Night fell over the Konoha training grounds, and tension hung in the air.
At exactly six o'clock, Zhiwei appeared before the three of them. His keen gaze swept over Haotian, Might Guy, and Uchiha Mei, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at his lips.
"Tonight is your first real team battle," he said gravely. "Let me see what you can do."
Before his words had even faded, Zhiwei formed Hand Seals, his hands moving too fast for the naked eye to follow.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!" A wall of earth erupted from the ground, separating the three from him.
Haotian reacted instantly and shouted, "Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!" A rapidly spinning ball of wind slammed into the wall with a deafening boom, kicking up a cloud of dust.
As the dust settled, a gaping hole had appeared in the wall—but Zhiwei had already vanished.
"He's up there!" Mei activated her Sharingan and spotted Zhiwei leaping to the treetops.
A Kunai flashed in her hand, its edge glinting coldly. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" A massive fireball roared toward Zhiwei.
Without a hint of panic, Zhiwei formed Hand Seals again. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!" A wall of water appeared out of thin air, absorbing the fireball completely and sending up a vast cloud of steam.
Thick fog billowed around them, obscuring their vision.
Haotian sensed that the Chakra fluctuations around them were unusually chaotic and inwardly cursed.
"Watch out, it's a Bug Clone!" The moment he spoke, countless black bugs surged out of the fog, swarming toward them from all directions.
Guy opened the first gate of the Eight Gates Released Formation, and his speed soared. His fists swept around like a whirlwind, knocking away every bug that came near.
Mei slashed at the incoming bugs with her Kunai, but they overwhelmed her, and she gradually began to struggle.
Haotian took a deep breath and pressed his hands together as Chakra surged wildly within him.
"Wind Release: Rasengan!" A Rasengan larger than any he had made before took shape in his hand, glowing brilliantly.
He slammed the Rasengan into the ground. The tremendous force sent all the nearby bugs flying and dispersed the fog.
But the figure standing before them was only one of Zhiwei's Bug Clones.
"Your teamwork is good, but it's still nowhere near enough." Zhiwei's voice came from the treetops, tinged with a note of approval.
Haotian, however, keenly sensed that this clone's Chakra was far weaker than before.
A slight smile tugged at his lips. He already had a plan.
"Guy, Mei, cover me!"
The battle continued, but Haotian secretly began gathering his strength.
His unusually abundant Chakra made Zhiwei suspicious.
How much strength is this kid hiding? Zhiwei wondered.
Haotian used Wind Release: Rasengan again and shattered the Bug Clone. This time, he deliberately held back its power, dispersing the clone without destroying it completely.
Seizing the opportunity, he gathered the scattered bugs. A clump of black material rested in his hand. Feeling the strange energy it contained, he gave a mysterious smile.
"Guy..."
"Guy, don't be reckless!" Haotian barked, stopping Guy just as he was about to open the Eight Gates Released Formation. "This guy doesn't rely solely on Taijutsu. Charging in now would only waste your stamina!" His tone was stern, and his eyes sharp; he was nothing like his usual joking self.
Guy's movements halted abruptly. His fists clenched, and the veins on his forehead bulged, clearly frustrated by Haotian's rebuke.
But he knew Haotian was right. Their clash just now had already proved that Zhiwei's Bug Clones were difficult to break through with brute force.
"My Chakra... it's draining fast." Uchiha Mei's voice sounded weak. Tiny beads of sweat covered her forehead, and the light in her Sharingan had grown dim.
"If this keeps up, I'm afraid..."
Haotian's gaze sharpened as he glanced at her.
"My Chakra's taken a big hit too, but I still have eighty percent left. That's enough." His tone was calm, as if stating an obvious fact. The black material clenched in his hand gave off an unsettling aura.
At his words, Mei's pupils contracted sharply, and shock surged through her.
She could sense the Chakra within Haotian, and it was indeed still abundant. No Genin should have that much Chakra.
What on earth is going on with this guy?! she thought, stunned and speechless, momentarily forgetting how tired she was.
Haotian paid no attention to Mei's shock. His eyes remained fixed on Zhiwei's Bug Clone in the treetops, and a meaningful smile curved his lips. He slowly spread his hands, palms facing up.
"Mei, Guy, watch for my signal. Now the real battle begins..."
His voice was low and resonant, like the calm before a storm.
An unsettling silence filled the air, as if something terrible were about to happen.
"Haotian, what are you...?" Guy asked instinctively, but Haotian didn't answer. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Zhiwei, the light in his eyes impossible to read.
"Now, the real..." Haotian murmured. He raised his head and looked toward Zhiwei in the distance, then suddenly fell silent.
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