The referee announced the start of the match, then stepped aside to the edge of the arena, leaving the grand stage entirely to the two fighters.
Hearing such roaring cheers for the first time, Shinki felt slightly intoxicated, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Hiss!
The long sword sliced through the air before pointing downward, a faint chakra enveloping its blade as waves of chakra surged inside Shinki's body.
He didn't immediately charge at Aozora. Instead, he calmly said, "I've heard some things about you… Graduated three months ago and promoted directly to Chunin. You even killed four Jonin and awakened [Three Tomoe Sharingan]… Seems like you're an up-and-coming genius in our Clan!"
Aozora grinned widely, "Is that so? So does that mean you used to be hailed as a genius? When was that? Why have I never heard of it?"
Shinki staggered under Aozora's barrage of rapid-fire questions, nearly losing control over the chakra surging through him.
Like geniuses were nothing special in the Uchiha Clan—like they grew on trees!
Seeing Shinki speechless, Aozora widened his eyes in mock surprise, "No way! No way! You aren't actually a genius? From your tone earlier, I thought you were some senior genius giving me advice!"
Aozora sighed as he shook his head, "Ah… I thought everyone from the Uchiha must be considered a genius! After all, my older brother is a genius, I'm a genius, my friend Tetsuka is a genius, and even my apprentice Itachi is a genius… Guess I just don't get how ordinary people think. Since everyone I know is a genius!"
Aozora's words sliced into Shinki's heart like blades, letting him truly understand what "speech cuts like a knife" really meant.
Lord Kintai truly wasn't lying—speech doesn't just metaphorically cut; it cuts like real blades!
"Ah!"
He let out a loud shout to interrupt Aozora's rambling, then declared, "Only weak swords rely on sharp tongues! Come on, let me see your childish kunai and throwing knives!"
"Heh—" Aozora chuckled lightly.
Didn't *he* start this in the first place?
Can't even handle a bit of back-and-forth, but still dares to throw out taunts like a seasoned fighter.
Aozora replied gently, "Then please, Senior Brother, show me your skills generously."
Even after being provoked again and again, Aozora kept his cool and won the war of words—choosing to forgive the guy instead.
But apparently, Shinki only remembered the good parts and forgot the pain—he once again spoke disrespectfully, "I won't 'show you' anything—I'll expose the weakness hiding beneath your false reputation, so everyone can see how much of a useless fraud you truly are!"
Aozora's gaze gradually turned cold, his voice equally chilling, "Have I been too gentle? So gentle that even someone unknown like you dares to provoke me repeatedly!"
Though they belonged to different factions, Aozora had already shown great restraint simply because they shared blood.
But now, he realized—Shinki hadn't even planted a sense of fear properly!
Since this guy insists on pushing his luck again and again, then perhaps he should oblige him after all!
"You…" Shinki growled in anger.
Aozora cut him off immediately, "If you can't speak properly, then better stay quiet. Because silence keeps you from offending those you can't afford to offend!"
Shinki snorted in amusement, "Offend who? You?"
"Me!"
"Aozora," Shinki said seriously, his right hand already gripping the Flying Dagger Capable of Slaying Immortals.
As chakra surged in, the dagger emitted a faint hum, its azure light glimmering. The blade sent sharp pains through Aozora's hand.
"So this is your toy sword?"
Shinki shook his head. "If you'd kept it hidden, you might've actually caught me off guard! But now…"
Just then, the referee lost patience and shouted, "Are you two going to fight or not?"
Prompted by the referee's voice, spectators in the stands also began shouting. They were here for a fight, not a chat session between two smart-mouthed fighters.
"I'll end this quickly for you!"
[Fire Release – Great Fireball Technique!]
Without further words, Shinki swiftly formed hand seals and launched the Great Fireball Technique toward Aozora, both testing him and obscuring his vision.
Though he outwardly dismissed Aozora's flying dagger, in actual combat, he wouldn't recklessly test its sharpness.
Aozora stood calm as the fireball closed in. He sheathed his dagger, joined both hands into a seal, and moments later, exhaled an even larger fireball from his mouth.
His Great Fireball shattered Shinki's and instantly reduced to ashes the shadow clone following closely behind the flames.
He hadn't intentionally used Homura chakra, but his overwhelming chakra reserves, purer chakra composition, and superior chakra control made his Great Fireball far exceed the power of a typical C-ranked Ninjutsu.
Facing two figures closing in from either side, Aozora remained calm and lowered his sleeves with deliberate ease.
The spectators fell silent at the sight of Aozora's unfazed demeanor, shock flashing in their eyes.
Arrogant!
That was the audience's opinion—and Shinki's too!
The two figures accelerated again, completely blending into the wind until invisible to the naked eye.
Almost instantaneously, they reappeared on both sides of Aozora, each wielding a long sword—one slashing at his throat, the other stabbing toward his heart.
"Ahh!"
Witnessing such a dangerous situation unfold, the crowd gasped loudly; many girls turned pale and instinctively covered their eyes with trembling hands.
Yet the ninja present weren't afraid of bloodshed, nor did they believe the match would end so soon.
They stared intently on the battlefield, eyes locked onto Aozora, watching how this pretty boy would respond!
Under countless gazes brimming with various emotions, Shinki's two Kage Bunshin reached Aozora's neck and heart.
But in the next moment, those blades seemed frozen mid-air—completely halted.
The same swords that had slashed countless enemies were now held barehanded by Aozora's fair, slender fingers!
Barehanded interception of steel blades!
This unbelievable sight sent shockwaves rippling through the audience.
To them, ninjas bled when slashed and got hurt when stabbed—simple truths.
How could Aozora catch blades barehanded without drawing blood?
Even the taijutsu specialist, who had previously mocked him, immediately felt his beliefs crumble.
How could Aozora's fair and slender hands halt steel blades without a drop of blood, while his own hardened body still bled despite years of training?
Even Guy, who used to support Aozora, was left speechless by what he just saw. He had sparred with Aozora before and knew that beneath that frail appearance lay incredible strength and unexpectedly tough muscles.
Not even he could've imagined Aozora was this strong!
Jin and Hiashi Hyuga stared wide-eyed, veins popping on their foreheads, their eyes fixed on Aozora's palm.
Seeing the thin layer of chakra coating Aozora's hand and the blood slowly dripping from it, they both felt a bit more at ease.
But soon, fresh doubts crept into their minds: Could such a thin layer of chakra actually stop blades?
Clutching two long swords, Aozora let out a low chuckle, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he murmured, "Too weak!"
With those words, Aozora yanked the two figures toward each other and smashed them head-on.
In an instant, the two bodies collided with brutal force, crushing each other into twisted, unrecognizable piles.
Almost at the same moment, a shadow erupted from the ground, slashing a blade toward Aozora's neck.
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