The dawn of the third day brought with it a palpable tension in the air of Kirigakure. The fog, thicker than usual, seemed reluctant to leave the academy arena, as if trying to hide what was about to happen.
The stands had filled not only with students but also with more sinister figures.
The ANBU, their white masks glowing faintly in the morning mist, occupied strategic positions around the arena. Two of them.
The examiners, led by Fujimoto-sensei, sat in their designated seats, evaluation scrolls already spread out before them.
The quarterfinals were about to begin, and the atmosphere was electric. Students eliminated in previous rounds crowded into the stands, some still bandaged from injuries from the previous days.
The winners who had earned their spots at this stage displayed varying degrees of tension: Misaki sat on the sidelines, her eyes already tinged with red; Jun'ko drummed her fingers nervously on the railing; Yukiko exuded her usual cool control.
Fujimoto-sensei stood up, his voice cutting through the morning mist:
"First match of the quarterfinals: Hōzuki Hiroshi vs. Karatachi Shinji."
The two contestants descended into the arena. Hiroshi, one of the heirs to the Hōzuki clan, moved with the fluidity characteristic of his clan, his body occasionally displaying the watery translucence typical of his kekkei genkai. Shinji, on the other hand, seemed to be almost dragging his feet toward the center of the arena, yawning repeatedly as small coral crystals formed absentmindedly on his toes.
"Finally!" Hiroshi smiled arrogantly, his tone betraying months of pent-up rivalry. "I hope you slept well, Shinji. I wouldn't want you to fall asleep during our match." Shinji yawned once more, the coral crystals dancing lazily between his fingers. "I was actually having a beautiful dream..." he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "There was this little coral duck that..."
"Start!" Fujimoto-sensei's voice cut through the air like a blade, starting the fight.
Hiroshi wasted no time. In a series of fluid movements, his body partially transformed into water as he executed a combination of strikes. "Suiton: Water Fist Barrage!"
Shinji dodged the first few strikes, but the third struck him in the shoulder, sending him reeling. "Ow... that really woke me up," he muttered, his expression suddenly becoming more focused.
"Oh? You finally deign to fight for real?" Hiroshi grinned, preparing his next technique. "Suiton: Mizurappa!"
The jet of water shot toward Shinji, who responded by creating a barrier of coral. The structure crumbled under the impact, but it had done its job.
"You know, Hiroshi," Shinji said, his usual drowsiness giving way to an uncharacteristic calm, "our clan can manipulate coral even without water. It's the chakra that counts." Small crystals began to emerge from the ground. "And my chakra... can create coral anywhere."
Hiroshi wasn't intimidated. Alternating between solid and liquid forms, he began to press Shinji with a series of coordinated attacks. "Don't underestimate the Hōzuki clan!" His water transformation technique, while not perfect, showed hours of dedicated practice.
"I don't do that," Shinji replied, as more elaborate coral formations emerged from the ground. "That's why I can't fool around anymore."
The fight intensified. Hiroshi was demonstrating why he was the top ranked, his mastery of water techniques surpassing the academy's standard. But Shinji, now fully awake, was responding with a precision that surprised many.
"Coral Maze Technique," Shinji muttered, creating a miniature maze of coral formations. They weren't particularly durable, but their arrangement was designed to limit Hiroshi's movement.
"Not bad," Hiroshi admitted, his watery form sliding between the barriers. "But not good enough!" It suddenly condensed, generating a pressure wave that shattered several formations.
It was then that Shinji revealed his strategy. "Super Mega... no, sorry, this is serious: Coral Crystallization Network!"
The shattered coral fragments began to merge with Hiroshi's chakra, creating a crystalline network that, while weak, limited his ability to maintain his liquid form.
"My clan's chakra," Shinji explained with uncharacteristic seriousness, "can crystallize other people's chakra if I know how to manipulate it."
Hiroshi found himself forced to hold himself solid, his movements increasingly limited by the expanding crystalline network. In a final attempt to free himself, he concentrated his chakra for a full transformation, but the crystals were now too widespread.
"Match," Fujimoto-sensei declared.
"You really made me sweat," Shinji smiled, returning to his usual relaxed tone as he helped Hiroshi free himself from the crystals. "Now I can go back to dreaming about that duck..."
"Next time it won't be so easy," Hiroshi promised, but there was respect in his tone.
From the bleachers, Ren watched thoughtfully. He had seen a different side to both of his classmates: the determination hidden beneath Shinji's laziness and the true skill behind Hiroshi's arrogance. It was a reminder that in Kirigakure, nothing was ever as it first seemed.
"Next match," Fujimoto-sensei said, the silence that followed his words heavier than the fog itself. "Mizutani Ren vs. Kurushimi Misaki."
The spectators unconsciously leaned forward, curious to see how the youngest in the class would fare against the heir to one of Kirigakure's most feared clans.