The moment the Seals of Confrontation fell, Asuma struck first.
His fist shot out directly.
As the Hokage's son, raised in privilege, his physical condition was needless to say, far sturdier than his peers. That single punch drew gasps of surprise from many watching students.
"Asuma is so fast!" "Such a thick fist!If Kōichi takes one hit, he'll probably be on the ground!"
The chatter from off the field didn't affect Kōichi in the slightest. He raised his palm, directly blocked Asuma's punch, deflected it following the momentum, and delivered a sharp kick with his left foot.
Asuma was somewhat stunned. How could this seemingly frail classmate possess strength not inferior to his own? What he didn't know was that Kōichi was already holding back by thirty percent.
For today's match, Kōichi needed to demonstrate his use of the Three Basic Jutsu and chakra in combat to Teacher Ishikawa. If he defeated his opponent using only taijutsu,Ishikawa definitely wouldn't teach him ninjutsu easily. Therefore,Kōichi had to hold back, saving some strength to put on a show later in the fight.
One could say that from the very start of the battle, the initiative had already fallen into Kōichi's hands.
After the initial surprise, Asuma also kicked out, blocking Kōichi, then turned and delivered a side kick. Kōichi met him head-on.For a time, fists and feet flew, creating a lively and intense exchange.
---
"Asuma is performing very well. His taijutsu skill is almost reaching Genin level," the Chūnin teacher on the school building flattered.
The Third Hokage nodded, but also praised, "The child fighting Asuma is also quite good, calm and unhurried. By the way, what's his name?" "Uh...I'm not sure, my apologies." "That's not your fault.There are so many students in the academy; you can't possibly know them all. However, what the school teaches isn't just physical prowess. Let's continue watching."
---
Seeing that he couldn't gain the upper hand after a prolonged fight, Asuma grew anxious. He pulled a kunai from his pouch and threw it at his opponent.
Relying on the low-level Overlord Skill, Recovery Jutsu, Kōichi expended a large amount of chakra, continuously experimenting and deducing. He had finally figured out a method.
First, use the Clone Technique to create one clone, then transfer chakra to it to maintain its existence and allow it to perform actions. Compared to the genuine Shadow Clone Technique,which could be created instantly and took half the user's chakra, Kōichi's version was just a knock-off. The chakra upper limit it could hold was at most a quarter of his total, and the transfer process itself would cost another quarter of his chakra. Not to mention the time delay during the transfer process.
Through extensive practice, Kōichi had drastically shortened the time needed, but it still required a moment. On a real battlefield,Kōichi wouldn't dare use it; an experienced enemy wouldn't give him the chance. But against a child like Asuma,he wasn't worried.
Just now, after using the Replacement Jutsu, Kōichi had jumped up a tree and created a chakra-infused clone to go down and fight in his place.
---
Asuma looked at the teetering Kōichi, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
"So what if you've cultivated chakra? You don't have as much as me!" "So what if you can use the Replacement Jutsu?I can too!" "Your taijutsu is no match for me either.With this next punch, you're going down!"
Asuma chanted inwardly, then let out a loud shout, throwing a punch that landed squarely on Kōichi. Kōichi fell directly.
Cheers erupted from the surroundings! "Asuma is amazing!" "As expected of the Hokage's son!"
Ishikawa watched this scene with a furrowed brow, his heart aching a little for Kōichi. He had already performed exceptionally well. If he had been facing a different opponent,a civilian ninja, or even a child from a minor clan, Kōichi could have won. Shaking his head,Ishikawa sighed. This was a setback, but also a tempering experience. He hoped Kōichi would face reality and not aim unrealistically high.
"I declare Asuma the winner!"
"Wait!"
Amidst the stunned silence, Kōichi jumped down from the tree, a lazy smile on his face. "I haven't lost yet,Asuma. Let's continue."
Asuma's jaw dropped. He looked at Kōichi, then down at his feet. Poof! The previously defeated Kōichi vanished in a puff of white smoke.
"A clone?" Asuma stammered.
Kōichi grinned. "You're not bad, able to defeat a clone with only a quarter of my strength. Now, I accept your challenge again!"
This had to be a joke! Asuma panted,drenched in sweat, his arms and legs beginning to tremble. Had he exhausted himself fighting just a clone? And a clone with only a quarter of its creator's strength,at that?
It was utterly despair-inducing!