Chapter 74: Fighting Style
Chapter 74: Fighting Style
Seeing Sakura stand up again, Naruto, who had been anxiously watching, finally let out a sigh of relief. That sudden attack from Dosu, heavily injuring Sakura, was truly frightening. Fortunately, she seemed to be okay. Naruto then resumed his loud cheering for Sakura.
"Calm down, Naruto. Sakura has already won," Mizuki said to him.
The moment Dosu's desperate attack failed to land a decisive blow, the outcome of the battle was essentially decided.
"Kakashi's team has already won two matches in a row. Looks like we can't hold our heads up in front of the Third Hokage anymore," said Asuma Sarutobi with a wry smile. Compared to Kakashi's team, his and Kurenai Yuhi's teams had only one member each who made it to the third round—Shino Aburame and Shikamaru Nara, both of whom had relatively low profiles. The gap was almost embarrassing.
Down in the arena, after getting back on her feet, Sakura focused on treating her injuries while keeping an eye on Dosu, who looked like he could barely stand.
"You're out of chances. Just give up before it's too late. If you keep pushing yourself, you're going to die," Sakura warned her opponent one last time. She could tell that he was suffering from severe blood loss. If he didn't get treated soon, it might be too late.
With his vision already blurry, Dosu gritted his teeth and forced himself to speak, "Are you joking? An Oto-nin doesn't give up. Our only fate is death."
Seeing that reasoning with him was futile, Sakura turned to the referee, Shiranui Genma.
"Is it necessary to continue, Examiner?"
"The opponent has no intention of surrendering. The match will go on," Genma declared. If it were a Konoha shinobi, he might have called it off for safety. But an Oto-nin? If he wanted to die, that was his choice.
As time passed, Dosu's chances only diminished further. Knowing this, he gathered his last bit of strength, hoping to capitalize on Sakura's still-injured state and make one final push—perhaps hoping for a miracle.
Seeing Dosu's persistence, Sakura didn't dare let her guard down. She activated chakra in her feet to increase her speed and used chakra threads to pull herself around the arena, maintaining distance from her opponent. With the pain still pulsating through her body, she couldn't maintain her chakra armor with precision. She decided to avoid direct confrontation and wait for Dosu to exhaust himself completely. One more mistake, and she knew it could be the end for her.
The next phase of the fight became monotonous—Dosu, staggering and exhausted, continued to chase after Sakura, but his attacks became increasingly feeble. Even the most casual observers could tell that the match was all but over.
"Asuma-sensei, isn't it odd how determined Oto-nin are? They seem to fight without any regard for their lives," Kurenai remarked, puzzled.
"It's probably despair," Mizuki said softly.
As a fanatical follower of Orochimaru, Dosu's life revolved around fulfilling his master's wishes. When left abandoned and in enemy territory, with no hope of rescue, despair set in. For Dosu, proving himself before dying was his last bit of defiance against fate.
Dosu had accepted that Orochimaru didn't care whether he lived or died. He thought, "It's just as I suspected... We were always this weak... I couldn't even get the chance to face Sasuke... Dying here really is my limit..."
His vision darkened as his movements became increasingly sluggish. Even his desperate punches seemed to strike empty air, no longer tracking Sakura's swift movements.
"Hey, don't you think Sakura's fighting style is kind of strange?" Kurenai asked, observing intently. "It's nothing like Kakashi's. Did he really teach her this?"
Her remark was astute. Kakashi's combat style was generally straightforward, efficient, and adaptable. Sakura's current battle, however, showed a level of finesse, flexibility, and graceful footwork that was completely different. Even her utilization of medical ninjutsu and chakra threads didn't resemble anything Kakashi would teach.
"That's not Kakashi-sensei's style," Naruto interjected. "Kakashi-sensei took Sasuke for special training and dumped me with that pervy sage. He handed Sakura over to Mizuki-sensei. It's totally unfair!"
"Really?" Kurenai and Asuma both turned to stare at Mizuki.
Sighing, Mizuki replied, "Honestly, Asuma, even if no one else knew, I thought you'd at least be aware. Didn't Ino tell you anything? You're too busy playing shogi with Shikamaru to notice what your other students are up to."
"Yeah, Asuma-sensei!" Ino chimed in as she approached. "I've been learning a lot of new techniques lately, but you never seem to care. You're always off doing something else!"
"Well, you can't really blame Asuma-sensei. After all, adults have their own worries," Mizuki remarked, hinting at Asuma's romantic interests.
"Adult worries? What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked, clearly confused.
"Never mind that. Just focus on the match, Naruto. Your fight with Sakura is coming up next. If you don't pay attention, you're going to get wrecked," Mizuki warned.
"Damn it, where is Kakashi?!" Mizuki thought anxiously, still waiting for his fellow jōnin to arrive. The match had dragged on far too long.
Meanwhile, in the arena, the outcome was finally sealed. Dosu, his blood staining the ground, could no longer move. Sakura took advantage of his sluggishness, expertly manipulating her chakra threads to wrap around him, firmly binding him in place. With one powerful tug, she pulled him to the ground, where he collapsed and lost consciousness.
"Victory goes to Haruno Sakura!" Shiranui Genma announced as the medical team hurried into the arena.
"It's finally over!" Mizuki let out a long sigh of relief.
Though the battle hadn't been particularly flashy, Sakura's victory showcased her growth as a shinobi. Her mastery of medical ninjutsu, chakra control, and tactical combat all came together in a well-deserved win. For a genin, her performance was nothing short of remarkable.
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