Colosseum - Round 1, Group B - Kakashi Hatake vs Shulk

[Kakashi Hatake]

The adolescent swordsman frantically dropped his payload, bringing his blade up with just enough time to parry the shinobi’s strike. The dueling blades ground against one another, sparks issuing from the point of contact. Kakashi marveled at his foe’s reflexes as he pressed his gloved hand against his blade, forcing his foe backward. Shulk stumbled a few feet into a barricade, grabbing the fortification to steady himself. The copy ninja noted that though his challenger seemed to have a great amount of natural skill, he seemed to lack the years of physical training that he himself had endured.

Having regained his composure, the crimson-clad combatant leered at his attacker. “You will need more than the element of surprise to best me,” he spoke calmly, raising his sword before him.

The copy ninja watched with a mixture of interest and awe as the boy’s crimson blade bisected horizontally, a nearly 2-meter beam of energy emerging betwixt the halves. His eyes narrowed as the teenager rushed toward the shinobi, his now lengthened blade poised to bear down upon him. The scarecrow stood firm in the face of this showcase, confident in his kenjutsu skill. As the burning blade bore down, the masked ninja sprang sideways, strafing to avoid the boy’s now nearly 8-foot reach. The blade made contact with Kakashi’s shoulder, burning painfully as he pulled away. The beam sword continued it’s path, hissing as it ground into the dirt. Without missing a beat, Shulk quickly dodged right, skillfully avoiding the strike of his assailant’s narrower blade. Pulling his weapon from the earth, the teen sprang backward to put distance between the two combatants.

The sharingan-wielder smiled as he examined his foe, twirling his chokuto before him. “You’ve definitely got skill, but you lack strength behind your blows. You could have done some real damage to me just now.”

Before Shulk could respond to his taunt in kind, the ninja leapt forward, brandishing his katana with lethal intent. Though he was enjoying the skirmish with the flaxen-haired lad, he would need to wrap this up if he were to move to the next round. As his legs churned beneath him, his blade poised threateningly in his main hand, he surreptitiously drew a handful of shuriken. As expected, the lad noticed the ninja’s maneuver, switching his stance to a more defensive pose as he approached. Kakashi noted his foe’s adjustment, turning 45 degrees as he neared. Funnelling chakra into the soles of his feet, he raced forward at twice his normal pace, bolting past his foe. As he made to pass the boy he sprang from the earth, sailing nearly 10 meters into the air. As the boy struggled to keep his opponent in his sights, the scarecrow took the opportunity to rain shuriken upon the adolescent.

“Gah!” the Monado-wielder uttered as the hiras dug into his back. He spun in place, deflecting the remainder of the assault back to its source. Utilizing a bit more chakra, the silver-haired warrior pushed off of the nothingness, directing his flight path away from the spinning projectiles and directly over his opponent’s head.

“I owe you this,” the Anbu captain called, bringing his blade down upon his staggered foe. A flash of light met his eyes before he was knocked backward.

The crowd roared with excitement as the two recovered from their clash, regaining their resolve. Kakashi had tumbled away from his foe following the strike, taking refuge near an available barricade. He had witnessed the boy display unusual techniques with the blade and was not keen on staying close enough for him to display any more. Fittingly, the boy had used just such a technique to forestall damage from his silver-haired foe. Though he was unable to completely prevent damage, the hexagonal barrier floating before him prevented an untimely defeat.

“Interesting technique,” Kakashi muttered, breathing heavily. He had exhausted a good amount of chakra with his maneuver. Though his opponent would not admit it vocally, the ninja could tell that his counter was similarly draining.

“I suppose now we’re even,” Shulk called, a hand clasped over the fresh wound inflicted over his chest. Though not shallow enough to prevent bleeding, it was not deep enough to be significant cause for alarm. His luminescent bulwark faded as the boy caught his breath, keeping a close eye on his opponent.

The copy ninja nodded, wiping the blood from his blade. “You could say that. But I don’t plan on keeping this tit-for-tat.”

Obligatory 'I-didn't-go-over'. 745 words in Wordcounter.