"Hmm~, Wasabi did a great job," the sandaime commented as he watched Mitarashi Wasabi intercept Kirito's attack. His momentary concern quickly dissipated.
While he might not hold the Uchiha in high regard, Chizuru was still a child, and a valuable asset to Konoha.
Her safety was paramount.
Sandaime then focused his attention on Kirito within the crystal ball, a sense of satisfaction spreading across his face.
True to his status as Mito-sama's favored genius, Kirito had developed the Blood Succession of Magnetic release at the tender age of eight—a super rare feat for Konoha. His talent was undeniable.
"Konoha now has the inheritance of Magnetic Escape," Sandai mused with satisfaction, his eyes narrowing slightly as he contemplated it.
Without hesitation, he issued an order, "Summon Kirito here."
Instantly, a masked Anbu ninja appeared on one knee before the Sandaime, showing the utmost respect. "Please, Sandaime-sama, give your command."
"Retrieve Kirito immediately," ordered the Third Hokage.
"Understood," replied the Anbu ninja, utilizing a teleportation technique to carry out the command.
—-------------------------------
"The battle is over, and the winner is Tohsaka Kirito. Do you have any objections, Chizuru?"
On the other side, after Mitarashi Wasabi successfully blocked Kirito's attack, the battle's outcome was immediately declared.
Chizuru snorted coldly but nodded in acknowledgment.
She may be competitive, but she's not one to be sore in defeat.
She knew that if Mitarashi Wasabi hadn't intervened, she might have been seriously injured, and losing was the only outcome.
"Haha, I caught you off guard. I apologize."
Kirito released his ninjutsu, approached with a friendly smile, and extended his hand in a gesture of reconciliation toward Chizuru.
Seeing this, Chizuru reluctantly extended two fingers to complete the reconciliation seal with Kirito, then quickly withdrew her fingers and shot him a stern look.
She had suffered a defeat today, but she was determined to make a comeback in the future. She had no fear of Kirito, even with his newfound Magnetic Release abilities.
"After we return today, I must prioritize mastering the Water Chakra nature."
Chizuru made a silent resolution. She was well aware of the Magnetic Release ninjutsu's vulnerability to Water Release, and soaking the iron sand would significantly increase a Magnetic Release ninja's chakra consumption.
She also knew Kirito's weaknesses all too well.
After sealing her reconciliation with Kirito, Chizuru approached Mitarashi Wasabi, her face turning slightly red as she said, "Thank you, sensei."
Despite her usual lack of respect for Mitarashi Wasabi, a mere Chunin, she couldn't deny the fact that Wasabi had just saved her, and she felt genuinely grateful.
Hearing Chizuru, who typically treated her with disdain, express gratitude, Mitarashi Wasabi felt a warmth akin to sipping an ice-cold drink on a scorching day. A rare smile graced her normally composed and pretty face.
"Ah, Wasabi-sensei is smiling!"
Nawaki, who was observing from the side, immediately noticed and exclaimed.
The attention of everyone was instantly drawn to Wasabi-sensei. The usually stern and unsmiling beauty had displayed an unexpected smile, causing surprise and discussion to ripple through the group.
Some gossip-prone girls even speculated on the fact that Wasabi didn't have a boyfriend.
"Look, look, look! Did you see that?"
"When the sensei smiles, she looks really pretty. It's a shame she's always so stern."
"Yes, if she smiled more often, many people would be pursuing her, and she wouldn't be single."
Wasabi blushed as she heard the students' comments. She playfully flicked Nawaki's head and quickly regained her composed demeanor.
With a stern gaze, she quelled the students' chatter and declared loudly, "Next up is Hyuuga Hana, and Nawaki of the senju ."
"Finally, it's my turn!"
Nawaki, who had been nursing his injuries, was ecstatic to hear his name.
He quickly made his way to the open battleground, his gaze filled with determination as he looked at Kirito, who was leaving the field.
"Kirito, I challenge you to a Magnetic Release battle later!"
"Sure, but only if you win," Kirito replied with a slight smile.
"Wait and see, I'll defeat my opponent quickly," Nawaki responded confidently.
Over the past two years, Nawaki had made significant progress. While he still struggled to defeat Kirito and Chizuru, he had consistently kept pace with their growth. His mastery of various shadow clone tactics and earth and water ninjutsu allowed him to hold his own against Chunin-level opponents in the clan.
As a result, he firmly believed that, apart from Kirito and Chizuru, he was the strongest in the class.
"Don't underestimate your opponent, Nawaki. I've told you that countless times," Kirito reminded him as he left.
"Yes, yes, yes," Nawaki replied casually, his attention now fixed on his upcoming opponent.
Hana timidly emerged from the crowd. When she passed by Kirito, who was smiling and watching her, her head instinctively lowered.
"Go for it, Hana," Kirito whispered as Hyuuga Hana passed by.
Hana's eyes widened in surprise, a faint smile gracing her lips. Her gaze turned resolute as she opened her Byakugan.
In an instant, Hinata Hana's demeanor underwent a dramatic transformation. The submissive and timid girl that Nawaki had initially seen gave way to a stronger, more confident presence.
"Hyuuga Hana, Please instruct me," Nawaki said with determination, completing the battle seal.
Hana's white eyes focused on Nawaki as she responded with a gentle nod. "Very well, I accept your challenge."
"Soft fist, I hope this time it will be a thrilling duel," Kirito thought with anticipation as he observed Hyuuga Hana's stance.
Soft Fist, one of Konoha's two main body art schools, had been passed down through generations by the Hyuga clan, Konoha's noble family. When combined with the limitless potential of the Byakugan, Soft Fist could channel chakra into the opponent's body, blocking their chakra points and causing internal damage.
This technique allowed Soft Fist users to bypass an opponent's physical defenses. While it might appear weaker than the Steel Fist style's straightforward attacks, Soft Fist's true power lay in its insidious nature. A single strike could result in severe internal injuries, and the chakra infused during the attack continued to harm the enemy's interior. These internal injuries were challenging to heal and acted as a lingering debuff on the victim.
Moreover, Soft Fist had the ability to seal an opponent's chakra points, disrupting or even blocking their chakra flow. This made it particularly effective against ninjas with abundant but poorly controlled chakra reserves.
Kirito was highly interested in jutsu like Soft Fist because he had a strong aversion to chakra-heavy ninjas. Unrestrained, they became formidable fortresses of ninjutsu. Thanks to his sage Physiology, he could absorb natural energy to enhance his physical abilities, making him naturally gifted in terms of strength and speed.
His physical prowess still outmatched Nawaki, and Chizuru, whom could only keep up by utilizing lightning attribute chakra's secret techniques to enhance her speed.
Soft Fist was the perfect weapon to counter those with massive chakra reserves, and mastering it could help Kirito restrain such formidable foes.
However, he lacked the bloodline limit, like Byakugan, that would unlock Soft Fist's full potential.
Despite that limitation, he was determined to learn the basics of Soft Fist because it also aided in opening chakra points throughout the body.
Hyuuga Hana and Nawaki, following Mitarai Wasabi's command, engaged in combat immediately.
Nawaki wasted no time and hurled several shurikens at Hana. She swiftly drew Kunai from her pouch and used them to block the projectiles, closing the distance between them.
Nawaki, well aware of the potency of Hyuuga's Gentle Fist, decided to retreat immediately. However, Hyuuga Hana's speed took him by surprise. With each step he took back, she managed to close the gap by two steps, preventing him from activating the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique in time.
Nawaki, having learned from his numerous defeats at Kirito's hands, made a swift decision. He leaped into the air and threw down several shurikens, forcing Hinata Hana to halt and use her Kunai for defense. He used this opportunity to buy time to perform a sealing jutsu.
As the white smoke cleared, more than a dozen ropetrees appeared in the air, signaling the activation of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. However, Hyuuga Hana had also completed her own handseal.
"The Water ninjutsu seal," Kirito remarked in surprise as he witnessed Hyuuga Hana's hand seal for her technique.
He certainly hadn't anticipated that Hana, a Hyuuga clan ninja, would possess proficiency in ninjutsu. Most Hyuuga clan members focused their efforts on mastering the Gentle Fist technique and rarely invested time in learning additional ninjutsu.
After Hyuuga Hana completed her handseal, she conjured a slender whip made of water that materialized in her hand and swiftly lashed out towards Nawaki body. Her Byakugan allowed her to see through the white smoke generated by the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, enabling her to lock onto Nawaki position.
Water Release·Water Whip.
Nawaki, unwilling to be struck, had his shadow clones toss him aside, causing the water whip to target a clone instead. Seizing the opportunity, Nawaki activated the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique once more, creating over ten additional shadow clones.
Simultaneously, the shadow clones produced by Nawaki initial Multiple Shadow Clone Technique began to perform sealing jutsu.
In response, Hana extended the long water whip in her hand, infusing it with a thin layer of chakra. She then manipulated it freely in mid-air, weaving more than a dozen strands that pierced through the ropetree shadow clones, ultimately aiming for Nawaki last remaining body.
"Excellent! With her remarkable observation abilities from the Byakugan and the precise chakra control honed through the Soft Fist practice, she has transformed a simple water whip, which typically serves as a restraining tool, into a versatile and extendable weapon," Kirito praised, unable to contain his applause.
The use of ninjutsu should be flexible and adaptable, with its effectiveness depending on the ninja's understanding of it.
Chizuru, standing nearby, heard Kirito's words and observed the smile on his face. She frowned slightly, hummed softly, and activated her Sharingan to closely watch the battle between Nawaki and Hana.
At this point, Nawaki found himself locked in a tough battle. Hana had successfully pinpointed Nawaki's main body using the incredible observational power of her Byakugan. She continued to assault him with her versatile water whip, forcing Nawaki to abandon casting jutsu, dodge her attacks, and rely on his shadow clones for assistance.
Hana was adept at countering Nawaki's crowd-control tactics.
The limitations of Ropetree Chakra, particularly its poor control and slow hand seals, became evident during this battle. Aside from the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, which required only one seal to release, the other jutsu mastered by Nawaki were challenging to cast successfully under the threat of Hana water whip.
Over time, most of Nawaki shadow clones were eliminated by Hana. Consequently, Nawaki had to resort to repeatedly sealing and using the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to create new clones as a defense against Hana's onslaught.
"It's incredible. Who would've thought that Hana would be this strong?"
"Yeah, it's surprising to see Hana holding her own against Nawaki. I won't underestimate her anymore."
"Hana, you're amazing! You defeated Nawaki !"
Classmates who had gathered to witness the battle were astonished by Hana exceptional performance. Despite her usual unassuming demeanor, they were now witnessing her formidable skills.
"I never expected to find such a remarkable individual within the Hyuga clan. Her mastery of Water Release, the Water Flow Whip, and Water Escape ninjutsu is remarkable. Her agility and control are like second nature. She's also opened her Byakugan at such a young age and wields it so effectively. Konoha's new generation is truly full of surprises," the Third Hokage remarked while observing the battle between Nawaki and Hana hyuuga through a telescope technique.
------------------------------------------------------------------an exciting battle, who do you think will win ?
Don't forget to comment and drop your stones !