The arena erupted in a thunderous explosion, flames and smoke billowing across the battlefield. Kayami Hyuga and Chiba landed simultaneously, their feet touching the ground with a soft tap.
Chiba gritted his teeth as he surveyed the chaos before him. His gaze dropped to his foot, where angry red scorch marks marred his skin. Pain radiated from his toes, a stark reminder of his narrow escape. He had been a fraction too slow in dodging, and the blast had caught him.
'Only one-third of my chakra left in Eight Gates mode,' Chiba mused, frustration evident in his furrowed brow. 'The physical exertion seems much more intense, slowing my reactions.' He realized that battling in the Gate of Life mode still felt uncomfortable, with too few opportunities to fight openly. This disadvantage of hiding his strength would need to be addressed in the future.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Chiba turned his attention to Kayami Hyuga. A familiar, unsettling sensation washed over him, reminiscent of being trapped in a quagmire. Kayami had assumed a similar posture, heightening Chiba's unease.
Without pausing to catch his breath, Chiba reached into the ninja bag Hirohiko had given him before the match. He couldn't allow Kayami to make the first move.
Across the field, Kayami cast a sidelong glance at Minato Namikaze, the proctor overseeing their battle. 'I must end this quickly,' Kayami thought, his jaw clenching. 'That elite Jonin won't let this continue much longer.' His fingers twitched, and four shuriken materialized between his knuckles.
In a fluid motion, Kayami launched the projectiles toward Chiba. The metal stars whistled through the air, their deadly edges glinting in the sunlight.
Chiba's hands blurred as he formed the final "Yin" seal. "*Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!*" he called out, his voice steady despite the impending danger.
His shurikens multiplied mid-flight, their numbers doubling, then doubling again. Within seconds, sixty-four identical weapons filled the air, leaving no room for evasion.
Kayami's eyes widened in disbelief. 'Impossible,' he thought, his mind reeling. 'That's the Third Hokage's technique. How could this brat know it?'
With no time to ponder further, Kayami's body began to spin. A blue, semicircular barrier materialized around him as he shouted, "*Rotation!*"
The shurikens struck the chakra shield with a cacophony of metallic clangs. They ricocheted in all directions, exploding into clouds of white smoke upon impact with the ground. When the barrage ended, only three of the original shuriken remained, embedded silently in the earth.
In the audience, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki watched with growing astonishment. Neither of them had taught Chiba that advanced technique, leaving them to wonder about its origin.
Back on the field, Kayami halted his rotation, a sneer forming at the corner of his mouth. He scanned the area for his opponent, but Chiba had vanished.
Instinct took over, and Kayami looked behind, anticipating Chiba's signature move. But he had fallen for a feint. A foot shot up from below, connecting fiercely with his chin and launching him skyward.
Minato's eyes widened further. "The Dancing Leaf Shadow," he murmured, recognizing the technique instantly.
In the stands, Might Guy gripped the railing, his knuckles white. "Father," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "that's my technique."
Might Dai, standing beside his son, could only stare in stunned silence.
Chiba's figure blurred as he matched Kayami's ascent, positioning himself in his opponent's shadow. They flew through the air in a graceful parabolic arc, Kayami helpless to alter their trajectory.
'Is this Lee's Dancing Leaf Shadow?' Kayami thought, gritting his teeth. 'What's next? The Strong Whirlwind?'
As if in answer to Kayami's unspoken question, Chiba twisted in the air, his leg swinging towards Kayami's right side. The kick whistled as it cut through the air, promising devastating impact.
Kayami refused to be caught off guard again. He moved his right hand to block, channeling chakra to his Tenketsu. The Gentle Fist style allowed him to release chakra from his body's pressure points, providing a formidable defense even without the full Rotation technique.
"Boom!" Right hand met right foot in a thunderous collision.
"Naive," Chiba's voice taunted from below.
Confusion flickered across Kayami's face. The impact lacked the bone-shattering force he had anticipated. 'What is he planning?'
His question was answered in the next instant. Chiba's foot bounced away, and he used the momentum of Kayami's block to rotate his body. In one fluid motion, he grabbed the back of Kayami's collar and hurled him towards the ground.
Kayami plummeted like a stone, heading straight for the crater he had created earlier with his Rotation technique. His Byakugan activated, allowing him to assess the landing zone in the split second before impact.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he noticed the pooled water at the bottom of the crater. 'Careless, Chiba,' he thought. 'That water will cushion my fall.'
The impact sent water spraying in all directions. Kayami's body ached, but the feeling of triumph outweighed the pain. He had survived what should have been a devastating attack.
Chiba landed softly beside the crater, his hands already forming new seals. Kayami struggled to his feet, preparing a counterstrike.
But Chiba was faster. As he completed the final seal, the scattered water droplets froze in mid-air.
Kayami's eyes widened as he sensed the shift in the battle. 'What—'
Before he could complete the thought, all the water in the vicinity — the suspended droplets, the pool in the crater, even the moisture clinging to Kayami's clothes — slammed together. It coalesced into a perfect sphere around Kayami, with Chiba's outstretched hand resting on its surface.
Pressure built around Kayami as he found himself unable to move or breathe. Chiba's voice, muffled by the water barrier, reached his ears:
"*Water Prison Technique.*"
The battle had reached its turning point, with Kayami trapped and Chiba in control. As the onlookers held their breath, both combatants knew that the next moments would determine the outcome of their fierce fight.