Sasuke vs. Suigetsu (Part 2)

"Can we declare the battle over now, Jonin of the Hidden Mist Village?" Sasuke shouted as he looked at Suigetsu, whose waist was injured and who had lost the ability to move.

"Bastard, I haven't lost yet! Water Release: Water Iron Cannon!" Suigetsu gritted his teeth, lowered his blade with his left hand, shaped it like a gun, and fired a high-speed water bullet at Sasuke.

Sasuke instantly dodged. With his Sharingan activated, though it had only one tomoe, his dynamic vision had greatly improved.

Such an obvious sneak attack was impossible to hide from those eyes.

After forcing Sasuke back, Suigetsu activated the Water Transformation Secret Technique, turning the injured part of his waist into a ball of water in his hand before pressing it onto the ground.

The low-temperature ice instantly froze the water ball solid.

Suigetsu pressed the ice ball back against his waist and released the Water Transformation Secret Technique.

Accompanied by a heart-wrenching howl of pain, the wound at Suigetsu's waist stopped bleeding.

"Using the Water Transformation Secret Technique and freezing to stop the bleeding?" Sasuke, with his Sharingan active, saw everything clearly.

Suigetsu picked up the Kubikiribōchō and slowly rose to his feet while holding his waist.

Suigetsu swayed a few times. The intense pain and cold from his wound made him frown.

Seeing Suigetsu's difficult state, Sasuke advised, "Give up. In your condition, you can't even swing a sword. What are you going to use to fight me?"

Suigetsu sneered and exerted force with his left hand, throwing the Kubikiribōchō far away so that it landed in front of Zabuza. "Can't use a sword? I can beat you to death with my fists! Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique!"

A large amount of Chakra gathered in Suigetsu's left arm. His already sturdy arm suddenly swelled, its muscles bulging and knotting together!

"Water Release: Grand Water Ankle Technique!" With Suigetsu's furious roar, both legs of his pants tore apart!

Suigetsu shifted his left foot slightly back and bent his forward leg a little. Then, with a sudden burst of force, his body shot toward Sasuke like a cannonball, while the earth beneath his feet shattered from the powerful recoil.

Sasuke widened his Sharingan, the tomoe spinning wildly within his pupils. "So fast!"

Sasuke hurriedly rolled to the side, evading Suigetsu's line of attack.

Boom!

With a deafening blast, the ice wall Yuki Haku had erected with Ice Release was smashed to pieces.

What terrifying destructive power. The ice wall, which even Explosive Tags could not leave a mark on, had been shattered by a single strike from Suigetsu!

Amid the rubble, Suigetsu staggered to his feet and slowly pressed toward Sasuke.

Earlier, Sasuke had had enough time to dodge because Suigetsu had been too far away.

This time, I'll get closer. Let's see how you dodge!

Sasuke also realized Suigetsu's intention. He threw kunai at Suigetsu, trying to stop his advance.

But Suigetsu neither dodged nor blocked, allowing Sasuke's attacks to land on his body and splash up sprays of water.

"Tch, the Water Transformation Secret Technique really is troublesome!" Sasuke's expression changed slightly.

Having retreated near the boundary, Sasuke had nowhere left to go. Facing Suigetsu's relentless advance, Sasuke braced himself, attempting to evade and block.

Block? This punch carries more than a decade of training. Let's see how you block it! Suigetsu sneered inwardly at Sasuke's defensive stance.

Suddenly, Sasuke formed hand seals with both hands.

Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger!

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!

Blazing flames surged toward Suigetsu and engulfed him.

When the flames dispersed, Suigetsu walked out completely unscathed. The Water Transformation Secret Technique had made him immune to the flames' damage, though steam rose from his body as the price.

And the wound at his waist, frozen shut by ice, began to thaw!

Suigetsu lowered his head in disbelief at the wound that was now gushing blood. He took several difficult steps forward, then finally collapsed weakly in front of Sasuke.

The arms and ankles enlarged by the secret technique also slowly returned to normal.

Seeing this, Sasuke let out a breath of relief and shouted at Zabuza, who was watching from afar, "Hey, can we declare it over now? If we wait any longer, he'll bleed dry!"

Just then, a sudden change occurred!

Suigetsu, who had been thought incapable of fighting, suddenly raised his head and braced himself against the ground with his hands.

"Secret Technique: Grand Water Ankle Technique!"

As the secret technique activated, blood from Suigetsu's waist wound shot out like sharp arrows. His entire body leaped forward horizontally, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's waist and carrying Sasuke with him beyond the edge of the arena.

Zabuza and Kakashi hurried over, while Yuki Haku also ran up, pulled Suigetsu upright, and formed a large block of ice around his waist to stop the bleeding.

"Although both of them crossed the arena boundary, the Konoha Ninja landed outside first. Therefore, the Hidden Mist Village wins this match. You have no objections, Kakashi?" Zabuza Momochi asked Kakashi as he looked at Suigetsu, who was barely clinging to life while Yuki Haku gave him emergency treatment.

"Yes, that is only proper. Then the Hidden Mist Village wins the second battle. Accordingly, Nuibari and Kabutowari will also be returned to the Mist Village unconditionally." Kakashi, equally struck by how desperately this Mist Village youth had fought, agreed with Zabuza's judgment.

With Menma and Sakura's help, Sasuke got back to his feet as well. He had not suffered much injury, since Suigetsu had already been at the end of his strength.

Looking at the opponent before him, who had only a breath left, Sasuke muttered, "Was it worth it for two swords?"

Hozuki Suigetsu heard Sasuke's question as well. He forced a grin. "Those were my brother's swords!" Then his eyes closed, and he fainted.

Sasuke, who also had a brother, instantly understood what Suigetsu meant.

Because they were his brother's swords, he could not let them remain lost in Konoha forever!

Because his brother's swords had been taken by Konoha through force, he had to reclaim them through force as well to wash away that humiliation!

Because they were his brother's swords, because that was his brother!

Sasuke said nothing and turned away.

Looking at Hozuki Suigetsu, whose breathing remained weak even after Yuki Haku's emergency treatment, Sakura spoke up. "I've learned medical Ninjutsu. If everyone from the Mist Village trusts me, please allow me to treat him.

Otherwise, continuing to stop the bleeding with ice might cause tissue necrosis around the patient's wound!"

Yuki Haku lifted his head and looked at the female Ninja, who was a year or two younger than him. Delighted, he said, "Really? Please, I'm begging you—please save him!"

After asking for the opinions of the two Jonin, Sakura began treating Suigetsu.

As a faint green glow rose, Suigetsu's wound slowly began to heal.

Perhaps the regeneration of cellular tissue brought intense itching and pain. Even while unconscious, Hozuki Suigetsu kept screaming and convulsing.

Thus, Yuki Haku and Menma had no choice but to hold down the continuously struggling Hozuki Suigetsu so Sakura could continue the treatment.

Once the treatment was complete, Yuki Haku used Ice Release to make a stretcher. The Demon Brothers carried away Hozuki Suigetsu, whose breathing had steadied, and settled him in their lodging.

"Thank you, Kakashi, and this female Ninja of Konoha!" Zabuza thanked Kakashi.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Kakashi waved a hand.

"The Demon Brothers have gone to take care of Suigetsu, so the next battle can't proceed. How about postponing it until tomorrow?" Zabuza requested.

Kakashi nodded in agreement, then led Menma and Sakura back toward the inn.

On the way back, Menma asked Sakura, "Hey, Sakura, um... does treatment with medical Ninjutsu hurt that much?"

Sakura turned around with a slight smile, one as beautiful and sly as a fox's.

"Maybe it does. Who knows?"