10 Chapter 10: A Precarious Battle

"Hurry up Oni-San we're going to be late if you don't hurry up."

Keitaro tsked at how long it took his brother to get ready. He had changed, gotten something to drink and closed up the house all in the time it took him to get himself ready for his training session, and even then he was taking his time just to put on his shoes. 

The two of them were currently seated on the front step of the house, as Kentaro slowly tightening his sandals.

"Don't worry little bro, you're not going to be missing out on much even if we are a little late."

Kentaro couldn't help but to shake his head at his brother impatience. Someone hearing their conversation would have though that it was Keitaro who was going to be training and not him!

With a final check to ensure his shoes were secured he stretched as he stood to his feet. He taped his feet against the ground a couple times to make sure that his shoes weren't uncomfortable, before turning and walking down pathway away from their home.

"Where are we meeting up with the others today?" Keitaro questioned, as he quickly fell into step beside his brother, not wanting to be left behind.

"Well since we were supposed to be practicing our sparring today and its going to be no holds bared, we're going to be heading into the forest." 

Keitaro couldn't help but to raise his eyebrows in confusion.

"Is it really safe for you guys to be going out into the forest for training through? What if one of you is injured while training, its going to take a while to get you back to the village to get treatment."

Knetaro simply waved away Keitaro's concern as he confidently replied 

"Of course it is. There are patrols and stuff that are always moving around the village outskirts so its not that much of a problem. We aren't even going to be that far away form the village anyway so as long as we let the guardsman on duty today know when and where we're going it'll be alright."

"Oh okay then." Keitaro wasn't completely convinced, but he accepted his brothers words none the less

Kentaro hummed in reply before and glancing at his younger brother from the corner of his eye. He slowed his pace a little when he realized that Keitaro had been walking double time just to keep up with him and not to be left behind.

As the two were walking Kentaro opened his mouth a few times to say something, but after noticing that Keitaro was already sweating quite a bit just from walking, he finally spoke up about what had been bothering him.

"Look Kei, Are you sure you don't want to head off to the park today instead? There are lots of kids your age there and I'm sure you'll be able to make a lot of friends quickly. I need you to understand that even if you come with me, you aren't going to be able to play with me and my friends because you're too young. Dad hasn't even begun your training for sensing your chakra much less channeling it. You're going to have to sit back on the side lines and just watch me again. Isn't it boring just watching me and the other kids have fun?" 

Kentaro stopped and looked into his brothers eyes. Looking for some semblance of hesitation that he was sure was there.

It had been eating away at him him that his brother hadn't really been able to have fun and play around when ever he choose to hang out with him and his friends. When ever he mentioned training to Keitaro, he always wanted to come and watch. of course him watching wasn't a problem, but he was simply too young to handle the sort of games that they played which meant he ended up on the sidelines watching everything without getting a chance actually participate.

He had originally agreed with his brother tagging along with him to his meet ups mostly because he knew that his younger brother wasn't exactly found of the other kids his age.

At fist he had been quite happy that his brother had wanted to spend so much time together with him, but as time passed he realized how unfair it was for his younger brother who was forced to simply sit of to the side while the others had fun.

Keitaro looked into his brothers eyes and upon seeing his hesitation quickly spoke up to quell his concerns.

"I don't really mind it at all. I like watching you guys play ninja and do all that crazy stuff with your chakra. The other kids my age are boring anyway. They always want to play tag or hide and seek and I end up winning anyway. I want to hangout with you guys instead." 

Keitaro made sure to pull out his puppy eyes since he really, really didn't want to go to the park and 'play' with the other kids his age. He wasn't lying when he said the other kids were boring to him. Even if he was technically three years old, he was much to mature to be mingling with those children. He just couldn't be bothered to deal with those snot covered, teary eyed, drooling idiots.

Especially when he could be spending his days watching the older kids using chakra and practicing their jutsu.

He wasn't an idiot and was well aware that most of the 'games' the kids his age were playing actually served as a form of training for if they eventually managed to enroll at the academy in the future, but he also didn't care all that much for these supposed 'games'.

He was already faster and stronger and taller than the kids his age, most likely thanks to his dads superior genetics, and it was annoying when the other kids his age either kept badgering him to explain something for them that they couldn't understand or shunned him entirely since they all knew he would win automatically if he joined in on any of their games.

 "Fine but you better not complain if the other guys don't want to play with you got it." 

Kentaro eventually caved in to his younger brothers demands and with shoulders dropped in defeat quickly lead them towards one the many forest entrances around the village.

It didn't take them long to find the other kids in a small clearing a few minutes after entering the forest and everyone was smiled and high-fived each other as they all seemed to have made it on time for once.

Keitaro quickly made his way towards one of the smaller trees and quickly scrambled up unto one of the sturdier branches to make sure that he could watch all the older kids without worrying too much.

He'd already learned the hard way that being too close to children who were throwing around ninja tools and the occasional jutsu, while being completely unable to either block or dodge them wasn't the smartest thing to do. 

He'd already ended up at the hospital with a shuriken sticking out of his arm and covered in blood. His brother had almost had a heart attack back then but he still thought it had been worth it since he already learned how best to avoid such things in the future.

He sat comfortably on one of the low hanging branches, letting his legs swing freely as he watched the other kids begin pairing off and challenging each other. 

Most of them had either enrolled into the academy this year or had already been in the academy for a while, and as such, their matches where understandable quite 'cool' and 'interesting' to watch for someone who had never seen such combat before.

Time passed quickly and it hadn't taken long before it became clear that a few of the kids were heads and shoulders above the rest. Not only were they able to over power all their opponents with Taijutsu alone, but they were also the only ones able to pull off the occasional jutsu from time to time.

It was surprising since most of the kids training at the academy shouldn't have been taught any jutsu as of yet. From what his brother had told him the first three years at the academy were for building a firm foundation and the last year was focused on recapping those things and learning actual jutsu approved by the academy for graduation.

One boy in particular was especially dazzling as he kept throwing out Jutsu with no concern for his chakra expenditure. It didn't take long for everyone else to have been defeated by him except for Kentaro.

When it finally came time for the two of them to battle it out, all the other kids quickly made their way to the surrounding trees for cover. No one wanted to get in the way of the fight, but they also didn't want to miss out on it either and had to make sure they got the best vantage points that they could so they wouldn't mmis anything.

Now facing each other Kentaro and the boy slowly circled each other before the other boy stopped and taunted Kentaro with a snare across his face.

"Heh Kentaro, I got to admit I was surprised to see you walking around today with your little follower yet again, aren't you afraid to let you little brother watch as I beat you into the ground... again?" He laughed raucously with his hand on his waist and his chin pointed towards the sky.

"You haven't manage to beat me the last few times during class and todays not going to be any different. Then again I guess you needed to bring him so that you'll have someone to help bring you home after I'm done with you right?" He glanced at small boy who was sitting off to the side, happy to watch as his face scrunched up in displeasure.

"Please, you just got lucky the last few times but not anymore. Today is the day that you're going to go down!" Kentaro refused to look weak in front of his brother and immediately shouted back at the boy. He rolled his shoulders for a bit while glaring angrily at his advisory.

"I guess we'll see just how 'lucky' I am after this, now won't we?" The boy spat off to the side before once more focusing on Keitaro and preparing for the fight to commence.

The two of them sank into silence and none of the other kids who were present were making a sound either. Everyone was sitting and waiting in anticipation for the coming fight. The tension in the air was palpable and even Keitaro found himself holding his breath as he watched on.

They didn't have to wait for much longer, as both boys moved at the same time. Both of them, as if they had decided on how to move before the fight had even started, sprang into action at the same time. 

With a flick of the wrist both boys started out by flinging a shuriken at the other. The harsh sound of metal colliding sounded out as the pair of shuriken collided in mid air changing their trajectory ever so slightly before continuing on to their intended target. 

Both boys quickly stepped to the side in order to dodge the incoming unblocked shuriken and once they were in the clear they both crouched in preparation for their follow up attack.

Neither seemed fazed that their shuriken had been dodged and instead of throwing another shuriken that both began to run at each other. 

Kentaro's hands where empty as he ran, but the other boy had pulled out a kunai from his pack and held it in his hand. Before anyone noticed what he was doing, he quickly flung the kunai at the incoming Kentaro, but a graceful duck that turned into a roll, allowed Kentaro to not only dodge the incoming kunai but to respond in kind with one of his own as he leapt into the air once his roll came to an end.

The boy made a hasty sidestep but didn't manage to avoid the thrown weapon completely and he paid for it with a small scratch on his shoulder that managed to draw blood.

He didn't have time to worry about the new injury though and had no choice but to quickly pull out another kunai and block the airborne Kentaro who had reached his position and made to stab him with a overhead lunge.

The two were evenly matched in strength for but a second, before Kentaro was flung away. He didn't falter though, and quickly flipped unto his feet before his opponent could capitalize on him being airborne. 

The two squared off once more and dashed at each other. The fight quickly devolved into a kunai battle as the two boys kept stabbing and slicing at each other in an attempt to wound the other.

The continuous sounds of clashing metal rung out as the two kept exchanging blows before Kentaro managed to catch his opponent off guard by quickly switched his hold on his Kunia to a backhanded grip after a quick parry, and managed to slam his Kunai into the unsuspecting boys arm point first.

The boy shouted in pain as the Kunai pierced his arm and took a shaky step back in an attempt to make space so that he could pull out the Kunai.

Kentaro didn't give him a chance to though as he followed behind him managed to land a few quick punches and jabs in an attempt to stagger his opponent. He finished his rushing attack with a solid kick to the stomach, that sent the boy sprawling through the air.

He could have stopped there, but decided not to showed any mercy and without hesitation made sure to throw two kunai at his airborne foe to ensure that the boy would be down for the count. 

Unfortunately, his opponent somehow managed to quickly catch himself midflight and twisted his body while in the air, effectively managing to dodging the thrown shuriken and extending the distance between him and Kentaro. 

As the battle had fallen into a short lull, both boys seemed content with catching their breath and taking stook of their situations. Of course they glared at each other neither one willing to give his opponent and opportunity to get the upper hand. A few second passed before they once more dove into their battle neither one caring for the silence that befallen their onlookers. 

It was an intense clash with neither boy backing down, no matter what. They kept up their brutal exchange trading injuries with each other till in no time at all both of them where covered in cuts, bruises and blood. 

Nevertheless it was as it they couldn't seem to feel the pain that they should have bene in as they kept at it, raining fists and kicks on each other each, both refusing to let the other boy gain the upper hand in anyway.

The other kids who had been on the sidelines watched on enthralled, as the two combatants wailed on each other. Neither of them had used ninjutsu throughout the entire fight so far and that alone showed just how intense their fight had been. Kentaro hadn't used any because he didn't know any and the other boy because Kentaro didn't give him any chance to weave the necessary hand signs.

Everyone watching knew that the only way for Kentaro to truly win, was for him to put down his opponent before he could unleash his ninjutsu while the Boy just needed one chance to unleash a single potent ninjutsu to flip the game in his favor.

There was another lull in the fight where they both backed off to catch their breath. They were both panting, clearly tired form the fast paced that they had been going at but still they refused to relax. 

Kentaro kept his eyes on his opponent ready to throw a few shuriken to prevent him from weaving his jutsu, while the other boys eyes quickly flashed around the clearing trying to find something that he could use as a breakthrough.

It wasn't all that obvious, but Kentaro was at an advantage in the fight and he knew it. Every time he managed to interrupt the boys ninjutsu casting, it meant that the boy wasted various amounts of chakra depending on how far he was into weaving his hand signs before being disturbed.

If things kept going the way that they were, even if the boy managed to get a chance to cast his ninjutsu he wouldn't even have enough chakra to cast it. He could feel his dwindling chakra reserve and knew he only had two more chances before he was out of chakra, and by then he was bound to lose.

Suddenly his eyes zeroed onto a lone figure in the trees. He was crouched on one of the lower hanging branches and there wasn't anyone else around him, most likely because of how close to the ground it was.

The boy smirked to himself, he had found his victory ticket.

He didn't waste any more time and quickly thought of a plan, and once he had a rough idea of how things were going to play out, he didn't hesitate to enact it.

Four shuriken found their way into his hand and he quickly tossed three in Kentaro's direction making sure to wait a second before throwing the last one towards the unsuspecting Keitaro.

Kentaro quickly threw one of his shuriken at the boy to ensure he couldn't weave any jutsu while he dodged the incoming shuriken and quickly twisted his upper body to the side before flipping away from the last shuriken aimed at his feet. He quickly zeroed onto his opponent once more and didn't hesitate to run towards him. Yet the sound a pained hell pulled him out of his concentrated state.