While Veigar Koshima was still lost in thought, the third exam had already officially begun!
"Would both contestants please enter the arena."
Izuma Shiranu, who had just appeared in the grand arena, glanced calmly at Hoshino Sarutobi and Roy before speaking in a flat tone.
Hoshino turned to give Shōgetsu Uchiha and Veigar a look, then leapt down into the ring. Facing Roy, he stood ready, waiting for Izuma Shiranu to announce the start of the match.
"Contestants, prepare yourselves."
Izuma raised his right hand, then brought it down sharply.
"Begin!"
The instant his voice fell, both Hoshino and Roy sprang into action, already poised to attack.
A barrage of kunai flew with blinding speed, forcing both combatants to dodge instinctively. As soon as Hoshino landed and stabilized himself, Roy closed in, blade in hand.
"Earth Style: Great Mud River!"
But just as Roy reached Hoshino, he fell into the trap his opponent had set. A torrent of earth and mud surged forth like a flood, slamming into Roy's body.
"Rrrahhh—!"
Roy let out a low growl as electricity suddenly crackled across his form.
Zzzt!
In the blink of an eye, Roy vanished from the mudslide's path.
"Lightning Style: Teleportation Jutsu."
From above, Veigar's eyes gleamed as he watched the match unfold. He instantly understood how Roy had escaped the Great Mud River—by using a technique similar to his own Wind Style: Teleportation Jutsu.
Both techniques were advanced forms of the Teleportation Jutsu, each with elemental affinities—lightning for Roy, wind for Veigar.
As Roy disappeared, Hoshino's expression turned grave. He immediately leapt sideways and drew a kunai, gripping it tightly.
"Where is he?"
Eyes scanning warily, Hoshino's senses went on high alert.
A heartbeat later, Roy materialized behind him, his ninjatō slashing downward.
Hoshino spun instinctively, parrying Roy's blade with his kunai.
Clang—!
Though he managed to block the strike, he couldn't withstand the raw force behind Roy's attack. He was pushed back, forced to retreat.
But retreating wasn't always an option.
Roy pressed forward relentlessly, blade slashing in rapid succession, driving Hoshino back step by step with no room to breathe—no space to counterattack.
The situation was dire.
In the stands, nobles from Kumogakure beamed with pride, delighted to see Roy holding the upper hand.
A sense of shared glory rippled through the Cloud delegation.
Realizing he couldn't stay on the defensive forever, Hoshino made a split-second decision.
As Roy's blade came down again, Hoshino did the unthinkable—he didn't dodge. Instead, he flung his kunai directly at Roy, gambling on a wound-for-wound trade.
But Roy's reflexes were sharp. He shifted his stance just enough to narrowly avoid the kunai aimed at close range.
At the same time, his ninjatō came crashing down, slicing a brutal gash from Hoshino's left shoulder across to his right flank.
"Ahhh!!"
Hoshino screamed in pain, but used the moment to create distance between them—just as he had planned.
That split-second when Roy adjusted his position gave Hoshino the opening he desperately needed.
Though wracked with pain, Hoshino wasn't idle.
Roy's eyes narrowed as he noticed Hoshino beginning a series of hand seals.
Something was wrong.
"Cloud Style: Lightning Slash!"
With a sharp cry, Roy launched a ranged ninjatō technique, a crescent-shaped bolt of lightning hurtling toward Hoshino.
Landing deftly on one foot, Hoshino leapt to evade. As Roy closed in again, he and Hoshino simultaneously slammed their palms to the ground, activating their next jutsu.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
A dragon's head made of hardened mud erupted before Hoshino. Its gaping maw spat a powerful surge of mud and rocks at Roy.
Unable to dodge in time, Roy was struck squarely and hurled across the arena, crashing hard into a stone wall.
Boom!
To master Earth Dragon Bullet, Hoshino had secluded himself for an entire month of intense training, hoping it would grant him a decisive edge.
Now, as he watched Roy crumple against the wall, he allowed himself a faint smile. It hadn't been for nothing.
"Roy, come on!!"
Across from Veigar and Shōgetsu Uchiha, Darui suddenly shouted with a booming cheer.
His voice ignited the crowd inside the Konoha Grand Arena, stirring the audience into a frenzy.
"Let's go!"
"That was insane!"
"Come on, Cloud kid! Get up! Don't you quit!!"
The crowd erupted, waves of cheers crashing one after another. Even the elite guests from various nations couldn't help but show a bit of excitement.
Cough.
Cough cough.
Hoshino had thought victory was assured. But he never imagined that Roy—who had taken a direct hit from his Earth Dragon Bullet—would still be standing.
Roy coughed a few times, then slowly started walking toward him.
Just moments ago, Roy himself had nearly believed the battle was over.
Neither he nor Hoshino realized that when Roy was smashed into the wall, the earth dragon's force had weakened by nearly thirty percent.
Because of that, although seriously wounded, Roy still had fight left in him.
"I almost lost just now."
"But now… you won't get another chance."
Sword in hand, Roy stepped forward, his voice slightly sharp, as he addressed Hoshino.
At the same time, he was secretly circulating chakra, preparing a forbidden technique.
Hoshino, unaware of the subtle changes in Roy's aura, focused on gathering the remains of his own chakra—already more than half depleted—for a final strike.
What he didn't know… was that if he attacked right now, before Roy's technique was complete, he could still win.
But if he hesitated—he'd lose everything.
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