"Muku, do you think we can win this match?" Ryusetsu asked quietly, as she leaned towards her childhood friend.
Muku turned to her and gave a reassuring smile. "In a fight, there's more than one factor at play. You're not weak, Ryusetsu. Have a little faith in yourself, will you?"
His confident tone brought her some comfort. She nodded slightly, the anxiety in her chest softening. Just hearing his voice and seeing his composure helped her settle her nerves.
"I'm just a little nervous… with so many people watching," she admitted, glancing at the crowd.
Shiba stood a few feet away, silent but clearly sharing her tension. His eyes swept across the arena, sizing up the opposition. Though he didn't say much, he trusted in their team's strength.
In a team battle, belief in each other was key, and Shiba had no doubt in Muku's abilities as the leader.
Having grown up alongside him, both Ryusetsu and Shiba knew just how gifted he was. A rare prodigy from Kusagakure, he had both large chakra reserves and combat prowess rivalling that of a seasoned Jōnin.
Their team had completed every mission with a one-hundred percent success rate, largely thanks to Muku's leadership and quick decision-making. Creating a flawless mission record leading up to the Chūnin Exams.
Most of the spectators had placed their bets on the Amegakure team, whose members were known for their flashy techniques and coordinated tactics.
Ryusetsu felt her stomach churn. From where she stood, she could see waves of fans cheering for their opponents. It was like being a challenger in enemy territory. She took a deep breath and steadied herself, blocking out the noise.
Their match was to be overseen by Might Guy, the appointed proctor. His figure appeared at the centre of the arena, standing confidently between the two teams as he observed both sides.
Once the combatants were ready, he raised his hand and called out with a booming voice, "First team battle, let us begin!"
With that, he leapt backward, giving the stage over to the six participants now facing each other in the centre of the arena.
The crowd gradually quietened down, the tension rising as the battle was about to begin.
No sooner had the signal been given than Murasame, the apparent leader of the Amegakure team, began forming hand seals. His teammates, Hisame and Kirisame, moved swiftly into a triangular formation, surrounding the Kusagakure team from different angles.
"Grudge Rain!" Murasame declared.
A thick, chilling rain immediately began to fall over the entire battlefield. The droplets came down in heavy sheets, soaking the ground and reducing visibility. Almost instantly, the Amegakure team performed another sequence of hand signs in perfect unison.
"Hiding in the Rain Technique!"
With that, their physical forms began to blur and vanish within the rainfall, blending into the downpour until they were completely invisible. Their chakra signatures vanished too, making detection nearly impossible.
Kusagakure's trio, now surrounded and unable to see their opponents, instinctively pressed their backs together and began moving in a tight circle. They were trying to protect all angles and anticipate the incoming strike.
"We've got to do something about this rain," Shiba said, eyes scanning the blur beyond. "If they hit us with a lightning Jutsu now, we're finished."
Ryusetsu remained silent. She knew from experience that in moments like this, it was best to let Muku think.
The Amegakure team still didn't attack. Instead, they slowly moved in, inching closer quietly. The silence and delay played tricks on their opponents' minds, building suspense and tension. It was a psychological tactic, and it was working.
Suddenly, Muku spoke.
"Shiba, I want you to use Wind Style: Breakthrough. Aim the first blast at the ground, then jump. When we land, fire another shot into the sky."
Understanding the plan instantly, Shiba nodded and began forming hand signs.
"Wind Style: Breakthrough!" he shouted, releasing a powerful gust that struck the ground beneath them. The team jumped up simultaneously to avoid the backlash.
The gust chilled the moisture on the ground, causing it to begin freezing. As they landed, Shiba quickly unleashed another gust, this time directed skyward.
The result was immediate. The rain, caught in the wind, crystallised into small icicles that fell harmlessly to the ground, clearing the battlefield.
With the technique dispelled, the three members of the Amegakure team were suddenly visible, standing just a metre away with weapons made of water in hand, caught mid-attack.
Their proximity startled the Kusagakure team, but before any hesitation could set in, Murasame gave a command.
"Stick to the plan!" he shouted, then dashed straight towards Muku.
Murasame activated his secret technique, Heart Acceleration, dramatically boosting his speed and strength. Hisame and Kirisame simultaneously launched their attacks, charging at Shiba and Ryusetsu respectively.
From the stands, Enso tapped Itachi on the shoulder and said quietly, "Use your Sharingan and copy Muku's technique."
Itachi's eyes flashed red as he focused, analysing every movement.
Back in the arena, Muku's arm burst into flame, the chakra forming a long, curved blade.
"Heavenly Prison Fire Sword!" he announced, meeting Murasame's charge head-on.
Their weapons clashed, locking in a deadlock. Despite Murasame's enhancements, Muku held his ground through sheer strength and precise technique. Water usually had the advantage over fire, but Muku's technique was no ordinary flame.
It was an A-rank chakra flow technique, powerful enough to hold its own.
Elsewhere, Shiba acted quickly before Hisame could reach him. He launched a 'Gale Palm' directly at her, sending her flying back several metres and halting her advance.
But Kirisame was not standing by. He abruptly shifted direction and lashed out with a water whip, wrapping it tightly around Shiba's arm. With a sharp pull, he yanked Shiba off-balance, dragging him violently to the side and breaking his stance.
This shift allowed Hisame to recover. Instead of returning to fight Shiba, she redirected her charge at Ryusetsu. But Ryusetsu didn't panic.
If anything, she preferred facing Hisame.
With swift precision, Ryusetsu activated her signature technique.
"Grass Shadow-Style: Emit Destroy Palm!"
She delivered a rapid series of open palm strikes, followed by closed-fist blows. Her hands moved faster than the eye could track. Hisame, overwhelmed by the barrage, could barely respond before collapsing unconscious from the relentless assault.
Meanwhile, Kirisame, still holding the water whip tightly coiled around Shiba's arm, narrowed his eyes and channelled a sharp burst of chakra through it. His voice rang out clearly as he activated his jutsu.
"Rapid Thunderwhip Technique!"
Lightning chakra surged through the length of the water whip, travelling straight into Shiba's body. The combination of water and lightning made the shock devastating.
Shiba's muscles convulsed uncontrollably as the current overwhelmed his nervous system. Within seconds, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The crowd gasped at the sudden reversal. In just a short span of time, the battle had shifted dramatically. With Hisame taken down by Ryusetsu and Shiba now unconscious from Kirisame's counterattack, each team had lost one member.
Kirisame couldn't help but shake his head as he looked over at Hisame, who now lay unconscious on the ground like a lifeless dog. The proctor, Guy, quickly sprang into action, using ropes to drag the two fallen Genin, Hisame and Shiba, out of the arena to safety. The instant the field was cleared, Ryusetsu charged forward with blazing intensity in her eyes, closing in on Kirisame with unstoppable momentum.
Sensing her rapid approach, Kirisame swiftly formed a hand seal, activating the Water Clone Technique. An identical copy of himself emerged beside him, mirroring his stance and ready to intercept the oncoming assault. Kirisame braced himself, prepared to defend and retaliate.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the battlefield, Muku was steadily gaining the upper hand against Murasame. Murasame had been relying heavily on advanced water-based techniques, but the continuous use of chakra was beginning to take a toll. With each movement, he grew noticeably weaker, his attacks losing their sharpness and impact.
Eventually, Murasame was forced to retreat, staggering backward to regroup with Kirisame. His chakra reserves had been depleted so severely that he could no longer form even the simplest water weapon. His breathing was laboured, and his limbs trembled from exhaustion. In his current state, he posed no real threat on the battlefield.
Recognising that their opponents were on the brink of collapse, Muku quickly turned toward Ryusetsu. The two Kusagakure shinobi exchanged a brief glance and nodded in perfect sync. Without hesitation, they initiated a finishing move, casting Fire Release: Demon Lantern at the exact same moment.
The two separate demon flames merged into a single, monstrous demon head, its form glowing with searing intensity. The heat it produced was overwhelming, far beyond anything seen in the match so far.
As it surged forward, the flames vaporised every trace of moisture in the arena. Ice cracked and hissed into vapour, and pools of water evaporated instantly, leaving behind a scorched, steaming field.
The demonic blaze roared as it engulfed Kirisame and Murasame. The heat was unbearable, far too much for the already drained Genin to withstand. Within seconds, both collapsed from the sheer intensity, falling unconscious before they even hit the ground.
Without delay, a group of Jonin who had been supervising the match leapt into action. Moving as one, they performed Water Release techniques to douse the massive flame, extinguishing it before it could spread or inflict further harm.
Thanks to their quick thinking and perfect execution, they managed to save the two Genin from what would have certainly been a fatal outcome.
With the last of the opposition defeated, the proctor declared Kusagakure the winners by elimination. The crowd, though disappointed and frustrated by the unexpected loss of the Amegakure team, still gave a respectful round of applause.
The Kusagakure trio had fought brilliantly, and even those who lost their bets could not deny the spectacle they had just witnessed.
Among the spectators, no one was happier than Tokuma. His applause rang out above the rest, echoing his immense satisfaction. He had just won over ten times the amount he had originally wagered, and his joy was written plainly across his face.
Nearby, the guards who had also placed their bets exchanged gleeful glances, their eyes practically sparkling with delight. One by one, they turned toward Enso, gratitude etched into their expressions.
While the others celebrated, Itachi remained still, his hands folded and his eyes narrowed in contemplation. He was not concerned with money, nor did he share the excitement of the moment. His mind remained locked on the technique he had witnessed, Heavenly Prison.
The Jutsu had left a deep impression on him. It wasn't merely a technique that sealed chakra points on contact, as if that alone weren't dangerous enough. There was something more subtle and insidious about it.
Each time it clashed with a water-based chakra, it didn't get weaker; it drained. Slowly, it absorbed the opposing chakra with every strike. That hidden aspect explained the unexpected pace at which Murasame's chakra had been depleted during their brief encounter.
The effect had been invisible to most observers, but not to Itachi.
Now, with that revelation in mind, he understood the bigger picture. Having him copy the technique was never Enso's goal; that was merely the surface. His true intention had likely always been to understand the technique on a deeper level and learn how to use it strategically.
The boy from Kusagakure was more than just talented. He might even end up facing him in the preliminary round or the final.
As someone hailed as a prodigy, Itachi had never been motivated by material gain. To him, the true reward came from growth, pushing the boundaries of his own strength.
Even now, his mind was already spinning with ideas. Could the principles behind Heavenly Prison be merged with his own Uchiha Style: Halo Dance? Was there a way to trap opponents mid-combo, draining them while delivering precise strikes? The potential was enormous, and the possibilities excited him.
Enso, meanwhile, sat quietly with a far-off look in his eyes, deep in thought. Like Itachi, his attention was fixed on the Heavenly Prison technique and its hidden depths. He, too, wondered how it would stand against his own signature move, Vacuum Flash.
With his Migeiko ability, he had the power to absorb and replicate techniques after seeing them only a few times. He was confident that with just one more demonstration, he could fully master it.
The idea filled him with a surge of anticipation, but he reined in his emotions quickly. As excited as he was by the technique's potential, he reminded himself of one limitation.
His current lack of affinity with Fire Release would prevent him from fully replicating the technique's power in its original form. Still, this wasn't something that would hold him back forever.
Migeiko is more of a passive ability and couldn't be counted as a dōjutsu like the Sharingan or Rinnegan, which allow one to master any elemental transformation. He is a soul devourer after all, and killing would solve what he needed. He is sure that there are many dangerous Fire Style users around within this world.
Once he ascended into the ranks of Anbu, he would have the opportunity to challenge and defeat other shinobi, many of whom possessed rare affinities or kekkei Genkai. From them, he could claim what he lacked. That was the kind of shinobi he was becoming.
Because the Kusagakure team had just completed both the survival exam and a team battle upon reaching the tower, the proctor decided it would only be fair to hold the preliminary rounds until the following day.
It was only fair to allow the Kusagakure team time to rest and recover, ensuring that all contestants had an equal footing going forward.
A formal announcement was made to all participants: the preliminary round would begin the next morning at 8 a.m. sharp. Anyone who failed to show up on time would be automatically disqualified.
With that, the gathering began to disperse. Some left in disappointment, lamenting the money they had lost on the Amegakure team. Others walked away with a spring in their step, eager to cash out their winnings.
Wasting no time, Hayama led his team away from the arena. He promptly arranged for everyone to meet later at a sushi restaurant to celebrate. A good meal was the perfect way to relax after such an intense day.
To his surprise, the Kusagakure team had also placed bets on themselves. Not only had they won the match, but they had also walked away with a sizeable payout. Hayama discovered this as he went to cash in his own reward, and he could not help but be impressed.
Betting on themselves and winning demonstrated not only confidence but also a keen understanding of their own capabilities. With a smile, he extended an invitation for them to join his team for lunch.
The Kusagakure Genin gladly accepted. Their Jōnin sensei, Mujo, saw it as more than just a meal. He considered it a valuable opportunity for his students to build friendships and potential alliances.
At the restaurant, the atmosphere quickly became warm and lively. Itachi and Tokuma struck up a casual conversation with the three Kusagakure Genin. Most of the discussion revolved around iconic landmarks and must-see locations throughout Konohagakure.
Hayama, seated nearby, found himself growing increasingly at ease with Mujo. Though they had only just met, Mujo's calm demeanour and respectful tone made conversation flow effortlessly. The two Jōnin spoke at length, exchanging stories, laughter, and insights into their respective villages and teaching methods.
Enso, however, remained more reserved. After offering a polite greeting to the Kusagakure team, he largely kept to himself. His thoughts were elsewhere.
Over the past six months, he and his team had grown close. They had trained rigorously, completed numerous missions, and faced danger together time and again.
He felt no doubt regarding Itachi. The Uchiha had consistently proven himself. Enso understood both his formidable skill and his strategic mindset. Itachi was a prodigy through and through. He would be ready for whatever the exams presented.
His concern lay with Tokuma. The young Shinobi was undoubtedly strong, a powerhouse in Taijutsu. Yet the Chūnin Exams demanded more than sheer combat prowess. Strategy and adaptability were equally crucial.
Enso did not want to advance to Anbu alone, fearing the Hokage might assign him to a different squad from his teammates.
If they all advanced together, there might be a chance that at least one of them would be placed in the same squad as him.
After finishing his meal, Enso sat in thoughtful silence, sipping the restaurant's signature drink. He waited patiently until everyone from Kusagakure had risen and stepped out. Only then did he stand.
In his view, a host should never leave before their guests.
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