Sasuke recovered and rushed at Ikki, throwing shuriken as he moved. Mid-run, he used the Clone Jutsu to switch places with a clone and reappeared to Ikki's left, charging in again.
Ikki: "This is getting boring."
In an instant, Ikki used the Shunshin no Jutsu and appeared behind Sasuke. He calmly placed his left palm behind Sasuke's neck—Bang—Sasuke was down.
Kakashi: "Stop! Ikki wins."
Kakashi walked over, lifted Sasuke up, and carried him to a nearby tree, gently laying him down.
Kakashi: "This blow… it's going to hit his pride harder than his body."
Sakura lowered her gaze.
Naruto: "Okay! Now it's my turn!"
Ikki turned to Kakashi, silently hoping he'd stop the madness.
Kakashi: "Next match—Naruto vs. Ikki."
Ikki sighed, clearly dejected. Before he could say anything—
Kakashi: "Ready… Start!"
Naruto charged forward. Ikki didn't even draw his bokutō this time. As Naruto closed in, launching a flurry of taijutsu—right jab, left jab, right kick—Ikki calmly deflected both punches, grabbed Naruto's leg mid-kick, and flung him across the field.
Naruto: "Yosh! I'm not giving up! Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
And then—it happened.
An army of Narutos appeared.
Ikki's eyes widened. He knew Naruto could do this, but seeing it in person was different.
Chikako burst out laughing, followed by Hinari and even Hayate.
Sakura: "Why are you all laughing?!"
Hayate: "Naruto's the worst possible matchup for Ikki. Chakra-wise, Ikki might not lose, but his chakra reserves are actually lower than most Genin. Naruto could outlast him… if Ikki were a normal shinobi."
Sakura: "So Naruto might win?!"
Hayate: "Nah. Not gonna happen. Ikki may have low chakra, but his physical strength is absurd."
As the Narutos charged in, the area exploded with smoke. Swish! White puffs filled the air as Ikki's bokutō sliced through every clone with mechanical precision.
Smoke cleared. Dozens of Narutos gone in seconds.
The real Naruto, standing at a distance, looked shocked.
Naruto: "Okay! I won't give up! Let's go again!"
Ikki blinked in disbelief. He shunshined behind Naruto.
Bang! Naruto was out.
Chikako: "He ran away."
Hinari: "Yup. No doubt."
Hayate: "Smart move. If he'd stayed, Naruto would've just kept throwing clones at him. Would've turned into a game of whack-a-mole."
Ikki picked Naruto up and gently laid him beside Sasuke.
Ikki: "I got scared there for a second. Naruto could do that all day. I definitely can't."
Kakashi: "Sakura, want to fight?"
Sakura: "No, I'm good."
Ikki: "Don't think of yourself as weak. Just focus on mastering chakra control. If you do that, you'll give these two a serious run for their money."
Sakura nodded, though she didn't look convinced.
Ikki: "Watch me."
Ikki walked up to a wooden stump. He focused chakra into his knuckles and struck.
Crack! The stump split cleanly in half.
Sakura stared, wide-eyed.
Ikki: "Reach the fifth level of chakra screw control, and you'll be able to do this easily."
Then, he focused again. This time, he struck the ground.
BOOM.
The earth trembled. Cracks spread like a spiderweb across 200 meters. Dust filled the air. It looked like a localized earthquake had hit.
Ikki: "If Tsunade-hime had done that, the ground would've been way more devastated."
Sakura: "Tsunade-hime is my idol!"
Ikki: "What level are you at in chakra screw training?"
Sakura: "Third."
Ikki: (pointing to Hinari and Chikako) "Chikako's at fourth. Hinari's at fifth. Train consistently, and you'll catch up. You've got the potential."
Sakura nodded, eyes wide.
Sakura: "What level are you at?"
Ikki: "Didn't I say already? Seventh. There are 25 levels in chakra screws. Keep at it."
Sakura nodded more confidently now.
Kakashi: "Alright, back to the original topic. Ikki—what do you need help with?"
Ikki: "Yeah, can chakra flow in a sword be instantly started or stopped?"
Kakashi: "No, it's not possible. Controlling chakra flow in a weapon is difficult. You can't stop it immediately. You'd have to stop the flow from your body first—and reigniting it takes more chakra than keeping it steady."
Ikki: "Thought so. Then there's only one path left. If I can't increase my chakra pool quickly… I'll have to control the chakra flow in specific parts of my body."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
Kakashi: "What do you mean?"
Ikki: "Like this,"
--------------------------------------------------
If you're enjoying the story and want to support my writing...
Creating this world and bringing these characters to life takes time and love. If you'd like to help me keep going, consider buying me a coffee or leaving a tip—only if you feel like it! 💛
No pressure at all—your reads, comments, and love mean the world to me. Thank you for being here. 🙏
https://ko-fi.com/dhavalmistry