Namiashi Raidō

"Interesting."

Watching Namiashi Raidō settle into his stance, Lin Ze shed the last trace of his contempt.

Bang!!

Driving off the ground and kicking up a great cloud of dust, Lin Ze took the initiative. His speed abruptly increased as he shot toward Namiashi Raidō like an arrow loosed from a bow.

So fast!

Namiashi Raidō's pupils contracted. He clearly had not expected Lin Ze to be so fast. But he did not panic. Gripping his blade with both hands, he judged Lin Ze's approach and met him with a vicious straight thrust!

A cold gleam flashed at the tip, aimed straight at Lin Ze's chest.

In the midst of his rapid charge, Lin Ze abruptly tilted his body to the right, narrowly avoiding the blade's tip. At the same time, he pressed the fingers of his right hand together and slashed a lightning-fast knife-hand strike at Namiashi Raidō's sword-wielding wrist!

If that blow landed cleanly, Namiashi Raidō would surely lose his blade.

But Namiashi Raidō reacted extremely quickly. With a turn of his wrist, he changed his thrust into a slash, sweeping his short sword toward Lin Ze's incoming arm and forcing him to abandon the strike.

Lin Ze immediately changed his move, turning his knife hand into a claw and reaching precisely for Namiashi Raidō's wrist joint.

The two traded several exchanges in an instant. Flashes of steel and fists crossed, producing a series of thudding collisions.

Gasps rose from the stands.

Namiashi Raidō's swordsmanship was fierce and tricky, but Lin Ze's taijutsu was even more astonishingly fast. He repeatedly avoided attacks by a hair's breadth and countered, leaving the spectators struggling to follow.

"Tch, this brat's taijutsu really is monstrous," Jiraiya commented from the stands, rubbing his chin. "Raidō's family swordsmanship is already pretty polished, yet he can't gain any advantage at all."

Tsunade nodded slightly as well. "His fundamentals are extremely solid. His speed and strength are far beyond others his age, even approaching those of some chunin. The Uzumaki Clan's constitution really is uniquely blessed."

In the shadows, Orochimaru's golden, serpentine eyes flickered slightly, and an intrigued smile curved his lips. "Is that all there is to it...?"

In the seat of honor, Hiruzen Sarutobi smoked silently, appreciation showing in his eyes. Danzo, meanwhile, remained expressionless, his gaze only growing colder as he stared down at the field.

On the field, Namiashi Raidō grew more alarmed with every exchange.

Every time his blade seemed about to hit Lin Ze, his opponent evaded it with unbelievable speed and angles. Meanwhile, Lin Ze's counterattacks carried tremendous force, leaving his arms numb with every block.

At this rate, defeat was only a matter of time.

I have to change tactics!

Namiashi Raidō steeled himself and offered an opening, deliberately overcommitting his blade.

A perfect chance!

Seeing him wide open, Lin Ze indeed seized the opportunity. A side kick he had practiced tens of thousands of times shot straight toward Namiashi Raidō's ribs!

Yet the instant Lin Ze's kick connected, a gleam of success flashed through Namiashi Raidō's eyes. He actually used the force of Lin Ze's kick to send himself flying backward, dissipating most of the impact while forming hand seals once again!

"Ninja Art: Earth-Binding Technique!"

Lin Ze's kick swept through empty air. The moment he landed, he felt something tighten around his feet. Looking down, he saw several earthen-yellow ropes formed from chakra suddenly emerge from the ground and wrap around both his ankles!

Although the ropes created by this low-level ninjutsu were not sturdy, and Lin Ze could snap them with a little force, doing so would still delay him for an instant!

And in that very instant, Namiashi Raidō had already steadied himself. Gripping his blade with both hands, he poured all his scant remaining chakra into it and unleashed his strongest attack at present!

"Raidō Style: Thrust!"

He seemed to become a streak of black lightning, man and blade as one, thrusting at tremendous speed toward the temporarily restrained Lin Ze! Though the tip was unsharpened, the concentrated chakra and force of impact were no laughing matter!

In the stands, Kurenai Yuhi covered her mouth in fright.

Asuma, Genma Shiranui, and the others held their breath as well.

This is bad! Lin Ze was startled. He had not expected Namiashi Raidō to be so decisive, even taking his kick head-on to create this opportunity for a finishing blow!

As expected of someone who would become a renowned jōnin in the future, his combat intelligence and ruthlessness could not be underestimated!

With his feet bound and Namiashi Raidō's full-force thrust already upon him, nearly every avenue of evasion had been sealed off!

In that split second, several thoughts flashed through Lin Ze's mind.

Use an explosive burst from the Eight Gates Released Formation to break free? No. The attack was already too close, and Lin Ze had not yet reached the point where he could activate the Eight Gates Released Formation instantly. There was not enough time!

Use the strength or speed of dragon transformation? Absolutely not! With everyone watching, especially with the Byakugan possibly observing nearby, the consequences of exposing the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon's abilities would be unimaginable!

I can only use that!

He made his decision instantly! Lin Ze's hands flashed rapidly, forming the final Tiger seal!

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Boom-!

An intensely hot wave of fire, tinged with a trace of azure blue, suddenly surged from Lin Ze's mouth.

The blazing flames swallowed Namiashi Raidō's figure in an instant!

"What?!" Cries of shock rose from the stands once more!

Namiashi Raidō had never expected Lin Ze to unleash such swift and fierce Fire Release when cornered. He knew that Lin Ze's weakness was his limited chakra reserves and had deliberately kept him locked in combat for a long time.

After all, chakra was a mixture of spiritual and physical energy. After fighting for so long, Lin Ze, who had been using taijutsu throughout, surely had depleted a considerable amount of physical energy as well.

He had unleashed his final finishing move precisely because he estimated that Lin Ze could no longer produce chakra.

But now his thrust was fully committed, leaving him no time to change direction or defend. All he felt was an unbearable heat rushing at his face, and even the short sword in his hands seemed about to melt!

Bang!

The scorching wave of fire struck him. Although Lin Ze had deliberately restrained its power, the tremendous impact and heat still sent him flying violently. The short sword flew from his hands as well, landing on the ground with a clang.

Namiashi Raidō fell several meters away. His clothes were scorched in several places, and his skin stung with burns. He lay on the ground, unable to rise for the moment.

Meanwhile, using the recoil from releasing Bolo Breath, Lin Ze snapped the chakra ropes around his feet and hopped a step backward. He panted lightly, pretending to have expended too much chakra.

For a moment, the field fell silent, leaving only the lingering sound of flames scorching the air and Namiashi Raidō's pained intakes of breath.

The teacher serving as referee froze briefly, then hurried forward to check Namiashi Raidō's condition. After confirming that he had suffered only superficial injuries and minor burns, he announced loudly, "The winner, Lin Ze!"

The stands immediately erupted into animated discussion.

"That move again! It was even stronger than the one he used against that Uchiha yesterday!"

"That was so close! Raidō nearly stabbed him!"

"He reacted so fast! He could still use ninjutsu in that situation?"

Kurenai Yuhi let out a long breath of relief. Just now, she had truly thought Lin Ze would not be able to evade it.

In the main stands, a sharp gleam flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. He nodded slightly, appreciating Lin Ze's ability to adapt in battle even more.

Jiraiya burst out laughing. "I told you this kid was interesting! That Fire Release-even though his chakra reserves look pitiful, that instantaneous burst and control were incredible!"

Tsunade also looked intrigued. "The Uzumaki Clan's constitution really does provide endurance. After fighting for so long, he could still unleash such a fierce Great Fireball."

Danzo's gaze, however, grew deeper and colder. There was no telling what he was plotting.