"Second semi-final match," Fujimoto-sensei announced. "Yuki Yukiko versus Karatachi Shinji."
"Begin!"
Yukiko wasted no time. "Kirigakure no Jutsu!" The mist rose rapidly, enveloping the arena. But something was different - small ice crystals danced in the mist, reflecting light in unpredictable ways.
"Oh?" Shinji's voice seemed to come from multiple directions. "Icy mist? Creative."
A kunai streaked through the mist, followed immediately by thin needles of ice. Where the kunai struck, the distinctive 'poof' of the substitution technique could be heard.
"Miss," Shinji chuckled, as small coral formations emerged from the ground in seemingly random patterns. "You know, my coral grows also in humidity..."
The mist moved in unnatural currents as Yukiko tried to locate her opponent. Ice needles continued to form and shoot through the mist, but Shinji always seemed one step ahead, replacing himself with coral pieces at the last second.
"Stop playing," Yukiko's voice betrayed a hint of irritation. The temperature in the arena dropped sharply as she focused her chakra.
"I'm not playing," Shinji replied, now visible on a coral formation. "I'm just... improvising."
' Is he hiding his skills or is he just as lazy as or more than Shikamaru?' Ren thought.
The fight intensified. Yukiko alternated between mist and ice, creating increasingly elaborate traps. Shinji responded with his chaotic but strangely effective style, the coral seeming to grow according to its own logic.
"Technically," Aoi muttered from the bleachers, "the mist should give Yukiko the advantage, but Shinji is using the moisture to fuel the growth of his coral."
"Shut up and watch," Jun'ko interrupted, her eyes fixed on the arena.
A crucial moment came when Yukiko finally managed to trap Shinji in a corner, surrounding him with a series of ice spikes. But instead of worrying, Shinji smiled.
"You know what's great about coral?" he said as his latest substitution carried him to safety. "It doesn't need to think to grow. It just does."
That's when Yukiko noticed - she was using more chakra than expected. The combination of mist and ice, while effective, was draining her reserves faster than she'd calculated. His attacks, once precise and deadly, were starting to show inaccuracies.
Shinji seized the moment. In a motion that felt more like a sleepy dance than a fighting technique, he caused the coral to grow in an upward spiral around Yukiko. It wasn't a direct attack—it almost felt… gentle.
"Sometimes," he said as Yukiko struggled to break free, her ice forming more and more slowly, "victory lies not in striking harder, but in waiting for the right moment."
The coral continued to grow, not aggressively but inexorably, as Yukiko's strength visibly diminished. Her final attempt to create ice produced little more than frost.
"Match," Fujimoto-sensei declared. "Winner: Karatachi Shinji."
The mist slowly dissipated, revealing a transformed arena—coral and ice intertwining in almost artistic shapes.
"You tricked me," Yukiko said as Shinji helped her free herself from the coral. "You made it look like I was just playing..."
"Actually," Shinji yawned, "I really was half asleep. But sometimes dreams have a logic, don't they?"
From the stands, Ren watched thoughtfully. The fight had revealed more than just the combatants' skills—it had shown that victory could come in the most unexpected ways.
"The final will be between Kurushimi Misaki and Karatachi Shinji," Fujimoto-sensei announced.
"The match will be tomorrow."
As the students dispersed, the ANBU in the stands exchanged meaningful glances. This group of young ninja were showing interesting potential—not just in strength, but in their ability to think outside the box.
The mist returned to cover the arena, obscuring the traces of the battle.
- At the same time -
The mist tinged Kirigakure's main arena red as the sun set on the third-year trials. From his seat of honor, the Third Mizukage watched impassively below him, his fingers drumming rhythmically on the armrest of his seat.
"How many left?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"Twelve, Mizukage-sama," the ANBU to his right replied. "Five… failed the trial."
A heavy silence followed those words. There was no need to specify what "fail the trial" meant in Kirigakure.
In the bloody mist of the arena, a brown-haired figure moved with deadly grace. Terumi Mei, avoided the attacks of her classmates with a fluidity that bordered on art. Her kekkei genkai, made her uniquely suited to the Kirigakure mist.
"That girl..." the Mizukage murmured, his eyes following Mei's movements. "She has potential."
"She survived longer than we expected," the ANBU agreed. "And her style...is unusual."
"Not just unusual," the Mizukage leaned forward slightly as Mei neutralized another opponent with surgical precision. "It's innovative. She uses the mist not only to hide, but as an extension of her kekkei genkai."
A strangled cry rippled through the arena, followed by the heavy silence that only death can bring. The sixth fallen of the day.
"The ANBU have suffered heavy losses in the past year," the Mizukage said, more to himself than to his subordinate. "Perhaps it's time to swell the ranks with new blood."
In the mist below them, Mei completed another elimination. There was no joy on her face, only the cold efficiency of someone who understands that in Kirigakure, survival requires more than mere strength.
"Have the papers prepared," the Mizukage ordered. "I want her to begin ANBU training immediately after these exams. As long as she survive, of course."
The ANBU nodded silently as the carnage in the arena continued.