As both of them finished their sentences, Naruto's concern grew. He sensed that they were unlike anyone he had faced in this arena before. "I won't back down. There's someone who needs that money, and I won't let it slip away," he declared resolutely, assuming an impromptu battle stance.
"You're a noble-hearted child, but we too need to earn our keep," spoke one of the twins as she produced a fan from her sleeve. With a composed expression, the warrior gave a slight bow to the shinobi. "As an act of respect, allow me to introduce myself. I am Yuei," she said, introducing one of the women.
"I'm Yui," said the other twin, bowing in a similar respectful manner. The blond felt somewhat uneasy due to their upright and courteous behavior, which was unlike what he had expected from opponents in this environment.
"I'm Naruto."
With the introductions concluded, the battle commenced. Naruto leapt to evade a series of daggers hurled by one of the twins. Gripping the top of the enclosure's fence, he watched as the twins cooperated seamlessly, vaulting one after the other towards him. Releasing the bars, he barely managed to dodge a fan that brushed against his neck.
Upon landing, he faced an attack from Yuei. She delivered a rapid succession of strikes, accompanied by slashes from the fan she wielded in her right hand. Naruto crouched and maneuvered to avoid another close swipe that tore a gash in his shirt. Seizing the opportunity, he retaliated with a forceful elbow to her stomach.
"Ghoo!" The twin recoiled, momentarily losing her breath. Her sister, Yui, took advantage of the opportunity to launch herself onto her, sending several blades into the boy's right arm. He had made the mistake of momentarily losing sight of one of his opponents.
Seeing that her attack had taken effect, Yui retrieved her fan and flung it like a disc. The fan whizzed past Naruto, narrowly missing him and lodging itself in the steel bars. "You won't escape..." the brunette whispered. Drawing a blade from her sleeve, she hurled them at the agile golden-haired boy. Naruto leaped, darting in all directions to evade the onslaught of weapons.
"Damn! Damn! Damn!" echoed in Naruto's thoughts as he dashed back and forth within the cage. His frantic movements were abruptly halted by a forceful kick to his face from Yuei. Stunned, he fell backward, only to narrowly avoid getting trampled by rolling away. He used his hands to propel himself back up and lunged at the grappling twin.
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Seizing her clothing, he spun her around at full speed and flung her towards her sister, who caught her mid-air. Just as the sisters prepared to counterattack, the blond dashed at them like a bolt of lightning. He crashed into them, tackling the twins and slamming them against the steel bars. However, even this didn't deter the resilient twins from swiftly recovering to continue the fight.
Both Yuei and Yui launched synchronized attacks against the swift golden-haired boy. Naruto's speed proved to be too much for the ex-geisha warriors as they struggled to land their blows. Yet, Yuei, the older twin, crouched down to deliver a swift kick to his legs, knocking him down. Capitalizing on his vulnerability, Yui wrapped her arm around his neck, immobilizing him.
"You're quick..." remarked the elder sister with a slight smile, her gaze fixed on the boy supported by her sibling. "But without a fighting style or a strategy, you're headed for defeat." With those words, she rained down heavy blows upon his abdomen, causing him to writhe and groan under the younger twin's grasp.
"Keep going, brother! Don't give up!" Dororo's encouragement echoed as he watched his friend taking a relentless beating from Yuei.
Naruto's blood trickled from his split lower lip as he struggled to breathe, his neck gripped by the unyielding hold of one twin, while the other struck him in the gut. In desperation, he bit down on the left hand of the sister gripping his neck, causing her to cry out in pain and release him. Without a second thought, he seized her arm and hurled her forcefully into her twin. With a cry of exertion, Naruto grabbed each sister by an arm and began spinning wildly.
As seconds ticked by, Naruto picked up enough speed before releasing the warrior sisters, who crashed brutally against the bars, rendering them both incapacitated.
Sinking to his knees, the boy's ears were filled with the triumphant screams of the spectators and Dororo's joyful shouts in celebration of his victory. Dizzy, Naruto plucked out the blades embedded in his right arm, his blood staining the ground beneath him. He snarled through the pain, tearing off a piece of his upper garment's sleeve to fashion a makeshift bandage that could staunch the bleeding.
"Naruto! Naruto! Naruto!" Dororo's exuberant cries echoed throughout the crowd, as they joined in cheering for the potential champion who had conquered three out of the four rounds of the tournament. The display of strength and determination by the young contender ignited a wave of support.
With a growl, the shinobi slowly rose to his feet, standing tall in the center of the ring. The chant of "Naruto! Naruto! Naruto!" swelled in volume, a heartwarming encouragement that felt strange to the Uzumaki. He wasn't accustomed to being embraced by such positivity, though not everyone shared that sentiment.
Silently gripping the golden knob of his cane, Wao struck the Hong three times in quick succession. The cage door swung open, marking the commencement of the final battle. Several individuals of varying sizes, genders, and appearances entered the cage. Some carried weapons, while others seemed well-versed in hand-to-hand combat. With his eyes fixed on the boy surrounded by these formidable fighters, the bald man with the cane issued a challenge, "Last match... defeat all of my champions, and the prize will be yours, brat."