Uchiha Obito looked at the broken kunai in his hand, his expression turning more serious.
The amplification from the chakra had strengthened the short blade, which wasn't made of sturdy material, by quite a bit.
"Heh heh heh, my technique can enhance both myself and my weapons."
"Watch out!"
Hiyakke stared at the Uchiha before him, his whole demeanor becoming cocky. The next second, he launched another attack.
His speed was indeed fast, but Uchiha Obito was no ordinary ninja. Not a single Uchiha clan member could be considered weak.
Not to mention, he had already been on the battlefield and even earned military merit. Despite his young age, his combat experience was rich.
"Sharingan..."
The crimson three-tomoe Sharingan spun open. The moment it activated, Hiyakke's movements became slow in Obito's eyes.
The enhancement from the eye technique was enormous. With his Sharingan open, Obito's lips curled slightly upward. Taking advantage of Hiyakke's slowed actions, he quickly sidestepped the attack.
Immediately after, Obito began forming hand seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A Fire Style that couldn't burn someone to death—although useless against someone as strong as Gekko Chizan, at the same level it was still a massive threat.
Seeing the giant fireball fly toward him, Hiyakke didn't panic at all.
His legs tightened with explosive force, and he leapt high into the air, relying on the strength of his legs to dodge Obito's attack.
"It's not over!"
A big fireball was followed by small fireballs.
Obito's mouth didn't feel hot at all—he just kept spitting out fireballs in a barrage.
Suspended in midair, Hiyakke became a perfect target.
Kazuma watched from the stands, his expression turning a bit serious.
"As expected of the Uchiha clan—the Sharingan and Fire Style techniques alone are nothing to scoff at."
"But Hiyakke's real skills are far from that."
Hiyakke sneered midair, crossing his short blades before his chest. His chakra suddenly roared outward.
"Swoosh!"
The short blades cut through the air, sending blue chakra slashes raining downward.
Each slash precisely dispersed a fireball.
"Hahaha, your flames aren't good enough!"
"Slash!"
With another swing, a series of slashes fell toward Uchiha Obito below.
This method of attack surprised Gekko Chizan.
This wasn't a technique a ninja should use—it was one a samurai would.
The samurai of the Land of Iron used this exact type of attack. Interesting. Could Hiyakke have been a samurai before becoming a ninja?
"Heh, Chizan-kun, curious?"
"Samurai and ninja aren't fundamentally different. Both use chakra in combat."
Kazuma, hearing Chizan's unspoken confusion, chuckled beside him.
Hearing the strange pride in his tone, Gekko Chizan grinned and replied:
"Not necessarily. Ninja are ninja—because they endure what others cannot."
"Like my disciple."
As the two conversed, the battle shifted dramatically.
"Eight Gates—First Gate: Gate of Opening! Open!"
When Obito opened the first gate, a fierce surge of air burst from his body, caused by the chakra flooding through him.
Everyone's eyes widened, staring intently at Uchiha Obito.
"Since your strengths are swordsmanship and taijutsu, I'll defeat you with the things you're most proud of!"
"You should know—my body has been tempered hundreds, thousands of times!"
Gate of Opening: removes brain restrictions, allowing 100% physical capability, boosting attack and speed through overclocking the body.
Obito's aura transformed entirely after opening the first gate.
But he didn't attack immediately. Instead, he pulled out two rolls of white bandages and wrapped them around his wrists.
Seeing this, Gekko Chizan's eyes narrowed.
He wasn't surprised Obito had learned the Eight Gates. After all, this kid spent every day with Might Guy.
For someone obsessed with taijutsu, mastering the Eight Gates was only a matter of time. But what he was doing now—this was different.
White bandages… Is he going to use the Front Lotus?
Hiyakke saw Obito's aura erupt but noticed he wasn't attacking. Though puzzled, he continued his assault.
The overwhelming chakra slashes covered half the training field.
Obito, guided by the Sharingan, had already analyzed everything.
"Next, I'll show you what true strength is!"
Dodging while continuing his preparations, he waited until the bandages were fully secured.
Then he let out a roar.
The next second, Uchiha Obito charged.
His speed was even faster than Hiyakke's enhanced movement.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Hiyakke.
He raised his right fist and punched at Hiyakke's face.
"Hmph! Don't joke with me!"
"Boom!"
The heavy punch was blocked directly by Hiyakke's short blade. Both of them were wrapped in chakra, so neither could overpower the other.
Just as Hiyakke prepared to counterattack, he suddenly felt sharp pain in his jaw.
The next instant, his body shot upward, flipping head-first into the air.
Gasps erupted from the stands.
"So fast!"
"What did he just do?"
To the audience, Obito had punched, crouched in an instant, then kicked Hiyakke in the jaw, launching him skyward.
"Feel despair!"
"Go!"
The bandages shot upward, wrapping tightly around Hiyakke's body.
Gekko Chizan murmured as he watched Obito's attack,
"As expected—Front Lotus. This kid really isn't afraid of pain."
He himself knew the Front Lotus.
After opening the First Gate, using overwhelming speed to kick the opponent into the air, then binding them with arms or bandages before spinning and slamming them into the ground with full force.
A technique with massive destructive power—but also massive recoil. The user hit the ground along with the enemy.
Chizan hated pain, so he had always dismissed this technique.
"Damn it! Let me go!"
Hiyakke's speed and attacks were good, but now he was bound midair with nowhere to escape.
He never imagined one small opening would put him in such a position.
"Heh heh, accept your fate, old man!"
"Old—? Old man???"
Obito had already taken his attacking stance, but that wasn't what hurt Hiyakke the most.
It was that one sentence: old man.
What the hell! Was he really that old?!