to slow as Aotaka's body flowed like water, tilting just enough to let the strike whistle past his ear. The follow-up came immediately—a second slash that would have carved through flesh and bone—but Aotaka was already moving. His blade swept across his body in a fluid arc, the flat of the sword catching Kōzaru's wrist and deflecting the attack with a metallic ring.

"Senju Style: Falling Leaf!"

The technique's name tore from his throat as all of his training culminated in a single, perfect moment. His body became a whirlwind of motion, spinning with such speed that he seemed to blur into multiple images. The chakra blade ignited with brilliant blue chakra, carving a graceful arc through the air that mimicked the gentle descent of autumn foliage—beautiful, inevitable, and absolutely deadly.

Kōzaru's pupils dilated as the realization hit him like a physical blow. The attack was too close, too fast, too perfect. If that blade found its mark, the fight would end here and now. Desperation flooded his system as he reached deep into his reserves.

Shit! Body flicker!

[Chakra: 120/160 → 110/160]

The world erupted into motion as Kōzaru's form seemed to simply vanish, reappearing several meters away in a cloud of dust and debris. He slid across the ground on all fours, his hands and feet carving furrows in the earth as he fought to control his momentum. His eyes swept over his body with practiced efficiency, cataloguing potential injuries even as he moved.

"Holy shit, that was amazing!" Tatsuma's voice cut through the tension from the side-lines, his excitement palpable as he bounced on his toes. He had watched the entire exchange unfold, mesmerized by the display of raw skill and lightning-fast reflexes from both combatants.

The two ninken responded immediately to their master's near-miss. Riku's small body tensed as he rose to his feet, a worried whine escaping his throat as he prepared to rush to Kōzaru's aid. Yuki's ears flattened against her head as she released a series of anxious barks, her blue eyes fixed on the dust cloud where her master had landed.

"It's alright, Riku." Kōzaru's voice carried a note of gentle authority that cut through the pup's distress. The small dog froze mid-step, his muscles still coiled with the desire to help.

"This is my fight. Don't worry about me." As he spoke, Kōzaru rose to his full height with fluid grace, brushing dust from his clothes. A quick inspection revealed that only his jacket had suffered—a clean slice through the fabric that spoke to the precision of Aotaka's technique.

Riku's head drooped as he released a soft whimper, but his loyalty won out over his worry. He settled back onto his haunches beside Yuki, who nuzzled her brother's neck with quiet concern.

"It's okay, you two," Tatsuma said, his voice gentle as he crouched beside the worried ninken. "Kōzaru and Aotaka will both be fine. No one's going to get hurt—they're just training." His hand found Riku's head, offering comfort through touch as much as words.

"I'm surprised you were able to dodge that one," Aotaka admitted, his blade still glowing with residual chakra. "I thought I had you there." There was genuine respect in his voice as he acknowledged the incredible speed his opponent had displayed.

"Me too," Kōzaru replied with a rueful chuckle, gesturing to the clean cut in his jacket. "I really liked this jacket too." His casual joke drew a smile from Aotaka, the moment of levity cutting through the battle tension.

"Well, I hope you have a spare one," Aotaka said, his grip shifting on his sword as his stance changed from defensive to aggressive, "because I'm not done yet!"

Without another word, he exploded into motion, his feet pounding against the earth as he closed the distance between them. This time, he would be the one to press the attack, and the chakra blade in his hands promised that the next exchange would be even more spectacular than the last.

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