The moment the judge gave the signal, Toji and Akane charged toward each other. Akane wielded her blade while Toji held a kunai. Just as they were about to clash, with only a few steps between them, Toji quickly formed a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Two clones appeared on either side of him and immediately flickered, surrounding Akane from three sides. Within seconds, she was under attack from all angles.
Akane swung her sword, aiming at one of the clones. It raised its kunai to block her strike, but the moment the weapons clashed, the clone was dispelled in a puff of smoke.
[Her attacks send chakra shockwaves, interesting,] Toji noted, his mind working even as he engaged in combat.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Sugeru practically bounced in excitement. "Whoa, that was just like Maki-san's attacks!"
Yuji, watching with arms crossed, nodded. "It's still a much weaker version. I saw Maki and Mei spar once, and even from far away, we could feel the shockwaves every time Maki attacked."
"Of course it's weaker," Kaoru added, keeping his Suijingan active to analyze every detail. "There's a huge gap between Maki and Akane. But the fact that Akane learned this so quickly is already impressive."
As much as Kaoru wanted to study Akane's progress, Toji's chakra caught his attention. The Senju's reserves were even more impressive than what Kaoru had seen in the forest. His control over his chakra reserves was also exceptional.
Suddenly Kaoru's dojutsu caught the faint glow surrounding Toji's body. It was subtle—almost invisible to the naked eye—but to Kaoru, it was clear. [That's the Senju clan's chakra enhancement technique? I wonder which is stronger—this or the Shifting Flow Sword Style's chakra rotation technique?]
Toji closed the distance, aiming a punch at Akane's torso. He made no effort to mask which one was the real him—he didn't feel like he needed to.
Akane didn't hesitate. She blocked his attack effortlessly with her left arm.
Toji's eyes widened slightly. [She blocked my chakra-enhanced strike like it was nothing?]
He immediately adjusted his analysis. [She must be using some kind of body-strengthening method. There's no way her natural physique is stronger than mine.]
Toji wasn't arrogant, but he knew that even among the other kids from Konoha's elite clans, his chakra reserves and natural physical capabilities stood out. He was built differently. He had always been confident that, in terms of pure strength, he had the upper hand. But that confidence wavered when Akane pushed his arm aside and smoothly transitioned into a spinning roundhouse kick.ew
Toji moved to counter. His instincts screamed that blocking with one arm wouldn't be enough, so he braced himself with both.
The moment her kick connected, he felt the force ripple through his body.
[There's no way—she's actually stronger than me?]
For the first time, doubt crept into Toji's thoughts. But he quickly adjusted again. [No… either that, or her body-enhancement technique is superior. That's more believable than her being naturally stronger than me.]
Recovering quickly, Toji retaliated with a kick of his own. Akane raised her arm to block it, but the brief moment it took her to brace herself was all Toji needed. He flickered backward, increasing the distance between them.
[I could probably outlast her and win in a pure taijutsu battle, but there's no need for that. I should force her into a different fight—one where I hold the advantage.]
His hands came together, forming seals at a speed that barely slowed despite the bruises on his arms.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu."
A massive water dragon rose from the ground, its form shaping as more water gathered around it. Then, with a deafening roar, it surged toward Akane. For a fight between two genin, the sheer size of the technique was impressive, and the crowd gasped in anticipation.
But Akane didn't flinch. Her hands moved swiftly through a sequence of seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall."
A solid, towering wall erupted from the ground, cutting off Toji's line of sight. He knew his water dragon would crack through it, but its strength would be significantly weakened by the impact. Akane knew that too. She was already forming another set of hand seals.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon."
Beside her, flames twisted into the shape of a serpent, its body coiling as it took form. While not as massive as Toji's water dragon, it radiated intense heat and energy. Akane was counting on the fact that Toji couldn't see it behind the wall.
From the stands, Sugeru's eyes lit up. "She's using the earth wall to weaken Toji's water dragon, and then her fire dragon will overpower it and hit him!"
Kaoru, however, shook his head. "It won't work."
Shin nodded in agreement. The rest of the Takimura students didn't understand why, but they were about to find out.
Just as Akane planned, the water dragon crashed into the earth wall, shattering it. Debris flew in all directions, and the water dragon, now visibly slower and weaker, had become slightly muddy. But it didn't stop - it kept pushing forward, right into the path of Akane's fire dragon.
The two massive elemental beasts clashed. A sharp hissing sound filled the arena as steam exploded outward, covering the battlefield in thick mist. The crowd watched in awe as the swirling red glow of Akane's fire dragon burst through, continuing its charge toward Toji's last known position.
But Toji wasn't there.
Toji's exceptional chakra control wasn't something he was simply born with, it was the result of relentless training. On top of that, he had honed his sensory abilities to an impressive degree. With his massive chakra reserves, he could easily detect Akane preparing another technique behind the wall.
From that moment, his plan was simple - wait for the dragons to collide, let the mist engulf the battlefield, and use it as cover.
And just like that, the moment the steam exploded outward, Toji vanished.
Akane's instincts screamed at her. Without hesitation, she spun on her heel and swung her blade in a wide arc - just in time. The sudden movement forced Toji to disengage, shifting into a defensive stance to block her strike.
[Damn, such a good opportunity wasted,] Toji thought, a flicker of disappointment crossing his mind. He had planned the perfect opening, but Akane's quick reaction had shut it down.
[It's fine. In terms of chakra exchange, I came out ahead. She's burned through way more chakra than I have.]
Toji never stopped analyzing his opponent, constantly adjusting his strategy. The fight wasn't over yet. Not even close.
[I've already shown everyone that I'm a sensor and that my water release is strong. That's more than I planned to reveal.] Toji sighed, mildly disappointed that his taijutsu and chakra-enhanced body hadn't been enough to win outright. [Since my water release is already exposed, I might as well show its true power.]
His hands blurred through a rapid sequence of seals.
"Water Release: Greater Flowing Wave!"
The moment the last sign was formed, Toji's chakra flared, sending a powerful ripple through the arena. Akane's eyes widened in surprise—she was already moving to attack, hoping to interrupt him before the jutsu could be completed. But the shadow clone Toji had retreated with earlier suddenly lunged, sacrificing itself to buy time for the original.
"Shadow clones are awesome," Kaoru muttered from the stands. He was about to add something else when his jaw dropped.
Toji's chakra wasn't just overwhelming—it was monstrous.
And then the wave rose.
It wasn't just large—it was massive. A towering wall of water, easily thrice the height of a grown man, stretched across the battlefield like a small tsunami. It crashed forward with relentless force, threatening to engulf everything in its path.
[If only I had that much chakra,] Kaoru thought bitterly, watching as Toji unleashed this ridiculous amount of power and still had more than two-thirds of his reserves left.
Akane had no time to dodge—there was no room, no angle, no possible way to escape. The wave was too wide, too fast. She had only one option.
Her hands flew through signs.
"Earth Release: Earth Dome!"
Just as the water roared toward her, the ground erupted upward, forming a thick dome that completely encased her. The wave crashed into it, swallowing the structure whole. The water didn't just wash over it—it pressed against it with relentless force, swirling and grinding against the earth like a liquid grinder. Cracks formed along the surface, spiderwebbing outward as the pressure built.
Then, just as the outer shell was about to give in, another, smaller dome inside remained intact.
[She exhausted herself completely and is hiding inside,] Toji thought, narrowing his eyes. He could sense her chakra within. [What do I do now? I could break through, but is there any real benefit in harming her further?]
He exhaled sharply, already thinking of his next move.
"The water's already gone, and you're out of chakra. Why don't you just surrender?" Toji called out, standing outside the cracked remains of the dome. There was no response.
"Fine, have it your way."
Without hesitation, Toji charged.
"Shin-san, we need to stop him! If Akane's really out of chakra, she won't be able to defend herself!" Sugeru shouted, already half-rising from his seat, ready to jump in if necessary.
Kaoru yanked him back without even looking.
"Shut up and watch," he said. There was no anger in his voice—just pure amusement.
Toji reached the dome, his chakra-enhanced leg snapping forward in a brutal kick. The weakened structure shattered instantly, sending debris flying everywhere. In the center, Akane stood, her blade still raised, her stance steady.
[You brought this on yourself,] Toji thought as he swung his leg toward her torso.
But instead of blocking, Akane stepped forward—arms outstretched.
She hugged him.
"Fire Release: Clone Explosion."
Toji's eyes widened in shock. The moment their bodies connected, Akane's entire form turned crimson and fiery.
[Shit.]
He clenched his teeth, bracing for impact as an explosion erupted between them. The blast wasn't big, actually it was kinda small, but it was concentrated—sharp, intense, and point-blank. When the steam and smoke cleared, Toji was still standing. His breath was ragged, his body covered in burns, his skin hissing from the lingering heat. The damage was not severe, but enough to injure him. Actually, the charred skin was already healing before the audience's eyes.
"He's a monster," Kaoru scoffed, shaking his head. "Sensei, what did he do at the last second? I saw him reinforcing his body with chakra, but that doesn't explain why he's healing so fast."
Shin nodded approvingly, arms crossed. "Yang energy. He used it to enhance his body's durability and accelerate his healing. His massive chakra reserves help too."
"But… where's Akane?" Sugeru's voice was tight with shock. Unlike Kaoru, who could see the real Akane's location, Sugeru had just watched her explode. For a second, he looked ready to break down. "She—she just—"
"She's underneath him," Kaoru said casually. "But she's out of chakra, so it doesn't really matter."
In the arena, Toji stood still for a moment, eyes still slightly widened in surprise. Then, suddenly, his lips curled into a wide, genuine grin. His excitement was unmistakable, his eyes practically glowing.
"You're strong, Terumi Akane," he said, his voice filled with admiration. "I'm gonna remember this fight for a long time."
With that, he turned and walked towards the judge, who had just stepped into the arena to announce the result.
"The winner is Toji Senju," declared the Uchiha judge.
As the announcement echoed through the arena, Akane emerged from the ground, dusting herself off. Despite her loss, she was grinning—pleased that Toji had acknowledged her in the end.
"If you'd had a little more chakra left, that explosion might've actually gotten me," Toji said, glancing over his shoulder with a small smirk before continuing toward the exit.
[She used my own sensory ability against me,] he mused as he walked, his smile lingering. [She completely suppressed her chakra after creating that second dome and left behind a barely detectable clone. To think of something like that while drowning - she's a real shinobi.]
Akane let out a small sigh. Losing stung, but she had known it was coming the moment she felt Toji's monstrous chakra reserves and saw that massive wave. The real issue wasn't just their difference in chakra—it was the fact that Toji had immediately realized she held the upper hand in taijutsu. From that moment on, he had kept his distance, never giving her a real opportunity to take the fight into close combat.
The crowd, however, wasn't the least bit disappointed. The entire arena was buzzing with excitement, not just over Toji's victory, but over the fight itself.
"Toji's a beast, but that girl is something else - Takimura's the real surprise of this tournament!"
"First that butterfly girl, now this? Takimura's putting on a show!"
"We all knew Toji would win, but that was way too close!"
"This was the best fight so far! The first one was good, but this? This was insane!"
"Where even is Takimura? I want to see their village."
There were whispers, shouts, and even a few complaints from skeptics arguing that Akane's last attack had been an attempt to kill. But in the end, one thing was clear: both fighters had left an impression.
However, not everyone in the audience was watching for entertainment.
A man in the stands quietly adjusted the bandages wrapped around part of his face before standing up. He didn't cheer, didn't murmur along with the rest of the crowd. Instead, he turned toward the exit, his movements slow and deliberate.
[Hiruzen will have to let this slide,] he thought, his expression remained completely unreadable as he disappeared into the sea of people. [I need to do this.]
**
A/N -
I wrote this fight scene a little differently this time, adding more explanations about what the fighters did and why. If you liked this approach, let me know in the comments, and I'll keep writing battles this way!
That's all for now—I'm heading out for a bit to relax before diving into the next chapter. See you soon! ^_^
Character Notes:
Toji - Shocked - "She nearly killed me…"
Akane - Happy - "I was acknowledged"
**