The fire from the katana reciprocated with Kazutaka’s breathing. When he inhaled it decreased its intensity and increased when he exhaled. Kagero was more excited than in awe as he noted this phenomenon. Even Asuka and Kagemaru paused for a bit to marvel at Kazutaka who had finally revealed his secret technique.

“With this fire I shall purge you of your sins before sending you to hell…”

As if in a flash Kazutaka charged at Kagero with an intense urge to fulfill his desire of reducing him to ash. Unfortunately for the Kage he couldn’t dodge this one. He managed to place his rods in front of him making an ‘X’ but it was useless. When the slash was inches away from his opponent Kazutaka exhaled deeply and the flame violently increased its intensity. The katana sliced through Kagero’s rods with much ease and his black nagagi was set ablaze in the process. The Kage tore off the top part of his clothing that had caught on fire and increased the distance between the two of them. He rolled on the sandy ground so that any flames that had remained would be extinguished. His muscular torso was now bare and showed some slight burns which would’ve been severe had be not removed the garment.

“Kajin Dainimaku: Onibi (Kajin’s Second Act: Demon Fire)!”

The gentle crackling had turned into a violent sizzling as the intensity of the flames on the blade had now increased by tenfold. They remained constant with their scorching heat regardless of Kazutaka’s breathing.

“Shit! Those flames are quite hot,” Kagero spoke while seated on the ground. He then glared at Kazutaka with his usual grin, “but not as hot as your daughter in law.”

The Sage ran towards Kagero even more infuriated.

“Baka,” Kagero chuckled to himself.

When Kazutaka was now at close range Kagero threw some sand into his eyes. Kazutaka’s vision was impaired as he tried to rub the sand from his eyes. This gave Kagero ample time to race for his weapon that’d been shattered into several pieces.

“Kagemaru! Fix mine too,” he ordered his son who was still busy with his own fight.

No response.

“I haven’t got all day you imbecile!” Kagero shouted. “Don’t make me use that...”

Kagemaru’s heart skipped a beat but he quickly composed himself before Asuka who was still trying not to be impaled noticed. With one hand whilst the other guided his spear Kagemaru begrudgingly fixed his father’s staff. At the same time Kagero got his weapon back Kazutaka had also gained his sight. This time around the Shadow leader was the one who was defending. He dared not break his staff for a second time lest he shorten the distance between him and Kazutaka even further. He made use of his fortified staff to block and avoid the fire attacks. They continued to fight like that nonstop for a further fifteen minutes with each side ensuring not to let the other get the better of him. Kagero however was still taunting Kazutaka with how he singlehandedly finished of all the members of the royal family and their guard Rohan. Alas Kazutaka wouldn’t fall for that trick again. He was now determined not to let his anger cloud his judgement.

Meanwhile Hideo had just managed to trap and finish off his own opponent by blowing him to smithereens with some explosives. He looked as though unscathed but that fight with the ansatsu had been his most challenging yet. He collected himself and searched the village for other shadow ninja to take down. Along the way he came across corpses of fallen comrades and was determined to not let their deaths be in vain. Natsumi had also managed to take out the shadow ninja who killed Ichika with two arrows to the head. As the ansatsu’s body lay dead on the ground she collected some of the arrows that’d missed their target and restocked her quiver. She also took the assassin’s katana before leaving the scene in search for other enemy shinobi when she met with Hideo.

“Senpai (Upperclassman) hi.”

“Hi Natsumi-san, I am glad to see that you’re alright,” he greeted her, “what’s the status?”

“I took out two enemy ninja on my end.”

“I got one of them and found six of our shinobi along the way.”

“Make than seven,” she held the tears from her glassy eyes. “They got Ichika.”

Natsumi sobbed as she couldn’t hold the tears any longer.

“Gomen nasai (I am sorry),” Hideo consoled her. “I know you two were more than friends. I am sure she fought well.”

The two embraced as Hideo assured Natsumi that the deaths of their fallen comrades were not in vain. He also told her that she would always live on in her memories.

“Let’s regroup with the others and plan our next course of action,” said Hideo after the long and gentle embrace.

“Cool.”

They left the scene and ran to where the other battalion corp. shinobi were. Along the way they linked with Shin who was also headed to the same place. He looked like he had seen better days but had actually managed to behead his opponent with his katana. He informed them that he had counted three more bodies of their fellow Lightning shinobi. The trio deduced that the enemy’s back up was waiting behind the main gate. When they arrived at their destination they restocked on weapons whilst others received first aid from Medical corp. shinobi. All those who were injured and could no longer battle were to remain behind in the care of the medics. In the Lightning village the Medical and Intel corps were to never be on the frontlines when it came to battle. It was the sole duty of the Battalion corp. to take on said task of being the first line of defense against any enemy attack.

“Natsumi-san you will lead the Battalion corp. to the main village entrance and then secure vantage as well as hidden points near the gate,” said Hideo.

“Understood senpai.”

She took the group of about forty battle shinobi to the main gate as she had been instructed. Hideo and Shin ran to the ninja school to help out in any way they could there.

“Hey Shin-san can you still fight?”

“O–of course I can still fight man!”

“Alright, alright…just checking.”

The silence resumed and before long they had reached where the Sage and Asuka were still involved in their heated battle against the shadow leader and his son. Shin’s jaw dropped to the ground when they arrived at the battle scene. His eyes couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. He was beyond shocked! How could a black spear like weapon move on its own midair? And how was the Lord Sage’s Kajin lit up like that? His skeptic mind was working overtime trying to make sense of the illogical phenomena that lay before his eyes.

“I know your mouth’s wide open underneath that mask,” Hideo quietly laughed at Shin who stood like a statue trying to process what was in front of him. “Earth to Shin…earth to Shin, this might be a lot to take in but we’ll explain it all once we’re done with this battle.”

“No fricking way man,” words exited Shin’s mouth at last. “She was telling the truth.”

Hideo nodded.

“You knew? About the Lord’s Sage too?” Shin’s voice was getting louder and louder. “And you didn’t tell m–”

Shin was silenced by a hand gesture from Hideo. “Shh, they haven’t seen us yet.”

It was too late! The four shinobi had heard Shin’s loud mouth. Kagero quickly concluded that the presence of these two Lightning ninja there meant that his assassins had been taken down. He had managed to even the odds against Kazutaka after noticing that the flame attacks had gotten weaker. However he still maintained a safe distance from him. Thanks to his full length staff he was more suited in middle range combat than his opponent. When Hideo realized that their cover had been blown he got out followed by Shin.

“Need a hand?” he asked Asuka who had now gotten the hang of defending against the guided spear.

As Hideo waited for a response from the kunoichi, Kagero suddenly threw a spherical object upwards which exploded in the air and created a cloud of black smoke. A shadow ninja who’d positioned himself at a vantage point on a tall tree branch outside the wall saw the black smoke and relayed the message to the ninja on the ground below. Kaginawa were sent flying on to the wall and the shadow ninja made their ascent in rapid succession. When half of the shadow foot ninja had climbed to the peak of the wall they were welcomed by a bombardment of arrows flying straight at them. Natsumi managed to knock five of the ten foot ninja off the wall with clean headshots. When the ansatsu got up they began to even up the numbers by throwing projectiles of their own such as shuriken and kunai.

“Fuck we’re screwed!” Natsumi thought. “Everyone don’t let them get beyond this point! Archers shoot them down.” she shouted.

Back at the school after Kagero had thrown the smoke bomb into the air everyone realized what it meant. The signal for backup had been made and Kazutaka and his pupils weren’t sure of the number of shadow ninja who’d been waiting behind the wall. What they knew was that if they were just as bad as the ansatsu they’d faced then the Battalion corp. was in a deep shit.

“All good here,” Asuka finally responded dodging Kagemaru’s spear. “I’m sure they need you that side more than we do here.”

“Alright,” Hideo responded. “We’ll leave you to it then.”

“Cool…I don’t need to remind you two that I’m as strong as the both of you combined,” Asuka grinned before advancing towards her opponent with a clenched fist.

“You don’t have to rub it in Asuka,” an annoyed Shin complained. “Women!”

Kazutaka signaled to Hideo and Shin that he and Asuka had it covered.

“Hey come on Shin let’s go,” said Hideo.

Hideo dragged Shin by an armed and they raced to the main gate in the hope that it hadn’t been too late for them to aid their fellow comrades. Back on their fight Kagero noticed that Kazutaka was getting slower and weaker. He fought as though it’d been a long time since he took up the sword. Asuka too began to feel like a prey being toyed with when she realized Kagemaru wasn’t totally present in their fight and was rather holding back from using his full power. Kagero pretended to slow his movements as well but kept on taunting his opponent’s ego. Kazutaka swung his katana to the right with one arm hoping to slice Kagero’s head clean off. The latter slid and ducked from the attack. As Kagero passed underneath Kazutaka’s exposed left arm he pulled out a tanto and sliced the arm clean off from the shoulder joint like butter falling onto a hot knife.

“Told you that if you weren’t paying attention you’d lose an arm,” Kagero chuckled devilishly after skidding to a stop.

Kazutaka jumped in reverse trying hard to ignore and work through the severe sharp pain. He thought fast and used his flaming katana to cauterize the wound and prevent any further bleeding. If he was intent on ending things now was the time to do it and soon because he was also running out of prana to keep the fire burning.