"I'd like to see just how capable you are. Hey, Chiba, raise your hands. Hold up your weapon." Katsuzuki flashed a slight fang, her golden hair fluttering in the wind. Then her figure vanished in an instant.
Clang!!!!
Uchiha Chiba raised his kusarigama and swung it behind him.
"Not bad. I thought you were just a pretty face. I take back what I said about you being one." Uchiha Chiba smiled faintly. Though he was a head shorter than Katsuzuki, his composure was beyond his years.
"How did you see through my movements? That's a special technique. With your level of skill, you shouldn't be able to see it." Katsuzuki suddenly relaxed her grip. Her kusarigama flicked upward, carrying her into the air before she landed steadily on the ground in the distance.
"Guess." Uchiha Chiba flashed his signature smile.
How had he seen her?
With the perception he'd had when he only possessed the Single Tomoe Sharingan, he probably wouldn't have been able to see her movements. But now Chiba had the Double Tomoe Sharingan. Not only had his eyes grown stronger, but his body's ability to sense chakra had greatly improved, allowing him to see Katsuzuki's footwork.
"Damn it... This young master hates guessing games. Teacher Youzo is always like that too... Damn it! So annoying!" Katsuzuki gritted her teeth and rushed toward Chiba. This time, she didn't feint. Her kusarigama came down hard right in front of him.
"Teacher Youzo? Don't tell me... you came to spar with me and take your anger out on me because he got hurt?" Uchiha Chiba didn't try to block the blow. Only an idiot would take a hit that powerful head-on.
Boom!!!!!!
Mud and rainwater sprayed across the training ground.
"I-I didn't!" Katsuzuki's face turned red, apparently from the embarrassment of having her intentions seen through so easily.
"I was planning to visit Mr. Youzo tomorrow anyway. I really do owe him an apology. You're worried about him too, so if you need to vent, go ahead and hit me a couple of times." Uchiha Chiba put away his kusarigama and spread his arms, inviting her to do as she pleased.
However,
the heartwarming scene he'd imagined never came to pass.
Katsuzuki slowly clenched her fist.
"Oh? Then I won't hold back." Katsuzuki smiled.
Chiba: Wait, you're really going to hit me?
The next second,
her dainty fist filled Uchiha Chiba's vision!
Whoosh!!!!
His body reacted instinctively. He jerked his head up and grabbed Katsuzuki in front of him!
"Eek?!" Katsuzuki let out a strange cry.
Then,
Uchiha Chiba slowly looked down at her. His left hand had grabbed the girl's right wrist, pinning her tightly against him. His right hand was clutching the mountainous curves she was so proud of, distorting the one on the left in his grasp.
"Pervert! Creep! Jerk!"
Uchiha Chiba hastily let go.
"Um... If I said I didn't do it on purpose, would you believe me?"
Boom!!!! Boom!!!!
A long while later,
in the training ground,
Uchiha Chiba sat in the stands with a bruised and swollen face. Katsuzuki sat beside him, arms crossed.
"All right, I apologized, and you've already beaten me up with those... uh, fists of yours. Katsuzuki, I'm heading out." Uchiha Chiba rubbed his cheek. This woman hit hard; his face still throbbed. At least it wasn't disfigured.
"Wait." Katsuzuki gave a little huff.
"You can't beat me, so you're my underling now. But since you're my very first underling, I won't let you get our seniority mixed up. I'll let you call me Big Sister Katsuzuki. Got it?" Katsuzuki grabbed Chiba's arm and gave it a twist.
Hiss!!!
"Got it, got it..." Uchiha Chiba just wanted to get back to his hospital bed and sleep. His body hadn't even healed yet, and she'd dragged him out for an unrestricted brawl. What a disaster!
Still,
as for that title... he'd just think of it as punishment for grabbing that nice-feeling thing of hers. It wasn't a big deal.
Three months later,
Konoha's forces had established a base in the Land of Rain. Thanks to the antidote to the Salamander Toxin that Tsunade had developed, Konoha's shinobi were gradually adapting to Amegakure's environment and beginning to counterattack.
Hanzo the Salamander's forces were slowly retreating. It wasn't because Hanzo was afraid; he was gathering strength, preparing to unleash an even bloodier war.
Meanwhile, since Chiba was often away on missions, the Three Orphans had returned to their original shabby little home. One thing worth mentioning was that Chiba would visit whenever he had time. What was a little strange was that whenever he returned with Katsuzuki, Konan would always get all worked up and pout like a bristling kitten.
Amegakure
Inside Hanzo the Salamander's strategic headquarters
Knock, knock, knock!
"Lord Hanzo, Young Master Katsuzuki took Chiba to the flank again..." Hanzo's Right Hand pressed a hand to his forehead. His heart was breaking. He'd finally come around to liking the promising young man, only for his own leader's daughter—and his student—to drag him off to kill people every day. Now he felt like going downstairs without taking the elevator or the stairs.
Hanzo the Salamander sighed.
"Send Katsuzuki a message! Tell her and Chiba to get back here right now! There aren't just Konoha forces on the battlefield now; the woman who uses puppets has troops there too. It's too dangerous. One taste of the battlefield is enough." The woman who used puppets that Hanzo the Salamander was referring to was Chiyo, who still retained some of her charm at this point (your wife).
At that moment,
Katsuzuki was racing through the forest with Chiba.
"Chiba, are you sure that lousy map of yours is right? We've gone in circles four times already." Katsuzuki studied the map in her hand, her brows furrowed and her teeth lightly biting her lip.
"I've been meaning to ask since the second circle... did you take it upside down?" Uchiha Chiba panted. His physical abilities still couldn't match this woman's. Her secret technique let her move faster, making her terribly hard to keep up with.
Katsuzuki waved her hand.
Thump!
"Don't doubt your big sister. I, Katsuzuki, have studied this sort of thing under Teacher Youzo since I was little. How could I possibly get a simple map wrong? Hmph! This map of yours must be the problem." Katsuzuki smacked the map against Chiba's chest.
This woman was great in every way except her personality...
Chiba looked at the map in his hand.
He fell silent.
Then,
he silently flipped the map over.
Chiba: ...
Katsuzuki: ...
"I-I told you the map was wrong! It hadn't been turned around properly. It has nothing to do with me—not at all!" Katsuzuki's cheeks flushed. She tried to whistle to hide her embarrassment, but failed, which only made things more awkward.
"Mm, right, right. Let's keep moving. I've been curious about the secret of this map for a while..." Uchiha Chiba walked a few steps forward and turned into a concealed crevice between some rocks. A faint glimmer of light could be seen within.
Before you continue