Ever since his battle with Sasuke a year ago, Shiki had completely awakened.
If he couldn't rely on the power of the Eight Gates Technique, then he needed to train harder. Over the past year, Shiki had also fought against Lee multiple times to improve his combat awareness. However, after Lee graduated and joined Might Guy's team, needing to go on missions, their training slowed down.
But the Weights strapped onto Shiki's legs grew heavier day by day.
Unable to practice ninjutsu, unable to master the Eight Gates Technique, unable to use any techniques requiring large amounts of chakra,
the things Shiki could actually train in were very limited. Apart from daily exercises, only the steadily increasing weight load could let him feel that his strength was improving.
Now, Shiki felt like the weights he carried might have even surpassed Lee's. One could even say they'd reached the level Lee had during the Chunin Exams!
Shiki's speed had never been fully displayed yet!
"Sensei Hayate, you better be careful! If you take it too easy on us, you'll end up paying dearly!" Shiki warned.
Hayate Gekko didn't take Shiki's words seriously. Thinking to himself, what kind of threat could someone this young possibly pose to a Jonin? Most likely, Shiki was simply overly confident about one particular move.
Then, he raised his sword horizontally, the Bell hanging from its hilt.
"Want the Bell? Then come get it! Let me see what surprises you've got for me!" At this moment, Hayate's dark eye circles seemed almost comically exaggerated. He still hadn't realized just how much danger this team could bring him.
Shiki simply pulled up his pant leg to his knee. Beneath it were layers of tightly packed Weighted Plates — they looked like snake scales, and seeing them was deeply unsettling.
Originally, Shiki hadn't planned to wear weights like these — one single solid piece would have been more convenient. But to gradually increase each weight little by little, this was the only way.
Well then... time to set these burdens free.
"Oh? Weights? I didn't expect you to be carrying something like this, Shiki. But if they're just this small, they probably won't do mu—"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The heavy plates fell from Shiki's legs, one by one crashing onto the ground. Although not as massive as Lee's single solid weight pack, and clearly lacking in overall height,
still, everyone standing around Shiki could now feel the tremors underfoot. Each plate struck the ground with enough force to leave a small crater, sending up puffs of dust. Seeing all those plates falling one after another, even Hayate Gekko couldn't help but gape in disbelief.
This… couldn't be real?
How could such a young child bear so many Weights?
Wasn't he worried about putting his body through all this?
This red-haired kid seemed to be the most balanced in personality — or at least, the least suspicious among the group.
But looking at him now, the longer he watched, the more Shiki seemed like a madman?
Chapter 85: Distribution
When all the weights were removed, Gekko Hayate couldn't help but feel astonished. He knew Might Guy, but he had never seen Might Guy take off his weights before.
As for Lee, he didn't even recognize who this person was.
Witnessing someone actually using such methods to enhance their [Taijutsu] for the first time, how could it not be shocking to him?
"What an interesting person you are, Shiki. You keep surprising me more and more."
"Let's talk about that after you hand over the bell, teacher!" Shiki replied.
Immediately afterward, Shiki vanished into thin air. Even Seiji Ito could barely catch a blur of crimson lightning shooting toward Gekko Hayate.
That's incredible speed!
Earlier, when they fought together, his speed hadn't seemed different from what it was a year ago. He even thought if Shiki's speed was limited to that level, then in another fight against him, he wouldn't have to remain purely defensive anymore.
But he never expected Shiki to have been carrying so much weight.
And now, with this speed, he had become even harder to defend against than before.
"So, Shiki Uzumaki really is a genius after all," Seiji Ito mused silently.
Gekko Hayate quietly waited for Shiki's attack. At this moment, he no longer felt rushed.
Shiki didn't simply use his fists to strike because, at such incredible speed, if he missed his target once, inertia might cause instability in his posture.
In his hand was one of the exquisite kunai he had previously purchased. Of course, apart from its slightly superior design, there was nothing particularly special about it.
After all, even Asuma Sarutobi only possessed two small chakra-infused blades known as [Flying Swallow].
But weapons were just tools—the real power lay in the one wielding them.
Clink!
The sound of metal clashing rang out as Gekko Hayate blocked Shiki Uzumaki's kunai with his sword.
Yet Shiki didn't waste time struggling against Gekko Hayate's defense. He swiftly withdrew his kunai.
In an instant, another swift stabbing motion followed. If one were only to judge by the [Taijutsu] aspect alone, most Chunin wouldn't even reach this level.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A dense series of sharp impacts echoed between them. Even the ground couldn't withstand their intense confrontation, cracking in multiple places.
"Not bad. For your age, your speed is top-tier. Your techniques aren't bad either. But you still made one fatal mistake!" Gekko Hayate shot piercing eyes from within his dark circles. At least in this moment, no one could decipher the thoughts behind those shadowed eyes.
Shiki lifted his chin, locking eyes with Hayate with a sly grin. "Did I? I wasn't aware."
In the next moment,
two Gekko Hayates suddenly appeared behind Shiki, wielding refined [Sword Training] techniques simultaneously to launch lightning-fast attacks against him.
"This is your greatest mistake—you insist on fighting solo without ever considering cooperating with your allies!"
The frontal Gekko Hayate remarked mockingly.
Since Shiki had started fighting Seiji Ito rapidly, both Seiji Ito and Yuuma Akimoto were drawn into the battle. But Shiki acted like he didn't even notice them—just kept hammering away nonstop, like there was nothing else in the world.
Right now, there was still a short distance between Seiji Ito and the other two Shadow Clones.
At this rate, by the time Seiji launched his next move, he'd be nowhere near close enough to lend Shiki a hand.
But Shiki hadn't made any move to defend himself at all!
[Todoroki unleashed all his strength into a devastating punch forward!]
The air cracked under the force, as if it were tearing through invisible barriers!
This punch was practically undefensible—faster than lightning. A regular Chunin would've already been wondering if they needed to call an ambulance.
Yet Hayate Gekko remained calm, not the slightest bit panicked, with a look of ease and pleasure flickering in his eyes.
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