"Now's my chance!"
Using the momentum of his slide, Shira sprang to his feet and turned his left hand into a blade, chopping precisely at the inside of Mamushi's right elbow!
"Ugh!" Mamushi grunted in pain, and the snake on his right arm went limp at once.
Almost at the same moment, Shira grabbed Mamushi's left wrist with his right hand. With a twist and a shove, he used a clever joint lock to press Mamushi's left hand, snake and all, toward his own chest!
"Stop!" the referee called out in time.
The snake on Mamushi's left arm froze just an inch from his chest. A look of lingering fear and frustration appeared on his goofy face.
"The winner is Shira!" the referee announced.
Shira immediately let go, stepped back, and nodded slightly. "Thank you for the match."
The entire fight had lasted less than ten seconds. Without using any extraordinary speed or strength, Shira had relied entirely on precise anticipation, a cool head, and solid joint locks and footwork to deftly counter Mamushi's snake attacks and exploit an opening for an instant victory.
The stands fell silent, then erupted in discussion.
This victory showed Shira's fighting prowess more clearly than the earlier rumors had.
Mamushi withdrew his snakes and rubbed his wrist, returning to his usual goofy self. "That was awesum. Almost bit myself... Shit!" he muttered, then ambled off the stage.
After a short break, Shira's second opponent appeared.
He was an orange-haired boy named Goji. His hair was held back with a dark blue headband, and a few strands stuck up stubbornly over his forehead.
He stared intently at Shira, looking exceptionally focused. He held two small, gleaming daggers in a reverse grip, with extremely fine, nearly invisible metal wires seemingly attached to their guards.
"Begin!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Goji swung both hands rapidly!
"Water Release: Mist Wave!"
He took a deep breath and spat out not a huge ball of water, but dozens of finger-thick water bullets spinning at high speed. Like a shotgun blast, they covered the space Shira could dodge into.
Although it was only a C-rank Ninjutsu, it was extremely effective for restraining and disrupting an opponent.
At the same time, he flicked his wrists. As if alive, the metal wires on his daggers silently spread along the ground, circling around from both sides in an attempt to bind Shira's feet!
"Holy lightning, it's a combo attack! Shira's in trouble now, dats right!" a student cried.
Goji's tactics had clearly been carefully planned: use the water bullets to force his opponent to move while laying a trap with the wires.
Shira's pupils contracted slightly. The water bullets covered a wide area; taking them head-on would injure him, while retreating or moving to either side could send him into those dangerous wires.
At that critical moment, Shira's battle IQ instantly seized control of his brain.
Brain: You're so selfish, ptooey!
Battle IQ: I'll send you flying for showing off!
Instead of retreating or dodging to either side, Shira did something no one expected-he lunged forward into a diving roll!
Rather than moving away from the water bullets, he passed straight through a gap between the lowest of them!
Pff! Pff! Pff! Several water bullets grazed his back, soaking his clothes, but fortunately, they caused no actual damage.
His roll brought him to a stop right in the blind spot where Goji's wire attack began.
The wires were circling in from both sides, making the middle the shortest route and the area they had the least time to cover completely!
Goji clearly hadn't expected his opponent to take such a risk and break through head-on. His hands faltered slightly as he controlled the wires.
Goji: "I dunno! He just yelled something about Taijutsu ninja being the strongest and charged at me!"
In that split-second opening, Shira came out of his roll without pausing, braced one hand against the ground, and swept his legs out like a whirlwind.
One leg swept toward Goji's lower body, while the other kicked precisely at the wrist holding a dagger.
Goji hurriedly jumped back to dodge the attack on his legs, but his wrist was struck, sending a numb ache through it and instantly breaking his control of the wires!
How could Shira pass up this chance? He darted forward low to the ground, closing the distance in an instant like a cheetah. Before Goji could attempt to form Hand Seals or control his weapons again, Shira stopped a simple, powerful straight punch just short of his nose.
The wind from the punch stirred Goji's blond hair.
The entire arena fell silent.
"The... the winner is Shira!" The referee froze for a second before making the announcement.
Shira slowly drew back his fist and nodded. "Thank you for the match."
Goji looked at the daggers and wires he had lost control of, then at his opponent's calm gaze. His eyes were full of disbelief, which eventually gave way to a trace of admiration. He put away his daggers, joined fingers with Shira to form the Seal of Reconciliation, and left the stage.
Shira stood in the middle of the arena, breathing slightly hard.
In both fights, he had won cleanly without relying on the explosive power of the Seven Heavens Breathing Method, instead relying on his battle smarts, solid foundation in Taijutsu, and exceptionally calm judgment.
In the stands, Temari and Kankuro wore complicated expressions. Ameno's eyes, meanwhile, shone with excitement. Even several of the proctors on the platform couldn't help exchanging quiet words, their eyes full of surprise.
゚゚゚゚゚゚⸝ဗီူ⸜์์์์์์์์์์
The examination continued...
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