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During every arc Tsuna and his friends face a new foe. Each foe also has a group of friends to back him up. In this manner Yamamoto always ends up having at least one major battle during each arc. Yamamoto usually wins his battles however these fights aren't without sacrifice. Several times Yamamoto has taken severe damage to his body and one time his injuries even brought him close to death. Despite these close calls, every battle also strengthens Yamamoto's resolve and improves his skill. Through these battles Yamamoto also met one of his most important mentors. the kokuyo arcThe first major enemies are Mukuro and his gang from Kokuyo. One of Mukuro's closest "friends" is Ken who serves as Yamamoto's opponent during this arc. Ken and the rest of Mukuro’s gang are experiments made by the Estraneo Family in an effort to regain their former power as a mafia family. Ken’s abilities are the result of implantations into his upper jaw. When Ken puts in “dentures” that are designed to be replicas of animal teeth he partially transforms into that type of animal. He gains abilities such as speed and strength from those animals. This system has often been described as a “cartridge” system reminiscent of older video game systems where each cartridge held a different game.
These abilities make Ken a deadly foe that relies on his primal instincts. Ken’s strong teeth easily break Yamamoto's transforming bat which leaves Yamamoto which leaves Yamamoto nearly helpless. Yamamoto struggles to defend his body from Ken’s sharp teeth. Yamamoto needs to protect his body so that he can participate in an upcoming baseball tournament. Things look bad for Yamamoto until clumsy Tsuna falls into the pit. Yamamoto feels an overwhelming desire to protect his friend Tsuna. This relates back to Chapter 5, when Tsuna saved Yamamoto. At that point Yamamoto realized his friends were more important than baseball. Yamamoto sacrifices his arm to Ken’s wrath in order to get close to him. Yamamoto then bashes in Ken's head with the hilt of the transforming bat, knocking him out. the varia arcShortly after the fight between the Kokuyo Gang and Tsuna’s family, the team is confronted with a new challenge. Tsuna and friends are faced with a challenge from The Varia, the Vongola Family’s elite assassination squad. Its members are supposedly some of the most morally corrupt killers; however, they are united under their boss Xanxus. Xanxus is the adopted son of Vongola the Ninth and he feels that he should be the rightful heir to the family. The two groups face off in a series of one on one battles to determine which of their leaders has the right to be Vongola the Tenth.
Yamamoto faces off against the “Sword Emperor” Superbia Squalo; a man who mastered over one hundred different techniques before being offered the position of Varia Leader. He turned the offer down so he could serve under the only man he considered his better, Xanxus. The fact that Squalo was even considered for the position speaks to his skill. Squalo and Yamamoto face off in a pre-battle match and Yamamoto loses and his informed that he has no idea how to use a sword. This leads Yamamoto to train under his father and learn the Shigure Souen Style.
When Yamamoto and Squalo face off a second time Yamamoto is better prepared. He knows how to use his sword properly and his natural talent keeps him alive despite his inexperience. Despite Yamamoto’s skill Squalo’s own skill combined with the knowledge of over hundred techniques, including the Shigure Souen style put Yamamoto at a distinct disadvantage. Luckily, the Shigure Souen Style has different variations based on the master who teaches it. When Squalo gets overconfident because of the knowledge he gained from a different Shigure Souen Master, Yamamoto uses the element of surprise to bring him down. Yamamoto wins however his ingenuity impresses Squalo who becomes his tough love mentor taking the time to help him improve in later arcs. the ten years later arcThe Ten Years Later Arc pits the Vongola against the up and coming Millefiore Family. The Millefiore are the combination of the Gesso and the Giglio Nero and when put together they pose a giant threat Tsuna and his friends. One member of the Millefiore is Genkishi, a mist user who, despite his origins within the Giglio Nero has dedicated his life to serving the boss of the Millefiore, the leader of the Gesso Family, Byakuran. Genkishi is manipulative and his strength is recognized by Squalo who gives Yamamoto a single warning before fighting him.
When Genkishi and Yamamoto face off at the Melone Base Genkishi is confident in his ability to beat Yamamoto. He fills their arena with artificial rain, Yamamoto’s element in order to give him an advantage. Additionally, he starts by fighting Yamamoto using only his fists, telling Yamamoto that he doesn’t need his sword to defeat him. He quickly changes his mind, however, when Yamamoto shows him his intense skill. Fighting against Genkishi also allows him to hone his skill against mist flames. Yamamoto is able to fight by recognizing the illusions as they approach however he is still put behind because he can’t track the “real” Genkishi. Yamamoto is taken down after an extensive battle against Genkishi which doesn’t mean much because the future and the current Hibari as well as Tsuna have to fight Genkishi before he falls. Even then Genkishi doesn’t die and instead Yamamoto faces him a second time during the choice battle.
During the Choice Battle Yamamoto has the advantage of his Vongola box. It contains the four irregular swords used by the First Vongola Rain Guardian, Asari Ugetsu. Although the Vongola box provides Yamamoto with a huge increase in power he is only able to use it properly because Squalo trained him and because he finally chose to take the path of the sword rather than that of baseball. This change allowed his skill to increase immensely in a short period of time and that extra edge helped Yamamoto defeat Genkishi.
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