Sora turned his gaze towards Hikaru Hyuga who was walking off the field, thinking silently to himself.
'Speed, precision in striking acupuncture points, and the power application techniques of the Gentle Fist are all excellent. With the support of the Byakugan, his taijutsu definitely has chunin level strength. Attacks targeting chakra pathways are especially troublesome.'
'Although my physical constitution far exceeds ordinary people, chakra pathways and acupuncture points are still weaknesses. If I am hit multiple times by his Gentle Fist, my meridians will be blocked, and no matter how great my strength or speed, they will be significantly reduced.'
'It seems the final match will not be as easy as before.'
'Perhaps... I need to release some restrictions slightly.'
Sora took a deep breath. He thought of the Eight Inner Gates.
The Gate of Opening and the Gate of Healing mainly enhance chakra flow, physical functions, and recovery ability. They do not cause drastic changes in appearance, unlike the Third Gate, the Gate of Life, which surrounds the body with a flow of air.
'If I only open the first gate, the Gate of Opening, it should be fine. It can greatly increase my reaction speed and chakra control, making it easier to avoid his strikes. Even if I am hit occasionally, a stronger chakra flow can also clear the blocked points faster.'
'As for the second gate, the Gate of Healing... I will decide based on the situation. I cannot reveal too much for now.'
...
The short rest period ended, and the atmosphere at the central arena also reached its peak.
Everyone's gaze focused on Sora and Hikaru Hyuga who were about to step onto the field for their match.
This was not just a battle for the championship, but also a clash of two top tier taijutsu styles!
"Final match, Sora, versus, Hikaru Hyuga! Both contestants, please enter the arena!" The referee's voice was loud, spreading throughout the entire training ground.
On the viewing stand, Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pipe. His gaze became focused. Sora had already shown extremely high ninja talent by reaching this point. He had already decided to strongly protect Sora.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi also wanted to see how far Sora could go, whether he could show even greater value!
Sora and Hikaru Hyuga stepped into the center of the arena at the same time.
Hikaru's face still wore that gentle, fake smile, but his white eyes were icy cold. He bowed slightly. "Hikaru Hyuga. Please advise me."
Sora calmly returned the bow. "Sora. Please advise me."
"Match begin!"
As soon as the referee's voice fell, Sora and Hikaru Hyuga moved almost simultaneously!
Unlike other contestants who would create distance to probe, neither of them did so, because they both knew the core of this showdown was taijutsu!
Ninjutsu had little room for use in such a close quarters taijutsu duel, especially when facing the Byakugan's 360 degree, no blind spot insight and the Gentle Fist's quick counters.
There were no flashy ninjutsu, no flying shuriken. Only two figures instantly colliding!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The sounds of fists and feet connecting rang out like dense drumbeats. The speed was so fast it dazzled the eyes.
Sora's taijutsu was broad and forceful, his power fierce, his movements simple and efficient. Every punch and kick carried a whistling sound of wind, pursuing ultimate destructive power.
This was the Strong Fist style!!
Hikaru Hyuga's movements were strange and tricky. He did not clash head on with Sora. Instead, using the Byakugan's powerful insight, he predicted Sora's attack trajectories in advance. Using his palms and fingers as weapons, he specifically targeted the chakra points on Sora's wrists, elbows, shoulders, and various parts of his body.
This was the Gentle Fist method!!
'As expected, troublesome!' Sora thought warily to himself. The Byakugan's insight lived up to its reputation. Many of his attacks were seen through by Hikaru in advance and cleverly neutralized.
Moreover, the penetrating power of Hikaru's Gentle Fist finger strikes was extremely strong. Even when blocked, that cold chakra would seep into his body, making his arms go numb and his chakra flow slightly sluggish.
Several times, Hikaru's fingers grazed dangerously close to Sora's key acupuncture points, forcing Sora to change his moves at the last moment to defend.
Gasps of surprise rose from the sidelines.
"So fast! I can't see the movements at all!"
"The Hyuga clan's Byakugan is too strong. Sora's attacks all seem to be seen through!"
"But Sora's strength is immense. Hikaru Hyuga doesn't dare to receive them head on either!"
The two moved at high speed on the field, colliding, separating, colliding again. For a time, they seemed evenly matched, appearing to be in a stalemate!
But Sora knew if this continued, he would definitely lose!
The nature of the Gentle Fist was cumulative damage. The longer the fight went on, the more times he was struck, the more severely his chakra flow would be obstructed, and his speed and strength would decline.
'Can't drag this out! Must break his rhythm!'
With a thought, Sora suddenly accelerated his attack rhythm again. His offensive became like a storm, trying to suppress Hikaru with absolute speed and power.
Tch.
Hikaru sneered coldly. In the Byakugan's vision, Sora's chakra flow and muscle exertion were clearly visible.
If this was Sora's only level, he was sure to win!
Hikaru's movements, enhanced by the Byakugan, were extremely agile. He always managed to evade Sora's most fierce attacks by a hair's breadth. At the same time, his fingers were like poisonous snakes, striking towards Sora's acupuncture points again and again.
Thump! Thump!
Finally, due to a moment of negligence from Sora, both his left and right shoulders were almost simultaneously struck by Hikaru's fingertips!
Although Sora tensed his muscles instantly, deflecting most of the striking force and not having his points completely sealed, an intense sensation of soreness, numbness, and chakra blockage immediately spread, causing the movements of his arms to noticeably slow down by half a beat!
"Bad!" Kurenai Yuhi exclaimed from below the field.
"Heh." A cold smile appeared at the corner of Hikaru's mouth. Seizing this opportunity, his hands became afterimages, aiming directly for the vital points on Sora's chest and abdomen!
He seemed to already see Sora's chakra being disabled, collapsing to the ground and howling.
'No choice!' A flash of resolve passed through Sora's eyes.
Boom!!
Pushing off with his feet, Sora instantly created distance between himself and Hikaru.
'Eight Inner Gates, First Gate, Gate of Opening! Open!'
There was no earth shattering surge of aura, but the flow of chakra within Sora's body instantly accelerated by a level!
The previously somewhat sluggish chakra due to the struck points forcefully broke through the restraints. A stronger power surged throughout his body!
His speed suddenly increased another notch, allowing Sora's body to twist at an incredible angle, narrowly avoiding Hikaru's pursuing chain of strikes!
"What?!" The smile on Hikaru's face froze. The Byakugan clearly saw the instant surge in the amount and flow speed of chakra within Sora's body!
"His chakra... what happened?!"
Not only him, the jonin and kage level experts on the viewing stand with keen eyesight also noticed the anomaly.
"Oh? His chakra suddenly became much more active. Did he use some secret technique?" Jiraiya said curiously.
"It's a bit like the Hundred Healings Seal... but not quite..." Tsunade frowned slightly. As a master of medical ninjutsu, she was extremely sensitive to chakra and the human body.
Orochimaru's serpentine pupils contracted slightly. He licked his lips. "He knows the Eight Inner Gates too? Interesting..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze was profound. He took a puff of his pipe and did not speak. He knew Sora could use the Eight Inner Gates. Now he just wanted to see to what extent Sora's value could be displayed.
And Danzo, sitting next to Hiruzen Sarutobi, had an even deeper, more inscrutable look in his eyes.
If before, he only wanted to discipline Nono, and incidentally act against Sora to make it easier to control Nono...
Then now, he was genuinely interested in Sora himself. Such talent must enter "Root," for Konoha, for him, Shimura Danzo! To absorb nourishment!!