Boom!
Boom!
In the dense forest behind Huoying Rock, trees as thick as large bowls swayed wildly in the wind like catkins before crashing heavily to the ground.
Under the sunlight, sawdust and stone chips scattered through the air as two figures clashed rapidly, their attacks unleashing a terrifying aftermath.
Kai stood nearby, watching the battle intently, his eyes shining with excitement.
"Fenghuo… when did he get this strong?"
Kai had sparred with Fenghuo before—back then, Fenghuo hadn't unlocked the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and his chakra reserves were only half what they are now. Fighting at full strength now naturally meant his power had effectively doubled.
"Konoha Goriki Whirlwind!"
"Screw Pill!"
Boom!
The explosion rippled violently outward, sending shockwaves in all directions. The sawdust scattered in the air like shredded silk.
"Sealing Fire? That's nowhere near enough!" Matt Dai's eyes, sharp beneath his thick brows, pierced the battlefield. At this moment, he'd opened the Fourth Gate—the Gate of Pain—and his skin had taken on a strange, reddish hue from the blood pressure surge. His presence blazed like a beacon, growing ever stronger.
Across from him, Fenghuo panted heavily. Fighting Matt Dai was no easy task. Physically, he was outmatched in speed and strength. With Matt Dai's Fourth Gate opened, Fenghuo could barely follow his movements. Without the aid of the Spiral Pill he'd just taken, he would've been defeated long ago.
"Impossible!"
Fenghuo narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, the pupils of his Sharingan flashed ominously, an intimidating aura settling over him.
"What's that?" Matt Dai's pupils contracted sharply. "Sharingan? Double tomoe? When did Fenghuo unlock his eyes? I hadn't noticed!"
"Uncle Dai, from here on, it's all me!" Fenghuo declared, charging forward without hesitation, hands forming seals rapidly.
Si-Wei-Shen-Hai-Noon-Yin!
"Art Fire Escape: Flame Ball!"
A massive wave of fire surged forward, roaring against the wind as it charged at Matt Dai.
"Whirlwind of Leaves!"
Matt Dai never retreated. With a heavy kick, he unleashed a powerful whirlwind leg technique, sweeping the flames away.
Wei-Noon-Si-Chen-Zi-Chou-Yin!
"Fire Escape: Fire Dragon Flame Bomb!"
Flames erupted from three directions, engulfing Matt Dai. The intense heat warped the air, blurring the space around them.
"Open the Fifth Gate!"
Without hesitation, Matt Dai opened the Fifth Gate, the Gate of Closure. His chakra erupted violently, spilling over him in a shimmering layer of pale blue light.
"Konoha Bad Rock Rise!"
Matt Dai launched a brutal upward kick, sending a gale that blasted the fireball high into the sky.
Boom!
The flames exploded midair, showering sparks like fireworks.
"Genjutsu—Naraku no Jutsu!"
"Genjutsu—Heart Disruption!"
Fenghuo unleashed two illusions enhanced by his Sharingan in rapid succession. But Matt Dai, now berserk with the Fifth Gate opened, was unfazed by these minor tricks.
Boom! Bang! Bang!
Matt Dai took to the air, stepping on the wind to move freely, closing distance with blistering speed.
Thanks to the keen eyesight granted by his double-tomoe Sharingan, Fenghuo tracked Matt Dai's movements precisely.
Boom! Two spirals of sky-blue chakra burst from Fenghuo's hands simultaneously.
"Screw Pill!"
"Whirlwind of Leaves!"
Boom!
The shockwave cracked the earth beneath them.
Fenghuo shielded his face with both hands, stumbling back involuntarily as his feet dug shallow trenches in the soil.
Matt Dai, with all five gates open, was now close to Jonin-level strength.
"Cough, cough…" Fenghuo spat blood lightly, feeling the impact of Matt Dai's devastating kick rip through his ribs.
"Open the gates, close the gates, open again!"
Fenghuo immediately opened the First and Second Gates, surging forward with his Sharingan blazing.
'Uncle Dai's speed is terrifying now. The Fire Escape ninjutsu I know can't keep up, so I have to rely on Spiral Pills and taijutsu!' he thought.
His Sharingan locked onto Matt Dai's lightning-fast form, and he launched a large spiral pill from his palm. Opening the gates amplified his chakra, making the pill much larger and more powerful.
Boom! Puff!
The collision left Fenghuo reeling—Matt Dai's kick sent him flying, coughing up more blood. He smashed through a tree thick as a bowl and skidded across the ground for several meters.
Matt Dai took a deep breath and slowly closed the gates.
Fighting Fenghuo was not just about defeating him—it was also a way for Matt Dai to better understand the Eight Gates technique himself.
"Fenghuo, you alright?" Kai ran over anxiously.
"I'm fine… just some chest pain," Fenghuo said, eyes lowered. I thought I could handle this… but a rib kicked like that? What grudge does he have against me? Am I still Xia Yuhe back at Daming Lake? Feeling wronged, he used the Palm Immortal Technique to heal himself.
"Fenghuo, I've made progress, but I'm still not sure about passing the Chunin Exam!" Matt Dai admitted, hands on hips, still catching his breath from opening the gates, but smiling broadly, clearly energized by the fight.
"Uncle Dai, I think I have a broken rib." Fenghuo looked for guilt on Matt Dai's face, but found none—not even close.
"Haha, that's youth for you. As a ninja, injuries are part of the job. Get used to it!" Matt Dai gave a thumbs-up, a bright light gleaming at the corner of his mouth. "Keep training—I believe you'll succeed!"
What else can I say? He's totally unrepentant! Fenghuo sighed.
"By the way, your eyes… Sharingan?" Matt Dai's expression suddenly turned serious.
Fenghuo smiled. "Yeah, I unlocked my Sharingan."
Matt Dai stared deeply. "Fenghuo, Sharingan is a powerful bloodline ability, but it comes with great danger. You must strengthen your will constantly—don't get lost in the power of the eye."
"I understand." Fenghuo nodded solemnly.
"And the ninjutsu you used just now?" Matt Dai asked with concern.
"Those were my own Fire Escape techniques," Fenghuo replied shyly.
"You really are a genius." Matt Dai couldn't help but admire him.
Thanks to the Palm Immortal Technique, Fenghuo's rib injury healed quickly. The next day, after resting, his stamina was fully restored.
Fenghuo went to the Anma Clan and told Anma Congyun he needed to focus on combat experience and wouldn't be learning illusions from him for a while.
Congyun's stoic face gave nothing away, but he watched Fenghuo leave with something unreadable in his eyes.
Then Fenghuo went to the Ninja Academy and asked Kiyono-sensei for leave to prepare for the graduation exam. Kiyono seemed to have received instructions and didn't make things difficult.
Afterwards, Fenghuo no longer needed to split his chakra with Shadow Clones and devoted himself fully to training.
Boom!
The battles began again.
Against physical fighters like Matt Dai, Fenghuo abandoned ninjutsu and illusions, relying purely on Sharingan-enhanced taijutsu and the Eight Gates. Still, Matt Dai abused him mercilessly each fight.
"Uncle Dai abuses me a thousand times, but I treat him like my first love!" Fenghuo joked inwardly, remembering the green book incident.
Determined, he trained to reduce injuries and improve his endurance, fighting tenaciously through adversity.
As the graduation exam approached, Fenghuo's combat experience deepened, and the synergy between his Sharingan, Spiral Pills, and Eight Gates grew seamless.
Finally, two months later, summer came with a blazing sun—and the graduation season of the Ninja Academy was upon them.
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