(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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As the match began, Colt stood calmly while Temari quickly backed away, fully unfolding her giant fan.
"Wind Style: Sickle Weasel Jutsu!"
"Wind Shield Tornado!"
"Wind Shield Net!"
With three Wind Style jutsu in rapid succession, the entire arena was filled with gusts of wind.
Temari was already slightly out of breath. It was still too taxing for her, but she had to, against an opponent like Colt.
The more continuous the release of Jutsus, the greater the physical burden on the ninja. This was a fact.
Colt formed hand seals swiftly, at a rate of three per second. That was enough.
"Water Style: Water Barrier!"
A large amount of water appeared on the ground, swirling around Colt in the center. The continuous gusts of wind were absorbed by the water, causing it to grow higher and higher.
"What an impressive Water Style," even Orochimaru had to admit.
"Water Style of this magnitude is rarely seen."
A smile bloomed on the Third Hokage's face. It was a face full of pride.
The audience exclaimed in awe. What was the purpose of their coming to watch the battle if not to see all kinds of magical ninjutsu duels? This display alone was worth the price of admission!
As the water reached dozens of meters high, Colt knew it was time.
He clenched his right hand and commanded softly, "Disperse!"
Immediately, the entire water column exploded, showering the arena in a sudden downpour. Far from being angry, the crowd grew even more excited. Colt and Temari seemed to have inadvertently collaborated to bring a refreshing coolness to the hot summer day.
"This guy!" Temari gritted her teeth and raised her hand.
"Proctor, I forfeit!"
Genma appeared beside her to confirm.
"I give up. I don't want to fight this guy anymore," Temari repeated, hanging her fan behind her back as she walked out of the arena.
She had achieved her purpose, which was to show that she had some tricks and Jutsus to use, but just was not a match for Colt.
Colt was stunned, not expecting such an abrupt end. Genma urged him to hurry, not wanting to delay the next match.
Colt shook his head and made his way to the stands, sitting next to Kurenai, seemingly by chance.
"Well done," Kurenai said, her complexion as composed as ever. No one could tell they had woken up in the same bed that morning.
Soon, the second match began: Naruto Uzumaki vs Shikamaru Nara.
Looking at the lazy Shikamaru and the energetic Naruto, the crowd's enthusiasm waned a bit. The previous match had featured a handsome boy and a beautiful girl, while these two didn't look particularly impressive.
As soon as the match started, Naruto unleashed his Shadow Clone army. Shikamaru, whose physical skills were average, was forced to scramble against the onslaught of clones.
However, Shikamaru managed to control Naruto through the shadow extended by the Shadow Clones. He made Naruto dig through his own ninja pouch, pulling out a stack of paper bombs. Shikamaru himself hadn't brought any explosives at all.
"Proctor, can we call the match?" Shikamaru asked Genma, looking at the proctor meaningfully.
Seeing Shikamaru empty-handed while Naruto held paper bombs, Genma nodded. "Second match, Shikamaru Nara wins!"
Even after exiting the arena, Naruto couldn't understand how he had lost so inexplicably. A group of Jonin, however, had noticed Shikamaru's brilliance. His mind was truly exceptional.
Only Colt shook his head. This victory wasn't necessarily good for Shikamaru. Sometimes, too much confidence in one's intellect can lead to stagnation in strength. Raw power was the foundation of everything, and Colt hoped Shikamaru would learn this truth sooner rather than later.
Naruto ran over seeking comfort. With Kakashi and Sasuke away, he could only turn to Colt.
"If you don't think during a fight, how do you expect to break free when Shikamaru traps you?" Colt chided. Naruto's current chakra, if fully released, could definitely break free from the Shadow Possession Jutsu. But the idiot had just stood there stupidly, letting Shikamaru toy with him.
"Hehe, I'll pay attention next time," Naruto replied sheepishly.
Seeing Naruto's silly expression, Colt said no more.
'This troublesome brat…'
The next match was the real highlight.
Soon, Hinata and Ino entered the arena.
The two young beauties, one cute and the other beautiful, immediately captured the audience's attention.
"Go, Hinata!"
"You too, Ino!"
The girls encouraged each other like sisters, making Genma's mouth twitch. This was a tournament, not a training ground.
Unfortunately for him, Hinata and Ino had already planned out their match, treating it more like a performance.
Ino took the lead, throwing a kunai while forming hand seals.
"Ninja Art: Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!"
The paper bomb tied to the kunai ignited, and after the explosion, a new paper bomb appeared, one after another.
On the high platform, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly.
This was a jutsu of a certain person he admired… the Second Hokage.
Colt felt relieved. He had spent months teaching Ino this technique, and she had finally mastered it.
Hinata remained calm, her body spinning rapidly as chakra erupted from her tenketsu points.
"Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation!"
The endless explosions and smoke were kept at bay by the Rotation.
"Hinata-sama has made great progress!" Neji, sitting next to Hiashi, commented with emotion. Hiashi seemed a bit displeased.
"Neji, you can just call her Hinata from now on."
"Hiashi-sama, a certain level of proper etiquette must be kept," Neji respectfully declined, leaving Hiashi helpless.
He was being a bit too rigid.
The confrontation between the two girls continued, looking impressive but actually carefully choreographed. Ino used her clan's secret techniques, while Hinata showed off the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
In the end, Ino pretended to be exhausted and conceded the match.
Their "spectacular" performance won warm applause from the crowd.
The next match was supposed to be Sasuke vs Gaara.
However, Sasuke still hadn't shown up, leaving Genma unsure of how to proceed.
"Lord Hokage, since Sasuke Uchiha hasn't arrived yet, perhaps we could wait a while longer," Orochimaru suggested.
The Third Hokage frowned, feeling it was impolite to keep the audience waiting.
"I believe no one would mind. After all, many came to see the last of the Uchiha bloodline. Even I did," Orochimaru smiled lightly.
The Third Hokage finally decided, "We'll wait ten minutes. If he doesn't arrive by then, he'll be disqualified."
A ninja soon informed the audience of this decision. Most people didn't mind the delay, using the time to take care of personal matters.
Gaara stood silently in place, motionless.
Time passed slowly.
In the very last second of the allotted time, Sasuke and Kakashi appeared in a swirl of leaves, making a flashy entrance!