Tōsaka Yuzu only felt a headache coming on.
What was supposed to be a regular graduation exam had now spiraled out of control.
Even the three disciples of the Hokage had gotten involved, and things were heading in an unpredictable direction.
If it led to serious consequences, his career as a teacher would be over.
At this point, Tsunade looked at Mo Yu and Uchiha Fugaku and said:
"Alright, it's settled then. Both Orochimaru and Orochimaru will wager five thousand ryo each, betting on Mo Yu and Uchiha Fugaku winning, respectively. The winner will not only be required to fulfill the previous bet but will also get an additional five thousand ryo."
With a smile, she turned to Tōsaka Yuzu and added:
"Teacher Tōsaka, would you mind postponing the graduation exam a bit? Is that okay?"
Tōsaka Yuzu forced a bitter smile and suggested:
"Princess Tsunade, what if they get injured and can't participate in the graduation exam? How about moving the duel to a later time?"
Tsunade shook her head:
"That's not going to work. I need to report to the teachers soon. I can't wait. We'll have to do it now. As for their exam, let's just use the result of the duel to judge them. The loser will automatically forfeit the exam."
Anyone who knew Tsunade understood that the "reporting to the teachers" was just an excuse—she was simply addicted to gambling.
However, given her status, no one dared to say anything.
"I'm fine with it," Mo Yu said first.
Uchiha Fugaku hesitated for a moment, but seeing that Mo Yu had spoken, he unwillingly added, "I'm fine too."
Tōsaka Yuzu sighed and said, "Alright, I have no objections."
Tsunade's expression turned serious as she said, "Let's begin. I, Tsunade, will act as the referee. No one is allowed to back out once they lose!"
Everyone then stepped back a bit, clearing a space on the training grounds.
Only Mo Yu and Uchiha Fugaku remained standing in the center.
Uchiha Fugaku looked smugly at Mo Yu and said, "Kid, this time with Princess Tsunade as the referee, if I disable you, don't blame me."
Mo Yu lowered his eyelids and replied coolly, "That's exactly what I was about to say."
"Hmph, you won't know what hit you until you're—"
Before Uchiha Fugaku could finish his sentence, Mo Yu struck.
With a swipe of his hand across his waist pouch, three shuriken appeared in his palm and were hurled at Uchiha Fugaku at lightning speed.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The three shuriken formed a triangle as they pierced through the air, whistling towards Uchiha Fugaku.
Startled, Uchiha Fugaku cursed "Sneaky" under his breath and quickly dodged.
Mo Yu didn't expect the surprise attack to finish Uchiha Fugaku, so he swiftly pulled out a kunai and closed the distance.
They weren't far apart to begin with—Mo Yu was on him in two steps.
Just as Uchiha Fugaku, who had barely avoided the shuriken, saw a shadow flash past his peripheral vision, his heart skipped a beat. He barely had time to catch his breath and quickly drew his kunai to defend himself.
"Cling! Cling!"
The two kunai collided, sending sparks flying.
As mentioned earlier, Mo Yu's strength had been enhanced to that of a Genin by the system, and this enhancement was all-encompassing—chakra, ninjutsu control, combat experience, and so on.
This included all the close-quarters combat experience relevant to a Genin.
So, Mo Yu didn't seem like a beginner at all. Instead, he displayed the skill and cunning of an experienced fighter, leaving Uchiha Fugaku floundering and scrambling to keep up.
The teachers, Chūnin, and the three—Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru—who were watching the battle initially with the mindset of spectators, began to take it more seriously as the fight continued.
"It looks like Mo Yu has been hiding his strength. He must have secretly trained a lot, or there's no way he'd fight like this. He's like a seasoned veteran of the battlefield."
Tsunade said with admiration.
Jiraiya wholeheartedly agreed with Tsunade's assessment, clicking his tongue in amazement:
"Exactly. From the start, he seized the initiative and proceeded cautiously. He knew he couldn't compete with Uchiha Fugaku in ninjutsu, so he adopted close combat tactics, exploiting his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses. He completely neutralized his disadvantage and pressed Uchiha Fugaku back. This kid is way too cunning."
Tsunade nodded, adding, "Looks like Mo Yu is a combat genius. If this were a wartime scenario, even with a slightly weaker ability, he could still make a huge difference."
Their comments made the other onlookers nod in agreement.
"Looks like Mo Yu was hiding his strength all along. Otherwise, there's no way he'd be this impressive."
"This is what's called 'playing the fool to eat the tiger.' I've read about it in books."
"Uh-oh, I've bullied him before. Do you think he'll seek revenge on me?"
"Heh, you're in trouble now. Good thing I never picked on him. After all, anyone who can be friends with Flag Tree Sasaki and Mizuki Tamaki can't possibly be a useless person."
The students below whispered among themselves.
But someone couldn't take it anymore and sneered, "It's all just trickery. No matter how much you plan, against powerful strength, you're nothing."
"Orochimaru, you're speaking without feeling any pain."
Tsunade retorted, "If you don't have the strength, use your brain. Don't tell me that when facing an opponent stronger than you, you'll just charge head-on without thinking."
Orochimaru's expression stiffened, and he fell silent.
At this moment, the situation on the battlefield began to change.
Uchiha Fugaku, who had been overwhelmed by Mo Yu's initial barrage, was initially stunned and could only instinctively resist.
But gradually, he regained his composure.
Uchiha Fugaku knew that he had to create some distance from Mo Yu, or else he would lose soon.
The thought of losing made his eyes turn bloodshot.
"How can the mighty Uchiha clan lose to a mere commoner! This is impossible!"
Money was one thing, but honor was another.
With a fierce grind of his teeth, Uchiha Fugaku took a blow to his arm from Mo Yu's attack.
"Slash!"
His sleeve tore, and a deep gash appeared on his arm, blood gushing out.
However, Uchiha Fugaku used this opportunity to leap backward and create some distance.
He discarded his kunai and began to form hand seals with both hands, his eyes locked on Mo Yu.
To salvage his dignity, he was determined to use his next technique to defeat Mo Yu in one blow.
Whether he killed or maimed him, he didn't care.
"Now you'll experience the signature technique of the Uchiha clan!"
Mo Yu glanced at the hand seals Uchiha Fugaku was forming and immediately understood his intentions. He wasn't surprised at all.
"I already expected you to use that technique."
Mo Yu also began to form hand seals, but his technique was simpler and required fewer seals. Thus, he completed his hand seals much faster than Uchiha Fugaku.
Shadow Clone Technique!
Another "Mo Yu" appeared beside him, and the two identical figures ran in opposite directions toward Uchiha Fugaku.
"Eh…"
Uchiha Fugaku, who was in the middle of forming seals, froze in confusion.
Which one is real? Which one should I attack?
"Pfft, hahahaha, this kid is too clever."
Tsunade burst into laughter.
Jiraiya hadn't expected Mo Yu to break Uchiha Fugaku's technique with such a simple move.
Orochimaru's face darkened, like a pot bottom, cursing Uchiha Fugaku a hundred times in his mind.
"Not even understanding the opponent's tricks before jumping into the fray—playing his trump card so early. What a fool! A fool!"
Given their level, of course, Tsunade and the others could easily tell which one of the two Mo Yus was the real one.
But Uchiha Fugaku was out of his depth.
One reason was his lack of experience—he couldn't discern the flaw.
The other reason was that Mo Yu's Shadow Clone Technique was performed flawlessly. It was enough to fool any Genin.
Moreover, Tsunade and the others could see that Uchiha Fugaku was about to use a C-rank jutsu.
With his chakra, he would only be able to use it once.
If it missed, he'd have no way of fighting back.
Would Uchiha Fugaku choose the right target? What if he picked the wrong one?
Just the thought of it made them chuckle.
And in fact, Uchiha Fugaku was even more helpless than they had imagined.
Faced with the sudden appearance of two Mo Yus, Uchiha Fugaku panicked, his hands faltering.
As soon as his hands fumbled, the hand seals were interrupted.
The jutsu he was preparing fell apart on its own.
At that moment, both Mo Yus vanished at the same time.