Exposed

While she was thinking, Asuka Hyuga had already thrust both palms out.

Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms was an incomplete version of the Hyuga Clan's secret technique, Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

The principle was the same, though. Once the first palm struck, a storm of attacks followed until all thirty-two strikes were complete.

Anyone hit would have their chakra flow blocked, leaving them unable to move or fight back.

"Heh!" Kazan showed no fear, even if he was only a shadow clone.

The Garp Template granted more than physical potential and talent. It also gave him the combat instincts and aptitude of a fighter who stood at the pinnacle of the pirate world.

"I've already seen this move, little bird!"

Facing Asuka Hyuga's palm strikes, Kazan clenched his other fist and beat him to the punch, unleashing a blow of overwhelming force.

"Fist Bone!"

"Impact!"

Kazan was aggressive to the extreme. Even against the Hyuga Clan's secret technique, he chose to meet it head-on.

Boom!

His punch stirred up a gale, kicking dust off the ground.

"Whoa, what is that?!"

"Is this really taijutsu?"

"Kazan's a monster! No wonder he beat Kakashi!"

The punch left Asuma and the others rooted to the spot in shock, forcing them to raise their arms against the gale.

This was nothing like the taijutsu they knew.

With that kind of destructive power, they would have believed it was C-rank Wind Release ninjutsu.

As for Asuka Hyuga, he was blasted several meters away. His strongest attack, Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, had been shattered before it even reached Kazan.

"So you've improved too, Kazan!" Asuka Hyuga's expression was grave, but there was no surprise in it.

Only then was Kazan worthy of his full effort.

After his defeat, Asuka Hyuga had spent his time in the hospital thinking and reviewing their fight, all to prepare for today's revenge.

And Kazan...

He was just like him. Rather than grow complacent after winning, Kazan had pushed himself further. That meant his opponent had acknowledged him.

Last time, he didn't even use chakra against me. Today, he's spent a huge chunk of it on one punch to break my Gentle Fist's Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two...

Wait!

Asuka Hyuga's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Why do you have so little chakra?"

He could hardly believe it. His expression gradually darkened as a possibility occurred to him.

Kazan's punch had been no different in power from the one he had used in their previous fight.

But back then, Kazan had unleashed "Fist Bone Impact" through sheer physical strength, without using any chakra. Yet today...

His Byakugan widened, its dōjutsu power penetrating Kazan's skin to pinpoint all the chakra within his body.

"His chakra is only a fraction of what it was before, as though it's been divided into a bunch of portions!"

Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!

As a child of a great clan, Asuka Hyuga naturally knew far more than most.

Besides, his clan also possessed this technique.

"So that means... that means..."

"Kazan, you actually dared to fight me with nothing but a shadow clone!"

He roared in fury, his face flushed red, as though he had suffered the gravest injustice imaginable.

"A shadow clone?"

"Did Asuka just say this is Kazan's shadow clone? Did I hear that right?"

"Yeah, you heard him right."

"Is that even possible?"

"Of course it is. The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan isn't any ordinary pair of eyes!"

The sidelines erupted.

How could they have imagined that this was merely Kazan's shadow clone?

He seemed every bit as strong as Asuka Hyuga, if not stronger, and now they were being told he was just one of Kazan's shadow clones?

Everyone stared at Kazan, as though waiting to hear him admit it himself.

"You cataract and red-eye types are such a pain."

Standing in the center of the field, Kazan lowered his fist.

These two clans had astonishing powers of perception, capable of seeing through any deception, even without evolving their eyes to the ultimate forms of the Rinnegan and Tenseigan.

"He actually admitted it..." Jing Uchiha clenched his fists.

He wanted revenge even more than Asuka Hyuga did, because the Uchiha Clan was prouder than anyone.

Tobirama Senju had once called the Uchiha the true Clan of Love. Their power stemmed from their emotions, and they cared about one another more deeply than anyone else.

He had planned to watch this clash of titans carefully, gathering information so he could stay a step ahead of Asuka Hyuga and get his revenge on Kazan.

Their exchange had not disappointed him. In their brief clash, both had demonstrated strength beyond that of the rest of the class.

But... but...

This was just one of Kazan's shadow clones!

Obito Uchiha, who had already regained consciousness, wore a blank expression.

"This is just that guy's shadow clone..."

The Kazan before him was already strong enough to make him feel helpless.

Just like Kakashi back then, he was an opponent Obito could not defeat even if he gave it everything he had.

Yet this was only one of Kazan's clones.

Was the world of geniuses... really that far beyond his reach?

"Kazan's so strong!" Rin Nohara exclaimed in amazement.

They had never actually seen Kazan fight, whether against Kakashi, Jing Uchiha, or Asuka Hyuga.

Rin Nohara and the others had only heard from other people that Kazan had beaten those three soundly.

They had thought they would finally get to see him in action today, only to discover that he was just a clone.

Everyone knew Kazan was a taijutsu ninja.

With only a portion of Kazan's chakra and none of his peerless physique, how much of his full strength could a mere clone bring out?

Kazan's tacit admission silenced everyone present like Garen's greatsword.

A moment later, the chunin teacher snapped out of his daze, his face rapidly growing hot.

"Kazan!!!"

He shouted, flustered and furious.

Using a shadow clone to attend class?

This was disrespectful to him and the Ninja Academy, a desecration of the sacred institution. He was going to teach that little brat a lesson.

"Tch. Knew this would happen."

Kazan's shadow clone scratched his head as he watched the teacher storm toward him.

Then, in full view of everyone, he formed hand seals and released the Shadow Clone Technique himself, vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

"I'll leave this headache to the original."

Poof!

The teacher froze for a moment, then grew even angrier.

"You won't get away, Kazan! Just you wait!"

He had no intention of continuing the practical exam.

After telling the students they could do as they pleased, he rushed toward the Hokage Building to report Kazan.