Dueling Arena * Sharp Tongue

Izuna led everyone through the red brick path lined with drooping wisteria blossoms, introducing the facilities along the way: the Carousel, the Pendulum Ride, the Pirate Ship Ride, and the rest area, one by one.

At each attraction, he would stop and briefly explain the function and how to use it, occasionally interjecting with a few witty remarks.

Wakako would ask "Can I play?" for each game, and only after receiving an affirmative answer would he be satisfied and continue on his way.

They arrived at the Dueling Arena.

This area is larger than the previous facilities.

It is oval-shaped, surrounded by tiered stands, with a compacted earthen field in the very center.

Several racks stood at the edge of the field, with protective gear and unsharpened practice weapons hanging on them.

Izuna originally only planned to stop briefly at the entrance, give a short introduction as before, and then move on.

But just as he raised his hand, before he could even speak, a muffled thud came from the center of the arena—the sound of a fist slamming into the mat.

Two people are fighting each other in the Arena.

The Delegation members, who had initially shown little interest, suddenly became interested and looked at them.

Izuna then explained, "This place is called the Dueling Arena, but the so-called Dueling Arena is actually just a place for us Konoha Ninjas to practice and improve our Strength."

"Here, all the Ninjutsu we use are illusions simulated by Formation and have no lethality. Each person can only choose three Ninjutsu as their signature skills in addition to the Three Body Techniques. There will be a short cooldown period after the skills are used, and the same skill cannot be used consecutively during the cooldown period."

"As a result, Taijutsu combat became the mainstream, and generally the person with better Taijutsu would win."

Two people are demonstrating the application of Taijutsu on the sand.

Their attacks and defenses relied entirely on reflexes; Isshiki move was clean, crisp, and incredibly fluid, captivating even Wakako.

However, their Taijutsu skills seemed to be evenly matched, and they were unable to determine a winner for a long time.

"Of course, if Taijutsu can't decide the outcome of the battle, then we have to start using Ninjutsu." Izuna crossed his arms. "And the limited application of Ninjutsu is one of the most exciting aspects of the Dueling Arena."

What are the highlights?

Ōnoki frowned.

The reason Ninjas are called Ninjas is that they endure and then instantly take what they want, which could be intelligence, resources, or even their own lives.

An average Ninja won't use too many Ninjutsu in their lifetime. Aside from the Three Body Techniques, which they must learn, they'll only use one or two Ninjutsu in battle.

But that was for the purpose of quickly and efficiently striking the opponent.

The choice of techniques is naturally Eight Gates, all aimed at better defending against or attacking opponents in battle.

If the number or frequency of Ninjutsu used in battle is limited, how can one quickly defeat the opponent?

Is this Arena only for entertainment?

But the next second of the match made him understand why he had to do it this way.

"Great Fireball!" "Water Formation Wall!"

When the two were locked in a stalemate, they both decided to unleash their Ninjutsu.

Their hand seals are relatively simple because they are not true Ninjutsu; the hand seals are merely to trigger the pre-set Ninjutsu effect of the Formation, and are therefore illusory.

Even so, due to the Genjutsu, the heatwave and moisture still felt incredibly real.

After one round of attack and defense, both sides immediately changed tactics.

The Fire Style user charged in and unleashed a barrage of basic attacks to suppress the opponent, while the Water Release user, after a period of stalemate, found an opportunity to disengage from Close Combat and unleashed the Water Dragon Bullet Technique from a distance.

The downside of Fire Style is the lack of defensive measures; at this moment, he seems unable to Great Fireball.

So how should we deal with it?

While Ōnoki was pondering, the Fire Style Ninja was making his movements.

He seemed to want to rush to the vicinity of the Water Release Ninja, but how could the Water Release Ninja allow him to do so?

He controlled the Water Dragon, keeping it firmly on the Fire Style Ninja, trying to defeat him while not giving him a chance to get close.

However, the Water Dragon quickly disappeared as well. In that instant, the Fire Style Ninja grabbed the spy and immediately activated his Ninjutsu!

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu."

Flames resembling balsam seeds that would be launched into the air at the slightest touch spewed from the mouth of the Fire Style Ninja, blocking the Water Release Ninja's movement.

But this obviously couldn't do anything to him, and the two engaged in close combat once again.

This leaves both sides with only one last chance to use Ninjutsu in a short period of time.

Izuna also spoke up to remind them, "Both sides only have one last Ninjutsu left to use. The next attack should decide the outcome."

"Strategic and tactical considerations, the timing of Ninjutsu usage—the slightest difference can lead to completely different results. That's what makes the Dueling Arena so captivating."

The Daimyo and his entourage assumed that Konoha was demonstrating its fighting strength, and their attendants and guards behind them all thought so as well.

Moreover, the duel was truly spectacular; everyone watched intently, eager to witness the final outcome.

However, the two players on the field hesitated to unleash their final move, and instead, their tempers flared up as the fight progressed.

It's unclear who started it, but the techniques and styles became chaotic, and the duels devolved from proper analysis of moves into mere squabbling.

The two young faces flushed red, their collars tugged together, as they rolled from the left side of the Arena to the right, and then back again.

"Let go of me, you fucking idiot!"

"You loosen your grip first!"

"How can I loosen my grip if you don't let go!"

"If I loosen my grip, you'll launch a sneak attack!"

"Nonsense, you're the same way!"

They rolled around on the dirt field, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Izuna's hand hovered in mid-air, his expression one of disgust.

"... Our... Ninjas will fight here, and rankings will be determined. The top three each week will receive generous rewards... This is the Dueling Arena." He finished his introduction and then turned to the two guys on the Arena who were still pulling each other's hair.

"You two!"

The two young men who had just been arguing immediately froze, both looking in Izuna's direction. When they saw a group of people standing behind him, they immediately separated.

"Come over!"

They dawdled as they approached Izuna.

Izuna stared expressionlessly at the two disheveled young men in front of him.

"Name."

"Uchiha Ibo..."

"Senju Ren..."

"Very good." Izuna nodded, his tone calm.

"From now on, you'll be called 'Ground-Rolling Booger Strips' and 'Amphibious Big Eggplants'."

The Ground-Rolling Booger Strip and the Amphibious Big Eggplant suddenly raised their heads, and the others also looked at Izuna.

What a vicious adjective!

But Izuna did not stop.

"As expected of you guys. You dare to cause me trouble today? Do you think you're so bored and have nothing better to do than compete with pigs in the mud for feed?"

Wakako's mouth opened slightly, Yuan Yusheng adjusted his hat, and the expressions of the Envoys froze. Everyone looked at Izuna with a mixture of confusion and shock.

The two young men who were being scolded were completely petrified, their mouths agape.

"I'd like to see how much different parts of your bodies cost." Izuna looked them up and down, then said disdainfully, "Oh, no one would want meat this tough. Even a dog would spit it out and say it tastes awful."

"Then you two can become my slaves. Go, run twenty laps around the perimeter of the Dueling Arena, and after you're done, report to the Props Team and clean and dry all the protective gear in the Dueling Arena."

"Starting tomorrow, you'll practice basic Taijutsu for three extra hours every day. Come see me again when you've mastered them and can no longer roll around on the ground like a worm."

The two young men Earth Flow in a daze, one of them even looking like he was about to cry.

Izuna stood at the Dueling Arena, watching the two dejected figures disappear around the corner.

He turned back, and the standard tour guide smile returned to his lips.

"Please excuse my poor appearance. Well then, let's continue our tour."

No one moved.

Everyone was watching him.

Wakako placed her hands on her chest, looking incredulous.

Yuan Yusheng tilted his head slightly, looking at Izuna with the gaze one would use to appraise some rare animal.

Ōnoki stood at the end of Delegation, his mouth agape, forgetting to close it.

Everyone was looking at him with a subtle expression, a mixture of confusion, amazement, and a hint of apprehension that wondered, "Has this person learned some kind of curse-killing technique?"

Izuna blinked. "What's wrong?"

"Um," Yuan Yusheng cleared his throat, "Is this really okay? Um... isn't what you said a bit too much...?"

"No," Izuna interrupted him with a smile. "They fought in the Dueling Arena and rolled around in a mess during the exhibition on the opening day of my Amusement Park. The fact that they weren't made to clean the entire village's toilets is already a favor to them, considering they're from the village."

He said this with his smile completely unchanged, his tone calm and gentle, exactly the same elegant and steady rhythm he used when he was cursing earlier.

It hurts Daimyo eyes to look at it.

Even the most pleasing faces now appear somewhat grotesque.

He was now somewhat glad he hadn't left him in the Land of Fire, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to tolerate such harsh words.

In short, they continued their visit.

Izuna Earth Flow at the front of the group as if nothing had happened, his steps were light and his tone had returned to its previous light and calm manner.

The members of the Delegation followed behind him, their expressions still somewhat dazed.

The two people who were scolded were surrounded by a group of staff and taken back to the rest shed behind the Dueling Arena.

Benches and buckets were placed in the shed, spare protective gear was piled up against the wall, and the air was filled with the smell of sun-dried canvas.

The staff surrounding them tried hard to suppress their laughter, offering them water and towels, and some even patted them on the back.

Uchiha Ibo sat on the bench, clutching a towel, tears streaming down her face. "Waaah... Lord Izuna told me to roll my snot... Waaah... Lord Izuna hates me... Waaah..."

He was sobbing so hard his shoulders were shaking, and the towel was twisted into a pretzel. He was a completely different person from the man who looked like he could take down an elephant with one punch just moments before.

Senju Ren, who had just been rolling around with him on the Arena, stood to the side, at a loss for what to do.

She watched as Ifu cried uncontrollably, raising her hand and then lowering it again.

She wasn't familiar with this guy.

Before today, she had never even heard of the name Uchiha Ibo. His appearance was too plain and ordinary among the group of beautiful Uchiha, and he was not memorable.

If Izuna hadn't paid her a hefty appearance fee to perform this scene, she wouldn't be rolling around in the Arena with an Uchiha.

But now, this Uchiha was sitting right in front of her, sobbing uncontrollably, his towel twisted into a pretzel, his eyes red as if he had just been beaten.

Although Ren thought it was a bit strange for a grown man to be scolded to tears, Izuna's insults were indeed very harsh.

Ground-Rolling Booger Strip.

Amphibious Big Eggplant.

It's understandable that he couldn't withstand such malice; it almost made him feel sorry for her.

The tall girl hesitated for a long time before finally steeling herself and walking over. She reached out and gave Ifu a firm two pats on the shoulder.

"Hey, I'm Amphibious Big Eggplant, too. Don't be sad, we're evenly matched."

Ifu paused for a moment, then suddenly raised her face, which was red from crying.

"... Who are you calling equal to you!"

I was just trying to comfort you!

"Who needs your comfort!"

The two started fighting again.

Staff rushed in, some to break up the fight, others to try and calm things down, and the rest area descended into chaos once again.

The Ninjas watching from one side of the shed marveled at the chaos.

The Sarutobi Clan members crossed their arms, sighing, "Lord Izuna's mouth is truly venomous! 'Snotty-nosed' and 'Amphibious Big Eggplant'... who can stand that?"

The Uchiha member stood to the side, his expression complex, his tone carrying a subtle mix of pride and lingering apprehension. "Lord Izuna... still as sharp-tongued as ever..."

Was he always like that?

"Hmm... it used to be alright, at most they'd just call me an idiot or a moron." The Uchiha recalled the words from earlier, still shaken. "Now it's practically a curse. Luckily, it wasn't my mistake."

A member of the Yamanaka Clan nearby said, "I actually find it quite interesting; it feels like listening to a stand-up comedy routine."

"That's true, I probably would have laughed if I hadn't been the one being told that."

The Uchiha members gave them a strange look. "You two have a rather peculiar pursuit of pleasure..."

The family in the Yamanaka Clan shrugged and walked away.