To ensure fairness, the three candidates in the finals would determine the fighting order by drawing lots. They would each fight two matches, totaling three matches overall. The one who won the most matches would claim the championship of the Third Exam and be recognized as the foremost young powerhouse in the ninja world.
Orochimaru, Yotsuki A, and Ōnoki came to the center of the arena to draw lots, and the fighting order was quickly decided.
The first match would be Orochimaru versus Yotsuki A. Ōnoki glanced at the two and then withdrew.
Only Orochimaru, Yotsuki A, and Yūhi Rō remained in the center of the arena.
Unlike the noisy and fervent scene during Orochimaru's semi-final two days ago, the audience in the stands for this final battle seemed to sense the intense tension between the two fighters. They all held their breath. Nearly a hundred thousand spectators made not a single sound, their gazes fixed intently on Orochimaru and Yotsuki A in the center of the arena.
The entire vast Konoha Grand Arena was absolutely silent, like the calm before a storm. Everyone felt a heavy, suffocating atmosphere, like the wind building up just before a torrential mountain rain.
Orochimaru and Yotsuki A stood facing each other, separated by about ten meters.
Orochimaru was still clad in his moonlight-white, wide-sleeved kimono. The pair of bizarre, dark-golden eyes on his pale, handsome face shone like stars in the night, and the increasingly wide wicked smile on his lips, all indicated Orochimaru's excitement and thirst for battle.
Yet, the aura surrounding him was contained to the extreme, like a volcano about to erupt—subtly but clearly allowing others to sense the violence and surging power within.
Across from him, Yotsuki A wore a crisp, efficient white short uniform, exposing large areas of solid, strong muscle on his chest and his thick, powerful arms. Paired with his rugged and resolute face, his entire being exuded a wild, fierce aura.
However, like Orochimaru, he had also completely withdrawn his entire aura inward, like an oppressive thundercloud hiding lightning and thunder capable of splitting the sky.
Yūhi Rō sensed the powerful auras of the two and grew even more expectant of the fight. Without hesitation, he loudly announced: "The first match of the finals: Konoha's Orochimaru versus the Cloud Ninja Yotsuki A! Begin now!"
The moment Yūhi Rō's voice fell, two incredible forces, like a hurricane and a tsunami, suddenly erupted from Orochimaru and Yotsuki A. "Bang!" A shocking and dull explosion sounded between them.
An invisible blast of fierce wind surged out from the point where their auras clashed. The arena floor was suddenly caught in what felt like a Category 10 typhoon. Leaves and grass clippings flew everywhere, fluttering in the air, only to be shredded into tiny fragments of dust.
Boom boom—
A cloud of smoke and dust simultaneously exploded at the spots where the two stood. The two moved almost at the exact same moment.
Crackle, crackle—
A sharp, ear-piercing electrical noise sounded on Yotsuki A. Uncontrollable sparks of current dropped from his body. Blue-violet streams of electrical light rapidly condensed on Yotsuki A, forming a formidable, tangible lightning cloak. With surging momentum, he charged toward Orochimaru.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru's body was a whirlwind of power. Thick, pure chakra surged and boiled inside him like a volcanic eruption. Following the exquisite method of the Monster Strength Body Technique, the chakra continuously gathered in his limbs. The fierce wind and air pressure surrounding him whistled loudly. As he ran, he churned up a human-shaped storm, charging head-on toward Yotsuki A like a humanoid Tyrannosaurus.
In just one breath, the ten-meter distance was instantly reduced to about an arm's length. A right fist generating wind and air pressure met a right fist wrapped in lightning and electrical light.
In a flash of sparks, the two fists actually crossed paths, simultaneously and deliberately slamming into each other's bodies.
Thud—
A muffled impact sounded. The ground where the two stood instantly exploded into a deep crater. The immense force simultaneously knocked both fighters backward. However, in the very next breath, the two figures again became blurs, charging at each other!
Thud, thud, thud—
A series of dull crashes and explosions, like summer thunder, echoed throughout the arena. It wasn't that the two couldn't defend; they scorned to.
Every strike, every punch landed on the opponent's body, delivering a forceful blow without holding back. They continued to clash in this bare-knuckle brawl.
Exquisite Taijutsu and tremendous strength were displayed to the fullest extent. Even the slightly weaker Chūnin in the audience could not clearly see the figures of the two. All they saw were two streaking blurs, followed by the arena being bombed into ruin, as if ten or more landmines had been set off, leaving craters and broken wood everywhere.
Rumble, rumble—
Another pair of punches struck each other's chests. A deep, cracked crater, roughly half a meter deep, erupted in the arena.
As large clouds of smoke and dust dissipated, the two fighters, their clothes slightly torn, stood still again, separated by about ten meters.
Though Orochimaru had some bruises and swelling, they were nothing more than minor, inconsequential scratches given his powerful body fortitude!
Yotsuki A was the same. In the time it took to simply think, his blue-violet lightning cloak flickered, and his minor injuries were completely healed. He looked at Orochimaru, his battle-ready eyes seeming to erupt with fierce fire. He let out a hearty, unrestrained laugh: "The warm-up is just about done, Orochimaru! Let's decide this!"
The excitement in Orochimaru's dark-golden eyes was like a raging wildfire. He licked his lips and wickedly replied: "Interesting. Very interesting, hehe. Come on!"
The instant Orochimaru finished speaking, his entire body shook. Thick, pure chakra ceaselessly surged, gathering in his hands, where he began weaving a series of skillful and intricate hand signs!
Yotsuki A extended his right arm, and a blue-violet electrical current flickered violently.
Lightning Release: Hell Stab of Four Fingers!
Violent, dense chakra converged on his four right fingertips, suddenly generating a blade of electrical light several centimeters long. The piercing power of the four fingers instantly increased by more than tenfold, and his entire aura gained a sharp, sword-like edge!
As Orochimaru completed his final hand sign, the air for dozens of meters around him suddenly felt as if it had been placed in a volcanic crater, sharply increasing in temperature by several dozen degrees!
Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!
🗒️NOTE:
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