Chapter 147: Doctor! Doctor! Quick!
Hiroto thought, Am I supposed to tell you I've been practicing that emotionless shout? That Uchiha Fugaku's shout was even worse than mine.
Minato switched his blade to his other hand and kicked at him. Hiroto jumped back, creating some distance between them.
There were still two Fugakus sitting on the ground, but he couldn't tell which was real and which was a clone. A rash attack could get him eliminated.
"Earth Release: Earth Prison Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!" Hiroto quickly formed a series of hand seals.
A massive, dome-shaped earthen structure quickly enveloped the entire house.
"You're the only threat in Camp B," he said. "If I can keep you here, the plan is halfway to success."
As the dome was completed, the space was plunged into darkness.
The next moment, two points of light appeared in the darkness.
Two Rasengans.
Minato and Hiroto were each holding one in one hand.
"I've been meaning to ask," Minato said. "Did you develop this jutsu yourself?"
He was certain that his own Rasengan had been inspired by the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball, and that he had developed it bit by bit, through hard work.
Hiroto looked at the Rasengan in his opponent's hand and silently increased the amount of chakra, making his own a little bigger. "No," he said. "Someone taught me."
Minato saw that his Rasengan was bigger and silently increased his own chakra, making his even bigger. "Then it's just a coincidence?" he said. "That's a bit ridiculous, isn't it?"
Hiroto raised an eyebrow. Are you trying to have a ninjutsu-off with me? The ball in his hand grew again, and now both of their Rasengans had gone from the size of a melon to the size of a basketball.
"I'm pretty sure the person who taught me has no interest in teaching you," he said. "So it must be a coincidence."
Minato's eyebrow also twitched. This was the one jutsu he did not want to lose in! He pushed his chakra to its absolute limit, and the ball in his left hand grew even larger. Any bigger, and he wouldn't be able to maintain it.
Hiroto sneered. The Rasengan in his right hand was now tinged with red, as if it were on fire.
He had added his fire-natured chakra to the Rasengan. A Great Flame Rasengan!
Feeling the intense heat from across the room, Minato was silent.
It seemed he had lost.
He silently drew the short sword from his back and pointed it at his opponent.
At least he had the bigger weapon.
On the other side, Dana was singing a little tune. Shikaku had already learned to tune him out.
The enemy was constantly expanding the range of their Hiding in Mist Technique. It now covered the entire town. Fortunately, the mist did not affect Shibi's insects, so he could still keep track of what was happening outside.
There was only an hour left. He didn't know if Minato had a chance to rescue the hostage. It was possible that the exam would end with neither side succeeding. In that case, it would all come down to individual performance. And in the current situation, that could be called a win-win.
Though the hostages were the focus of this round, if it could end with everyone having a chance to show their skills, that was not an unacceptable outcome.
Suddenly, he felt that something was wrong. The sound of Yotsuki Dana's singing was getting louder.
He glanced over. The three of them were now singing in three-part harmony, a song he had never heard before, in a language he had never heard before. He was pretty sure he was just making noise.
But just as he was about to turn away, he caught a glimpse of something in the corner of the room. The mist seemed to be behaving unnaturally.
"Dammit!"
On the edge of the main street, a Waterfall ninja was in a fierce battle with his evenly matched opponent. After another clash, he was feeling the fatigue. He wiped the sweat from his brow. His combat uniform had been torn in the fight, and he had ripped it off, revealing his muscular torso. His opponent, on the other hand, was still wearing a thick, heavy robe that covered his entire body.
"Aren't you hot?" he asked. "Or are you still holding back? I never thought I'd meet a rival like you in the Chunin Exams."
His only answer was silence.
He was used to it by now. The guy seemed to be the silent type. But he was grateful for the opportunity to go all-out.
"My name is Jun'en Izawa," he said. "Tell me your name after the exam."
As if by mutual agreement, they both charged at each other. He swung his sword. This had happened countless times already. He knew exactly how his opponent would block it.
But in mid-air, he heard a "click." And his opponent's sword arm suddenly drooped.
What? A broken bone?
But he was already in motion. He couldn't stop. He tried his best to pull back, but his sword still struck his opponent's neck.
"Aah! Are you alright?!"
He immediately turned to help his fallen opponent.
"Doctor! Medical-nin! Examiner! Someone's hurt!"
"Hey! Hold on! If you're at your limit, you should have said so! Why are you pushing yourself so hard?! Don't die! I wanted to invite you to the Hidden Waterfall, to show you the waterfalls of my homeland!"
"Hey! Why are you so light?! Why is your head falling off?! Doctor! DOCTOR!"
"...Huh?"
At almost the same time, in another part of the main street, the "Yusuke Akahoshi" who had been pecking at Yashamaru like a chicken suddenly ran into a problem. He was running, and then he just fell to his knees and slid to a stop at Yashamaru's feet.
The transformation jutsu had failed, and "Yusuke" had turned into a rather dull-looking humanoid puppet. The painted-on, vacant eyes on its wooden face were staring right at Yashamaru.
Yashamaru: "..."
In the distance, Sasori broke into a cold sweat and nearly collapsed. Maintaining four puppets in battle and acting so flawlessly was too much for him. His chakra, his mind, his stamina—it was all gone.
Ringo, seeing this, immediately followed their plan, abandoning her opponent and rescuing him. Mahiru and Oiwa, who had been fighting him two-on-one, didn't understand what had happened. But Sasori was the youngest contestant, and he had been holding his own against both of them. They were too embarrassed to pursue.
And they had no idea that their own rear was now in danger.
Just as Shikaku was about to investigate the change in the mist, he was struck from behind. He tried to stay conscious, but in the end, he closed his eyes.
Shibi, who had been analyzing the battlefield, was a step too slow. He only realized what had happened when he saw Shikaku fall.
That guy who uses the mist to turn invisible? Wasn't he fighting Yashamaru? I was keeping an eye on him!
Most of his insects were already deployed. He had only a few left on his person. He was just a sensory-type in this round, his combat ability a fraction of what it should be. He was quickly taken down by the taijutsu-proficient Yusuke.
And another figure appeared in the house. It was Kayo Uzumaki.
"Onii-chan Dana," she said, "I've come to rescue you!"
According to the rules, as long as the hostage was brought back to their own side of the town and was out of combat, the rescue was a success.
A few minutes later, as the various duels were coming to an end, an examiner came to the town and announced that the exam was over.