Chapter 281 Intelligence Mu Yue

When Obito shouted “Begin!”, Teacher Chen and Muzuki did not immediately move, but stood in place, observing each other.

Muzuki assessed Teacher Chen, and Teacher Chen’s panel appeared in his mind.

【Name: Chen Long】

【Chakra: 48000】

【Skills: Leaf Style Taijutsu (Proficient: 7000/15000), Leaf Dragon God (Proficient), Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Skilled: 2800/3000)…】

Muzuki had already expected Teacher Chen to possess various highly skilled Taijutsu, but he was somewhat surprised to see two Nature Transformation skills on Teacher Chen’s panel that were close to the proficient level.

This meant that Teacher Chen’s Ninjutsu was not inferior to that of a regular Jonin; he even saw Genjutsu listed among his skills.

“Although the skill set is quite comprehensive, against a true powerhouse, it still comes down to Taijutsu,” Muzuki thought to himself.

Since Teacher Chen had the title of Konoha’s strongest Taijutsu user, he certainly couldn’t be compared to an ordinary Jonin.

“As expected of a Jonin showdown, both sides feel incredibly imposing,” Shiranui Genma said, observing the scene.

In a Ninja Academy practical exam, students would typically attack immediately to seize the initiative.

“Since neither knows the other’s information, they must be thinking about how to probe and gather more intelligence,” Ebisu speculated, pushing up his sunglasses with his middle finger.

Obito scratched his head and grumbled, “They’ve just been standing there for half a minute, how did you guys figure out so much?”

He thought it was probably because both sides wanted the other to make the first move, which was why they were like that.

Obito was right; Teacher Chen indeed wanted Muzuki to make the first move, as he was the senior.

Seeing that Muzuki also remained still, he felt that Muzuki might have a special tactic, so Teacher Chen directly made his move.

“Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!”

Teacher Chen quickly formed hand signs, condensed Chakra in his throat, performed Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation, and spat out a straight stream of flames.

The Dragon Fire Technique is a relatively unique Ninjutsu among Fire Release techniques.

Most Fire Release techniques create large-scale flames to attack enemies, while the Dragon Fire Technique is a linear flame about the thickness of an arm.

This Ninjutsu can also be assisted by wires for more precise targeting of enemies, but the battle had just begun, so such conditions were clearly not met, and Teacher Chen’s main purpose was to test Muzuki’s depth.

“Ah, it’s Fire Release! Isn’t he supposed to be the strongest in Taijutsu?” Obito was dumbfounded when he saw Teacher Chen’s first attack was Ninjutsu.

He thought Teacher Chen should have used Body Flicker Technique to deliver a terrifying kick whose aftershock could fell large trees.

“Although Teacher Chen’s Taijutsu is very strong, that doesn’t mean his Ninjutsu is weak.

Our Jonin in Konoha generally don’t have weaknesses in Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, or Genjutsu; it’s just that one aspect might be stronger.

In a situation where information is unknown, a long-range Ninjutsu attack is clearly safer,” Ebisu analyzed.

Ebisu’s well-reasoned and meticulous analysis convinced Obito, who couldn’t help but exclaim:

“So, Ebisu, you have such insights into combat! Why do I feel like I rarely see you in the Grade Level Practical Exam?”

Ebisu: …

Because he usually gets eliminated in the first round, it’s not easy to encounter him among sixteen people, and there are only two exams per semester.

“Haha, Ebisu is like that; he talks a good game, but he’s useless in actual combat,” Shiranui Genma said, laughing loudly and patting Ebisu’s shoulder.

“Is there a possibility that it’s not that I’m bad at actual combat, but that you guys are too strong?” Ebisu said faintly, wrapping his arm around Shiranui Genma’s neck in return.

His ability to enter the Grade Level Practical Exam already indicated that his strength was considered excellent among the entire grade.

After all, each class could only send two participants, so being able to participate in the Grade Level Practical Exam meant being at least top two in the class.

“Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!”

Seeing Teacher Chen use Ninjutsu, Muzuki immediately formed hand signs and used the exact same Ninjutsu as Teacher Chen, spitting out a straight stream of flames.

Muzuki’s proficiency in the Dragon Fire Technique was not high; he had only practiced it once in class.

However, with the boost from his perfect-level Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation, the stream of fire Muzuki spat out was twice as thick as Teacher Chen’s.

The two streams of fire collided, and without a doubt, Muzuki’s thicker stream of fire prevailed, pushing back Teacher Chen’s stream and continuously pressing towards Teacher Chen.

Teacher Chen unhesitatingly cut off the Chakra supply to his Dragon Fire Technique, then burst Chakra from his feet and flashed away.

Bang!!

The thick stream of fire shot into the spot where Teacher Chen had just stood, creating a black pit.

Teacher Chen was not too surprised, after all, it was normal for a Ninja who could play a role in a Jinchuriki battle to have such abilities.

“Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet!”

Teacher Chen leaped onto a large tree and, from a high vantage point, used Vacuum Sphere like a machine gun, spitting out one transparent blast of air after another towards Muzuki.

This was a coincidence, because not only did Muzuki know Vacuum Sphere, but it was also a high-level Wind Release he could freely use openly.

“Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet!”

Muzuki and Teacher Chen formed the exact same hand signs, condensed a large amount of Chakra in their mouths, and then spat out transparent blasts of air.

Muzuki’s proficiency in Vacuum Sphere was also average, but he had just recently obtained a proficient-level Wind Release Nature Transformation, which provided a significant boost to Wind Release.

Not all of their transparent blasts of air collided, as there were too many, but in every collision, Muzuki emerged victorious.

Boom! Boom!!

Small craters were created on the ground next to Muzuki by the transparent blasts of air, while Teacher Chen’s side was even more chaotic; many large trees were blown apart by the blasts, and cracks appeared on the ground.

Due to the large amount of wood chips and dust caused by the attacks, Teacher Chen inevitably became disheveled.

“Teacher Muzuki’s strength is truly unexpected; in both instances of using the exact same Ninjutsu, Teacher Muzuki’s Ninjutsu was stronger,” Shiranui Genma exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the battleground.

Using the same Ninjutsu to clash is undoubtedly the best way to judge the level of both sides; whoever is stronger wins.

Obito closed his mouth and said nothing.

He wanted to tell Shiranui Genma that this was nothing, that the Ninjutsu Muzuki used during missions was much stronger than these, but Muzuki had instructed him not to reveal it, so Obito simply forced himself to remain silent.

“In terms of Ninjutsu, Teacher Muzuki is indeed superior, but we still need to wait for Teacher Chen to use Taijutsu to determine who has a greater probability of winning,” Ebisu said after some thought.

He wasn’t sure what Muzuki was best at, but Teacher Chen’s forte was undoubtedly Taijutsu.

“Such powerful Wind Release! It just so happens to be Fire Release and Wind Release. My Ninjutsu is completely outmatched,” Teacher Chen decided to start using his most proficient Taijutsu for combat after two consecutive probing attacks were thwarted.

He was, after all, in front of his disciples; it wouldn’t do to keep getting humiliated.

“Your Ninjutsu is very good, but you need to be careful now; I’m going to use my full strength,” Teacher Chen shouted to Muzuki.

Having witnessed Muzuki’s two Ninjutsu, coupled with his experiences reported in the Leaf Newspaper, Teacher Chen judged that Muzuki’s overall strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Jonin.

“Don’t worry, Senior, although my Taijutsu isn’t as proficient as yours, I do know a thing or two,” Muzuki said with a chuckle.

He wasn’t being modest this time; if he didn’t use the Mark or Eight Gates, his Taijutsu would indeed only be considered knowing a thing or two compared to Teacher Chen’s.

As for using them, Muzuki could only say that great strength creates miracles and that one force can break all techniques; absolute power can crush skill.

Teacher Chen exhaled, his gaze becoming extremely sharp.

Muzuki, meanwhile, silently altered his breathing rhythm, shifting from normal Constant State breathing to extremely focused breathing, enhancing his physical capabilities.

Teacher Chen gathered Chakra in his lower body, burst forward with extreme speed towards Muzuki, so fast that Ebisu felt Teacher Chen appeared in front of Muzuki in the blink of an eye.

Muzuki, not to be outdone, also charged forward with multiple bursts of Shave.

Seeing the two finally about to engage in Taijutsu combat, Might Guy’s expression became incredibly serious as he began to watch their fight.

“Leaf Great Whirlwind!”

Muzuki channeled power into his legs and then swiftly delivered a spinning kick towards Teacher Chen.

Facing Muzuki’s extremely fast kicking technique, Teacher Chen showed a relaxed expression, easily deflecting it with both fists, and then swiftly delivered a triple spinning kick in counter-attack.

“Leaf Gale!”

The spinning kicks, carrying immense leg power, swiftly flew towards Muzuki.

Muzuki narrowly dodged the first two kicks, but the last one was unavoidable.

Muzuki could only block it with both arms, taking the full force of the kick and being pushed back a full seven meters by the powerful impact.

“His Taijutsu is also good. Have I been out of touch with village affairs for too long, to not know about such a capable young Ninja?” Teacher Chen thought to himself after repelling Muzuki.

Although not as good as his Ninjutsu, Muzuki’s Taijutsu was, in his opinion, quite good; his speed and strength were both decent, and his actions were decisive.

“Indeed, once he used Taijutsu, the situation changed immediately,” Ebisu thought, seeing Teacher Chen repel Muzuki.

Teacher Chen was, after all, a Ninja with the title of Konoha’s strongest Taijutsu user.

“Although he looks like a run-down old man, Teacher Chen’s Taijutsu is truly formidable,” Shiranui Genma realized the truth that one should not judge a book by its cover.

Both he and Ebisu believed that the scales of victory had already tilted towards Teacher Chen.

Might Guy and Obito’s trust in Muzuki remained unchanged, especially Might Guy.

Only he, who simultaneously trained in Eight Gates and Rock Breathing, knew how terrifying Muzuki’s Taijutsu could be.

Being at a disadvantage in a Taijutsu clash was within Muzuki’s expectations.

His Taijutsu proficiency was inferior to Teacher Chen’s, and his combat experience was vastly less; he just wanted to see how strong such highly proficient Taijutsu was.

Knowing how strong Teacher Chen’s Taijutsu techniques were, Muzuki silently changed his breathing again, entering the Mark state of Rock Breathing.

In his opinion, Teacher Chen’s strength was even above that of Six Gates Might Duy.

If he only used Breathing Technique, then he could only enter the Mark state.

Upon activating the Mark, Muzuki’s Chakra began to rapidly deplete, combining with his incredibly focused breathing to comprehensively enhance Muzuki’s body.

Muzuki could feel power continuously surging forth.

It was impossible for his body to undergo such an enhancement without changes.

Muzuki’s aura gradually climbed, becoming increasingly powerful; merely by virtue of his aura, the surrounding grass stirred without wind.

“Senior, your Taijutsu is truly exquisite, but I also have some fairly powerful Taijutsu. Please be careful next,” Muzuki said, warning him.

“Is this Eight Gates? No, the aura isn’t wild; instead, it’s very profound.”

Having seen Might Guy use Eight Gates, Teacher Chen now had a slight understanding of it.

Looking at Muzuki, whose aura suddenly grew stronger, he first thought of Eight Gates, but quickly dismissed that idea.

Teacher Chen calmed himself.

Whatever ability Muzuki used was his own skill; he only needed to unleash his own strength.

After activating the Mark, Muzuki also opened the Transparent World, achieving extreme control over his own body.

With the Transparent World’s enhancement, Teacher Chen’s body was seen through by Muzuki.

Although Muzuki’s aura was quite extraordinary at this moment, it precisely ignited Teacher Chen’s fighting spirit.

He hadn’t fought such a strong opponent as Muzuki in a long time.

Whoosh!

Teacher Chen flashed forward and delivered an extremely fast kick towards Muzuki.

The incredibly serious Teacher Chen was extremely fast, appearing almost instantly in front of Muzuki.

But Muzuki had already activated the Transparent World at this point.

Teacher Chen was seen through by Muzuki the moment his muscles began to move, knowing what kind of attack Teacher Chen was about to perform.

The instant Teacher Chen moved, Muzuki retreated one step backward, perfectly dodging Teacher Chen’s attack.

“Hmm? Coincidence, or did he predict my movements?” Teacher Chen noticed something was off and used Leaf Gale again.

Muzuki’s figure flickered, perfectly dodging Teacher Chen’s spinning kicks each time, with all three consecutive kicks missing their mark.

Once might be a coincidence, but dodging so many attacks could only be skill.

Teacher Chen was extremely surprised; it was the first time he had encountered such a situation, as if his inner thoughts were seen through by Muzuki, and all his attacks were predicted.

After dodging the last spinning kick, Muzuki moved again, raising his palm and lightly slashing towards Teacher Chen.

It looked as if he hadn’t used much strength.

Teacher Chen burst Chakra and met the attack with a punch.

When his fist and the hand blade clashed, Teacher Chen’s expression instantly changed drastically; the seemingly light hand blade contained a shocking amount of power.

Bang!!

Under the terrifying force, Teacher Chen flew backward at extreme speed, only stopping after crashing into three large trees.

“What kind of technique is this? I couldn’t feel any power, yet it has such terrifying destructive force.” Teacher Chen’s expression became more serious than ever.

In his opinion, this was a high-level Taijutsu technique he didn’t understand.

The sudden change in the situation on the field greatly surprised Shiranui Genma and Ebisu.

“Teacher Chen was actually sent flying? He was just… ” Shiranui Genma found that high-level Ninja battles were too difficult to comprehend.

Both were close-quarters Taijutsu clashes, yet the two outcomes were completely different: once Teacher Chen gained the advantage, and once Muzuki gained the advantage.

“Teacher Muzuki’s Taijutsu is actually so powerful.” Seeing Teacher Chen at a disadvantage, Ebisu showed a shocked expression.

This was Teacher Chen, who held the title of Konoha’s strongest Taijutsu user.

There’s one more chapter, I should be able to finish it soon.