Necessary Corruption 28 (Patreon)

Necessary Corruption

Chapter 28

-VB-

The next day, the Hokage and I sat side by side with our attendants while in the ring in front of us, one fighter from each of our sides stepped up to show the other side their might.

Of course, I followed the rule and spirit of this bout. Yina couldn’t participate because she was the strongest retinue I had, because only “average” member of our side could participate as agreed upon.

This was why I called upon Gito, one of my more visible and ever present bodyguards.

“He is not one of your strongest?” Sarutobi asked me.

I shook my head. “He is good at defending, which is why I keep him as my bodyguard. When it comes to actual combat prowess, he ranks around … upper middle?”

“I see.” Then he gestured to one of his ninjas who had showed up along with a small crowd, including the orange jumpsuit kid, his team, and his teacher.

I watched as a purple haired woman walk up.

“This is Tokubetsu Jounin, Mitarashi Anko.”

“Mitarashi Anko… I have heard of her. She is - was - the student of the Snake Sage, is she not?” I hummed. One of the most time taxing work I had to do was reading through all of the more critical reports Yina prepared for me. Mitarashi Anko was in one such report, because she was a snake summoning clan contract holder.

Summoning Contracts held some interest for me, because the thought of a chakra-enhanced beasts being able to think, talk, plan, and act like a human was … it was ridiculous but so exotic.

Of course, they were all strong, apparently, so it would not do to indulge in my curiosity so openly in front of them lest they take it as an insult and rip my face off. I needed these lips to kiss my beautiful wife, so no thank you on dying to a frog or dog or snake or whatever other animals that could be chakra empowered.

“This is a bout between friends,” Hokage spoke up. “So don’t go too far. Begin!”

Wow, that was a rather abrupt way to start them off on.

Anko rushed forward with kunais already drawn, and was upon Gito in a split second.

Gito … took the hit. The kunai sunk into his skin and muscles but not enough to matter. No, the kunai failed to even penetrate his muscles, just his skin.

He stared at Anko, who looked up at him in surprise even as she flipped away from him.

“Counter.”

For a second, there was no reaction.

But then a blood sputtered out from Anko’s exposed left shoulder.

Her shoulder was cut but the steel mesh on top of her skin was not.

Gito bowed his muscular frame down respectfully at the confused … kunoichi (that was the term, yes?). “Before we begin, I must introduce myself,” he spoke as he rose back up. “I am Gito. I have no family name. I am a retinue of Lord Takanori. During my time in his service, I have earned myself a title.” He bent his knees and gestured for her to try again. “I am Gito of the Counter. Please do not use lethal attack that you yourself might die from.”

Ninjas muttered among themselves while the Hokage stroked his chin.

“That … is not ninjutsu.”

“It is not,” I replied without inflection in my tone.

“Very interesting.”

Anko chuckled. “I’m Mitarashi Anko, Tokubetsu Jounin of Konohagakure!” she played along to the showmanship. “Thanks for the warning. I was just about to go for your neck because of how tough you were.”

Gito nodded. “It would have been a good attempt… if you didn’t die from it yourself.”

Anko glanced at her shoulder.

But that was enough for Gito jump at her. While he wasn’t as fast as her, he crossed the same distance Anko covered before and did it only half a second longer. Anko was a kunoichi, though, and easily dodged out of the way.

Then Gito caught her offguard by coming to a complete stop abruptly and then struck.

She had just enough time to perform body replacement technique, which was something similar to what one of my loyal followers could also do. She replaced herself with a thick log, and Gito smashed his fist into.

Thankfully, he was angling his attack downward, because the log shattered and peppered the ground near it with shrapnels.

“Oi, oi, oi! I thought this is supposed to be friendly spar!” Anko whined.

The report I read did say that she was irreverent outside of serious combat. I supposed that this did not count as serious combat because the snake summoner hadn’t used any snake technique or summoned any snakes.

“That was just the energy I transferred from my complete stop to an attack,” he replied. “I did not stack the energies of all attacks and unleash them in one attack.”

“... That sounds stupidly dangerous.”

Gito looked like he was about to blow a gasket when she said stupid, probably thinking she was insulting me, but then calmed down when she finished her phrase with dangerous.

“It is. I am not my lord’s chosen bodyguard for nothing,” he grinned back easily.

“Alright then. Kuchiyose!” she snapped and slammed her open palm into the ground.

There was a puff of air, and a snake rose out from the smoke.

It was just big enough to be a threat to Gito, who was a one-ninety centimeter tall warrior himself.

The snake looked as thick as most logs used in construction.

Gito narrowed his eyes.

And then Anko was behind him.

He did not turn around. Instead, he kicked backward and jumped to the side. She jumped over his attack and then threw kunais after him.

And the snake lashed out with an open jaw at the same time.

Gito took the kunai hits and dodged the snake by stopping his movement. From what I knew that, that particular technique of his was that he was “countering” himself.

I wondered if it hurt to do that.

Anko tsked as cuts appeared on her thigh and toned stomach.

And -.

“And stop,” I called out, and the two, who were about to both escalate right there and then, froze. Including the snake. I turned to the Hokage. “I think my retinue and I have proven that we are not … security liabilities.”

He chuckled. “Indeed.”

“Now, I did call for a stop, so I will concede that this is your kunoichi’s victory,” I replied before turning to Gito. “Gito, you have done a wonderful job fighting someone that I know is among the upper echelons of Konohagakure.”

He quickly dropped to his knees and nearly kowtowed.

“Your wish is my command, Takanori-sama.”

“Rise.” I turned back to Sarutobi after. “I shall have my wondersmith make a living weapon for you. It will be in your hands before the start of the finals of the Chunin Exam.”

This entire bout was nothing but a probe for me.

After all, I already knew some of the workings of Konohagakure thanks to Yina. All I had needed was direct observation to put those theoretical knowledge to perspective. Seeing Gito, an upper middle level combatant among my retinue, go toe to toe with a jounin, no matter how lowly she ranked among those with the same rank, was a relief, a proverbial shower of refreshing relief.

“Now, I must take my wife out on a date,” I grinned salaciously, and the Hokage chuckled.