Chapter 7 - Defending the Ring! Yuuhi Shinku's Challenge!
Supported by his clan members, Hyuga Tenzou slowly exited the scene, with drooping arms, completely different from his previous graceful demeanor.
The training ground took on an atmosphere of somberness.
Hanma twisted his neck, with blood reflecting on his body. He waved his hand, signaling to the Third Hokage, then said slowly:
"Hokage-sama, I've just entered the battle state and don't need rest. I request to defend the ring."
The present Jonin fell silent, thinking about the power and speed Hanma had just displayed.
Each of them pondered, if it were them, how would they cope?
Ninjas specializing in Taijutsu clearly understood the intricacies of the earlier exchange. Most of them lost their fighting spirit, even contemplating how to exchange for Hanma's training method.
What method?
It's actually just real combat—lots of real combat—combined with Hanma's own efforts and not-so-important cheats. What else could it be?
After all, as Senior Lu Sheng said, it's 1% cheat and 99% sweat.
The Third Hokage glanced at the Jonin around him and said in a deep voice, "Request to defend the ring approved."
"Anyone who wishes to compete with Uchiha Hanma can step up."
The scene fell silent for a while. The previous battle had been too clean and efficient, and the result was direct and brutal.
The fight just now only revealed Hanma's strength and speed without collecting exploitable information.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, someone stepped onto the battlefield to challenge.
The newcomer was Yuuhi Shinku, Yuuhi Kurenai's father and a veteran of Konoha.
With the Yuuhi family's strong mental power as his core, he extensively studied Genjutsu in the ninja world. Even within the Uchiha clan, his expertise in Genjutsu was recognized.
Some Jonin nodded lightly; using Genjutsu to counter Taijutsu seemed like a good choice.
However, Hanma's colleagues from the Anbu and his Uchiha kin looked at Shinku with pity.
They knew too well that a Genjutsu ninja with mediocre Taijutsu skills was courting death by facing Hanma.
They had seen countless self-assured Genjutsu ninjas perish terribly under Hanma's hands.
"—Please grant me your guidance."
"—Please grant me your guidance."
Hanma stood lazily, not in a hurry to win this match.
For Genjutsu ninjas, facing Hanma was tragic.
Generally, Genjutsu ninjas first disrupt the opponent's chakra flow, causing mental confusion. Then they use mental power to create an illusion, trapping the opponent and incapacitating them.
More advanced techniques can fake the five senses. For example, the Kurama clan can disrupt physical indicators, achieving effects like "I've killed myself."
However, against Hanma's passive skill — Guarding the Original Mind, these are meaningless unless their mental power is as abnormal as Hanma's physique.
Guarding the Original Mind's effect is simple: the stronger Hanma's body, the stronger his mental power, binding physical and mental strength, forcibly enhancing his Genjutsu resistance.
Yuuhi Shinku frowned, not understanding why Hanma didn't attack him.
For a Taijutsu ninja, the best way to fight a Genjutsu ninja is to interrupt their hand seals, preventing them from affecting your five senses and forcing their attack rhythm to seek a one-hit kill opportunity.
As a seasoned Jonin, Shinku didn't overthink. Every Jonin has areas of pride. In the complex ninja world, some factors are beyond consideration.
The best he could do was to maximize his own techniques without considering other factors.
Without hesitation, Shinku's fingers danced, forming seals openly in front of Hanma.
Given the opportunity, there was no reason to hold back.
Chakra flowed like a shadow to the ground, lying in wait.
Genjutsu was silently set up.
To ensure the best effect, Shinku didn't actively attack Hanma but laid his Genjutsu chakra around himself, creating a trap and waiting for Hanma to approach.
However, they hadn't yet witnessed Hanma's monstrous defense.
Even if Shinku succeeded briefly in stunning Hanma, his offensive methods likely wouldn't be effective.
A Genjutsu ninja doesn't need high attack power since a ninja controlled by Genjutsu is completely defenseless.
For ordinary ninjas, a single kunai could be fatal.
But for Hanma, to defeat him requires sufficient attack power to penetrate his defense.
Hanma walked lazily towards Shinku without a ripple in his heart, even wanting to laugh. He unexpectedly recalled past days of practicing with the Genjutsu clan.
Step by step, Hanma walked into Shinku's trap with a smile:
"Brother Shinku, your Genjutsu is laid out here, right?
Then let me experience the power of the Yuuhi clan's Genjutsu!"
At that moment, Shinku was truly shocked. Why would a Taijutsu ninja dare to confront his Genjutsu?
However, he didn't falter. The earlier fight had proven that Hanma was a ruthless killing machine.
Everyone was deeply impressed by his straightforward and smooth combat skills, knowing he couldn't be an arrogant fool.
"Secret Technique—Hell Tree Binding Assassination! Final Chapter!"
Shinku no longer hesitated, lowly urging his technique, and his chakra surged without reservation.
The overwhelming Genjutsu attacked Hanma, attempting to disturb his chakra and mental barriers.
But to Shinku's dismay, Hanma remained serene, even winking to reassure Minato, who looked worried from the stands.
With sweat on his forehead, Shinku was astonished to find that his mental power felt as insignificant as an ant against Hanma.
This was impossible! Shinku couldn't understand why Hanma's mental power was so strong.
In reality, for the Uchiha clan with Sharingan, fighting them with Genjutsu is tragic.
Though Hanma never used his Sharingan anyway.
Hanma quietly endured the Genjutsu. The confrontation with Shinku left him feeling bored.
Indeed, the field of Genjutsu heavily relies on bloodline and talent.
An ordinary ninja, even at the Jonin level, hitting a bottleneck is tough without bloodline limits.
Feeling bored, Hanma decided to end it quickly.
Winning three matches in a row would directly qualify him for the command position.
Hanma suddenly appeared behind Shinku.
Shinku, tense with defensive Genjutsu, was waiting for the next opportunity.
A blur of vision, a flash of afterimage—Hanma disappeared.
For a Jonin specializing in Genjutsu, close combat is no different from a Genin before Hanma.
Before Shinku could locate him, Hanma landed a light karate chop on his neck. Shinku tilted his head and fainted instantly.
Hanma carried Shinku to the viewing area and gently placed him down.
Smiling at the Third Hokage, arms crossed, he said casually:
"Hokage-sama, there are 16 of us competing. Winning three rounds places us in the top three for command qualification. I request to continue the battle until disqualified or obtaining a spot."
This genuinely disadvantaged Hanma.
For a ninja, revealing less information is crucial in battle.
Hanma voluntarily competing continuously in front of everyone brought him no benefit.
The Third Hokage smiled, whispered a few words to Danzo:
"Konoha's new generation has grown. I'm deeply gratified. No problem, let's proceed."
Minato ran over, handing a bottle of water, eyes shining with admiration.
Hanma gently patted Minato's head, drank the water, and returned to the center of the arena, waiting for the next challenger.
For a moment, with Konoha's two leaders in Genjutsu and Taijutsu defeated, the tension was palpable.