After the Battle, a White Zetsu Appears

The night sky enveloped the Konohagakure training grounds, the air thick with tension.

Precisely at six, Shibi appeared before the three, his sharp gaze sweeping over Haotian, Might Guy, and Uchiha Mei. A faint smile touched his lips.

"Tonight is your first true squad engagement," he said, his voice deep. "Let me see your strength."

Before his words faded, Shibi formed hand seals with blinding speed, almost too fast for the eye to follow.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!" A wall of earth erupted from the ground, separating the three from him.

Haotian reacted swiftly, shouting, "Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!" A high-speed spinning orb of wind slammed into the earth wall, creating a deafening roar and kicking up a storm of dust.

As the dust settled, a gaping hole was visible in the wall, but Shibi was already gone.

"He's above!" Mei activated her Sharingan, catching sight of Shibi leaping to the treetops.

Her kunai flashed, its cold gleam sharp. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" A massive fireball roared out, hurtling towards Shibi.

Unflustered, Shibi formed hand seals again. "Water Style: Water Wall!" A wall of water materialized, absorbing the fireball and erupting in a cloud of steam.

Thick fog descended, obscuring everyone's vision.

Haotian felt the surrounding chakra fluctuations become chaotic and his heart sank.

"Careful, it's a Bug Clone!" he warned, just as countless black insects swarmed out of the fog, overwhelming them.

Guy activated the first of the Eight Gates Released Formation, his speed skyrocketing. His fists became a whirlwind, batting away the approaching insects.

Mei wielded her kunai, slicing through the flying insects, but she was outnumbered and gradually felt her strength waning.

Haotian took a deep breath, pressing his hands together as chakra surged within him.

"Wind Style: Rasengan!" A larger Rasengan than ever before took shape in his hands, radiating a dazzling light.

He slammed the Rasengan into the ground, the immense force blasting the surrounding insects away and dissipating the fog.

However, what appeared before them was merely a Bug Clone of Shibi.

"Your coordination is good, but it's far from enough." Shibi's voice echoed from the trees, a hint of praise in his tone.

Haotian, however, keenly sensed that the chakra emanating from this clone was much weaker than the previous one.

A slight smile tugged at his lips; he already had a plan.

"Guy, Mei, cover me!"

The battle continued, but Haotian was secretly accumulating power.

He displayed an unusual abundance of chakra, perplexing Shibi.

How much strength is this kid hiding? Shibi mused.

Haotian used the Wind Style: Rasengan to break another Bug Clone, but this time, he deliberately controlled its power. He dispersed the clone without completely destroying it.

Taking the opportunity, he gathered the scattered insects, holding a clump of black matter in his hand. He felt the strange energy within it, a mysterious smile gracing his lips.

"Guy..."

"Guy, don't be rash!" Haotian shouted, stopping Guy just as he was about to activate the Eight Gates Released Formation. "This guy's fighting style isn't pure taijutsu. Rushing in now will just be a waste of stamina!" His tone was serious, his eyes sharp, a stark contrast to his usual carefree demeanor.

Guy froze, his fists clenched, veins bulging on his forehead. He was clearly displeased by Haotian's dismissal.

But he also understood that Haotian was right. Their previous exchange had proven that Shibi's Bug Clones couldn't be simply broken through brute force.

"My chakra... is depleting rapidly." Mei's voice was weak, her forehead beaded with sweat, the light of her Sharingan dimming.

"If this continues, I'm afraid..."

Haotian's gaze sharpened as he glanced at her.

"My chakra is also greatly depleted, but I still have eighty percent left. That's enough." His tone was calm, as if stating a matter of fact. The black matter in his hand pulsed with a disquieting aura.

Mei's pupils contracted sharply, her heart churning like a stormy sea.

She could feel the chakra fluctuations within Haotian; it was indeed still abundant, far more than any genin should possess.

What is this guy...

What's going on?! she thought, a mix of surprise and speechlessness making her momentarily forget her fatigue.

Haotian ignored Mei's shock, his eyes locked onto Shibi's Bug Clone in the treetops. A knowing smile played on his lips as he slowly opened his hands, palms facing upward.

"Mei, Guy, watch for my signal. The real beginning is next..."

His voice was low and resonant, like the calm before a storm.

An unsettling silence permeated the air, as if something terrible was about to happen.

"Haotian, you want to...?" Guy asked instinctively, but Haotian didn't answer. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Shibi, the light in his eyes inscrutable.

"Next is the real..." Haotian murmured, looking up at Shibi in the distance, then suddenly paused.