Chapter 323: Might Guy's Terrifying Strength
"Maintain distance and do not let his Shadow Imitation Technique catch you."
On her way to the arena, Rin Nohara went over her plan one more time.
She had fought alongside Nara Shiosui before and knew just how troublesome the Shadow Imitation Technique was. Even a brief moment of control was enough to flip a battle on its head.
In truth, Rin was curious about how long Nara Shiosui could normally hold someone. If his control time was only a few seconds longer than what he showed against Akami Hideyuki, it would not be enough to settle a one on one fight outright. At most, it would give him a slight advantage.
After all, while using the Shadow Imitation Technique, Nara Shiosui could not attack his opponent directly. All he could do was use the terrain to cause injury.
If she could confirm that his control duration was short, Rin could fight more aggressively. She was a medical ninja. Minor injuries would not affect her much.
That was the value of information. Even if she suspected that was the case, she did not dare to gamble. Losing that bet would mean instant elimination.
While Rin tried to estimate Nara Shiosui's capabilities, Nara Shiosui quietly reviewed everything he knew about Rin.
"She has enough strength to knock Kisame Hoshigaki back in one hit. If that punch lands on me, it will not end well."
Nara Shiosui actually wanted Rin to approach; that was how he could trap her with Shadow Imitation. But he also understood that in real combat, things changed in an instant. There might be a moment when he had no time to form hand signs. In that case, he absolutely had to avoid taking that punch directly.
When the two of them stepped onto the field, both used chakra to stand atop the water filled arena.
Once they were in position, Hiruko raised his voice and announced the start of the second match.
The instant the signal sounded, Rin entered her Water Breathing state. She rapidly retreated to widen the gap between them, flinging shuriken toward Nara Shiosui as she moved.
She did not know the exact maximum range of his Shadow Imitation Technique, so she could only stay as far away as possible.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Nara Shiosui neither advanced nor retreated. In the same moment, he also threw shuriken from where he stood.
Both of them were competent with shuriken, but they had not reached true mastery. Steel flashed across the water without either side landing a decisive hit.
Nara Shiosui then began to move forward at a measured pace.
During the earlier battle against Hidden Mist, Rin had not displayed any effective long range techniques. As long as he kept shrinking the space she had to maneuver until it was within his maximum range, the Shadow Imitation Technique would become the deciding factor.
"Water Release, Water Dragon Bullet Technique."
What Nara Shiosui did not expect was that as he drew closer, Rin suddenly formed hand signs and unleashed a Water Release technique. Water in the arena surged around her, gathering and coiling upward until it formed a massive dragon of water.
"She knows Water Release?"
Nara Shiosui's face changed. He immediately used the Body Flicker Technique, darting toward a small stand of trees behind him.
He quickly guessed that this was a new technique she had practiced during the month long break. If she had known it before, she would never have refrained from using it in the decisive fight against Hidden Mist.
And this was a terrible development for him.
Because of Kisame's earlier match, the arena had already been transformed into a huge shallow pond. In this environment, Water Release consumed less chakra and became stronger.
"It had to be Water Release…"
Even someone as calm as Nara Shiosui could not help feeling frustrated. His opponent started the match with every possible advantage from the terrain. Who would not find that aggravating?
He still did not know any defensive ninjutsu. All he could do was use terrain to evade and lessen the damage. Even so, he could not avoid being battered and drenched, looking more and more disheveled.
"Nice, Rin, that is it!"
In the waiting room, Obito shouted with excitement when he saw Rin firmly taking the initiative.
Kakashi nodded. He felt that Rin had almost secured the match. Nara Shiosui was a support type ninja by nature. One on one combat had never been his forte.
"It is over. Looks like the responsibility of becoming chunin falls to Midori now."
Inuzuka Midori could see it clearly as well. She wanted to cheer for her teammate, but Shiosui was being completely suppressed. He could barely fight back.
"Huff… huff…"
Nara Shiosui wiped the water from his face, breathing slightly heavy as he stared at Rin across the flooded arena. His mind raced as he tried to find a way to break the deadlock.
But no matter how he thought, he could not find a path to victory.
Without defensive ninjutsu, he had to rely solely on footwork and the environment to cope with her barrage. Meanwhile, his own ninjutsu did not have the necessary range. Close range against long range was simply too difficult.
Just then, a small patch of shadow appeared on the water at Nara Shiosui's feet. He instinctively looked up and saw a bird circling above.
An idea flashed through his mind. In that instant, he thought of a way to turn the situation around.
"Shadow Imitation Technique."
Nara Shiosui quickly formed hand signs. His shadow stretched across the water, racing toward Rin.
Rin, who was in the middle of forming hand signs, felt she had entered his range and immediately leaped backward to evade.
But to her surprise, Nara Shiosui's shadow stopped three meters short of her, even before she moved.
"Is he feigning weakness?"
Rin did not believe Nara Shiosui had misjudged his own range.
Cautious as ever, she refused to advance. She felt sure that he was trying to mislead her into stepping into a trap.
When the Shadow Imitation failed, Nara Shiosui pulled his shadow back with a regretful expression and slipped behind a tree.
"Water Release, Water Clone Technique."
Worried that he might be setting something up, Rin created a Water Clone and concealed it nearby.
She had picked up Water Release quickly, so Mugetsu had added the Water Clone Technique to her training. It was simpler than a true Shadow Clone and weaker overall, and it was basically useless away from water. But here, it was more than enough.
"Water Release, Water Dragon Bullet Technique."
Rin was not planning to give him time to recover. She continued to use Water Release to bombard Nara Shiosui. The trees in this arena were nowhere near as thick as those in the forest on the south border. They could hide someone's figure, but they were no match for a full force Water Dragon.
"Shadow Imitation Technique."
Nara Shiosui suddenly stepped out from behind cover, launching his technique again.
As the dark shadow rushed toward her, Rin immediately stopped forming hand signs and retreated.
The shadow stopped at the same point as before, right at the very edge of its reach. Nara Shiosui canceled the ninjutsu and withdrew again.
"He is stalling. He wants to wait until all the water drains away."
Rin's eyes flicked to the arena floor. The water level had clearly gone down. She quickly grasped his plan.
With that in mind, she deliberately walked back to her previous position and began forming hand signs again. This was the farthest distance at which she could still control the Water Dragon. If she went any farther back, the ninjutsu would become difficult to aim properly.
Nara Shiosui did not simply stand there and watch her attack. As she gathered water, he hurled kunai one after another, but none of them struck home.
Boom.
The Water Dragon crashed forward, shattering the trees he was using as cover and blasting Nara Shiosui into the water.
He crawled up quickly, spat water out of his mouth, and then smiled faintly as he looked at a tiny patch of black on the water's surface at his feet.
"Water Release…"
Rin began to form hand signs again, intending to press the advantage.
"Shadow Imitation Technique."
Nara Shiosui once more unleashed his clan's signature skill. His shadow surged forward along the water's surface toward Rin.
This time, Rin did not stop. She continued gathering chakra to form the Water Dragon. With Nara Shiosui this battered, another direct hit would almost certainly knock him out of the fight.
Besides, the distance between them was already very large. If he could catch her from this far away, then he should have been able to do it when she first used Water Release. There was no reason for him to miss back then.
As she expected, his shadow halted at exactly the same mark as before. That was his absolute maximum.
But then, something happened that Rin had not anticipated.
At that precise moment, a smaller shadow drifted down from above and merged with Nara Shiosui's shadow.
Whoosh.
His shadow suddenly extended again, racing past his usual limit and sliding into Rin's shadow.
Rin's eyes widened. She instinctively looked up and saw a kunai hanging in the air, supported by a simple cloth parachute. That faint extra shadow in the air was the foothold Nara Shiosui had created for his technique.
"You have the advantage of water," Nara Shiosui said, a faint smile appearing on his lips, "and I have the blessing of wind."
He had torn bits of his clothing behind the trees and fashioned a crude parachute. Then, while Rin was focused on shaping her ninjutsu, he distracted her with ordinary kunai, saving the real trick for last.
If the wind had been a little stronger or if the angle had been slightly off, his entire plan would have failed. But today, as if to compensate for the unfavorable terrain, everything aligned perfectly. The kunai drifted exactly where he needed it to.
To a layperson, it looked like nothing more than a strange little trick. Only shinobi truly understood what kind of control and timing it required.
"He is a promising one. Unfortunately, his opponent is too cautious," Nara Shikaku said with a small shake of his head.
"Has he not already caught her? That should settle it, right?" Akimichi Choza asked. He at least understood the basics of the Shadow Imitation Technique.
"If it were me, the match would already be over. But Shiosui has only learned the basics. Before this, Rin Nohara…"
Before Yamanaka Inoichi could finish explaining, the situation in the arena changed yet again.
As the shadows connected, the water Rin had gathered scattered apart. Nara Shiosui began directing her body, making Rin walk toward the wall. He planned to slam her into the stone and knock her out.
From his own position, that same motion would have him punching nothing but air, while Rin's body would be the one striking solid rock.
But at that moment, Rin's hidden Water Clone appeared.
"Water Prison Technique."
The clone formed a large sphere of water around the original, trapping Rin inside a Water Prison.
Nara Shiosui's brows furrowed deeply. When he had been behind the trees, he could not see Rin clearly, and she could not see him. He had no idea she had already created a clone.
Logically, with her advantage at that time, there had been no need for her to spend extra chakra on a clone.
Nara Shiosui forced Rin's body to pound against the water sphere, hoping to break the Water Prison Technique.
But Rin's raw strength came from her monstrous strength technique, not her natural physique. Nara Shiosui could not use that technique through her, so even when he drove her full force into the watery wall, the sphere did not even ripple.
Cold sweat slid down his temples. He had no choice but to cancel the Shadow Imitation Technique. If he did not, whatever came next from the Water Clone would slam into him directly.
The instant he released the technique, the Water Clone released the Water Prison as well. Rin burst out with chakra, and she and the clone attacked from two directions, closing in on Nara Shiosui.
"I surrender."
Already badly injured and with most of his chakra spent, Nara Shiosui saw no remaining path to victory. He raised his voice and admitted defeat.
"The result is decided. Rin Nohara wins."
Hiruko announced the outcome to the entire arena.
A wave of applause rose up for both Rin and Nara Shiosui.
If the first match had been pure, overwhelming force, this second match had been a clash of caution and intellect. If Rin had not created that Water Clone in advance, the entire battle might have been reversed, and her huge advantage would have turned into sudden elimination.
"Look, Rin won!"
In the stands, a middle aged couple smiled with visible relief and pride as they watched their daughter's victory.
"In terms of teaching, I am indeed far inferior to Mugetsu," Minato murmured, watching Rin leave the arena.
He was also Rin's teacher, and he knew exactly how strong she had been before the Chunin Exams. To raise her Water Release to this level in a single month was no trivial feat.
"Oh? So Mugetsu was the one helping Rin train during the exam period?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced back at Minato, who stood behind him today as part of the guard detail.
Jiraiya was supposed to be present in his stead, but Jiraiya had not wanted to sit with the high ranking officials. He had gone down to the regular seats instead, so Minato had stepped in to cover for his teacher.
"Yes. After all, I do not know much about Water Release," Minato replied with a nod.
Obito, Kakashi, and Rin had all chosen Mugetsu for special training instead of Minato, but he did not resent it.
He had spent several months with the three of them. He understood the focus of their training and had already discussed their future growth paths with Mugetsu.
However, he could not guide them on their core techniques. Those were all ninjutsu developed by Mugetsu himself. Minato could not simply offer random advice on another man's original work.
All he could do was teach what he was good at: Wind Release, Fire Release, sealing techniques, and general shinobi training to support their growth.
Hiruzen did not ask further. Rin had performed well, but she was still far behind the likes of Kakashi and the others.
If Kisame's Water Release had not altered the terrain, Rin's path to victory would have been much more difficult, assuming she could have won at all.
"See, Rin? I told you there was nothing to worry about," Obito said happily as Rin stepped back into the waiting room.
"Yes. Thanks to your encouragement, I felt more confident," Rin answered with a bright smile. Having given everything she had and then won, she could not help but feel genuinely happy.
"The third match is about to begin. Noguchi Nobuhide versus Might Guy. Please enter the arena and prepare for battle."
Hiruko's voice rang through the corridor and into the waiting room.
"It is time to let youth explode."
Might Guy bounced to his feet, clenching his fists in excitement.
With his father watching from the stands, he wanted to show the greatest power of his youth.
Noguchi Nobuhide, by contrast, seemed much more subdued.
He was Mei Terumi's teammate, and he had been at the battle in the Forest of Death. He knew exactly how terrifying Might Guy was. Even Kisame had been kicked so hard he coughed up blood.
Even so, Nobuhide could not simply surrender. If he dared to give up without a fight, someone back in Hidden Mist would personally teach him what "Bloody Mist" really meant.
"My rival, do not lose before you get to me," Might Guy said with a grin, flashing Kakashi a thumbs up before heading out.
What he looked forward to most was fighting Kakashi again. If he could defeat Kakashi and take first place, that would be the ultimate expression of youth.
"Then just wait to be defeated by me," Kakashi replied calmly.
"Haha, as expected of my rival. I acknowledge that confidence."
Guy gave him another vigorous thumbs up, then laughed as he strode toward the arena.
"Always talking big. Just wait until I knock you out in the top four," Obito muttered, annoyed.
Ever since he awakened his Sharingan, Kakashi had never beaten him, although they had only fought that one time.
Kakashi ignored him. The next match was about to start.
Mei Terumi stared fixedly at the arena, hoping her teammate could at least show something before being overwhelmed. Might Guy was undeniably a formidable opponent.
"Hahahaha, did you see that? That is my son, Might Guy. He is super strong!"
In the stands, Might Duy jumped to his feet the moment Guy entered the arena.
The people around him could only smile awkwardly. Even without his loud declaration, anyone with eyes could tell who his son was. That bright green jumpsuit and those thick eyebrows were impossible to miss.
"To think he might become a chunin at nine years old… Guy, your youth already burns brighter than mine ever did."
Just imagining Guy being promoted before the age of ten made tears well up in Duy's eyes. He was simply overflowing with pride.
"Why does he look like he already won before the match even started? Our Mist shinobi are not that easy to deal with," one Mist Ninja said unhappily.
Duy did not argue. He just sat back down and kept his eyes glued to the battlefield, waiting for the match to begin.
The Mist Ninja had no intention of causing trouble. Seeing Duy fall quiet, he said nothing more. He only felt that the man in the green jumpsuit was looking down on Hidden Mist.
"Begin."
Hiruko's shout signaled the start of the third match, and he quickly retreated to the edge of the field.
By now, most of the water had drained away. The arena had mostly returned to its original state, though shallow puddles still dotted the ground.
"Eight Gates, First Gate of Opening, open. Gate of Healing, open. Gate of Life, open.
Rock Breathing, full concentration."
To show his father his true strength, Might Guy used his full power from the very beginning, even though his opponent was not especially strong.
As he opened three gates and pushed his breathing to the limit, a terrifying surge of power erupted from his body. A sudden gust of wind spread out from him, scattering the water at his feet.
If he could send an emoji, Noguchi Nobuhide would probably have sent one of those "Are you trying to kill me?" dragon memes right then.
Under the crush of Guy's overwhelming aura, Nobuhide could not muster any real fighting spirit. The difference between them was simply too huge.
Even so, he forced himself to swallow his fear. He formed hand signs and prepared a Water Release technique.
"Extreme Leaf Hurricane."
Might Guy gathered almost all of his power into his legs and launched forward with a blindingly fast whirlwind kick toward Nobuhide.
Boom.
Nobuhide's Water Release was shattered on impact. The same kick slammed into him head on before he could even register what was happening, sending him flying backward like a rag doll.
Pffft. Bang.
A spray of blood flew from his mouth as he crashed into the wall at the edge of the arena and stuck there, embedded in the stone.
Silence.
The entire venue fell completely still. The audience had no time to react. Even Hiruko had not expected Guy to finish things so quickly. It had not even been half a minute, perhaps not even twenty seconds, from the signal to the end.
"Might Guy wins."
Once Hiruko snapped out of his shock, he hurriedly declared Guy's victory.
The Mist Ninja who had said earlier that their shinobi were not weak bowed his head deeply. This was far too humiliating. A single kick, an instant knockout, and no suspense at all.
Might Duy, however, paid him no mind. He only stared down at the battlefield with tears gathering in his eyes, celebrating his son's victory with pure, unrestrained joy.
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