Chapter 11 Sorry! Rasengan!

The second match passed uneventfully.

By the third, the arena welcomed two familiar figures—Saiguu Hyuga and Tsume Inuzuka.

Both had fought Kadoya Uchiha before. But while Tsume had only faced him a few times, Saiguu had sparred with him hundreds of times.

From the moment the fight began, Tsume went for the kill—or rather, for the eyes.

Sharp claws swiped toward Saiguu's face, aiming to blind her.

But Saiguu was unfazed.

With the Byakugan's all-seeing vision and her extensive experience fighting Kadoya, adapting to Tsume's attacks was effortless.

The Hyuga's Gentle Fist style, paired with superior taijutsu, gave her a decisive edge. It wasn't long before Tsume lay defeated.

Saiguu stepped off the stage, brushing her hands together like it was nothing.

Then, her Byakugan eyes locked onto Kadoya in the crowd. A warm smile spread across her lips.

Kadoya sighed. 'Here we go again…'

When the next match was called, Kadoya finally stepped onto the stage.

"Kadoya, don't embarrass them too much."

Saiguu, standing at the edge of the arena, clenched her fists, as if already marking him as her next opponent.

"Don't worry," Kadoya replied with a lazy shrug.

He walked calmly, arms crossed, his black Uchiha-kimono swaying with each step. His shoulder-length hair moved lightly in the breeze.

Then—

Screams erupted from the audience.

"Kadoya, you're so handsome!"

"I love you so much!"

The high-pitched shrieks echoed through the training grounds.

Most of the younger students were starstruck. His classmates, however, looked unimpressed since he usually sends them to the hospital. If he didn't do that, then maybe by now he might have a few open fanclubs.

Jiraiya, standing on the sidelines, curled his lips.

"Tch, this is nothing compared to how popular I was at his age."

Kadoya: "..."

Stepping onto the stage, Kadoya reached into his sleeve.

Slowly, he pulled out a long, gleaming katana. The blade shimmered under the sunlight, its white handle and golden guard exuding a refined elegance.

With a smooth spin, Kadoya pointed the tip toward his opponent.

Silence.

Then—

"I surrender!"

His opponent declared instantly and bolted off the stage.

The training ground fell into stunned silence.

Then—

Cheers erupted again.

"Kadoya-sama!!!"

Kadoya: "..."

Jiraiya: "..."

Orochimaru: "..."

The two Jonin exchanged glances, utterly speechless.

Not a single student had questioned the decision. Kadoya Uchiha was already feared enough without a weapon. Now armed with a katana? They weren't taking any chances.

Looking down at his Zanpakutō, Kadoya sighed and, with a casual flick of his wrist, slid it back into his sleeve. It disappeared as if by magic.

Orochimaru's golden eyes glimmered with intrigue.

A trick? No… It had to be Fūinjutsu.

His teacher had mentioned that Kadoya was learning from Lady Mito. 'Interesting…'

"Where the hell did you get that sick-looking sword?"

Saiguu suddenly elbowed Kadoya in the ribs, a playful smirk on her lips.

"I picked it up," Kadoya replied nonchalantly.

Saiguu rolled her eyes. Bastard. Technically, he wasn't lying… But still.

She smirked and leaned in teasingly.

"You don't exactly look like a swordsman, y'know. With your attitude, you seem more like a farmer by day and a club dancer by night."

Kadoya shrugged.

"You're thinking too far ahead. Even I don't know what I'm eating for dinner tonight."

Saiguu chuckled.

"Oh? Do you need me to cook dinner for you too?" she teased.

As the two bantered, Jiraiya—standing nearby—felt an intense, unseen force crush his soul.

A single man watching these two brats 'flirt' like an old married couple…

Jiraiya took 10,000 points of emotional damage.

His fingers twitched. His eye twitched. Then—

"WHY?! WHY?!

Jiraiya roared toward the heavens, arms raised dramatically.

"What did I do wrong?! Why can these kids show affection so easily, while I—A JONIN—haven't even gotten a girlfriend yet?! WHY WON'T TSUNADE GO ON A DATE WITH ME?!"

Kadoya & Saiguu: "???"

Orochimaru: "..."

Tsunade: "..."

Everyone: "..."

They stared at him like he was a child throwing a tantrum.

...

The matches continued into the second round, where Kadoya and Saiguu found themselves standing across from each other on the stage.

The two exchanged knowing smiles before charging forward, their movements fluid as they clashed in a fast-paced flurry of taijutsu. Kadoya's wild and unpredictable fighting style forced Saiguu to abandon the traditional Hyuga Gentle Fist, adapting on the fly to counter his erratic attacks. But adaptation wasn't one-sided—Kadoya, too, adjusted to the precision of her Gentle Fist, turning their battle into something that looked more like a dance than a fight.

"These two... are really something," Orochimaru murmured in amusement.

Kadoya tilted his head, narrowly dodging Saiguu's palm strike before countering with a punch infused with Hamon.

Saiguu leapt back, creating distance—but Kadoya wasn't finished.

"Zoom Punch!"

With a sudden pop of his joints, Kadoya dislocated and extended his arm unnaturally, his fist closing in on Saiguu faster than expected. She barely managed to raise her arms in time to block the hit, gritting her teeth as she absorbed the impact.

Retracting his arm, Kadoya flicked his wrist, popping his joints back into place. Then, with a slow exhale, he clapped his palms together, pulling them apart to reveal a shimmering, oversized bubble forming between them.

Channeling Hamon into the bubble, he smirked.

"Water Style: Electric Bubble Mines!"

With a casual wave, the large bubble shattered into countless tiny orbs, scattering across the battlefield.

At first, the crowd didn't know how to react. Many students scoffed at the sight of mere bubbles floating around. Jiraiya laughed openly, assuming Kadoya was putting on a performance to entertain the audience.

Even some of Kadoya's fangirls—though quick to defend him—were unsure of what to make of the technique. They don't know much about him, beside he is strong and handsome.

Orochimaru, however, widened his eyes in realization.

"Bubbles…" he muttered, recalling the strange occurrences where ninja tools would vanish after battle by random bubbles.

Meanwhile, Saiguu activated her Byakugan, her expression tightening as she maneuvered through the floating orbs with calculated precision. She knew firsthand how dangerous Kadoya's bubble techniques could be.

Although not lethal, it would probably be enough to annoy her to death.

But Kadoya wasn't done.

"Minato Style: Massive Bubble-Carried-Tiny-Bubbles-Circling-Smaller-Bubbles Jutsu!"

The moment Kadoya called out the ridiculous name, over four-fifths of the audience collapsed to the ground. Minato, standing among them, chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

He had convinced Kadoya that it was a good name, but hearing it spoken aloud… yeah, maybe not.

Saiguu found herself boxed in—trapped between the bubbles behind her and the massive one Kadoya had just released in front of her.

Saiguu added more chakra into her palms, and using the swiftness and fast movement of her clan Gentle Fists, she guided the bubble away, creating an opening for her to escape the pin, barely in time as the Minato Style: Massive Bubble-Carried-Tiny-Bubbles-Circling-Smaller-Bubbles Jutsu popped, releasing the small bubbles inside.

Jiraiya scoffed. "What's she hesitating for? They're just bubbles."

Orochimaru rolled his eyes before grabbing Jiraiya's hand and forcing it into one of the bubbles.

Pop!

A jolt of electricity shot through Jiraiya's body, causing him to yelp and yank his hand back.

"What the hell!?" he yelled, shaking his tingling fingers.

"Electrified bubbles," Orochimaru explained, watching with fascination. "He's fusing water and lightning chakra into his bubbles—individually, they might not be lethal, but in large numbers… they're a nightmare."

As if on cue, one of the bubbles popped near Jiraiya's face, splashing him with hot water.

"Hot water!? Who the hell uses hot water in their jutsu!?" Jiraiya roared.

Ignoring his friend, Orochimaru narrowed his gaze back toward the fight, his eyes locking onto Kadoya, with his mind already made up that once this tournament ended, he would take Kadoya as a personal disciple.

Saiguu rushed toward Kadoya, chakra coating her hands as she struck with increasing speed. Her movements became more refined, her strikes sharper—until her chakra-covered fists took on a form.

It wasn't quite Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists, but it was close—a prototype of the technique that would later appear in the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Kadoya recognized the form instantly. 'Impressive... She's not there yet, but this is a start...'

Then—her palm struck his face.

But instead of flesh meeting chakra-infused fist, Kadoya's body exploded into a flock of white doves.

The birds scattered, revealing Kadoya standing a distance away, smirking.

Saiguu exhaled, feeling her chakra reserves running dangerously low. Maintaining her chakra-infused fists for this long had been exhausting. And she knew that her friend was quite the slippery bastard, so dragging this out any longer would only be her loss.

"Saiguu," Kadoya called out, his smirk widening. "I'm impressed. You've really grown since our last real match… so—" He paused for dramatic effect, "Let me show you a jutsu I've been working on."

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Two identical copies of Kadoya appeared beside him, moving in perfect sync as he thrust his right hand forward. The clones immediately got to work, molding chakra into his palm. A spiraling mass of compressed spiralling chakra took form, glowing brightly, even somewhat flashy.

Kadoya launched himself forward. "Let's see how well you handle this!"

Saiguu sighed and raised both hands in surrender. "I forfeit."

The arena fell into stunned silence.

Kadoya's eyes went wide in horror. "Wait—what!?"

He had already built up too much momentum. His body surged forward uncontrollably, and in a split-second decision, he kicked off the ground, twisting midair to redirect himself—straight toward Jiraiya.

The white-haired future Sannin squinted at the incoming Kadoya, unconcerned. To him, this was just another one of Kadoya's flashy, impractical techniques—probably some weird, annoying trick with no real power behind it.

That is also everyone else's thought.

"Sorry!" Kadoya yelled as he braced for impact.

"Rasengan!"

A deafening explosion erupted. The once lively tournament grounds fell into absolute silence.

Dust settled, revealing Kadoya pushing himself off the ground, coughing as he waved away the smoke. Right beside him, Jiraiya lay sprawled out, twitching slightly.

Then, all hell broke loose.

"OI! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!?" Saiguu's furious voice rang out as she stormed over and kicked Kadoya square in the back.

"What!?" Kadoya shot back, twisting to glare at her. "You can't blame me for that! I thought you were gonna dodge or at least defend yourself—not just give up out of nowhere!"

"How the hell was I supposed to know you had a bomb inside your bubbles!?"

"It's not a bomb! It's controlled spiral chakra compression!"

"That's literally what a bomb is, you moron!"

Minato, watching from the sidelines, tried to interject. "Actually, what Kadoya did was—"

"Shut up, Minato!" Saiguu and Kadoya snapped in unison.

Minato flinched, raising his hands in surrender.

"You should at least not drop your defenses like that!"

"And take that hit!? I'm not a masochist like Minato!"

"I'm not a masochist…" he muttered under his breath, but no one was paying attention to him anymore.

A loud "AHEM!" cut through their argument.

Orochimaru cleared his throat dramatically, his golden eyes glinting with amusement. "Perhaps you two should continue this discussion in private. For now, your match is over, so let's not waste everyone's time with a theatrical performance."

Without waiting for a response, Orochimaru grabbed Jiraiya's limp body by the collar and started dragging him off toward Tsunade for medical attention.

The system prompt flashed in Kadoya's mind:

Stylish Ranking: Apocalyptic!

Reward: +500 Ninja Points +500 Evil Points

Congratulations! Quest Complete: "Defeating a Sannin! (Jiraiya)"

Reward: +1 System Point + Sage Mode (Toad) Learning Method