"This is... [Chakra Threads]?"
"He actually applied a Puppet Master's technique to standard ninja tools like Shuriken. Has his control over chakra really reached this level?"
"Ordinary Puppet Masters definitely can't achieve this degree."
"Indeed, while maintaining the speed of the Shuriken and without being detected by Asuma, it requires extremely precise chakra control!"
The entire crowd was taken aback. Whether it was Seiki's precognitive [Throwing Jutsu] or Asuma's fluid [Substitution Jutsu], both demonstrated astonishing skills far beyond those of new students—and even many senior students.
If those feats were still within what the crowd could emotionally accept, then Seiki's current ability truly stunned them. Simply from the perspective of chakra control difficulty, this technique was no less impressive than a C-rank ninjutsu.
"I lost. If I hadn't heard their voices, I would have already been incapacitated," Asuma said weakly, wiping blood from his face with the back of his hand.
Hearing Asuma speak like that, many people around him showed awkward expressions. The Hokage himself had not spoken yet, clearly trusting in Seiki's control ability.
And their instinctive reaction had unknowingly ruined Seiki's plan.
"Don't worry about it. External influences are naturally part of battle. Besides, what kind of fight lacks variability and surprises?" Seiki smiled slightly, remaining composed despite outside interference.
Asuma took a deep breath and dropped his hesitation. "I understand now. Only giving my all in battle can be the greatest respect toward you!"
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Asuma dashed toward Seiki. At the same time, the shuriken circling around Seiki suddenly shot forward.
The number of shuriken wasn't large, but under Seiki's control, they formed an intense storm-like assault.
Asuma dared not dodge, nor could he afford to retreat. Even though his stamina and chakra reserves surpassed Seiki's, if he fell into a cycle of constant fleeing and pursuit, there would ultimately be only one outcome—defeat.
He could do nothing but go head-on!
Asuma swung the Chakra Blade forcefully in wide arcs with both hands, knocking the incoming shuriken aside one after another.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Hiss!
Although Asuma reacted swiftly, Seiki had calculated every angle perfectly—either striking from Asuma's blind spots or attacking from two opposite directions simultaneously.
Asuma struggled to defend himself. Before even reaching halfway, several cuts had already been carved into his body by the flying shuriken.
But he didn't retreat. Instead, he charged forward more aggressively.
"He didn't use the [Substitution Jutsu]—he must be saving his chakra for something even more critical," Seiki narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Rather than adopting a hit-and-run long-range strategy, he pulled out a kunai from his tool pouch, taking a defensive stance in place.
He wasn't fooled by the temporary advantage. His current edge came entirely from catching Asuma off guard with an unfamiliar combat technique—a result of Asuma's limited battle experience.
Yet once his opponent became wary, the weakness of this tactic would become apparent—it lacked sufficient power!
Naturally, since the shuriken were manipulated by [Chakra Threads], it became difficult to sustain their original kinetic energy over time.
Therefore, even though Asuma had been slashed by several shuriken wounds, he still charged forward energetically.
Seiki clearly knew that with his body lacking sufficient nutrition, he would likely be worn down if the battle dragged into a guerrilla warfare phase.
"I must keep applying psychological pressure continuously!" Although already at a disadvantage, instead of retreating, Seiki intentionally acted as if he had already won, standing in place waiting for Asuma's attack.
Recently, Asuma had constantly received subtle suggestions from Seiki acting as an "archrival" who seemed omnipotent — from chakra control techniques, to perfect memory, and all-around suppression on the battlefield, all continuously reinforcing this perception.
Therefore, when Asuma saw Seiki's posture, he instinctively felt like his mind had been read and automatically activated the ninjutsu he'd already prepared.
[Clone Jutsu!]
With a "poof" sound, three Asumas simultaneously surrounded Seiki.
The Clone Jutsu produced illusions with no real substance, but Asuma timed their appearance deliberately — right after throwing his shuriken — to keep Seiki guessing which was real.
However, Seiki didn't even hesitate. His eyes locked in focus as he drove the kunai straight into the left Asuma.
Seiki's senses had always been sharp, but now he'd already read Asuma's thoughts and kept a close watch on every movement.
"What? How could he react so quickly?" Asuma thought in shock, hurriedly raising his arm to block.
But how easily could an unprepared defense stop an attack made with prior knowledge and planning? The kunai moved like a winding snake, entwining around Asuma's arm and piercing toward his shoulder.
"I have no choice but to go all out!" Though inexperienced in actual combat, Asuma had been trained by a Tokubetsu Jonin — an elite specialist — and knew better than to back down now. Hardening his heart, he grabbed the Chakra Blade and slashed forward without attempting any defense.
Rip~
A gaping wound burst open on Asuma's left shoulder, blood spewing outward. Seiki, having gained the initial advantage, only suffered a shallow slash across his chest, though his constitution disadvantage made his face appear very pale.
Witnessing this scene, Kei Yamakei felt somewhat uneasy and asked, "Hokage-sama, should we stop them?"
The Third slowly raised his palm, "Once they've chosen this path, they should have the awareness to endure bleeding... or even dying in battle!"
"Besides..." The Third continued, his eyes carrying an amused expression.
"Besides what?" Kei Yamakei asked puzzled.
"Hehe, just keep watching. This battle might be more interesting than you imagine."
In the arena, the two paused briefly before fiercely rushing toward each other again.
Asuma used his advantage in taijutsu to forcefully suppress, while Seiki controlled shuriken to harass the opponent while precisely seizing opportunities to swiftly strike with his kunai.
After just a few exchanges, the amount of bloodstains on their bodies multiplied.
Yet neither flinched or showed pain, staring straight at each other as if neither one of them were injured.
The expressions of the surrounding audience also became solemn. Setting aside their astonishing abilities, the sheer strength of will to bear such pain alone was enough to command awe.
"Still, the battle ultimately swung in Asuma's favor." Everyone recognized that—but instead of looking down on Seiki, they held him in even higher regard.
To them, Asuma's victory through sheer strength wasn't particularly admirable—it made sense, considering he wasn't specialized in Taijutsu.
Moreover, Seiki had been physically weakened due to lack of proper nutrition.
In their eyes, Seiki—who demonstrated stunning tactical acumen and advanced Chakra Control techniques—was the real winner of this match.
Just as everyone thought the fight was about to end, Seiki suddenly clenched a kunai between his teeth. His hands formed hand seals at blistering speed, completing the technique in less than a second.
"So fast!" This thought flashed through everyone's minds. Although Seiki hadn't formed many seals, finishing within one second was something most people still couldn't manage.
What good could a Ninjutsu do at this point? Just then, they saw Seiki press his right hand against his wound. Color rushed back to his face, and the injury on his chest began to heal rapidly.
"This... is this a [Healing Technique]?"
"Impossible! Even the Mystical Palm Technique couldn't achieve results like this!"
It wasn't just the students who were stunned—even the teachers were baffled. "Lord Hokage, what exactly is happening?"
The Third smiled slightly and replied, "There's no need to doubt your own eyes—it's simply the [Healing Technique]."
"But how could the [Healing Technique] have such effects?"
"Tch! You call yourselves teachers?" The Third shook his head in mock disapproval. "Can't you even see what condition this student is really in?"
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~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!