Terumi Mei didn't mind missing the first strike, continuing to use Water Release to attack in Obito's direction.
Her Chakra amount was quite sufficient; she wouldn't be depleted after just a few Ninjutsu.
"What should I do now?" Obito pondered while dodging.
Years of test-taking taught him that mere lamenting was futile; no matter how much you complain, the questions on the exam won't solve themselves. It's better to release the emotion and move on.
Obito thought of Mokgetsu, wondering how Mokgetsu would handle this situation.
"Probably a powerful Wind Release to disperse all the mist."
Obito shook his head, realizing he was too far from the all-knowing Sage Mokgetsu, and could not use the methods Mokgetsu would deploy.
After realizing that emulating Mokgetsu was a dead end, Obito switched to another approach: one he knew well, his rival, Hatake Kakashi.
From what Obito knew of Kakashi, Kakashi absolutely couldn't dissipate dense fog, and Transparent World wasn't much better against Hidden Mist Jutsu compared to Sharingan.
"Although I can't see the enemy, they can't see me either." Obito's mind raced, quickly identifying the appropriate Ninjutsu to use at this moment.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Bang!!
White smoke flashed, and twelve shadow clones appeared around Obito, with half running towards the direction the Water Dragon had come from and the other half scattering across the battlefield.
A large number of shadow clones could interfere with Terumi Mei's ability to locate Obito's true body through sound.
Moreover, due to the competition setting, the battle area was limited, and with thirteen Obito clones searching simultaneously, unless Terumi Mei hid underwater or took to the sky, she would inevitably be found by the clones within a minute.
Terumi Mei had intended to continue forming hand seals for Water Release Ninjutsu when suddenly the sound of footsteps became chaotic.
"He's using Shadow Clone Jutsu." Terumi Mei paused momentarily, then resumed the hand seals to gather Water Release.
Unsure of which one was the true body, she decided to eliminate all the Obito clones.
"Found you, here!" a particularly perceptive Obito clone shouted after only ten seconds of running upon spotting Terumi Mei.
"Water Dragon Bomb Jutsu!"
Based on what the Obito clone said, Terumi Mei deduced it wasn't the real body, opting not to retreat but instead unleashing the Water Dragon to dissipate the Obito clone.
Right after, Terumi Mei intended to move silently to another place for further attacks, but every Obito knew how rare the opportunity was, and they all charged determinedly towards Terumi Mei.
This situation left Terumi Mei somewhat troubled; she couldn't figure out which was Obito's real body, so she couldn't afford to stop.
Too close a distance, and she would easily give Obito a chance to eliminate her.
"Lava Release: Lava Monster Jutsu!"
Terumi Mei wanted to sneak away, but with too many Obito clones encircling her, she was forced to use Ninjutsu for defense, or else Obito would attack.
The strong corrosive acid of Lava Release was powerful, dissolving the affected shadow clones, but the returning memories helped Obito locate Terumi Mei's position.
Obito concentrated the Breath of Flame to its maximum, entering the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode, then erupted with unprecedented speed towards Terumi Mei.
"Flame Charge!"
Obito, enveloped in flames, rushed like a fiery ball through the mist.
Terumi Mei's expression changed upon realizing she couldn't dodge in time, quickly resorting to her fastest usage of Water Release.
Hiss!!
The water column washed over Obito, extinguishing some of his flames but unable to stop his advancing stance.
Bang!!
A dull crash echoed as Terumi Mei was knocked back like a kite with a snapped string, landing six meters away.
"It hurts so much. How can they manage both Ninjutsu and physique?" Terumi Mei tried her best to suppress a groan.
She couldn't understand how Obito and Kakashi, these Konoha Ninjas, cultivated.
Do their days have forty-eight hours? Even with various tasks, they manage to train Ninjutsu for ten hours then strengthen their physique for another ten hours.
Among her peers in the Hidden Mist Village, her Taijutsu wasn't outstanding but not poor either; yet, compared to Kakashi and colleagues, she wasn't close.
As Terumi Mei could no longer maintain the Hidden Mist Jutsu, the dense mist dissipated swiftly, revealing both herself and Obito.
"Uchiha Obito wins!" the referee declared after confirming Terumi Mei's loss of combat ability.
Obito proudly stood tall, facing the audience. This time, he didn't rely solely on the formidable Fire Release via Breath of Flame Chakra Mode; it was a victory of intelligent tactics!
"Kakashi, now you can't say I'm not using my head," Obito laughed, recalling his brilliant performance in battle.
"Wait, the mist was so thick just now. Kakashi and the others shouldn't have been able to see either," his lingering battle thoughts brought up a severe issue.
Though he had bravely and wisely overcome his opponent in this fight, due to Terumi Mei's constant coverage of the battlefield in Hidden Mist Jutsu, no one saw his battle process.
Obito wanted to communicate with Ninja Sect staff, seeking to personally narrate the entire battle process and psychological experience to Nohara Rin and Kakashi in the audience.
This was a clash where attributes and bloodline limits were restrained; how could such a meaningful battle's process be unknown?
However, Obito was already heading towards the rest area, acting with the poise of a victor walking there.
Someone like him couldn't turn back.
Ultimately, Obito chose to maintain his stylish aura all the way into the rest area.
"Indeed, in a ninja's life, the word 'easy' doesn't exist." Obito lamented.
Turning back would disrupt the expert vibe, but not turning back would mean missing the first chance to flaunt in front of Nohara Rin and Kakashi.
Shisui looked at Obito with a puzzled expression, wondering how a match led to such life philosophical insights.
In the audience, Nohara Rin offered a relaxed smile. "Though we didn't see the process, seeing Obito walking slowly back to the rest area must mean it was a hard-fought battle."
"Walking slowly doesn't necessarily mean tired; perhaps he's pondering how to describe his victory more impressively." Kakashi mused.
From knowing Obito, he was sure Obito would soon find time to discuss his battle with Terumi Mei.
Listening to Kakashi, Nohara Rin chuckled softly, "It seems you two are very close; guessing so much from just a silhouette."
"Don't misunderstand, Rin. It's just that Obito's too silly and easy to understand," Kakashi dismissed.
...
At 3:20 PM, the Youth Martial Arts Tournament's final four matches were about to begin.
Contestants eagerly awaited the match in the rest area.
"Finally it's starting," Might Guy twisted his neck, casting a fighting gaze towards Nagato.
At the semi-final stage, all contenders' strengths were almost transparent, even Might Guy had to exert everything to defeat Kakashi.
Amongst the remaining four opponents, the one Guy had the most desire to battle with was certainly Nagato, the strongest next to him.
Earlier, Kakashi shared analyses of Nagato's data with him.
The terrifying Chakra within Nagato allowed him to use various Ninjutsu at ease; Nagato's Ninjutsu was notably strong, even Might Guy under Breath of Rock Chakra Mode didn't dare face it head-on with pure flesh.
Yet, what Guy dreaded most was Nagato's ability to control repulsive and gravitational forces, which were simply strong and straightforward.
Guy wasn't sure if he could surpass Nagato, but precisely because of this, he felt the battle would be fascinating, as exploring the unknown is intriguing.
"Guy, best of luck, we're counting on you." Obito rooted for Might Guy.
Out of the remaining four, three were disciples of Mokgetsu, and of Mokgetsu's disciples, Might Guy was currently the strongest. If Guy lost, they were unlikely to claim first place.
PS: Another chapter coming up.