Asuma saw the figure and immediately shifted his blade, only to see his opponent sheathe his own weapon and form hand seals.
A sphere of water surged from Masahiko's hands, coating his arm.
Asuma recognized it instantly—it was the Medical Ninjutsu Masahiko had used before, capable of slowly but automatically healing wounds over a period of time.
'Close quarters combat?'
Asuma tightened his grip on his trench knives, his fighting spirit soaring.
'If it's a melee fight... I have nothing to fear!'
Surging with confidence, Asuma charged toward Masahiko.
However, from the high vantage point of the stands, the spectators saw something different.
"Why is he running in that direction? Isn't he exposing his entire flank?" Anko asked in a low voice.
Kurenai replied calmly, "It's Masahiko's Genjutsu."
"Huh?"
Anko squinted, peering closer. She could faintly make out a haze of mist in that area. Realization dawned on her. "It's water mist?"
"Yes." Kurenai nodded. "Masahiko creates a fine mist with his chakra. By manipulating the mist, light, and chakra flow, he refracts the image, creating a displacement effect. What you see depends entirely on your viewing angle."
'It really is an impressive Genjutsu!'
Anko's expression shifted from confusion to solemn respect.
On the other side of the stands.
"Is this the Genjutsu you mentioned?" Shikaku asked quietly.
Guy nodded. "Yeah. It's technically easy to dispel, but it has two layers. It's extremely difficult to see through it or react in the heat of the moment."
"Mhm." Shikaku nodded.
'If Asuma doesn't figure it out soon... he's going to be in trouble.'
Asuma charged forward for a moment before he felt a subtle dissonance. He stopped abruptly.
The mist around him shifted suddenly.
He realized it instantly.
'It's a Genjutsu!'
He immediately flared his chakra. "Release!"
His vision blurred for a split second before the real scene snapped into focus.
He crossed his trench knives, infusing them with Wind Style chakra until invisible blades of air extended like wings from the metal.
Just as he was about to swing—
Bang!
A fist struck him from the side.
When the fist connected, it wasn't just physical force; a powerful, explosive energy detonated upon impact.
The massive force sent Asuma flying uncontrollably.
At the same time, Masahiko's hands flew through seals.
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!
Asuma's pupils constricted. The memory of Masahiko's previous fire technique flashed through his mind.
'That kind of fireball... if it hits, it's lethal!'
He immediately formed seals in mid-air.
Poof! A Shadow Clone appeared beside him.
With the clone's help, he stabilized his body in mid-flight. Both the original and the clone formed seals simultaneously.
One for Wind, one for Fire.
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Fire Style: Great Flame Jutsu!
The Sarutobi clan's secret Fire Style, fueled by the violent gale, roared to life, sweeping back toward Masahiko with overwhelming force.
The two fire attacks collided in mid-air.
BOOM!
A muffled, thunderous sound shook the arena.
Two waves of fire exploded outward, scorching the air of the entire dueling ground.
Amidst the raging explosion and waves of heat...
A wall of water rose up around Masahiko.
Water Style: Water Formation Wall!
Asuma seized the opportunity, using the recoil to retreat before circling back to attack Masahiko.
Due to the sudden change in air temperature, a fierce wind rushed into the center of the arena from all sides, whipping the dissipating flames into a chaotic dance.
Four figures, who had just climbed up the outer wall of the arena, were nearly blown off by the sudden gust.
"Don't yell! You idiot, do you want everyone to spot us?"
Shikamaru clamped his hand over Naruto's mouth.
Naruto nodded frantically, and Shikamaru finally let go.
The next second, the four of them scrambled up the rest of the way.
'We made it!'
They lay flat on the edge of the arena wall, peeking cautiously toward the center. They saw the lingering flames that nearly covered the entire fighting ground.
'So strong!'
Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock.
In the next moment, he saw the other bearded teacher engage Masahiko-sensei in close combat. Their movements were so fast the naked eye could barely track them.
Above the two fighters, a strange mist began to rise.
In this high-speed exchange, both sides landed hits.
Masahiko took a few cuts, blood staining his clothes, but the medical ninjutsu coating his body worked continuously, slowly knitting the wounds back together.
Asuma, however, had no such luxury.
As the fight dragged on, the balance tipped.
Seconds later, Asuma—caught off guard by the visual distortion of the Mist Flower—misjudged an attack. He was struck squarely by a punch and sent tumbling backward. He struggled for a moment before managing to stand.
Although Masahiko hadn't used the full power of the Collapsing Torrent, the instantaneous burst of pressurized water impacting the joint caused intense pain in Asuma's arm and shoulder.
If Asuma hadn't been using his own Nintaijutsu—flooding his body with chakra to maximize activation—that single blow might have incapacitated him.
However, as Asuma got back to his feet...
Masahiko was already on the move, running while spitting out a barrage of small fireballs.
Asuma swung his trench knives. The highly condensed wind blades sliced through the incoming fireballs, creating a vacuum in the center.
The chaotic chakra dissipated, and the explosive fireballs were reduced to harmless sparks.
Asuma used the Body Flicker Technique to reposition rapidly.
But the fireballs kept coming, chasing him down.
'Fortunately, they aren't fast.'
Asuma dodged another fireball. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, his muscles instantly tensing.
'Masahiko is coming again!'
He pushed more chakra into his body, but this time...
Whoosh!
His opponent's speed skyrocketed.
Asuma, sensing the danger, retreated constantly, swinging his knives to send out waves of invisible wind blades to keep Masahiko at bay.
He expanded his sensory perception to the limit.
Suddenly, he felt a surge of chakra. Another Yagyu Masahiko appeared from the opposite flank, katana in hand, moving with blistering speed.
'Shadow Clone!'
'When did he circle around?'
Asuma swung his trench knife horizontally, the blade clashing against the clone's katana.
Clang!
But at that moment, the "Masahiko" in front of him raised a hand slightly, making a warning seal.
"Something's wrong!"
'This chakra fluctuation is too violent... it's not a normal Shadow Clone!'
Asuma immediately attempted to Body Flicker away.
BOOM!
The Shadow Clone detonated into a violent torrent of flame. The explosion engulfed the immediate area in the blink of an eye.
Asuma was blasted out of the explosion radius, landing heavily in the distance, coughing violently.
He had avoided the epicenter, but the shockwave still caught him.
Before Asuma could recover...
A hand was placed gently over his heart.
Masahiko stood there, panting heavily. His chakra was visibly fluctuating, and he seemed near his limit.
He had used Lightning Style: Body Activation to further stimulate his nervous system, boosting his speed to close the gap the moment the Shadow Clone exploded.
That tiny difference in speed was all it took to bypass Asuma's defenses.
But now, instead of attacking, a sphere of water formed in Masahiko's palm. Through the water, he channeled medical chakra directly into Asuma's burns.
Asuma slumped, completely convinced. He smiled bitterly. "You win!"
"Don't move. I'll heal you."
Masahiko popped a soldier pill into his mouth and focused on channeling more medical chakra.
Thunderous applause erupted from the stands above.
Sarutobi Hiruzen breathed a slow sigh of relief.
Injuries were inevitable in ninja combat.
That was exactly why Jōnin assessments had various formats, trying to avoid internal combat assessments whenever possible.
When that Shadow Clone exploded...
He almost thought Asuma was in mortal danger.
Thankfully, Masahiko held back, and Asuma reacted fast enough to avoid the worst of it.
Even so, Hiruzen felt a lingering fear, as if he'd just walked past the gates of hell.
Regaining his composure, Hiruzen looked at the Jōnin beside him.
"What do you all think?"
"Lord Hokage, we approve of Yagyu Masahiko's promotion to Jōnin."
There was nothing left to say.
Before this, some had doubted Masahiko's strength.
Now, he had proven himself beyond a shadow of a doubt through actual combat.
Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu.
The seamless integration and cooperation of these abilities created a strange, unpredictable fighting style.
Comprehensive. All-rounded.
If this didn't qualify as a Jōnin, who in Konoha was qualified?
As they were discussing, a commotion came from the wall above.
"Teacher is invincible!!"
Shikaku looked toward the sound and immediately frowned.
'Those four brats...'
'Always causing trouble!'
He turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen, his face turning an iron grey. "Lord Hokage, I apologize. I will go take a look."
"Mm. Bring them here."
Hiruzen had a headache seeing Naruto and the others.
This was a Jōnin assessment. They hadn't posted heavy guards or patrols, and somehow these four had snuck in.
'If I recall correctly, classes are still in session, aren't they?'
'These four skip class every other day, and now they dare to sneak into the arena? They really have no respect for the law!'
He glanced at Shikaku and couldn't help but chuckle.
'Naruto doesn't have the brains for this.'
'To think of this, and to actually sneak in successfully... Shikamaru must be the mastermind behind this little operation.'