Aoki Yoru suddenly halted in his tracks, his eyes narrowing slightly as the shape of the Lightning Release chakra in his hand began to shift and transform. The unstable mass of crackling energy quickly condensed and sharpened, taking on a more refined and dangerous form. Without hesitation, he flicked his wrist forward.
Whoosh!
In an instant, countless tiny yet razor-sharp lightning blades shot outward like a storm of needles. Each blade was precise, fast, and deadly. At the same time, beams of light from the opposing side surged forward. Lightning met laser mid-air, each bolt colliding with perfect accuracy as if guided by an invisible force.
This technique was unmistakable—it was the Ninjutsu known as Chidori Senbon, a high-level variation derived from the original Chidori.
Before anyone could fully process what had just happened, the Lightning Release chakra in Aoki Yoru's palm surged violently once more. It expanded and elongated, stretching outward in a dazzling display of raw power. The white lightning condensed into a blade—long, radiant, and terrifying—extending several meters in length.
"Chidori Eiso."
His voice was calm, yet filled with lethal intent.
With a swift and decisive motion, he slashed from left to right, the lightning blade tearing through the air with a piercing sound. The attack was aimed directly at Darui's waist, clearly intending to cut him clean in half.
At that critical moment, Darui's instincts screamed danger.
Without even a fraction of hesitation, he stomped forcefully against the ground and threw his body backward, barely managing to evade the attack. His movements were sharp and desperate, driven purely by survival.
Boom!
The Chidori Eiso grazed his chest, leaving behind a faint scorch mark before crashing into the wall behind him. The impact was explosive. Lightning roared violently as it tore through the solid stone, carving a massive crack several meters long. The force of the strike caused debris to scatter in all directions, fragments of stone raining down across the arena.
For a moment—
Silence.
The entire arena fell into a deathly stillness.
Every Genin and Chunin present stared wide-eyed, their expressions frozen in disbelief. What they had just witnessed completely shattered their understanding of Ninjutsu.
"Is… is that really Ninjutsu?" one Genin muttered, his voice trembling slightly.
In their minds, Ninjutsu had always been simple—spitting water, breathing fire, or creating basic elemental attacks. Most relied on close combat, using swords, kunai, and other weapons. Techniques like this… were on an entirely different level.
"When did Ninjutsu become this flashy?" another whispered in shock.
On the spectator platform, several Jonin stood in stunned silence.
"Kakashi," Might Guy asked with a curious yet serious expression, "have you developed so many variations of your Lightning Release?"
He had sparred with Kakashi countless times, yet he had never seen anything like this before.
Kakashi Hatake, his Sharingan active, kept his gaze fixed firmly on the arena. After a brief pause, he slowly shook his head.
"No… I only taught him Chidori."
The answer left Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi visibly stunned.
In just two months, Aoki Yoru had developed multiple advanced variations of Chidori entirely on his own.
What they didn't know—
Was that Kakashi had only taught him Chidori half a month ago.
Back in the arena, Aoki Yoru stood calmly, his breathing steady. His sharp gaze fell upon Darui, who was now panting heavily. Cold sweat dripped down Darui's face, and his expression was tense.
"Ah," Aoki Yoru said casually, "you dodged it. I was hoping to cut you in half."
Darui's expression darkened.
"You brat… don't get too cocky. This isn't over yet."
Despite his exhaustion, he quickly began forming hand seals.
"Lightning Release: Exciting Wave."
At once, a surge of water spread across the entire arena floor. However, this was no ordinary water. Sparks of electricity crackled violently across its surface, turning the battlefield into a dangerous, electrified trap. The confined space made it nearly impossible to escape.
"Hey, hey… this is troublesome," Aoki Yoru muttered.
Without hesitation, he leapt into the air.
At the same time, he mobilized the muscles throughout his entire body, channeling chakra into the soles of his feet. His legs moved rapidly, stepping against the air multiple times per second.
Step.
Step.
Step.
To everyone's astonishment—
He began walking on air.
It was as if he were climbing invisible stairs.
This was the technique he had developed himself—
Geppo.
Gasps echoed throughout the arena.
Even the usually composed Hiruzen Sarutobi was visibly shocked. The pipe in his mouth slipped and fell to the ground, yet he didn't even notice.
Flight-based Ninjutsu that did not rely on bloodline limits were extremely rare.
The only widely known example was Ōnoki's Earth Release: Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique.
Yet now—
A Genin-turned-Chunin was casually walking through the air.
Looking down at Darui, who stood on the electrified water, Aoki Yoru tilted his head slightly.
"Have you ever considered," he asked calmly, "what would happen if someone countered your technique like this?"
Darui froze.
A realization struck him like lightning.
His expression changed drastically.
But it was too late.
Aoki Yoru extended the Chidori in his hand and plunged it directly into the water below.
"Ahhhh—!"
Darui's body convulsed violently as white lightning surged through the water, instantly enveloping him. The electricity spread uncontrollably, leaving him completely defenseless.
"Stop! We concede!"
A figure suddenly leapt into the arena—it was Dodai.
He quickly caught Darui before he collapsed completely.
At that moment, Nara Shikaku appeared in the arena, his sharp eyes briefly lingering on Aoki Yoru.
"Since Darui has conceded," he announced clearly, "the winner of this match is—Aoki Yoru."
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then—
The crowd erupted into cheers.
The victory wasn't just personal—it symbolized Konoha's strength against the Cloud Village. A wave of pride spread among the spectators.
"Ahem."
The Third Hokage stood up with a gentle smile.
"Do the Cloud Ninja require assistance from Konoha's medical team?" he asked politely, though a hint of sarcasm lingered in his tone. "After all, this is merely a friendly exchange."
Dodai's expression stiffened slightly.
"No need. We can handle it ourselves."
Without another word, he lifted Darui and left the arena with the other Cloud Ninja.
After the match, the Third Hokage gave a formal summary of the day's events. He praised the four newly promoted Chunin and offered encouragement to those who had not passed, his words moving many to tears.
Later, on the way back—
"Ah! You've become way too strong," Kenta exclaimed, still unable to calm down. "It feels like the gap between us has grown even wider."
Aoki Yoru smiled slightly.
"You're not bad either. Taijutsu users usually improve rapidly later on. Unlike me… I feel like I've already hit a bottleneck."
Kenta stared at him in disbelief.
"…Is that even something a human should say?"
Nearby, Yui and Kakashi both rolled their eyes.
That was clearly just humble bragging.
"By the way," Aoki Yoru added casually, "we all passed the Chunin Exams. Shouldn't we celebrate?"
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"I feel like having barbecue."
Yui and Kenta immediately nodded, their eyes shining with the same excitement.
Kakashi covered his face helplessly.
"…Fine. Let's go to that barbecue place from last time."
"YES!"
The three of them cheered and rushed ahead enthusiastically.
By the time they returned home, the sun had already set.
After a quick wash, Aoki Yoru collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep almost instantly.
He was completely exhausted.
The next morning—
After finishing his training, he stepped out of his house.
But the moment he opened the door—
He froze.
A masked figure stood silently outside.
"Anbu…"
Aoki Yoru's eyes sharpened.
The figure radiated a cold, disciplined aura.
Then, a hoarse voice spoke from behind the mask:
"Aoki Yoru. The Third Hokage requests your presence."
Aoki Yoru's heart skipped a beat.
But his expression remained calm.
"…Understood."
Following the Anbu, he arrived at the Hokage Building.
After a brief knock, he entered the office.
Inside, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind a desk piled high with documents.
Seeing Aoki Yoru, he smiled warmly.
"Congratulations on becoming a Chunin."
After a brief exchange—
The Hokage asked,
"Was the technique you used to walk in the air something your parents left behind?"
Aoki Yoru straightened.
"No, Hokage-sama. I developed it myself."
He then presented the scrolls for Geppo and Soru.
"I wish to contribute these to the village."
The Hokage's eyes flickered with approval.
"These are A-rank techniques. You may choose two A-rank Ninjutsu as a reward."
Aoki Yoru didn't hesitate.
"I would like Sealing Techniques."
After a brief pause, the Hokage nodded.
In the end—
Aoki Yoru chose the Five Elements Seal and the Eight Trigrams Seal.
As he left the office, holding the scrolls tightly—
His eyes shone with determination.
A new path had opened before him.
And this—
Was only the beginning.