The word Begin had barely left his mouth before the three disappeared into the trees.
Hidden in the shadows, Tiatsuri whispered, "We need a plan."
Hatashi's eyes glinted. "I've got one. But we'll have to fight as a team."
"Tell that to Kaitara," Tiatsuri muttered.
A furious shout split the air, followed by another violent gust of wind. Kaitara tumbled into the undergrowth, groaning.
The attack had given them away. Hashiro appeared behind Hatashi and Tiatsuri without a sound. Hatashi spun, his blade meeting Hashiro's wrist guard in a flurry of rapid strikes.
"Tiatsuri — remember the plan! Go!" Hatashi barked.
Five Hatashi clones rushed forward, blades slicing at Hashiro from every angle. He dismantled them in seconds. The real Hatashi dropped from above, aiming for his back — but Hashiro blocked without even turning his head.
"Nice try."
Hatashi's form shimmered and vanished — an illusion. The real Hatashi appeared at Hashiro's flank, sword only inches from his ribs, but Hashiro turned just in time, catching the blow with his own blade.
"Time to stop holding back," Hashiro said.
Wind roared around them as he unleashed the Storm Technique. But at Hatashi's sharp command — "Now!" — Tiatsuri performed the storm technique: lightning dome to close him in, crackling with energy. Water chains erupted, binding Hashiro's limbs just long enough for a hidden Hatashi clone to dart in and snatch the headbands.
The dome collapsed. The chains vanished.
"We win," Hatashi said, smirking.
Hashiro's body dissolved into mist.
The real Hashiro sat comfortably on a nearby branch, clapping slowly. "Not bad. You beat my clone. But you've got five minutes left."
Kaitara's eyes narrowed, but Hatashi lifted a hand. "We'll draw him out. Kaitara — you're the distraction."
"Only fifty percent correct," Tiatsuri murmured.
The second round was chaos. Fire-breathing clones blurred through the trees. Tiatsuri's strikes exploded with electricity. Kaitara's fists glowed with the light of her Takuda mark as she moved like a scarlet blur.
Hashiro met every blow, his movements precise and effortless. But Kaitara managed to slip inside the lightning dome which Tiatsuri created unnoticed. While Hatashi and Tiatsuri kept him busy, she appeared behind him, snatched the headbands, and leapt away.
When it was over, Hashiro examined the stolen items, a rare spark of approval in his eyes. "You've got potential. But you lack focus. You miss the truth behind deception. And you must learn to carry your teammates, not just fight beside them."
"Yes, Sensei," they answered in unison.
His mouth twitched into a faint grin. "For now… let's get ramen. My treat."