Clash

Bang!

Their arms collided, crossed in a diagonal X. As if an invisible shockwave had spread outward, the sound of flesh striking flesh rippled in rings, seeming to drown out the shouting crowd. The entire cabin appeared to echo with that single impact.

So heavy!

Almost the instant their arms collided, Chiba and Kakashi, whose arms had met head-on, both had their eyes twitch slightly. Feeling the strength in each other's arms, the same thought rose in their minds.

"They've started!"

At that moment, the two Anbu could not help murmuring. That heavy collision had instinctively made them tense.

These two boys have incredible strength! At the same time, this thought surfaced in their hearts.

The battle between a genius beyond geniuses and a genius beyond that genius had begun...

At that moment, Hirohiko, Yukina, Asuma, and Obito, standing on the roof, also instinctively tensed.

All six of them narrowed their eyes, their expressions gradually turning focused as they watched the center of the field.

Tap!

Amid the chants of "Kakashi will win, Chiba will lose," the two landed at the same time.

Smack!

The instant he landed, Kakashi narrowed his eyes and abruptly raised his hand. With a crisp sound, his other hand had already seized Chiba's left hand, the one that had collided with his own left. In that instant, using the slight bend of his right leg upon landing, he twisted sideways. Still gripping Chiba's hands, he raised them with the motion, preparing to throw Chiba over his back the next second.

Tap!

But at that very moment, Chiba, who had been pulled forward and lost his balance by that smooth, flowing landing throw, suddenly had a hand stretch out from behind him and slap heavily onto his shoulder.

At once, the momentum of the throw came