Underground Arena vs the Hidden Leaf · Superhuman
Retsu Kaioh vs Itachi Uchiha
A master of four thousand years of Chinese martial arts meets a ninja who can trap him inside his own mind.
Tale of the tape
| Baki | Universe | Naruto |
|---|---|---|
| Superhuman | Tier | Superhuman |
| Four thousand years of Chinese kenpo in one body | Strength | Genjutsu that traps minds for days in a single second, plus Amaterasu’s black flames |
| Pride in his art over everything | Weakness | His body is failing him |
| 0–2 | Record on Versus | 2–1 |
The Arena
Retsu Kaioh had come to the ninja world to test four thousand years of Chinese kenpo against a new kind of opponent. He found Itachi Uchiha in a bamboo forest in the rain, standing perfectly still, a crow on his shoulder. Itachi opened his eyes, and they were red.
“You are a martial artist,” Itachi said softly. “Not a ninja.” Retsu bowed. “Retsu Kaioh. Chinese kenpo carries four thousand years of history. I would like to see what it can do against you.” Itachi coughed into his sleeve. “I would prefer not to fight.” Retsu took up his stance. “Then I apologise in advance.”
The rain fell harder. The crow flew up into the bamboo.
Round One
Retsu attacked with breathtaking skill, a series of strikes so fast and varied that each one seemed to come from a different school of martial arts. Itachi dodged most of them, but a few landed, and Retsu’s fists hit like hammers. Itachi slid back through the mud, a thin line of blood at his lips.
Retsu was impressed by the ninja’s speed. Itachi was impressed by the martial artist’s skill. For a while they fought in the rain as two masters, Retsu’s ancient techniques against Itachi’s reflexes and the Sharingan’s ability to see every movement before it happened.
Then Retsu used one of the oldest secret techniques of his school, and Itachi took it full on the chest and flew backwards into the bamboo.
The Turn
Retsu advanced to finish the fight. He found Itachi kneeling in the bamboo, coughing, and stood over him. Itachi looked up. Retsu looked into his eyes, because every martial artist reads his opponent’s eyes. The three tomoe of the Sharingan spun and changed shape.
Tsukuyomi. The world turned red and black. Retsu found himself tied to a cross in a crimson landscape, and Itachi stood in front of him with a sword. “For the next seventy-two hours,” Itachi said gently, “you will be here with me.” In the real world, less than a second passed.
Retsu endured seventy-two hours of the illusion with the iron discipline of four thousand years of tradition. He did not scream once. When it ended, he collapsed in the mud.
The Finish
He rose anyway, swaying, his mind shaken, and took up his stance again. Itachi looked at him with something close to admiration. Few people in the ninja world had stood up after Tsukuyomi. A man with no chakra at all had just done it.
Retsu attacked, and his strikes were slower now, his focus broken. Itachi dodged them easily, stepped close, and touched two fingers gently against Retsu’s forehead. The martial artist’s eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious into the mud.
When Retsu woke, he was lying under a dry tree, a cloak spread over him, and the rain had stopped. Itachi sat nearby, watching the bamboo. “Your kenpo is beautiful,” Itachi said. “I am sorry I had to use my eyes.” Retsu sat up slowly and bowed, still dizzy. “Then I have learned something new,” he said. “Four thousand years was not enough.”
The verdict
Itachi Uchiha wins
Retsu’s Chinese kenpo is good enough to beat Itachi in a pure martial arts exchange, but the Sharingan’s Tsukuyomi traps him in seventy-two hours of illusion the moment he looks into Itachi’s eyes.
- TsukuyomiAn illusion that breaks the mind in a single glance.
- Reading eyesThe martial artist’s instinct to watch his opponent’s eyes is his undoing.
- SpeedItachi’s reflexes keep him alive through Retsu’s strongest techniques.
How the rematch could go differently: A Retsu who fought with his eyes closed, by sound and touch alone, could avoid the genjutsu and test his kenpo fully.
Who do you think wins?
Who would win in a fight between Retsu Kaioh and Itachi Uchiha?
Itachi Uchiha wins. Retsu’s Chinese kenpo is good enough to beat Itachi in a pure martial arts exchange, but the Sharingan’s Tsukuyomi traps him in seventy-two hours of illusion the moment he looks into Itachi’s eyes.