Chapter 50: Right Decision and Human

Akatsuchi had solid mastery over Earth Nature techniques for a Genin. The defensive strength of these Earth Style techniques gave Hana and her three Ninken a really hard time. His Earth Release: Golem Technique was versatile, serving as an effective offense and defense at the same time. Paired with some other smaller techniques, Hana had a really tough time breaking through his defenses.

Each time any one of them got too close to Akatsuchi, he counterattacked with his massive physical strength, which far exceeded her level. Her mastery over the Fire Nature wasn't great enough to execute her strongest techniques. Every time she tried to prepare her Fiery Inferno, Akatsuchi interrupted her attempts with either direct attacks or by extinguishing the flames she prepared to ignite her technique.

He seemed to have analyzed her in the last battles and made sure to give her no opening. Hana wasn't bad, having been trained in her clan early on, but compared to a talented shinobi like Akatsuchi, who was not only trained early but also more talented than her, she fell short. In the end, she lost the battle of attrition as she exhausted herself in her attempts to end the fight and couldn't break through his defenses.

Hana and her Ninken gave up when she realized that she wouldn't be able to win the fight. This must have been the right move, as the Third Hokage looked pleased when she did that. After all, Chunin were in a leadership position, and someone leading had to know when a fight was pointless and the time was right for a retreat. If Hana had stubbornly persisted to continue the fight, looking for an opening to win, she would have been beaten and probably lost the chance to become Chunin this year.

But that she gave up showed that she was mature and thinking things through, even with her hotheaded and aggressive temperament. This should have been the right move in order to become Chunin, and the chances were good for her. She not only showed skill but also thinking and strategic capacities.

"We will have a half-hour break until the Finals, so both participants can be in as good shape as possible for the final!" announced the Proctoring Jonin as Akatsuchi and Hana left the Arena after he had asked Akatsuchi whether he wanted a break.

'I wonder if he would have offered it if I were an average Konoha Ninja. Since this is quite the advantage for me if we directly fought. A win for the Chunin Exams in Konoha would show the customers how good we are. But a win while both fighting after a rest would be an even better show of power,' pondered Tekku, as this was exactly the kind of manipulation he thought a Kage would plan, maximizing profit while assessing the risks.

"You did great, Hana," Tekku greeted his female team member when she returned to the waiting area with her three dogs, who I began to pet when they arrived at my side.

"Thank you, Tekku, but I lost," she muttered dejectedly, with a downcast look in her eyes. The loss seemed to have hit her harder than Tekku had anticipated.

He stood up and looked her in the eyes, showing that he truly meant it. "Don't worry, Hana. You were amazing down there; you have a good chance to become a Chunin. Not only did you show off your fighting powers, you also made the right decisions. The Judges will be more impressed by that than if you had fought yourself to exhaustion and somehow pulled out a win. We are Shinobi, not some honorable fools. If we can't win today, we instead fight another day if the mission isn't critical," was Tekku's honest explanation. This was his truthful understanding of what a Shinobi represents. They weren't heroes or honorable warriors. No, they were assassins, saboteurs, spies, bounty hunters, and more. There shouldn't be some foolish notions of honor; it was all about completing the mission with minimal losses.

"Thank you, Tekku! But I am not sad about that. I wanted to fight you in the Final! I worked so hard to show you that I wouldn't drag you down any longer. That I wasn't some deadweight that you had to protect. But I failed again," she said, clearly remembering their patrol mission where Haruto got blown into pieces while she had to flee to avoid dragging them down in the fight.

He hugged her closely, showing a rare piece of emotion. Often, he would have a false mask on his face, joking with others, smiling, laughing, while trying to act normal. His past experiences of his past lives made it harder and harder for him to be human. He became more like a cold-blooded killing machine, with logical thinking progressing towards his own survival. But Hana, who was like a big sister to him, Inoichi and his family, even Iruka, were the few people who made him keep his humanity, so he wouldn't fall into the darkness that Orochimaru and Dr. Gero had already walked down.

If he stopped caring about anyone, he would make a stupid mistake, like creating machines that could kill himself or beginning experiments on humans without caring about the consequences. No, his humanity was important to him; it was the part of him that made sure he remained careful and didn't make any mistakes.

So he whispered into her ear, "Idiot. You never pulled us down. We were on a mission that we weren't ready for yet. Don't compare yourself to me; your reaction was natural for your age. I am just different. But for that, you are a part of my life to keep me down on the earth."

At that, Hana blushed. "Thank you, Tekku." She muttered back. They stayed hugged for a few moments before they separated. The break between the matches wasn't even half over, so they chatted about his upcoming fight before he finally had to move down into the Arena as the proctor called them down.

It was finally time for the Final Match of this year's Chunin Exam, and the excitement in the crowd of spectators was visible. They had seen many exciting fights today, and from their previous impressions, this one would be on a similar level as both combatants were strong for their rank and age.

"Good, you are here!" said the proctoring Jonin as he looked at both of them with a nod, as both of the contestants stood opposite each other. Akatsuchi towered over Tekku's small frame as he was not only older but also much bulkier.

Tekku had caused by his young age, but also the kind of training regime he was following, a smaller and more agile frame. His style was to be fast and agile, to create distance between himself and his opponent if he couldn't take him out quickly, instead of relying on overwhelming strength and endurance. He chose the style not only because of his age but also because it fit more with his plans and fighting style.

"Since both of you are ready, we can begin with the fight. Final round of this year's Chunin Exam: Konohagakure ninja Tekku against Iwagakure ninja Akatsuchi. Go!"

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