As Homura's target moved further away from the others, he seized the opportunity to pursue them without the risk of being ambushed by the remaining enemy ninjas. Homura's confidence soared as he realized he could engage in a one-on-one confrontation and potentially neutralize one of his adversaries.

With swift movements and calculated agility, Homura closed the distance between himself and the lone enemy ninja. He maintained a stealthy approach, using the cover of the forest to his advantage. Each step he took was purposeful, his focus unwavering.

Homura's mind raced with thoughts of strategy and combat techniques. How could he win? What will he do to win? Should he strike now or wait until an opportunity arose?

Being an academy student he had no idea how different it would be to fight a real shinobi, the difference in speed should not be as drastic as it could be, though Homura himself never had problems in that department.

Still, things were not going to work for him in a direct confrontation.

He knew that facing a skilled opponent required precision and quick thinking. He drew upon his training and experience, preparing himself mentally for the upcoming confrontation.

“She stopped!?… Why?“ Thought Homura as he hurried to hide after he landed on a tree branch.

Finally, Homura found himself within striking distance of the enemy ninja. He watched their movements, analyzing their stance and assessing their skill level.

The woman in question was rather young in appearance. Perhaps even in her late teens.

She had long brown hair and wore dark clothes and a dark shinobi protective vest.

The appearance of the woman in question did match with one of the images he had seen in his memories, though slight differences were seen.

For one she had a tiny scar on the bottom half of her left cheek that was barely visible, but such detail was impossible for Homura to make a mistake with his sharingan active.

In fact, more tiny differences were seen from the picture in his mind.

Though none of it was exactly beyond what he had experienced.

The same was true for most people he had met in this world that he knew from either the manga or the anime.

"What is she doing? Is she looking for me?" Homura thought, his resolve hardening as the enemy ninja suddenly stopped and started looking around on the flat ground.

He had no doubt that he had been found out a long time ago. The enemy not only separated from her group but also lead him more or less in the same direction as her partners.

They were never too far away from them, in fact, it would only take about 4 minutes of them running at the same speed to get there.

He knew that his training had prepared him for situations like this, and he couldn't let self-doubt cloud his judgment. However, facing real danger was something completely behind his expectations.

His pulse was erratic and it took everything he had to not just throw up at the idea of possibly being killed by an enemy ninja.

Worse, the idea of being tortured or killed by an enemy ninja was something he could not stop thinking about.

Even though he knew those fears were unlikely and overall untrue, as the enemy kunoichi started walking around Homura had no choice but to move once again.

“C, are the others still in range? “ Homura asked C inside his mind, fearing that the trap had finally been set in order to catch him.

“Answer: Negative. The 2 other subjects are beyond the current scope of the available range for them to be located,“ was C’s answer for Homura’s predicament.

Hearing the answer he was provided with, Homura could not help but think that he may have a chance “I can’t tell her exact plan…but I should at least see what she is up to…they had to have been after something important in order to stay even if one of their teammates was killed yesterday.“

That’s right, according to the anime, those enemy ninjas were not a trio but a quartet, one of them was apparently killed in a battle that happened yesterday.

However, the information they were after was apparently so valuable that they would continue with the mission even if they were found out and no one was killed.

At least it was one way to put it.

However, reality was far more simple and cruel at times.

What was more likely the case was those kunoichis could not return home.

The shinobi code forbids one to give up on the mission even if it seems hopeless, failure to comply means death either way.

Some villages are not that extreme to kill their own shinobi for not wanting to die a pointless battle and overall abandon the mission they were given, however, smaller and less powerful villages had to be that extreme in order to stay afloat.

Overall, a ninja village was relatively the same as a mercenary company. No one in their right mind would hire a village that always fails their assignments or have a reputation for being soft due to them not having much strength or a set of harsh rules put in place.

A village like Konohagakure can allow itself to be soft, due to the overall might of the village.

However, smaller villages could not afford to be as soft as some may perceive.

Even Sunagakure, one of the great shinobi villages had problems with their funding and overall forces due to the harsh situation the village had been stuck with ever since its foundation; and had to resort to assassination work to remain afloat throughout the years.

Though none of that was relevant to Homura’s current situation and the situation that Sunagakure was trapped in never even came up as a rogue thought inside Homura’s mind.

If he could get whatever they were after, perhaps he could use it to get some leverage and exchange it with whatever thing of value the kunoichi had, especially if it was ninjutsu.

And if it was some type of key information that mattered to the security of the village, then he could get rid of it in order to maintain the course of history more or less the same; after he read through it all of course.

Regardless of the ultimate fate of his actions, the path to take had been set.

Homura proceeded to carefully get closer to the kunoichi while trying to mask his presence and overall noise.

With each step he took, Homura reaffirmed his commitment to the mission. He couldn't allow fear or uncertainty to hinder his actions. He had to trust in his abilities and the instincts that guided him.

“I think this is as close as I can get without getting caught“ Thought Homura as he cursed the fact that he could not control his chakra enough for him to be able to walk on trees; though that would be impossible even if he wanted it.

Homura's heart raced as he watched the young kunoichi from behind the safety of a sturdy tree trunk. His Sharingan eyes scanned her every move, analyzing her stance and anticipating her next strike.

“What the!?” Homura was flabbergasted at what had just occurred in the span of him batting an eye.

Just as Homura blinked, the woman vanished from his line of sight. His eyes widened in realization, a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Without a moment's hesitation, he leaped into the air, propelled by his heightened senses and instincts.

As he landed gracefully on a nearby branch, Homura's mind raced, trying to predict the kunoichi's next move.

“W-where is she?“ thought Homura as he looked from left to right from his heightened position.

It was at that moment that he heard a voice within his mind. It was C, his trusty companion and artificial intelligence assistant. "Jump! Now!" C's voice echoed in his mind, alerting him to the imminent danger.

“!” Homura finally calmed his mind and trusting in C's guidance, Homura reacted instantaneously, launching himself into the air. His agile form soared through the branches, narrowly evading the deadly blade that had almost slashed his neck.

Homura's mind raced, his instincts taking over as he swiftly assessed the situation. He landed gracefully on a nearby tree branch, his Sharingan ablaze with anticipation. He peered through the foliage, searching for any sign of his elusive opponent.

“How did he… a sensor nin?“ thought the brown-haired woman who was surprised to have been evaded at the very last possible moment without her opponent even looking back once.

The woman, taken aback by Homura's quick reflexes, froze for a split second, her eyes widening with surprise. Homura seized the opportunity, knowing that he had to strike while he had the advantage. With lightning speed, he unsheathed his own weapon, a gleaming katana, ready to face his adversary head-on.

The woman, taken aback by Homura's quick reflexes, froze for a split second, her eyes widening with surprise. Homura seized the opportunity, knowing that he had to strike while he had the advantage. With lightning speed, he unsheathed his own weapons, twin short gleaming blades, ready to face his adversary head-on.

The kunoichi recovered from her momentary lapse, her expression hardening with determination. She lunged forward, her movements fluid and precise. Homura's Sharingan and his supercomputing skill, tracked her every motion, allowing him to predict her attacks and counter with deadly accuracy.

The clash of their blades echoed through the forest as they engaged in a fierce duel. Homura used his dual blades to parry her fast-paced strikes, creating sparks with each collision.

Then finally both parties’ blades became stuck in a power struggle as their blade refused to separate, both Homura and the female kunoichi were only a dozen inches away from each other as they both exerted all their upper body strength to push the other away.

“S-she’s strong! My arms going numb just by clashing blades…she must be using her chakra to boost her strength, though she is far less powerful than some of those fake creations I fought in that program, “ thought Homura as his covered face failed to demonstrate his discomfort and several veins bulging from beneath his skin as he gritted his teeth.

“Who is this guy?! His movements are all over the place… and how is he able to predict most of my attacks even before I-!”However, before the kunoichi had the time to finish her internal monologue, Homura broke free of their stalemate by arcing his back lower and used both blades in his hands to redirect the course of the blade aimed at him- which created small sparks along the way as the blades continued sliding away from its targets.

However, all was not so simple. As soon as the female shinobi had her blade deflected away, with a swift tweak of her wrists, she was able to redirect the blade downwards, towards Homura’s head but the latter has already seen such a possibility play out several times as he fought Yagyu Jubei, and from his mouth, he threw a small needle-like projectile that he had hidden inside at full speed.

“What the-!” the kunoichi surprised by Homura’s attack aimed towards her left eye, by instinct used her blade to deflect Homura’s projectile which gave Homura enough time to reposition himself and try to stab her in her right leg and left arm with his twin short blades but the woman, instead of retreating thrust her blade towards the latter’s face; forcing Homura to deflect it with both blades as the attack managed to graze his mask.

Missing his head by a few inches.

If it wasn’t for supercomputing calculations ahead of time, Homura would have died immediately, the stress caused by it, was beyond terrifying but slightly exciting.

Homura had faced and experienced many deaths inside the virtual training room, and he was slightly desensitized to violence, and to some degree even death itself.

However, the thrill provided by real-life stakes was something he completely ignored.

“That’s a real shinobi, for you… she was ready to risk everything in order to kill me in one blow…it’s making my blood start to boil,“ he immediately let out a grin as he finished his internal monologue. While his blades were still busy repelling his enemy’s blade.

This wasn’t a fight at the academy, but a real fight.

A fight that could lead to a life-and-death situation, but what truly pleased him, was the fact that he could finally let all that he had bottled out in the open.

There was no need to hold back, the was no need to pretend with such a foe.

The fact itself that he was able to last this far against a real shinobi, meant he would not lose against any so-called genin.

Not in kenjutsu, and much less taijutsu.

All the hours of never-ending practice and all those times he spent trying to copy their speed and moves were not in vain.

It was not perfectly balanced yet, but as far as it mattered, the sharingan coupled with the supercomputing skill worked together to more or less balance Homura’s mess of a style.

And better, as time progressed the more familiar he became with his foe’s movements, timing, mannerisms, and even breathing her breathing.

It was as if he was reading his opponent like an open book as his sharingan continued to spin ever slightly as Homura’s eyes were getting adjusted to the speed of his opponent’s movements.

Homura's body moved like a blur, his feet pivoting swiftly as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other. With each parry, he would twist his torso, using his core strength to redirect the kunoichi's strikes away from him. His arms moved with remarkable agility, his blades weaving through the air with calculated precision.

As he evaded a powerful downward slash, Homura's mind raced. "Her strikes are becoming more predictable. I need to exploit that opening," he thought. With a burst of speed, he lunged forward, aiming for a quick counterattack. However, the kunoichi anticipated his move, sidestepping his blade and delivering a swift kick to his side.

The impact knocked the breath out of Homura, but he refused to let pain hinder him. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a follow-up strike aimed at his vulnerable position. His mind raced, analyzing the kunoichi's footwork and the arc of her swings. "She's fast and her strikes have incredible power. I need to find a way to neutralize her strength," he mentally strategized.

As they clashed again, their blades locked in a fierce struggle. Homura's arms trembled under the force of the kunoichi's blows, but he refused to yield. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, using the strength of his legs to stabilize his stance. With each parry, he calculated the angle and momentum of the incoming strike, redirecting it with precise movements of his blades.

The kunoichi's body moved with a fluid grace, her feet gliding across the forest floor. She expertly weaved through Homura's defenses, her strikes coming from unexpected angles. "He's adapting faster than I expected. His speed and agility are impressive…If I can’t kill him fast enough, I might need to put more distance between us," she thought, her eyes narrowing in concentration. She adjusted her footwork, attempting to throw off Homura's timing and find an opening.

Their dance of blades continued, their bodies swaying and shifting in perfect synchronization. Homura relied on his nimble footwork, constantly adjusting his position to avoid the kunoichi's strikes. He ducked under a high swing, feeling the air graze his hair, and quickly retaliated with a swift jab aimed at her midsection. But the kunoichi effortlessly sidestepped, her movements graceful and economical.

Homura's mind raced as he tried to anticipate her next move. He noticed a slight hesitation in her strikes, a brief pause before each powerful swing. "She's leaving herself vulnerable for a split second," he realized. Seizing the opportunity, he executed a lightning-fast feint, drawing her attention to a false opening. As she took the bait, he swiftly changed his trajectory, aiming to strike at her exposed flank.

But the kunoichi's instincts kicked in, and she twisted her body at the last moment, narrowly evading Homura's attack. "He's adapting to my movements. I must remain focused and unpredictable," she thought, her eyes fixed on Homura's every subtle shift.

Their clash intensified, each movement fueled by determination and skill. Homura's arms burned with exertion as he parried blow after blow, his blades a whirlwind of steel. He relied on his instincts, his body moving almost instinctively to avoid the kunoichi's strikes. His footwork became more precise, allowing him to sidestep and pivot, always maintaining a defensive advantage.

The forest echoed with the symphony of their movements, the clash of their blades, and the sound of their breaths. Each evasive maneuver, each parry, carried the weight of their training and experience. Their bodies became extensions of their swords, their minds locked in a fierce battle of wits and physical prowess.

The intensity of their battle surged, each combatant pushing themselves to their limits. Homura felt a surge of confidence as he managed to keep up with the woman's movements, believing he was getting the hang of it. But his complacency proved costly.

“Cr*p!” Homura cursed under his breath.

In a split second, Homura's swing missed its mark, leaving him momentarily vulnerable. The woman capitalized on his mistake, utilizing her exceptional speed and reflexes. She swiftly rotated her body, evading his blade with remarkable finesse, and delivered a powerful kick to his chest.

Far different from the kick he endured before, the one he had planned on enduring was much stronger and faster than the previous one, surprising Homura as he readied himself for the blow.

The impact sent shockwaves of pain coursing through Homura's body. The sheer force threatened to knock him out of his transformed state. Despite the excruciating pain, he managed to maintain his footing, his determination keeping him upright as he crashed to the ground.

As Homura landed on the ground, pain pulsated through his chest, threatening to overwhelm him. He struggled to regulate his breathing, feeling the weight of his injuries. The kunoichi's swift and calculated attack had caught him off guard, a reminder of the vast experience gap between them. He couldn't afford to underestimate her.

“She’s strong! Only Guy-san has ever hit me so hard…and he was holding back. She must have enhanced the strength of her leg using chakra“ Thought Homura as he recalled the pain from one time while training with Might Guy and saw slight fluctuations of chakra in his opponent’s leg at the time.

As far as he knew, one had to use hand seals to apply chakra in a specific part of one’s body, but it seems that the kunoichi in front of him was able to apply ever so slightly a small amount of chakra to power herself up.

Though that short pause would have to end as the unknown kunoichi landed a few feet away from him.

“Who the hell are you, and why are you following us?“ she said while pointing her blade at Homura.

Seemingly sure of her victory over her foe after their short exchange with their blades, it was clear to her that Homura was not the most proficient blade user she had seen in her life, his moves were too honest, too rehearsed to be the ones belonging to a true killer.

He seemed more interested in having a match than outright killing his opponent, which had left her questioning if he was stalling her, but she could not afford to waste any more time dealing with Homura’s antics.

Not that Homura was aiming to kill her but seemed to be more busy parrying her and injuring her rather than outright going for the kill.

Which made her wonder what was his goal since he did not seem like one of Konoha’s shinobi charged to surveil this area and much less one that was supposed to act in the shadows.

Or even an enemy sent to kill herself or one of her teammates specifically. She was so confident that was the case since she had left herself open many times during their chase prior arriving to at this moment but Homura never took the bait.

Of course, Homura didn’t take the bait, since he was not even sure what baits she had set off or thought of, and she was far from knowing that the enemy she was so much so apprehensive against was just a cadet, not even out of the academy or close to finish this year’s curriculum.

Both enemies were put in an awkward situation, so much so that none were too sure how to act.

The entire ordeal was just as strange for her as it was for Homura.

He initially just came to see if he was able to copy ninjutsu performed by several people or get the information they were after or anything he could get his hands on, not have a fight with an enemy ninja in the middle of the woods.

He had used his sharingan for so long that his chakra reserves were already halved what they had been prior.

Not exactly something he could do about it besides closing his eyes or deactivating the sharingan since it was more or less always in motion and could only be deactivated to limit chakra costs.

However, now that both parties had crossed blades, the only option that was left for them was to somehow find a way to get away from each other.

They had been stuck in an intense battle for a while, and both parties had slightly forgotten their main objectives.

Nonetheless, none of them could just state their intention to the other so an opening had to be made, to not let their foe stab them while they retreat or worse.

So both enemies could only stare at each other and catch their breath as they figured out their next move.

As Homura looked up at the woman standing over him, her dark shinobi attire contrasting with her youthful appearance, Homura's mind raced. He contemplated his next move, his thoughts intertwining with the throbbing pain.

His silence hung in the air, a deliberate choice to conceal his true identity. Revealing himself as a shinobi of Konohagakure could potentially complicate matters further. He needed to gather more information before making his next move.

The kunoichi's gaze bore into him, analyzing his every move. Homura could sense her uncertainty, a flicker of confusion mingling with her determination. It was a small advantage he hoped to exploit.

“I can’t waste any more time“ The kunoichi said to herself as she then proceeded to run towards Homura.

As the kunoichi closed in on Homura with her blade gleaming in the poorly lit woods, his instincts kicked in. He swiftly reached behind him, his hand grasping the hidden blade concealed beneath his dark coat. A glimmer of confidence flickered in his eyes as he prepared to counter her attack. "I can't let her get the upper hand. I have to turn the tide," he thought, his voice resolute.

With lightning speed, Homura launched the blade towards the kunoichi, aiming for her vulnerable neck. Her eyes widened in realization, her senses warning her of the impending danger. "I must evade this strike," she thought, her voice laced with urgency.

But just as she anticipated the incoming blade, her instincts suddenly screamed at her, sensing an imminent threat. Her gaze locked onto Homura's hands, his fingers expertly weaving a seal. Panic gripped her as she realized his intent. "No... an explosion tag!" she gasped, her voice filled with alarm.

Fear coursed through her veins as fire erupted from the tag attached to the thrown blade. In an instant, a violent explosion erupted, shrouding the area in billowing smoke and debris. Homura had already seized the opportunity, his body propelling him away, seeking refuge on a nearby tree branch. "I must retreat and reposition. Kakashi or Iruka should be around already," he thought, his voice calm amidst the chaos.

The kunoichi emerged from the cloud of smoke, her body bearing the marks of the blast—traces of dirt staining her clothes and minor bruises marring her skin. Gritting her teeth, she wasted no time in pursuit, her determination unwavering. "He’s going towards my teammates? Sh*t! He played me for a fool… Whatever he is planning. I can’t let him catch up to them," she thought, her voice fueled by unwavering determination.

Their relentless chase continued, each step and leap filled with intensity and purpose. Homura's mind raced, calculating his next move, while the kunoichi's resolve burned bright, her every thought focused on closing the distance. "I won't let him reach them. I must stop him," she thought, her voice echoing with conviction.

It soon became a battle to see who will be the no one the one to reach their respective targets.

As Homura raced forward with unwavering determination, the Taki kunoichi swiftly reached for her tool pouch, retrieving a handful of shurikens. Her hands moved with lightning speed, performing a series of seals—Dog, Rabbit, Monkey—channeling her chakra into the projectiles. With a resounding clap, she unleashed her technique, "Gen'ei Tajū Shuriken," causing the shurikens to multiply into a torrent of deadly blades.

Homura's keen eyes tracked the multiplying shurikens, his surprise mingling with a sense of urgency. In mid-air, he swiftly altered his course, abandoning his initial plan of using the wind release technique. His hands moved deftly, forming a different set of seals—Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger—releasing his own fire nature ninjutsu, "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu," the great fireball technique.

The stream of blazing flames erupted from Homura's mouth, burning away several shurikens in his path. But as the projectiles closed in, he widened his mouth further, intensifying the breadth and range of the flames.

As Homura unleashed his fiery assault, a surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins. He watched intently as the flames engulfed the oncoming shurikens, their metal surfaces heating to an intense glow. However, instead of reducing them to ash, the shurikens lost their momentum, succumbing to the scorching heat and falling from the air.

Yet, not all of them were deterred. A few shurikens managed to evade the searing flames, darting through the gaps in the torrent of fire. Homura's heart skipped a beat as he felt the piercing graze of the shurikens, their sharp edges leaving shallow cuts on his body. It was a painful reminder that his initial attack had not been enough to neutralize the threat.

Realizing the precariousness of his situation, Homura understood that he had no choice but to summon even more chakra, pushing his limits to amplify the strength of the flames erupting from his mouth. As he focused his resolve, the intensity of the fire increased exponentially, the searing flames turning into a roaring inferno.

The searing heat engulfed the shurikens, but ultimately failed to reduce them to mere ashes, and Homura skillfully landed on a nearby tree branch, his exhaustion evident from the excessive chakra expended.

"Huff...huff... Damn, I wasted too much chakra," Homura thought, his body straining under the weight of the intense battle. Fatigue crept upon him, manifesting as itching eyes and labored breathing.

Yet, his respite was short-lived. Homura's gaze fixed on the relentless approach of the kunoichi. Her fiery determination matched his own, undeterred by his previous display. "You call that a fire release!?" she taunted, her voice tinged with arrogance.

The kunoichi's confidence brimmed as she scoffed at Homura's display. Molding her chakra, she quickly performed the hand seals—Dog, Rat, Tiger, Monkey—before clapping her hands once more. "Katon: Karura!" she shouted, her voice filled with conviction.

Homura's focus sharpened as he recognized the imminent danger. Reacting with remarkable speed, he deftly retrieved four shurikens, two to the right and two to the left, ready to intercept the incoming attack. The shurikens met in the air, colliding with each other, and two of them were sent hurtling towards the kunoichi's head.

Simultaneously, the kunoichi unleashed a torrent of intense fire, and her breath transformed into a long stream of searing flames. The inferno swirled and expanded, taking the form of a menacing dragon. Miraculously, the two shurikens collided against each other and two of them were heading towards the kunoichi’s head, which did not take long for her to realize as she tilted her body and head slightly backward in order to avoid the incoming fatal attack if she refused to move.

Which she had no other choice but to do as such, unless wanting to court death itself.

The shurikens whizzed past the kunoichi's head, missing their mark by a hair's breadth. Meanwhile, the fire dragon continued its relentless advance, its scorching heat by its body made of flames turning the surrounding air into a seething tempest. The flames surged forward, hungrily seeking their target, but the kunoichi's evasive maneuver paid off for Homura, as he narrowly avoided the devastating assault.

As he was about to get hit, the angle of the burning fiery dragon was about to collide with was fortunately slightly off, which caused it to hit the wood branch he was currently standing on.

Annihilating that section of the tree and everything on its path to complete dust in a single instant.

The force of the collision reverberated through the surroundings, causing a slight explosion and a powerful gust of wind. Homura, caught off guard by the unexpected impact, lost his footing on the tree branch, his body tumbling down, towards the grassy ground. The combination of the explosion and the strong wind sent him hurtling without being able to alter his course, a testament to the fierce and unpredictable nature of their battle.

Nonetheless, as Homura's body crashed onto the ground, the impact sent a shockwave of numbness rippling through his limbs. The force was so intense that it reverberated through his bones, causing his entire body to tingle with an odd sensation. His ears rang with disorientation, the chaotic echoes adding to the disarray in his mind.

“Argh!" Homura let out some blood escape his mouth, his entire body felt like on the brink of breaking, only managing to keep it together miraculously enough in order to undo the transformation jutsu he was currently under.

A disoriented Homura tries to get himself back up as he landed not so graciously, and soon dropped to a knee as the several things that had occurred during this fight finally took a toll on his battered body.

The chakra he had expended weighed heavily on him, his reserves dwindling faster than he had anticipated. The grazes from the shurikens served as a painful reminder that he couldn't afford any missteps. Pushing his fatigue aside, he concentrated his remaining chakra into intensifying the flames, determined to overpower any opposition that stood in his way.

“I-I was…-!” However, he would soon be interrupted in his thought process as something seemed to enter his field of vision at high speeds from his left.

Amidst this disorienting aftermath, a sudden glimmer caught the corner of Homura's left eye. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as his vision honed in on a blade hurtling toward him with lethal intent. Instinctively, his Sharingan, the bloodline ability inherited from his Uchiha lineage, awakened further. The single tomoe in his eye transformed into two, granting him enhanced visual acuity and reflexes.

In the fraction of a second, Homura's sharpened perception allowed him to react swiftly. He shifted his body, narrowly evading the blade's trajectory. The razor-sharp edge sliced through his mask cleanly, splitting it in half horizontally, the lower portion cascading to the ground. The mask's fall mirrored the sudden shift in Homura's movements, as if the world had slowed down around him.

With unparalleled swiftness, Homura seized the opportunity. His hand clamped around the kunoichi's arm, his grip vice-like. In one seamless motion, he propelled himself upward, leveraging the woman's arm as leverage to twist his body around. A merciless kick, fueled by his intensified speed, connected with the woman's face, the impact resonating with bone-jarring force.

Under the brutal assault, the kunoichi's grip on the blade loosened, her shoulder dislocating from the sheer strength of Homura's strike. Sensing an opening, Homura's other leg swung forward, expertly kicking the blade she had relinquished. His agile movement and precision allowed him to snatch the blade from the air, his right hand closing around its hilt with a deadly grip.

In that moment, a surge of primal instincts surged through Homura's veins. His eyes glinted with a fierce determination as he released the kunoichi's arm, the blade in his hand poised for a lethal strike. The air crackled with tension as the blade inched closer to the woman's vulnerable neck.

However, as the cold steel began to pierce her flesh, a surge of hesitation momentarily flickered within Homura's eyes. A bead of blood trickled down the woman's skin, a stark reminder of the imminent danger she faced. In that split second, Homura's unwavering resolve wavered, and a conflict brewed within his heart.

It took all the sanity he had left for that blade to not slice off her throat as his emotions were barely under control as his instincts were on overdrive.

He had become a cold, calculating death machine.

Nonetheless, reality settle in. As the thought of killing someone was not something one could simply ignore and let themselves be engulfed by unfiltered instinct.

Commiting cold blooded murder was not so easy for someone like Homura, much less due to his age. He may have memories of a previous life but his maturity was far from the one of an adult male. 

He paused, the weight of his decision bearing down on him. The intensity of the battle had brought him to this precipice, teetering between vengeance and mercy. In that moment of uncertainty, Homura's gaze met the kunoichi's, their eyes locking in a silent exchange. The outcome of this clash, and the fate of both combatants, hung in the balance.

 

 

Chapter end

 

Hope you like this chapter. It was a real mess to write and even more choregraph. Been thinking of a way to get Homura's sharingan to 2 tomoe for a while and this was one good as any.  If there was any ridiculous or amiss- besides a cadet having a fight with a full blown ninja, but such is the nonsense seen by those damn uchihas-tell me about it.