The moment Tenten stepped onto the battlefield, her grip tightened around her scrolls. She knew Temari was strong, but this was her chance to prove herself—to show that her skills as a weapons master were enough to take on anyone. Across from her, Temari stood with her fan resting lazily on her shoulder, completely relaxed.
"You sure you're ready for this?" Temari asked, smirking.
Tenten rolled her shoulders. "I was born ready."
Hayate glanced at both fighters before raising his hand. "Begin."
Tenten wasted no time. She leapt backward, flipping through the air as her hands moved in a blur, unraveling her scrolls mid-flight. "Twin Rising Dragons!" The scrolls swirled around her, forming an elegant arc as hundreds of weapons burst forth, raining down toward Temari in a deadly storm of steel.
Temari's smirk widened. "Cute trick."
With a single mighty swing of her fan, a gust of wind erupted from the battlefield, colliding with Tenten's barrage. The force was so intense that every single weapon was repelled, sent scattering harmlessly in different directions.
Tenten landed, narrowing her eyes. "So that's how it is."
She immediately re-summoned a fresh arsenal, throwing wave after wave of kunai, shuriken, and other deadly projectiles. But Temari didn't move. She stood firm, waiting. Then, just as the weapons neared, she lifted a single finger and flicked her fan open slightly.
A second wave of wind blasted outward, completely negating the attack once again.
Tenten gritted her teeth. This was bad. Temari was barely trying, and yet none of her attacks were landing. She needed a different approach.
She took a deep breath and launched herself forward, kunai in hand. If ranged attacks wouldn't work, then she'd have to get up close. She feinted left, then twisted mid-air, aiming a downward slash toward Temari's side.
Temari's expression didn't change. She sidestepped with ease and, with an almost bored motion, swung her fan straight into Tenten's stomach.
The impact was brutal.
Tenten's body lifted off the ground before she crashed back down, rolling across the battlefield. She coughed, struggling to catch her breath.
Temari walked forward slowly, looking down at her opponent. "You're good with weapons, I'll give you that," she said, tapping the edge of her fan on her shoulder. "But against me? They're useless."
Tenten gritted her teeth, pushing herself up. She wasn't done yet. She still had—
Before she could move, Temari swung her fan one last time, unleashing a massive gale. The force slammed into Tenten's already weakened form, sending her flying. She hit the ground hard, her weapons scattered across the floor.
Hayate watched her for a moment before raising his hand. "Winner: Temari."
A few murmurs spread through the audience. Some had expected Tenten to at least land a hit, but Temari had completely outclassed her.
Temari sighed, closing her fan with a flick. "I told you this was a waste of time."
Tenten groaned, lying on her back, staring at the ceiling. Damn it…
Just as she was about to force herself up, a hand appeared in front of her.
She blinked in confusion, then followed the hand up to Raven's smirking face.
"Can't have my little honey bunny getting hurt in front of me," Raven teased, effortlessly pulling Tenten to her feet. "After the preliminaries, I'll give you some personal training."
Tenten, still dazed from the match, blinked. "Huh?"
Raven grinned. "Personal. Training. Just you and me."
The second the words left her mouth, Tenten's face exploded in a furious blush. She instinctively covered her wiggling hair buns, as if shielding them from Raven's influence.
"M-my hair buns will never give in to your beauty, Raven!" she declared, her voice cracking slightly from embarrassment.
Raven tilted her head, clearly amused. "Oh really, Tenten?" She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice just enough to make Tenten shudder. "Then why am I the only one they love to move around for?"
Tenten froze. Then whipped around so fast she nearly tripped over herself. "Th-that doesn't mean anything! It's just—it's just a coincidence!"
Ino and Hinata, watching from the side, exchanged a knowing glance before simultaneously facepalming.
Ino groaned. "She's a lamb entering the wolf's den."
Hinata nodded, sighing. "And she doesn't even realize it…"
Tenten, still red-faced, turned back toward Raven, pointing at her dramatically. "I—I'm taking that training offer, but don't think for a second that it means anything else!"
Raven chuckled, crossing her arms. "Oh, of course. Nothing at all."
The flustered weapons specialist huffed and stormed off, still covering her twitching hair buns.
Raven smirked, watching her go. "She's fun."
Before the situation could escalate any further, the screen flickered, drawing everyone's attention. The next matchup was appearing.
Shikamaru Nara vs. Kin Tsuchi.
Shikamaru sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Troublesome…"
Kin smirked, arms crossed. "Don't underestimate me, lazy boy."
As the two genin stepped onto the battlefield, the energy in the air shifted once more.
Join my patreon today to read up to chapter 307 in advance your support is my inspiration join for only 3 to 5$
Patreon.com/everstone