In the arena, the confrontation between Hinata and Suigetsu looked to the audience like a duel between an elegant and disciplined marksman and a wild, unpredictable cowboy from the frontier.
At that moment, Suigetsu moved like a rogue—swift and erratic—reminiscent of a wandering shinobi in no-man's-land. Hinata, in contrast, stood firm, composed, her chakra bow gleaming in her hand like a relic of silent resolve.
The two remained in a tense deadlock for several exchanges. Neither could gain the upper hand.
But Hinata had already begun analyzing Suigetsu's movements. In her mind, she broke down his habits—his rhythm, his step intervals, the spacing of his dodges.
That was the true power of the Byakugan.
With her enhanced perception, Hinata mapped his trajectory—anticipating, adjusting. Then, her right hand pulled back the bowstring, infusing the draw with a heavier surge of chakra.
Three translucent chakra arrows formed on the bowstring—one ahead, one behind, and one dead center—all aimed at cutting off Suigetsu's retreat paths.
"Hyuga Style: Scattering Flowers!"
The arrows flew out in a precise spread, scattering the incoming water bullets between them and closing in on Suigetsu's routes of escape.
Something's wrong.
Why are her arrows slower all of a sudden?
Suigetsu's instincts screamed. He immediately activated the Hydrification Technique, turning his entire body into liquid.
But he was a second too late.
The leading arrow struck his arm as he began transforming. It pierced through the liquid and severed it mid-transition. His liquefied arm splashed to the ground.
Suigetsu broke into a cold sweat.
"Tch… lucky I reacted fast and used Hydrification."
He reabsorbed the moisture and reformed, returning to his original state. But that's when realization struck.
Her arrows couldn't hurt him once he was fully liquified.
He grinned.
Why's this girl still playing it safe? She should know she can't beat me like this. Why not just let me absorb all the water and win by attrition?
He scoffed inwardly.
He didn't believe for a second that her chakra reserves were greater than his own.
With renewed confidence, Suigetsu liquefied again, bouncing toward her as a rolling blob of water.
Hinata stayed composed, launching arrow after arrow. Each time her chakra arrows struck, they dispersed his transformed water, disrupting the chakra within and rendering it inert. But Suigetsu would just reabsorb the fallen water and keep advancing.
Until he was just meters away.
Hinata jumped back, mid-air, and pulled her bowstring to its fullest draw. The Shadow-Chasing Bow bent with tension as she channeled Fire Release chakra into the forming arrow.
Just a little closer... got you.
"Fire Style: Crimson Lotus Arrow!"
An orange-red arrow erupted from the bow and screamed across the gap toward Suigetsu.
He reacted fast, trying to dodge—only for Hinata to quickly press her right index finger and thumb together.
"Burst!"
The arrow exploded mid-air, a fiery blossom engulfing Suigetsu. There was nowhere to run.
Still, he grinned behind the smoke.
"Miss, don't you know Fire Release is weak against Water Release?"
"Or are you just flustered now?"
"Water Style: Giant Water Dome!"
In a flash, Suigetsu transformed into a towering water colossus, over ten meters tall, encasing himself in a massive protective dome of water.
It was his strongest technique—used even in the past to survive a tailed beast's rampage.
His confidence returned.
Let her try. Whatever she throws next, I'll tank it. Then crush her with this monster's weight.
There's no way I can lose now.
From the Kage stands, the crowd buzzed. The giant dome of water cast a looming shadow across the arena floor.
But Hinata was already moving.
She pulled her bowstring again.
This time, her fingers crackled with static. Blue arcs of lightning sparked along her fingertips, racing into the arrow forming on the bowstring.
In a flash, a pale blue arrow of pure lightning materialized.
"Lightning Release: Instant Lightning Arrow!"
Suigetsu froze.
Wait—Lightning Release?!
No no no no—
Before he could react, the lightning arrow pierced through the water dome and detonated inside. Thunder boomed as electric current surged through every droplet of his transformed body.
The water monster collapsed in an instant, crashing down in streams and puddles.
Suigetsu fell out of the disintegrating form, twitching violently on the ground—completely paralyzed.
Electrocuted.
Everyone watching knew: it was over.
Hydrification Technique rendered Suigetsu nearly immune to physical damage, but also made him a perfect conductor.
And this wasn't pure water—it was chakra-infused body fluid, filled with electrolytes.
The lightning arrow amplified its power the moment it entered, surging through every particle of Suigetsu's body with nowhere to escape.
His limbs twitched uncontrollably. His mouth opened, but no sound came out—just a low groan, as if his nervous system was still rebooting.
Hinata finally exhaled, sweat glistening on her brow.
She had hesitated when he transformed. Tate-Uzumaki was intimidating, and for a moment, fear crept in. But she remembered her teacher Uchiha Hikaru watching above. Her sister Hanabi. Her father.
I can't back down here. Not after coming this far.
The Fire Release had been a bluff—meant to give the illusion that she specialized in only one element. After all, most Chunin-level ninja only mastered one release type.
Then came the bait: an obvious weakness against water.
And finally, the killing move—Lightning Release.
Suigetsu fell right into it.
The medical team rushed in to retrieve his limp form.
Hayate Gekko walked to the center of the arena, raised Hinata's hand high into the air, and shouted:
"Winner—Hyuga Hinata!"
The crowd erupted.
"Give it up for the kunoichi who kept her cool and outplayed her opponent with sharp instincts and sharper technique!"
"That concludes today's twelve matches!"
"Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., we continue with the next stage of the Chunin Exams!"
As the announcement rang out, the audience slowly stood, still murmuring with excitement.
Though the day had been long, no one felt exhausted. In fact, they wanted more.
They would be watching the replays tonight. Studying the winners. Picking favorites. Making bets.
Some wanted revenge for lost wagers.
Others wanted more victory.
But one thing was certain: the Chunin Exams had just gotten serious.
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