Shisui POV
Kaen walked out of the arena looking smug and proud, grinning like he had just secured the Hokage's seat instead of winning a single match. The moment he reached me, I knocked him on the head with my knuckle. He yelped, clutching the spot and staring up at me in disbelief. "Sensei, what was that for? I won."
A familiar twitch formed on my forehead as I narrowed my eye and focused on him. He immediately shrank back under the look. "How could you fall for such a clear provocation?" I let the disappointment show, knowing full well it was a little manipulative. Still, I would rather he learn this lesson here, where the worst consequence was embarrassment, than on a battlefield where a moment of anger could cost him his life.
He lowered his head, voice quieter when he spoke. "I am sorry, Sensei. I just could not let him smear our clan like that." I sighed softly. Kaen was still young, even if he did not always act like it. Being surrounded by Itachi, Noa, and Sena had warped my sense of what normal children his age looked like.
I eased my tone and continued, "You need to control your emotions. Do not let anger guide your decisions so easily. Some enemies are very good at exploiting mistakes like that, and they will bait you into them without hesitation." Kaen nodded, clearly waiting for what I would say next.
"That said," I added after a brief pause, "you did well. You adapted, you learned, and you won the fight cleanly with minimal complications. Well done, Kaen." His expression brightened instantly, the pride returning as he straightened beside me grinning. I watched him from the corner of my eye, a small part of me wondering if the lesson had truly sunk in or if it would need repeating in the future.
The arena was cleared quickly as attendants reset the field. The announcer's voice rang out once more, energized despite the long day. "And now, our final match of the day. Sena of the Hidden Leaf versus Mizuchi of the Hidden Cloud."
The crowd erupted into cheers, a low buzz of excitement rippling through the stands. I caught fragments of conversation as spectators leaned toward one another, already predicting the outcome. "I put my money on the Hidden Cloud genin," one man said confidently. "Did you see their team captain earlier? A monster. This one must be strong too." Several others nodded in agreement, voices overlapping as they named their picks, nearly all of them favoring Mizuchi.
Beside me, Kaen was practically seething, fire simmering just beneath his skin as he stared toward the arena. I shook my head slightly and sighed, amused despite myself.
Ah, to be young and in love. The thought made me pause, and I frowned inwardly. Wait. I am young. I am only fourteen. Then why do I feel so old on the inside?
I shook my head, pushing those intrusive thoughts aside, and turned my attention back to the arena as Sena began walking toward the center. I did not need to warn her or offer advice. I had complete confidence she would handle this on her own.
Out of everyone on my team, Sena fit the definition of a chunin the best. She was skilled in every fundamental area, with a sharp mind and steady judgment to match. The others were undeniably strong, but they all carried clear weaknesses. It was just that their raw power was overwhelming enough to compensate for those flaws. Sena did not rely on compensation. She relied on understanding.
She stepped forward, calm as ever, her posture relaxed but alert, while her opponent from the Hidden Cloud, who looked around fourteen or fifteen, followed with confident strides. A mocking grin played on his face as if the outcome were already decided. The crowd leaned in, their expectations already set.
Whatever they were expecting, I had a feeling this match was about to surprise a lot of people.
Once Sena reached the center, Mizuchi spoke first, his tone casual and smug. "So you must be the runt of the team," he said, his gaze lingering on her longer than necessary. It told me more about him than the words did. "A fine girl like you should be learning house chores and arranging flowers while staying as beautiful as you are. Not stepping onto a battlefield and risking injury. Leave the fighting to me." He finished with a wink, clearly pleased with himself.
The reaction beside me was immediate. Kaen's chakra spiked so sharply I almost laughed. I glanced down just in time to see his Sharingan spinning faster, the familiar pressure building as he leaned forward a fraction. For a terrifying moment, I was fairly certain he was about to unlock his Mangekyo Sharingan on the spot and launch himself into the arena to beat Mizuchi senseless.
I placed a hand on Kaen's shoulder and gave him a quiet look. He froze, teeth grinding as he forced himself back into place, though the murderous intent did not fade in the slightest. Watching him struggle that hard over a single sentence made me chuckle under my breath.
Sena, however, remained calm and collected. She smiled politely and bowed her head slightly. "Please take it easy on me."
Mizuchi nodded, clearly pleased with her reaction. "Good. It is good that you know your place," he said. "I will not hurt you too much. In return, you have to go out with me tomorrow." He winked, his grin so bright and self-satisfied it almost hurt to look at.
Beside me, Kaen nearly snapped. His chakra surged violently, every instinct screaming to tear Mizuchi apart. I held him back with far more effort than I would ever admit. The situation was ridiculous enough that I nearly laughed. Poor Mizuchi truly had no idea what he had just stepped into.
The strange-looking proctor appeared between them and raised his hand in a sharp motion. "Get ready." Sena remained relaxed, hands at her sides, while Mizuchi lowered his stance and brought his sword up. "Fight." The proctor vanished an instant later.
Mizuchi moved first, surging forward in a fast, decisive slash. Sena reacted immediately. She did not try to overpower the strike or block it head-on. Instead, she drew a specific kunai from her pouch and met the blade at an angle, moving with the force rather than against it. The motion redirected his slash cleanly to the side. Mizuchi stumbled as his footing slipped for a brief moment, the result of underestimating his opponent, his eyes widening as he turned to find a kunai inches from him. He twisted away at the last second, but not before the blade carved a shallow line across his arm. He rolled back and came up ready for a follow-up exchange that never came.
"You have delicate, refined movement." Mizuchi said, surprise clear in his voice. "You do not see that often in this cruel world of shinobi. Interesting." His expression hardened as lightning flared bright along his sword. "I suppose I should get serious now. Try not to be too scared." His stance lowered, legs coiling like a drawn spring.
Sena was already moving through hand seals. "Water Release. Flood Layer." A significant amount of chakra poured from her as water surged outward, spreading rapidly across the arena floor and soaking the ground in a shallow but wide layer. Mizuchi did not stand still. Lightning danced around his legs as he shifted back, eyes scanning the water carefully for hidden threats. Aside from the heavy chakra presence in the air and ground, which made sense given the scale of the technique and the lack of water in the environment itself, he sensed nothing unusual.
He frowned and scoffed as he prepared to attack. "Did you just wet the battlefield out of fear?"
Sena did not answer. She flowed immediately into another set of hand seals. "Fire Release. Scorching Breath." A wide wave of intense heat rushed forward, washing over the soaked terrain, flash-evaporating the water and forcing Mizuchi to stay back rather than advance.
Thick steam erupted across the field, rapidly swallowing both fighters from view.
Mizuchi's eyes widened. "Steam?" he muttered. "Are you trying to hide?"
Lightning flared violently as he surged forward, blade ignited, slicing through the steam with practiced speed. Sena rolled away from the first slash, barely avoiding the edge. The moment he turned, he launched again, cutting through the steam like parting a curtain. He missed her by a fraction, only a few strands of hair drifting down. He grinned. "Next one will get you."
He exploded into motion once more, lightning dancing across his entire body as he charged through the steam and struck.
His blade passed through her without resistance.
Mizuchi skidded to a halt, eyes narrowing as he turned slowly. "No resistance," he muttered. "A clone."
He scanned the area, senses sharp, suspicion rising. A kunai suddenly flew toward him from the side. He smiled, confident, and swung his sword sideways to knock it away. The moment he moved, something was wrong. His response came late, his body refusing to keep pace with his intent. The kunai slipped past his guard and buried itself deep into his thigh.
He clutched the wound as pain tore through him.
A gentle breeze rolled across the arena, thinning the steam and revealing Sena standing a short distance away. Calm. Unhurried. Watching him with a faint smile. Mizuchi tried to move, but his knees buckled. He dropped to one hand, breathing hard.
"You used poison," he spat, rage and disbelief mixing in his voice.
Sena stepped forward and struck him across the face with the back of her hand. Ordinarily, it would have done little against his build. In his current state, it knocked him flat onto the ground. The poison she had used was expensive and insidious. His body locked up completely, paralysis setting in as control drained from his muscles. Worse still, his bladder betrayed him in full view of the arena as he wet himself. Laughter rippled through the stands as humiliation settled in alongside the silence of defeat.
Sena crouched beside him, pressing her kunai lightly to his throat, her expression still composed. The proctor appeared instantly. "Mizuchi of the Hidden Cloud is incapacitated and unable to continue. Winner, Sena of the Hidden Leaf."
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A/N: One of those rare Sena fights lol. I'm truly interested in your feedback on this one, so please let me know in the comments <3