From the spectators, Kaien closely observed the rowdy duo. They are ranked third and fourth in strength, right behind Guren. Yet, looking at them now, their striking resemblance to Kinkaku and Ginkaku... the infamous Gold and Silver Brothers who became pseudo nine tails Jinchuriki... was impossible to ignore.
"Are KinGin and GinKin actually their direct descendants?" Kaien wondered. "Can these two tap into pseudo-Jinchuriki cloaks?"
He leaned back with a small smirk on his face. "What a fascinating bunch. Investing resources into developing that orphanage is already paying massive dividends. I didn't even have a hand in Guren's recruitment, but with Orochimaru having no influence out in the Land of Rice Fields, she must have sought asylum here, after seeing everyone else join Kumo.
His gaze drifted back to Yugito, who was casually stepping out from the treeline, completely unfazed. "And Yugito-san has grown terrifyingly strong. She's already surpassed where she was in the original canon timeline. I guess daily training under Uncle Bee really does wonders for your combat stats."
~~
Down on the arena, Dodai quickly made his way to the duo. Having integrated medical ninjutsu into his arsenal over the last few years, his hands lit up with a soft green glow as he knelt beside the injured boys.
Examining the tissue, Dodai's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise. Even without his intervention, the severe burns were closing alebit slowly. At this rate, their bodies would entirely reset within three days.
Understanding the lingering continuous burning nature of the blue flame, Dodai drew a sterile scalpel, swiftly cutting away the compromised, charred tissue. Their natural regeneration factors accelerated though it would still take two days.
Standing up, Dodai wiped his hands and gave an imposing glare at the two troublemakers. "You two interrupted an official evaluation. That goes directly against every disciplinary code we teach. Both of you will report to my office immediately after you have healed."
Thr boys laughed boisterously.
Dodai sighed, then turned his attention to Yugito, who was casually walking over with her hands resting behind her head. "Yugito, you disrespected the integrity of this combat trial by sending a clone to do your fighting. Therefore, you are officially disqualified from this match."
Turning back to the concerned and exhausted Guren, Dodai raised his hand to signal the end of the match. "By technical default, this match concludes with Guren's victory."
Hearing the verdict, Yugito's grin widened into a triumph. She wasn't upset in the slightest; in fact, this was exactly what she wanted. According to the criteria of the test, Guren could only achieve the rank of Genin if her opponent was disqualified or if she successfully win a direct match.
By intentionally getting herself disqualified by using the blue flame clone, Yugito had guaranteed Guren's promotion. Her future first student was secured.
Dodai looked down at Guren. "As of this exact moment, you are officially recognized as a Genin of Kumogakure."
As he handed her the forehead protector.
~~
Kaien raised his hand before Dodai could call anyone else.
"Kaien," Dodai said, his eyes scanning the young student. "Who do you want to fight?"
Not many in the academy realized that Kaien was finally able to talk though it was usually interrupted by stammering, he still required considerable time to articulate his voice properly. For the most part, he had been relying on Kanji seals formed into the air to communicate.
Kaien simply raised an arm and pointed his finger directly at Darui.
Dodai sighed inwardly, with a faint glimmer of respect. "What is it with this class always wanting to throw themselves at the strongest? Well, since it's Kaien there should not be any problem." he thought. "Then again only those who possess the courage to contend with the best are the ones who truly become strong."
Deep within Kaien's mindspace, Son Goku was casually munching on a handful of nuts. His surroundings a boundless expanse of crystal-blue water, vibrant coral reefs, and a sun-drenched beach reminiscent of Thailand—the birthplace Kaien remembered from his past life.
"Isn't that the guy you hate?" Son Goku's rumbling voice echoed in the cavernous mindspace.
"I already told you, I don't hate him," Kaien answered silently in his mindscape.
~~
Outside, Dodai's booming voice brought Kaien back. "Kaien from class year 10, Darui from class year 14... to the arena!"
The two combatants stepped forward, taking their positions at opposite ends of the arena. Dodai walked to the center line, raising a hand to signal the beginning of the bout.
"Start!" Dodai shouted, dropping his hand and stepping back.
Immediately, Kaien began to walk forward. His pace was agonizingly slow, without any urgency or defensive posture. Yet, to Darui, a strange contradiction was taking place. All Darui saw was Kaien still standing idly at the far end of the arena, looking as though the match hadn't even begun.
In reality, Kaien was already moving. Within seconds, he had closed the distance, stopping mere inches from Darui's face. Remarkably, Darui's tuned senses didn't trigger a single alarm.
Darui's focus remained locked entirely on the distant, unmoving image of Kaien, his mind actively calculating how to deal with the boy's positive and negative chakra seals. He had no idea the danger was already breathing down his neck.
Reaching out, Kaien gently placed his index finger against Darui's forehead, as he placed positive and negative seals.
"Yin Release: False Distortion." He had started the fight already with his signature jutsu .
Darui's depth perception was completely messed up from the beginning of the match. Kaien deactivated his jutsu, allowing reality to snap back into place for his opponent. To Darui, it looked as though Kaien had instantaneously teleported from across the arena directly in front of his face.
Panic flared in Darui's chest. "How? When did he get here?!" Darui threw himself backward, executing a frantic somersault to create some much-needed distance. To the spectators in the stands, however, the sequence looked entirely different. They hadn't seen any teleportation; they had simply watched Kaien walk casually across the ring, completely unbothered, and tap Darui on the forehead.
Darui landed on his feet, his fingers already blurring through a rapid sequence of hand signs to regain control of the match.
"Lightning Release: Wave of Inspiration!"
It was a fusion technique, utilizing both Water and Lightning natures. Darui expelled a massive, churning wave of water from his mouth, following it up with a surge of Lightning. The electrified wave rushed forward to instantly shock Kaien.
Kaien's hands snapped together, quickly molding a few seals for a Kekkei Genkai he had been practicing.
"Mud Release: Mud Wall!"
A thick earthen barrier erupted from the ground to intercept the Darui's jutsu. However, the electrified water slammed into the defense, tearing through the poorly reinforced mud with ease.
Kaien clicked his tongue as his jutsu crumbled. "Damn it, I'm still not good at this jutsu."
With the wave closing in fast, he didn't have time for a second wall. Instead, he relied on what he knew best. Kaien moved a negative seal beneath his feet onto the ground while simultaneously moving another negative seal on the soles of his boots.
The resulting repulsion acted like an explosive spring, propelling Kaien high up into the air, leaving the roaring wave of Lightning to crash harmlessly beneath him.
"I can see it boy, you sure hate him." Son Goku said as he watched the match. "It's been a long time since I had such fun and don't expect me to give you chakra because where is the fun in that?"
~~
A/N: Even Kushina was not able to discern Kaien immediately. Only with her Yagura's Mind eye did she sense Kaien was in front of her. [Ch 149]
If the jutsu can doubt Kushina-level cadre and a sensor at that, normal shinobi has no way to defend it.
Kaien really could have killed Darui when he was inches away from him with a sword slash but if he used any jutsu while the False Distortion he can be quickly sensed.
Upto 20 Advance chapters available @ patreon.com/aizenDuchiha0