Various Fire Releases were unleashed by Obito and Shisui.
The sounds of explosions echoed continuously, with bursts of firelight appearing intermittently.
Both of them found looking at each other a headache, feeling lost on how to proceed.
The slight lead Obito had with Fire Release couldn't suppress Shisui, and Shisui's Armament couldn't give him a significant advantage either.
"Should I summon Charmeleon?" Obito considered introducing new power to break the stalemate.
Immediately, Obito shook his head; Charmeleon would be affected by Genjutsu, which meant it would also be affected by Shisui's Genjutsu.
At that point, Obito would not only have to deal with Shisui's attacks but also help Charmeleon break free from the Genjutsu, which would genuinely be more trouble for himself.
"Well, maybe this can work." Obito recalled Shisui's battles in the quarter-finals, a flash of inspiration sparked in his mind, coming up with a good idea.
On the other side, Shisui was also considering whether summoning Zorua could bring him an advantage.
Obito's strength wasn't inferior to Asuma's, and Shisui found it stressful to protect Zorua during the battle.
"Great Flame Ring: Flame Emperor!"
Obito gathered a large amount of Chakra, the enhancement of the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode allowed him to complete Nature Transformation on all his Chakra at once.
The moment Obito raised his hands, terrifying flames rose, and a massive fireball over eight meters appeared in his hands.
Strictly speaking, this time it was just a Minor Flame Emperor; Obito didn't use his Chakra to unleash the Flame Emperor like he usually did.
Because usually he used the Flame Emperor to finish off enemies, but this time the Flame Emperor was mainly for cover.
Of course, the main reason was that using the Flame Emperor with full power couldn't directly take out Shisui, so he sought another method.
"Great Flame Ring: Flame Emperor!"
Shisui similarly gathered Chakra, raised his hands and formed a gigantic fireball, he knew most of the Fire Release Ninjutsu that Obito knew.
In terms of mastering Ninjutsu, Shisui had more than Obito, although many couldn't be used effectively in their battle.
The two gigantic fireballs, comparable to multi-story buildings, raced toward each other, radiating intense and dazzling light.
As they approached, the air seemed to distort and deform due to the heat, making a sizzling sound as if it was about to collapse from the high temperatures.
Boom!!!
The moment the two giant fireballs collided, a deep, awe-inspiring roar echoed.
Unprecedented dazzling firelight blossomed, the waves of flame rolled in the air, releasing endless heat waves, causing the surrounding temperature to rise rapidly.
Even Shisui had to gather Chakra under his feet to stabilize himself, preventing being pushed back by the impact force.
The flames obscured Shisui's vision, making it impossible to assess Obito's current condition or launch an attack on him temporarily.
Shisui pondered and finally chose not to use the Summoning Technique to summon Zorua, but instead, he took out four Kunai from his Ninja Pouch, using Fire Attribute Chakra to add flames to the Kunai.
When the flames of the Flame Emperor faded, the figures of Obito and Charmeleon came into Shisui's view.
Shisui didn't hesitate, immediately throwing four flaming Kunai, three of which targeted Obito from different angles, while the remaining one aimed at Charmeleon.
The instant the Kunai was thrown, Shisui immediately used Genjutsu on Charmeleon, causing it to halt just as it took a step forward.
Faced with deadlock, introducing new power was indeed a good strategy.
But there was an issue; Charmeleon and Zorua didn't have the same strength as Milotic, a mere Great Fireball might take them out, and using Summoning Beasts also consumed Chakra.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Obito had no choice but to unleash a Great Fireball to defend, knocking down all the incoming flaming Kunai, but Shisui's attack came again in an instant.
Faced with the rare opportunity, Shisui launched a relentless offensive, making Obito struggle to respond while needing to protect Charmeleon.
At this time, Obito not only required to fend off the attacks but also had to find a way to free Charmeleon from the Genjutsu.
Under immense pressure, Obito revealed a flaw, getting hit by Shisui's Armament-fist; even utilizing the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode to create flames on his body couldn't harm Shisui due to Armament.
Just as Shisui was about to press his advantage, the Charmeleon caught in Genjutsu suddenly moved, fiercely executing a Tornado Kick toward Shisui.
"Damn." Shisui instantly understood everything, but it was already too late.
The Shadow Clone transformed into Charmeleon was very close to him, Shisui couldn't dodge in time, hastily creating a bit of Armament Chakra.
"Fire Release: Flame Charge!"
Obito's main body also made a decisive move at this moment, rapidly transforming a large amount of Chakra into flames, charging fiercely at Shisui.
Bam!!
Under Obito's heavy impact, Shisui flew backward, the struck area reddened with heat.
"I underestimated Obito." Shisui sighed in his heart.
Obito basically doesn't use complex strategies, so Shisui instinctively thought Obito really used the Summoning Technique to call forth a Charmeleon. Little did he know, Obito split off a Shadow Clone, transformed it into a Charmeleon, and ultimately disguised it as Genjutsu.
"The battle is over." In the stands, Kakashi knew Shisui's defeat was inevitable.
When the skills are evenly matched, Shisui made a major mistake. Even if he hasn't lost yet, it's impossible to turn the tables now.
After all, it's not the beginning of the fight anymore, both their Chakra and stamina are low, and they're fighting based on their current state.
"This battle could barely be considered ninja-like." Kakashi had to admit, this time Obito truly had a strategy, rather than just rushing in recklessly with passion.
"It's just that your standards for ninjas are too high, Kakashi. Obito has been quite cautious in the last two battles." Nohara Rin said with a smile.
Although Nohara Rin hadn't seen the process during the round of eight, Obito had personally recounted the battle details, even explaining every thought he had.
Kakashi kept a calm expression and said nothing further; he doesn't hold everyone to the same standard, after all.
As Kakashi anticipated, Shisui, at a disadvantage, was overwhelmed over time and ultimately couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed.
"Whew." Obito gasped for air, unable to maintain deep, focused breathing techniques any longer.
Seeing Shisui fall, the exhausted Obito nearly sat down on the ground.
However, upon remembering that Nohara Rin was watching the match, he forced himself to keep standing, trying to appear as if he had won effortlessly.
"Making it to the semifinals is also accomplishing a mission." Despite losing, Shisui was still in a relatively good mood.
His goal wasn't the prizes; he merely wanted to perform well for Konoha as a Uchiha Ninja in the youth martial arts tournament.
Even if some Ninja Villages don't care much about the youth martial arts tournament, its popularity is real, especially in Konoha in the Land of Fire.
As a Ninja World event with many Ninja Villages participating, comparisons are inevitable.
Now, with two Uchiha Ninjas in the final four, any discussion by Konoha Ninjas about the tournament showcases their significant contribution, enhancing their recognition.
After all, they're bringing honor to the village and the nation.
"Uchiha Obito wins!" the referee announced.
With that, the semifinals concluded, leaving only the final match.
As the most significant final match, it's naturally impossible to let exhausted contestants continue fighting after just a few hours of rest. Obito and Nagato have over a day of rest, with the final scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
Since today's events had ended, Obito didn't return to the resting room but instead walked slowly toward the stands, ready to leave with Kakashi and the others.
Nohara Rin and Kakashi had also considered this point, so they didn't leave immediately after the match ended, choosing instead to wait for Obito on-site.
"Hey, Kakashi, are you congratulating me for making it to the finals? Actually, it's nothing much, just a couple of levels above the round of eight." As soon as Obito saw Kakashi, he couldn't help but boast.
After all, if one doesn't boast of their achievements, when should they? When they rank lowest in the internal competitions?
Kakashi said nothing and simply took out a photo.
Although he couldn't refute Obito because of a penalty, Kakashi believed Obito would understand his implication.
"What I mean is, Kakashi, if you hadn't encountered Guy, you wouldn't have stopped at the round of eight." Looking at the huge crowd in the venue, Obito decided to hold back his comments for now.
"Speaking of Guy, I wonder how he's recovering. Let's go visit him." Nohara Rin suggested as she thought of something.
Kakashi and Obito nodded in agreement.
Following that, the group headed to the hospital of the Ninja Sect where Guy was admitted.
At that moment, Mokgetsu had just finished treating Might Guy.
"Obito, I'm sorry, I still wasn't strong enough to beat Nagato, couldn't help you to get that Fire Release." Might Guy scratched his head and said apologetically to Obito.
"What happened in the second battle? If you advance, it'll be up to you! "
After speaking, Might Guy gave Obito a thumbs up in encouragement.
Obito was stunned for a moment, surprised that Might Guy still remembered the casual remark he made before they set off.
Recalling the moment when Might Guy forcefully opened the Sixth Gate during battle, Obito felt a surge of emotion and couldn't help but reminisce about the times they trained together in solving questions.
"Guy, I will definitely avenge you tomorrow!" Obito, feeling his blood surge, said with a clenched fist.
Kakashi looked at Obito in surprise, amazed at his courage to speak like that after witnessing Nagato's Almighty Push in the final attack.
The surge of emotion faded as quickly as it came; without needing Kakashi's reminder, Obito's mind automatically replayed the scene of Nagato's full-strength Almighty Push clashing with Might Guy's six gate-enhanced Breath of Rock Chakra Mode.
"Uh, I mean, I'll give it my best. Success isn't guaranteed." A more sober Obito added.
If he had Kakashi's current level of strength, Obito's bold declarations might have been justified as there would be a chance of winning.
But with Nagato's strength being overwhelmingly superior, Obito worried he would be too heavily embarrassed if things went wrong.
PS: Only one chapter today. A friend's birthday, had a few drinks, head's a bit fuzzy, can't write.