Chapter XVIII

Chapter XVIII

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Hushed whispers rippled through the gathered students as they watched the intense spar unfold before them. "Is this really just a battle between mere Academy students like us?" someone muttered, their voice laced with a mixture of uncertainty and reverence.

Another voice answered, low and reverent. "Don't compare us with them. They exist in an entirely different league, far above our level."

A wistful sigh escaped the first speaker's lips. "Still... It's difficult to fathom that the gap between us is so vast. It almost seems... unfair."

The second student scoffed, their tone sharp and unapologetic. "Tch. Unfair? Of course it is, and it always will be." They paused, casting a dismissive glance towards their companion. "What are you acting up for, as if this is some shocking revelation? Just shut up and enjoy the fight. At the very least, you might learn something from observing true shinobi."

"Can't you be a little more sympathetic?" the first student complained. "Here I was opening my heart to you."

But their plea fell on deaf ears as their friend remained fixated on the intense battle, ignoring their words.

Resigning himself, the young man turned his gaze back to the fight, where Tatsuya and Yumiko moved with remarkable skill, their strikes and parries a graceful yet lethal dance.

Yumiko unleashed a vertical slash with her katana, the blade cutting through the air with incredible speed. However, Tatsuya sidestepped at the precise moment, narrowly dodging the deadly arc. Without missing a beat, he countered with a precise palm strike, channeling his chakra to strike one of Yumiko's chakra points and temporarily disrupt its flow.

Rather than faltering, Yumiko seemed to ignore the disabling strike, pressing her assault with a series of reckless yet formidable hacks and slashes. Her katana became a blur of steel as she relentlessly battered Tatsuya's defenses.

Undeterred, he deftly evaded and parried each strike, simultaneously targeting and sealing off her chakra points one by one with calculated precision. His movements were fluid, almost mesmerizing, as he systematically sealed off her chakra pathways.

'What is her strategy?' Tatsuya wondered as he observed Yumiko's increasingly reckless style. At this point, he had already sealed 24 of her chakra points, which should have severely impaired her chakra control and manipulation. Yet, despite his restraint to minimize potential damage, the sealing process would undoubtedly be an excruciating ordeal, akin to torture.

Her willpower is formidable,' he mused, eyes narrowing as he gazed upon Yumiko's unwavering expression, betraying no hint of the agony she must have been enduring. He deftly sidestepped another vicious strike from her katana, his movements fluid and precise.

However, in a split-second, Yumiko's attack pattern shifted. With a deft twist of her wrist, she abruptly changed the blade's trajectory, catching Tatsuya off guard. A searing line etched itself across his cheek as the razor-sharp steel drew a thin veil of fresh, crimson blood.

Tatsuya clenched his jaws as a stinging pain radiated from the shallow cut on his cheek, the crimson blood trickling down his face. Acting swiftly, he channeled a precise flow of chakra to the wound, stemming the bleeding and sealing the laceration.

Looking up at Yumiko, Tatsuya saw her grinning at him, a hint of satisfaction playing across her features. "Finally, a cut. Even if it's a bit shallow," she remarked, her tone almost playful.

"A bit shallow? You almost made me look like the Joker," Tatsuya complained good-naturedly, thankful he had evaded quickly enough to avoid a more severe wound that could have left him with a ghastly, Glasgow-esque smile.

Yumiko let out an amused laugh, her eyes dancing with mirth. "Don't worry, I think you'd look good even with that look."

Arching an eyebrow, Tatsuya's expression reflected a mixture of bemusement and concern. "Your beauty aesthetics are worrying me if you think that would look attractive," he quipped, unable to resist a jab at her eccentric tastes.

Suddenly, Tatsuya's eyes widened as a flurry of shuriken appeared in his peripheral vision, the lethal projectiles hurtling towards him from behind. Reacting with lightning-fast reflexes honed through years of training, he rapidly molded his chakra, using the Body Replacement Technique.

In the blink of an eye, a weathered wood log took his place just as the shuriken struck, erupting into a plume of smoke where he had stood mere moments ago. Tatsuya rematerialized several meters away, his eyes immediately narrowing as his finely-tuned senses detected two hostile chakra signatures attacking him simultaneously from both sides.

"Swish!"

Two figures, most likely clones of Yumiko, materialized from the sides, their katanas arcing in perfectly synchronized slashes aimed directly at his shoulder joints. Reacting on pure instinct alone, Tatsuya's body dropped into a low crouch, the dual katana blades whistling through the space where his shoulders had been a split-second before. Pivoting on the balls of his feet, he spun in a tight circle, channeling his chakra into his hands before slashing at the clones with precise, chakra-laced strikes - dissipating them into wisps of smoke before they could react.

'A distraction?' The thought flashed through his mind as he sensed the clones disperse, only to be followed by a burst of movement, a body flickering directly behind him in the blink of an eye with blinding speed - too fast for him to counter effectively.

The cold kiss of steel grazed the back of Tatsuya's neck, the blade stopping just short of drawing blood. A feminine voice, laced with a teasing smile, whispered in his ear. "Got you...Tatsuya. It seems you've become a little rusty after all."

He let out a rueful chuckle, shaking his head. "You really had me going there for a moment," he admitted, giving a sidelong gaze at her. He could see the triumphant glint in her eyes at having momentarily outwitted him.

"Using shadow clones as a distraction while you slipped in undetected...nicely played," Tatsuya praised, a wry smile playing on his lips. "But are you sure that it's only you who knows how to play with shadow clones?"

Before Yumiko could react or retort, she felt a firm grip clamp down on her shoulders, the pressure of a chakra-laced hand suddenly at her nape. The proximity was disconcertingly close - near enough that she wouldn't be able to react in time if the hand decided to readily behead her in one clean stroke.

A bead of sweat trickled down her brow as Yumiko realized she had been outmaneuvered. Of course, Tatsuya wouldn't let himself be caught so easily, not by one of the oldest tricks in the shinobi playbook.

"Well played," she managed through a tight smile, silently cursing herself for dropping her guard, however briefly. Yumiko knew better than to underestimate her former classmate. "Though I have to ask...when did you have the chance to substitute with a clone?"

A low chuckle sounded from directly behind her as the hand restraining her shoulders dispersed into a plume of smoke.

"Right from the beginning," he replied easily, a smug grin playing on his lips. "I substituted a shadow clone before our spar began and had it hide nearby. Then it was simply a matter of waiting for the perfect opportunity to turn the tables."

"You sly fox," Yumiko muttered, unable to conceal her begrudging admiration despite being outmaneuvered. "When did you even have the time to do that? I didn't see you weave any hand signs."

A smug, self-satisfied smirk played across Tatsuya's features. "It's a secret," he replied enigmatically.

Yumiko felt her eyes twitch involuntarily at his infuriating deflection. With a resigned sigh, she retracted her katana from where it had been pressing lightly against his neck. "Okay, I admit defeat for today," Yumiko conceded, though her tone remained adamant. "But don't get cocky. I will definitely defeat you someday, mark my words."

Tatsuya's expression softened into a warm, earnest smile that seemed to disarm her unexpectedly. "Sure, sure, I expect nothing less from you," he replied sincerely.

For a fleeting moment, Yumiko felt herself become uncharacteristically flustered by that simple, genuine smile. There was something about the way his features lit up with warmth that sent an unfamiliar flutter through her stomach.

'Damn him and those annoyingly striking looks,' she cursed inwardly. The thin cut marring his cheek only seemed to accentuate his roguish charm, crimson beads of blood slowly trickling out to cast his sharp jawline in sharp relief. It lent him a dangerous, rugged edge that she found...unexpectedly appealing.

Clearing her throat, Yumiko quickly shook off her thoughts to regain her usual calm composure. Suddenly, a loud voice - that of their sensei - echoed in the arena: "If you two are quite finished with your display, we don't have all day!"

Yumiko's head whipped around, cheeks flushing as their grizzled jounin sensei strode into view. He had clearly witnessed enough of their exchange to call out his two top students.

As Yumiko and Tatsuya moved to exit the arena, their impromptu sparring session concluded for now, she couldn't help but notice Ino and Sakura sitting amongst the other students. The two kunoichi seemed eager to approach them, though their hopes were swiftly dashed as Hiroshi's booming voice rang out once again. "Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura! You're up next. Into the arena, now."

Ino and Sakura visibly deflated at the announcement of their turn to spar, shooting wistful glances towards the battered Tatsuya as he brushed past them, though not before offering them an encouraging look.

A soft giggle escaped Yumiko's lips as she observed Ino and Sakura's crestfallen expressions. "They seem very disappointed," she remarked, amusement lacing her tone as she turned towards her sparring partner. "Your new 'roguish' look appears to have quite the effect on your fanclub."

Tatsuya arched an inquisitive brow, his lips quirking into a half-grin. "Is that jealousy I detect, Yumiko?" He feigned a gasp. "And here I thought the great kunoichi was above such petty insecurities."

Yumiko rolled her eyes at his teasing jab, "Don't flatter yourself," she parried smoothly. "I'm merely making an observation about your newfound status."

"Is that so?" A look of realization crossed his features before an amused light entered his eyes. "My apologies then, I'll endeavor to avoid getting such 'dashing' wounds in the future. Wouldn't want to prove too...distracting."

Yumiko felt her cheeks warm slightly at his words, reminded of her earlier remark about his 'roguish' appearance.

As they exited the arena, Yumiko suddenly called out to him, her eyes drawn to the cut marring his cheek. "Let me help you bandage that."

Tatsuya paused, raising an inquisitive brow. "This little scratch? There's no need, I can heal it with a simple medical ninjutsu once we're done here."

Yumiko somehow felt offended at the remark that he was calling her cut a shallow one. "It's an open wound, and as someone with some medic experiences, I simply can't ignore it," she stated firmly, a hint of defensiveness creeping into her voice.

Seeing her firmness, Tatsuya shrugged and agreed "Ok Ok, Do what you need to do, I'll hold still"

Yumiko gave a curt nod in response and reached into her ninja utility bag, and took out a small medical packet containing antiseptic wipes, gauze, and other first aid supplies.

With deft, practiced movements, she carefully cleaned the shallow laceration on his cheek, ensuring no dirt or debris remained. Tatsuya remained perfectly still, wisely not uttering another word as she worked.

Once the wound was properly disinfected, Yumiko applied a thin layer of antibiotic ointment before securing a clean bandage over the cut with a few strips of medical tape.

As Yumiko finished securing the bandage, she suddenly became acutely aware of just how close she had leaned in to properly dress the wound. Her face was mere inches from Tatsuya's, close enough to feel the warmth of his breath fanning across her skin.

Suddenly, her onyx eyes that had lifted to study the clean lines of the pristine bandage... only to find herself inadvertently locking gazes with him.

In that charged moment, with their faces perilously close, Yumiko felt her heart skip a treacherous beat as she found herself entranced by the molten depths of his violet-colored eyes.

'They are so beautiful,' an errant thought emerged unbidden as she gazed into their mesmerizing violet hues, a strange, unfamiliar tension seeming to envelop them both.

'Why am I suddenly feeling these...sensations?' she asked herself, but found no ready answer.

Then, suddenly without any warning, a searing flash of pain erupted through her body. A moment of weakness, of imbalance, seized control as her knees betrayed her, sending her pitching forward directly into Tatsuya's startled arms.

'No!' Her mind screamed in futile protest, even as fate seemed to seal her path.

Due to their precarious proximity, Yumiko's lips came crashing against Tatsuya's in an inadvertent, short but scorching kiss that stole the very breath from her lungs.

For an endless moment, she was rendered immobile, her senses overwhelmed by the impossible softness of his mouth melding with her own in an electrifying caress.

Then, just as abruptly, Yumiko wrenched herself back with a gasp, reeling from the dizzying sensations blazing through her. Her heart thundered violently as a furious crimson blush stained her cheeks.

"I...I didn't..." she said breathlessly as she felt embarrassed about what just happened.

Tatsuya appeared equally shell-shocked, his features stunned into an inscrutable mask.

Finally, unable to endure the suspended tension a moment longer, she blurted, "That was an accident. I...I lost my balance." Even to her own ears, the excuse sounded feeble - after all, how could a skilled ninja like herself lose her balance so easily?

Tatsuya seemed to read the self-doubt flickering across her features. "Don't worry, I understand," he said, his voice unexpectedly gentle. "It's from the attack you endured from my palm strike during our fight."

Yumiko's eyes widened slightly as realization dawned. Of course - the precise chakra strike he had landed on her earlier, temporarily disrupting her chakra flow.

"While it didn't cause any visible injuries," Tatsuya continued, "it likely made your muscles quite exhausted from the internal strain, causing that sudden moment of weakness."

Tatsuya's analytical reasoning and calm explanation helped calm her emotions. As she allowed his words to sink in, everything began to make more sense.

Of course, the sudden weakness and loss of balance stemmed from the precise chakra strike he had landed on her during their intense spar. While not causing visible injury, the disruption to her chakra pathways would undoubtedly strain her muscles and body control in the aftermath.

It was not as if she couldn't have reasoned it out herself under normal circumstances. But in the heat of that situation, she couldn't think rationally.

Thankfully, they had gone from the crowded area to the side for bandaging him; otherwise, everyone would have witnessed their little accident.

"Well, it was an accident, so let's just forget about it and get you to the medic station to obtain some muscle strain and energy pills. They will help you recover from the effects," Tatsuya said.

Yumiko acknowledged with a nod, genuinely feeling a profound sense of exhaustion. But as they walked away together, she couldn't help but savor the lingering sensation on her lips with her tongue, still tingling from Tatsuya's kiss.

It was undeniably a memory she knew wouldnt easily be forgotten.

However, unbeknownst to them, amidst the subtle relocation that shielded their actions from most students' eyes, two individuals observed their every move. Remarkably, both possessed unique eyes that granted them a clearer view than others.

Hinata, one of the observers, wore a discernibly negative expression, her intense frown deepening as she silently witnessed her brother and Yumiko stroll away.

Meanwhile, the other watcher was none other than Sasuke Uchiha. His countenance mirrored Hinata's frowning expression, his mind pondering, 'When did she unlock two tomoe Sharingan?'

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