"Then come."
Uchiha Maí curled his lips into a faint smile. His left fist slowly relaxed, and with an easy flick of the wrist, he crooked a finger toward his opponent in blatant provocation.
It was arrogance - pure arrogance. A direct affront that demanded an answer in the language of fists.
Especially with Kurenai Yuhi watching closely. Asuma couldn't afford to look weak. His body tensed, expression hardening as he surged forward without hesitation, throwing a heavy punch straight at Maí's face.
The blow sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, carrying a burst of pressure behind it. There was no doubt about it - chakra had been poured into that fist.
In taijutsu, using chakra to injure an opponent isn't mandatory. But when chakra is channeled during an attack, the body enters a state of high activation, releasing power and explosive force far beyond normal limits.
This kind of bodily activation wasn't exclusive to Kakashi Hatake or the physical techniques of the Hidden Cloud. It was a fundamental principle every ninja understood.
After all, did anyone really believe that a barely ten-year-old Naruto ran up walls and leapt across rooftops relying purely on physical strength?
Kakashi's cellular activation methods, the Cloud Village's Lightning Release body-forging techniques, and even the Eight Gates were simply more refined ways of using chakra. With the same expenditure, they delivered greater power and speed than an ordinary ninja could achieve.
And Asuma's punch was clearly meant to smash Maí's face to pieces.
Maí repeated the same motion as before. He leaned his torso and head back by a hair's breadth, evading the strike, while his left fist shot forward in a precise straight punch - defense and counterattack fused into a single motion.
This time, however, Asuma had learned his lesson. The instant his punch missed, he retreated quickly, preserving that face of his - even if it wasn't exactly handsome.
"I've already figured out all your tricks," Asuma taunted confidently.
"Oh? Is that so?" Maí replied, smiling calmly.
He stepped forward half a pace and fired a lightning-fast left straight toward Asuma's face, leaving no room for hesitation.
Asuma's heart lurched. He was certain Maí only counterattacked after being struck. He never imagined Maí would take the initiative.
For a split second, his mind went blank. Instinctively, he raised his guard. One punch had already swollen his face - another would be disastrous.
But by the time he reacted, his defense was already wide open.
Maí seized the fleeting opening. His right fist, tucked beneath his chin, snapped out in a short, sharp strike, smashing straight into Asuma's eye socket.
"Ahhh!"
The scream burst out along with involuntary tears. Asuma's left eye darkened instantly, blooming into purple and black. That punch had carried no small amount of force.
Feinting attacks followed by drawn-out counterstrikes - a classic boxing tactic, one that Mayweather was especially famous for.
After taking yet another hit, Asuma's face burned with humiliation. He had talked big, provoked loudly… and after just two exchanges, his face was already a mess.
Worst of all, Kurenai was still watching.
It didn't matter. Winning early didn't mean true victory. Whoever laughed last was the real winner. If he just beat Maí down now, everything could still be salvaged.
After numbing himself with that thought, Asuma charged again, throwing a heavy punch straight at Maí's chin.
Maí remained calm. He lowered his head and raised his shoulders, shielding the vital point and preventing an instant knockout.
Then he stepped back two paces, opening the distance. His left fist hovered in front, swaying side to side before Asuma's eyes, drawing his attention.
Short, fragmented punches - another classic boxing technique used to disrupt vision, break balance, and scatter concentration.
Asuma wanted to attack, but he couldn't ignore that fist. One more clean hit, and his face would be finished.
Maí carefully tracked his opponent's gaze. The moment he sensed Asuma's focus falter, his right fist struck again, slamming into the side of Asuma's face.
Before Asuma could even grow angry, he realized something was wrong. Maí, who always retreated after striking, suddenly surged forward like a storm, unleashing a rapid, violent barrage of punches.
Damn it!
In a professional boxing ring, the instinctive reaction would be to raise both arms and protect the face.
But Asuma was a ninja. And he chose to face it head-on. A real man doesn't retreat.
Unfortunately, his resolve lasted only a few seconds. The combination left him completely dazed, and the finale came in the form of a right hook that smashed into his chin.
Asuma collapsed heavily onto the ground, unconscious.
Instructor Murakami Keining panicked. Had he just killed the kid? He rushed over, pulled Maí away, pried open Asuma's eyes, checked his mouth, breathing, and pulse.
Only then did he give a discreet reassuring gesture toward the office.
He wasn't dead. Just unconscious. A few molars gone, at most.
On the ground, Asuma's face was unrecognizable - swollen, bruised, blood spattering from the corner of his mouth.
"Teacher… aren't you going to count to ten?" Maí asked reflexively.
"Count what?" Murakami replied, confused at first, before understanding. "There's no need. The force of that last blow traveled through the bone straight to his brain. He won't be getting up for several days."
He paused briefly before concluding,
"This match is yours."
"I told you a hit to the chin could knock someone out," Might Guy said excitedly to the girls beside him.
Maí sighed quietly. What a shame… he hadn't even used his coolest move yet - the flying arm-lock cross hold.
With one side unconscious, there was no way to perform the reconciliation seal. The match ended abruptly.
Of course, others could still challenge Maí. But after Asuma's example, no one seemed eager to try.
The remaining students split into improvised duels across the training field, trading clumsy blows among themselves.
Seizing an opportunity, Murakami returned to the office and approached the Third Hokage, asking cautiously,
"Hokage-sama… what do you think of this Uchiha Maí?"
"Very good," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a slight nod. "Without using a kekkei genkai or ninjutsu, he defeated Asuma using nothing but intelligence. That boy possesses remarkable combat wisdom. A rare talent."
The level of taijutsu Maí displayed wasn't overwhelmingly superior to that of his peers. What crushed Asuma was technique, psychological reading, and control of tempo.
In ninja combat, strength is important - but intelligence is essential as well. Nara Shikamaru proved that when he defeated an immortal enemy through strategy alone.
And Sarutobi Hiruzen had always valued ninjas with minds like that.
In the original Chūnin Exams, one hundred and fifty-three participants from various villages competed. Naruto, Rock Lee, Hyūga Neji, the "cool kid" Sasuke, and Gaara all produced feats that surpassed even some jōnin.
Yet in the end, only one was promoted.
Nara Shikamaru.
That alone said everything about Konoha's standards.
(End of Chapter)