13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi
Three punches slammed into the body of an overweight, bearded criminal, ending with an elbow to the chest that slammed him into a nearby brick wall. As the man slumped over, letting out a final groan, his attacker turned his back to him.
“Tch! That should teach you punks for trying to rob an old lady like that.” Chipp Zanuff scoffed as he adjusted his arm blade, looking around at the unconscious bodies surrounding him. Turning his gaze back to the elderly woman behind him, the man handed her purse back to her. “Here you go, ma’am. And just as a word of advice, try to be a bit more careful next time you’re walking near an alley.”
“Oh, thank you, young man. You’re a lifesaver!” The old woman responded gratefully as she took the purse, giving him a hug after taking it. As she broke it off, Chipp smiled at her, giving her a thumbs up as he saw her off. Once she was out of sight, he got ready to leave the area, but he stopped when he heard a voice suddenly call out to him.
“I thought I recognized those movements.” Confused, the ninja looked around, only to see a shadow suddenly drop down several feet away. It soon cleared up, revealing a tanned skin, muscular man with brown, scruffy hair that was wrapped up in a ponytail. His upper body was covered by a dark green jacket, with a long, red scarf wrapped around the top. Covering his legs were a pair of green hakama pants, which were tucked into black, knee-high boots.
“The swiftness of your legs, the precision of your attacks, the agility you use to avoid your enemy’s attacks… it’s an honor to meet a fellow ninja.” Bang Shishigami complimented as he bowed. “What’s your name, young man?”
“Chipp Zanuff.” The younger man replied, following Bang’s example. “And yours?”
“I am Bang Shishigami, the defender of justice,” the scruffy ninja responded, striking a dramatic pose, “and I would be honored if I could witness a demonstration of your skill!”
Chipp chuckled before lowering himself into a fighting stance. “Alright, then. Show me what you’ve got!”
“Excellent!” Bang said, smiling as he did the same. “I look forward to seeing what secrets you’ve learned, Sir Chipp!”
“Heh. Same here, Mr. Shishigami!” Chipp responded, giving Bang a friendly smile as they looked each other in the eye.
Seconds later, the two ninjas rushed forward, their arms swinging through the air as Chipp’s blade met Bang’s fist. Both passed by each other, seemingly unaffected by each other’s attacks as they whirled around. Chipp was already on the attack as he unleashed a backwards flip kick, but it would be met with a high kick from Bang. Immediately afterward, the two would try landing a second kick, but their efforts only resulted in another stalemate as they kicked each other’s shins. Seeking to change this, Bang leaned forward, using his full weight to unleash a straight punch that Chipp with both arms. An elbow strike would soon follow this, meeting the same results, but Bang wouldn’t be deterred so easily.
“Pulverizing fist!” Bang announced, coating his hands in fire as he threw them forward, creating the image of a tiger as he hit Chipp with a double palm strike to the chest. Zanuff let out a grunt as he was sent flying into a wall, but with unerring accuracy he flipped himself around, angling his body so that his feet would hit the bricks. The moment he felt his soles press against the stones, Tsuyoshi’s pupil dropped to his haunches and sprung off. As he vaulted over Bang, Chipp swung his arm, throwing four shuriken at the scruffy hero. Seeing this, Bang responded with a smirk as his gauntlets began to glow with a green aura. Then as the shuriken were about to make contact…
FWOOSH!
Bang’s body suddenly vanished, causing Chipp’s eyes to widen in surprise.
“What?”
“Too slow!” Bang taunted as he suddenly reappeared in front of Chipp, hitting him in the stomach with a rising knee strike. The attack sent Chipp flying into the air, but he would soon find himself back on the ground as Bang teleported above him, nailing him in the forehead with an axe kick. The former drug addict slammed into the concrete like a heavy weight, cratering the ground beneath him as a loud grunt escaped his lips.
“Damn! You hit like a friggin’ truck.” Chipp muttered as he unsteadily pushed himself back up.
“And like a truck, my fists bear a heavy load!” Bang announced as he suddenly appeared behind Chipp, who whirled around to face him-
WHAM!
-only for a flip kick to interrupt him halfway, causing his head to snap to the side!
“To deliver justice to evildoers!” Bang finished as he added to the punishment, throwing out a sweep kick and a high kick to the chest. Then, after taking a moment to pull back, Shishigami rushed forward, intent on punctuating the sentence with a straight punch to the face! As he was mere centimeters away, however, Chipp suddenly leaned back, causing Bang’s fist to hit thin air as its target cartwheeled away.
“It’s a shame you aren’t as fast as one!” Chipp responded as he pressed both hands together, keeping his index and middle fingers extended. Upon doing so, an exact copy of himself suddenly appeared and rushed forward, slamming its elbow into Bang’s chest. Shock and pain swam through Bang’s mind as he staggered back, giving Chipp the prime opportunity to rush forward and deliver a hard uppercut to his chin!
As Bang was sent flying, Chipp leapt after him shortly after, continuing his assault with a swift combo of body blows and kicks. Each one targeted a different weak point on Bang’s body, leaving him open to the next attack, and by the time of the eighth hit, Chipp was ready to end the combo!
“Beta Blade!” He announced, coating his wrist blade in blue energy as he delivered an upward swing, soaring past Bang and toward a wall. Planting his blade into its structure, Zanuff made sure he was steady as he prepared to unleash his next attack, but as he turned around, he noticed there was already a silver blur headed his way!
His instincts kicking into high gear, Chipp ripped his wrist blade out of the wall and backflipped away, allowing him to hear the CHK of metal embedding itself in stone. Looking down to see what had nearly hit him, Chipp was instantly greeted by a flash of red and a burning heat as Bang’s shuriken exploded, sending him even higher into the air! Before the white-haired shinobi could hope to stop himself, something sharp and small stabbed itself into his pec, and with it, his body suddenly froze in midair!
Confused, Chipp looked down to see that somehow, dozens of webs had completely surrounded his body, practically gluing him to the building. His luck would only grow worse when he noticed Bang throwing something into the air. He couldn’t quite make it out, but it was long, red, and roughly the size of Chipp himself! The bound shinobi braced himself, expecting to feel it run him through any second now. Instead, he would feel a brief sense of relief as it sailed past him, but this wouldn’t last as the item opened up, revealing itself to be…
‘An umbrella?’ He thought in confusion, which would soon morph into alarm as he saw what accompanied its reveal. In the time it took for the words ‘Oh shit’ to pop into his mind, nails had already begun raining down! Each one pelted Chipp relentlessly, and he wasn’t afraid of making his frustrations known.
“Ow! Ow! Goddammit! What is this? Who the hell uses nails as a weapon?” He asked angrily.
“Well, what kind of ninja would I be if I didn’t have shuriken on hand?” Bang’s voice called out to him, sounding far closer than Chipp had expected. Craning his head down, the former drug addict found that his manly opponent was already barreling toward him, having just leapt off the wall of a nearby office building. All Chipp could do was brace himself as a hard kick struck him in the face, sending the two crashing into the building!
Chunks of rock descended through the air as the ninjas flew through the air, Bang taking the opportunity to land two punches before kicking off, sending Chipp hurtling down. This descent would only pick up as Bang threw out four nails. The first two exploded against Chipp’s body, but the others would inflict a more devastating effect.
[Stop music]
As he crashed to the ground, Chipp tried to push himself back up, but he felt… sluggish. His vision, or at least what little he could see in the darkened building, was blurred, and his mind felt hazy.
‘Can’t be… Did he actually poison me?’ He thought to himself as he forced himself off of the warehouse floor. Seconds later, he would hear Bang hit the ground.
“Ha ha ha! You were quite impressive, Sir Zanuff, but it would seem that- hm? Where did you go?” Bang’s loud declaration underwent a sharp swerve mid-sentence, becoming a confused question as he noticed that Chipp had suddenly vanished from sight! Bang looked around, trying to find some sign of his opponent as Chipp rematerialized deep within the warehouse’s depths.
Kneeling behind some scaffolding, the ninja sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, keeping his breathing focused as he concentrated. He allowed his ki to flow through his body, stretching it across his entire form in order to detect any irregular presence and begin purging it from his system.
Meanwhile, Bang continued to wander the warehouse, keeping his senses open for any signs of Chipp’s presence. He could sense the ninja’s energy throughout the building, and with each step he could tell he was getting closer. By now, it was only a matter of time until the two would meet, though it would be far sooner than Bang had expected.
TAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAP!
Hearing footsteps rapidly approaching, Bang turned to face their direction, instinctively throwing out four shuriken in an attempt to get the drop on his attacker! Unfortunately, his efforts would only earn him a dropkick to the face, causing him to let out a grunt as he staggered back.
Two punches and a kick immediately followed this, but when Bang attempted to counter this with his own punch, he’d find himself punished by an axe kick to the back of the head. Three blows and an extensive cut to the side would follow this, only furthering his humiliation. Gritting his teeth, Bang threw out a hard backfist in an attempt to reverse the situation, but his attacker was already out of range. A punch to the stomach and a strike to the head would knock him back a second later, but as he heard the sound of something swinging through the air, Bang suddenly leapt high above its range. Upon landing, Bang lunged forward and countered with a hard punch to the back. A familiar grunt emerged from his target, causing Bang to grin as his suspicions were confirmed.
“Your stealth is quite impressive, Sir Chipp.” He complimented, following up with a second punch before sending the invisible shinobi flying with a kick to the chin. Hearing the air currents shift around him, Bang cartwheeled back, dodging an overhead kick before raising both arms to block Chipp’s next punch and kick. Stepping back, Shishigami allowed himself a grin before continuing, “But it’s no match-“
A fire-infused straight punch hit Chipp in the stomach, eliciting another grunt that was soon silenced by a flaming uppercut. Leaping after him, a fiery dive kick struck Zanuff in the stomach, leading him into a teleporting double palm strike to the back.
“-for my overwhelming, manly spirit!” Bang finished as he teleported in front of Chipp, stopping his flight with a hard straight punch to the jaw, then teleported and hit him with a dropkick from above. Chipp slammed into the ground, letting out a grunt as he hit his back, while Bang would land more gracefully, hitting the floor feet-first a short distance away.
[Pause music]
Chipp got up, clutching his head as he pushed himself into an upright position. His concentration had been disrupted, causing his invisibility to wear off, but he wouldn’t let that slow him down! Flipping himself onto all fours, Chipp looked up with a grin as he lunged forward.
[Continue]
“Agh!” Bang cried out as he felt something sharp slash into him from behind. The ninja from Ikaruga felt himself get carried high into the air, leaving him vulnerable as Chipp continued to speed past him. Slash after slash carried Bang higher through the building, and soon enough both men would break through the ceiling! The two flew through the air, feeling the wind rush past as they ascended. Once both ninja had reached their peak, Chipp unleashed a hard flip kick to Bang’s forehead, sending the hero rushing into the streets below.
For brief moments, the distance between them sped up drastically, but it would just as quickly shrink as Chipp dove down. Coating his blade in blue energy once more, Chipp unleashed a swift, hard slash to the chest. His blade cleaved through Bang like a hot knife, splitting him in half from the chest up. The green-clad hero wouldn’t even have time to scream before his body split apart.
[Stop music]
Hitting the ground exactly one second later, Chipp rolled along the street before coming to a halt, landing on one knee. He kept his ears peeled, waiting for his opponent’s split halves to collapse onto the tiled street. He would soon get his wish, as his ears picked up the CLACK of Bang’s wooden halves slamming into the ground.
‘Wait… what?!’ Chipp’s eyes widened in shock as he looked over his shoulder. Where there should’ve been Bang Shishigami’s bisected body, he instead found what he had actually hit: a small log, one that he’d split clean in two. Before he could properly regain his bearings, a familiar, loud voice called out to him.
“A classic misdirection!” Chipp whirled back around, only to be greeted by a massive elbow crash into his nose. The American ninja felt his head snap back, blood spilling down his face as he staggered back, and with his guard now broken, Bang went in! Lunging forward, he unleashed a hard jab to the stomach, burying his right arm with enough force that Chipp lurched over. Flecks of blood and spittle escaped his open mouth, but any pain or humiliation he felt instantly vanished as he noticed Bang’s left arm flying toward his face.
With an intense glint in his eyes, Chipp responded by swinging his right arm forward, meeting the outstretched fist with one of his own. Though he was somewhat surprised by his opponent’s recovery, Bang proved quick to save face as he attempted to throw a high kick, but Chipp blocked it by raising both arms. Pushing him off, Zanuff then lunged forward, punishing his opponent’s momentary imbalance with a string of heavy punches and slashes. Each one buried itself into Bang’s body, bruising the skin or leaving cuts along his chest, legs, and stomach. But even with the pain flaring across his mind, Bang’s grin remained.
“I admit, I’m quite impressed!” He said as he raised his arms, swinging them through the air as he attempted to counter or parry Chipp’s attacks. “I never imagined one so young could hold such skill in ninjutsu and taijutsu! Whoever your master is, he taught you quite well!”
“Thanks for the compliments.” Chipp responded, his grin only faltering as several punches from Bang slammed into him. “But don’t think that’ll stop me from kicking your ass!”
As he said this, the white-haired ninja threw out a hard uppercut to the chin, and with it, two puffs of smoke suddenly exploded behind, revealing two identical copies of Chipp. The two clones immediately went to work as they rushed toward Bang, forcing him back with a heavy barrage of attacks. Punches and kicks flew toward Bang from all angles, each one moving at such blinding speeds that he had no hope of breaking through and attacking. All he could do was raise both arms to ward off the constant blows, but as the combo went on, Bang slowly began to figure out their pattern, and by the time of the thirtieth attack, he was ready!
Setting his fist on fire, Shishigami unleashed a hard uppercut, striking one of the clones in the chin. As it was sent flying back, Bang lunged toward the other and sent it airborne with a high kick.
With only one left, Bang boosted toward the original, whose eyes widened in shock. With little time left to defend himself, Chipp brought both hands to his chest once again, creating a miniature tornado that Bang rushed straight into! Chipp smirked, believing he would soon see Bang flipping uncontrollably through the air.
Instead, he would be met with the sight of Bang somehow overpowering the whirlwind as he continued to push through, rapidly closing in on the shocked ninja! Now seconds away from crashing into each other, Bang removed Retennjo from its sheathe, wrapping it around his left arm and pointing its edge at Chipp.
[Stop music]
“The banished super ninjutsu!” Bang announced as he used all of his strength to drive it forward! Chipp’s pupils shrank as he was suddenly launched across the arena, blood spraying out of his mouth as the massive nail was buried deep inside his stomach, and his luck would only grow worse when he looked up.
Bang was rushing toward him at speeds even faster than before, now coated in an aura of fire and clad in nothing more than a speedo. Chipp stood there, completely paralyzed as the muscular, near-naked man moved closer, but the longer he stared his imminent death in the face, the more his shock and pain began to fade.
‘No, I can’t die here!’ Chipp thought defiantly, his expression shrinking into a determined glare as he clenched his fists. ‘I have to keep going! For my master,’ he slammed both hands together, keeping his index fingers extended upward as he thought, ‘for my kingdom! For all of my subjects waiting for me back home, I have to keep fighting, even if it takes everything I’ve got!’
Then, ignoring the pain of his injuries, ignoring the looming feeling of death as Bang drew closer, Chipp forced his body to move. He started off slowly, going in a circular motion as he swayed back and forth, his body surrounded by a trail of afterimages. By his second rotation he had grown more accustomed to his movements, and by the third he was ready to attack!
As he swung around, Chipp threw out his arms, unleashing one shuriken after another. He moved so quickly that to the naked eye, it would’ve seemed as if there were multiple Chipps, each one throwing out their own shuriken as they circled around. In no time at all, an entire swarm of blades had been launched at Bang, spread out so wide that there was no hope of dodging them! So Bang did the only thing he could in this situation…
He continued to charge forward!
The blades sank into his skin, each one leaving burns as they exploded against his body, but Bang didn’t care! No matter what pain wracked his body, no matter how much of his blood was spilled, Bang Shishigami pushed himself to keep going, letting out a determined roar whose intensity was matched only by the fire in his heart!
Chipp watched in shock as Bang continued to power through his assault, feeling the burning heat of the ninja’s fist growing even closer! The jaws of death were closing in, but he wasn’t willing to give up just yet!
Moving his hands at a rapid speed, Chipp defiantly raised his right arm into the air, allowing electricity to swirl around his body as he fired a bolt of lightning into the sky. A split-second later, that same bolt would come crashing down, spearing Bang through the chest right as he slammed his fist into Retennjo!
An enormous explosion rocked all of Kagutsuchi, rocking the area with heavy, violent tremors. Fire and electricity crackled through the air, spreading thousands of miles into the atmosphere before dispersing with a harsh sizzle. And as it began to settle, the winner of this harsh battle would slowly be revealed!
[Stop music]
The surviving ninja stood in the epicenter of the wreckage, letting out heavy, ragged breaths as he kept both hands on his legs. That final attack had completely exhausted all of his energy, and he could feel the pain of his injuries finally setting in. But even as the air continued to buffet his exposed wounds, Bang Shishigami remained standing as he turned to where his opponent had once been.
“Your skill, your technique, your radiant spirit… They were everything I expected from a top-class ninja. Thank you for accepting my request, Sir Chipp.” Bang said, sounding uncharacteristically humble as he bowed in respect. As he rose back to full height, the ninja from Ikaruga suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind the barren, desolate remains of his battlefield.
Brendan’s Versus Battles 