As the mud dragon crumbled into fragments of earth, Seimei finally made the spheres of lightning slow down, causing the electrically charged, golden, semi-spherical dome to slowly disappear.
The lightning balls kept hovering around Seimei while crackling with intense lightning arcs. However, the original twelve lightning balls were reduced to seven.
Clearly, Seimei had exhausted the chakra of the five spheres of lightning to counter and destroy the mud dragon construct.
But to Naoki, that wasn't important now.
Because Seimei's application of a basic C-rank Lightning Release Ninjutsu left him completely dumbfounded.
His Mud Release: Mud Dragon Bullet Technique was a B-rank Mud Release Ninjutsu.
It wasn't just any B-rank Jutsu, but a high-tier B-rank Jutsu associated with his powerful Kekkei Genkai that could tear through most B-rank elemental Ninjutsu with ease.
And Seimei countered his signature Jutsu with a f*cking C-rank Lightning Release Ninjutsu that most Konoha Shinobi with Lightning Release affinity pick as their first basic elemental Jutsu.
Naoki felt as if the world had gone mad.
It was the Lightning Ball Jutsu.
The freaking C-rank Lightning Ball Jutsu.
And it completely obliterated a powerful B-rank Mud Release technique as if it were electrocuting an annoying fly.
Even if Mud Release was weak against Lightning Release, the sheer momentum of his mud dragon should have been enough to break Seimei's defense and make him retreat.
Many ninjas with lightning affinity in the crowd were also gawking at the scene right now.
(Most ninjas with lightning affinity: Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
Most ninjas with lightning affinity: We also know the Lightning Ball Jutsu. Then why is the difference between our techniques so big? Is our Lightning Ball Jutsu fake? Were we practicing the counterfeit Ninjutsu all this time? Please, we need answers.)
Meanwhile, Tobirama was watching the scene below with shining eyes. His inner forbidden Jutsu specialist was screaming at him to leave this place at once and start some experiments.
"Interesting. So, Jutsu with low-chakra cost can be used this way to improve their power and expand their utility."
"Who would have guessed that a basic offensive and crowd-control Jutsu could be used this way to create an impenetrable defense?"
"Amazing. I have to try this when I go back."
Tobirama mused as he focused his gaze back at the match arena.
On the other side, Seimei looked at the dumbfounded expression of Naoki, his opponent, with amusement.
Naoki's jaw practically dropped to the ground.
However, the match must go on.
Seimei said, "What?"
"Don't tell me that was enough to surprise you."
"That was just a basic application of chakra and nature transformation control."
And that was the truth.
For Seimei, who had already reached Lv.6 in chakra control and lightning affinity, controlling the spheres of lightning made by a C-rank Ninjutsu was an easy task.
However, for others, things weren't that simple.
As a result, Seimei's response sounded nothing but blatant bragging to Naoki's ears.
Basic application?
Basic application, my foot.
Senju Naoki grumbled inwardly and prepared to unleash his next move.
However, before he could do that, he saw the remaining seven lightning balls hovering around Seimei, pouncing at him.
The speed at which the lightning ball attacked him was fast.
He activated the Body Flicker Technique to retreat, only to see two lightning balls hit the ground where he was standing just a moment ago.
Booom! Booom! Crackle!!
The two lightning balls that hit the ground exploded upon impact, making arcs of golden lightning crack the ground apart and charring it with their innate high temperature.
Seeing this scene, Naoki couldn't help but feel his back drenched in cold sweat.
What the hell?
Weren't the Lightning Ball Jutsu only supposed to electrocute and paralyze ninjas while causing only minor burns?
What's up with those two lightning balls' insane power, then?
Naoki continued to curse Seimei in his mind, but his hand seals didn't stop.
After all, Seimei still had five lightning balls around him, and two of them were rushing toward him at this moment.
When the incoming lightning balls were just 15 meters away from him, he finished the set of hand seals.
The earth around him turned into heavy, viscous mud once again and began to flow around him like fluid water.
Mud Release: Mud Flow Wall
The flowing mud came in front of Naoki and erected a 6-meter-tall and 8-meter-wide mud wall before the lightning balls could hit him.
The lightning balls crashed into the mud wall, spreading scorching hot lightning bolts all around it.
Booooom!!
Crackle~ Crackle~
Lightning bolts thinned the mud wall bit by bit before the two lightning balls completely lost their power.
The mud wall ultimately held on.
Seeing this, Naoki sighed in relief.
However, his relief was short-lived.
Crackle~ Crackle~
Suddenly, he heard a loud crackling sound that sent shivers down his spine. And if that wasn't enough, he also heard Seimei's amused yet chilling voice.
"You didn't forget that I still have three lightning balls left, did you? My brother?" said Seimei as he controlled the remaining three lightning balls according to his will.
Centered around one lightning ball, the remaining two lightning balls began rotating at high speed, creating a spinning wheel or disk of crackling, bright, golden lightning.
Improvised Lightning Release: Wheel of Lightning
Then, he threw the lightning wheel, nearly one meter in diameter, at the mud wall erected by Naoki.
Booooom!! Crackle!!
The lightning wheel hit the mud wall in the blink of an eye, obliterating it almost instantly before rushing toward Naoki.
"What?"
Naoki almost screamed in surprise. He tried to dodge the incoming Jutsu, but the lightning wheel was faster than him.
It hit him squarely on his chest before exploding with a loud bang.
Boooooooooom!!
Crackle!!
A sea of lightning bolts spread across an area about five meters in diameter, completely engulfing the figure of Senju Naoki.
When the aftereffects of the explosion subsided, the charred body of Naoki crumbled into fragments of earth.
"A mud clone," muttered Seimei. However, his glowing eyes held no confusion.
Suddenly, both of his feet were caught by a pair of hands emerging from the ground without making any sound.
And before he could make any move, Seimei was dragged down, and his entire body sank into the ground. Only his head stayed above the surface.
He clearly became the victim of an almost flawless execution of the D-rank Earth Release Ninjutsu, Double Suicide Decapitation Technique.
Senju Naoki's real body emerged from the ground right in front of Seimei's eyes. He saw quietly as Naoki pointed his kunai at his forehead.
Naoki demanded, "Surrender, Seimei. You have already lost."
Hearing this, Seimei innocently tilted his head and asked, "Really?"
"Are you sure about that?"
Hearing this, Naoki frowned.
However, he soon felt an immense sense of crisis. He tried to activate the Body Flicker Technique to move away, but Seimei acted faster than Naoki once again.
Two hands came out of the ground and firmly grabbed Naoki's ankles.
Crackle! Crackle!
The hands suddenly crackled with blue lightning discharge, which electrocuted Senju Naoki almost immediately.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
Naoki's piercing, pained scream spread throughout the arena as he suffered from the assault of high-voltage lightning for nearly five seconds.
Lightning tore almost all of his clothes to shreds, and his body was mildly charred.
Even chakra reinforcement and coating couldn't save him from Seimei's powerful lightning discharge.
Thud~
Once the lightning disappeared, Naoki's charred and paralyzed body fell to the ground like a broken doll with a thud.
If someone noticed carefully, they could see smoke coming out of Naoki's body, soundlessly expressing the horrifying nature of the last lightning attack.
Another Seimei, who discharged lightning to incapacitate Naoki, came out of the earth and watched his paralyzed clansman silently while scratching the back of his head.
Uh…I guess I went overboard again.
At first, I planned to paralyze him with lightning before showing up and placing the blade on his neck to make him surrender.
But I don't think I need to do it now.
Shaking off his inner thoughts, Seimei turned his head to his left and looked at the referee.
The referee nodded, flickered toward Naoki, and assessed his condition.
Then, he declared, "Senju Naoki can no longer continue."
"Senju Seimei of Team 1-S WINS!"
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