Fujin had probably mistaken Chi for a genjutsu-type ninja with poor taijutsu.
But that fan wasn't just a casting tool.
Its ribs were made of a rare, extremely hard alloy, and the edges hidden within the feathers were exceptionally sharp.
The fan could not only assist in casting genjutsu but also serve as a weapon in close combat.
A longer weapon grants reach; a shorter one demands risk.
Chi's close-combat skills weren't bad at all, and with the fan in hand, she was quite formidable.
Her self-created fan dance, combined with nimble footwork, forced Fujin off balance.
The short-range genjutsu she occasionally cast was impossible to defend against in the heat of a highly focused battle.
Given Fujin's skill level, his reckless attempt at a quick victory in close combat failed. Chi quickly turned the tables and began to press her advantage.
"Interesting," Daigan mused thoughtfully.
The ninja world was vast, with so many shinobi; there were always unique talents that caught one's eye.
Many high-level ninja knew of nin-taijutsu, which combined ninjutsu and taijutsu. The most famous was the Lightning Release Chakra Mode passed down by the Raikage of the Cloud Village.
Sunagakure's sworn enemy, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki Roshi of Iwagakure, had given many Sand ninja a hard time with his Lava Release Chakra Mode.
Chi's strength was still weak, incomparable to those great figures, but her fighting style certainly caught Daigan's attention.
It was merely a combination of taijutsu and genjutsu, of course, a far cry from the so-called "Genjutsu Chakra Mode" or "Gen-taijutsu" that Daigan had idly imagined, but it offered plenty of inspiration.
Under Daigan's appreciative gaze, Fujin, dizzy and disoriented by the constant waves of genjutsu, had a moment of carelessness. The tip of the fan's rib pierced his shoulder.
The sharp pain was followed by a heavy knee to his jaw, and he collapsed, unconscious from the concussion.
"Winner—Chi!"
The proctor announced the result, and the defeated Fujin was carried away.
The second ninja to step up wore exaggerated eyeshadow, not even fully concealed by his narrow sunglasses. He held a kunai in a reverse grip in one hand and swung a chained meteor hammer in the other.
"A projectile user?" Daigan frowned. This type of mid-range attacker was usually the jack-of-all-trades and support member of a team. While they might not have a standout specialty, their ability to bog down an opponent was exceptionally strong.
Given Chi's stamina after one fight, this looked to be a tough match for her.
"My name is Mijin. Unlike Fujin, I'm not reckless. Your tactics won't work on me."
*Looks like she's out of luck,* Daigan thought with some regret. A Genin's chakra was limited, and as a girl, Chi's stamina disadvantage was quite apparent.
The battle unfolded as Daigan had predicted. Despite Chi's refusal to give up, she struggled under Mijin's cautious assault. Exhausted, she fought until she collapsed to the ground in defeat.
Yome stepped up next. Her skills were a little weaker than Chi's, but her superior vision allowed her to perfectly predict the direction of her opponent's attacks. Whether kunai or shuriken, she dodged them all with minimal movement at the very last second.
Her small, agile body contained surprising strength. Even when her opponent closed the distance, she handled his attacks with ease and even landed a few counter-punches to Mijin's abdomen, making him grimace in pain and abandon his underestimation of her.
"Stalling for time? You think you'll win automatically when the hour is up?"
Ignoring Mijin's question, Yome silently kept her distance, warily watching for his next move.
"What a troublesome brat. You can dodge my attacks because of those eyes, right?"
Mijin formed a hand seal.
"Earth Release: Sand Dust Cyclone!"
A large amount of chakra surged from Mijin's body, whipping up the surrounding dirt into a maelstrom. In the swirling sandstorm, Yome could only shield her face to keep the grit from her eyes.
This gave Mijin his chance. A volley of shuriken flew out, several striking Yome's thigh and arm. Then, a figure burst through the dust cloud and kicked her hard in the waist.
Yome, who was never very durable to begin with, was defeated just like that.
"You should be satisfied. You made me expend so much chakra on a jutsu. This was a trump card I was saving for the Chunin Exam."
Daigan gave Yome's injuries a quick check. After confirming they weren't serious, he strolled toward the still-panting Mijin.
"If that's the extent of your trump card, then there's no place for you in the Chunin Exam, you piece of trash."
Daigan cracked his neck and flexed his wrists.
"Proctor, can we begin?"
"You may."
Mijin didn't get angry at Daigan's rude outburst. "Are you angry because I hurt your teammate?"
"No. It's no one's fault if you lose a fight because you're not strong enough. I just don't like that look on your face, the one that says you have everything under control. I really want to punch it and see if you can make any other expressions."
"You can try, if you think you can."
"Then I won't hold back!" Daigan flashed a brilliant smile. "Beating up people I don't like is my favorite thing to do."
As he spoke, Daigan stomped his right foot forward. The sandy ground rippled like a wave, the shifting horizon making it difficult to stand.
In an instant, a wall of sand rose up and surged toward Mijin.
Not to be outdone, Mijin waved his hand, and a wall of sand rose to block it.
"A jutsu like this won't be enough to defeat me. Your skills don't quite match your arrogant words…"
Just as Mijin was retreating and defending, a swift figure shot straight through the sand wave, shattered the earthen wall, and appeared right in front of him.
"The jutsu was just to say hello! I said I was going to beat you up, so of course I'm using my fists, idiot!"
A heavy punch landed on Mijin's cheek. His sunglasses shattered and flew off. The sound of his jaw dislocating and fracturing cracked through the air. His neck snapped to the side as he was sent flying, the look of calm control on his face not even having time to register surprise before he was knocked unconscious.
The fight was over so quickly that even the proctor didn't react for a moment.
"Hey, you still with us? You don't seem very tough. Proctor, I won, right?"
"Winner, Daigan!"
"Next one! Let's get started!"
The last opponent, a guy with thick eyebrows and no bizarre clothing, stepped forward.
"Such an impatient bastard! Don't lump me in with those two useless fools. Remember, the one who defeats you is named Sajin—"