Hyuga Kagami was in a calm and confident state of mind. In this particular setting, he was certain that Shisui wouldn't use his Mangekyo Sharingan or any dojutsu techniques related to it.
That meant this match would come down to basic skills!
Hyuga Kagami had a greater chakra reserve than Shisui, and he also had the Tenseigan, which granted him a powerful resistance to genjutsu. In terms of taijutsu and ninjutsu, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
So in this match, his chances of victory weren't small.
Shisui walked slowly up to the dueling platform and gave a respectful bow to Hyuga Kagami.
"Senior, I will do my best."
"Begin the match!"
The referee beneath the platform gave the starting signal at just the right moment.
No sooner had the referee spoken than Hyuga Kagami and Shisui both entered battle-ready states.
Shisui made the first move. In less than two seconds, he had already thrown over a dozen shuriken.
*Clang...*
*Clang...*
*Clang...*
These dozen or so shuriken clashed mid-air, changing their flight paths. Some curved forward, others backward, left, or right—like a sprawling net falling from the sky, blanketing Hyuga Kagami.
Even though Hyuga Kagami had already seen Itachi's skill with tools, he couldn't help but tense up at Shisui's technique.
The angle, the force—everything was flawless. Even with the Tenseigan, he couldn't detect a weakness and had to rely on counter-fire to create dodging space.
Calming his mind, Hyuga Kagami found an opening and threw eight shuriken of his own.
*Clang clang clang...*
In a flash, the clashing sounds of deflected shuriken filled the entire exam ground.
Watching the dazzling display of tool-throwing, the watching chunin all held their breath. Anyone who'd made it to this stage was an expert with ninja tools, so they clearly recognized the intensity of the battle.
Suddenly, Gai shouted from the crowd, "Look! The shuriken that Kagami blocked are moving again!"
Asuma's face darkened. "It's wire. Shisui strung those shuriken with specially treated wire. If you don't look carefully, you'd never notice it!"
The commotion from the crowd didn't affect Hyuga Kagami.
Knowing full well how dangerous Uchiha were with tools, he had been watching for a second attack from the beginning. That's why he'd been targeting the connecting wires during his counterattack.
But those wires had clearly been specially treated—strong and completely non-reflective. Even with the Tenseigan, it was impossible to spot all of them while in motion.
On top of that, Shisui was highly skilled. After all that effort, Kagami still missed a few.
That mistake cost him.
He quickly fell behind.
Part of the problem was Hyuga Kagami's weaker tool-throwing technique, and part was lack of preparation. After only a brief exchange, his tool pouch was already empty.
He assumed Shisui would be running low too, but then Shisui pulled out a scroll. With a tap, it released a barrage of shuriken in a puff of smoke.
Connected by wire, these shuriken hovered and flew as though alive.
At a glance, Hyuga Kagami almost believed Shisui was controlling them with his mind.
He had only one thought: "You can use ninja tools like this?!"
In the crowd:
Asuma shook his head. "Kagami's probably going to lose. Shisui is even more troublesome than I thought."
Gai didn't take his eyes off the match. "Don't worry. This is just warm-up. Kagami hasn't even gotten serious yet."
As Gai said, once Hyuga Kagami realized his eye powers couldn't make up for the gap in tool-throwing, he decisively charged at Shisui.
Taijutsu was where Hyuga Kagami excelled!
As Kagami surged forward, Shisui danced his fingers, controlling the wires like a musician plucking strings. The suspended shuriken immediately flew toward Kagami in a storm.
"Rotation!"
After months of training, Hyuga Kagami could now use Rotation with expert control. He activated it instantly, effortlessly.
*Clang clang clang...*
A deafening roar of shuriken slamming into Rotation filled the air. The deflected tools flew out in all directions.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
The Third Hokage, acting quickly, raised four earth walls at the edge of the platform, barely blocking the scattered shuriken.
The chunin crowd retreated ten meters back just in case.
Asuma wiped sweat from his brow and muttered, "These two are insane."
Gai, unfazed, laughed heartily. "A thrilling match like this is worth a little risk!"
On the platform:
Using the window of opportunity created by Rotation, Hyuga Kagami closed in. His palms surged forward like a beast breaking from its cage—an unstoppable force!
Shisui showed no fear. He drew his short blade, and the three tomoe in his Sharingan spun rapidly.
In an instant, the two clashed, engaging in close-quarters combat.
Not long after, a chunin in the audience muttered, "Why does their taijutsu look so... odd?"
Others around him nodded in agreement.
From the sidelines, their fight looked bizarre. Their attacks constantly stopped mid-motion. A palm strike would suddenly halt halfway, or a sword slash would veer off course at the last second.
They fought for a good while, yet neither landed many solid hits.
Most of their movements were feints, redirections, or abrupt cancels. Their attack and withdraw speeds were so fast that to the audience, the fight appeared strangely erratic.
Gai, well-versed in taijutsu, turned serious. "It's all about prediction. They're constantly reading each other's moves. That's why it looks strange."
Asuma couldn't believe it. "They're predicting and adjusting that often?! Their perception is off the charts. Are they even human?"
His question echoed what everyone else was thinking.
Was dojutsu bloodline power really this overpowered?
The Third Hokage's eyes glimmered as he silently contemplated something.
An Anbu beside him asked quietly, "Lord Hokage, are they deliberately testing each other's dojutsu?"
The Third nodded. He was about to say more when suddenly, the two fighters on the platform leapt apart, each retreating to a corner...