Chapter 41

Amid the sea of taunting voices from the crowd, Ay's fighting spirit only surged higher. His chakra flared, cloaking his body in the glowing armor of Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

"Don't you dare compare me to that fool Uchiha Tono!" Ay roared. "As the son of the Third Raikage, you'll fall beneath these eyes!"

There was no need for Tetsuya Fujiwara's repeated warnings—Mikoto Uchiha already knew how powerful Ay was. From the earlier battles in this Chunin Exam, it was clear that Ay had the strength to vie for the top spot among all participants today.

But so what?

In the Uchiha clan, retreat before battle was never an option. Her scarlet eyes, reflecting the endless depths of the Sharingan, gleamed with both allure and mystery.

As the clash began, Mikoto unleashed her Demonic Illusion: Mirage of Hell Technique. But against someone like Ay—whose willpower and sheer strength were exceptional—the illusion only held for a few seconds before he broke free.

"The Sharingan of the Uchiha clan… truly deserving of its title as the world's greatest genjutsu." Ay smirked. "Even at just the two-tomoe level, it managed to hold me for a few moments. Impressive. But that won't be enough!"

Lightning surged around his body as he shot forward, fast as thunder. His speed now was leagues above what he had shown in earlier matches against Kitsuchi and Tono.

"Such terrifying speed!" gasped one of the watching Konoha shinobi, their eyes wide with disbelief. "Is this the result of mastering the Hidden Cloud's Lightning Release techniques? The son of the Third Raikage is far stronger than we anticipated!"

As the battle raged on, Mikoto found herself gradually falling behind in the exchange of blows. The difference in their raw power and speed was clear.

"Damn… what a monster." Mikoto coughed, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. In her mind, she could almost hear Tetsuya's stern warnings replaying. You were right, Tetsuya. This guy really does have the potential to become a Kage.

Meanwhile, in the stands, Tetsuya Fujiwara's gaze hardened as he noticed the blood staining the battlefield. His fists clenched.

You'd better make sure Mikoto's okay, Ay. Otherwise, when it's my turn to fight you, I'm going to make you pay.

They'd fought side by side for months now, and Tetsuya wasn't about to pretend he didn't care about her. He teased her, protected her, and always watched her back. Seeing her hurt was more than enough to ignite the fury inside him. (Bruh)

In the arena, the two combatants clashed again. Waves of chakra exploded, kicking up clouds of dust that enveloped the battlefield.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive ball of flame, several meters wide, roared toward A with fierce heat, its fiery glow reflecting in his eyes.

"A Great Fireball, huh?" A grinned as his right hand, coated in lightning chakra, tore through the flames like they were nothing. "Impressive, but still not enough."

The scattered embers fell to the ground, gradually extinguishing into thin wisps of smoke.

"How about this, then?" Mikoto's voice rang out. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson!"

Ten flaming shuriken shot toward A, each one wrapped in intense flames that locked down his avenues of retreat, aiming straight for his chest.

A smirked, hardly fazed. "You're going to need more than scattered little tricks like this to beat me! If you want to win, stop playing around."

With a swift motion, Ay deflected every single one of the flaming shuriken, sending them clattering harmlessly to the ground. "If you're going to hit me, try using something like Great Fire Annihilation! Let's see the true power of your Uchiha Fire Style."

Despite Ay's taunts, Mikoto remained focused. The scattered attacks had been nothing more than a setup for her next move.

Just as Ay closed the gap between them, her fingers flew through a series of hand seals. "Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

Flames erupted from her mouth, spreading out in a wide arc and transforming into a sea of fire that covered the entire arena floor.

Realizing the danger, A quickly abandoned his attack and leaped into the air, barely avoiding the intense heat of the blaze below. But Mikoto was far from done.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!" Mikoto shouted, launching a powerful, concentrated blast of fire toward the airborne Raikage's son.

A mid-air explosion rang out as the attack connected, engulfing Ay in a massive cloud of smoke. As the haze began to clear, the crowd erupted into cheers, convinced that Mikoto had struck a decisive blow.

"Way to go, Mikoto! Take down that Hidden Cloud bastard!"

"Show them what an Uchiha's capable of!"

While the crowd celebrated, Mikoto remained on guard. She knew better than to think Ay would fall so easily. Sure enough, as the smoke finally dissipated, A stood there, battered but far from defeated.

"I'll admit it," Ay said as he brushed dust and ash off his shoulders. "The Uchiha clan's Fire Style really does live up to its reputation. But if that's all you've got, then this fight is over."

With every step Ay took, the earth beneath him cracked, leaving deep imprints as his chakra swelled. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode intensified, arcs of electricity flashing across his body.

From the stands, Tsunade narrowed her eyes. As one of the few spectators capable of fully understanding the situation, she could see that Ay's relentless taijutsu had worn Mikoto down. The strain was starting to affect her chakra control. If Ay pressed the attack any further, the outcome would be certain.

'At this rate, she's going to lose.' Tsunade thought. Ay is simply too strong in close combat.

Suddenly, in a burst of lightning speed, Ay closed the gap between them, his fist crackling with energy. Mikoto didn't even have time to react before she was sent flying through the air, her body crashing against the hard ground with a sickening thud. Blood splattered through the air, painting the arena floor.

The crowd gasped, watching in shock as the red liquid rained down like droplets of crimson rain.

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