The next match was between Tenten and Temari.
To be fair, Tenten was calm-minded, experienced, and most importantly, she possessed the heart of a strong warrior. Compared to Sakura from the original timeline, who would often crouch down in fear, Tenten was undoubtedly a strong Kunoichi.
As soon as Hayate Gekko, the referee, shouted "Begin," Tenten launched a fierce attack.
Shuriken, Kunai, Senbon, sickles, and chain hammers—various Ninja Tools were summoned from scrolls and then thrown with techniques involving arm swings and waist twists. Within a five-meter radius centered on Temari, the Ninja Tools rained down like a spectacular storm.
The Third Hokage had a group-attack A-rank Ninja Technique called the Shadow Clone Shuriken Technique. This technique required eight Hand Seals, after which a giant Shuriken imbued with the Shadow Clone Technique was thrown. The giant Shuriken would transform into tens of thousands of Shuriken mid-flight, unleashing a torrential attack on the enemy.
The Third Hokage had taught this Shuriken technique to many, including Old Man Kosuke, the Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru, and Konohamaru. Its main advantage was that it was cost-effective, cost-effective, and cost-effective!
Tenten didn't need to learn the Shadow Clone Shuriken Technique. Such an A-rank Ninja Technique was too difficult for her—her Ninja Skill, stamina, and Hand Seals weren't sufficient. But she had money!
Why bother with Shadow Clones for Shuriken? Just throw money at the problem!
Aside from being a bit costly, her Twin Dragons could produce an effect equivalent to the Shadow Clone Shuriken Technique. Tenten started with a fierce assault, but Temari defended flawlessly with her Ninja Fan. Ino glanced at Neji Hyuga, who stood not far away. The genius of the Hyuga Clan had a complicated expression on his face. From a bystander's perspective, Ino guessed it probably meant something like, "Rich lady, I don't want to work hard anymore."
Ino and Tenten had a good relationship. She noticed that Tenten's prolonged attack was causing her stamina, Chakra, and throwing speed to decline rapidly. Temari was clearly building up her strength for a big move, so Ino wanted to help.
After a moment of thought, she casually chatted with Shikamaru, who was standing nearby.
"Hey, who do you think will win?"
Shikamaru might not have been particularly strong, but after spending so much time with Ino, he had developed a keen eye.
Without much thought, he lazily replied, "Tenten's attack definitely can't last. If you ask me, the strongwoman from Sunagakure will win."
As soon as the word "strongwoman" left his mouth, he knew he had messed up. Ino had been complaining about the Sunagakure trio these past few days—calling one a strongwoman and the other a panda-eyed guy. It was just like how Sasuke always called Naruto a dead-last. At this age, giving each other nicknames and using them was a common thing. Shikamaru didn't think much of it—it had become second nature to him. But this time, the words slipped out without thinking.
"Ahhh—!" Temari was furious. With a powerful swing of her arms, she sent Tenten flying seven or eight meters away. She didn't continue her attack but instead glared fiercely at Shikamaru and Ino like a she-wolf. The master of shifting blame, Ino, subtly pointed to the side, indicating that the nickname wasn't her idea—it was the rich young master next to her who said it. If Temari had a problem, she should take it up with him. Shikamaru's expression turned panicked, and his hands gripping the railing trembled slightly.
Temari clenched her teeth, her face pale with anger. Strongwoman? Was that even a term used to describe a woman? If I can't get married in the future, will you take responsibility for it?
She even forgot about her opponent, Tenten, and stared intently at Shikamaru, as if she was ready to charge at him and fight to the death right then and there.
On the other side of the stands, Kankuro was nearly going crazy. His younger brother was unreliable, and now his sister was also acting out of line. He was having such a hard time!
Seeing that Temari's anger was about to boil over, he quickly signaled her: "Shh! Shh—shh!" When Temari turned to look, he shook his head vigorously, trying to convey that she must not act impulsively. They were indeed planning to destroy Konoha, but that was supposed to happen a month later! If she acted out now, their army hadn't even left their village yet. Not only did he shake his own head, but he also summoned his puppet and made it shake its head as well, to the point where the puppet's neck was almost about to break. This finally managed to temporarily suppress Temari's anger.
Tenten regrouped and fought another thirty or so rounds with Temari, but in the end, she was no match for the eldest princess of Sunagakure. There was no helping it—Temari's Wind Release was too much of a counter to Tenten, and on top of that, Temari's strength was truly formidable. "Go rest, go rest. Don't be angry, please don't be angry," Kankuro comforted his elder sister. If it were according to Temari's usual temper, she would have already been slashing her Ninja Fan in all directions. But now, in order to refute Shikamaru's so-called "strongman" insult, she was suppressing her temper, pretending to be a gentle girl who couldn't even open a bottle cap. It was a tough act to maintain. Shikamaru held his head, feeling utterly troubled, while Ino happily earned herself a Pot Point.
The next match was Shikamaru versus Kin, and Shikamaru won easily.
After that, it was Naruto versus Choji.
Choji tried his best. Aside from his original Human Bullet Tank technique, he had also mastered a part of the Multi-Size Technique. He enlarged his right hand, grabbed Naruto, and slammed him into the ground repeatedly, over a dozen times. Unfortunately, he was ultimately no match for Naruto, the cheat character. Naruto won this match.
The eighth match was Ino versus Neji Hyuga.
"Cheer for me, everyone!" Compared to the cold-faced Neji, Ino had a much better rapport with her peers. She waved to her friends and stepped into the arena first.
The two stood five meters apart.
The two geniuses who had graduated from the Konoha Ninja Academy now faced each other, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"I've heard your ninja techniques are strong, but you're not good at close combat. Do you need to increase the distance?" Neji Hyuga said in a deep voice.
"That's a joke. You're a genius, I admit that, but you can't beat me," Ino replied confidently, not believing that the current Neji Hyuga could pose much of a threat to her.
Hayate Gekko, the referee, saw that they were both ready and raised his right hand before swinging it down heavily: "Begin!"
Neji Hyuga was fast. With a quick step, his left hand in front and his right hand behind, his body moved like a swimming dragon. He opened with the Hyuga Clan's secret technique, Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Palm.
He stepped in the Eight Trigrams formation, his movements elusive. The five-meter distance was covered in an instant, and his left palm shot out, aiming for Ino's right rib.
This kind of stand-and-fight duel was unfair to Ino. If the distance had been thirty meters, she could have easily dominated Neji Hyuga, but at five meters, it was more troublesome.
Her speed wasn't slower than Neji's, but there was a clear gap in their body techniques and strength. She quickly retreated, mid-air, and without time to form hand seals, she threw three kunai in a triangular formation.
Neji raised his elbow and lifted his palm, effortlessly deflecting the kunai. He charged forward two steps, then with a sudden shake of his arm, he straightened his right palm and thrust straight toward the center! Ino pushed off the ground with her foot, creating distance once more. She reversed her grip on the kunai and stabbed fiercely at Neji's palm.
Neji's arm instantly became as flexible as a snake, curving in an arc to counter and seize her wrist. Ino, who was rumored to be weak in body techniques, proved far more agile than Neji had anticipated. Using her right leg as a pivot, she kicked hard at Neji's ribs with her left leg.