The wind slowed across the Challenger Arena of Kumogakure.
Students leaned forward in the stands.
Across the arena floor, Riku Seishin lowered his hands after forming the final seal.
Nothing dramatic happened.
No giant wave.
No massive jutsu.
Instead—
Small beads of water lifted gently from the damp stone.
Droplets.
Thin threads of moisture suspended in the air.
Several students blinked in confusion.
"That's it?"
Daigo Mizuta frowned.
"I thought he was about to flood the place."
Akari Mizuta shook her head.
"He can't."
"They're first years."
She pointed toward the arena.
"That's not a large technique."
"It's control."
Precision
The droplets hovered around Riku.
Barely moving.
Almost invisible.
Raizen studied them carefully.
He's not attacking with them.
Not directly.
Riku stepped forward.
The droplets followed.
Like silent markers drifting around him.
Then he attacked.
A simple strike toward Raizen's shoulder.
Raizen blocked.
But as he moved—
One droplet flicked toward his face.
Raizen turned instinctively.
That tiny distraction was enough.
Riku's second strike landed lightly against his ribs.
The instructor's voice rang out.
"Point."
Students murmured.
"That was sneaky…"
Akari nodded.
"He's using the droplets to control attention."
Astra Observes
Inside Raizen's mind, Astra spoke.
"Observation confirmed."
"Droplets used to manipulate visual focus."
Raizen reset his stance.
"Basically cheap tricks."
Astra paused.
"Correction."
"Highly effective techniques."
Raizen chuckled.
Learning the Pattern
Riku moved again.
More droplets lifted from the stone.
Not many.
Just enough.
Each one drifting quietly.
Raizen attacked first this time.
A quick dash forward.
Riku stepped aside.
Two droplets shifted with him.
Raizen struck.
The droplets flicked again.
One passed near his eye.
Raizen ignored it.
His elbow forced Riku back.
Students reacted instantly.
"He didn't fall for it!"
Riku's eyes sharpened.
Adapting
The fight slowed.
Both circling.
Studying.
Raizen exhaled.
The droplets weren't dangerous.
But they disrupted focus.
Small distractions.
Just enough to create openings.
So ignore them.
Instead, Raizen widened his awareness.
The movement of air.
The shift in Riku's stance.
The droplets faded into the background.
Riku stepped forward again.
Another feint.
Another droplet flicked toward Raizen's face.
This time—
Raizen didn't react.
He stepped inside Riku's guard.
His palm stopped inches from Riku's chest.
Silence filled the arena.
The instructor raised his hand.
"Point. Raizen Tenrai."
The crowd erupted.
Daigo jumped to his feet.
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"
Akari nodded.
"He figured it out."
The Real Battle
Riku stepped back.
This time, a faint smile appeared.
"Good."
Raizen relaxed slightly.
"You like distractions."
Riku shrugged.
"They work."
Then he raised his hands again.
But this time—
No water.
Hand seals.
Fast ones.
Students blinked.
Faster than expected for academy level.
Raizen noticed immediately.
He's good with seals.
Inside his mind, Astra spoke.
"Observation."
"Hand seal speed above academy average."
Raizen smirked slightly.
Good.
Because he had been training that too.
The two fighters faced each other again.
The fight shifted.
Not just strategy.
Not just movement.
Now—
Hand seals.
Thunder rumbled faintly across the mountains of Kumogakure.
And the crowd leaned forward once more.