"Five minutes are up." Moonlight Hayate slowly walked out from the corner. "Are you ready?"
"We're ready, Moonlight Sensei!" Asuma Sarutobi said vigilantly, holding his Chakra Blade. Chishimo and Kurenai Yuhi also entered battle mode.
"Very good!" Moonlight Hayate was quite satisfied with their attitude. He took out an hourglass. "I'll give you a chance. If anyone is still standing before the sand runs out, you pass."
Without giving them time to speak, Moonlight Hayate flipped the hourglass and set it aside. When he returned in front of Chishimo and the others, the blade on his back was already drawn.
Chishimo's hands were loosely clasped, and several Kunai had already appeared in them. With his exquisite throwing technique, he shot the Kunai at Moonlight Hayate from various tricky angles.
Moonlight Hayate didn't move, a look of approval on his face. He gently swung the Ninja Blade in his hand, and the Kunai, which had been as powerful as a breaking bamboo, were one by one deflected.
Not intending to give Moonlight Hayate time to react, Asuma Sarutobi had already charged forward with the blade in his hand.
Clang! The Chakra Blade and the Ninja Blade collided heavily.
Asuma Sarutobi's body swayed, feeling a sharp pain in the tiger's mouth of his hand, as if he had collided not with a person, but with a body of steel.
Before Asuma Sarutobi could recover from the pain, Moonlight Hayate's blade strikes followed one after another. Helpless, Asuma Sarutobi could only brace himself and struggle to defend against Moonlight Hayate's repeated attacks. Even with Chishimo's support from the side, Asuma Sarutobi was still beaten back step by step.
"If this is all the strength you have, you might as well consider returning to the Ninja Academy to retake your classes!" Moonlight Hayate sent the struggling Asuma Sarutobi flying with a single strike. This was already the result of him holding back, otherwise the battle would have ended even faster.
"It's not over yet!" Taking advantage of the moment Moonlight Hayate was speaking, Kurenai Yuhi, who had been waiting on the side, finally found her chance. "Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"
A tree grew out of nowhere from beneath Moonlight Hayate's feet, binding him in an instant. "This is Shinku Yuhi's move?" Moonlight Hayate was a little surprised.
Kurenai Yuhi's figure also disappeared from her original spot the moment the genjutsu was activated, and the next moment she emerged from within the tree.
At this moment, Kurenai Yuhi held a Kunai, her red beautiful eyes revealing excitement and a hint of smugness, looking as if victory was assured. She raised her hand and thrust it towards Moonlight Hayate.
But there was no sensation of piercing as imagined. The moment the Kunai struck, Moonlight Hayate's figure, bound by the tree, turned into a puff of smoke and vanished without a trace.
"Ah!" Before Kurenai Yuhi could react, she was kicked away by a sudden foot.
Moonlight Hayate emerged from behind Kurenai Yuhi. "To master Tree Binding Death to this extent, you are commendable! But if your father were here, he wouldn't leave you time to be smug!"
Chishimo quickly caught Kurenai Yuhi. A look of pain came from Kurenai Yuhi's face; it seemed the kick just now was not light.
He formed hand signs, and the Healing Hands Technique was performed, only then did Kurenai Yuhi feel relief. But even so, her body was still a bit weak, so Chishimo gently helped her sit down on the ground.
"This is Healing Hands Technique?" Moonlight Hayate was a little surprised; he had never seen an Uchiha Ninja who studied Medical Ninjutsu. "You've made me quite curious!"
Chishimo turned his head to look at his two defeated teammates, sighing inwardly. A Jonin truly was a Jonin; these tricks certainly couldn't threaten him!
"Now it's just you, Uchiha Chishimo. What will you do?" Moonlight Hayate held his Ninja Blade and walked towards Chishimo step by step.
Chishimo turned his head to look at the hourglass, which had barely run down by less than a third. A flash of inspiration struck him. "Moonlight Sensei, how about we make a bet?"
"Oh?" Moonlight Hayate was clearly interested. "What do you want to bet?"
Chishimo pointed to the hourglass nearby and said, "Let's bet on whether I alone can last until the sand runs out. If I win, I don't want anything else, just for Moonlight Sensei to teach me your sword techniques!"
Moonlight Hayate did not agree immediately, but instead considered the pros and cons.
In fact, even if Chishimo didn't propose this bet, with Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi's current state, their usefulness was almost zero. That's why Chishimo had a sudden idea, to seize this opportunity to gain something first. Even if he lost, it would only be his own business, and he could also buy more time for the two behind him.
But Moonlight Hayate clearly thought of this point as well. He had no intention of letting Chishimo off easily. "A bet is fine, but if you lose, all three of you will be eliminated."
This move was quite vicious. Any clear-headed person could see that Asuma Sarutobi and Chishimo had been at odds before, and how could Moonlight Hayate not know this? That's why he made this demand, which would render Chishimo's bet useless.
Chishimo's expression froze when he heard this, secretly cursing Moonlight Hayate for being so cunning, but he was helpless. After all, no one wanted to put their fate in someone else's hands.
Just as Chishimo was about to give up on the bet, a voice stopped him from speaking: "No problem, we accept this bet!"
Chishimo turned his head in surprise, only to see Kurenai Yuhi looking at him with a trusting expression. "Chishimo-kun, you can do it, I believe in you!"
Even Asuma Sarutobi, who originally had no good feelings for Chishimo, acted uncharacteristically, tilting his head and saying with a tsundere expression, "If you can't win this bet, I will never forgive you!"
Feeling the trust of the two, Chishimo's fists unconsciously clenched, and an unknown power flowed through his entire body.
Moonlight Hayate had not anticipated the scene before him, but he quickly regained his composure. "Although it's a bit unexpected, since that's the case, let me see if you are worthy of inheriting my sword techniques!"
With that, a sharp blade assaulted Chishimo. Chishimo dared not be careless and quickly pulled out a Kunai to block.
Chishimo's mastery of sword techniques was naturally far inferior to Moonlight Hayate's, but relying on the powerful insight of his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Chishimo successfully blocked Moonlight Hayate's attacks.
As Chishimo focused on responding, Moonlight Hayate, seeing the three tomoe in Chishimo's eyes, became unsettled again. How old was this child, to have cultivated his Sharingan to Three-Tomoe! He truly was a child even Hokage-sama had to take seriously.
Time passed by second by second, and the sand at the bottom of the hourglass accumulated more and more. At this point, Chishimo was already subtly exhausted, and Moonlight Hayate, as time passed, was no longer as calm as before. After all, the bet had been made, and he had no right to casually pass on the Konoha-style sword techniques.
Moonlight Hayate swung his blade again, then retreated, creating distance from Chishimo.
"Uchiha Chishimo, I have to admit, you are the most outstanding new Genin I have ever seen, without exception. However, this battle should end here!"
"Indeed, it should end here!" Chishimo nodded in agreement, smiling slightly. "I'm already prepared to learn Moonlight Sensei's sword techniques!"
"Don't get too smug!" Moonlight Hayate snorted, saying no more, and raised the Ninja Blade in his hand before him. A chilling glint flashed across the blade.