"Wind Release: Vacuum Orb!"
Asuma's hands moved swiftly, gathering chakra to perform Wind Style nature transformation, spitting out invisible air streams towards Obito.
"Fire Release: Impatiens Fire Jutsu!"
Obito gathered a large amount of chakra at his throat, conducted Fire Attribute Chakra Nature Changes, and spewed out fireballs from his mouth.
Boom!!
The air streams and the fireballs collided repeatedly, causing explosions. Both of them moved while maintaining chakra output, turning the field into a series of small craters.
Obito's fireballs surpassed Asuma's Vacuum Orbs in both power and quantity. Soon, Asuma was slightly injured by the explosion of the fireballs.
This minor injury was not significant, but it interfered with Asuma's use of ninjutsu.
Without the Vacuum Orbs to offset some fireballs, five or six small fireballs immediately rushed towards Asuma.
Asuma had to immediately spend chakra using Wind Release to accelerate himself to evade, but Obito, with his Sharingan, saw through Asuma's evasion route.
Whoosh!
Obito flashed to Asuma's evasion spot and delivered a fierce punch.
Bam!
Facing such an attack, even with Wind Release acceleration, Asuma couldn't dodge and was punched away.
At this moment, even an ordinary person could see that Asuma and Obito had a considerable strength difference, not just in one aspect, but comprehensively inferior to Obito.
He couldn't compete in Taijutsu battles, lost in ninjutsu exchanges, completely suppressed.
"Is it really not possible, Obito's progress is simply too incredible." Namiashi Raido regretted for Asuma while watching the battle below.
As Asuma's teammate, he knew how much effort Asuma had put in these days, and Asuma's strength had truly improved significantly. It's not that Asuma's abilities were lacking, but rather that Obito was too strong now.
Namiashi Raido felt that as long as Asuma didn't encounter Hoshigaki Kisame, Might Guy, Kakashi, or Obito, he would have advanced to the second round without any problem, but unfortunately, he happened to meet one of those four.
"There's still hope. Didn't Asuma say he practiced a Combined Ninjutsu before? It's impossible for Obito to have mastered two kinds of nature transformations too, right?" Yuhi Kurenai believed that nothing was certain until the last moment.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!
In the air, Asuma threw a chakra-enchanced shuriken, forcing Obito back.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Utilizing the Wind Release Air Flow to land steadily, Asuma immediately formed seals to create a shadow clone.
He couldn't defeat Obito using Fire Release, because his Fire Attribute Chakra Nature Changes and chakra were inferior to Obito's, and it was hard to beat Obito with Wind Release as well, because in a ninjutsu clash, the Fire Attribute was superior to the Wind Attribute.
Asuma's last hope lay in Combined Ninjutsu, his only advantage, mastering two kinds of chakra nature changes, while Obito only mastered a single fire attribute nature change.
Over a month, besides teaching Asuma the Air Vortex, Mokgetsu taught Asuma how to combine Wind Release and Fire Release for maximum power.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Jutsu!"
"Wind Release: Air Vortex!"
After the shadow clone appeared, it immediately began forming seals to use the secret Fire Release of the Sarutobi Clan, followed by Asuma using Wind Release.
As a long-preserved secret technique of the Sarutobi Clan, the Great Flame Jutsu had many advantages, with its greatest feature being its fierce blaze.
And the Wind Release Air Vortex could perfectly amplify the characteristics of the Great Flame Jutsu, due to the vortex's strong wind power.
Relentless fierce flames spewed from the shadow clone's mouth, and Asuma himself blew gusts of wind to continually expand the flames, like a sea of fire sweeping towards Obito.
"He's learned your best skill." Danzo glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said.
Combined Ninjutsu was precisely Sarutobi Hiruzen's forte. While others generally combine two attributes, Sarutobi Hiruzen could combine five kinds of nature changes.
However, Danzo noticed one problem: Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't smiling; his expression was a bit odd.
Danzo was right. Combined Ninjutsu was indeed his forte, and he knew the Great Flame Jutsu and Wind Release Air Vortex, but Asuma's ability to use them had nothing to do with him because he hadn't taught Asuma the Air Vortex.
"It must have been Mokgetsu who taught him, right?" Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly deduced the reason.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had no way to help; his official duties kept him too busy to teach Asuma like a guiding teacher, only giving pointers in his spare time.
But this teaching method seemed not very suitable for Asuma, as the result was not good judging by his strength growth.
"Obito, hang in there." Nohara Rin watched with some worry, seeing Asuma even had such a trump card.
Kakashi watched the battlefield calmly, knowing Obito's strength better as his opponent; just this wouldn't be enough to defeat Obito.
Facing the blazing fire created by Asuma, Obito wasn't afraid at all. To be honest, after entering the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode, what Obito feared least was Fire Release.
Although there were simpler ways to respond, Obito didn't want to go with the option that consumed the least; he chose the coolest one.
Obito's breathing gradually changed, and the chakra within him started to burn. His presence climbed step by step as he entered the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bomb!"
At this moment, Obito's nature transformation speed and flame power were both enhanced. He gathered chakra at his throat, converting it all into fire, and then spewed it out in one breath.