The Shattered Oath

The air was thick with the remnants of their battle, the scent of scorched earth and the metallic tang of blood lingering in the ruined battlefield. Shin Noragetsu stood still, his breathing steady but deep, his grip firm on his katana. Across from him, Raizen wiped the blood from his lip, his usual smirk replaced by something else—something almost resembling respect.

"You really don't disappoint," Raizen admitted, rolling his shoulder. "I knew you'd be strong, but this… This is something else."

Shin remained silent, his abyssal eyes locked onto his opponent. The void swirled subtly around his form, as if responding to his restrained emotions. He had not yet gone all out, and Raizen knew it.

Raizen sheathed his blade, only for his hands to fly into a rapid series of seals. "Enough warm-up. Let's see how much of that void you can truly control."

The ground trembled as Raizen slammed his palm against the earth. A moment later, violent gusts of wind erupted around him, twisting into razor-sharp tendrils. They didn't lash out wildly. Instead, they coiled around his body, forming an almost sentient storm.

"Wind Release: Phantom Tempest."

Shin's eyes narrowed. He had never seen a technique like this before. The winds moved unnaturally, shifting without any clear pattern, making it impossible to predict their trajectory.

Raizen vanished.

Shin barely had a second to react before the wind screamed past his ear, a blade of air slicing through his cloak. He spun, his katana raised just in time to block another attack—only to feel a force slam into his ribs, sending him skidding back.

Raizen reappeared a few meters away, his body flickering in and out of visibility as the winds warped around him.

Shin exhaled. His fingers flexed, the void stirring in response.

Then, he vanished as well.

Their next clash was nothing short of chaos. Blades met mid-air, the force sending shockwaves that cracked the ground beneath them. Shin's strikes were sharp, precise, but Raizen's movements were unpredictable. He twisted and shifted within his wind barrier, each movement fluid like a storm's breeze.

Shin dodged a lethal slash, pivoting low to sweep Raizen's legs out from under him. But the rogue shinobi simply let the wind carry him upward, flipping effortlessly before launching a barrage of wind-enhanced kunai.

Shin didn't move.

Instead, he raised a single hand.

The void pulsed.

A ripple of darkness expanded from his palm, distorting the space around him. The kunai never made contact—they simply ceased to exist the moment they entered the void's reach.

Raizen landed a few feet away, clicking his tongue. "That ability of yours is really starting to piss me off."

Shin finally spoke. "Then you should stop fighting."

Raizen chuckled. "Not a chance."

Without warning, he lunged again, this time forming another set of hand seals mid-dash. The winds around him intensified, howling with deadly intent.

"Wind Release: Spectral Howl!"

The very air vibrated, the sound reaching an unbearable pitch. Shin's eyes widened as he felt something strange—the void around him flickered, struggling against the force of the attack.

Raizen grinned. "Got you."

In the next instant, he was gone, reappearing behind Shin in a blur of speed. His blade sliced downward, aiming for Shin's shoulder.

For the first time in the fight, Shin was too slow.

The katana bit into his flesh.

Blood splattered onto the cracked ground.

Shin's body tensed, his teeth clenched in pain. He pivoted sharply, void energy surging through his arm as he drove his elbow into Raizen's gut. The rogue shinobi coughed, staggering back from the impact, but his grin remained.

"See? You're not invincible."

Shin exhaled, pressing a hand against his wound. It wasn't deep, but it was a reminder—a dangerous one.

He had grown reliant on the void's power. And Raizen had found a way to disrupt it.

That made him dangerous.

Shin's grip on his blade tightened. He couldn't let this drag on any longer.

Raizen saw the shift in his posture and laughed. "Finally taking me seriously? Good."

Then he lunged again.

Shin moved faster.

The void erupted around him, his form flickering as he met Raizen head-on. Their blades clashed with enough force to send a shockwave rippling outward. The winds howled in protest against the void's pull, the battlefield caught between their opposing forces.

Raizen's movements grew even more erratic, his attacks relentless. Shin countered each one, but he could feel the pressure mounting. The rogue shinobi wasn't slowing down.

Then, in a flash of silver, Raizen's blade struck again.

Shin deflected it—only to feel a sharp pain in his side.

A second blade.

Raizen had been hiding another weapon beneath his sleeve.

Shin inhaled sharply, his fingers twitching. The void pulsed wildly in response to his pain, threatening to spiral out of control.

Raizen took a step back, breathing heavily. "You're strong," he admitted. "But even you can bleed."

Shin didn't respond. He simply exhaled, allowing his body to adjust to the pain.

Then, for the first time in the fight, he smiled.

Raizen blinked. "What the—"

Darkness surged.

In the blink of an eye, Shin was gone.

Raizen barely had time to react before he felt a cold presence behind him. He turned sharply, but it was already too late.

Shin's blade pressed against his throat.

Raizen froze.

The battlefield fell silent.

For several tense seconds, neither of them moved. The only sound was the distant howl of the wind, the dying embers of their battle lingering in the air.

Raizen exhaled slowly. Then, he chuckled. "Damn. You got me."

Shin remained still. "Surrender."

Raizen closed his eyes briefly, then shook his head. "Can't do that."

Shin's grip on his katana didn't waver. "Then this ends here."

Raizen was quiet for a moment. Then, his smirk returned—though this time, it was softer.

"You really are something else," he admitted.

Then, in a single swift motion, he stepped back, breaking free from Shin's hold. He didn't attack. He simply stood there, his blade lowered, his expression unreadable.

Shin didn't move. He simply watched.

Raizen exhaled. "Looks like we're done here."

Then, before Shin could react, Raizen vanished into the storm.

Shin remained motionless, his abyssal eyes scanning the area. He could still feel Raizen's presence lingering in the distance. But he was gone.

For now.

The winds began to settle, the battlefield eerily quiet once more. Shin exhaled slowly, his grip loosening on his blade.

The fight was over. But something told him—this was far from the last time he would cross paths with Raizen.

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