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Chapter 272 - Chapter 271: The Match

Chapter 271: The Match

Not long after Ishiro finished introducing the six individuals, the match below officially began.

Because the field was large enough, neither side knew the other's specific location, so this match was not like the Chunin Exams where it was a direct clash of ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu from the start.

Both sides first needed to carefully search for the other's tracks.

Ikura's team, due to their weaker overall strength, adopted a stealthy tactic. With Dai Shimoyama, a Jonin proficient in sealing jutsu, present, the three of them quickly disappeared from the audience's view.

However, the audience could see that before the three disappeared, Tatsunori Nakata and Dai Shimoyama had each created a clone and begun to set up various traps in the competition area.

On the other hand, Ishiro's team, which was stronger overall, did not hide. But wary of Hanpei Haraguchi's strength and afraid of being ambushed, the three began their search very cautiously.

In the process of searching, the fat orange cat—oh, no, it was Kohana—played a significant role.

Although Kohana was not a ninja hound, her sense of smell was far superior to that of an ordinary person, so Kohana was the main force in Ishiro's team's search.

However, Ikura's team had clearly prepared for Kohana's ability, having treated their scents before hiding. They even managed to lure Ishiro's team into trap areas several times using scents.

The triggering methods of these traps were diverse. Although they did not injure the three members of Ishiro's team, they still consumed a good deal of their chakra and stamina.

As a master of sealing jutsu, Ishiro naturally knew Dai Shimoyama's methods, so he had long since told the Daimyo where Ikura's team was hiding.

After a long while, when the three members of Ishiro's team and one cat finally searched to the vicinity of where Ikura's team was hiding, the four of them stopped again.

Despite being concealed by sealing jutsu, blocking their forms and auras, Kohana, who was slowly absorbing natural energy, still felt a sense of crisis.

The four assumed a battle formation, carefully surveyed their surroundings, and after repeated checks, still found no problems.

Then, Ogura Saki nodded at Shinya Matsutani.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" Shinya quickly formed hand seals, and balls of fire began to shoot out rapidly in all directions. This time, Shinya did not use a C-rank ninjutsu but started with a B-rank Fire Release.

A burst of cheers immediately erupted from the stands.

The cautious tactics of both sides had made the audience, who were watching from above, extremely nervous. Although the occasional triggering of traps was thrilling, it was not very spectacular or gorgeous and did not match the image of a Jonin battle in their minds.

Now they had finally gotten to see Shinya's ninjutsu, and it was a B-rank area-of-effect jutsu from the start, and a particularly brilliant one at that. The audience's excitement was instantly ignited.

Seeing this, however, Ishiro raised an eyebrow. "Well now, Shinya even knows B-rank Fire Release?" Ishiro remembered that Shinya's attributes were water, earth, and wind. When did he develop Fire Release, and even learn a B-rank one?

"And, using Fire Release first, is he trying to hide his strength?"

The atmosphere in the stands suddenly shifted from tense to excited, but it did not affect the battle below.

After casting a B-rank ninjutsu and seeing no reaction, the not-so-careless Shinya supplemented it with a B-rank Wind Release, "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough."

Compared to the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, the Wind Release: Great Breakthrough cast by Shinya was more than just a little bit stronger.

This time, before the wind attack had even ended, a figure shot out from a corner.

"Earth Release: Earth Moving Core!" The person who came was Tatsunori Nakata. At this moment, he was casting the ninjutsu while facing the Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, because his body was enhanced with a hardening technique.

With the enhancement of the hardening technique, the wind jutsu, with its large area but lack of focus, naturally couldn't harm him. So Nakata successfully cast his ninjutsu.

The Earth Moving Core caused the ground to fluctuate irregularly, capable of attacking enemies on the ground. The damage of the Earth Moving Core was not great, but its coverage was not small. The entire area where Ishiro's team could dodge was enveloped by Nakata.

Seeing this, Ogura Saki, while dodging the rubble under her feet, said, "Be careful of the other two."

Nakata had a hardening jutsu; even if he was hit by the wind jutsu, he wouldn't be injured. There was no need for him to expose himself. His voluntary appearance could only mean that the others were also nearby and threatened by the wind jutsu; he was deliberately coming out to draw attention.

However, precisely because the others had not appeared, Saki became even more vigilant. An enemy in the shadows was more terrifying.

But Ishiro's team, having lost the initiative, inevitably revealed a flaw. The Earth Moving Core successfully broke up the trio's battle formation.

This couldn't be helped. Ishiro's team was the attacking side, in the open; Ikura's team was the defending side, in the shadows. The initiative had been in Ikura's team's hands from the beginning.

At this moment, a figure suddenly appeared. It was the strongest member of Ikura's team, Hanpei Haraguchi.

Hanpei rushed quickly towards Shinya Matsutani. From his posture, it seemed he wanted to use his taijutsu advantage to quickly finish off Shinya.

Shinya, though surprised, was not in a panic. While dodging the Earth Moving Core, he began to form hand seals to counterattack.

At the same time, Takumi, who had already created some distance from him, abruptly turned with a body movement technique and quickly rushed towards Hanpei.

Hanpei was a comprehensive ninja. Compared to Shinya, his taijutsu could completely dominate. But compared to Takumi, who specialized in taijutsu, it would be difficult for Hanpei to even retreat unscathed at close range.

So after seeing Takumi's incredible approach, Hanpei immediately chose to retreat.

But Takumi, who should have pursued and entangled him, stopped in his tracks. Because Hanpei's retreating posture was somewhat strange.

Before Takumi could figure out the reason, on the other side, in Ogura Saki's direction, another Hanpei appeared, rushing towards Saki at extreme speed.

Seeing this, Takumi immediately reacted. It was a trap! The one just now was not Hanpei, not even a clone.

Sure enough, the "Hanpei" who had quickly retreated before, with a poof, turned into Dai Shimoyama.

It turned out that Dai had just used steel wires to accelerate herself, disguising herself as Hanpei. It was precisely because of this that Takumi had felt her retreating posture was wrong.

Takumi, having seen through the opponent's trick, was just about to go and support Saki when Nakata, from the side, cast another ninjutsu, "Earth Release: Earth Flow Crushed Stone."

Nakata slammed both hands on the ground, and a large amount of crushed stone immediately separated from the ground and shot towards Takumi.

This was a B-rank ninjutsu developed by Nakata based on Ishiro's Rock Smashing Jutsu.

Seeing this, Ishiro smiled faintly. This Nakata was indeed good. Back then, Ishiro had watched Ikura select his disciples. Nakata indeed had a far superior understanding of Earth Release than ordinary people.

To be able to create a B-rank ninjutsu on his own at this age was already very rare. One couldn't use Ishiro or his disciples as a reference for everything. After all, most Chunin and even Jonin never create a ninjutsu in their entire lives.

Takumi, holding his longsword, dodged the crushed stones flying towards him in the air while using his sword to cut down the ones he couldn't dodge.

Although the B-rank Earth Release ninjutsu couldn't do anything to Takumi in the short term, it was now impossible for Takumi to support Saki.

Fortunately, after a short while, a huge wind tornado appeared between Takumi and Nakata. The wind tornado not only blocked the crushed stones but also sent many of them flying back.

This time, Nakata, who was blocking Takumi, could no longer maintain his Earth Flow Crushed Stone.

The one who cast the Wind Release ninjutsu this time was Shinya Matsutani. He had learned this jutsu from Ogura Saki, who was currently in a dangerous situation.

Shinya was also a long-range ninja, and supporting Saki wouldn't be very effective. So he chose to rescue Takumi, allowing the freed-up Takumi to go and support Saki.

However, having been delayed for a moment, it was now a bit too late for Takumi to go over. Hanpei was already close to Ogura Saki.

But Saki herself was not easy to deal with: "Wind Release: Nine Dragons Formation!"

Nine wind tornadoes, in a three-by-three formation, continuously moved between Saki and Hanpei, preventing him from getting close.

At the same time, Saki, while controlling the wind tornadoes, actually used a one-handed seal to cast a Fire Release. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The great fireball quickly caught up with the nine wind tornadoes, then combined with them, forming three huge walls of fire.

"Hmm?" The one who was surprised was Ishiro. He hadn't expected Saki to have learned one-handed seals.

This sealing method had been researched by Ishiro's third squad disciple, Kazumasa Yoshimura, in the past year. He didn't know if Saki had learned it from Kazumasa or exchanged for it from the village.

And the subsequent scene of forming a fire wall surprised Ishiro even more.

In the eyes of the audience, this scene was only dazzling. But Ishiro saw the prototype of a Kekkei Genkai.

It was one thing for Saki to cast Fire Release with one hand, but the fact that she could cast Fire Release with one hand while maintaining a Wind Release, and could simultaneously control two ninjutsu to form a combination ninjutsu, meant that it could be said Saki was not far from successfully developing a Kekkei Genkai.

Three fire walls moved back and forth, blocking Hanpei's path, not giving him any chance to cross the line of fire. However, Hanpei was not so easily dealt with.

He had been forming seals from the moment he rushed out. As Saki formed her defensive fire wall, his ninjutsu was also finally completed.

"Water Release: Great Violent Water Wave!" A huge wave of water was generated from thin air, rushing towards Saki with an unstoppable momentum.

At this time, it could be seen that neither side's luck was very good.

When Hanpei appeared, Saki had adopted a defensive stance. If she had known earlier that Hanpei was preparing an A-rank ninjutsu, she could have used an offensive ninjutsu first, and there would have been a high probability of interrupting him. And by continuously suppressing Hanpei with ninjutsu, she could have prevented him from getting close.

Unfortunately, Saki didn't take the gamble. Because if Hanpei had cast a C-rank or B-rank attack ninjutsu, then after they cancelled each other out, Saki would have lost her final chance to defend.

However, Saki's luck was good. Having also developed a new attribute, she actually had many defensive means, but she happened to use a Wind-Fire combination ninjutsu.

It just so happened to perfectly counter Hanpei's Water Release.

Originally, because the Fire Release in the Wind-Fire combination was only C-rank, it shouldn't have been able to block an A-rank ninjutsu after being combined. But with the fire borrowing the wind's power, it just managed to cancel out the Great Violent Water Wave.

The result was that Hanpei, who had originally wanted to use Water Release to counter Saki's Fire Release, had miscalculated.

And the clash of the two waves of ninjutsu, not only did it not cause any harm to Saki, but it also unsurprisingly delayed his steps in approaching her.

By the time the ninjutsu clash ended, Hanpei, who had shot out from the aftershock, found that Takumi was getting closer and closer to Saki.

"Good, there's still a chance." Hanpei judged the distance between the three.

Saki was a typical pure ninjutsu user. Her ability to resist after being closed in on was very weak. Hanpei judged that he still had an opportunity for one more wave of offense.

It was just that after this wave, regardless of whether he had eliminated Saki or not, he might be entangled by Takumi.

Hanpei was very decisive. His side was already at a disadvantage. Without taking risks, there was no chance. So he chose to continue advancing.

Hanpei, who had successfully approached Saki before Takumi arrived, easily dodged a small C-rank wind tornado from Saki. Although it delayed him for another moment, this was all within expectations.

After getting close, just as he was about to swing his sword to finish off Saki, a warning sign suddenly rose in Hanpei's heart.

He quickly stopped his rapidly advancing body and dodged to one side.

"Swoosh." A Vacuum Sphere shot past Hanpei, leaving a wound on his left hand.

"A seal-less ninjutsu?!" Hanpei exclaimed in surprise.

The corner of Hanpei's mouth twitched. What was going on? First, one-handed seals, and now a seal-less ninjutsu?

That's right. What Saki had used this time was precisely a seal-less ninjutsu: the C-rank Wind Release - Vacuum Sphere. This seal-less ninjutsu was created by Ishiro's first squad disciple, Chiko Tomoe, and Saki had learned it from her.

"One-handed seals, plus a seal-less ninjutsu. It's simply impossible to quickly finish off Ogura Saki. I chose the wrong opponent," Hanpei thought to himself while sighing and quickly retreating.

Because he had just dodged the Vacuum Sphere, Hanpei had lost the best opportunity to eliminate Saki. Helplessly, he chose to retreat.

He had to retreat. Takumi had already arrived. In fact, dragging it out until now to retreat was already a bit too late. At this distance, wanting to escape unscathed from Takumi, who was best at close-range entanglement, was no longer realistic.

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