Just Like Love

As the "parachute" slowly descended, the shadow cast on the ground kept growing larger.

The shadow, which could no longer stretch any farther, suddenly seemed to receive reinforcements and shot toward Temari.

"Don't think you can escape!"

Shikamaru shouted.

Temari dodged swiftly, inwardly marveling at what a cunning guy he was.

When she watched above, she neglected below. She had nearly been caught.

But now, it was clear. The so-called Shadow Imitation Technique was a move that used other shadows to capture and restrain the opponent.

Finally, as the parachute landed, Shikamaru's shadow retracted once more.

Temari flicked open her fan with flair and rose gracefully to her feet, stirring up a cloud of dust before her.

She could not drag this out any longer. As the sun set, this guy would only become more dangerous.

Temari made up her mind and quickly formulated a battle plan.

She had to keep enough distance.

Then she would use the Clone Technique to draw his attention before finishing him with a single decisive blow!

Seeing the expression on Temari's face, Shikamaru also made up his mind.

Temari's clone ran out from behind her fan, and just as expected, Shikamaru used the Shadow Imitation Technique again.

"He took the bait!"

Temari was overjoyed. She immediately revealed her real body, waiting only to unleash the final strike.

The moment he saw her real body, the shadow swiftly changed direction and came at her.

It was useless. At this distance, there was no way he could reach her.

"Ninja Art!"

"How... how is this possible?"

Temari suddenly realized that she could no longer move her body.

"Sixteen meters and thirty-two centimeters."

Shikamaru smiled as he stepped out from the shadows.

"What?!"

Temari stared at him in shock.

"From the beginning, my attack range was sixteen meters and thirty-two centimeters—four meters farther than what you saw."

Shikamaru explained.

"So from the start, you were putting on an act..."

Temari recalled how the shadow had repeatedly seemed unable to reach her before, and fury rose within her.

"Damn it! You dared to toy with me!"

"Honestly, if my opponent hadn't been as smart as you, all that acting would probably have been a waste of effort," Shikamaru replied.

"Precisely because you have such excellent analytical skills, I had to make you gradually believe in your own safe distance.

"Then all I had to do was wait for your final attack."

Hearing his praise, Temari only took it as mockery from the victor and was about to flare up again.

Then Shikamaru slowly raised his hand. "I lost. I surrender!"

Temari froze where she stood, as though she had been struck by lightning.

At the same time, the audience throughout the stands was stunned.

"That's why I said he'd definitely surrender. Ino, you really don't understand Shikamaru at all," Choji said, looking as though he had known all along.

"W-What did you say?"

Temari asked.

"Using the Shadow Imitation Technique continuously drains too much Chakra. I can't keep it up for more than ten seconds.

"Even though I came up with over two hundred strategies, there wasn't enough time. It was getting too troublesome anyway, so that's it for this great match."

Shikamaru spread his hands and spoke indifferently.

"The winner is Temari!"

Referee Shiranui Genma found it rather amusing and announced the end of the match with a smile.

"Hehe, come to think of it, don't you think Shikamaru's strategy is the same routine as courting a girl?"

Tenten smiled and leaned close to Ino's ear.

"What are you talking about?"

Ino did not understand.

"Look, first you make the girl think she's safe, but in reality, she's been within your range from the very beginning.

"Then you keep pulling back and putting on a performance, making her believe that your relationship is limited to friendship, until she gradually trusts and accepts that.

"Finally, when her sense of security is at its strongest, you break through her psychological defenses and finish her in one blow!"

Tenten analyzed smugly.

"Hey, senpai, what are you even saying?!"

Ino blushed a little as she listened.

Shikamaru really does have a knack for this.

"Hahahaha, just kidding, just kidding," Tenten laughed.

On the other side, Choji kept stuffing potato chips into his mouth as he waited for Shikamaru to return.

"The next match: Uchiha Sasuke of Konoha versus Gaara of the Sand Hidden Village!"

With Shiranui Genma's announcement, the mood in the entire arena reached its peak.

"The Uchiha brat is finally coming out!"

"This is the real final! Whoever wins takes the championship!"

"Give it everything you've got, Uchiha! I bet ten thousand ryo on you!"

Everyone went wild at that name.

Amid the uproar, Sasuke, who had long since run out of patience, was the first to leap into the arena. His eyes, filled with fighting spirit, fixed on Gaara's direction.

In the stands, Gaara's breathing also grew rapid, as though he could already smell the sweetness of blood. He was abnormally excited.

He forcibly restrained himself and slowly descended the steps one at a time.

"Remember the battle plan. Don't get carried away."

As Gaara passed by him, their leader Baki could not help reminding him.

However, it was as though Gaara had not heard him. Without slowing his pace, he walked step by step toward the center of the arena.

"Begin!"

At the referee's command, Sasuke did not waste a word. He swiftly drew out Shuriken and hurled them at Gaara.

Gaara was equally fired up. Rather than simply relying on the Absolute Defense of his Sand Shield, he used Chakra to control the sand and create a Sand Clone, which caught the incoming ninja tools in one hand.

The sand in the Sand Clone's palm flowed rapidly. It drew back its arm, then returned the favor.

It hurled the Shuriken back at Sasuke even faster.

Sasuke did not hesitate and charged straight ahead.

At that moment, he had absolute confidence in his speed.

With a Snowdrift Piercing Clouds, Sasuke effortlessly dodged the Shuriken.

Then, moving with nimble, elusive footwork, he reached Gaara in the blink of an eye.

He spun around and swung his arm, driving a vicious punch into the Sand Clone's neck.

The Sand Clone's movements stalled. Sasuke did not hesitate, following up with his left hand and blasting its upper body into flowing sand.

Before the Sand Clone could reform, Sasuke closed in on Gaara's real body again.

With a Pushing Window to View Moon, he turned his palm into a blade and slashed at Gaara's face, only for Gaara's sand to block it automatically.

"Sand that defends automatically? Hmph, then how about this?"

Sasuke sneered and accelerated again. He vanished from where he stood in an instant, appearing behind Gaara the next second and throwing another punch. The sand barely managed to rush back to defend him.

But Sasuke pulled back his fist in time, vanished again, and appeared on the other side of Gaara's body.

This time, the sand could no longer keep up with Sasuke's speed at all.

Sasuke threw a heavy, powerful punch straight into Gaara's face, sending Gaara flying backward.

Cracks instantly appeared across his face.

That was the Sand Armor.

By covering his entire body in sand, it formed Gaara's final layer of defense.

Yet Sasuke had shattered it with ease in less than half a minute.