บท 114: Chapter 114
Chapter 114
"Just saying this beforehand, Haneda! Don't use genjutsu! That wouldn't be any fun," Asuma called out.
But Haneda had already activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and Asuma's eyes happened to meet his. Haneda gave an awkward smile as the referee signaled the start of the match, and then he swiftly drew his blade.
Asuma, gripping his chakra blades tightly, looked at Haneda with intense determination.
"I've wanted to fight you for a long time, Haneda, but I always felt like I was too weak," Asuma said, "But after training under Shōmā-sensei for so long, I've grown a lot, Haneda!"
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The sound of blades clashing filled the arena as Haneda's short sword and Asuma's chakra-infused blades collided repeatedly. The wind-style chakra on Asuma's blades created small but lethal wind blades that sliced through the air.
Suddenly, Asuma leaped back and quickly performed hand signs, spitting several *Vacuum Bullets* towards Haneda. However, Haneda effortlessly dodged them with slight movements, sidestepping each one.
Realizing that Haneda, with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, was too skilled at close-range combat, Asuma decided to switch tactics and use a wide-area jutsu. He created a shadow clone, and as Haneda charged toward him, Asuma and his clone simultaneously performed hand signs.
The clone expelled a gust of wind towards Haneda while Asuma followed up with a *Great Fireball*, combining them into a powerful jutsu.
The flames, fanned by the wind, expanded and engulfed the center of the battlefield in a roaring inferno.
As Haneda watched the massive blaze, covering almost a tenth of the arena, he smiled slightly.
"Not bad, Asuma."
With that, a *Mud Wall* erupted from the ground, blocking the flames. The fire scattered around the sides of the wall as it was diverted.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed Asuma's ankle from the ground. He tried to pull free, but Haneda yanked him hard, causing him to stumble. At the same time, another shadow of Haneda appeared behind Asuma, pressing a kunai to his throat.
Feeling the cold steel against his neck, Asuma's adrenaline surged. He couldn't contain his excitement, shouting out:
"What an exhilarating battle, Haneda!"
In the stands, Obito watched Asuma standing frozen in place, shouting to himself, and asked curiously:
"What's he talking to himself about?"
"He's under Haneda's genjutsu, you idiot," Kakashi, standing beside him, explained.
"Huh? What kind of genjutsu makes him that excited?!" Obito asked, bewildered.
On the right side of Team 7, Guy was watching Haneda move towards Asuma, confused by his actions. It wasn't until Haneda placed the kunai at Asuma's throat that Guy understood: Haneda was signaling the end of the match.
As expected of his lifelong rival, Haneda had ended the fight so swiftly!
The judges, meanwhile, were unsure how to score the match. Asuma's true strength hadn't really been on display since Haneda had defeated him so quickly with genjutsu. It could be a high score, or a middle score—it was hard to tell.
That was until one judge spoke up, saying, "Just the fact that Uchiha Haneda used the Three-Tomoe Sharingan deserves a high score."
After that, the judges all raised scorecards showing nines and tens.
At that moment, Haneda dispelled the genjutsu on Asuma. Feeling the cold kunai still at his neck, Asuma blushed with excitement, immediately starting to analyze the fight:
"Haneda, you're too strong! You used the Mud Wall to block my flames, and at the same time, you created a shadow clone to sneak underground and grab my leg without me noticing. Then your real body moved from behind the Mud Wall and attacked in tandem with the clone. This strategy… it's unbeatable, Haneda!"
Haneda, embarrassed by Asuma's enthusiastic praise, forced a smile.
"Yeah, I've used that strategy for a while now," Haneda replied modestly.
"Really? So you've always been this brilliant at battle tactics!" Asuma's admiration for Haneda deepened even further.
After the referee announced the result and score, Haneda and Asuma left the arena. But as they walked away, Asuma noticed the strange looks from the crowd and was confused.
"Why aren't they impressed by my combo attack? It had shades of Haneda's own style in it! These people just don't understand true artistry," he thought to himself.
...
After Haneda and Asuma's match, Kakashi and Guy quickly finished their bouts without much spectacle. In contrast, the match between Kurenai and Rin dragged on for a while, turning into an intense contest that had the audience on edge. However, their scores ended up being lower than expected, almost causing an uproar among the spectators.
Perhaps because of that tension, one overly confident participant later challenged Haneda, only to be instantly defeated by his genjutsu. At that point, the audience began to understand a key truth: Haneda could defeat anyone with a mere glance. The fights he engaged in all ended the same way—quickly.
By the end of the morning matches, the final four contestants were announced: Haneda, Kakashi, Guy, and Rin.
The four stood in the center of the battlefield, facing the gazes of countless spectators. The Jonin overseeing the third stage approached again, holding a tube of sticks.
"The semifinals and finals will be held at 2 p.m.," he announced.
"There are four sticks in this tube, labeled A, B, C, and D. A will fight C, and B will fight D."
"Let's begin the drawing."
This time, neither Haneda nor Kakashi stepped forward immediately. Instead, they waited for Rin to draw first before approaching. By then, Guy had also drawn his lot, leaving only two sticks in the tube.
"Want to go first?" Haneda asked.
"No, you go ahead," Kakashi replied with a shake of his head.
Haneda glanced at the sticks Guy and Rin had drawn—A and B, respectively—and realized that his match against Kakashi would likely be in the finals.
"Doesn't matter who goes first," Haneda said casually, pulling out a stick marked D, meaning he would face Rin.
"Looks like you'll be up against Guy first, Kakashi," Haneda remarked, holding up his stick.
At that moment, the Jonin overseeing the matches announced the results:
"Might Guy will face Haneda Kakashi, and Uchiha Haneda will face Nohara Rin!"
...
As the morning matches concluded, the spectators began leaving the arena. The Sand Village representatives also returned to their inn.
Pakura turned to her team and asked, "Uchiha Haneda's genjutsu seems formidable. Kuma, you were caught in it before, right? What did it feel like?"
Recalling the terrifying experience, Kuma swallowed nervously and replied:
"It was far beyond my level. He was even able to reverse-infiltrate my mind through a medium. His genjutsu is on a whole other level. I've never felt such pressure before, not even from Hatake Kakashi!"
"Oh, by the way, Captain," he added, "Uchiha Haneda also used genjutsu to control one of the Jonin proctors during the written exam."
Pakura thought for a moment before responding, "So he's a Uchiha specializing in genjutsu. That makes him a tricky opponent."
"But if he only relies on genjutsu, puppeteers will have the advantage against him," she continued. "We'll see how it goes. Perhaps the true extent of Uchiha Haneda and Hatake Kakashi's abilities will only be revealed when they face each other in battle."
...
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