The battle between Kaoru and Toji was the second-most anticipated match of the round, with Mizuki vs. Itachi taking the top spot.
Kaoru had skipped the first round, and while his second-round victory was overwhelming, he hadn't revealed much of his abilities. What he did show was efficient but not flashy. His high-density water needles had relentlessly hunted down Awaraka Ken, making for a deadly but visually unimpressive fight. Only experienced shinobi recognized what a nightmare Kaoru would be to fight against. Civilians, however, craved spectacle, and that's why Mizuki had become a fan favorite.
Every time Mizuki fought, she turned the battle into a show. First, her Butterfly Inferno stunned the audience. Then, she displayed close-combat prowess before finishing her match with a perfectly executed strategy involving three massive, beautifully glowing Scorch Release orbs.
So while Kaoru and Toji were top candidates for the champion title among actual shinobi, they weren't as popular among civilians. Contestants like Mizuki, Itachi, and even Hyuga Yuki had more public appeal. That's why, despite the packed arena and the banners waving in support, the atmosphere lacked intensity—the crowd wasn't as emotionally invested in their fight.
But that was about to change very soon.
The moment the judge gave the signal, both shinobi flickered - Kaoru retreating, Toji giving chase.
Kaoru knew exactly what Toji's goal was: close combat. And if the fight went that way, Kaoru would be at a severe disadvantage. His taijutsu wasn't bad, but it wasn't his specialty either. His chakra rotation technique was still developing at a painfully slow pace, nowhere near Akane's level. And unlike Toji, who exuded raw physical strength, Kaoru wasn't naturally gifted with an exceptional constitution.
But just as Kaoru knew Toji's plan, Toji also understood Kaoru's. He attacked immediately, not just to pressure Kaoru, but to prevent him from creating distance and, most importantly, stop him from forming hand seals for that terrifying needle technique he had witnessed. Toji wanted to stay on the offensive, not the defensive.
But that was his first mistake.
No one, including Toji, knew that Kaoru wasn't molding water needles like a typical shinobi would. Instead, he was forming them through his Suijingan, manipulating water particles at will, similar to how Gaara controlled sand.
As Toji kept chasing, Kaoru's eyes glowed like cyan gemstones, their radiance catching the Senju's attention for a fleeting second.
'This guy is the epitome of gifted.' Kaoru thought, watching the seamless flow of chakra coating Toji's body, reinforcing his strength and speed. At just twelve years old, Toji already had chakra reserves above chunin level.
But raw power wasn't everything.
'Let's test him and analyze his pattern.' Kaoru's gaze sharpened. 'Unlike Ken, Toji isn't fast enough to dodge my needles forever.'
And with that thought, the attack began.
Sharp, dark blue needles formed in the air, gleaming ominously before shooting toward Toji with terrifying speed.
"How…?" Toji muttered, his instincts screaming at him to halt his charge. He barely dodged the first three needles as they pierced the ground in front of him, but before he could recover, another three were already hurtling toward him. Toji might not have been as fast as Ken, but his perception was on another level. Sensing the incoming attack, he twisted his body and leaped to the side just in time.
"So, he can form six needles at once," Itachi murmured, his eyes narrowing as he continued analyzing the fight. He had already marked both Kaoru and Toji as his main competition.
"You're thinking about it wrong," Fugaku corrected. "You should assume he can form at least six needles at once."
Fugaku was absolutely right. Kaoru had already reached the point where he could control nine different water sources simultaneously.
But even that wasn't the most impressive part.
"More importantly," Fugaku continued, his gaze sharp, "he's controlling the water without any hand seals. That's what truly stands out."
Itachi didn't react immediately, his eyes still locked on the fight. Then, without breaking focus, he said something that made Fugaku's brow twitch.
"I already knew that," Itachi said plainly. "He told me when we first met right after I showed him my Sharingan."
"You what?" Fugaku's head snapped toward his son. "You showed him your Sharingan? And he revealed his kekkei genkai to you? Why am I just hearing about this now?" His voice was low, but there was a dangerous edge to it.
Itachi finally turned his head slightly, his expression completely unbothered. "It was a secret exchange between shinobi, Father," he said with a childish sort of logic. "If I had told you, I would've been betraying the foundation of our potential friendship."
Fugaku clicked his tongue in irritation. "Tsk. Itachi, remember this well - the clan stands above everything. Even friendship."
His voice held anger, but in reality, Fugaku felt something else entirely.
Pride.
'That's my son, right there.'
But that thought brought back something painful.
'Minato…'
Minato had been the bridge between the Uchiha and Konoha. His death symbolized the widening rift that followed, but Fugaku had always known the truth. That rift hadn't formed naturally - it had been created by someone, for their own gain.
Distancing the Uchiha from Konoha always felt like a betrayal of Minato's memory. The Fourth Hokage had been both a rival and a friend, even if they weren't the closest. And only after his death did Fugaku fully realize how much he had respected him.
Now, watching Itachi act with the same effortless confidence that Minato once had, he felt a mix of pride, grief, and something close to regret.
But none of that showed on his face.
Fugaku had always done what was best for the Uchiha, and he would have to keep doing the same, even if it meant carrying the weight of his guilt. He pushed those thoughts aside and refocused on the battlefield, where Toji was struggling to turn the tide.
The Senju boy was still on the defensive, unable to close the distance as Kaoru's relentless barrage of needles kept him at bay.
'This is exactly what I was afraid of,' Toji thought, his mind racing for a way to break free from Kaoru's long-range assault. His biggest issue wasn't just Kaoru's attack speed - it was the element itself.
As a Water Release user, Toji had no illusions - Kaoru's mastery over the element was far superior. He had already seen Kaoru do uncanny things with water, controlling it in ways that weren't normal. Using Water Release would be a dangerous gamble.
'If only I could use all elements, like the Second Hokage…'
Tobirama was his idol. Toji had spent years trying to follow in his footsteps, but he hadn't developed other elements yet. For now, he had to rely on what he had.
Realizing he needed a shift in strategy, Toji made a single seal with his hand and slammed his palm against the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Dome!"
A thick, reinforced dome of earth rose from the ground, surrounding him completely. Unlike a standard earth dome, Toji pumped extra chakra into it, strengthening its defenses against Kaoru's piercing water needles, just in case.
Kaoru smirked as he watched the dome take form.
'That was a mistake, Toji.'
Without hesitation, he made a hand seal.
A water clone materialized next to him and immediately rushed forward.
As soon as the clone got close to the dome, it went through its own hand signs.
"Water Release: Water Prison!"
Water surged around the dome, swirling to trap it in a suffocating, liquid barrier. But just before the prison could fully form, the earth dome suddenly cracked from the inside.
Toji burst out, his chakra flaring tremendously, his eyes sharp with determination.
A hand sign was already formed.
"Water Release: Minor Waterfall Technique!"
A torrent of water erupted from his mouth, crashing toward Kaoru with the force of a raging river. It wasn't as overwhelming as the A-rank Great Waterfall Technique, but it was still a powerful offensive move and for Toji, it was a calculated risk.
His earth techniques were only good for defense. His taijutsu was useless at range. If he couldn't close the distance, then his only option was to force Kaoru into a defensive stance and create an opening.
Kaoru's water clone flickered back, fast enough to avoid being caught in the wave.
His real body, however, stood his ground.
"Water Release: Water Guardian."
A sphere of water formed around Kaoru, completely enveloping him. As the waterfall attack crashed into him, the outer layer of his barrier darkened, dispersing the energy of Toji's technique.
Kaoru narrowed his glowing cyan eyes inside the sphere.
'Interesting… I need to see what I can do with this water once the jutsu is over.'
He made no effort to wrestle control of the water away from Toji. That would have been too chakra-intensive.
Instead, he had another plan.
All Kaoru needed to do was redirect just enough of the attack to stay standing and then take advantage of the water-soaked ground.
As soon as his jutsu passed Kaoru, Toji flickered forward, closing the distance. He had increased the chakra reinforcing his body - this was his moment. He would break through Kaoru's defense and finally take the battle into close combat.
Easier said than done.
The instant Toji's fist collided with Kaoru's water sphere, a sharp jolt of pain shot up his arm.
'What the hell?! This thing is way harder than I expected, how did that kid manage to break it?!'
In that moment, Toji realized his mistake.
Kaoru's defense hadn't failed against Hora Arasami because it was weak. It had failed because Hora's own technique had been too powerful. The barrier was far stronger than he had assumed.
Toji immediately disengaged. But that was when his hell truly began.
The needles came first.
A relentless barrage of high-density water needles rained down on him. Dodging became harder and harder.
Then came the ground.
Every time Toji set foot down, the water shifted. Tentacles of liquid surged up, trying to immobilize him. He dodged, flickered, and twisted his body in midair, but the battlefield itself was against him.
The constant chakra expenditure on body reinforcement he was using to keep himself from getting trapped or skewered was burning through his reserves fast.
'He won't last much longer like this.'
Kaoru's glowing cyan eyes observed him closely, his mind already planning the finishing move.
Toji soon reached the edge of the arena and saw an opportunity. He formed a hand seal and slammed his palm to the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
A thick thick mass of earth rose between him and Kaoru, giving him a moment to breathe.
But Kaoru had already anticipated it.
As soon as Toji's hand touched the ground, Kaoru's water clone, which retreated earlier, appeared right next to him, performing hand seals in a blur.
"Water Release: Water Prison!"
A sphere of water began forming around Toji.
His eyes widened. No time to think, only to react.
Toji barely managed to flicker backward, the prison barely missing him.
But his escape led him straight into Kaoru's trap.
The moment Toji landed, water spikes shot up from the soaked ground, boxing him in against the arena wall.
They didn't pierce him.
They stopped just short of his skin.
Toji stood still, his breathing heavy, realization setting in.
Kaoru could have skewered him if he wanted to. But instead, he had controlled his attack precisely, forcing Toji into checkmate.
'What a monster.'
There was no point in fighting anymore.
Toji let out a bitter chuckle, raising his hand in surrender.
"I surrender. You win."
The arena erupted in cheers.
Kaoru was already standing in front of him. Throughout the entire fight, he had maintained a safe distance, never letting Toji get too far out of his range.
'That fight could have gone differently,' Kaoru thought. If Toji had been anything other than a Water Release user, this fight would have been much harder.
Kaoru extended his hand.
"It was a great fight, Toji. You're really strong."
Toji, who was not pinned to a wall anymore, smiled, shaking his head but accepting the handshake.
"Not strong enough."
But Kaoru wasn't listening anymore. His mind was already racing.
'If I ever go up against someone who completely nullifies my water element I'll be the one in trouble.'
He needed an alternative. And he already had an idea.
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers as the fight concluded.
While it had mostly been Kaoru attacking and Toji defending, the battle had still been an absolute spectacle.
Toji's massive, dominating water technique had been a sight to behold, while Kaoru's relentless and calculated approach had forced his opponent into an exhausting, unwinnable war of attrition.
Spectators were already arguing, debating, and placing bets on who would take the tournament.
"That kid is winning the whole thing."
"Are you joking? Akatsuchi will crush him!"
"Akatsuchi who?"
"Please. This isn't even a debate. It's either the Hyūga or the Uchiha. You're all fighting for third place."
"You wanna bet on that?"
Even as the bickering and wagers continued, one man sat in the shadows, watching the fight with an interest even greater than Maki, Itachi, or even Itarama Senju himself.
Danzo Shimura.
His sharp, calculating gaze lingered on the boy standing in the arena.
'Takime Kaoru…'
His expression remained unreadable, but deep in his mind, the gears were already turning.
**
A/N -
You thought ol' Danzo was done? NEVER! xD
Once the Chunin Exams arc wraps up, get ready for a new phase in Kaoru's journey.
* Training & Growth Arc: Kaoru will focus on developing his skills, refining his techniques, and pushing his limits.
* Missions: He'll take on real shinobi work, experiencing the world of Naruto firsthand.
* Turning 12: And of course… there's that invitation.
You haven't forgotten about Maru and his mysterious friend, have you?
The real story begins after the exams, and I couldn't be more excited about the possibilities!
Character Notes:
Toji - Depressed - 'Kaoru is my natural counter… I need a whole new fighting style.'
Kaoru - Determined - 'What if I face someone who nullifies water? I need to be more versatile. Luckily, I have just the thing in mind.'
**