Fu, eager to take the lead, lunged at Inoiki with a swift punch, hoping to catch him off guard. But what Fu envisioned didn't unfold. Inoiki, prepared for any sudden move, activated his Kekkei Genkai, Psychokinesis. Instantly, a faint, sky-blue glow enveloped his entire body, signalling the power he'd tapped into. Though not as precise as the Sharingan's dynamic vision, Psychokinesis granted Inoiki just enough foresight to track the trajectory of Fu's attack.
As Fu's punch barrelled toward him, Inoiki met it head-on with his own strike. The impact sent both combatants skidding backward, each taking a few steps to steady themselves. Unlike the grandiose clashes of seasoned ninjas, there were no craters or gusts of wind from their collision. Neither Fu nor Inoiki were relying on ninjutsu, and their physical strength, though respectable, was still modest.
After the first exchange, it was clear neither had gained an advantage. They were evenly matched, at least for now. But Inoiki knew the truth behind his sudden burst of power. His ability to match Fu's strength came from Psychokinesis, which amplified his muscles, making him temporarily stronger. However, the cost was steep—his chakra drained rapidly with every second the technique remained active.
If this continued as a battle of brute strength, Inoiki realized he would tire first. And in that moment of exhaustion, Fu would strike, securing victory.
Inoiki shook his head, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Why am I even bothering with this? Physical strength has never been my strong suit. I'm not some brute," he thought, mentally chiding himself. "I should fight the way I know best—using my mental power."
With that realization, Inoiki decided to shift tactics. Instead of relying on sheer force, he tapped into his true power—Telekinesis, another facet of his Psychokinesis ability. Concentrating, he extended his will, and four stones around him lifted into the air. This was his current limit—he could only control four objects at once, a restriction that had frustrated him in the past but one he had come to accept.
The stones varied in size, the smallest no bigger than a tennis ball, the largest roughly the size of a football. Though their shapes were rough and uneven, that mattered little when they were under his control. With a flick of his mind, Inoiki sent them hurtling toward Fu with blinding speed, each rock becoming a deadly projectile.
The air buzzed with energy as the stones streaked forward, targeting Fu with precision. No longer interested in a contest of brute strength, Inoiki was now using the battlefield itself as a weapon.
Fu, still steadying himself from the earlier punch, moved swiftly to close the distance between himself and Inoiki, hoping to engage in close combat once again. But his plan was thwarted. As he advanced, four stones suddenly lifted from the ground, propelled toward him with blinding speed.
Fu's instincts kicked in. Two of the stones were already headed straight for him. Realizing that attacking Inoiki was no longer an option, he quickly abandoned his approach, retreating instead. With a swift motion, he unsheathed the short katana strapped to his back, a weapon generally wielded by ROOT ninjas for ROOT's Assassination Technique. His blade shimmered as he sliced through the air, aiming to intercept the largest stone.
With a single strike, Fu split the football-sized rock into four diagonal pieces, successfully stopping it in its tracks. But in focusing on the largest threat, he left himself vulnerable to the remaining stones. They struck with brutal accuracy—one slamming into his stomach, and the others hitting his thighs. The impact sent him flying backward, his body crashing to the ground, pain rippling through him.
Despite the agony that coursed through his body, Fu's mind stayed sharp. Acting quickly, he performed the Body Replacement Technique. In a flash, his form vanished, replaced by a wooden block. Hidden behind a nearby tree, Fu appeared, his face contorted in pain. A violent urge to cough welled up inside him from the hit to his stomach, but he stifled it, knowing that even the smallest sound could betray his location.
Gritting his teeth, Fu kept himself concealed, waiting for the right moment to strike back.
As Fu crouched behind the tree, he replayed the recent attack in his mind. His thoughts raced. "What kind of ability was that?" he wondered, recalling the precise movement of the stones. "Is this part of Inoiki's Kekkei Genkai? Some kind of power to control objects remotely? It has to be." The more he thought about it, the more confident he became. "No doubt about it. The way those stones moved—it's definitely tied to Inoiki's Kekkei Genkai. His technique isn't just random."
Fu's instincts urged him to strike back, but the situation called for caution. Under different circumstances, he might have tried the advanced Mind Ninjutsu of the Yamanaka clan, techniques that could incapacitate an enemy by taking control of their thoughts. But there was a glaring problem—Inoiki himself hailed from the Yamanaka clan. His combat style made that clear, and Fu knew better than to underestimate an opponent from such a lineage.
"Using Mind Ninjutsu against him would be too risky," Fu mused. "If he's as skilled as I think, any attempt to invade his mind could backfire. I might end up being the one trapped."
Inoiki wasn't a novice. Fu had no choice but to adapt and find another opening, knowing that he couldn't rely on tricks that might normally give him an edge. He would need to outthink Inoiki without risking a mental clash that could leave him vulnerable.
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