ALL NOVEL Chapter 44: Chapter 44
"Sensei! Tetsuya… he…"
Not far away, Aburame Muto's figure suddenly shook, his voice trembling ever so slightly. The scene before him was overwhelming, a chaotic mix of emotions he wasn't prepared for. His eyes darted toward Mikoto, who lay unconscious, her breathing shallow and her life hanging by a thread. If anything happened to Tetsuya now…
Turning to look at Yuhi Shin, Muto felt his breath hitch in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to speak further; the words lodged deep inside. The outcome of the battle in front of them was too devastating to even think about.
He found himself nearly holding his breath, waiting—hoping—that the inevitable wouldn't come to pass. Tetsuya's loss was something they simply couldn't afford.
"Muto! Keep calm!" Shin snapped, his tone sharp and commanding. His eyes never left the battlefield, his gaze focused entirely on the two figures in the center of the arena. "Tetsuya isn't someone who'd go down that easily."
Muto swallowed hard, his gaze shifting back to the combat zone. Despite the overwhelming fear, he knew Shin was right. Tetsuya had always defied expectations, and this time wouldn't be any different… right?
…
"Could it be?" murmurs rippled through the arena, the tension palpable in the air.
"Has the boy from the Fujiwara clan really lost?"
"Did our Konoha genius actually fall to a shinobi from Sunagakure?"
Amidst the scattered whispers, spectators from Konoha, along with officials and nobles from the Land of Fire who had come to watch, stood up one by one. Their faces, once filled with excitement, now displayed uncertainty. This… this was not the outcome anyone had hoped for.
Tetsuya Fujiwara was the rising star of Konoha, a beacon of hope in these difficult times. But now, buried beneath the golden sands, his defeat seemed all but certain.
The very idea of his loss left a bitter taste in the mouths of those watching. There was a collective pause, a stillness that took over the audience.
"Proctor! It seems it's time to announce the result!" Rasa's voice boomed across the arena, confident, victorious.
The gold dust that had engulfed Tetsuya's figure began to dissipate. Rasa slowly descended from the air, landing atop the mound of sand that had buried the young shinobi.
For several long, agonizing seconds, there was no movement from below. Rasa stood there, waiting, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he glanced over at Tsunade, who was overseeing the match from the sidelines.
In Rasa's eyes, the battle was over. Tetsuya, trapped beneath his ultimate technique, Magnet Release: Sand Burial, had no chance of survival. His victory was certain, and the only thing left to do was to formalize it.
But Rasa's insight, however skilled, had its limits—limits shaped by his own strength and experiences.
Tsunade, however, was different. As one of the Sannin, a legendary kunoichi whose power was nearly at the level of a Kage, her gaze held more weight. Her expression was unreadable as she looked at Rasa for a brief moment, then turned her eyes toward the mound of sand where Tetsuya had last been seen.
And that's when it happened.
Just one look—an effortless glance—and Rasa's smirk twisted into a frown. His eyes widened in disbelief as a piercing screech echoed from beneath the layers of sand, cutting through the silence like a blade.
Chidori.
That brat… he actually survived!
The sound grew louder, sharper, as if it were tearing apart the very fabric of the air itself. The crowd's whispers stopped in an instant, replaced by stunned silence. All eyes were now focused on the mound of sand, waiting—wondering—if what they were witnessing was real.
In the next moment, the ground shook. Bright arcs of electricity ripped through the sand, tearing it apart as Tetsuya's Chidori carved a path to the surface. The gold dust, once a perfect prison, was now nothing more than scattered particles, falling uselessly to the ground.
And there, standing amidst the debris, was Tetsuya Fujiwara.
"It's him! I knew it!"
"Konoha's genius wouldn't fall so easily!"
"Hey, didn't you just say he was finished?" A nearby boy snickered, nudging an older man.
"Bah! You must've been hearing things, kid! I knew Tetsuya would pull through all along."
"Go, Fujiwara! Crush that Sunagakure scum!" The arena erupted in cheers, the once nervous crowd now roaring with excitement. Tetsuya's sudden resurgence had reignited the fire in their hearts.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Tanaka Jirou, Fujiwara Sachiko, and the rest of the Fujiwara and Tanaka clans breathed a collective sigh of relief. The tension that had gripped them moments before finally loosened, and smiles broke across their faces.
Crackle.
The brilliant arcs of electricity still danced across Tetsuya's hand. His breathing was labored, but his eyes were sharper than ever. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he dashed forward, his gaze locked on Rasa.
He knew full well that he had barely survived the Sand Burial, and if Rasa tried the same move again, there was no guarantee he'd escape a second time.
But Rasa's chakra reserves… they had to be running low by now, right?
"Damn brat!" Rasa snarled, his eyes narrowing as he raised his hand once more. "Magnet Release: Gold Dust Showers!"
The remaining gold dust surged into the air, breaking into countless tiny pellets that rained down like bullets. The force was immense, each droplet capable of tearing through stone.
Within moments, the exposed ground and the shallow pools of water around them were pocked with deep indentations, proof of the destructive power at Rasa's disposal.
But Tetsuya was faster.
With Chidori at full power, he zigzagged through the storm of golden sand, each movement calculated, each step precise. The electricity around him crackled louder, intensifying as he pushed his body to its limits.
"Rasa! It's over!" Tetsuya's voice rang out as he poured every last ounce of chakra into his Chidori. The high-pitched screech of the technique became deafening as he closed the gap between them.
Rasa's eyes widened in alarm. "Gold Dust Shield!" In a desperate move, he commanded the remaining gold dust to form a protective barrier around him, layers of it gathering and spinning in a defensive dome.
But this wasn't going to stop Tetsuya.
With a determined cry, Tetsuya thrust his lightning-coated hand forward, each strike carving deeper and deeper into the golden shield. His movements were swift, relentless, each impact weakening the barrier bit by bit.
"Rasa! I've got you now!" With one final, powerful thrust, Tetsuya's hand pierced through the last layer of gold, the Chidori slashing across Rasa's cheek.
The impact sent Rasa flying, his body rolling several meters before crashing into a shallow pool of water. For a moment, there was silence.
Tetsuya stood tall, breathing heavily, but his stance was strong. His eyes never left Rasa, who struggled to rise from the ground.
"Looks like… I win this time, Rasa," Tetsuya said, his voice calm yet firm. He walked toward his fallen opponent, his steps slow but confident.
Before Rasa could fully stand, a gleaming blade appeared, pressed lightly against his throat.
"I win," Tetsuya repeated, his tone resolute.
Rasa grimaced, the frustration clear in his eyes. But after a long moment, he sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "Yes… you win." His voice, though low, carried a grudging respect. The earlier fire in his eyes had dimmed, replaced with acceptance.
The battle was over.
Rasa took a deep breath, allowing the tension to leave his body. "This time, it's my loss."
He stared at the young shinobi standing over him, a figure so much younger than himself, yet already a force to be reckoned with. Despite his defeat, Rasa couldn't help but feel a quiet admiration for the boy who had bested him.
Tetsuya had earned this victory.
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