A little over fifteen minutes had passed, and Uchiha Reina and Hyuga Itsuki were standing in the arena, facing each other, waiting for the referee to begin the match.
Team 1-S was currently leading the final with a score of 3-2 in their favor.
So, Reina's match could very well be the last match of the final round before the tournament ends unless Hyuga could pull off a miracle to win this match.
If he could, the final score would be 3-3, leading to another tiebreaker match.
And if Reina won, the score would settle at 4-2 in favor of Team 1-S, crowning them the winner of this interclass competition between the second-year S-class students.
Reina stood with her arms crossed, displaying a typical Uchiha expressionless face. It seemed like she was concentrating on her opponent, working on strategies against the formidable adversary before her.
However, reality couldn't be any further than this.
Hmm…what should I eat tonight?
Should I invite my friends to the Akimichi clan's BBQ restaurant to celebrate our victory after I deal with this Hyuga?
Or should I postpone it and enjoy my mother's cooking instead?
Hmmm…
I don't think Yuto, Touma, and Shikamo's injuries will heal quickly enough to get discharged from the hospital tonight.
Then, let's go with my mother's delicacies.
I should buy some premium meat from a delicious chakra beast when I go home.
Uchiha Reina quietly thought about what to eat at dinner after she won her match, completely disregarding the opponent in front of her.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Itsuki was seriously analyzing Reina and the strength she had displayed so far to formulate the best way to defeat her.
His face was as stoic as ever.
His pure white Byakugan stared at her with such intensity that it seemed he wanted to pierce through her soul to discover her vulnerabilities and weaknesses, ready to exploit them in order to defeat her.
Hyuga Itsuki's overwhelming ocular power was practically bursting forth, trying to put pressure on Reina's spirit.
However, Reina was completely unfazed.
Trying to pressure the spirit of a Uchiha who had awakened Sharingan, the very pinnacle of Yin Release Kekkei Genkai, with the ocular power of a basic Byakugan?
Not to mention, she had already awakened two-tomoe Sharingan.
Combined with her strong will, indomitable spiritual power that had been tempered by many trials and battles she faced before her regression, and her natural talent, the ocular power and the strength of her two-tomoe Sharingan already exceeded many Uchiha ninjas' Sharingan who had just reached the three-tomoe level.
The only reason she hadn't unlocked the three-tomoe Sharingan yet was that her mixed Senju and Uzumaki lineage was continuously nourishing her Dojutsu, raising the upper limit of her Sharingan.
Unlike many Uchiha, who needed intense emotions or trauma to awaken and evolve their Sharingan, Reina didn't have to rely on them.
As long as she trained hard while letting her body's vitality and Yang Release property nourish her eyes to the limit, she could automatically evolve her Sharingan to higher levels.
Of course, intense emotions and traumas could also speed up the process.
But if she could choose, she would prefer not to suffer from any loss again.
That said, intense positive emotions that could speed up her eyes' evolution were always welcome.
Soon, the referee stepped into the arena and confirmed if they were ready to begin the match.
Once they confirmed it, the referee finally declared the beginning of the match.
"The match between Uchiha Reina of Team 1-S and Hyuga Itsuki of Team 2-S…"
"Now…BEGINS!!"
The referee announced the beginning of the match before quickly disappearing from the open arena using the Body Flicker Technique.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Reina and Hyuga Itsuki stared at each other without even lifting a finger.
However, Reina had already unfolded her arms, ready to make a move at any moment.
Her eyes turned crimson as she opened her Sharingan. Two pitch-black tomoe were slowly rotating inside her glowing blood-red irises, which captured every detail, every nuance her eyes could see.
And Hyuga Itsuki had also adopted a battle stance, ready to attack and counter his enemy should they make any sudden move.
He also activated his Byakugan.
Veins popped up around his eyes and the sides of his face, signifying the activation of the Hyuga clan's signature Dojutsu that gave Itsuki a true 360° view, enhanced perception, the ability to see through obstructions, and the capability to see chakra points and pathways.
Suddenly, Hyuga Itsuki charged forward.
He arrived in front of Uchiha Reina in less than a second before launching a flurry of attacks using the Hyuga clan's special Taijutsu, Gentle Fist Technique.
Every strike aimed at Reina's chakra point.
If the strikes landed properly, Itsuki could channel his chakra through Reina's chakra point, temporarily blocking it while dealing considerable internal damage.
The severity of the damage would depend on the force of the strike, the amount of chakra that Itsuki could forcefully channel into his opponent's chakra point, and his opponent's chakra control capabilities and chakra reserves.
A typical ninja's body had 361 chakra points or tenketsu that could release chakra throughout the body and outside of the body.
However, most people, even those with mature three-tomoe Sharingan, couldn't perceive or see them as these 361 tenketsu were too small to be seen.
Only someone with Byakugan (or Tenseigan), a Dojutsu capable of seeing chakra flow and chakra pathways, could accurately see, pinpoint, and attack these 361 chakra points for various purposes.
Unfortunately, Uchiha Reina gave Itsuki no chance to utilize his Byakugan and Gentle Fist Technique to his advantage.
Reina effortlessly dodged and countered Itsuki's chakra-enhanced Gentle Fist attacks.
Even when his fingers or palm reached near one of the chakra points in Reina's arms, she would release a burst of chakra from the chakra points of that specific part of her body to nullify Itsuki's chakra infusion, leaving him at a loss.
He couldn't understand how a little Uchiha girl who was a year younger than him could counter his Gentle Fist Technique so accurately.
It was as if she had faced hundreds of battles against Hyuga ninjas utilizing the Gentle Fist Technique, making her instinctively counter all their advantages.
But that was impossible.
After all, she wasn't some experienced ninja from the Warring States Era, who battled against countless Hyuga clan members.
Was that what they call an absolute generational prodigy?
No, this was just the beginning.
He still had many techniques and trump cards that he hadn't revealed yet.
Surely, he could find her weaknesses as the battle raged on and exploit them to secure a victory.
Yes, he could do that.
However, before he could think any further, he suddenly saw Reina block his strikes and swiftly attack his chest with a powerful chakra-reinforced kick.
The power behind the kick was enough to break a rib or two if he failed to defend against it.
Left with no other choice, he crossed his arms in an X-shape to cover his chest protectively while releasing a dense amount of rotating chakra from his arms' chakra points to create a protective layer.
Bang!
Reina's kick landed on Itsuki's arms, creating a mild shockwave in the air, enough to produce a moderate amount of wind to make their clothes flutter.
The force behind that kick caused Itsuki to slide approximately 7-8 meters backward, leaving deep marks on the ground.
When he finally stopped sliding backward, he felt his arms going numb from the bone-deep pain he had to endure as a result of blocking the kick directly.
He couldn't help but grit his teeth.
At this moment, he heard an almost mocking question that made his face turn dark in rage.
"That's it? Is that all you can do, Hyuga?"
"Pathetic!"
-----------------------------------
A/N: If you like my story and want to read ahead, you can check out my P@treon page and read up to 25 Advanced chapters!
patreon.com/Seigan
You can also help me by sharing the story around. Thank you for reading!