Yuhi Kurenai, standing not far away, heard Chiya call her by name instead of even calling her "Teacher." Her mouth twitched in irritation as she said impatiently, "Have you finished talking? I'm in a hurry."
"Oh, we're ready," Chiya replied with a cheerful smile.
"Then let's begin." Yuhi Kurenai stood still, her aura changing abruptly as she entered battle mode.
The three exchanged glances and nodded. Akizuki Airi made the first move, stepping forward to throw several shuriken before drawing a kunai.
Yuhi Kurenai stayed where she was and didn't even draw her kunai. She easily dodged the attacks with a few sidesteps.
With a Body Flicker Technique, she appeared in front of Airi, snatched away her kunai, and punched her in the stomach.
Airi gagged as her body flew backward, leaving her unable to fight.
Just then, Pang Ci's enormous, expanded fist came crashing down. The ground shook with a rumble, leaving a shallow crater as thick clouds of dust billowed into the air.
"Did I get her?" Akimichi Pangci pulled back his fist, swallowed nervously, and stared intently ahead.
"Not yet." Chiya's voice sounded beside him. At the same time, Yuhi Kurenai's voice rang out. "Too naive."
As the words left her mouth, Yuhi Kurenai's foot landed on Pang Ci's neck, kicking his bulky body flying.
The crater gave a dull thump, and a rotten log suddenly appeared in its place. Yuhi Kurenai had clearly used the Substitution Technique, one of the Three Body Techniques.
"Now it's your turn, Chiya." Having dealt with two of the three, Yuhi Kurenai finally looked at Fujiwara Chiya, who had remained motionless.
"Sure. But if I happen to win, you'll have to agree to date me when I grow up, Teacher Kurenai." Chiya smiled playfully.
"If you can pull it off!" Yuhi Kurenai's competitive spirit flared. She dashed forward. As Airi had said, genjutsu was her specialty, and she wasn't particularly skilled at Taijutsu. Still, she was a Special Jōnin, and her Taijutsu was far beyond that of a newly graduated Genin.
But she soon regretted it. Chiya handled her flurry of Taijutsu attacks with ease, and his strength was astonishing. He didn't seem like a boy who hadn't even turned twelve.
Every time their bodies collided, a sharp ache shot through the point of contact. It felt as though she was fighting a body made of steel, not a person.
Who is this kid, exactly? Could he have trained in the Steel Fist like Guy? Yuhi Kurenai was secretly astonished.
Nearby, Akizuki Airi and Akimichi Pangci, who had already been defeated, cried out in shock. "He's incredible! He can actually fight Teacher Kurenai!"
"Teacher Kurenai, it looks like you're destined to become my second wife," Chiya teased with a light laugh. He wasn't using any special art, just relying on his powerful physique and basic Taijutsu to fight Yuhi Kurenai.
"Don't get cocky." Yuhi Kurenai hadn't expected her first assignment as a team leader to come with such a handful. If she didn't teach him a lesson today, how would she lead the team in the future?
She used the Body Flicker Technique to put some distance between them, formed Hand Seals, and abruptly dissolved into a flowing mass that vanished from sight.
At the same time, a sapling sprouted beneath Chiya's feet. In the blink of an eye, it grew into a towering tree, binding his arms and legs.
Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Clone had been activated.
"Kid, you're still too green." The ground rippled as Yuhi Kurenai's real body slowly emerged.
"Is that so?" Chiya's voice suddenly sounded beside Yuhi Kurenai. Her pupils widened. A moment later, she felt a chill at her neck as a kunai appeared against it.
From afar, Akizuki Airi and Akimichi Pangci had watched the whole thing in bewilderment. They had no idea what had happened.
What was going on?
Why had Teacher Kurenai suddenly stood still, started talking to herself, and then let Chiya stroll behind her and hold a kunai to her neck?
"Pang Ci, do you know what happened?" Akizuki Airi turned to Akimichi Pangci. His face was swollen, but he was still doggedly eating potato chips.
Ignoring the pain, Akimichi Pangci grabbed a big handful of chips and stuffed them into his mouth. He chewed and shook his head. "No idea, but it looks pretty amazing."
"How did you do that?" Yuhi Kurenai took a deep breath, feeling a little dejected.
She was a Special Jōnin, yet she'd lost to a kid who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy. What was that supposed to mean?
Chiya put away his kunai and pointed toward the clone bound by the tree across from Yuhi Kurenai. He chuckled. "Teacher Kurenai, the Ninja Academy textbook explains that genjutsu interferes with an opponent's five senses by disrupting their chakra, making them hallucinate."
"I don't know what Hand Seals you used, but you said genjutsu was your specialty. So before the fight even started, I began disrupting the chakra inside my body, keeping your genjutsu from taking effect. Then, while you were casting it, I released a clone to distract you."
"Teacher Kurenai, you let your guard down."
As he finished speaking, Chiya's clone and the tree vanished at the same time, and the ground slowly returned to normal.
"I see. I did lose. I can't believe you beat me with the most basic of the Three Body Techniques—the Clone Technique. The Third Hokage was right. You really are a genius." Yuhi Kurenai gave a self-deprecating smile.
"You're giving me too much credit, Teacher Kurenai. You were holding back. If this had been a fight to the death, I'd already be a corpse."
Chiya put on another show of false modesty, a cold glint flashing briefly in his eyes.
The Third Hokage had once sent people to watch him in secret. With his exceptionally sharp senses, how could Chiya not have noticed?
But for the past five or six years, wherever he went and whoever he met, he had made a habit of using Kyoka Suigetsu whenever he had the chance.
The person the Third Hokage had been watching was, most of the time, nothing more than an illusion.
Otherwise, how could Chiya have developed in peace and stayed out of trouble?
Now, with Kyoka Suigetsu and the Senjutsu Chakra stored by the Heavenly Steel Art, he was already strong enough to protect himself.
The sliver of his strength he'd revealed by defeating Yuhi Kurenai was merely to make it easier to show more people in Konoha Kyoka Suigetsu in the future.
"Losing is losing, and winning is winning. Don't make excuses for me. But..." Yuhi Kurenai's tone shifted, and a sly smile suddenly appeared on her face. "Why aren't you calling me Kurenai now?"
"Are you serious?" Chiya paused, then gave her a playful smile and met her gaze.
Yuhi Kurenai's competitive spirit flared again. They stared at each other for a long while, but in the end, Yuhi Kurenai's cheeks flushed and she backed down. Clicking her tongue, she said, "Tsk, tsk. You may be a kid, but you sure act grown-up. I have no idea what you learned at school."
"You three, what happened today is classified. No one is to tell anyone. Remember to meet here on time tomorrow. I won't wait."
The last part was directed at Aili and Pang Ci.
After speaking, she glanced back at Chiya, then flashed away, her heart pounding.
Watching Yuhi Kurenai disappear into the distance, Chiya's smile faded. She's such an easy girl to read.
Thank you to [Rongyanhuo] for the 1,500 Qidian coins.
Thank you to [Book Friend **0097] for the 500 Qidian coins.
Thank you to [Book Friend **444] for the 100 Qidian coins.
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