"Huff...huff...ergh...!" (Metoro)

"Hehehe! You okay little bro?" (Etoro)

"Shut up..." (Metoro)

"Hey, I'm not making fun of you, just surprised. I never would've guessed they'd push you so far..." (Etoro)

"...They caught me off guard" (Metoro)

"You shouldn't have dropped it, and the poison...how functional are you?" (Etoro)

"Ugh...I can still fight...I barely inhaled any of it. Though a prolonged fight might be a bit much in my current condition" (Metoro)

Etoro ignored the Genin as he checked his brother's condition. And though his actions were insulting, Tai took the opportunity to treat Suzu's torso, still bruised from Metoro's surprise attack

Rei didn't take his eyes off of the twins, paying very close attention to them, and their chakras

"Now, how should we proceed?" (Etoro)

"..." (Metoro)

Tai helped Suzu up as Etoro finally faced the team. Wondering how he and his brother should handle this situation. It was rare sight for Etoro to see Metoro pushed to the brink like he was now, still skeptical of Team Tango's potential

{A medic that uses poison mist, a kunoichi skilled with Fūton¹Wind Styleand Doton²Earth Style. I doubt Metoro will drop his guard again, he can handle them. It's the one with the short ponytail that bothers me...} (Etoro)

"Nii-san?" (Metoro)

"We're doing the usual" (Etoro)

"Going with that then?" (Metoro)

"Yeah..." {That kid is a powerful Genjutsu user, along with skill in Doton and Katon³Fire Style, not to mention his Taijutsu...it's best if I handle him} (Etoro)

Though the twins whispered, Rei's enhanced hearing could make out every word. Knowing something was coming, he asked Tai if he was done. The latter wanted to continue treating Suzu, but the girl in question claimed she was fine

It was then he suddenly felt the change in charka within the twins, understanding they were about to attack

{This feeling I'm getting from Etoro...it's just like-?!} "SUZU! TAI! Waterfall!" (Rei)

WEAVE!!

"Kōton: Hagane Hassha-tai⁴Steel Style: Steel Projectile!"

"Yōton: Kakudai Suru no Enringu⁵Lava Style: Expanding Flame Rings!"

Metoro gathered more of his steel, molding it into a small ball when his brother...

"?!" (Tai)

"I knew it!" {That's his Kekkei Genkai⁶Bloodline Limit!} (Rei)

Etoro revealed himself to possess the Lava Style Kekkei Genkai, releasing what appeared to be an expanding ring of melting flames, sealing them inside the projectile Metoro was about to fire. The projectile began to change and spiral out of control!

{They're gonna-!} "LET'S MOVE!" (Suzu)

"Right!" (Rei & Tai)

BANG!

{Here it comes!} (Tai)

"Doton: Banri Doryūheki⁷Earth Style: Great Mud Wall!" (Rei & Suzu)

"Suiton: Suijinheki⁸Water Style: Water Wall!" (Rei & Tai)

Coordinating with Suzu and Tai respectively, Rei aided the team with the formation of a large stone wall, accompanied by a flowing water barrier. This combination was one of their strongest defensive measures against fire related attacks

"You think that's gonna be enough?" (Etoro)

The "flames" Etoro created and sealed within the projectile Metoro fired continued to build up energy before coming into contact with the Genin's Jutsu

SHING!

"?!" (Rei)

"See ya" (Etoro)

BOOM!

"UWAAAHHHH!!!!!" (Team Tango)

The object in question exploded violently! Sending everything within the blast radius flying!

 

♦♦♦

 

BOOOOM!!!!

"Whoa...that's some fine quality art if I do say so myself"

"No! The island!"

"What is it now?!" 

{Those guys sure know how to cause a racket}

The explosion created by the Konjiki twins could be heard and felt by everyone on the island. The shockwave causing turbulent winds to spread everywhere, most thought it was Deidara making another bombing run

Sabu and the other ninja guarding the bunker from the endless intruders only grew more restless. Knowing the location of the blast was near Team Tango's position. But no one was able to help them now as Kintarō was battling Deidara, and Toroi combated Kajūra

Fortunately, the reinforcements sailing to the island were only some miles away. Everything would eventually resolve itself if they could buy a little more time.

But for Team Tango, the problem wasn't buying time, it was trying to stay alive...

 

♦♦♦

 

The blast site

The area was completely devastated, barely any trace of greenery remained, the ground torched and burned. Rei struggled to get up, battered and disoriented, his ears still ringing from the blast

"My...head...! That was...ugh!" (Rei)

[Take it easy! Even for a genetically enhanced individual such as yourself, you'd be lying if you said you were, "okay"]

"Notitia? Wh-What happened?" (Rei)

[Rei, focus. You were attacked by those twins, their attack blasted away everything in the area. Even with the defensive measures your team took, you're lucky to be alive right now]

Rei surveyed the scene, looking for anyone nearby. More accurately, his teammates

[They got blasted somewhere else, but their safety is unimportant. You've go bigger priorities right now. More specifically, your 8 o'clock]

"?!" (Rei)

Pulling himself together, Rei noticed a chakra signature approaching him from behind

TAK!

"Hm? Oh! Would you look at that, you survived after all!" 

"Etoro Konjiki...tsk!" (Rei)

"I thought for sure you'd be dead" (Etoro)

Rei faced Etoro and glared at him before speaking

"You guys..." (Rei)

"Hm?" (Etoro)

"You cause a high-pressure shockwave that melts the steel projectile and explodes into a storm of flames. A high-pressure explosion capable of melting anything and creating fire storms" (Rei)

"Hahahaha! You guessed it! I knew you guys were special, but you specifically. Rei, was it? You're different from the others, otherwise, I would've felt safe letting Metoro deal with you" (Etoro)

While Etoro spoke, Rei took the opportunity to find his friends. Expanding his senses to zero in on his teammates chakra signatures. After several seconds, he located them. The problem was the third chakra next to them

{This chakra...now I get it. They split us up, Metoro's fighting Tai and Suzu, while Etoro deals with me. That was their true purpose, and we fell for it...damn it!} (Rei) 

"Ya know, I've had this strange feeling every since I first saw you, a kind of familiar feeling" (Etoro)

"The hell are you-?" (Rei)

"Oh, don't act all dense. Surely, you've felt it as well right?" (Etoro)

"..." (Rei)

"Thought so. Hehe! While I'm curious as to what it means, I'm a professional, and on the clock. So let's wrap this up quickly!" (Etoro)

WEAVE!!

Etoro formed hand seals, the temperature in the area began to increase as strangely formed flames emerged around his hands

[Remember Rei, his Kekkei Genkai is-!]

"The Yōton⁹Lava Styleyou're using...it's one of the purest forms of lava, the kind that comes directly out of a volcano. Something more akin to pure magma, than lava" (Rei)

"...!" (Etoro)

"Isn't that right?!" (Rei)

"...You managed to see through my technique after experiencing once...damn Rei. You continue to impress..." (Etoro)

Etoro casually demonstrated his Ninjutsu. Proudly manipulating his Yōton around him into to different shapes and sizes without a care in the world

"Show-off" {It's more like a liquid fire than lava} (Rei)

"It's lighter and easier to control than most Yōton techniques, so until the time comes for you to die..." (Etoro)

"Uh!" {Shunshin no Jutsu¹⁰Body Flicker Jutsu!} (Rei)

"Do your best to entertain me!" (Etoro)

Etoro began firing rings of magma at Rei, the latter using his speed to its fullest extent to evade. The attacks easily teared through whatever they came into contact with. Whether it was the trees, the earth, or even the steel Metoro left behind...nothing was safe

Rei knew even getting grazed by one of his attacks would have fatal consequences. Pushing his chakra to the limit, he moved faster than the eye could see, surprising Etoro

"What do we know?" (Rei)

[His style relies more on its fire composition than earth. Like he said, it's easier the manipulate than most Yōton. And even if he can shape it, there's still MANY limitations]

"I've always wondered about that. Given what I've read in the manga, Lava style users never bother to apply much shape transformation" (Rei)

[It's mainly due to the overall nature of the substance itself. I'm sure a nerd like you can guess why]

"...Lava exists in multiple states of matter at the same time. Mostly a solid and a liquid. So...because of its nature, it becomes very difficult to change its form?" (Rei)

[Yup. Achieving a change in chakra form with a Kekkei Genkai is hard enough as it is. But to focus on maintaining its chaotic, ever-changing form while simultaneously trying shape it into what you want? That's incredibly difficult to say the least]

"But didn't Hashirama Senju-?" (Rei)

[The 1st Hokage¹¹Fire Shadowwas an abnormal freak. Just like Naruto, he was a reincarnate of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki's youngest son Asura. His Mokuton¹²Wood Stylecould only be used to its full potential by him. Not even Madara's use of it can compare to his own, despite him being a reincarnate of one of Hagoromo's son's as well]

"Mmmm...my only option is to strike Etoro when he least suspects it" (Rei)

[Right. Fortunately, like most Yōton, the attacks he's firing don't have much range on their own. Guess that's why he required the assistance of Metoro's "steel". Make an opening and take his annoying ass out!]

ZIP!

"Tch! Quit darting around you little-!" (Etoro)

Rei continued dashing around, much to Etoro's annoyance. Since he couldn't land a hit on him, he decided stop his running all together. With himself as the epicenter, he released a wave of corrosive magma in the area

BRRR!!!

"AGH!!!" (Rei)

"Gotcha!" (Etoro)

POOF!

"?!" (Etoro)

Rei, who Etoro believed to have killed, disappeared in smoke

"Kage Bunshin¹³Shadow Clone?!" (Etoro)

"Katon..."

{Behind!} "Shit-!" (Etoro)

WEAVE!

"Karyū Endan¹⁴Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!" 

SCORCH! ROAR!

Fire emerged from Rei's mouth, forming into a serpent-like dragon, roaring and charging at Etoro. Leaving a trail of fire on its path, completely engulfing the young mercenary in flames!

Rei tried to catch his breath

"Huff...hah...!" (Rei)

"AGGGH!!"

{Of course he's still alive. Figures} "Well...shit" (Rei)

Etoro emerged from the flame, he arm slightly burnt from the attack. Veins appearing on his temple, eyes seething with rage, he wore a smile that clearly wasn't a smile

"Survived using Yōton, he must've raised a wall of magma at the last minute...my attack wasn't hot enough to breach his defenses" (Rei)

{I know that technique...a pinpoint fire attack requiring high-level chakra control. For a kid his age to be able to use it to that extent...} (Etoro)

{The Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, currently the strongest Ninjutsu in my arsenal if you exclude Kisshōten¹⁵Auspicious Heavens, if even that didn't work...} (Rei)

The pair stared at each other, reevaluating their opponent's capacity. Rei glanced around him, quick to notice the area was starting to look like one of a volcano

[Rei, don't let this fight drag on. While lava is typically limited to mid-range combat, the most dangerous aspect of it is to turn the terrain to their advantage. You may be able to dodge his attacks, but eventually there won't be anywhere left to stand if this continues]

Rei had already noticed, the reason he risked using a chakra-taxing technique like the "Fire Dragon Flame Bullet" was to end the battle as quickly as he could. He couldn't afford a lengthy fight with Etoro...for various reasons

The one in question also contemplated his next course of action as the two shinobi began to guess each others thoughts

{I'm clearly the stronger of us, but he's faster. Yōton's greatest weakness is its slow projectile speed, due to it being a heavy substance. He's probably caught onto that, and intends to end this fight with his speed} (Etoro)

What baffled Etoro about his opponent most of all was his intelligence. He was taken aback by this young child before him, as Rei spent every waking moment deciphering his methods and jutsu, looking for a way to beat him

The two shinobi began to guess the others thoughts

 

{If I buy enough time to turn this environment to my benefit, I win-} (Etoro)

{That's probably what he's thinking, which is why I can't let that happen. If fire and earth don't work, I'll have to try water. I don't think he saw me using Suiton with Tai after Suzu and I put up that big stone wall-} (Rei)

{Fortunately, I managed to see him using Suiton. Hard to believe he has three elements, but there's no denying it, this kid's a monster. The only reason he's not using it is to catch me off guard-} (Etoro)

{If he does know about it, he'll know I'll try to catch him by surprise. I'll only have one shot, but that one shot-} (Rei)

{Won't be an ordinary Suiton. A regular one could never deal with this kind of magma, he knows I can't make large amounts of it. He'll try to beat me with quantity instead of quality} (Etoro)

{It'll be my strongest Suiton ever, but out of all my nature transformations, my weakest affinity is Suiton. If I use it I'll-} (Rei)

{End up using the rest of his chakra. He's already short on breath, but the same could be said for me. Kekkei Genkai use far more chakra than the basic nature transformations} (Etoro)

 

They faced each other and stood still, eying each other for even the slightest movement...a stand-off was taking place

{Dragging this out...}

{Ending this now...}

ZWIP!

 

 

 

 

 

{Is how I win!} (Rei & Etoro)