Chapter 723: The True Father-Son Match

After easily dealing with his first-round opponent, Obito went to other arenas to check on the situation.

He originally wanted to walk around with Asuma, but Asuma said he needed to adjust his state and maintain peak strength, so Obito went by himself.

Obito could somewhat understand Asuma; since neither of them could advance to the knockout stage, looking at opponents in other arenas was meaningless anyway.

Obito first went to Rin Nohara’s A4 arena.

Perhaps because some contestants in the A1 arena withdrew, and Obito finished his match quickly, he arrived at the A4 arena just in time for Rin Nohara’s battle.

Normally, Rin Nohara’s match, as contestant number twenty-five, would be before Obito’s, who was number thirty.

Rin Nohara’s opponent was an Iwagakure Jonin who looked to be about thirty years old and was very skilled in Earth Release.

However, Rin Nohara’s perceived lack of strength was only in comparison to Obito and Might Guy; dealing with a regular Jonin was not difficult for Rin Nohara.

After a simple probing, Rin Nohara did not summon Milotic; instead, she focused her Wind Breathing to the extreme, unleashing a large amount of Chakra to shatter the Iwagakure Jonin’s Earth Release with Taijutsu, quickly defeating him.

“Contestant Rin Nohara wins!” the referee announced the end of the battle.

“Very clean and decisive, Rin,” Obito praised Rin Nohara with a grin as she walked down.

“Thank you, Obito. How was your side? Smooth?” Rin Nohara asked with a smile.

“I definitely advanced smoothly, but Asuma was unlucky.”

Obito told Rin Nohara and Kakashi about Hiruzen Sarutobi being in their A1 arena and also being contestant number one.

“This…” Rin Nohara didn’t know what to say.

There were sixteen arenas in total, and each arena had four slots, and Asuma just happened to run into him.

“Actually, it’s nothing. Even if we enter the knockout stage, we might not get a good ranking. This competition feels a bit off. I just saw the Third Raikage and the Raikage Candidate in the B1 arena,” Kakashi said gravely.

After winning his match, Kakashi immediately went to other arenas to gather information, only returning when Rin Nohara’s battle was about to begin.

What surprised Kakashi was that the Third Raikage and the new AB Combo had both participated in the Martial Arts Tournament.

The Third Raikage and the Raikage Candidate were both in Might Guy’s B1 arena, but fortunately, their entry numbers were far apart, so they wouldn’t meet in the preliminary rounds.

And besides these heavy hitters from Kumogakure, Kakashi also saw several other well-known Kumogakure Jonin in the Ninja World.

This made Kakashi feel very strange.

Although the rewards for the Martial Arts Tournament were good, they shouldn’t warrant such importance from Kumogakure.

“Maybe it’s not just the Third Raikage; perhaps the Third Mizukage also participated,” Obito sighed.

Since the Raikage participated, he felt that the Third Mizukage at the registration desk might not just be leading a team.

Kakashi nodded in agreement.

He had a very bold guess in his mind: perhaps not just the Third Mizukage and the Third Raikage, but all current Kage of the Great Shinobi Villages, except for Muzuki, had entered the competition.

To verify his suspicion, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara went together to other arenas to investigate.

In the C1 arena, they indeed saw the Third Mizukage, and then in the C3 arena, they saw their old acquaintance, Yagura Karatachi.

In District D, they saw Ōnoki and Rasa.

Obito was dumbfounded; one Martial Arts Tournament had gathered five Kage. If his luck was bad, he might have to defeat two Kage just to make it into the Four Finals.

He was just a fifteen-year-old boy who dreamed of becoming Hokage; reality was too cruel to him.

Obito somewhat missed the Martial Arts Tournament that had age restrictions, at least then he wouldn’t run into old Ninja who were old enough to be his father or even grandfather.

“So many elites from the Five Great Ninja Villages have come; something’s not right…” Kakashi’s eyes flickered as he noticed the abnormality.

Not only had the Kage of the Great Shinobi Villages come, but other powerhouses had also arrived, such as Kitsuchi and Retsuishi from Iwagakure, and Yagura Karatachi and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen from Hidden Mist.

The Ninja power gathered in Six Paths City at this moment was extremely exaggerated; the Shinobi Sect’s Martial Arts Tournament shouldn’t have such drawing power.

Although he discovered the unusual nature of this Martial Arts Tournament, Kakashi didn’t panic.

Even if other Great Shinobi Villages brought many strong individuals, Konoha was still the strongest side.

Just Hiruzen Sarutobi, Muzuki, and Minato Namikaze combined were a very strong force.

When their respective matches were about to begin, Kakashi and the others returned to their arenas to prepare for their matches.

…

“Third round, contestant number one, Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi, against contestant number eight, Asuma Sarutobi.”

When the referee read out the match-up, all the Konoha Ninja in the A1 arena put on serious expressions, trying their best not to burst out laughing.

There was no way around it; the drama of this fight was simply too much.

Again, it was a match against the Hokage, and it was a father fighting his son.

Fortunately, most of the participating Ninja were elites, and their emotional control was good; even if they smiled, it was only a slight smile.

“Go on, just do your best.”

Obito patted Asuma’s back with his palm, encouraging him.

“Mm.”

Asuma nodded and strode unhesitatingly towards the battle arena, passing Hiruzen Sarutobi, and reaching the arena first.

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, quickened his pace slightly, and stood opposite Asuma.

Gazing at the all-too-familiar figure before him, Asuma’s fingers involuntarily twitched.

Despite having specifically spent a lot of time adjusting his state, when he truly stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi, Asuma found his efforts were in vain; he was still nervous.

His current distance from Hiruzen Sarutobi was fifteen meters, further than when Hiruzen Sarutobi was usually at home.

Logically, at this distance, he shouldn’t feel too much pressure, as he never felt anything even when they were closer at home.

But Asuma was nervous, and it was an unusual kind of nervousness; he felt like he was about to break out in a sweat.

“Hmph.”

Asuma took a deep breath, and the continuously rising power within his body stabilized his emotions somewhat.

“As expected of you, old man.”

Asuma exhaled, sighing in his heart.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was his father, also the Hokage respected by countless people, and an incredibly powerful Ninja—this was something Asuma had known for a long time.

Perhaps to some outsiders, Asuma was a rebellious child who disrespected Hiruzen Sarutobi.

In truth, Asuma had always regarded his Hokage father as a goal to strive for, wanting to become a Ninja as formidable as Hiruzen Sarutobi.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi could acknowledge him, even if others said his achievements were due to being the Hokage’s son, Asuma wouldn’t care.

After all, how could the words of outsiders compare to the praise of one’s closest kin?

But Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn’t, not even a simple “not bad”; he rarely heard such words from Hiruzen Sarutobi’s mouth.

Sometimes Asuma wondered if he truly was a mediocre person without talent? Fortunately, Muzuki appeared. Muzuki recognized his talent, taught him Ninjutsu, and also helped him to recognize himself.

Thinking of the moments he spent with Muzuki, Asuma’s mood gradually calmed, and he no longer felt any nervousness.

So what if he’s the Third Hokage? So what if he’s Hiruzen Sarutobi, the pinnacle of Ninja? I’m going to fight you!

I’ve endured you for too long!

“Battle start!”

Just as Asuma’s fighting spirit reached its peak, the referee shouted the start command.

“Wind Breathing Chakra Mode!”

The moment the battle began, Asuma immediately focused his Wind Breathing to the extreme, entering Wind Breathing Chakra Mode.

His opponent was an existence at the pinnacle of the Ninja World; he had no capital for probing. If he didn’t use his full power from the start, he might not get another chance.

“Wind Release: Continuous Vacuum Spheres!”

Under the enhancement of Wind Breathing Chakra Mode, Asuma instantly completed the Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation, unleashing eight powerful wind blade slashes in quick succession without forming hand seals.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Hiruzen Sarutobi, a seasoned veteran, saw Asuma’s attack intention and immediately gathered Chakra in his legs to Body Flicker away.

Bang! Bang!!

Boom!

The eight wind blade slashes landed where Hiruzen Sarutobi had just stood, and the powerful Wind Release Chakra instantly turned the ground into ruins.

“Good power,” Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded inwardly.

Wind Release is one of the five Nature Transformations. As an expert in the Five Natures, Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally understood it well. Asuma’s current Wind Release level had already surpassed his own at the same age.

Seeing that the attack didn’t work, Asuma wasn’t surprised; after all, this was the goal he had always wanted to become.

Whoosh! Whoosh!!

Asuma, with a flick of his wrist, pulled out a Shuriken from his Ninja tool pouch. Under the significant enhancement of Wind Release, the Shuriken’s speed and power were greatly amplified.

Hiruzen Sarutobi also took out a Shuriken from his Ninja tool pouch, but he didn’t apply Nature Transformation to it. After a normal throw, he quickly formed hand seals.

“Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!!

The Shuriken split into four, then eight, then sixteen, instantly becoming a rain of Shuriken. While blocking Asuma’s Shuriken, they formed an impenetrable net, sealing off Asuma’s surrounding dodging space.

The Konoha Ninja in the audience secretly thought that this father and son were truly going all out, casually using large-scale Ninjutsu.

Facing this seemingly unavoidable attack, Asuma did not panic. He rapidly unleashed the Wind Release Chakra within his body, and his entire body became enveloped in a pale blue Chakra.

Whoosh!

Rumble!!!

Countless Shuriken slammed onto the ground, making a huge noise, and thick smoke obscured the battle arena.

When the dust cleared, the observing Ninja were surprised to find that Asuma was no longer on the ground.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked somewhat surprised at Asuma, who was glowing blue and flying in the sky.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi’s surprised expression, Asuma couldn’t help but feel a little smug.

Fooled you, didn’t I? Grandpa can fly!

Using the characteristics of Wind Breathing and his understanding of Wind Release, Asuma developed a flying Ninjutsu that could only be used in Wind Breathing Chakra Mode.

However, since it had only been developed recently, Chakra consumption and flight time were still significant problems, but it was certainly enough for a single arena match.

“Wind Release: Infinite Vacuum Spheres!”

Asuma gathered Chakra in his throat, and the Chakra within his body continuously underwent Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation, as a large amount of Wind Release aura was exhaled by Asuma.

The speed and quantity of the aura were so fast and numerous, like a Gatling gun sweeping.

And because Asuma was constantly flying in the air, the trajectory of the aura was different from releasing it on flat ground, making it even harder to dodge and defend against.

“Shadow Clone Technique!”

Sensing that Asuma had brought out his trump card, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly formed hand seals and split into two Shadow Clones.

“Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!”

One Shadow Clone used Earth Release to create a thick, tall wall in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi that was difficult for Wind Release to penetrate, solving one side of defense.

“Wind Release: Cyclone!”

Taking advantage of the moment Asuma flew over to attack, the other Shadow Clone exhaled an extremely terrifying storm.

Whoosh! Whoosh!!

Boom!

The storm not only canceled out Asuma’s attack but also made Asuma’s flying posture unstable.

Whoosh!

At the same time, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s main body quickly moved along the Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall, seized the opportunity, leaped up suddenly, and threw a punch towards Asuma.

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s counterattack came too fast and too suddenly. In a hurry, Asuma could only swing his fist to block.

Bang!!

An incredibly heavy force was transmitted from Hiruzen Sarutobi’s fist to Asuma, directly knocking Asuma from the sky to the ground, where he fell onto the ruins destroyed by Asuma’s Wind Release.

“Hmph, is this what a true powerhouse feels like?” Asuma, lying on the ground, gasped as he felt the pain in his arm.

He had only exposed a small flaw, and Hiruzen Sarutobi instantly seized the opportunity to end the battle.

Only now did Asuma realize that Hiruzen Sarutobi’s strength was actually that great.

He was in Wind Breathing Chakra Mode just now, his physical abilities far surpassed his usual, and he had also reinforced his fist with Chakra, yet he was still overwhelmed by Hiruzen Sarutobi’s strength.

“Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi wins!”

After Hiruzen Sarutobi used Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Asuma, the referee announced the end of the battle.

Hiruzen Sarutobi helped Asuma up from the pile of rocks and patted the dirt off him.

Before Asuma could say anything, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke:

“Your Wind Release is very good. Among the Konoha Jonin, not many have higher Wind Release mastery than you.”

Asuma’s performance this time truly exceeded Hiruzen Sarutobi’s expectations.

Especially the final flying Wind Release bombardment, even an elite among Jonin, if suddenly faced with such an attack, would very likely die from it.

Asuma’s lips curled slightly. He straightened his back, focused his breathing to accelerate his recovery, and said:

“No need to tell me, my Wind Release was taught by Teacher Muzuki.”

With that, Asuma removed Hiruzen Sarutobi’s hand, walked off the stage with his head held high and chest out, and headed towards Obito.

Seeing that Asuma seemed to be in a good mood, Obito breathed a sigh of relief. He had been waiting to figure out how to comfort the defeated Asuma.

After all, Asuma was truly unlucky this time.

“Don’t just stand there grinning like an idiot, help me!” Asuma, seeing Obito’s lack of initiative, immediately whispered as he reached Obito.

He had finally put on a good show in front of his old man, so of course, he wanted to end it coolly, Asuma had thought before.

But after walking a few steps, Asuma realized that this damn old man was truly willing to hit his child hard; one punch had almost shattered his body.

“Oh, oh.” Obito instantly understood and discreetly supported Asuma.

P.S.: Begging for a guaranteed monthly vote at the beginning of the month…