Chapter 96: Final Result
As Makoto expected, there was nothing wrong with Obito's body, but excessive chakra consumption and physical fatigue were caused by the repeated use of Soru in a short period of time.
Obito had unleashed a Fire Ball Jutsu, a Fire Dragon, and the clone technique, along with several incomplete Sorus.
Among them, the clone technique consumed the least amount of chakra, but its effect was crucial.
After receiving treatment, Obito quickly regained consciousness. When he saw Makoto sitting beside him, he couldn't help but excitedly share the highlights of the battle he had just fought.
"When I was kicked by Gai at the beginning, I knew I would definitely lose this battle if it continued normally. So I tried my best to use ninjutsu from a distance. That giant fireball may have appeared intimidating, but it wasn't actually very powerful. I used it to divert Gai's attention and obscure his sight"
Obito's excitement grew as he explained how he used the clone technique to deceive Might Gai. He looked thrilled.
"I know that Gai is very observant in battle, so I endured the pain and controlled the clone to appear fatigued and exhausted to mislead him. After today's battle, I feel like I could boast for a year. There were so many details that I kept in mind. The clone didn't reveal the 'flaws' right away. I made sure it pretended to be tired after running a bit."
"Your performance today was truly excellent. If you can remain this composed in future battles, it would be fantastic," Makoto praised.
He never hesitated to praise his students when they performed well. Makoto believed that continuously denying students praise due to concerns about arrogance and complacency would ultimately undermine their self-confidence.
"Hehe, it's all thanks to your guidance, Teacher Makoto," Obito chuckled, wearing a satisfied smile.
Why had he shared so much? Was it a way of showing off? Certainly not. What was there to show off to the teacher about winning against his peers? Obito had simply demonstrated his progress and sought Makoto's approval.
If Obito had to mention one drawback of the battle, it was that two individuals were missing – Nohara Rin and Kakashi. Obito thought that if Nohara Rin had been present, she would have undoubtedly praised his tactical brilliance.
As for Kakashi, the arrogant brat would probably never underestimate Obito again.
After confirming that nothing was wrong with Obito, both Obito and Makoto decided to return to the training ground to observe the ongoing battles.
Makoto knew that Obito had no intention of forfeiting the exam. Moreover, since Obito was not injured, Makoto accompanied Obito back to the training ground.
By the time they arrived back at the training ground, the first round of battles had already concluded, and approximately half of the students had been eliminated.
The second round of battles had just commenced, with some time remaining before Obito's turn.
In the second round of battles, Shisui's opponent was once again a recent graduate and was easily defeated. No one expressed surprise at this outcome.
The students in Class A currently held the belief that only Might Gai, Uchiha Obito, and Sarutobi Asuma had any real chance of defeating him.
Originally, Raidō was a candidate, but due to his earlier defeat – a clear one at that – the general consensus was that he wouldn't have much of a chance if he were to compete again.
Obito's second-round opponent was a fourth-year student. Despite Obito not being in peak condition, he still managed to secure victory.
The third round of battles unfolded similarly, though it was noteworthy that Asuma and his teammate faced each other.
When Asuma went up against Raidō, the students realized they may have underestimated both Raidō and Shisui's strengths.
Upon careful reflection, the students discovered that whether the opponent was a fourth-year student or a recent graduate, Shisui took roughly the same amount of time to deal with them.
Could it be that Shisui's strength fluctuated? They felt that this was unlikely.
The only conceivable explanation was that Shisui possessed a more gentle nature and didn't want to humiliate his opponents too severely. As a result, he adjusted his attacks based on the strength of his adversaries.
Raidō's speed was impressive, even if it wasn't on par with Might Gai's lightning-fast movements.
...
Asuma had faced numerous challenges and remained resilient against sharp attacks. He quickly found opportunities to counterattack and emerge victorious.
As the sun slowly descended in the western sky, the battles on the training ground neared their conclusion. The final match of the four-to-two series was set between Obito and Asuma.
Both had already endured grueling battles, and although Obito had fainted from exhaustion, he had mostly recovered by now.
In his fight against Gai, Obito had to maintain distance to avoid Gai's razor-sharp attacks. However, when facing Asuma, Obito boldly engaged in close combat.
After extensive training, Obito's taijutsu had evolved beyond being merely a hindrance. While it might not match the prowess of Shisui and Might Gai, it was more than sufficient to outclass most of his peers.
Obito swiftly closed the gap and launched an attack on Asuma. He noticed that Obito and Might Gai had mostly avoided taijutsu combat during their fight, giving Asuma the impression that Obito's taijutsu skills were similar to what they were before.
As a result, Asuma was taken by surprise at the outset of their fight. He found himself overwhelmed and disoriented by Obito's swift moves.
Asuma's poor decision-making cost him the chance to win, and he was swiftly defeated by Obito.
"In the final battle, it's Uchiha Shisui versus Uchiha Obito," Makoto announced the names of the finalists.
"They're both from the Uchiha clan. The rich get richer, it seems," Ebisu sighed, feeling the disparity between his strength and that of the clan's ninjas. He had been eliminated in the first round.
"What a shame. I had a chance to win, but I didn't anticipate Obito's significant improvement in taijutsu," Asuma expressed some regret.
"As senior ninja, we really need to step up our game. We must practice harder in the future!" Kurenai declared.
When Obito stepped onto the battlefield to face Shisui, he felt a mixture of emotions.
While he had sparred with Might Gai frequently, he had rarely faced off against Shisui.
In the early days of training with Makoto, Shisui often outperformed Obito due to his rapid progress. Shisui would grasp something in an afternoon that Obito struggled with for a week, despite Shisui being younger and from the same family.
However, Obito had become more self-assured since then. While Shisui was undoubtedly strong, Obito had also made significant progress.
Still, Obito couldn't help but acknowledge that, given his current condition, he didn't stand much of a chance against Shisui.
Despite knowing the odds were against him, Obito fought with all his might. He lost, as expected, but Obito didn't feel disheartened because he had given his all.
Moreover, defeating Might Gai earlier in the day had put Obito in a great mood. As soon as the match was over, he rushed over to Nohara Rin to boast about his victory over Might Gai.