48 - Counterattack

Chiba wiped his face and rose from the ground, his hands stained with traces of blood. "That was a heavy kick," he muttered, wincing.

Whispers from the spectators drifted across the field.

"He's so weak. Guy will win easily," one voice said.

Another chimed in, "There's no way he can fight back."

"I heard he's a prodigy who graduated early and excels in physical skills. What a shame," someone else added.

A harsher voice cut through the murmurs. "Isn't his name Chiba Taki? The traitor's son?"

"The traitor's son? My parents despise him," another confirmed.

"Of course they do. He's got the blood of a traitor. Who knows? He might betray the village himself one day." The speaker's voice grew louder. "It'd be great if Guy defeated him here and now. We can't risk him causing great harm to the village later."

A chorus of agreement rippled through the crowd. Suddenly, someone shouted, "Come on, Guy! Beat him down!"

The chant spread like wildfire. "Go on, Guy, win!"

"We're all behind you, Guy!"

The entire audience erupted in cheers for Guy.

In the stands, Minato quickly grabbed Kushina's hand. He'd noticed the vein bulging on her forehead and her red hair beginning to flutter ominously. Her hand pulsed beneath his grip. If he hadn't restrained her, these spectators might have found themselves nursing bruised heads.

"Kushina, calm down," Minato urged.

"Minato, don't stop me. These brats..." Kushina seethed, her voice trembling with anger.

Minato's face grew uncharacteristically serious. "We both know Chiba is a good kid," he said, his mind drifting to a recent training session between Chiba and Kakashi.

He recalled how, in the final moments of their confrontation, Chiba had used the Substitution Jutsu to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Just before executing the technique, Chiba's eyes had darted briefly towards Kushina, Hirohiko, Minato, and Yukina.

Though the glance was fleeting, Minato had caught it. In that moment, the hesitation in Chiba's eyes had vanished, replaced by steely determination. It was then that he had defeated Kakashi.

"This boy," Minato thought, "he's not fighting for Chunin qualifications. He's fighting for Kushina and the others."

"Minato..." Kushina's voice softened as she noticed his expression. Her clenched fist slowly relaxed, her anger dissipating.

Minato nodded. "Don't worry. We know who Chiba really is."

"You're right," Kushina agreed, her gaze returning to the arena. "He's my best disciple. He won't lose. Not now, not ever."

On the field, Chiba glanced briefly at the cheering crowd before refocusing on his opponent. Guy, however, was visibly taken aback by the sudden outpouring of support.

As Guy turned to face his newfound fans, the audience fell silent, a collective bead of sweat forming on their brows.

With a blinding grin, Guy flashed them a thumbs-up, one eye closed in an exaggerated wink. "Thank you for your support!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking with emotion.

Tears streamed down his face like twin waterfalls, yet his smile never wavered. Soon, his nose began to run as well.

The crowd watched in stunned silence, their eyes narrowed in disbelief. A shared sense of secondhand embarrassment washed over them.

Chiba, seizing the moment of distraction, swiftly removed the weights from his hands and feet. They crashed to the ground with a resounding "boom," kicking up small plumes of dust and leaving two crater-like indentations in the earth.

All eyes snapped to the scene. Even Guy turned, his eyes widening in surprise. "Weighted training gear?" he thought, his gaze fixed on the small pits left by the discarded weights. "Those aren't just any old training weights!"

The entire audience was shocked into silence.

"I suspected as much," Minato murmured, his eyebrows raised.

Orochimaru's lips curled into a sly smile. "Ah, weighted props. That explains it," he mused, the puzzle pieces falling into place in his mind.

Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged knowing glances, their interest piqued.

Chiba bounced on the balls of his feet, relishing his newfound lightness. 'Time to fight back,' he thought, touching his face where Guy's kick had connected. "I can't hold back anymore. This is Guy, after all!"

Guy, having recovered from his emotional display, struck a dramatic pose. "I see you've been hiding your true strength! Let us burn with the flames of youth and give it our all!"

Chiba raised an eyebrow, thinking, 'Burning youth? He's already developed that habit at such a young age?'

"Here I come!" Chiba shouted, charging forward.

Guy rushed to meet him, both ninja moving with incredible speed. Chiba launched into a powerful kick, his leg a blur of motion.

'So fast!' Guy thought, barely registering the attack before it was upon him. 'After removing those weights, his speed is incredible!'

With no time to dodge, Guy raised his arms to block. The impact resonated with a dull "boom," halting Guy's forward momentum but failing to break through his guard.

"Such force!" Guy gritted his teeth, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite the strain. "This is what youth is all about!"

In a fluid motion, Chiba twisted in midair, following up with a lightning-fast spinning back kick aimed at Guy's side.

'Too fast!' Guy thought, desperately shifting his guard.

Another "boom" echoed across the field as Chiba's kick connected with Guy's hands. Though blocked, the force of the blow sent Guy staggering, his balance compromised.

'His speed is incredible,' Guy assessed, his mind racing.

Chiba, landing gracefully, made his own mental note: 'In terms of raw strength, I'm still outmatched.'

The crowd buzzed with renewed interest.

"Hey, he's copying Guy's moves!"

"Yeah, it's exactly how Guy attacked him earlier!"

"Is he just imitating Guy's style?"

Seizing the advantage, Chiba pressed forward, aiming a side kick at the off-balance Guy. Though Guy saw the attack coming, his compromised stance made evasion difficult.

'This is... my Leaf Whirlwind!' Guy realized, his eyes widening in shock.

With a resounding "boom," Chiba's kick connected with Guy's hastily raised guard. Guy managed to plant his foot firmly, stabilizing his stance and successfully blocking the blow.

A triumphant grin spread across Guy's face. 'Blocked it! Now, to counter-'

His thoughts were cut short as a look of horror dawned on his features. An overwhelming force surged through his blocking arm, far too powerful to resist.

'What kind of technique is this?' Guy wondered, panic rising in his chest.

Before he could react, Chiba's kick smashed through his guard, connecting solidly with his cheek. The impact sent Guy hurtling backward, crashing into the arena wall with a thunderous "boom." Debris rained down as the wall crumbled, leaving a Guy-shaped impression in its wake.

The entire structure shuddered, the vibrations reaching even the spectators on the second floor.

The arena fell into stunned silence, the audience's fervent discussions dying in their throats as they struggled to process what they had just witnessed.