A large amount of Chakra gathered in Obito's throat, rapidly undergoing Nature Transformation with the enhancement of Flame Breathing, and finally, it turned into incredibly intense flames that Obito expelled.
"Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Orange-red flames surged out of Obito's mouth, instantly releasing a firepower far exceeding the Great Fireball. The flames danced wildly as if they were fire serpents.
This is the difficulty of the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet; controlling so many flames attacking from multiple directions at once is a significant test of a Ninja's skill.
Obito continued to spew out flames, and the fire in front of him grew larger and larger, with fire serpents rushing towards the incoming white mist.
Faced with such fierce Fire Release, the white mist that had previously swallowed the Great Fireball was unable to put up any resistance. The orange-red sea of fire steadily pushed back the white mist, and the previously muddy ground became dry under the terrifying high temperature of the flames.
"This guy actually masters such advanced Fire Release." Mei was extremely surprised to see that Obito's Fire Release had suppressed her Boil Release.
In terms of Ninjutsu alone, she hadn't encountered any rivals among her peers. Yet Obito, who was already strong in Taijutsu, was even more formidable in Ninjutsu, giving Mei the feeling that she had encountered a stronger version of herself.
"But unfortunately, you only know Fire Release." Mei stopped channeling Chakra for Boil Release, ceased emitting mist from her mouth, and quickly retreated to perform Water Release Ninjutsu.
After Mei stopped maintaining Boil Release, Obito's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet's speed surged instantly, causing the white mist to vanish, with only the orange-red flames continuously rushing towards Mei.
As Mei could almost physically feel the approaching sea of fire, her final seal was completed.
At this moment, the flames were extremely close to Mei, with the red glow of the fire enveloping her, as if it would engulf her completely in the next moment.
"Water Release: Water Formation Pillar!"
A terrifying amount of water gushed out from Mei's mouth, instantly extinguishing the flames in front of her. The entire area of fire spat out by Obito was quickly put out by the suddenly erupted Water Release.
Mei, her face flushed red from directly facing the high-temperature flames, continued to maintain her Water Release.
This was a bold move on her part because, given the distance from Obito and her confidence in her Water Release, she chose this approach to counter Obito's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.
Typically, if a ninja's Jutsu fails in a direct confrontation, the next step would be to find a way to dodge.
However, Mei knew this Ninjutsu clash was crucial. Even if she wanted to dodge, the wide attack range of the Fire Release left little room for maneuvering. At that point, Obito would likely seize the opportunity to suppress her with Taijutsu, making her chances of victory very slim.
On the other hand, if her Water Release could suppress Obito's Fire Release in this confrontation, she could catch Obito off guard with her Water Release techniques.
"Damn it, why does it seem like everyone in the Mist Village knows Water Release?" Obito was extremely frustrated as he watched his large area of fire extinguished in less than twenty seconds.
With Mutsuki's guidance, Obito knew about Chakra's restraining relationships. Fire Release is severely disadvantaged against Water Release; if the power levels are similar, Fire Release will be suppressed by Water Release. Only with a significantly higher level of strength can Fire Release counter Water Release effectively.
Obito glanced around the battlefield, preparing to find an opportunity to switch opponents with Kakashi. He found fighting Mei to be very frustrating, and with his Sharingan, he could handle the pressure well. It was easier for him to maneuver in a one-on-two situation than it would be for Kakashi.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
Maintaining her control over the Water Release, Mei transformed the Water Formation Pillar into a massive water dragon using shape transformation.
Obito was stunned by the sudden appearance of the enormous water dragon. This was the first time he had seen a Ninjutsu transform into another Ninjutsu.
He tried desperately to unleash Chakra to dodge, but because the water dragon was already extremely close, he was directly struck and sent flying by the massive Water Dragon Bullet, crashing through five large trees before coming to a stop.
"Cough, cough." Having endured such a heavy blow, Obito had trouble breathing and coughed a couple of times before, with the aid of his Breathing Technique, barely managing to stand up.
"Even after taking such an attack, you're still standing. But do you have the strength to keep fighting?" Mei did not seize the opportunity to attack but instead marveled at Obito's tenacity.
Obito wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and, while watching Kakashi and Rin still fighting, replied, "Of course I do. My comrades are still fighting. What reason do I have to fall?"
This statement was not only an answer to Mei but also a reassurance to himself.
He struggled to maintain Total Concentration Breathing, focusing his breathing more and more. The Breathing Technique could accelerate physical recovery. Although it couldn't heal him instantly like Medical Ninjutsu, every bit of recovery provided a bit more opportunity.
Facing Obito at full strength, Mei avoided his sharp attacks. When Obito was severely injured, Mei took the opportunity to strike hard and fought him using Taijutsu.
Obito's Sharingan was still active, and he could still see through Mei's attacks just as before, but his body had become sluggish due to his injuries.
Bang!
After a minute of intense fighting, Mei knocked Obito to the ground with a heavy punch. Although he quickly got back up, his momentum visibly weakened.
"Do you want to continue? Actually, you've already lost," Mei said, crossing her arms and looking at Obito.
At this point, Obito's condition was very poor. If Mei wished, she could have killed him.
"I'm still standing. On what basis do you say I've lost?" Obito retorted, panting.
"You're really tough. Is this how all Konoha Ninjas are?" Mei was somewhat exasperated. She had vented most of her frustration, and she wasn't thinking of killing Obito; she just wanted to complete the two scrolls and pass the exam.
Seeing that Mei seemed unwilling to launch further attacks, Obito focused on silently recovering and did not take the initiative to attack.
"So even the Mist Village has such strength..." Kakashi furrowed his brow as he noticed the situation with Obito.
He felt that they might have encountered some of the strongest individuals in the Chunin Exams. Despite having faced experienced Chunin teams during missions without issues, they were now being pushed to their limits by two Genin teams. These were definitely not ordinary Genin.
At this moment, Kakashi was also out of options. With Obito almost defeated, and although Rin had the advantage, she couldn't quickly eliminate her enemies. Additionally, Kakashi had exhausted a lot of his stamina from prolonged use of Thunder Breathing, and he was now at his limit.
Kakashi remained extremely calm. Although he did not have a foolproof plan, there was still a slim chance of survival. He intended to channel the remaining Chakra and stamina into one final effort.
If they could take down the strongest opponent, Kisame, there would still be a chance. Although Mei was strong, her two teammates were not as formidable as Kurosawa and Zabuza.
Just as Kakashi was about to use his last Thunderclap and Flash, a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Damn it, using numbers to overpower us! Let Konoha's Green Beast come and have a go with you!"
Seeing Kakashi in such a sorry state and the two Mist Ninjas attacking him, Guy's anger instantly surged.
"Eight Inner Gates, Gate of Opening, Open! Gate of Rest, Open!"
Guy immediately entered Stone Breathing state and opened two gates. Using the power provided by Stone Breathing and the Chakra from Eight Inner Gates, he dashed towards Kakashi and kicked out a Whirlwind Kick, forcing Kisame and the Mist Genin back.
Kakashi had never found Guy's voice so pleasant, and even Guy's green jumpsuit seemed to have become stylish.
"This is total chaos," Genma said as he surveyed the area, realizing that, apart from them, there were actually twelve other Ninjas present.
"Go help Obito. He looks in worse shape than Kakashi," Ebisu observed, noting that Obito, who was facing Mei, appeared to be in a worse condition.
Genma nodded, and the two of them threw their ninja tools at Mei to drive her back before rushing towards Obito.
"Another team of ninjas has arrived." After dodging the shuriken, Mei noticed the Konoha headbands of the two ninjas attacking her.
Mei considered just grabbing a random Earth scroll and fleeing; at this rate, it seemed like the entire area's ninja teams were converging.
"Obito, are you okay?" Genma asked, keeping his eyes on Mei.
"I'm fine, just some local fractures," Obito said, relaxing with the arrival of reinforcements and smiling.
"That's quite serious if you've got fractures," Genma commented.
"Obito, you rest. We'll handle her," Ebisu said, taking out his kunai.
"Yeah, be careful. That girl's Water Release can change tactics; it can suddenly switch from Water Balloon to Water Dragon Bullet. She also has a powerful mist-based Ninjutsu," Obito said without hesitation, leaning against a nearby tree to rest and advising the two.
Genma and Ebisu were fairly average in strength, but at this moment, Mei was not at her peak. She had already used three Ninjutsu techniques in her fight with Obito.
Obito didn't demand much from them; just holding out for a few minutes would be enough. The real game-changer was still Guy.
Although he enjoyed teaming up with Rin, the teammate who gave Obito the most sense of security was undoubtedly Guy, who always stepped up in times of danger.
Obito continued to use breathing techniques to recover his body, keeping an eye on the situation with Kakashi and Miht Guy.
"Kakashi, can you still fight?" Guy asked Kakashi while paying attention to the enemy's movements.
"For now, yes. I'll hold off that Shark-faced guy. You quickly take care of the other Mist Ninja," Kakashi said, outlining the plan.
"Long-awaited teamwork, leave it to me!" Guy gave Kakashi a thumbs up, his breathing becoming more focused as he began to gather Chakra.
Kakashi nodded quickly, brandishing his white fang short blade as he charged at Kisame. After being on the defensive for so long, it was time for him to counterattack.
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