Chapter 55 - Kazane vs. Might Duy
Might Duy had never once feared for Kazane's safety.
In his mind, he was nothing more than a slightly stronger-than-average Genin—a man who had spent years honing a single skill set, taijutsu, but lacking any notable talent beyond that. Meanwhile, Kazane was a swordsman whose reputation echoed across the entire shinobi world, a warrior capable of standing toe-to-toe with the most powerful of enemies.
No matter what techniques Duy unleashed, no matter how hard he fought, he was certain that Kazane wouldn't even be fazed.
But reality wasn't so simple.
Kazane's Observation Haki had already locked onto Might Duy's every movement, sensing the exact moment he made his move. Yet, there was a problem. At that very instant, Kazane was still in the middle of fending off the fiery barrage of the Morning Peacock—his hands occupied, his body tense from the rapid succession of strikes. There was no time to counterattack, no room to maneuver out of the way.
There was only one option left.
He had to take the hit, while focusing armament Haki where the attack would land.
Thud!
Might Duy's foot slammed into Kazane's waist with devastating force.
The impact was monstrous—a combination of speed, precision, and overwhelming strength. The moment the strike connected, Kazane was sent hurtling through the air like a cannonball, his body rocketing through the battlefield.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
He tore through two massive trees, their trunks snapping like twigs under the force of his flight. He only came to a stop when his back crashed violently into a massive boulder, embedding him deep into its rocky surface.
For a brief moment, silence fell over the battlefield.
The only sound was the faint crackling of burning embers from the dissipating flames of the Morning Peacock.
Then—
Crack!
The surface of the boulder fractured.
Kazane exhaled sharply and pushed himself free, leaping down from the crumbling rock. As his feet touched the ground, the immense boulder split apart entirely, its fractured remains collapsing into a pile of rubble behind him.
His gaze lifted, locking onto Might Duy.
A slow grin spread across Kazane's face.
"Uncle Duy… now it's my turn."
Kazane had never been the type to sit back and take a beating. What he truly loved—what he thrived on—was attacking, attacking, and attacking again.
"Dual-Fist Style Secret Technique—Chaotic Barrage!"
There was just one problem.
Kazane had never properly trained in unarmed combat.
He didn't have any true taijutsu techniques of his own.
But what he did have—was raw power.
With a surge of chakra, he activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his muscles tensing as his body became a blur of motion. Lightning crackled around him, his speed reaching terrifying heights in an instant.
Then, he charged.
His fists swung wildly, each punch carrying an earth-shaking force, his strikes relentless as he unleashed a flurry of blows faster than the eye could follow. His movements were chaotic, but the sheer brutality behind them was undeniable—each impact shook the air, each strike carrying enough power to crater the ground beneath them.
Might Duy's expression shifted.
"Leaf Rock Ascent!"
In an instant, he twisted his body, dodging Kazane's wild flurry of punches. He knew that taking even a few direct hits from someone like Kazane would be a disaster. The sheer power behind his attacks was monstrous—too dangerous to block carelessly.
Flipping midair, Might Duy retaliated.
His elbow came crashing down in a devastating arc, aiming straight for the top of Kazane's skull.
But Kazane wasn't the type to simply take a hit.
He reacted instinctively, spinning his body to generate momentum before launching an upward elbow strike of his own.
Boom!
Their blows collided midair, a thunderous impact echoing through the battlefield. Shockwaves erupted outward, sending loose debris flying in all directions. The sheer force of the clash forced both combatants apart, neither gaining the advantage.
They landed on opposite ends of the clearing, their gazes locked.
Might Duy exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he steadied himself. He could feel it—his chakra reserves were running dangerously low.
"Kazane, this will be my last move!" Might Duy declared, his stance shifting. "My chakra is nearly depleted, so take this final attack head-on!"
Kazane's eyes narrowed.
Duy's stance—it was unmistakable.
This was…
"Daytime Tiger!"
With a powerful step forward, Might Duy struck the air in front of him at blinding speed, his fists blurring as he delivered a rapid series of compressed blows.
The surrounding air trembled.
The shockwaves condensed, forming an intense, pressurized sphere that hovered just inches away from his fists.
Then—
Boom!
The sphere exploded outward in a violent detonation, releasing an unimaginable amount of force.
A colossal, roaring white tiger materialized from the compressed air, surging forward like an unstoppable force of nature. The sheer shockwave it generated tore apart the ground beneath it, uprooting trees, sending debris flying in all directions as it raced toward Kazane with terrifying speed.
Kazane's heart pounded.
"You've gotta be kidding me… taking that head-on is suicide!"
The moment his Observation Haki registered the incoming attack, his instincts screamed in alarm.
This wasn't something he could block.
This wasn't something he could counter.
If he took this hit directly—he was dead.
There was only one option left.
Kazane's eyes flashed as he reached for his blade.
"One-Sword Style—Great Rift Bird!"
With a single motion, he drew Wado Ichimonji, his arm a blur as he slashed through the air.
A massive crescent-shaped wave of slashing energy erupted from his blade, roaring toward the incoming tiger-shaped shockwave.
The two titanic forces met head-on.
BOOM!
The instant the two forces met, a deafening explosion rocked the battlefield. A colossal burst of energy erupted from the epicenter, sending a violent shockwave outward.
Kazane and Might Duy were both hurled backward by the sheer force of the blast, their bodies flung like ragdolls across the shattered landscape. The very ground trembled beneath them as the impact radiated outward, obliterating everything in its path.
The devastation was absolute.
A 500-meter radius around them was completely annihilated. Towering trees were reduced to splinters, the earth torn apart as though a meteor had struck. The ground itself had been reshaped—what had once been a dense forest was now a barren wasteland.
And at the heart of it all—a massive crater, over ten meters deep and spanning dozens of meters in width, lay as a testament to the sheer scale of their battle. The land surrounding it was scorched and stripped of all life, leaving behind nothing but silence.
---
"Cough… cough…"
At the far edge of the crater, Might Duy groaned as he staggered to his feet, one hand clutching his ribs. Blood trailed from the corner of his mouth, his breathing labored.
Even he hadn't expected their final clash to be this destructive.
Across from him, Kazane also pushed himself up from the rubble. His body was coated in dust and soot, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He wasn't injured—thanks to his Armament Haki reinforcing his body—but the sheer strain of the battle left him feeling drained.
His muscles ached. His head throbbed.
And yet—he smiled.
Not far from the battlefield, three young Genin had been watching from a safe distance. Or rather, they had planned to watch.
But the moment Kazane and Might Duy's first exchange had detonated like a battlefield catastrophe, their instinct for self-preservation had kicked in.
They had barely managed to scramble to safety before the shockwave had blasted them off their feet, sending them tumbling into the underbrush.
Now, peering out from their hiding spots, they gawked at the sheer devastation before them.
The forest that had once stood was gone. The landscape was unrecognizable.
Shiranui Genma swallowed hard. This was beyond anything they had ever witnessed.
"Monsters…" Ebisu muttered under his breath, his face pale.
Even Might Guy, the most battle-hungry of the trio, had no words. His fists clenched in silent awe.
Kazane took a deep breath, steadying himself before striding toward Might Duy.
"Uncle Duy," he called, his voice firm. "Do you finally see your own strength now?"
Stopping just beside him, Kazane met his gaze directly.
"This is your power—a strength that surpasses even Elite Jonin."
Might Duy blinked.
"Surpasses… Jonin?" he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper.
There was disbelief in his tone, hesitation in his stance.
Years of self-doubt, of being looked down on, of seeing himself as "just a Genin"—they didn't disappear so easily.
Kazane nodded.
"That's right. No regular Jonin could fight me like you just did. Even Elite Jonin would struggle to push me this far."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Uncle Duy, in all the battles I've fought so far, you've been one of the strongest opponents."
Might Duy stiffened.
"Honestly, you're stronger than Iwagakure's Kitsuchi," Kazane stated confidently.
Might Duy's breath hitched.
Kitsuchi. The commander of Iwagakure's elite forces. A war hero. A man with unparalleled earth-style jutsu and battlefield command.
And Kazane was saying that he—Might Duy—was stronger?
His lips trembled.
Then, suddenly—
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Hic… hic…"
And then—he broke down crying.
But this time, they weren't tears of doubt.
They weren't tears of self-loathing.
They were tears of happiness.
For the first time in his life, Might Duy felt something he had never truly believed in before.
Validation.
He had proven it—not just to himself, but to everyone.
Even without talent in ninjutsu, even without a prestigious bloodline, he was strong.
Kazane simply smiled.
"This is the power of an S-rank ninja, Uncle Duy, If you fought in a real war, you'd earn a fearsome title in no time."
At that moment, the three young shinobi watching from the sidelines finally stepped forward.
Might Guy, wide-eyed and breathless, ran up to his father first.
"Dad… is this the power of your taijutsu?" His voice carried a mix of admiration and awe.
"Uncle Duy, you're amazing!" Genma shouted, his earlier shock replaced by excitement.
Ebisu, still in disbelief, hesitated before speaking. "Can you… can you teach us taijutsu too?"
Might Duy wiped his tears, looking at the eager faces of the young shinobi before him.
For so long, he had been the laughingstock of Konoha—a Genin mocked for his lack of ninjutsu, for his single-minded training in taijutsu.
But now?
He wasn't a joke.
He was a shinobi worth respecting.
Kazane smirked, watching the scene unfold.
Today, Might Duy had finally gained something far more important than just victory.
He had gained confidence.
He had finally realized his own worth.
"Alright, that's enough admiration for one day," Kazane suddenly cut in, his tone light. "It's getting dark. If we don't head back to Konoha now, we'll be sleeping in the trees tonight."
He glanced at Might Duy, who had been answering Genma and Ebisu's rapid-fire questions with a proud smile.
"Ah! You're right!" Might Duy looked up at the darkening sky, then scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Haha, I got carried away!"
Kazane turned toward the road, signaling the others to move. "Let's go."
The group began to gather their belongings, preparing for the journey back home.
Then, just as Kazane was about to step forward, Might Duy's voice rang out behind him.
"Thank you, Kazane."
Kazane paused.
For a brief moment, he didn't say anything.
Then, without turning around, he raised a hand in farewell.
"Don't mention it."
And with that, they headed back toward Konoha.