Chapter 34: Chapter 19:The finals!
The sun cast long shadows over Training Ground 2, where the final round of the sports festival was about to begin. Naruko stood across from Yuto, her usual playful grin replaced by a look of fierce determination. In the stands, parents, students, and teachers alike held their breath in anticipation. Even the Hokage had arrived to witness the final match, making the atmosphere even more electric.
Yuto sized up Naruko, noting the scratches on her arms from her last fight with Hitomi. Despite them, she was still brimming with energy, practically bouncing in place. 'She's tough. Strong and fast. I'll need to be smart about this,' he thought. Naruko, on the other hand, gave him a cheeky smirk, her excitement palpable.
Iruka's voice rang out, breaking the tension. "This is the final match of the festival: Yuto versus Naruko! Begin!"
As soon as Iruka finished, Naruko shot forward, her speed catching Yuto off guard. He barely sidestepped her punch, feeling the air whoosh past his face. Her chakra-enhanced strength was something he couldn't take lightly.
"Come on, Yuto!" Naruko taunted, bouncing on her feet. "Don't tell me you're getting tired already?"
Yuto smirked. "I was just getting warmed up, usuratonkachi!" He taunted her using the nickname given by her reincarnated sister.
She bristled, recognizing the nickname. "We'll see who the real usuratonkachi is!" With that, she surged forward, feinting left and delivering a powerful roundhouse kick from the right. Yuto ducked, feeling the wind from her kick graze his hair, and used the momentum to slide backward, creating some distance.
'Her speed and strength are impressive,' he mused. 'But she's still predictable in her moves.'
Yuto activated his Kamigan, the red irises locking onto Naruko's every movement. His vision became sharper, tracking her chakra flow and predicting her next steps. Naruko noticed the change in his eyes and narrowed her gaze.
"Oh, so you're taking me seriously now, huh?" she shouted. "Then let's see if you can handle this!"
Naruko focused her chakra into her legs, her movements becoming even faster. She zigzagged unpredictably, closing the gap between them in seconds. Yuto barely managed to deflect her next blow, a punch aimed squarely at his chest. He twisted, bringing his forearm up to intercept it, but the force pushed him back, sliding his feet along the ground.
'She's stronger than I thought,' he realized. 'But strength alone won't win this fight.'
Naruko threw another punch, but Yuto sidestepped and retaliated with a quick jab to her shoulder. She stumbled, surprised by his speed, but quickly regained her footing.
"You're not getting away that easily!" she yelled, leaping high into the air, charging more chakra than she had ever done on her fist. Yuto's Kamigan tracked her descent, and he braced himself as her chakra-boosted fist came down like a hammer. He dodged just in time, feeling the shockwave as her fist smashed into the ground, creating cracks in the earth.
The audience gasped in shock. Even the Hokage raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Yuto's eyes widened at the sight. 'She's already learned to channel this much chakra to enhance her strength? That's impressive. If she masters that, she could soon rival even Tsunade before the shippuden starts.'
Naruko grinned up at him, though a little winded due to using this much chakra for the first time.Her hand stung a little. "Impressed?"
"Maybe a little," he replied with a smirk, "but it's going to take more than brute force to win this."
Yuto dashed forward, his movements fluid and precise. He feinted a kick, then twisted mid-air, using the momentum to swing his leg toward her side. Naruko barely managed to block it, stumbling back. She countered with a swipe of her own, aiming for his shoulder, but Yuto dropped down, dodging her attack, and quickly swept his leg under hers, trying to knock her off balance.
She jumped to avoid the sweep and launched another punch. Yuto crossed his arms in defense, absorbing most of the impact, but he was still pushed back several steps.
'She's relentless. I need to change tactics,' he thought, studying her. Then an idea came to him.
Naruko lunged again, this time aiming for his midsection, but just as she swung, Yuto disappeared like a mirage. Her fist hit empty air, and she froze, looking around in confusion.
"Up here," Yuto's voice called from above her. She looked up to see him coming down, aiming a kick at her from above. She barely rolled out of the way in time, the ground shaking slightly as he landed.
Yuto's Kamigan eyes gleamed bright red. "I didn't want to use this, but you've left me no choice."
Naruko's eyes widened. "You are gonna use that?" she knew yuto was preparing a technique he was practicing for the festival. He hadn't showed it to both her and hitomi.
Yuto slammed his hand on the ground as he said. "Fear Monster, Arise!" A hideous Monster taller than the hokage rock appeared behind yuto. Seeing this monster, naruko panicked. But she was cut off as yuto appeared behind her. Naruko's eyes widened as the monster disappeared like a mirage, her movements slowing as the impact of the neck chop took effect. She staggered, then fell to her knees, dazed.
Yuto stepped back, panting slightly as he watched her struggle to get back up. But after a few moments, she slumped forward, unable to continue.
Iruka raised his hand. "Yuto is the winner!"
The crowd erupted in applause as Yuto helped Naruko to her feet. She gave him a small, begrudging smile. "Next time, I'll beat you for sure, Yuto."
"I'll be waiting, Naruko. " he replied with a smirk.
After the match, the Hokage stepped forward, a warm smile on his face as he approached the podium to present the prizes. The students gathered in front, excitement and curiosity written on their faces.
"Today, we honor not just the winners, but every student who showed their courage and skill," the Hokage began. "But our top three deserve special recognition."
He motioned for Hitomi, who approached with a mix of pride and shyness. "Hitomi Uchiha, for your impressive performance and third-place finish, I present you with this E-rank jutsu scroll: the Rope Escape Technique." She accepted it with a small bow, her eyes gleaming.
Next, the Hokage turned to Naruko. "Naruko Uzumaki, for your exceptional strength and spirit, you've earned the second-place prize: the D-rank Body Flicker Technique."
Naruko's eyes sparkled with excitement as she accepted her scroll. "Thank you, Grandpa!" She shot a determined glance at Yuto. "Next time, I'm definitely winning."
Finally, the Hokage called Yuto forward. "And Yuto Yamanaka, our first-place winner. For your skill, strategy, and remarkable dojutsu, I present you with the C-rank Crow Clone Technique."
Yuto's eyes widened as he accepted the scroll, barely able to contain his surprise. 'The Crow Clone Technique? Isn't this one of Itachi's signature techniques?' He then remembered that a Leaf shinobi who was just a side character had used crows against Hidan and Kakuzu in the anime during asuma's fight. 'So the crow techniques aren't exclusive to Itachi… they must be part of Konoha's jutsu library.'
He glanced over at the Hokage, who gave him an approving nod. 'This might be more useful than I thought,' he mused, excitement and anticipation building within him.
All The students returned to their parents, a sense of accomplishment filling the air. As the crowd began to disperse, Yuto, Naruko, and Hitomi, grouped together, exchanged grins, already thinking of the training and challenges to come. But first will be the party at the ichiraku ramen for their celebration!
(Pls give me some power stones!)
(Find out next time on Naruto:Eye system)