A Difficult Road Home 6

The battlefield lay in ruins. The once-solid ground had been reduced to a cratered wasteland, scorched by fire and shattered by stone and lightning. The storm above raged on, thunder echoing like the war drums of vengeful gods.

Tetsuma panted, his breaths coming in short, ragged gasps. His Anbu armor was cracked, his cloak burned away, and blood seeped from the gashes on his arms. Opposite him, Ebizo was in no better condition—his Suna armor was dented, his robes shredded, and a deep cut ran down the side of his cheek, dripping blood onto the sand beneath his feet.

Yet, neither man yielded.

Ebizo was the first to move. His body flickered forward, vanishing in a gust of wind and reappearing at Tetsuma's flank, blade gleaming with fire.

Tetsuma reacted instantly.

CLANG!

Their blades met in a violent collision, sparks dancing in the rain-soaked air. Ebizo twisted, bringing his knee up into Tetsuma's ribs.

Tetsuma grunted but countered, slashing upward with Kusanagi, the Chidori-charged blade crackling with deadly electricity.

Ebizo barely dodged, flipping backward.

"Your swordplay is impressive, but you're running out of chakra, Silver Blade," Ebizo said, smirking through the pain. "You won't last much longer."

Tetsuma didn't respond.

He knew Ebizo was right. His reserves were draining fast. Even with his Senju vitality, he couldn't keep up this fight forever. He needed to end this—now.

A flicker of lightning danced across his fingertips. He made his decision.

Tetsuma leaped back, forming a rapid set of hand seals.

Ebizo's sharp eyes caught the movement, and immediately, he retaliated.

"Wind Release: Gale Severance!"

A colossal blade of wind slashed toward Tetsuma.

"Earth Release: Adamantine Pillar!"

A towering column of solid rock shot up, blocking the attack. But Ebizo wasn't finished.

"Fire Release: Blazing Barrage!"

Multiple fireballs erupted from his mouth, curving around the pillar and homing in on Tetsuma.

Tetsuma smirked.

He flashed through more hand seals.

"Lightning Release: Chidori: Raikiri Fang!"

A massive lightning fang burst from his palm, slicing through the incoming fireballs. The explosion of elements sent shockwaves through the battlefield.

Ebizo coughed as he skidded backward, his breathing growing heavier. His sand-covered hands trembled slightly.

Tetsuma saw it.

Now.

Tetsuma raised his left hand to the sky.

The storm above crackled violently, as if answering his call.

Ebizo's eyes widened. He felt the sudden shift in chakra—the oppressive, raw power of a nature-altering technique.

Tetsuma's voice rang through the battlefield.

"Lightning Release: Kirin!"

The clouds erupted.

A colossal dragon of pure lightning tore through the heavens, descending with blinding speed.

Ebizo's instincts screamed at him to move—but he knew. There was no escaping this.

Yet, he refused to die here.

He would not allow it.

His hands blurred through hand seals, his chakra surging one last time.

"Sand Release: Guardian!"

The ground beneath him exploded as a titanic wall of sand, infused with chakra, rose to meet the descending Kirin.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact was cataclysmic.

The earth shook. The air ignited. The sheer force of the explosion obliterated everything within a hundred-meter radius.

When the dust finally settled—only silence remained.

Tetsuma stood hunched, panting heavily. His body was burned and battered, his chakra reserves nearly depleted. His Kusanagi trembled in his grip.

Across from him, Ebizo was still alive.

But barely.

He was on one knee, his sand armor shattered, his left arm limp at his side. Blood poured from his wounds. His technique had saved him—but at a cost.

For a moment, neither man moved.

Then, Ebizo gritted his teeth and let out a weak chuckle.

"Tch… Seems you got me, Silver Blade."

Tetsuma exhaled sharply. His body screamed for rest, but his instincts warned him—Ebizo was still dangerous.

Yet, to his surprise, the Suna commander slowly sheathed his blade.

"I'll concede this battle," Ebizo muttered. "But don't think this means I've given up. Next time, I'll make sure you don't leave alive."

Tetsuma remained silent. He knew the truth. Both of them were in no condition to continue fighting.

Finally, he sheathed his own blade.

"I'll be waiting."

With that, the storm continued to rage around them—two warriors, standing among the ruins of their battlefield, acknowledging the other's strength.

The war was far from over. But for now, this battle had reached its end.