Chapter 12: Chapter 6: The Fallen Clan 4
Yuta knew he was in a tight spot. He felt Ren's torrent of chakra flowing violently through his body, about to tear him apart from within. But his experience as a ninja had taught him to adapt quickly. Using his knowledge of ninjutsu and his innate ability for chakra manipulation, he began to stabilize the connection. While he couldn't fully control Ren's power, he could harness what he was receiving.
Yuta's breathing was heavy, but his eyes shone with determination. Using the strength of the other's chakra, he began to perform a series of hand seals with unusual speed, taking advantage of every bit of energy that came to him.
"Water: Water Slash," he whispered, and a powerful gust of cutting wind emerged from his hands. The mist took the form of blades that launched themselves straight towards Ren.
Ren, still weakened by the seal's bond, was barely able to raise a chakra barrier to defend himself. The water blades collided with the barrier, creating a boom that shook the air. However, Yuta did not stop. With each passing second, he felt more familiar with Ren's chakra, and the speed of his attacks increased.
"You can't keep using my chakra against me!" Ren shouted, as he tried to undo the seal that connected them. Despite his effort, Yuta still maintained the link, redirecting every bit of power that came to him into new attacks.
"I won't let you win that easily," Yuta replied, his voice weak, knowing that his body couldn't hold out much longer.
With the last vestige of strength, Yuta threw a series of kunais infused with lightning chakra, while performing more hand seals. The battlefield was filled with explosions and bursts of energy, and each attack weakened Ren further.
But Ren, being a master of fuinjutsu, would not be left behind. Despite the wear and tear, his eyes reflected a steely determination. With a shout, he made a seal with one hand while the other rested on the ground. From the ground, thick chakra chains emerged, snaking towards Yuta with speed.
"You won't escape this, kid. These chains were designed to contain even the most volatile chakra." Ren smirked, knowing that if he managed to catch Yuta, the battle would be decided.
Yuta dodged the first chains with quick movements, but there were more and more of them, surrounding him from all directions. He knew he couldn't dodge forever. That was when he came up with his final move.
"I only have one chance left…" he thought, as the pain of chakra overload began to weaken his limbs.
At the last second before the chains caught him, Yuta stopped the flow of chakra into the seal. In doing so, he abruptly severed the connection between the two, breaking free from Ren's onslaught of power. The chakra chains collapsed as they lost their target. Yuta, exhausted but still determined, used the remaining chakra he had taken from Ren for one final attack.
"Water: Barrier!" he shouted, punching the ground hard. A giant wall of solid water rose between him and Ren, blocking the chains and providing him with some breathing room.
Ren, caught in surprise, briefly stepped back, realizing he had underestimated the young ninja. The chakra barrier surrounding him began to weaken, and Ren was forced to redirect his energy to keep it stable.
"This kid… is more tenacious than I thought," Ren muttered.
Yuta, panting, stared at his opponent through the wall of water. He knew he couldn't continue like this much longer. His body was at its limit, and the chakra he had stolen from Ren was beginning to dissipate. But he had one last card up his sleeve, a technique he had yet to show.
"If I'm going to defeat him… it will have to be now or never," he thought.
He slid his hand toward a small pouch he carried at his waist. Inside, there was a single tool left to him: a special smoke bomb, infused with a potent paralyzing poison.
With a swift movement, he threw the bomb towards Ren. Upon impact, thick, dark smoke filled the battlefield, enveloping both combatants.
"What are you doing now, Yuta?" Ren asked, as he held his position, trying to see through the smoke.
But Yuta didn't respond. Taking advantage of the distraction of the smoke, he executed his ultimate technique, a mix of ninjutsu and the residual energy he had stolen from Ren.
"Water Clone," he muttered, and in an instant, several clones identical to Yuta emerged from the mist.
Ren, confused by the sudden change in tactics, couldn't react in time. Yuta's clones pounced on him from all directions, taking advantage of the chaos created by the smoke and poison.
"This is impossible!" Ren shouted, as he tried to defend himself from the multiple attacks. But his body, weakened by the seal and the poison, could not keep up with the clones.
Finally, one of the clones managed to land a direct hit, weakening Ren even further. Taking advantage of the opening, the real Yuta with two kunais emerged from among the clones and launched his final attack, a strike infused with Ren's remaining chakra.
—Jutsu: Water Flickering Body
The impact echoed across the battlefield, and Ren, surprised and pierced, fell to his knees. The chakra barrier around both of them disappeared, dissipating into the air.
Yuta, breathing heavily, looked down at his fallen enemy.
"I've done it…" he muttered, before collapsing to the ground, exhausted from the battle.
Victory had been his, but he knew he had barely scratched the surface of Ren's true power.