This Time... I'll Definitely Win!

"Humph, listen up. The three factors that determine a person's reaction speed are reaction time, the functional state of the central nervous system, and the degree to which conditioned motor reflexes have been reinforced."

Nawaki lifted his chin slightly, his face brimming with superiority.

Nawaki knew Hiashi definitely wouldn't know any of this.

Hiashi wasn't Shuji. He didn't study Medical Ninjutsu, so how could he know this stuff?

Tsunade had taught all of this to Nawaki...

"What does that mean?"

Hiashi froze at those words, staring at Nawaki with confusion.

It was hard to imagine Nawaki's mouth could produce such professional terminology.

Hiashi had always thought Chakra control and Chakra nature transformation were the limits of Nawaki's knowledge...

"Cough, cough..."

Nawaki pursed his lips instinctively. To be honest, Nawaki didn't really understand what those terms meant either.

But...

"You can understand it as the strength of one's mental power and one's proficiency in various movements."

Nawaki relayed Tsunade's exact words to Hiashi.

"So what you're saying is that Shuji was simply born with greater mental power than us?"

Hiashi pondered slightly at that, then asked Nawaki suspiciously.

Proficiency in movements basically referred to the movements one practiced during regular taijutsu training.

Everyone trained those. The only difference was that they practiced somewhat different movements.

That meant the only difference lay in mental power.

And how to train mental power had always been a subject ninja sought to understand.

For now, through experience passed down over generations, the only method everyone had figured out was this:

Through grueling training, temper one's willpower.

Beyond that, there was no other way.

"Mm, you could put it that way."

Nawaki nodded lightly and, while he was at it, reached out to pat Hiashi on the shoulder.

As Nawaki's words fell, Hiashi's face visibly began to twist.

So after all that, weren't you just saying he had better talent?

What the hell is wrong with you?!

Shuji knew nothing of Hiashi and Nawaki's interaction, nor was he interested in knowing.

Right now, Shuji was thinking of a way to lay the groundwork for Uchiha Mikoto's victory.

"As expected of an Uchiha... That really is surprising progress. But if you think merely distracting me once is enough to defeat me, isn't that a little too wishful?"

I hope you can grasp the important point.

As his words fell, Shuji looked at Uchiha Mikoto before him and silently thought to himself.

"Humph!"

Mikoto's pretty face flushed instinctively at his words. To be honest, the first half of Shuji's statement, with its hint of praise, really left her at a loss.

It was so awkward...

But the latter half of Shuji's words also brought a flicker of realization to her heart.

That's right... Even if he was going easy on her, he couldn't make it too obvious...

If her performance wasn't much different from when she had fought Shuji last time, no one would believe she had won even if she did.

"Whew..."

Slowly exhaling a breath of stale air, Mikoto's gaze sharpened once more.

"This time... I'll definitely win!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Along with Mikoto's declaration came the sound of shuriken tearing through the air.

The instant the shuriken left her hand, Mikoto tapped her toes against the ground and rapidly retreated while forming hand seals.

Yet when only the final seal remained, Mikoto stopped her hands. Rather than release the ninjutsu, she carefully observed Shuji's position.

Six shuriken carved elegant arcs through the air, attacking Shuji from three different directions.

Well, even an Uchiha skilled in shurikenjutsu would find it difficult to make shuriken appear behind Shuji.

With a light hop backward, Shuji used the same old trick and easily evaded the six incoming shuriken.

Now!

Seeing this, Mikoto's gaze narrowed slightly as she raised her hands before her mouth in sword-finger seals.

In an instant, searing flames swept toward Shuji!

Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

After releasing the ninjutsu, Mikoto did not stop moving. Another six shuriken flew from her hands, sealing off the space where Shuji might dodge to the left.

At the same time, Mikoto rapidly created a Shadow Clone. Holding a Kunai, the clone rushed toward the direction Shuji might dodge to the right.

As for the original body, she held a long sword and remained where she was, ready to seize any opportunity to follow up.

As for why she didn't hide her true body...

Because Mikoto knew very well that before the Byakugan, no matter how she hid herself, Shuji would discover her immediately.

So it was better not to do meaningless things.

"Ah..."

Watching the oncoming Fireball Jutsu, Shuji raised an eyebrow. If he wanted to, he could have used Superhuman Strength to punch the Fireball Jutsu apart.

Using the Byakugan's properties to wrap his hand in Chakra, then using Superhuman Strength to withstand the Fireball Jutsu head-on, would not have been a problem at all.

But... there was no need...

Shuji pushed off the ground, instantly retreating five meters and opening up distance from the Fireball Jutsu.

Shunpo!

Still, although Shuji had pulled away from the Fireball Jutsu, it moved in a straight line after all.

So Shuji had not actually resolved the threat it posed.

But...

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

At that moment, the shuriken Mikoto had used to seal off Shuji's retreat embedded themselves in the ground.

And that was precisely the moment Shuji had been waiting for.

After all, shuriken flew much faster than Fireball Jutsu!

The instant he evaded the Fireball Jutsu, Shuji sidestepped. Almost at the same time, Mikoto's long sword stabbed past, barely grazing his body.

Even as he avoided Mikoto's strike, Shuji did not press his advantage. Instead, he placed one hand on Mikoto's shoulder and shoved hard.

In that instant, the momentum carrying Mikoto forward after her sword thrust missed, combined with Shuji's push, sent her body charging forward even more uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, Shuji used the force he had borrowed from pressing against Mikoto's shoulder to rush in the opposite direction.

And at the very moment Mikoto and Shuji separated, a Kunai flew between them.

"Clang!"

Minami Saho casually flicked out a Kunai, knocking down the Kunai that had been flying toward the spectators.

Once he steadied himself, Shuji formed hand seals without the slightest hesitation. The next moment, a Shadow Clone appeared beside him.

It rushed toward Mikoto's Shadow Clone.

As for Shuji's true body, after taking two fierce steps forward, he leaped high into the air. His target was Mikoto, who had yet to regain her balance.

Eagle Stomp!