"What's his actual condition?" Kei Yamakei was startled and quickly asked, "Does that mean Seiki wasn't actually injured?"
"Not exactly. His injuries are just far less severe than they appeared." The Third looked at Seiki, admiration in his eyes. "To be precise, he intentionally guided his own injuries. Those wounds look serious, but in reality, they don't significantly affect his combat ability."
"T-This kind of thing is actually possible?"
"Of course, but the prerequisite is..." The Third, visibly pleased, took out his pipe and started smoking. "...having thorough knowledge of your own body."
"And another point," he continued, "he has pushed Healing Jutsu to its absolute limits. Even if I were to use it, I might not necessarily perform better than him!" (Author PS: Like how even a Harvard professor couldn't beat me at simple addition within ten?--)
The onlookers couldn't help but draw sharp breaths. Although the Hokage wasn't a dedicated Medical Ninja, as the legendary Ninjutsu Professor revered across the ninja realm, his mastery of Medical Ninjutsu had surpassed most other medical specialists. (Originally, The Third was established as a master of five chakra natures, but later supplementary settings upgraded him to all seven.)
For him to say such words was proof enough of Seiki's extraordinary talent in Medical Ninjutsu.
While marveling, someone still voiced confusion. "Still, what's the point of doing this? No matter how well he hides it, his actual strength hasn't increased at all!"
"It's not as simple as you think," The Third exhaled a smoke ring. "Asuma should know the effects of Medical Ninjutsu quite well, but now—his composure is breaking!"
Everyone jumped slightly. Now that it was pointed out, they noticed Asuma was already drenched in sweat during the fight.
Not only was his breathing rapid, but his steps had also become disorganized.
Was this... psychological warfare?
"It's true! He's completely healed!" After several clashes, Asuma confirmed the truth before his eyes.
Meanwhile, Seiki didn't provoke his opponent with words. Instead, he charged toward Asuma with determined eyes and silence.
Strangely enough, the more silent Seiki was, the deeper Asuma felt his unfathomable depth.
[Clone Jutsu]!
Driven by Seiki's tremendous pressure, Asuma's [Clone Jutsu] improved on the spot—adding one more clone—but it was still useless. Clones without substance couldn't confuse Seiki's judgment; they merely wasted chakra for nothing.
And once his Medical Ninjutsu became known, Seiki no longer held back. He abandoned stalemate tactics and instead adopted the same aggressive, wild fighting style as Auma.
Soon, his body bore countless new wounds.
Then, under Asuma's collapsing gaze, Seiki once again placed his left hand over his chest. The seemingly severe wounds swiftly healed.
"Again! This is too strong! Is this truly Seiki's real power?" Asuma stared at Seiki's calm expression, his chest heaving violently, his hands trembling faintly as he clutched the chakra blade.
Although Asuma had seemed to have the upper hand previously, the entire battle had always followed Seiki's pace. Combined with Seiki's unwavering composure from beginning to end, Asuma felt as though he couldn't grasp anything at all.
A complex combination of factors gradually eroded Asuma's mental defenses, allowing Seiki's psychological suggestions planted even before the battle began to take deeper root.
Finally, his mindset completely collapsed!
"Ahh! Asuma's going to lose!"
"Yeah, his rhythm's already completely thrown off."
"It's just that Seiki is too strong!"
"No, he's just too unreasonable! There's no way to keep fighting like this!"
Few could truly tell just how strong Seiki was. As Asuma's attacks became more and more chaotic, the onlookers had already decided the outcome in their minds.
Asuma himself realized his own problems—but it didn't help. The more he tried to stay calm, the more frustrated he became. In his panic, he added a few more wounds to his body.
"Calm down... Just calm down!" Asuma gasped for breath and bit his tongue hard. "The key here is Seiki's Medical Ninjutsu, but his Hand Seal speed is too fast to interrupt. If I can't stop him mid-cast, then I've got to make his healing techniques useless. That means overwhelming him with attacks beyond his limit—taking him out completely."
"Though I'm not fully trained in this jutsu yet, I have no choice but to go all-out!" Asuma muttered as he charged forward, forming seals with both hands. [Mi–Bi–Shin–Hai–Go–In: Grand Fireball Jutsu!]
"This… this is actually a C-rank Ninjutsu!"
"You've gotta be kidding me! How can a Chunin-level technique appear in the hands of a ninja cadet?"
All the older students watching were stunned wide-eyed. While they themselves still struggled with E-rank techniques, this freshman was already capable of using advanced techniques meant for Chunin!
Even if he was the Hokage's son, this was still unbelievable!
As murmurs spread, someone suddenly yelled, "Oh no—he's still standing!"
As one of the more advanced C-rank techniques, the Grand Fireball Jutsu carried massive range and destructive power. Seiki appeared momentarily stunned, standing frozen like a statue until engulfed by the giant fireball.
Boom!
Blazing waves of heat roared outward, engulfing everything in fire!
"Did I… kill Seiki?" Seeing this, Asuma trembled violently, his pupils dimmed, his entire spirit gone.
Just as Asuma was drowning in grief, a sudden cold sensation crept across his neck—followed closely by Seiki's slightly apologetic voice.
"Sorry, Asuma."
Overjoyed, Asuma nearly teared up as he turned around. "Seiki—you're alive?"
Seiki withdrew the kunai from behind Asuma's neck, replying helplessly, "The Hokage didn't intervene, which naturally means I had confidence I could dodge."
"That's right! My dad was watching too!"
Seiki gave a strange look. "Asuma, what happened to your tongue?"
Asuma looked embarrassed. "I accidentally bit it earlier... uh, I'll take care of it in a second."
He cleared his tongue awkwardly before quickly changing the subject. "Hey, how did you dodge that attack anyway?"
Seiki smiled. "Well, duh—it was the Substitution Jutsu."
"You know Substitution Jutsu too? But I don't remember seeing you use it before!"
"Just because I haven't used it doesn't mean I can't!"
"Besides, I don't have nearly as much chakra as you do."
Asuma still looked somewhat incredulous. "In just half a month, you've not only mastered such powerful Medical Ninjutsu, but you're using the Substitution Jutsu this well too!"
Seiki asked matter-of-factly, "For someone like us, isn't the substitution technique something you can learn after just watching it a few times?"
Seiki truly didn't think much of it. Compared to geniuses like Itachi Uchiha, who could master the Great Fireball Technique with just one glance, his own performance was merely that of an ordinary genius.
"W-Watching it... a few times and learning it?" Asuma's eyes went blank, looking somewhat lost. After a while, he sighed darkly, "I guess I'm really dragging down geniuses like you. That's right—I'm just an average guy, aren't I?"
For someone still in his moody teenage years, having his fantasies shattered was indeed quite a blow.
Just as Asuma sank into self-doubt, a pair of hands landed firmly on his shoulders.
"What are you talking about, Asuma? You're so strong! In terms of real ability, I'm nowhere near your level at all!"
Then Seiki's tone shifted, turning serious. "If one single failure is enough to make you feel like this, I'd be really disappointed—as your opponent!"
Asuma looked up, directly meeting Seiki's gaze filled with what seemed like shimmering light.
In that moment, an unexpected surge of emotion welled up inside him.
Asuma sniffed hard, holding back emotion as he spoke with a slightly nasal voice, "I understand. Next time… next time I'll definitely beat you!"
Seeing Asuma return to his familiar teenage self, Seiki smiled. "Then let's seal it with a Reconciliation Seal!"
"Yeah!"
Meanwhile, Takenouchi Takayuki, who served as Asuma's mentor, lowered his head in shame.
"Hokage-sama, this is entirely my fault!"
Asuma had the best diet, the finest resources, and even a top-level instructor like himself—Takayuki Takenouchi—to guide him.
And yet, in the end, he still lost—to a complete novice with no resources at all, a war orphan. This outcome made Takenouchi Takayuki feel deeply guilty.
However, the Third simply waved his hand with a smile. "You've done very well. I can clearly see Asuma's growth."
"But Asuma-sama still lost!"
"It's better to lose now than to lose on the battlefield later. Besides, he lost only because his opponent was exceptionally strong!" The Third chuckled as he tapped his pipe. "Even I would find it hard to believe if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes—that a complete beginner who has studied for only half a month at the academy could achieve something like this!"
Takayuki nodded vigorously. That boy was nothing short of a monster!
From the arena, cheer after cheer continued to rise.
The Third observed the scene with a warm and indulgent smile. Beyond mere talent, what he truly valued about Seiki were his "background" and that radiant positivity he carried.
Over these days, he had also learned more about Seiki's experiences.
The deeper he delved, the more he realized how truly exceptional Seiki was.
He was a war orphan, yet neither withdrawn nor resentful. Instead, he warmed others every day with his sunny disposition. At Konoha Hospital, almost every doctor and injured ninja really liked him.
It was the same at the Ninja Academy. Within half a month, he had won the respect and trust of the whole class.
He was the true embodiment of the Will of Fire. No wonder he could speak with such conviction... The Third chuckled to himself and said, "Let's go. Let them have their moment of joy."
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Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!