This powerful whip kick made Gekko Chizan miserable for quite a while.
He usually already hated getting hurt, let alone being kicked by a taijutsu master—and kicked right on the hand, no less.
It hurt like hell.
"Old man, that's too much, how can you hit that hard?"
"Don't your old arms and legs hurt?"
Gekko Chizan rubbed his wrist, glaring resentfully at Chen.
But what greeted him was a storm-like barrage of attacks.
Chen and Hatake Sakumo moved together—punches, kicks, and short-blade strikes.
The three clashed once more.
No exaggerated techniques, only faster and faster attacks.
Every punch, every slash struck straight at Gekko Chizan's vital points.
The people below were dumbfounded, because they noticed that whether it was Chen or Hatake Sakumo, all their attacks were aimed directly at Gekko Chizan's lower body.
They were really going all out.
"Heavens, Chen-sensei and the principal are way too ruthless. If they slip up even a little, Chizan-sensei will suffer."
"Yeah, for a sparring match, they sure are fighting dirty. Tsk tsk tsk… No wonder Chen-sensei always looked so shady—now it all makes sense."
Chen: …Which little brat said that?
"Chizan-sensei, go for it!"
"Yeah! Come on! You can't lose!"
Suddenly the students below began shouting slogans—but all of them were cheering for Gekko Chizan.
Because Hatake Sakumo and Chen's moves were simply too shameless!
"Hmph! On a real battlefield, as long as you can defeat your opponent, it doesn't matter whether you chop, kick, or stomp!"
"The only thing that matters is defeating the enemy and staying alive!"
Hatake Sakumo kept his attack rhythm while shouting downward.
His voice carried authority, instantly silencing the students.
"On the battlefield, no one will scold you for your methods. But if you don't use everything you have, the battlefield will be your grave."
"Survival is the only truth!"
"Hatake Sword Style! Fifth Form! Chaos!"
Lightning wrapped around Hatake Sakumo's body. His short blade White Fang became completely shrouded in lightning, turning into a blade of pure white light.
White Fang had accompanied Hatake Sakumo for countless years.
At this moment, the blade was him, and he was the blade.
Man and sword as one.
As lightning surged, Hatake Sakumo himself became a spearpoint.
Gekko Chizan used Crystal Release to repair the armor on his body surface, then charged directly toward the two veteran powerhouses of Konohagakure.
Klang!
The extremely hard crystal collided with the short blade White Fang, scattering sparks through the air.
Chen's attacks lacked Sakumo's flashiness, but the destructive power was immense.
Heavy punches and heavy kicks wrapped in chakra struck the crystal armor—each hit causing cracks to spread.
"Come on, that's enough!"
"How long are you planning to keep going?!"
Although Gekko Chizan's attributes were good across the board, when facing top experts in their own fields, he was clearly struggling.
In taijutsu, he couldn't match Chen.
In kenjutsu, he couldn't compare to Hatake Sakumo.
Helpless, he could only shift into his own rhythm.
Crystal kunai were thrown in all directions. Hatake Sakumo reacted quickly, sweeping his blade horizontally and shattering countless crystal kunai.
Chen once again unleashed Konoha Dragon God, using a tornado to intercept.
But Gekko Chizan had prepared in advance—some kunai skimmed low across the ground, others were hurled high into the air.
They came from all directions. No matter how the two exerted themselves, many kunai still escaped.
Seeing this, Hatake Sakumo's expression sank.
He understood what it meant for the kunai to scatter.
The next second, Gekko Chizan flashed a wicked grin—and vanished.
Carried by the Flying Thunder God technique, Gekko Chizan began darting around the platform.
"Old Chen, watch out for his ambush!"
Hatake Sakumo held his short blade before him, gathering chakra.
Chen shifted into a defensive stance as well.
In an instant, the roles reversed.
Seeing this, Gekko Chizan chuckled darkly. Crystal Release surged.
Countless crystal senbon shot toward the two from every direction.
"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"
"Hmph!"
One began spinning; the other slashed them aside.
Their rich combat experience kept them steady under Gekko Chizan's assault—protecting themselves with perfect coordination.
Suddenly, a shadow attacked from behind Sakumo. He spun around to block.
"Think again!"
"Oh? Really, old man?"
But it was a feint—the next second, Gekko Chizan's entire body shattered into crystal dust, instantly obscuring Sakumo's vision.
"Good! A distraction technique!"
Instead of resisting, Sakumo allowed the crystal dust to cover him, lightning flickering around his body.
But his short blade returned to its sheath.
"Draw!"
The next moment, he slashed toward the sky. Lightning streaked into a white arc, cleaving through every particle of crystal dust.
The terrifying slash tore open the air.
"Holy—!"
"Why am I running this way?!"
"Huh?"
"!!!"
The instant the blade-light flashed, a startled voice rang directly above Sakumo's head.
He froze. It was too late to pull back. The slash shot straight toward Chen.
Chen panicked and raised his guard.
"One hundred percent barehanded blade catch!!"
"STOP!"
His arms bulged with veins, both arms covered in chakra.
He clapped downward with both palms—and forcefully caught the full-power slash.
"Damn!"
Even so, Chen felt stabbing pain in his arms and hands.
The strike held not just cutting force but also lightning chakra.
Seeing the trouble he'd caused Chen, Sakumo grimaced.
It was obvious—Gekko Chizan had used Flying Thunder God to toss Chen right above him.
That's how the situation turned out like this.
"Heh heh heh heh… Now it's my stage!"
Taking advantage of their collision, Gekko Chizan had already set up his battlefield.
To keep them from destroying the formations, he'd even engraved many techniques directly into the crystal platform.
Chen finally stopped Sakumo's slash but was left panting, exhausted.
Just in time to see Gekko Chizan's wicked grin.
His heart lurched. He knew this brat still hadn't used full strength—if they kept fighting, he'd lose all dignity.
"I'm done, I'm done. I get it—you're strong."
"These old bones can't take it."
"Principal, you two keep fighting if you want. This old man forfeits!"
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