Chapter 464: Fighting Blade Rod
The Five Villages Shinobi Fighting Arena.
Towering above the earth, this was a colossal combat facility meticulously constructed by Konoha. It spanned a vast domain, stretching so far out that the eye could barely catch its horizon.
The interior of the arena encompassed both towering, rugged mountains and crystal-clear, winding streams. The waters flowed gently, rippling with silver glints like a shimmering ribbon running across the terrain. Along the riverbanks grew lush green grass and brilliant clusters of flowers that swayed gently in the breeze, filling the air with a captivating fragrance.
In stark contrast to this serene and picturesque scenery was the violent storm of dust and debris flying across the sky.
Whenever shinobi engaged in fierce duels here, the clash of their immense power shook the ground beneath them, launching earth and rocks straight into the air and blotting out the sun. Swirling and circling overhead, the airborne debris formed a wild sandstorm, delivering a breath-taking visual impact.
"Rock Staff Jutsu!"
With a sharp yell, Houki Taketori slammed his palm onto the ground.
The earth surged in waves.
Like a natural disaster, towering stone pillars erupted straight up from the terrain.
The natural rock formations and flora throughout the battlefield were instantly pulverized by the jutsu.
"I'm not losing to you! Take this—Super Beast Imitation Drawing: Susanoo's Pivotal Song!"
While dodging with fluid taijutsu, Inojin Yamanaka kept his hands moving without a moment's pause. With a swift flick of his brush, a massive giant materialized before them.
It was as though Susanoo itself had descended upon the world.
Sweeping its blade back and forth, the giant sliced through every incoming stone pillar.
It harvested them like a lawnmower cutting through wheat.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
BOOM!
"Super Beast Imitation Drawing: Yasaka Magatama!"
Once Inojin's black-and-white Susanoo dealt with the incoming assault, it unleashed a barrage of laser-like hand seals that rained down on Houki Taketori.
"Earth Style: Rock Iron Wall—Chain!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Four dense walls of earth shot up to form a defensive barricade right in front of Houki Taketori, colliding head-on with Inojin's attack.
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The barrage punched through two of the barricades before Inojin's attack finally ran out of momentum.
"Did my calculation fail? What a waste."
A smile touched the corner of Houki Taketori's mouth. Scanning the colossal arena, his eyes caught sight of Kakashi watching him from the stands.
The fiery passion in his gaze blazed even brighter.
This time, under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd, he was going to show the Sixth Hokage what he was truly made of.
"Earth Style: Fighting Blade Rod!"
Weaving hand seals at blinding speed, he brought his hands together in a sharp snap within two seconds.
A vast tide of chakra erupted violently from his body.
The raw power reshaped the entire terrain of the fighting arena.
...
In the arena's spectator grandstands.
"Go Houki!"
"Go Inojin!"
"Cheer for both of them!"
Watching the fierce battle unfold, their former classmates—now turned rivals—felt their blood boil with excitement.
They waved their hands continuously, eager to see even more powerful techniques.
"Damn, Houki's chakra pool is way too huge. If it were me, I wouldn't stand a chance against that."
A boy watching the battle wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.
"Yeah, the Taketori Clan's chakra reserves are genuinely absurd. Inojin must be running low on chakra by now after pulling off that Super Beast Imitation Drawing move that mimics Uchiha jutsu!"
Chocho Akimichi remarked, munching loudly on a bag of potato chips with a crunch.
Shikadai said, "There's no way around it. Houki's chakra is just too immense. A wild punch can overpower a seasoned master, and on top of that, Houki's shinobi discipline is strictly modeled after the Sixth Hokage himself!"
Inojin's jutsu was inherently difficult to use against an all-around genius like Houki Taketori.
Unless Houki made a careless blunder, there was no way Inojin could land a decisive blow.
The advantage in raw chakra reserves was laid bare.
Although all of them possessed respectable chakra levels by now, in terms of age, they hadn't even reached their prime growth period yet. Houki's chakra pool, however, was already comparable to that of older, seasoned veteran shinobi.
BOOM!
Suddenly...
Shikadai watched as the entire multi-mile arena underwent a violent tremor.
Massive chunks of shattered rock rose from the ground.
They completely encircled the fighting arena.
"Damn, isn't that the Taketori Clan's combined jutsu? Houki can maintain that all by himself? That's way too broken!"
Shikadai was well-informed and recognized this as a secret Earth Style technique passed down through the Taketori Clan—a technique originally meant to be cast as a group.
It possessed devastating power and a colossal area of effect.
A jutsu that typically required multiple shinobi working together was now being sustained by Houki Taketori alone. The sheer scale of his chakra reserves was staggering...
Chocho Akimichi gasped, "That's ridiculous! How is anyone supposed to fight that?"
He'll have to use his ultimate move!
...
In another VIP viewing area.
Kakashi watched Houki Taketori with sweat breaking out on his forehead. "Thank goodness I didn't slack off over these past few years and kept practicing my jutsu!"
It was simply absurd.
That level of chakra...
Had it been before the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kakashi wasn't even sure he could have beaten him.
Shameful!
Even during the Fourth War, it would have been a tough fight.
"Yeah, the kids nowadays are so much stronger than we were at their age. It feels like thrown kunai and shuriken are completely useless now," Might Guy remarked beside Kakashi after hearing his comment.
They're still useful—Houki Taketori is just an extreme exception, Kakashi thought to himself with a subtle glance.
...
"Do your best, son!"
Sai broke into a cold sweat as he listened to Ino Yamanaka shouting at the top of her lungs beside him.
Is there really any need to get this excited?
Anyone can see he's about to lose!
With an attack of this scale, the referee would have to step in.
Sure enough.
Just as the thought crossed Sai's mind...
On the distant arena, a massive tree erupted from the earth, forming a dense, impenetrable wooden barrier around Inojin, who was sweating profusely while trying to weave the Mind Transfer Jutsu.
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted.
The massive force of Fighting Blade Rod triggered a devastating blast.
RUMBLE!
A giant plume of smoke and dust billowed into the air.
"Winner: Houki Taketori!"
Moegi's voice echoed out, officially declaring the victor of the match.
CHEERS!
BOOM!
Instantaneously, a thunderous wave of cheers and applause burst forth from the spectator stands.
Inojin, covered in a cold sweat, stepped out from the protective tree Moegi had raised.
He looked over at Houki Taketori. That guy...
The two formed the Seal of Reconciliation.
Then they exited the fighting arena.
Immediately afterward, specialized construction shinobi stepped forward, using jutsu to rapidly restore the damaged terrain back to its original state.
"Next match: Shikadai Nara vs. Araya!"
Two more figures stepped onto the stage.
They stood facing each other across the arena.
The moment Shikadai looked at his opponent, his mind began analyzing the rival's abilities.
"Match... begin!"
SWISH!
In an instant, Shikadai's hand speed was blindingly fast as his shadow shot across the ground.
His opponent responded instantly, summoning a giant puppet and slipping inside it.
The thrusters on its back ignited immediately, taking the puppet airborne and dodging Shikadai's shadow attack.
What? Is that the Sunagakure's latest puppet model—the new mech created by puppet master Kankuro?
In a split second, Shikadai processed a wealth of known intelligence.
SWISH! SWISH!
BOOM!
In the blink of an eye, the opponent fired off several mini-rockets.
Using fluid taijutsu, Shikadai dodged rapidly to extend the combat distance while extending several tendrils from his shadow to intercept the incoming rockets.
BANG!
An explosion detonated.
Smoke and dust billowed into the air.
"Shadow Mode."
What a troublesome opponent. Might as well wrap this battle up quickly.
Knowing the enemy would be a hassle to deal with, Shikadai decided to unleash his full power right from the start.
This was a brand-new secret technique he had developed over recent years using his Shadow Possession Jutsu as a base.
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