Kakashi said nothing more. He merely waved a hand, indicating that they would understand if they kept watching.
The other Jonin found it strange, but they did not ask any more questions.
On a distant rooftop, Uzuki Yugao watched the Match Arena, a hint of amusement entering her beautiful, uncovered eyes.
Aside from Haku, she knew Zhou Cheng better than anyone.
She knew everything that had happened to him, from his first encounter with the world of Shinobi right up to today.
That was why she had absolute confidence in Zhou Cheng.
What a wonderful boy!
You're sure to shine in Konoha in your own way!
Inside the Match Arena.
Neji had already driven Zhou Cheng back more than ten meters, nearly forcing him out of the Match Arena.
Yet Zhou Cheng showed no sign of panic, continuing to calmly counter Neji's punches and kicks.
Zhou Cheng could not let up for even a moment. He had to look as though he was desperately fighting back to fool Neji.
Soon, Zhou Cheng's feet were only one step from the boundary line. If he stepped over it, he would lose.
Every spectator wore an expression that said they had expected as much.
Their opinions had not changed from the beginning.
Zhou Cheng was absolutely no match for Neji.
Even the usually stern Hyuga Hiashi wore a pleased smile, something he had not shown in a long time.
Neji's victory had been assured all along.
No one thought there was any suspense left.
With this, the Hyuga Clan's reputation would rise a little further.
Haku, Naruto, and the others looked unwilling to accept it, their faces filled with disappointment.
Neji was too strong. The thought of facing him themselves filled them with nothing but despair.
It also strengthened their resolve to train hard from now on.
Asuma was still puffing away, looking at Kakashi with surprise in his eyes.
"Kakashi, you misjudged him this time!"
Asuma's words struck a chord with the other Jonin.
Winning was simply too difficult for Zhou Cheng!
Yet all they saw on Kakashi's face was confidence.
Just then, Neji struck Zhou Cheng with a palm at the edge of the arena, making his body stiffen.
Neji immediately followed up with his signature move, Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!
His palm strikes rained down on Zhou Cheng.
It was as though he intended to turn Zhou Cheng into a human pincushion.
At that same moment, Zhou Cheng's Shadow Clone stood up.
Everyone watching froze.
What was Zhou Cheng trying to do?
With his real body being beaten like that, what use could a Shadow Clone be? It would disappear any moment.
But what happened next made every one of them widen their eyes, their jaws nearly hitting the ground.
With a poof, the Zhou Cheng taking Neji's beating turned into white smoke. He had been the Shadow Clone, while the one sitting in meditation was Zhou Cheng's real body.
Neji froze on the spot, his eyes going somewhat blank.
What was going on? Where was Zhou Cheng?
An uproar erupted!
The Match Arena instantly burst into a commotion.
"The one meditating was his real body? When did he switch them?"
"He actually managed to fool all of us!"
The Jonin who had initially laughed at Kakashi for misjudging him were stunned too. When had Zhou Cheng switched places?
Could he have made the switch while using the Water Dragon Bullet Technique?
The kid had pulled that off beautifully. He had even fooled them, Jonin!
After their initial shock, those who looked down on Zhou Cheng quickly recovered and continued mocking him.
"But what good does that do? He's only buying himself a few more minutes. The outcome won't change!"
"Neji will still be the winner. He's the true genius, the greatest genius of Konoha's current generation!"
Neji turned and looked at Zhou Cheng in confusion. He did not understand what Zhou Cheng hoped to accomplish with this trick.
Once he activated his Byakugan, Zhou Cheng was no longer a match for him. Besides, Zhou Cheng had all but exhausted his chakra and could no longer suppress him with ninjutsu.
Zhou Cheng smiled, his expression so bright that it felt like a warm spring breeze.
"Neji, you're going to lose!"
The entire crowd burst into laughter at those words.
Neji was going to lose?
Were they all too blind to see what was happening, or had this kid lost his mind?
His Shadow Clone had already been dispersed.
And he did not seem to have enough chakra left to create another one.
With things as they stood, Neji could finish him off within minutes, yet he claimed Neji was going to lose?
"Hahaha! Looks like this kid wants to win so badly he's gone crazy."
"He's lost even the most basic judgment!"
"With that mentality, he'll never become a competent Shinobi!"
"What a shame!"
As he listened to their mockery, the smile vanished from Zhou Cheng's face. Even the meekest person had a temper!
And Zhou Cheng was a living, breathing, hot-blooded young man.
"Neji, you used Rotation twice at the start. Then, during our taijutsu exchange, you used other Eight Trigrams Palm techniques at least five times."
"So how much chakra do you have left now?"
The entire arena fell silent.
Neji was the first to react, but his face still held absolute confidence in his victory.
Even if he had little chakra left, how much could Zhou Cheng possibly have?
At most, a little more than him. It would not change the outcome.
The other spectators were thinking the same thing.
Both Zhou Cheng and Neji had very little left in their chakra reserves.
Those few minutes Zhou Cheng had spent molding chakra could not have given him much. He certainly would not be able to perform a complete ninjutsu.
Neji still had enough chakra to keep his Byakugan active.
With the Byakugan aiding him, there was no way Neji could lose to Zhou Cheng in taijutsu.
Zhou Cheng pointed at the water covering the entire arena, brimming with confidence.
"Did you really think I was stupid enough to attack you with ninjutsu when I knew your Rotation was a perfect defense?"
"I did it to create this battlefield and set up what I needed for my next move!"
"Then I used my Shadow Clone to fight you and stall as long as possible, giving my real body more time to recover chakra."
"Yes, a few minutes of molding chakra won't give me much. But what if you add the chakra that returns to my real body when the Shadow Clone is dispelled?"
With that, he began rapidly forming hand seals.
In truth, with his body enhanced by the talent original liquid, Zhou Cheng could mold chakra at a speed no one else at his level could match.
A few minutes was enough for him to perform two B-Rank Ninjutsu.
He only claimed that he molded chakra slowly because he did not want to reveal all his trump cards.
If he had wanted to, he could have activated the Eight Gates of Life from the start. Then Neji would have been the one getting overwhelmed.
Displaying talent beyond what certain people could comprehend would only bring deadly trouble.
Seeing him form hand seals, Neji showed anxiety for the first time and immediately charged at Zhou Cheng as fast as he could.
He had to stop him from completing those hand seals. He could not let him unleash that ninjutsu!
The sight of Zhou Cheng forming hand seals sent another uproar through the arena.
"How is that possible? Did he plan all of this?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
"He must be bluffing. Yes, he must be bluffing!"
The Jonin all looked at Kakashi with complicated expressions, feeling deeply unsettled. If they still could not understand what had happened after hearing that explanation, they might as well stop being Jonin.
Ugh, that dead-eyed bastard had outdone them again.
Guy flashed his gleaming teeth in a grin and gave Kakashi a thumbs-up, as if to say, You really are the best!