Naruto: The Uchiha Prodigy by Rifat

Chapter 14: Battle On the Bridge and Wave Conclusion

*CLANG*

*CLANG*

*CLANG*

Steel met steel. The two swords wielded by the shinobi facing each other in mortal combat were trying to overpower each other. One was succeeding; the other was being pushed back. Naruto Uchiha was mentally cursing himself. He was good with a katana, there was no doubt about that... but compared to someone like Mangetsu Hozuki who was swinging his blade like it was an extension of his arm was a different case altogether. They had both rushed at each other and had struck at the same time as Naruto's Hitokiri met the large blade that Mangetsu had kept bandaged.

It was a wide, flat blade with two curve indentations near the base creating a sort of cross-guard. Two handles were connected to one another and by a short length of cord. In appearance, it looked like a flounder fish. The sword was heavy there was no doubt about that, if the shift in weight crushing down on Naruto was any indication. Naruto being the shrewd shinobi he was, kept some senbon sealed in his mouth as he fired them at Mangetsu who was quick enough to move his neck to side. He jumped back at the same time as Naruto.

"That was a cheap shot" Mangetsu said as he grinned once more taking his stance with the blade. "I like that about you."

"Shinobi don't play fair the last time I checked." Naruto said. He took up the Kassatsu stance. He gripped the handle with both hands as he stared down at Mangetsu who had also taken up his stance. Naruto assumed that it must be a style that only fits this sword alone. Naruto was patient he was not going to attack first. He would counter whatever move Mangetsu would come up with.

True, Mangetsu was a better swordsman than him but Naruto's Sharingan should be able to even the odds. But the biggest difference between them was the experience one had over the other. Mangetsu was skeptically staring at Naruto absorbing whatever information he could from the stance. He had not seen it before. Slowly he could feel his own patience growing thin. The genin before him was completely relaxed and his breathing was timed.

"Aren't you going to attack?" Mangetsu asked.

"Maybe.... Maybe not. Who can say?" Naruto said with an emotionless tone. He could see that Mangetsu was slowly building up chakra and soon enough the shark toothed swordsman appeared before him and brought down the sword with full force. Naruto somehow evaded the strike and weaved around the blow and went for a slash at Mangetsu. However, the ex-Kiri shinobi anticipated it and pulled his sword towards him to barely block the slash. It was a powerful one too, there was a circular arc that formed from the slash. It was pure instinct that saved him from the slash.

Then Mangetsu smirked, he spun his sword making Naruto go back a bit and then the young Uchiha's eyes widened at the sight.

"Hiramekarei: Kaiho/ Hiramekarei: Release" Mangetsu said as the flounder fish shaped blade changed its shape to become a large hammer with spikes protruding everywhere. Naruto used a Kawarimi to avoid being mincemeat. Naruto panted a bit not from being tired, from the sheer turn the blade and the battle took. He was lucky and he knew it.

"That's just rude is what that is." Naruto said as he took up the stance once more. Mangetsu lifted the hammer sword like it was nothing and held it against his shoulders. "I can only assume that the sword can take various other shapes as well."

"Woohoo!" Mangetsu said as he looked at Naruto. "Not bad Naruto. You figured it out. But I gotta ask what is up with your kenjutsu? Never seen a style like that before. Where did you learn that from?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Naruto said as he rushed towards Mangetsu.

Soon enough the sword reverted back to its original shape and two swords clashed once more. Sparks flew, metal clanged and each strike was being cancelled out by the other. Naruto's Sharingan was countering nearly every move that Mangetsu was making but slowly Naruto noted that Mangetsu was still breathing at the same rate he had been since they started fighting. He had counted on the weight of the blade to tire him out a bit. This only meant that Mangetsu had mastered the sword to a great extent and didn't tire easily from using it. Then blue chakra formed around the large blade as it tried to slash Naruto from nearly every opening. Naruto was no longer on the offensive, he was merely blocking all the strikes. Naruto needed to do something about it and went for an attack.