Chapter 148: Watch closely, this move is called Ninth Form: Purgatory.
Atsui took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently.
He gripped his ninja sword tightly, and Fire Release Chakra once again wrapped around the blade.
This time it burned even more fiercely, as if he were pouring all his unwillingness into it.
"Demon Destruction Style, Flame Style Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!"
Lowering his stance, Atsui shot forward like an arrow released from a string.
Unlike the linear thrust of the First Form, this move was an upward slash, with the blade carving a scorching arc.
"Flame Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe."
Haruko stood still, using the same downward slashing stance that Atsui had just used.
He tilted his blade to catch the opponent's edge, guiding it to the side.
Atsui stumbled a few steps, passing by Haruko.
Atsui steadied himself, veins bulging on his forehead, and raised his ninja sword again.
"Demon Destruction Style, Flame Style Third Form: Blazing Universe!"
"Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun."
It was the same Second Form against Third Form, only this time the users had swapped.
Clang—
This time, the duel of upper versus lower still resulted in Haruko's victory.
Atsui's ninja sword flew out of his hand; he hurriedly leaped up and caught the spinning blade in mid-air.
Haruko was not in a hurry, just watching him reset his stance.
"Continue, it's time for the Fourth Form."
"I..."
Atsui's face flushed red, and sweat dripped from his chin, evaporating into white steam near his feet.
He stared at Haruko, his pupils trembling slightly from over-focusing.
The Fourth Form. The Fourth Form he hadn't mastered yet.
But he couldn't worry about that now.
Atsui closed his eyes, recalling the posture Yoriichi had demonstrated.
"Flame Style Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation!"
Atsui roared, his Chakra exploding throughout his body, and the flames on his ninja sword almost solidified.
But unfortunately, momentum could not compensate for the lack of technique, and Atsui only succeeded halfway.
Theoretically, this move would cause the flames to form a vortex-like barrier.
While Atsui managed to make the flames look like a vortex, the rotation speed was unstable, the trajectory was skewed, and it looked more like an out-of-control wildfire.
"Your skills are lacking..." Haruko sighed as he watched. "Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire."
As the smoke cleared, Atsui knelt on one knee, gasping for air.
The stands were silent.
Even Ninjas who didn't understand swordsmanship could see the gap between the two.
"What, what is going on..."
"They are using the same style of swordsmanship, but the gap... it's like an adult and a child."
"That Konoha Ninja isn't even using his full strength, is he teaching a student?"
Atsui heard them, but he couldn't care.
"The Fifth Form... I suppose you don't know that either." Haruko sheathed his sword. "Let's leave it at that."
"Wait!" Atsui raised his head, eyes red. "Senior, did you use your full strength?"
Haruko raised an eyebrow.
"Those just now, were they just a warm-up for you?" Atsui propped himself up on his knees and stood, his voice hoarse. "I want to see your full strength."
"Please!" He said, standing at attention and bowing his head.
Haruko rubbed his temples.
Honestly, he didn't want to go through the trouble.
But that old fox, the Third Hokage, was still watching from above, and the atmosphere had reached this point...
"Fine, one last move." Haruko drew his sword again. "I created this move myself. Watch closely, this move is called—"
His aura changed.
Fire Release Chakra surged around him, and he seemed to transform into a walking inferno, then shot toward Atsui like a meteor.
"Ninth Form: Purgatory."
A crimson trail pierced through the entire arena; Atsui only had time to hold his sword horizontally in front of him—
Clang—
The steel-forged ninja sword snapped in the middle, the cross-section as smooth as a mirror.
The scorching blade wind swept across his chest, shredding his clothing, and a line of blood extended from his shoulder to his waist.
Atsui looked down at his broken sword, then touched the wound on his chest—
"So... the gap is this big..."
Then, with a smile, he fell straight backward.
"Atsui!" A woman's exclamation came from the stands.
"Medical team!"
Following Genma's call, two medical Ninjas rushed up to perform emergency treatment.
"It's fine, no vital organs were injured."
After quickly stopping the bleeding, Atsui was placed on a stretcher and carried to the infirmary.
"The winner is Haruko!"
Applause thundered, but Haruko was in no mood to enjoy it.
He glanced at the Cloud Hidden Ninja section in the stands.
Unlike Samui, these people didn't seem worried—some of them were even nodding in satisfaction?
Filled with doubt, Haruko climbed up to the contestant stands.
...
"Fourth match, Inuzuka Hana versus Maki! Begin!"
In the arena, Inuzuka Hana and the three Gaimaru spread out in a fan shape.
She did not attack rashly, but instead commanded the Gaimaru to outflank and harass from three sides, while she formed hand seals to look for an opening.
The tactics were correct, but unfortunately, her opponent was not an ordinary person.
Maki flipped her hands, and several cloth strips flew out.
The fabric looked soft, but it was actually quite tough, and it was hard to cut with a Kunai.
And once wrapped, even a Jonin could not easily break free.
"Cloth Binding Technique: Heavenly Net."
The cloth strips intersected, covering them like a large net.
One Ninja Hound could not dodge in time and was enveloped, turning into a wrapped dumpling in the blink of an eye.
She immediately commanded another to rescue—
"What?!"
The already tightened cloth strips suddenly twisted like a living creature, binding the second Gaimaru tightly as well.
"Gaimaru, attack together! Fang Passing Fang!"
Human and Ninja Hound turned into two whirlwinds, attacking from left and right.
Maki did not dodge or avoid, releasing more cloth strips to surround herself.
As the two whirlwinds passed through the net of cloth strips, their rotation speed dropped sharply.
The toughness of the cloth strips far exceeded expectations; not only did it dissipate the impact, but it also wrapped Hana and the Gaimaru layer by layer.
"It's over."
Maki raised her hand, and the last few cloth strips bound Hana into a dumpling.
"The winner is Maki!"
Hana lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky.
She had thought of various head-on combat scenarios, but the opponent didn't give her a chance to get close at all; she was crushed without even touching the corner of her opponent's clothes.
Hana bit her lip and looked in Haruko's direction with a complex gaze.
They were both fighting Ninjas from other villages, yet the results were worlds apart.
She had originally wanted to face Haruko in the next match.
Haruko didn't speak, just nodded at her.
This was the Chunin Exams. If your raw strength wasn't enough, there was nothing you could do.
He just hoped she wouldn't get stuck in a rut.
...
Infirmary.
Atsui lay on the bed, letting the medical Ninja treat the wound on his chest.
The wound wasn't very deep; it was clear that Haruko had held back.
"It's bandaged, now get some good rest."
"Ah, thanks..." Atsui sat up. "Can I go back to the stands? I want to watch the subsequent matches."
"Then be careful, don't engage in strenuous activity that might reopen the wound."
After the medical Ninja left, Atsui put on his damaged jacket and walked out of the infirmary.
Confirming that the corridor was empty, he stepped out—
Not back to the stands, but toward the inside of Konoha Village.
His pace grew faster and faster, until finally, he was almost jogging as he rushed out of the passageway.
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