Chapter 69: Stand Back, Time to Show Off!

Chapter 69: Stand Back, Time to Show Off!

Sitting in the graduate students' rest area, Kushina and Minato froze as they saw the weapon snatched from Tonari's hand.

Their expressions turned grim as they exchanged a glance, silently agreeing—if Tonari was in true danger, they would intervene together.

Rules? Kushina didn't care, and Minato was willing to abandon them for the sake of a friend.

Onlookers from the stands felt the same concern.

It was evident this young boy, thrown into the fray by Lady Tsunade herself, might be the graduating class's last hope.

The crowd, driven by Konoha's strong sense of unity, silently rooted for him. Even if his opponent appeared overwhelmingly stronger, they held onto hope.

---

Tonari skidded backward, his feet carving deep lines into the ground.

His expression darkened as his eyes fixed on the short blade glowing with lightning in Dicai's hand.

It's not just a weapon—it's my weapon.

Dicai smirked, savoring the look in Tonari's eyes. "That's it! That's the fire I want to see. A strong person needs an indomitable spirit. Don't tell me you're just going to accept this?

Come on, show me your full power! I know you've been holding back."

Anger flashed across Tonari's face. "I'll show you holding back—your grandma!"

Without hesitation, he began forming hand seals at an incredible speed.

Serpent → Dragon → Hare → Tiger

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"

Tonari flung a kunai tied with a special wire. In an instant, fire surged from his lips, climbing along the wire.

The flames quickly morphed into a roaring dragon, soaring toward Dicai with terrifying speed. The fiery construct grew more vivid and solid with every moment.

Watching from the sidelines, Instructor Chida Nakai's eyes gleamed with pride. This was the culmination of all his lectures on chakra shape transformation.

"Look at that dragon! Long, blazing, and perfectly formed—this is the result of true dedication!"

On the other side, Cloud ninja leader Dodai squinted as his concern grew.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru smirked faintly, leaning toward Dodai. "That short blade... It didn't suit Tonari. His skill with a sword is so... lacking, it hinders him more than it helps. Without it, this is his true strength."

"Oh?" Hiruzen raised a brow, intrigued.

Orochimaru chuckled, recalling a conversation. "Once, I asked him why he insisted on wielding a sword when his swordsmanship was... atrocious.

He told me, 'Orochimaru-sensei, only a short blade as cool as this matches my aesthetic. My dream is to become Konoha's Little White Fang!'"

Tsunade joined in, laughing. "That's so him! No shame at all—that's our Tonari."

Hiruzen sighed deeply, speechless.

---

BOOM!

The fiery dragon clashed with Dicai, its roar reverberating through the arena.

Though a C-rank jutsu, the Dragon Fire Jutsu had high potential. With enough chakra and precise control, it could rival even A-rank jutsu in power.

Dicai didn't dodge, realizing that with the wire still in Tonari's hand, the attack was unavoidable.

"Break!" Dicai roared.

His fists and stolen short blade slashed and smashed through the flaming dragon. Yet, despite his efforts, his hands grew charred and blistered.

Tonari watched as Dicai pushed through the flames, inching closer to him.

Smirking, he released the wire and formed new hand seals.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall Jutsu!"

Dicai sneered. "Using Earth Style against Lightning Style? You can't possibly block me!"

Tonari grinned. "Who said it's just one wall? Multiple Earth Walls!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

One after another, walls of earth erupted from the ground, each engraved with a cat motif.

"Let's see you smash them all!" Tonari taunted.

Dicai was relentless, punching and slicing through wall after wall.

But behind his defenses, Tonari remained calm, forming more hand seals.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Orochimaru... is he about to—?"

Orochimaru nodded.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

As Dicai shattered the final earth wall, Tonari's hand slammed onto the ground.

POOF!

White smoke erupted, revealing a colossal green serpent that occupied a quarter of the arena. Though not as massive as Manda, the serpent still boasted half his size. Its emerald scales glistened under the sun, and two small horns jutted from its triangular head.

"Tonari, you called?" a cold voice hissed.

"This one's tough, Green Serpent. Be careful," Tonari warned.

The snake, aptly named Green Serpent, had become Tonari's ally through months of training his Summoning Jutsu. Its strength rivaled that of a mid-level ninja.

"Leave it to me."

Dicai and the audience froze, stunned by the serpent's sudden appearance.

Even the spectators turned to glance at Orochimaru. Only a few could summon snakes in Konoha, and Orochimaru's connection to Tonari became glaringly obvious.

---

Standing atop the Green Serpent, Tonari untied the weights strapped to his legs, revealing two palm-sized metal plates.

He tossed them aside casually, each crashing into the ground with a thunderous thud, leaving noticeable craters.

Dicai's eyes narrowed as he recognized the training weights.

"This brat... was holding back with those on?"

With the weights removed, Tonari stretched, his movements suddenly light and effortless.

Then, with a confident grin, he pushed off the serpent's head, vanishing into thin air.

When he reappeared, he was right at Dicai's side.

"Over here! Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

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