"Begin!"
The instant Might Duy, acting as the temporary referee, finished speaking, Uchiha Onibi flicked both hands out as fast as lightning.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-!
A full twelve shuriken shot out at tricky angles, colliding in midair and changing trajectories. In an instant, they wove a metal net with no gaps and swept down over Lin Ze.
The technique was even sharper and more precise than last time, fully displaying the Sharingan's powers of prediction and perception.
As expected, an Uchiha Chunin fighting seriously was nothing like the kids at school.
Lin Ze grew wary, not daring to let his guard down in the slightest.
Backed by the Sharingan's dynamic vision, this shuriken formation was indeed troublesome.
But with the hidden enhancement of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, his own dynamic vision also far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Lin Ze twisted from side to side as though his body had no bones, ducking low one moment and leaping sideways the next, narrowly avoiding most of the shuriken.
Unfortunately, two of the shuriken came at such extreme angles that he simply could not dodge them.
Lin Ze simply raised his arms, wrapped in special bandages, to block them and protect his vital areas.
Slash! Slash!
Two cuts opened in the bandages, and the sharp shuriken sliced the flesh beneath, drawing bright red blood at once.
"Lin Ze, watch out!" Might Guy could not help shouting from the sidelines.
Might Duy, however, remained calm. They were only flesh wounds, after all.
To someone like him, who trained intensely year after year, they were nothing. Never mind Lin Ze-even Might Guy often got scrapes and bumps like these during training. As long as the muscles and bones were unharmed, they would not affect the fight at all.
Of course, that was assuming the shuriken had not been coated in deadly poison!
But Lin Ze had already examined them. Their edges gleamed with the cold sheen of the metal itself, without the slightest dull discoloration, and their tips bore no trace of ointment or liquid.
Clearly, although Uchiha Onibi wanted to teach him a lesson, he had no intention of killing him. He had only used ordinary, standard-issue shuriken without coating them in poison.
That was why Lin Ze had chosen to take those two shuriken head-on.
After evading the shuriken formation, Lin Ze pushed off hard, closing the distance in an instant. He drove a fierce straight punch at Uchiha Onibi's face, intending to use his advantage in taijutsu to suppress him.
But Uchiha Onibi was a Chunin with ample combat experience, after all, and chose not to take the blow head-on.
As he swiftly retreated, his hands had already finished forming hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A thick earthen wall instantly rose from the ground, blocking Lin Ze's path.
Bang!
Lin Ze's fist slammed heavily into the wall, leaving a shallow crater and sending fragments flying, but failing to punch through.
Earth Release?
Lin Ze was not surprised. It was perfectly normal for a genius from the Uchiha Clan to know ninjutsu of several other elements. He immediately changed his move, planting his foot against the earthen wall and using it to flip backward.
Almost the instant he left that spot, Uchiha Onibi flashed out from the other side of the wall, flames pouring from his mouth!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The enormous fireball swept along the earthen wall, turning the spot Lin Ze had just pushed off from into scorched earth.
Had Lin Ze not reacted quickly, he would already have been hit.
"Quick reactions!" Uchiha Onibi snorted coldly, his Sharingan fixed on Lin Ze's movements as he tried to predict his next move.
He found that Lin Ze's taijutsu movements were simple and efficient, with almost no unnecessary flourishes, making it difficult to find any obvious openings.
Was this kid really only a first-year at the Ninja Academy? With combat awareness like this, no wonder he placed first in the assessment! Inwardly startled, Uchiha Onibi raised his estimation of Lin Ze another few notches.
I can't give him a chance to open up the distance. No matter how strong my recovery is, I can't withstand a long-range ninjutsu bombardment!
Lin Ze decided he had to drag the fight into the close-quarters combat he knew well.
Without the slightest pause after landing, he charged at Uchiha Onibi again.
Bang!
Thud!
The two clashed at close range again, their fists and feet meeting with dull impacts.
Uchiha Onibi's taijutsu was no slouch either. Combined with the Sharingan's perception, it allowed him to trade blows evenly with Lin Ze for a time.
But Lin Ze had the edge in strength and speed. His movements were so fast that they left trails of afterimages, and he gradually gained the upper hand.
"Damn it!" Forced back again and again by a powerful side kick from Lin Ze, Uchiha Onibi felt his arms go numb from the impact. He realized he would gain no advantage in a contest of pure taijutsu.
Uchiha Onibi's thoughts raced as his Sharingan frantically analyzed the situation.
The next second, he deliberately slowed his blocking motion and let his shoulder dip slightly, intentionally exposing a tiny opening.
Sure enough, Lin Ze seized the chance, driving a knife-hand strike straight through!
Just as the knife-hand strike was about to land, Uchiha Onibi's Sharingan suddenly blazed!
"Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"
This was a simple D-Rank genjutsu. Normally, it could only make someone see fragments of what they feared most deep inside, lasted a very short time, and had little effect on Chunin or above.
Having suffered a backlash last time, Uchiha Onibi did not dare use the powerful Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique again, afraid of another backlash. But even if this simple genjutsu rebounded on him, he was confident he could withstand it.
Besides, Uchiha Onibi had never expected this genjutsu to control Lin Ze. All he wanted was that instant of disruption!
Sure enough, Lin Ze only felt his vision blur slightly, as though he had seen a hazy image of Nonō in danger. But the Dragon Might contained within the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon inside him instantly activated on its own, and that faint illusion shattered like glass and vanished. The entire process took less than half a second.
But that half-second pause was already enough!
"Now!" A sharp gleam flashed through Uchiha Onibi's eyes. This was precisely the opening he had been waiting for!
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
B-Rank ninjutsu! This was the strongest Fire Release he could currently wield! Its power far surpassed the Great Fireball Technique!
Boom-!!!
Three enormous, ferocious, roaring fire dragons gushed from his mouth, rushing at Lin Ze, who had just broken free of the genjutsu, from the left, right, and above with the force to destroy everything!
"Lin Ze!" Might Duy and Might Guy cried out simultaneously, their expressions changing drastically. This was already Jōnin-level Fire Release, with terrifying power!
B-Rank Fire Release! He really was holding something back! Faced with three raging fire dragons converging on him, Lin Ze's heart clenched.
The shadow of death descended in an instant. Lin Ze immediately judged that, with his current defenses and movement speed alone, he absolutely could not evade the attack completely. Taking it head-on would be courting death!
At this critical moment, however, Lin Ze's mind was exceptionally calm.
He could not carelessly expose the power of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, but simple physical recovery and partial beastification beneath his bandages were fine.
And he still had the Eight Gates Released Formation!
"Eight Gates Released Formation! Gate of Opening! Open!"
"Gate of Healing! Open!!"
"Gate of Life! Open!!!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Ze opened the first three gates at once! Powerful energy instantly erupted from within him, green currents swirling around him. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his skin took on a blood-red tinge!
Powerful strength flooded his entire body, and his speed instantly soared!
But Lin Ze did not immediately flee. Instead, his hands rapidly formed hand seals as well-Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon's Bolo Breath surged forth-ultimately, this Bolo Breath was dragon breath.
With Lin Ze's current control over the fruit, he could unleash it simply by opening his mouth. The only difference was how powerful it was.
But he was in Konoha, after all. He still had to maintain the necessary disguise.
Before you continue