Samurai Showdown With Kakashi

- Worn out, are you? - Lai mocked me as I exasperately exhaled.

Even with four swords, it seemed impossible to keep up with his strenght and speed. Honestly it was a miracle I could still breathe. Still...

- My hands may be bleeding from holding my blades too hard, my legs may be shaking from all the cuts they received, and my body may be stumbling from all the chakra used, but I won't stop until... until... until you're dead. - I started motivated but by the end of the speech, I felt my vigor leave me.

- It seems you are lacking your father's persistence. Hmmph... - Lai adopted a new stance. - Just give in and die by my hands like him.

I jumped back to get some distance, as my near unconscious mind got lost in thought.

"He's still comparing me to my father... I wonder what my dad thought when he fought against the samurai people."

Lai summoned 100 Heavenly Cuts, as they all aimed at me. I summoned my two floating swords as I rotated them quickly enough to dissipate the blasts.

"Is this really how my dad used to fight? Lai mentioned me being an amateur compared to him. From what I saw when Shisui showed me his vision, I suppose he isn't wrong."

- Allmighty Desintegration! - Lai shouted as a black wave of destruction came my way.

-Iron Style: Sword Line-up and Platinum Armor. - In front of me a row of seven swords was invoked to stop the blast, as my body got surrounded in platinum, but it felt pointless.

Every sword the blast touched got desintegrated. The platinum around me was a little denser, but even so it was clear that it wouldn't be enough to protect me. In an instant, I let go of my platinum armor and I used a laidõ explosion frontflipping, and letting the wave pass below me. I landed back on the ground, as the world seemed to twist and turn. I felt my insides unravel, I was too worn out. I hadn't even recovered from the last time I fought him, and we've been at it for at least an hour. I've been letting myself move by instinct, but even then I don't know how much longer I can take of this.

"What would you do dad?", The memory of seeing my father's death flashed before my eyes, showing me the most dreadful answer. I looked at Lai who seemed to put his hand on his head.

- Already? - The black diamond on his forehead vanished.

Hope wasn't what I felt, instead it was disappointment. After such a long and harduous fight I could only feel bad after my opponent weakened. What's wrong with me? Am I really that battle-hungry?

- Don't think you've won yet. - Lai said as he charged towards me.

By using laidõ he sliced the air itself as he tried to hit me, but I swiftly dodged to the left, and by dodged, I mean stumbled. My body gave in, with no more chakra to use. So that's what it was. I was disappointed with myself for not being able to beat him in his time of weakness. I guess when you let yourself fight unconsciously, you also give up just the same.

I was now on the ground as a sadistically grinning Lai gripped his blade with both his hands, ready to impale me. I closed my eyes, accepting my return to death, but before I could, a voice shouted:

"Roll!"- I rolled to the left, avoiding Lai's strike as I got back up on instinct. I looked around to find where the voice came from, but no one besides us was there.

- Who said that? - I asked, leaving Lai confused.

- Are you starting to hallucinate? I suppose only someone insane can keep up for this long. - I looked at him straight in the eyes, and kept silent.

Where did that voice come from? Am I really going insane?

"Come on, you can't even recognize your old man's voice?", I felt my heart skip a beat, once I found who it was. Why am I hearing his voice?, "It seems you need a pep talk, but first, you should probably block his next strike.", Lai came at me once more, and I unsheathed my blades to strike back. My hands felt numb from all the pressure they had already exerted and the drops of blood that fell from them to the ground. I couldn't knock his sword back, so I moved myself to the side, and kicked him. Unfortunately he got hold of my leg, readying to chop it off. I heard my dad say inside my mind. "Iron Style: Spiked Members!", Steel spikes grew from my leg, stabbing Lai on his side, and forcing him to drop my leg. He harduously attempted to heal himself, causing the black diamond on his forehead to reappear in flashes, before staying vibrant. Black lines came off it, covering Lai's face, as he angrily told me.

- I was hoping to save up some energy for the Pains later, but it seems they have been taken care of already. Thank God for Rakuma, now I don't need to hold anything back against you. Even though, it doesn't look like that was even necessary.

I fell to the ground once more complaining.

- Dad, next time try not to use my own chakra to attack when I'm worn out.

My dad screamed:

"What are you doing, son? Get up!", My bones cracked as I tried to move. I answered.

- I can't keep fighting, dad. I'm too weak... I shouldn't have been ressurected. I thought it meant there was still something to fight for, like it had a meaning. I thought it meant I could truly avenge you.

"Come on, son. Are you still stuck in your past? I didn't come here only to hear you spout such nonsense. You don't have to fight for us. Isn't there someone you want to protect?", A face came to mind.

- Lin... But even then... What can I do? - I looked at Lai who began approaching me. - We've been fighting for so long, and it just seems like he got stronger. I can't fight him.

"Well son, do you remember the time we spent together? I know we didn't stay for long, but there was something we couldn't avoid doing. The one thing I could do at the time to protect you and your mother. Do that. After all, your old man might be strong but he's always been adept at one thing, and I'm afraid you've got the same genes.", I felt his voice fading away. "Dammit, I knew talking with you would cost all the time I have here. Oh well, I hope I helped."

- Wait dad, I have so many questions. Why did you kill the samurai general?

"Figure that out yourself. After all, you've always been one to throw yourself into adventures. But now, you know what you have to do right?"

- I know dad. The one thing that we always did. - I got back up. Lai seemed annoyed.

"Beat his a.s.s, the way I couldn't.", My dad's voice dissipated, as Lai stared me down.

I ran forward torwards him, jumped over Lai's sword strike and kept moving forwards. My goal right now wasn't too face him in harduous battle, no, now I would do what my family is known to do.

- Are you running away? - Lai asked with a laugh.

- Yes! - I answered as I kept moving forward.

When I was a child running away was the only way to stay alive. Whether it was to steal wallets, or to escape the guards, running was the only way to be safe, and for some time it was the only thing I was good at. I still remember the time where I felt like giving up on becoming a samurai, and just headed towards the jungle just to fight some ninjas. I wonder what would've happenned if I hadn't met up with Kakashi back then. Learned about dual wielding and my inner gates. It wasn't too long after that I had the chance to meet with Lin, where she "selflessly" helped me. Of course I told her I would give her a scroll in return, the iron scroll. Who would have guessed it ended up being a manual made by my family. So much happened that I guess I forgot about my roots. I tried so helplessly to be someone different, to escape my pathetic self. I suppose running away really is my specialty, but even then, I can't run away from who I am. I am not a samurai. I am a dual wielding coward, who is dating a scroll loving idiot, and am now once again being restrained by the strings of fate and responsibility. There's one last ace up my sleeve now, it shouldn't have a name, but damn, will it sound cooler.

- Samunashi Style: Speed Blitz! - I ran around the headquarters as I kept gaining speed, only to, by the end of turning, facing Lai once more.

I readied the blades in my hands to hit him, but he hit back. I slid my blades on his, and flipped above it without losing momentum. I kept running.

- You actually hit harder now. I'll catch you, and slice you from the back! - Lai threathened as he ran after me.

I saw him try, and at one point it really seemed like he would reach me, but I gained more speed, higher then when I had two of my gates opened, and Lai couldn't keep up. He probably guessed I would just turn around and waited for me. I jumped from building to building, slid through walls and wreckage, and was only getting faster. When I once again reached Lai, and hit him, he wasn't the one pushing me back. He lost his balance from just our swords connecting.

- How are you gaining so much power? You could barely move a second ago.

Running doesn't tire me. It's more like a liberation, invigoration. I am free when I run, but if I am going to beat Lai I need more speed. He will be waiting for sure, so I can choose any route I want. I ran across the limits of the Land, as I circled it in only seconds. By the time I reached Lai once more I was running at speeds I had never reached before. I hit him once more, but his stance was improved. He successfully blocked the hit. I took the recoil from the blow to add further acceleration, and circle back around him faster. Now it took me five seconds to reach him again... now two... now one. I kept hitting him as I circled around entire areas, across ruins, all the while never losing my momentum. It didn't take long for Lai to be overwhelmed as every one of my strikes just kept growing in power. One pushed his sword back, only for the second to slash his stomach. He healed, but the distraction only let me cut through his leg. He fell on one side, and since healing only kept him distracted, he opted not to do so. He would only block out the pain and focus on defense, but once he made the choice another hit cut through his blade. The broken piece fell to the ground as he gasped:

- How? Why is this happening? - I aimed for his neck, as Lai tried to block with the remainer of his sword. The jagged edges of his own blade pierced through the skin and veins of his neck, as the afterimages my speed created kept lodging it in further everytime he tried to remove it. He fell to the ground, desperately healing his wound, as he spoke:

- Your bloodline is cursed. I need to expurge it... cough. - Blood spurted from his mouth. - I can't let you be. It will mean the downfall of samurai. - Me alongside my afterimages spoke, sounding like an haunting reverberation.

- Then you should of thought of that before killing my father and torturing my beloved. - In a sonic boom I impaled him between the eyes.

The mark on his forehead began to flash, nearly vanishing. He still had final words.

- Let me be the last you kill then, Samunashi. Don't let my struggle be pointless.

- Too late. You did that yourself. I wasn't going to attack any other samurai in the first place.

- Then, whatever you do, don't look into your father's past... cough... don't become... as sadistic... as him. - The mark on Lai's forehead fully vanished, as his eyes rolled and heart stopped.

His prophetic last words would be imprinted in my mind for sure, but now wasn't the time to worry. I had done it. I finally finished off my greatest opponent. I let out a sigh of relief, before being interrupted by a scream of terror.

- AAHHHH! - I looked to the side to see a severely injured Rakuma horrified by me. Beside him stood Renji, who looked at me while shaking.

- Wha... what did you do? - I looked down at my swords, with Lai's blood dripping from them.

- I... - I looked back at Renji, and unconsciously smiled. - I did it.

*********

Author here,

We finally reached 100 total power stones so as promised, alongside the next chapter I will release an extra one about Lai's encounter with Tsunade at the casino. I think this means that I'm going to have to set a new goal, one just as hard.

Since this volume should end in the next three to five chapters... what about

175 stones total or 30 stones in a week - I will write a 4th volume.

I have some ideas, however I think the story will get a proper send off on this volume. The choice is ultimately yours.

Keep enjoying, and leave a review if you've made it this far.