After a week had passed, Arashi had made great progress, practising 8 hours a day straight, trying to master the 6 jutsus he had picked. Apart from the body flicker jutsu, he had managed to completely master the other jutsus without casting handsigns, improving his ninjutsu slightly.
Since he had not been getting any quests, he continued to complete the daily quests raising his level by 2. His Strength, Physique and Speed Stats now had broken through to
"Today we will be holding a taijutsu tournament to hone your abilities to fight. Taijutsu is extremely important to a ninja, just as important as ninjutsu so I don't want any slackers. The first to fight will be Kazuki Uchiha vs Renji Hyuga." Hiroshi-sensei announced.
Arashi watched intently as Kazuki Uchiha and Renji Hyuga took their positions in the center of the training ground. The air was thick with anticipation, the clash between two prominent clans always drawing significant interest.
Hiroshi-sensei raised his hand and then brought it down sharply. "Begin!"
Kazuki and Renji immediately adopted their respective fighting stances, the Sharingan of the Uchiha and the Byakugan of the Hyuga flaring to life. Kazuki moved first, darting forward with incredible speed, attempting to land a series of rapid punches.
Renji, with the precise and calculated movements characteristic of the Hyuga, deflected each blow with his Gentle Fist style, aiming to disrupt Kazuki's chakra flow.
The fight was intense, a blur of movement and technique. Kazuki's aggressive assaults were met with Renji's impeccable defense and counterattacks. Arashi observed the fluidity of their movements, the way they predicted each other's actions. It was clear that they had been training rigorously, their proficiency a testament to their clans' rigorous training regimens.
As the match progressed, Arashi noted Kazuki's use of his Sharingan to anticipate Renji's moves, while Renji utilized his Byakugan to target Kazuki's chakra points. The battle was a dance of offense and defense, each boy giving it his all. Eventually, after a series of intense exchanges, Renji managed to land a decisive blow to Kazuki's abdomen, causing him to stagger back and fall to one knee.
Hiroshi-sensei stepped forward. "The winner is Renji Hyuga!"
The spectators erupted in applause. Kazuki got up, looking disappointed but accepting his defeat gracefully. Renji, too, showed respect, offering Kazuki a hand to help him up.
Arashi clenched his fists, feeling a surge of excitement. The gap between him and the clan members was evident, but it also fueled his resolve to improve. He knew that with his daily training and the progress he had been making, he could easily surpass him.
As the next pairs of students were called up, Arashi continued to watch, analysing their techniques and strategies. Each match provided him with insights and ideas for his own training. He paid particular attention to their taijutsu styles, understanding that his own frail physique needed a unique approach to maximize his strengths.
Finally, after several rounds, Hiroshi-sensei called out, "Next match, Arashi vs. Taro."
Arashi's heart was calm as he stepped forward, a smile wanting to creep across his face from his hidden excitement to fight. Taro was a well-built boy with a reputation for his strength. Arashi knew this would be a challenging match, but he also saw it as an opportunity to test his own strength.
"Begin!" Hiroshi-sensei announced.
Taro wasted no time, charging at Arashi with a powerful punch. Arashi, having anticipated this, sidestepped quickly, utilising his improved speed. He countered with a swift kick to Taro's side, which Taro blocked, but the force of the kick made him step back, eyes widening in surprise at Arashi's power.
'I thought he was a weakling. He must have been training.' Taro thought, throwing two roundhouse kicks in succession.
Arashi moved fluidly, avoiding Taro's attacks and striking back whenever he saw an opening. He used quick, precise movements, aiming to exploit any weaknesses in Taro's stance.
Despite his slender build, Arashi's strikes were slowly building damage over Taro's muscular build. Arashi knew if he got hit once, his body would get crushed, therefore, he extended his focus to the max.
He focused on maintaining his agility, dodging Taro's heavier blows and countering with sharp, targeted hits.
The battle continued, with both boys giving their all. The rest of the students were taken aback, by the performance, each one knew how powerful Taro's blows were, but they hadn't seen him even land a punch. To their eyes, it looked as if Taro's fists would miss by centimeters from Arashi's body.
Taro's frustration grew as he struggled to land a decisive blow, while Arashi remained calm and focused. Finally, seizing a moment of overextension from Taro, Arashi delivered a swift uppercut, followed by a low sweep, knocking Taro off balance and onto the ground. He leapt on him, his fist drawn backwards.
"Winner, Arashi!" Hiroshi-sensei declared, a hint of surprise in his voice.
Arashi helped Taro up, earning a nod of respect from his opponent. The applause from his peers felt gratifying. He had proven to himself that his hard work was paying off, but he also realised there was much more to learn and achieve. He had to improve his body quick. Arashi smiled at his peers, before going down to a bench and sitting down to rest. His muscles were on fire, after he had overexerted them.
"That was a great battle. You have improved a lot Arashi, based on your records, I expected you to lose but you managed to pull through. I'm positively surprised." Hiroshi-sensei spoke, appearing next to him.
"Thank you sensei, my sister has been training me and has been helping me improve. I'm finally being able to improve due to her help. It's all thanks to her." Arashi smiled back with an innocent smile.
'I will have to show off more, to get on Hiruzen's radar. I should master the body flicker very soon, then I will start learning elemental techniques.' he thought.
"Mmh, your sister is a Chunin, Akira right? Good job. Keep up the good work and let the will of fire burn inside you!" He smacked Arashi's back, causing him to wince.
As Hiroshi-sensei walked away, Arashi felt a gaze on him, when he looked in the direction, he spotted Renji looking at him with his byakugan active.
'What is he even trying to see looking at me like that? Weird guy.' Arashi ignored the young hyuga, concentrating again on the battles occurring.
After several battles, the tournament was concluded. Renji came first, followed by the 2 Uchiha, Taro, and then Arashi, which came as a big surprise to the others.