205.I Want a Hug From Him...

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Atsui vs. Karin.

"Begin~"

At Kurenai's command, Atsui immediately drew his sword and charged towards Karin. Karin, wielding a kunai, was quickly overwhelmed, indicating her lack of proficiency in close combat.

"Huh! Is it really just a woman who's easy to overpower?" Atsui remarked disdainfully, intensifying his attacks with speed and ruthlessness.

Karin dodged awkwardly, appearing quite distressed. Initially, everyone believed Cloud Shinobi had a clear advantage in this match. However, ten minutes in, neither side had secured a victory.

"What's going on?" Atsui grew increasingly impatient, noticing Karin seemed to predict and evade every one of his strikes accurately.

"Atsui, what are you doing!" The Fourth Raikage couldn't help but stand and shout in frustration.

"Lord Raikage, please stay calm and do not disrupt Atsui's concentration," advised Darui, attempting to soothe him.

"Interesting, it seems that Rain village have a few competent young shinobi " Onoki commented, implying Rain Shinobi's impressive performance.

Konoha boasts the highest number of advanced ninjas, closely followed by Rain Shinobi. The formidable performance across the board, especially from a female ninja, is indeed surprising.

"There's something about the girl's movements," mused the Fourth Hokage, sensing a familiar aura akin to Sage Mode. This allowed Karin to use natural energy perception to evade Atsui's attacks efficiently.

"Damn it! Jumping around like a monkey?" Atsui exclaimed in frustration, unleashing his full power.

Forming a series of hand signs, he ignited his sword with flames, launching a fierce attack. "Cloud-Style Flame Beheading!" The unexpected move caught Karin off guard, resulting in a severe burn on her arm.

"Ouch!" Karin cried out, clutching her injured arm.

"Humph! Let's see you jump now!" Atsui taunted as he continued his fiery onslaught.

Karin persisted in dodging, only using her body to shield vital areas when absolutely necessary, which led to several more burns and wounds on her body.

Exhausted from the continuous use of advanced ninjustu, Atsui's chakra was significantly depleted.

Atsui, gasping for breath, expressed his frustration loudly.

"Why won't you give up, woman? You can't beat me, yet you persist. Who are you trying to impress?"

"I can't lose! Not in front of him, I absolutely cannot!"

Karin clenched her teeth, demonstrating an unexpectedly strong resolve.

"Karin is really pushing herself to impress Yuki-sensei," Suigetsu remarked casually.

At this moment, Yuki watched from the VIP section, intrigued by the unfolding events.

Another girl hopelessly infatuated...

"Is that all you've got?"

A murderous glint appeared in Atsui's eyes as he summoned a Shadow Clone. Together, they launched an aggressive attack on Karin.

The clash resulted in bloodshed, echoing the intensity of Sakura's previous battle. Yet, Karin refused to surrender, biting into her own wrist.

Suddenly, her wounds began healing at an astonishing rate.

"Such incredible resilience!" someone exclaimed.

"This isn't just any ordinary ninja," another added, noting her distinctive red hair.

The Fourth Hokage's realization dawned, recognizing the traits of the Uzumaki clan's remarkable vitality.

"I will not lose to you!" Karin's desperation peaked as she detonated an explosive tag at close range.

Atsui, caught off guard, could only watch as the blast engulfed them both.

Atsui was sent flying, visibly injured by the blast, while Karin, despite her worse condition, rapidly healed thanks to her activated Chakra.

"Winner, Karin!" Kurenai announced after a moment of stunned silence.

"I won..." Karin murmured, collapsing with a faint smile, imagining Yuki's praise.

But Yuki remained seated, showing no intention of acknowledging her effort. To him, repeating the same spectacle was dull.

Thus, he chose to ignore her second act, leaving Suigetsu to help the injured Karin offstage.

"Are you okay, Karin?" Suigetsu asked, perplexed by her tears.

"I was waiting for Yuki's hug!" Karin sobbed, disappointed by the absence of the gesture she yearned for.

"Seriously, what's wrong with you?" Suigetsu retorted, unimpressed by her outburst.

Karin's continued cries over Yuki's indifference highlighted her deep longing for his approval.

With Cloud Shinobi now eliminated, the Fourth Raikage departed in displeasure, leaving the ongoing Chūnin exams to proceed without them.

The preliminary rounds concluded with Suigetsu's victory, setting the stage for the finals a month later, providing the remaining Genins time to enhance their skills and learn from their experiences.

In the meantime, the Fourth Hokage sought to use this break for further Five Kage Summits, aiming to negotiate the lifting of the alliance's blockade against Konoha.