Bab 8: Victory!
The students around them instantly erupted into noise.
"That's Guy! His Taijutsu is the best in the whole class!"
"Can Kamizuki really beat Guy? Last time, Guy shattered a wooden post with a single punch!"
Kotetsu clenched his fists and shouted nervously, "Izumo, you've got this! Don't lose to Guy!"
Morino Ibiki stood atop the platform. His gaze was locked onto the two students, the light in his eyes behind those scars filled with expectation.
"Begin!"
The moment the command was given, Guy launched forward. A straight punch shot toward Izumo's face, carrying a sharp rush of air with it.
The speed of his fist was incredible—so fast that the air around it trembled.
Izumo stayed calm. The tip of his foot brushed the ground as his body slid to the side like a cool breeze, dodging the punch at almost the exact same instant.
Guy's fist swept past right in front of Izumo's cheek. The wind it created made the hair on his forehead flutter lightly.
"His reaction speed is insane!" the watching students cried out.
Seeing his first punch miss, Guy immediately shifted his attack. His fist turned into a driving elbow, slamming toward Izumo's ribs.
Izumo ducked to evade, while his right hand clenched into a fist and shot toward Guy's abdomen.
Guy reacted fast. His arms crossed in front of him to block. With a deep, heavy impact, fist and forearms collided, sending a dull, thunderous sound echoing out.
Guy felt his arms vibrate violently. Without realizing it, he took a step back. A flash of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Your strength is incredible!"
Izumo didn't answer. He kept pressing forward with follow-up attacks.
His movements were smooth and precise. Every punch was aimed directly at the weak points in Guy's defense.
Guy's Taijutsu relied on explosive power, but his defense tended to be rough—his movements big and open, leaving gaps behind.
Izumo seized on that. Several of his counterattacks landed cleanly, forcing Guy to retreat again and again.
"Guy! Use your signature move!" the surrounding students shouted.
The vein at Guy's temple pulsed. He drew in a deep breath. Hot air filled his lungs. Chakra surged from his tanden through his entire body, flooding every muscle with power ready to explode.
He stepped forward hard. The sole of his shoe ground into the dirt, fine cracks spreading across the surface, and then he unleashed a devastating punch.
"Youth Full Power Punch!"
Along the path of his fist, dust was kicked up by the rushing air, turning into fine grains that streaked forward with the punch. Even the air itself seemed to tremble, heated by the blazing spirit behind the attack.
Facing the unstoppable "Youth Full Power Punch," Izumo didn't retreat.
His eyes suddenly narrowed.
Deep in his pupils, fighting spirit ignited, as if it were about to burst free. The chakra inside his body spun rapidly. Pale blue currents wrapped around both of his arms like boiling lava, then spread through his entire body.
He lowered his hips and planted his stance. Both feet dug into the ground like the roots of an ancient tree. His knees bent slightly, bracing against the surge of gathered power.
His shoulder blades pulled back. Every muscle tensed and stood out sharply, even his clothes stretching into clear lines.
"Then let's see whose fist is harder!"
He growled low, clenching his fist until his knuckles turned white, and drove it straight into Guy's oncoming strike.
The moment their fists collided, a heavy, echoing crash thundered across the entire training field. The air shuddered and hummed.
A circular shockwave of wind exploded outward from the point of impact. The edges of the students' clothes flapped wildly. Several people instinctively raised their hands to shield their faces, peeking through their fingers as they watched.
Izumo's back tensed like a fully drawn bow. The toes of his left foot clawed into the ground. The friction between his sole and the sand produced a faint grinding sound. His right heel sank deep into the earth, leaving a clear footprint behind.
His arms shook violently, but he held Guy's punch without giving up even an inch.
Guy was pushed back two steps. The skin over his knuckles had turned red, even bleeding slightly. Beads of sweat slid down from his temples, dripping from his lifted chin, while the veins in his neck still bulged.
"Now this… this is a fight worthy of giving everything I have!" Guy's voice was hoarse, but overflowing with satisfaction. Each word sounded like it was being squeezed out between his teeth, fused with the power still trembling in his fist.
"I lose!"
Morino Ibiki looked at the two students, his face glowing. In his heart, he felt certain—Konoha had an outstanding new generation rising. He stepped forward and announced,
"Kamizuki Izumo wins!"
The students around the field felt like they'd been struck by lightning. The atmosphere exploded.
"Kamizuki actually beat Guy! That punch just now was insane!"
"Guy's a Taijutsu maniac! How could he lose?!"
Mitarashi Anko pinched her small chin. Her throat bobbed before she spoke.
"Is this really the Kamizuki Izumo we know? Since when did his Taijutsu get this strong?"
Her tone was full of disbelief, but her eyes were locked on Izumo, as if she wanted to carve the image of his current stance into her memory.
Yūhi Kurenai held back a faint smile. She crossed her arms over her chest. Her long black hair swayed gently in the wind.
Her hawk-like eyes narrowed. A strange glint flashed deep within her gaze. Her fingertips unconsciously tapped against her arm.
"His movements are extremely stable. His breathing rhythm barely broke at all. Look at the moment he dodged Guy's elbow—his foot only shifted about three inches, but that was exactly the blind spot of Guy's attack."
"And every one of his strikes had a clear purpose. Unlike Guy, who relies on pure explosive force to overwhelm his opponent… Kamizuki fights more like he's already predicted the next move."
She paused, watching Izumo as he bent down to wipe the sweat from his cheek, then added softly,
"With Taijutsu like this, he deserves to be called the strongest in our year. I'm getting more and more interested in him."
Izumo leaned for a moment against a wooden post at the edge of the training field. He formed a simple hand seal, focusing chakra into his fingertips to ease the soreness and tension in his leg muscles.
The exam was over. People began to disperse.
Izumo was about to head home, when Morino Ibiki's voice called out, stopping him in his tracks.
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