MTLNOVEL Chapter 66: [Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!]
Nawaki made the hand seals in quick succession before raising a hand to his mouth. One after another, cannonball-like bursts of Wind Chakra shot forth. The highly concentrated chakra scraped against the air, producing a roaring sound.
"Nawaki-senpai actually knows Wind Release," Minato mused inwardly. Minato had once been taught about Kekkei Genkai by Jiraiya.
Among all the bloodline limits in the shinobi world today, the strongest wasn't the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan nor the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan...
The strongest bloodline limit was a jutsu mastered only by the First Hokage himself.
Wood Release!
Actually, Wood Release was a combination of two chakra natures—Earth and Water. Members of the Senju clan were particularly skilled at these two types of chakra natures.
Therefore, it was somewhat unexpected for Minato that Nawaki used neither Earth Release nor Water Release.
Moreover, his opponent belonged to the Sarutobi clan, whose members specialized in...
[Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!]
Sarutobi Ao nearly finished his hand seals simultaneously. The scorching flames resembled a roaring fire dragon, its intense heat seemingly capable of burning space itself, sending out waves of searing heat.
Even the spectators in the stands could feel the temperature rise.
Fire Release was indeed the specialty of the Sarutobi clan.
The five basic chakra natures followed a cycle of elemental dominance—Wind over Lightning, Lightning over Earth, Earth over Water, Water over Fire, and Fire over Wind.
Although this wasn't absolute, both techniques they had used were C-rank ninjutsu, meaning little difference in rank or power.
CRASH!
Sure enough, when the Vacuum Sphere met the Dragon Fire Technique, instead of hindering it, the wind seemed to fan the flames, making them burn even stronger.
But for Nawaki, there was no choice but to go with that move. Although Water Release techniques were powerful, there was no water source nearby. Using Water Release would drain too much of his own chakra.
As for high-level Earth Release techniques, he hadn't yet mastered them. All the other techniques he knew were merely defensive ones.
Seeing the fire dragon swelling larger and rushing toward him, Nawaki swiftly formed more seals and slammed both hands onto the ground in front of him.
[Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!]
CRASH!
The ground shook violently as a wall of earth erupted from beneath, rising up right in front of Nawaki.
Whoosh!
The flames engulfed Nawaki entirely, reminiscent of Hiashi's previous battle with Mikoto.
No, the Dragon Fire Technique enhanced by Wind Release was even stronger than Mikoto's Great Fireball.
At this moment, Sarutobi Ao pulled a kunai from the ninja pouch at his waist. Its blade gleamed with a cold light.
When they saw the sharp edge of the blade in his hand, both Rina Takeuchi Yu Akasaka instinctively took a step back, because in their understanding, this was supposed to be just a test.
But the battle between Nawaki and Sarutobi Ao was far more serious than a mere test.
This was a real ninja battle.
However, he still didn't dare approach directly. When he neared the glow of the flames, he halted in his tracks. He waited until the firelight faded completely—then the sight before him froze him in place.
The mud wall scorched by the Dragon Fire Technique had turned pitch black. But that wasn't all—behind that single wall stood three more identical earthen walls.
Four walls!
These four walls formed a perfect square-shaped defense, shielding Nawaki at its center.
The earth walls towered over both Sarutobi Ao and Nawaki, so Ao couldn't see inside. However, from the second-floor viewing platform, Minato and the others clearly saw Nawaki unharmed but drenched in sweat.
It wasn't because he couldn't handle forming four mud walls in succession—it was because even though those walls blocked the Dragon Fire's flames, they also trapped him right in the middle like an enclosed furnace, sealing all heat inside with no escape.
Inside that earthen defense, Nawaki began forming hand seals again, then pressed his hands against the ground once more.
When Sakumo Hatake saw that seal technique, his expression shifted slightly.
"You've got to be kidding, Nawaki…"
[Earth Release: Bottomless Swamp!]
Beneath the mud wall in front of Nawaki, the ground twisted and churned as if turning into a murky, earthen-colored swamp. It surged toward Ao's feet with shocking speed.
"This is an A-ranked jutsu?!"
Back on the second floor, Minato's bright blue eyes widened. He recognized it immediately—his teacher had once told him about some of his signature techniques, and this Bottomless Swamp was one of them.
Then he recalled the conversation between Nawaki and his teacher over a year ago.
Did the teacher really teach him this move?
Even assuming that, Nawaki was still just a Genin. An A-ranked ninja technique was already beyond his current level.
Ao flinched when he saw even the mud walls beginning to sink into the spreading marsh beneath Nawaki's feet.
Yet, just as the edge of the swamp reached within mere centimeters of Ao's boots, it abruptly stopped.
Everyone was stunned.
From the stands, Sakumo remarked, "Using an A-rank jutsu you haven't fully mastered yet... the failure rate can be extremely high."
Nawaki twitched his mouth, muttering, "Fails at the crucial moment…"
At the same time, he spotted the dagger in Ao's hand—and swiftly drew the tachi blade strapped across his back.
The Senju clan was among the greatest families during the Warring States era, and surviving that age required more than just mastery of Ninjutsu and superior physical strength—their swordsmanship was legendary in its own right.
As he unsheathed the blade, he glanced toward Sakumo watching from the stands. If it came to sword fighting, Sakumo was said to be the greatest swordsman currently in the Ninja World.
It was said that Kirigakure, the Mist Village in the Land of Water, also had several legendary sword masters… yet none could rival Sakumo Hatake.
After all, even his elder sister admitted she couldn't stand a chance against him.
Ao darted around the edge of the swampy trap and lunged at Nawaki, dagger raised.
Steel clashed twice—sharp, ringing like thunder.
The dagger and the tachi clashed, seemingly sparking fire as they met. The metallic clang rang clearly throughout the entire hall.
The two fighters engaged in fierce combat, their movements wide and unrestrained. More than once, they left openings on their chests and foreheads, yet neither tried to erase the Chakra Mark. Instead, they continued their intense battle.
"These two... are they really treating this place as a battlefield?"
A Genin muttered under his breath. Hearing that, Minato and the others instantly turned their heads, their hearts tightening involuntarily.
To these Ninja Academy students, the Test was nothing more than a special exam—a belief most of them shared. Even Minato himself saw it as a trial, a way to prove himself to The Third.
But those two were different. For them, this wasn't just a Test—it was real combat.
It was a true fight...
A battle between ninjas!
...
...
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