"It's Tōya!"
A jōnin leaned forward, squinting through the fading mist. When he finally recognized the figure slammed into the wall and now crumpled on the floor, he cried out, "It's Fushō Tōya! He was—wait, he's still breathing! Just unconscious."
The tense atmosphere in the training hall loosened slightly, though compared to before, the unease still hung thick in the air. The casual banter from earlier had completely vanished.
They weren't idiots. The moment they realized the person who'd been sent flying was Fushō Tōya, every jōnin present immediately understood—they had underestimated the man standing in the mist. Koeda Kyoichi, the so-called Earth-Walking Yaksha.
Or more precisely, they had underestimated what it meant for someone to have "fought Orochimaru for two days and lived."
Recalling the smug remarks and easy laughter they'd shared earlier, a few couldn't help but feel their cheeks flush with embarrassment.
How shameful.
Just then—
"Let me give you all a little tip," Kyoichi's calm voice rang out from within the lingering mist. "I'm a sensor-type shinobi. Fairly skilled, if I may say so myself. So the Hiding in Mist Technique doesn't really work on me. For anyone else planning to challenge me next—save yourselves the trouble. All it does is blind you, not me."
His tone was steady, but his words carried through the whole hall.
"...Starting to feel like letting Kyoichi join the Seven Ninja Swordsmen selection is a bit unfair, huh?" muttered Yagura Karatachi, the Mizukage, rubbing his temple with a rueful smile.
"Definitely unfair," replied Jūzō Biwa, nodding. "Forget about Tōya and the rest—even as one of the Seven myself, if I had to fight Kyoichi right now… honestly, I wouldn't stand a chance."
"Isn't that a bit exaggerated?" asked Anjō Oniyuzu, raising an eyebrow.
"Not at all," Jūzō sighed helplessly. "Elder Anzō, I'm not the type to sell myself short for someone else's glory. If I say I couldn't beat him, it's because I really couldn't. You think I'd humiliate myself just to flatter someone? Not happening."
At that moment, Genji, the ancient elder, interjected with an irritated tone. "Fourth Mizukage, could you clear this fog already? That blasted Hiding in Mist Technique that Byakuren invented is truly troublesome—once it's up, you can't see a thing. Ruins all the spectacle! No wonder the daimyō and nobles don't bother attending our Chūnin Exams anymore."
The others exchanged awkward glances, none daring to respond to the old man's complaints.
Yagura, being the only one who could speak to Genji as an equal, sighed, rose from his seat, and began weaving hand seals. A swirl of wind filled the chamber.
"Wind Release: Passing Typhoon!"
With a rushing roar, the fog dissipated, leaving the field clear once more.
"Alright," Yagura said once the air had settled, "someone take Tōya to the medical ward."
The ANBU stationed nearby wordlessly stepped forward, hoisting the unconscious Fushō Tōya and carrying him off like a piece of cargo.
Watching them go, Yagura turned back to the others. "Kyoichi's right—he's an exceptional sensory ninja. Hiding in Mist won't help you against him. So for the rest of you challengers, don't bother using it. Otherwise… well, let's just say it'd be hard to see how exactly you lost—anyway, just don't."
Every jōnin in the stands stiffened at that.
That last bit—"hard to see how you lost"—yeah, everyone caught it.
Still, no one dared object.
No one believed Kyoichi would lie about his abilities, and now that even the Mizukage had publicly confirmed it, there was nothing to dispute. Koeda Kyoichi was a high-level sensory ninja. That was fact.
And if that was true, then using the Hiding in Mist Technique would be utterly pointless.
Every Kiri-nin knew better than anyone that the technique wasn't without drawbacks. The fog filled with one's chakra distorted vision and dulled perception—it was never as reliable as one's eyes. Against an enemy with keen sensory skills, the technique often did more harm than good.
That truth had been paid for with the blood of countless predecessors.
After a long ten seconds of silence, a new challenger finally stepped forward.
"I'd like to see for myself how you managed to take Tōya down," the man said firmly.
Truthfully, it wasn't just Yagura and Genji who wanted to see how Kyoichi had won—every jōnin there was curious. They all knew how strong Fushō Tōya was.
Originally, Tōya had been one of the seed candidates for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen selection, alongside Hōzuki Mangetsu, Mizushiro, Yūsuke, and Reirun.
But now?
Mangetsu had already claimed the Twin Sword: Hiramekarei.
Reirun had been taken out by the dark horse, Ringo Ameyuri.
Yūsuke had fallen to the young Momochi Zabuza.
And Tōya had just been launched across the room by Kyoichi.
That left only Mizushiro yet to fight.
"You can have the first move," Kyoichi said lightly.
The jōnin didn't hesitate. His hands flashed through seals as he inhaled sharply.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Spear!"
A lance of crackling electricity burst from his mouth, streaking toward Kyoichi like a bolt from a storm.
"Smart," Kyoichi remarked with a grin.
He recognized the reasoning. Since the Koeda clan had once resided in Iwagakure, the man had avoided using Water Release—which Earth Release easily countered—and instead chose Lightning, which countered Earth.
Solid logic.
"Too bad you underestimated me."
Kyoichi kicked off the ground like an arrow loosed from a bow. His fist darkened, coated in a pitch-black sheen as he swung it forward.
A thunderous crack echoed.
The blackened fist smashed straight through the lightning spear, snuffing it out like a candle flame. Kyoichi didn't even slow down as he closed the distance and struck his opponent squarely in the chest.
BANG!
The jōnin's body flew backward, slamming into the ground with bone-rattling force.
It had happened so fast that the man hadn't even had time to dodge—
Or perhaps he'd frozen in shock, unable to comprehend how Kyoichi had punched through a Lightning Release technique barehanded.
Either way, less than ten seconds into the match, he was already down.
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