Psychological Suggestion

"Those... were Chakra Threads?"

"He actually used a Puppet Master's methods on ninja tools. Has his Chakra control already reached that level?"

"An ordinary Puppet Master couldn't pull off something like this."

"Indeed. To keep the Shuriken at that speed while making sure Asuma didn't notice them requires extremely precise Chakra control!"

Everyone was astonished. Whether it was Soseki's seemingly prophetic Throwing Techniques or Asuma's flowing Substitution Technique, both had displayed skill far beyond that of the other newcomers—and even most older students.

If that was still within everyone's ability to accept, then what Soseki had demonstrated now was truly shocking. In terms of Chakra control alone, this technique was no less difficult than a C-rank ninjutsu.

"I lost. If I hadn't heard their voices, I should have been rendered unable to fight." Asuma wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand, his voice weak.

At Asuma's words, quite a few people around them showed awkward expressions. The Hokage himself had said nothing, which clearly meant he trusted Soseki's control.

Yet their instinctive actions had ruined Soseki's plan.

"Don't worry about it. Outside influences are part of battle to begin with. Besides, what kind of battle has no variables or accidents?" Soseki smiled faintly, not losing his composure because of the interference.

Asuma took a deep breath and stopped hesitating. "I understand. Giving it everything I have is the greatest respect I can show you!"

Almost the instant his words fell, Asuma charged toward Soseki. At the same time, the Shuriken circling Soseki shot out in a fierce burst.

There were not many Shuriken, but under Soseki's control, they erupted with the momentum of a violent storm.

Asuma did not dare dodge, nor could he. Even if his stamina and Chakra reserves exceeded Soseki's, once he fell into a cycle of constant pursuit and evasion, only defeat awaited him in the end.

He could only meet them head-on!

Asuma gripped his Chakra Blade with both hands and swung it repeatedly before him, knocking the Shuriken away.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Rip!

Although Asuma moved with astonishing speed, Soseki's angles were simply too perfect. Either he attacked from Asuma's blind spots, or he struck from two opposing directions at once.

Asuma struggled to fend them off, and before he had even made it halfway, several cuts had already been opened across his body by the Shuriken.

Yet he did not retreat. Instead, he charged forward even more aggressively.

"He hasn't used the Substitution Technique. Is he saving his Chakra for something more critical?" Soseki narrowed his eyes. Rather than adopting a hit-and-run strategy, he took a kunai from his tool pouch with his right hand and assumed a defensive stance where he stood.

He was not fooled by the illusion before him. The only reason he currently held the advantage was that Asuma lacked experience and had been caught off guard by this unfamiliar fighting style.

But once his opponent became wary, the weakness of this style would become obvious—its lack of power!

After all, the Shuriken were controlled by Chakra Threads, making it difficult to maintain their initial momentum for long.

That was why Asuma had been cut several times by the Shuriken, yet could still charge forward so vigorously.

Soseki knew very well that with his body lacking proper nutrition, if the battle entered a drawn-out skirmishing phase, he would very likely be worn down by his opponent.

"I have to keep applying psychological pressure on him!" Although he had already begun to lose momentum, Soseki did not retreat. Instead, he deliberately put on the appearance of having victory in hand and stood in place waiting for Asuma's attack.

Over the past few days, Soseki had continuously planted in Asuma the suggestion that his "archrival" was nearly omnipotent. From extracting Chakra, to memorizing everything at a glance, to his all-around suppression on the battlefield, every encounter had reinforced that perception.

So when Asuma saw Soseki's posture, he instinctively assumed his intentions had been seen through and could not help activating the ninjutsu he had prepared ahead of time.

Clone Technique!

With a bang, three Asumas surrounded Soseki at once.

The clones created by the Clone Technique had no physical substance, but Asuma had chosen to use it right after a wave of Shuriken attacks. That meant Soseki had no way to test which one was real with his Shuriken.

However, Soseki did not hesitate in the slightest. His gaze was resolute as the kunai in his hand stabbed straight toward the Asuma on the left.

His senses were already keen to begin with. More importantly, after seeing through Asuma's intentions, he had kept close watch on every movement his opponent made.

"What? How could he react so quickly?" Asuma was startled and hurriedly raised his hand to block.

But with Soseki prepared and Asuma caught off guard, how could Soseki's attack be so easily stopped? The kunai twisted like a snake around Asuma's arm and thrust toward his shoulder.

"I can only go for it!" Although Asuma lacked real combat experience, he had been taught by a Special Jonin for years and knew that retreating was even less an option now. Gritting his teeth, he abandoned all defense and slashed forward with his Chakra Blade.

Riiip!

A hole was stabbed straight through Asuma's left shoulder, blood gushing out. Though Soseki had seized the initiative and received only a shallow cut across his chest, the disadvantage of his physique left his face terribly pale.

Seeing this, Yagami Kei asked uneasily, "Lord Hokage, should we stop them?"

The Third Hokage slowly raised a hand. "Since they chose this path, they should be prepared to bleed... or even die in battle!"

"Besides..." As he spoke, the Third Hokage's eyes carried a hint of amusement.

"Besides what?" Yagami Kei asked in confusion.

"Heh, keep watching. This battle may be more interesting than you imagine."

In the field, after a brief pause, the two of them lunged fiercely at each other once more.

Asuma relied on his advantage in taijutsu to suppress Soseki with brute force, while Soseki controlled the Shuriken to harass him and waited for openings to launch swift attacks with his kunai.

After only a few exchanges, the blood staining their bodies had multiplied severalfold.

Yet neither showed any sign of distress. Their gazes remained fixed on each other, as though the injured person was not themselves.

The expressions of those around them also grew solemn. Setting aside the astonishing strength the two had displayed, their ability to endure pain alone was enough to draw attention.

"Still, the scales of battle will ultimately tip toward Asuma." Everyone understood this, but no one looked down on Soseki for it. If anything, they regarded him even more highly.

For a ninja who did not specialize in taijutsu, winning through physical strength was hardly something worth boasting about.

Not to mention that Soseki was at a disadvantage in stamina only because of malnutrition.

In their eyes, Soseki, who had displayed such remarkable tactics and Chakra control, was the true victor of this battle.

But just as everyone believed the battle was about to end, Soseki suddenly clenched the kunai between his teeth and rapidly formed hand seals. In less than a second, he completed the ninjutsu.

"So fast!" The thought flashed through everyone's minds. Although Soseki had not formed many seals, completing them in under a second was still something most people could not do.

But what use was ninjutsu at this point...? As they thought that, they saw Soseki place his right hand over his wound. His complexion visibly began to regain color, and even the injury on his chest healed at a rapid pace.

"Th-this is a Healing Technique??"

"Forget a Healing Technique—even the Mystical Palm Technique couldn't produce an effect like this!"

Not just the students—even the teachers could not understand it. "Lord Hokage, what exactly is this?"

The Third Hokage smiled faintly. "There is no need to doubt your eyes. This is indeed a Healing Technique."

"But how can a Healing Technique have such an effect?"

"And you call yourselves teachers!" The Third Hokage shook his head and scolded them with a smile. "Can't you even see what your student's true condition is?"