V2: Anāhata

Genma's words left Naruto anxious, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Hey, Sasuke's not here yet!" he exclaimed.

Genma's gaze fixed on Naruto as he spoke.

"Not my problem. Read the battle rules, everyone except Hayashi and Megumi, head to the spectator area."

The other candidates quickly dispersed, leaving only Naruto and Hayashi behind. Even Naruto, who was trying to stall for Sasuke's arrival, knew he had to follow the rules.

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As I stepped into the arena to face Hayashi, the crowd's excitement was visible. This was the first fight of the exam, and everyone was on the edge of their seats, eager to see what we were capable of.

I knew Hayashi's reputation from back at the Academy - he was one of the best. There were whispers that he'd even completed a B-Rank mission. But I pushed those thoughts aside. I couldn't let rumors get to me.

Instead, I focused on the fight ahead. I'd study his moves, adapt my strategy as needed, and stay one step ahead. I couldn't afford to let fear or emotion get in the way. My focus had to be razor-sharp.

I settled into my stance, meeting Hayashi's piercing gaze with a calm, neutral expression.

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The proctor's call still echoed in my ears when Hayashi burst into action, his speed leaving behind a trail of blurry afterimages. It was like trying to track a ghost.

My body reacted on instinct, dodging through his lightning-fast strikes. But I knew this was just the opening, Hayashi testing my defenses, searching for weaknesses.

As I processed the rapid succession of angles, feints, and physical tells, I started to formulate a plan to neutralize Hayashi's speed. 

I knew he was incredibly fast, but the voice in my head reminded me that even enhanced reflexes were bound by the laws of physics and kinesthetics.

Kinesthetics. A new word it taught me.

The voice pinpointed subtle patterns in his attack, detecting tiny shifts in weight distribution, air displacement, and muscle tension.

It analyzed these patterns with hyper-focus, formulating the counter-rhythms I needed to-

But before I could react, Hayashi's knee slammed into my solar plexus. I bit back a scream as I crashed to the arena floor with a bone-jarring impact.

I gasped for air, barely rolling out of the way as Hayashi's axe kick blasted the ground where my head had been. The searing pain from my bruised rib cage made every breath a struggle, but I pushed it aside.

As I regained my footing, Hayashi drew his sword. His attack intensified, each strike a blur of steel and speed that seemed to come from every direction at once.

Just as Hayashi's sword was about to strike, I vanished into the shadows, using my shadow ability to escape the deadly blow. I reappeared a split second later, behind Hayashi, using the brief window of surprise to my advantage.

But before I could even strike, Hayashi vanished into thin air. He reappeared a moment later, standing somewhere else in the arena. His eyes narrowed, and he said something that caught me off guard: "Who are you?"

"Your presence is completely different from the preliminaries," he continued, his tone curious.

I smiled, feeling confident.

"I've just gotten stronger, that's all," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"I've been working on my skills, and it shows. You're just not used to facing someone who can keep up with you."

Hayashi tilted his head, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I wondered if I'd said too much, if I'd revealed too much about my abilities. But then, his face relaxed, and he gave me a small smile.

"You're like me, but not," he said, his words leaving me puzzled.

What did he mean? Was he trying to confuse me, or was there something more?

As I tapped into the deeper levels of my peripheral awareness, my senses came alive. Every nerve ending in my body hummed in sync with the surrounding energy, and the world around me transformed.

I recalled the term 'bioelectric' that Anāhata had taught me, and suddenly, the concept made perfect sense.

Time seemed to warp and bend, slowing down and speeding up simultaneously.

The world snapped into crystal-clear focus, and I could see every minute detail. Every twitch of Hayashi's muscles, and every shift in his weight became crystal clear.

All distractions fell away, and my consciousness became hyper-focused on mapping Hayashi's intended trajectory paths through raw intuition.

I moved through Hayashi's lightning-fast sword strikes as if in a trance, deflecting and redirecting each blow with an effortless ease. The blades seemed to shatter into multiple trajectories, unfolding like fractals across my heightened senses.

My own movements became a blur, leaving behind afterimages.

But then, in a flash, one of Hayashi's kicks slipped through my defenses, catching me square on the jaw with explosive force.

Before the dizziness could take hold, I summoned my three shadowy allies.

The wolf's jaws snapped wildly, its teeth mere inches from Hayashi's face. The bear's massive paws swiped at him, threatening to crush him beneath their weight.

And the chameleon-like creature darted around him, its body blurring as it struck from unexpected angles.

But Hayashi was no ordinary opponent. With swift, precise strokes of his sword, he dispatched my shadowy minions, sending them dissolving into nothingness. I felt a pang of disappointment, but I knew it was only a temporary setback.

As if summoned by my thoughts, the shadows reformed, their bodies reassembling themselves from the darkness. The wolf, bear, and chameleon-like creature reappeared, their eyes blazing with an otherworldly intensity.

This time, they attacked with renewed ferocity, their movements faster and more precise. But Hayashi was ready, and with a single, swift slash of his sword, he dispelled them once again.

What kind of sword technique was this? Was it a bloodline limit?

Summoning the animals again would only drain my chakra, and they'd just disappear once more. Maybe it was time to try a different approach.

I clapped my hands together, channeling chakra into my next move.

But before I could even think, Hayashi was right in front of me.

"Enemies won't give you time," he said, his blade flashing in the light as he struck me with the back of his sword.

The force of the blow sent me flying across the arena, slamming me into the wall. Dazed, I struggled to regain my footing.

He's stronger than Neji, I realized, my mind spinning from the impact.

I wiped the blood from my mouth, my glare fixed on Hayashi across the arena.

His sword was still held at the ready. He was toying with me, and I knew it.

I focused my energy, and the shadows around me responded at my command. I sent a wave of shadowy tendrils lashing out towards Hayashi.

He pivoted smoothly, his blade flashing in an arc to sever the inky black tendrils.

But I was ready, folding the shadows back and manifesting a curved blade of pure black chakra in each hand. Our blades clashed, sending sparks flying, the metallic ring echoing through the arena.

Hayashi was sickeningly skilled.

Seeing an opening, I dissolved one of my blades and extended the shadows into a barbed whip, lashing out.

But Hayashi seemed to know where my attack was aimed, dodging and weaving with an uncanny precision.

How was he predicting my moves? He didn't have the Sharingan.

A flurry of lightning-fast sword strikes came at me, pushing me to my limits as I struggled to deflect them. I summoned a shield of solid shadow to absorb the blows, but it wasn't enough.

Hayashi smashed through my defenses, shattering the shield and sending a shockwave through my head. I stumbled back, dazed, as the world spun around me.

He closed in for the finish, his sword raised high, ready to strike me down. I had one last chance left.

I had no choice but to rely on my backup plan.