Flying Bird Technique in hand, Hyuga Hoshishaku looked at Uchiha Setsuna with a hint of guilt after making up his mind.
"Since I can't reveal the Air Palm Pointing technique I developed, sorry about this, but I'm going to fight dirty."
That was what he thought.
After dodging another Great Fireball, he used the Shadow Clone Technique to summon four shadow clones.
Then he aimed at the four corners of the arena and threw four shuriken inscribed with the Flying Thunder God Formula.
As his opponent's Fire Style Ninjutsu came at him, four figures flashed into existence at the arena's four corners.
While everyone, including Uchiha Setsuna, looked on in confusion, the four Xingzhuo suddenly formed Hand Seals.
Sealing Technique: Four Violet Flames Formation!
In an instant, another barrier appeared over the arena, which already had one!
Purple flames danced across the new barrier. It was clearly not something anyone could touch.
Then the four figures maintaining the barrier closed their eyes and raised their legs. Still holding the barrier in place, they began walking toward the center of the arena.
He planned to trap his opponent inside the barrier until he was finished!
And with his eyes closed, he had cut off his opponent's last chance to turn the tables with genjutsu!
Inside the barrier, Uchiha Setsuna had realized how serious the situation was.
He stared at Hyuga Hoshishaku in disbelief!
Not only had this brat learned the Flying Thunder God Technique of that evil white-haired Senju, but he'd also mastered a Sealing Technique on this scale?
As the barrier shrank, he sent a clone to feel its way toward it.
With a slap, the clone's hand burned away the moment it touched the barrier.
After receiving the feedback, Uchiha Setsuna glared at one of Xingzhuo's clones, then began forming Hand Seals, trying to break through the barrier from within.
Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique!
Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!
Fire Style: Dragon Flame Song!
Wave after wave of scorching flames slammed into the Four Violet Flames Formation.
But the formation didn't ripple in the slightest!
The villagers in the stands were cheering excitedly, while the people in the two waiting areas looked either grim or relieved to have escaped a close call.
They were lucky they hadn't faced those two freaks!
Once Xingzhuo had maintained the barrier long enough to force Uchiha Setsuna into the center of the arena, he suddenly called out, trying to make him surrender:
"Give up, Uchiha Setsuna. You can't break through my barrier."
His answer was a resentful snort.
Xingzhuo felt a little helpless, but he had plenty of ways to deal with a prideful Uchiha. "If you don't give up, I'll control the barrier so it doesn't burn your body, but it'll burn all your clothes off. You'd be humiliated. You don't want thousands of people seeing you naked, do you?"
Perhaps he'd imagined the scene. Uchiha Setsuna's face went red, then white. He nearly awakened his Mangekyo!
With the barrier about to close around him, Uchiha Setsuna, who hadn't activated his Sharingan, finally raised a hand and promptly surrendered.
The referee entered the arena and announced the result. Xingzhuo dispelled his clones and the barrier.
Uchiha Setsuna didn't linger in the arena for even a moment. He vanished on the spot, apparently using the Body Flicker Technique to escape.
Xingzhuo could only shrug helplessly. He glanced at his father by the edge of the arena, nodded to him, then headed over to Yuto, who was waving at him.
Down below, Inaba Uchiha could no longer keep up his genial expression.
He gave Hyuga Tianren a strange look.
He didn't even need to guess what the man was thinking.
"Your son's so outrageously strong. What exactly are you worried about? That he'll lose control and kill our Uchiha Clan's genius? Or are you just messing with me?"
Hyuga Tianren wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied sheepishly, "I only knew Xingzhuo had learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, and that it might make Uchiha Setsuna lose his composure. I had no idea the technique he developed and his Sealing Technique were so powerful too."
The Uchiha Clan Head reluctantly accepted his explanation, a fake smile appearing on his face.
"Your Hyuga Clan really has produced a great genius."
Hyuga Tianren smiled too. "Yes..."
"Xingzhuo, you were amazing! I never knew you could use a Sealing Technique like that!"
As soon as they got off the arena, Yuto rushed over and said excitedly.
Xingzhuo glanced at the strange expressions on everyone in the Third Waiting Room, then, feeling a little awkward, led Yuto to sit in a corner.
"Actually, a ninja's approach to combat is part of their strength too. Take me, for example. Uchiha Setsuna counters everything I can do, so I have to think about which of my abilities can break the deadlock."
Yuto scratched his head and said bluntly, "I couldn't do that. In the situation you were just in, other than using Water Style, I wouldn't have thought of using a Sealing Technique at all."
Xingzhuo couldn't help rubbing his forehead. "Water Style counters Fire Style. You wouldn't need to use a Sealing Technique."
Yuto slapped his hand as if he'd suddenly seen the light. "Oh, right! Water Style counters Fire Style!"
Xingzhuo thought, This is hopeless. He's way too dense.
After chatting for a few more moments, the two turned their attention to the matches ahead.
Aside from Kagami Uchiha and Uchiha Rinne, whom he'd met once before, almost none of the contestants who appeared next were familiar to Xingzhuo.
But the fights were anything but dull.
With most contestants at Chunin level, the battles between all kinds of Ninjutsu, clan techniques, and Kekkei Genkai were dazzling to watch.
One particularly formidable contestant who appeared during this stretch was named Aburame Masaki.
The moment the referee called for the match to begin, his opponent was covered in bugs and lost the ability to fight.
That alone wouldn't have been much of a surprise.
But Aburame Masaki's opponent was an elite Jonin from the Gekko Clan whom Hyuga Hoshishaku had previously checked with System Inspection.
There was no way to defend against it. One move, and he was down.
Everyone in the Third Waiting Room went pale!
Xingzhuo wondered how he'd fight if he had to face Aburame Masaki.
He could only release chakra from his entire body to create a makeshift Chakra Armor, then try to end the fight quickly before he ran out of chakra.
But if he released chakra from his whole body, he probably wouldn't last more than a few minutes, right?
So his only option was to use the Yin Release Secret Technique, Air Palm Pointing, to end the fight as quickly as possible?
Once he'd thought of a way to deal with him, he breathed a sigh of relief.
But when he turned and saw Yuto beside him covered in goosebumps, he couldn't help wondering how Yuto would fight this Aburame.
He quickly ran through the possibilities in his head and soon reached a conclusion.
Yuto could win.
Because Yuto had way too much chakra.
Following that line of thought, he considered how he and Yuto would fare against Kureha Kurama and Hatake Saku.
As he pondered, the first half of the Top Hundred Tournament came to an end.
After the Jonin referee announced that the Top Fifty matches would begin at two in the afternoon, the competition paused for the time being.
The contestants in the Third Waiting Room began to file out.
Xingzhuo and Yuto were mixed in among them, and somehow, they stood out.
The reason?
They were the shortest!
Among all the kids aged twelve to seventeen or eighteen, those two little runts were impossible to miss!
Before you continue