"Boil Release, huh? Kekkei Genkai truly are profound. Just missing one chakra nature, and the effects are worlds apart."
The Kage naturally observed that this mist lacked abilities like shaping or transformation, making it incomparable to Cloud Release.
However, for a child, it was already incredibly impressive. Yahiko's talent was on par with Konan's.
Beside them, Mifune heard Torifu's words and shook his head with a slight smile; Kaito was likely in for a tough time.
A ninja's Kekkei Genkai was never easy to deal with, and it seemed a winner would be decided quickly.
Sure enough, no sooner had Mifune thought this than a crane, entirely condensed from water, flew out of the vast mist.
It spread its wings, burst from the fog, and let out a long cry in mid-air before plummeting directly towards the arena.
With a crash, a massive burst of water exploded, dispersing all the mist on the arena!
Kaito was dispersed along with it; his armor was corroded beyond recognition by the acidic mist, even revealing the undershirt beneath.
His gleaming steel katana had also lost its luster, its blade now very dull.
After being washed off the stage by the water, his head felt somewhat muddled.
He had inhaled a lot of acidic mist, and his lungs burned painfully.
Mifune felt a pang of heartache seeing his disciple in such a state.
However, the greatest taboo for a samurai was to be overly sentimental; injuries during practice and combat were normal.
Even in defeat, a samurai should not allow themselves to be looked down upon.
Torifu noticed Mifune's hesitation, so he stood and walked to the edge of the viewing platform.
With a gentle wave of his left hand, a green light flew from Torifu's hand towards Kaito.
It quickly merged into his body.
At that moment, Kaito felt the pain within his body, skin, and eyeballs vanish instantly.
He looked around for whoever had helped him, but Torifu had already returned to his seat.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. Actually, it's good for a junior to suffer a bit and learn a lesson."
Torifu waved his hand upon hearing this. "Yahiko's mist contains a six-tailed beast-like acid that corrodes the lungs. It's quite serious."
Mifune thanked him again, while the Kazekage and Tsuchikage marveled at Torifu's ability to perform medical ninjutsu from such a distance.
What else was he incapable of?
But what they didn't know was that such a long distance from the viewing platform to the arena had almost completely depleted the healing jutsu that reached him.
It was only because Kaito's injuries were minor that the remaining energy was enough to heal him.
After his injuries recovered, Kaito looked at Yahiko standing in the arena and lowered his head in shame.
But he felt no resentment or jealousy, only that he was outmatched, and that his initial thought of defeating Yahiko was truly shameful now.
Yahiko had never used his full strength, and even then, Kaito couldn't fend him off despite using all his abilities.
Yet, Kaito was not disheartened; instead, his desire to grow stronger intensified, and he wished he could immediately return to the Land of Iron for special training.
However, his Master seemed intent on staying in Konohagakure for the New Year, so he couldn't return for a while.
Yahiko stepped off the arena and approached Kaito.
"This was my first time fighting a samurai, and to be honest, you unsettled me a few times. Aside from Konan's erratic ninjutsu, you're the first. Let's fight again next time you come to Konohagakure."
Hm... Yahiko's words were polite formalities. The opponent was the Land of Iron's general's disciple, representing a new generation of samurai.
If Yahiko had said he easily defeated Kaito, or that he was trash, it would surely cause conflict between the Land of Iron and Konohagakure.
So, Yahiko spoke these pleasantries to help Kaito save face.
In the previous battle, Yahiko had only used half his strength, so there was no real panic.
Kaito also understood the meaning behind the words and didn't feel humiliated.
Instead, he said, "Good. Once my strength has improved, I will definitely return to Konohagakure to challenge you again."
The audience was stirred by the young men's passionate declarations, recalling their own past.
They, too, had experienced such vibrant youth, and watching the two youths in the arena, it was as if they remembered their own time as newly-minted ninja.
It was just that they weren't as strong as Yahiko and Kaito were now...
Mifune and Torifu exchanged knowing smiles, saying nothing, and continued to await the next match.
With the two contestants leaving the stage, the new matches quickly resumed. Perhaps it was due to more and more contestants being eliminated.
The remaining contestants felt the pressure, and every match was highly engaging.
One contestant even fell to the ground, yet struggled back to his feet, shouting, "Never underestimate a young man in poverty!"
Then he turned the tables and defeated his opponent, drawing widespread cheers from the crowd.
It could be said that the afternoon arena seemed to have been ignited by Yahiko and Kaito; every subsequent match was a spectacular battle.
The villagers' shouts scarcely ceased, and by late afternoon, their voices were hoarse.
The sun was gradually setting in the west, likely to disappear soon.
The final match of Group One was between Yahiko and Nara Shikaku. This boy had reassured Chōza that it was just one match, nothing serious.
Yet he had fought his way to the semi-finals, preparing to compete with Yahiko for a spot in tomorrow's grand finale.
Chōza, in the stands, felt betrayed by his good friend and furiously stuffed himself with snacks, turning his grief into appetite.
The clan heads of the three clans also continuously shouted encouragement.
However, Shikaku's success stemmed from his precise calculations at every step and his unexpected tactical arrangements.
Many ninja who were stronger than him had been eliminated by him.
But against Yahiko, that was not as effective.
Nara clan ninja were not inherently strong in direct combat, and he had encountered Yahiko, who was far superior.
He was defeated within two rounds.
This left the clan heads, who had been shouting incessantly, momentarily losing face.
Nara Clan Head in the viewing stands was also speechless for a moment.
Thus, Yahiko successfully secured a spot in tomorrow's grand finale. At worst, he would be second place.
After their match, it was time for the final match of Group Two.
There were no surprises; the contestants were Konan and Sasori.
In this match, there were no Sasori fans cheering, for they had witnessed Konan's strength.
Sasori entered the arena and meticulously arranged his puppets and battle plan.
But it was useless; Konan simply flew up and, just as she did in her spar with the Kumotsuru Clan,
She quickly dispatched Sasori, successfully qualifying.