ALL NOVEL Chapter 28: Chapter 28
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"Arrogant fool!"
"Eight Trigrams Palm—"
"Too slow!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
They say fear is born from lack of firepower.
Under the endless preaching of Tetsuya Fujiwara, who believed in overwhelming force, Mikoto Uchiha's combat style had become increasingly direct and, well, blunt. A wall of blazing flames enveloped the battlefield, completely filling Hyuga Kawato's line of sight.
Seeing the waves of fire rushing towards him, Kawato's face twisted with dread.
How much chakra does she have to burn through like this?
Tetsuya, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but shake his head. "Mikoto's fire ninjutsu is still a bit lacking. If she could blanket the entire arena, Kawato would've already been finished."
Nearby, Muto Aburame let out a nervous gulp. "Tetsuya, you jerk! Quit sitting there and making sarcastic comments! You've totally rubbed off on her!"
The young Aburame was clearly unsettled by Mikoto's over-the-top fighting style. Watching the creeping flames, he mentally calculated how many bugs he'd need to sacrifice to survive in her place.
"Damn it!"
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Kawato's desperate blows dispersed the flames momentarily, but even as he broke through, he found himself badly scorched from the barrage of attacks. His once pristine white robes were tattered beyond repair.
"Does this guy not know how to use the Hyuga Clan's Rotation technique?" Tetsuya mused. "Sixty-four palms... seems like that's the best he's got."
Beside him, Muto snorted. "Tetsuya, what's wrong with you? The Rotation is a secret technique reserved for the Hyuga's main family. Kawato's from the branch family—it's not like he can just learn it whenever he wants!"
"If this is all Kawato's capable of, this fight's over," Tetsuya concluded with a shrug.
His words seemed prophetic, as the moment Mikoto closed in on Kawato, she formed a series of rapid hand seals. A massive fireball erupted from her fingertips, engulfing her opponent in a roaring blaze.
"Winner: Mikoto Uchiha!"
Kawato collapsed on the spot, completely drained of chakra. But Tetsuya couldn't help but smirk. "He's probably just pretending to pass out. Can't blame him though—what else are you supposed to do after getting burned that bad?"
"Hyuga Kawato actually lost!"
"Does this mean the Sharingan is truly stronger than the Byakugan?"
Tetsuya was hardly paying attention to the murmurs spreading through the crowd. In one swift movement, he appeared atop the arena, drawing the eyes of nearly everyone present.
"That kid again!"
From across the field, the trio from the Hozuki clan stared daggers at him, the memory of their earlier encounter with Tetsuya clearly seared into their minds.
"Fast."
"For his age... this is insane."
Tetsuya's deliberate entrance had drawn everyone's gaze, even Orochimaru's, whose eyes gleamed with a sinister curiosity.
"A shinobi from grass village won't be able to challenge this kid properly. I've already seen how this ends," Orochimaru muttered to himself, glancing at Tetsuya's next opponent, who looked visibly nervous.
"From Konoha, Tetsuya Fujiwara!"
"From Kusagakure, Yushio Fujiyama!"
The moment the match began, Fujiyama launched a barrage of shuriken, like rain, seeking to pin Tetsuya down. At the same time, he dashed forward, trying to close the distance and land the first strike.
"Clever... but not clever enough."
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu! Reverse!"
Tetsuya didn't even flinch as he effortlessly summoned a huge sphere of water, blocking every last shuriken in mid-air. Fujiyama's eyes widened in disbelief as the sphere swallowed up his attacks with ease.
"Water Prison Jutsu? But that's—"
Before Fujiyama could react, Tetsuya's water prison expanded, swiftly pulling him into its suffocating grip. The ninja from Kusagakure thrashed wildly, but his movements were slow, like a fly caught in a spider's web.
"What a fool. Did your sensei never teach you to back off when facing unknown ninjutsu?" Tetsuya chuckled, watching Fujiyama's futile struggle. Thin tendrils of water coiled tighter around the trapped shinobi.
"My Water Prison isn't like the regular technique. It's a little more... suffocating."
Fujiyama's desperate attempts to slash at the water were useless. The water continued to press down, restricting his movements more and more.
"So, how does it feel? Not being able to breathe?"
"Oops, I forgot. You can't really talk right now, can you?" Tetsuya added, smirking. "Okay, how about this: If you're ready to surrender, just nod three times. If not, well, I'll take that as a sign you want to keep fighting."
From a distance, Muto Aburame looked on in awe, muttering, "Tetsuya's Water Prison Jutsu... it's flawless. Truly impressive."
"Tch, what's so great about that?" Mikoto scoffed. "If I wanted to, I could do the same thing."
Her crimson Sharingan whirled as she quickly memorized the water technique. In just a few seconds, she had completely copied it.
Muto, in all his blunt honesty, turned to her and said, "Come on, Mikoto, just admit it. Tetsuya's got you beat in raw talent. There's no shame in that!"
The typically composed Uchiha girl visibly bristled, glaring at him as though he had just poured salt into an open wound.
The match between Tetsuya and Fujiyama ended quickly after that. Though Fujiyama nodded in submission, Tetsuya—ever the sadist—decided to keep him in the Water Prison until he passed out, much to the amusement of those watching.
"Tetsuya! You did it!" Muto cheered, practically tackling him with a celebratory high-five.
The two shared a brief, triumphant moment as their hands slapped together with a satisfying crack. Though Tetsuya wasn't the touchy-feely type, he accepted the embrace with good humor.
Bonds like this... they weren't so bad once you got used to them.
"Hey, Mikoto! Even if you won't give me a hug, you could at least say something encouraging!" Tetsuya teased, throwing a glance her way.
"Hmph, don't kid yourself," she shot back, wrinkling her nose. "Beating a Kusagakure ninja? There's nothing to brag about."
She turned on her heel, giving Tetsuya the cold shoulder, much to his amusement.
---
By the time the first round of matches ended, night had fallen. Out of the remaining contenders, several names stood out—Rasa, A, Kitsuchi, and a mysterious ninja from the Yuki Clan.
One notable loser had been Suigetsu's clan prodigy, Hozuki Shin, who had the unfortunate luck of facing Ay. The match ended with Shin being literally punched into a puddle of water, leaving him with no choice but to forfeit.
Out of the thirty shinobi advancing to the second round, three came from each of the Hidden Cloud, Sand, and Mist villages. Two from the Stone and Rain villages. One from the Hidden Waterfall. The remaining sixteen? All from Konoha.
Luck played a role in a few victories, but one thing was clear—Konoha's new generation had undeniable potential.
Under the light of the moon, the stage was set for the next battles.
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