The clash of the two chakra energies exploded into an ear-splitting roar. Even some children winced and covered their ears.
Three kunai hit the ground first, followed by the Grand Fireball being split apart by the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, flames roaring past both sides of Hyuga Ao without leaving even a single scratch on him.
Cough! Cough!
Sasuke suddenly dropped to one knee, covering his mouth while coughing violently. Shiki quickly noticed blood seeping through Sasuke's fingers.
So that was it—the internal damage caused by Hyuga Ao's Gentle Fist had finally erupted, hadn't it?
Iruka looked at Sasuke with concern and said, "This match goes to Hyuga Ao. Next round—"
Before Iruka could finish speaking, Sasuke stubbornly roared, "Iruka-sensei!!! I haven't lost yet!"
Iruka wouldn't allow Sasuke to risk his health recklessly. He scolded sternly, "Sasuke! It's just a match! Don't take it too seriously! If you lose this time, work harder and win next time!"
Using his right hand to prop himself up against the ground, Sasuke shakily stood back up and stubbornly said, "I didn't lose. I can still keep fighting."
Shiki could understand exactly where Sasuke was coming from—he'd always been praised as a genius and placed high above others.
Suddenly being brought down like this—who could possibly accept that?
Clap! Clap!
The clapping sounded unusually sharp, drawing Shiki's attention.
It came from Hyuga Ao.
He smiled insincerely and said, "Sensei Mizuki, Sensei Iruka—I must admit, I'm deeply moved by Uchiha Sasuke's determination to win. Perhaps I should forfeit and let Uchiha Sasuke claim victory?"
This Ao... truly ruthless!
Shiki hadn't expected that a child who seemed nearly clueless three months ago would now possess such deep cunning.
Was he really conceding defeat?
"No—it's merely the ultimate mockery toward Sasuke."
Sure enough, after Ao's words, the way everyone looked at Sasuke had clearly shifted.
He clearly lost, yet stubbornly refused to admit defeat.
And Ao, though clearly victorious, appeared so magnanimous that many of the girls were now torn between the two boys.
Sasuke abruptly lifted his head, shouting furiously at Hyuga Ao, "I, Uchiha Sasuke, don't need your pity!"
Then, staggering with every step, he slowly turned away, as if letting go of something vital within himself, and wearily whispered, "I, Uchiha Sasuke… concede."
Naruto opened his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Indeed, after this, Sasuke will definitely try harder," thought Shiki. In fact, this defeat was a very good thing for Sasuke.
It all depended on how Sasuke chose to face it.
But Shiki noticed that Hyuga Ao still hadn't returned to his own class.
"Is there anyone else from Iruka-sensei's class who wishes to spar with me?" Ao asked arrogantly, his provoking gaze lingering repeatedly around Shiki.
At that moment, everything seemed quiet—but beneath the surface, something was about to stir.
But in reality, the atmosphere had turned unusually tense.
Under a large tree, Shikamaru opened his normally half-closed eyes. Even the sedges he had been holding in his mouth fell to the ground.
Shino Aburame's face was swarming with insects, crawling in and out nonstop.
Chapter 15: Shiki Takes Action!
Kiba was even more restless. This time, he charged forward without seeking permission.
Seeing that, Iruka tried to pull Kiba Inuzuka back.
However, Mizuki held him back. "Iruka, isn't it a great thing for kids to keep pushing themselves and growing through competition?"
Since it was his close friend Mizuki who said so, even though Iruka felt somewhat unhappy, he chose not to interfere with Kiba's actions.
After all, Mizuki was also acting "for the children."
Shiki thought grimly, "This isn't good—without Akamaru, Kiba doesn't stand a chance against Hyuga Ao right now."
Kiba was from the Inuzuka clan, known for their incredible close-combat abilities and keen olfactory sensing.
Without considering Sasuke's Great Fireball Jutsu, Kiba should be considered the stronger one.
Still, Kiba had one fatal flaw—his impulsiveness and need to end fights too quickly.
This time, he might even lose faster than Sasuke?
Shiki had already made his judgment about how this fight would turn out, but his eyes continued following the clash between the two.
He couldn't help but wonder what he'd do in that same situation.
Thinking like this, his own battle experience unknowingly increased.
Just as Shiki expected, Kiba was defeated far faster than anticipated.
Right from the start, Kiba launched explosive attacks, fighting recklessly, desperately trying to trade blows with Hyuga Ao.
Actually, there was nothing wrong with that idea, because physically, being an Inuzuka gave Kiba a clear advantage.
The question was whether Hyuga Ao was willing to trade blows with Kiba.
Ao simply evaded each of Kiba's attacks again and again, barely brushing Kiba's body with his palm.
This again!
Still, Shiki couldn't deny that this simple method seemed extremely effective.
Soon enough, Kiba began to lose ground.
[Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Palms!]
Just as Kiba was nearing defeat, Ao seized an opening and unleashed the technique instantly.
The sixteen strikes flew almost simultaneously, so fast that even Shiki could barely follow the movement with his eyes.
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