Chapter 214: The Battle Between Choji and the Stone Men Continues (Patreon)

Chapter List: Naruto: Sakura Blizzard

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The transformed Choji, now a spherical entity, rapidly spun towards Ganjuu. The massive sphere carried an imposing aura, akin to a lone warrior standing tall, impervious to any opposition.

"Earth Release (Return of the Earth)…"

Ganjuu clapped his hands on the ground, causing a sturdy stone slab to rise and shield him from Choji's approach.

"Boom…"

However, the robust stone slab crumbled into debris in an instant under the force of Choji's fleshly battering ram, and Choji continued his relentless charge towards Ganjuu.

"Stop for me…"

Ganjuu roared, throwing a punch. His exposed skin resembled stone, but when Ganjuu's fist collided with Choji's fleshly battering ram, Ganjuu was sent flying and crashed heavily to the ground. Choji's fleshly battering ram, on the other hand, was merely redirected and came to a stop not far from Ganjuu.

"Such formidable strength…" Ganjuu climbed to his feet, his eyes filled with astonishment. Even after using Earth Release (Hardening Technique) on himself, he couldn't withstand Choji's attack. Without the protection of the hardening technique, he might have suffered severe injuries.

"Just blocking the impact of a fleshly battering ram with your fists, you're quite impressive!" Choji reverted to his original form, smiling. He was well aware of the tremendous force behind the fleshly battering ram, and Ganjuu's ability to block it with his bare hands showcased strength far beyond that of a Genin.

"Let's continue!" Ganjuu shook his somewhat sore arm and charged at Choji barehanded. Choji, without using the enlargement technique, engaged in a barehanded brawl with Ganjuu.

"I feel like there's no competitive atmosphere between them at all!" Ino remarked with a perplexed expression. "Rather than a match, it seems more like a sparring session. Not only are there no tactics involved, but more importantly, they haven't unleashed their full power yet!"

"That's just Choji's personality. What can you do?" Sakura shrugged. Choji wasn't inclined towards violence; as long as you didn't provoke him, he wouldn't unleash a brutal attack.

"But I've always been curious!" Hinata suddenly asked, intrigued. "Why do you insist on having Choji wear that gourd on his head?"

"Because of Choji's ability – to grow and shrink, possess boundless strength, and be virtually indestructible. Doesn't that make him just like the Huluo brothers?" Sakura explained, gesturing with her fingers to illustrate.

"???" A group of people had no idea who the Huluo brothers were.

Sakura then enthusiastically recounted the story of the Huluo brothers while, below, Choji and Ganjuu engaged in an intense battle. Ganjuu was highly skilled in Earth Release, boasting formidable defense. Choji's punches and kicks, even with his ability of invincibility, seemed to cause little harm. The two fighters relied solely on physical techniques, and the audience in the stands found themselves captivated by the intense combat style. However, the inability to inflict significant damage on each other led many to feel a sense of frustration.

"Peng…"

The fists of both individuals simultaneously struck each other's faces, and the immense force caused them to stagger back several steps.

"Ah… That was a satisfying fight!" Ganjuu's eyes gleamed as if emitting light. This punch-and-kick combat style was his favorite. In previous battles with others, he always had to consider various tactics, never having the chance for a straightforward brawl like today.

"Do you enjoy this kind of fight too?" Choji's eyes lit up, feeling as if they had discovered a shared interest. The Akimichi clan's enlargement technique combined with his own abilities had turned Choji into a Ninja relying entirely on close-quarters physical attacks. This hard-hitting combat style had grown on him. Unfortunately, such a style was rarely seen among Ninjas.

"Yes, but I rarely get the chance," Ganjuu nodded. Ninja battles usually relied on various traps and deception. Few engaged in direct confrontations.

"Um, after all this fighting, I'm a bit hungry. How about we finish this and go eat?" Choji suggested. He wasn't too keen on prolonged brawls; why not spend the time eating instead?

"How about deciding the winner with one move?" Ganjuu enthusiastically proposed. "Just before coming to participate in the Chunin Exam, I learned a powerful ninjutsu. I've never used it before, and today I want to see how strong it is."

"No problem…" Choji agreed, assuming a combat stance as chakra accumulated within his body.

"Earth Release (Rock Golem Goron)…"

Ganjuu took a deep breath, and chakra surged throughout his body. A small giant made of rocks slowly took shape beneath his feet.

Once Ganjuu's chakra subsided, the creature, composed entirely of rocks, stood at over five meters tall. Its body was solid stone, presenting a robust appearance.

"This is my current limit. I can't reach Sensei's level yet, but this should be enough, right?"

Ganjuu, his chakra overly depleted, spoke with labored breaths. Despite his fatigue, excitement gleamed in his eyes. This move was the Hidden Rock Village's Earth Shadow's Secret Technique, and Ganjuu had recently learned it. However, he could only produce this downsized version of the rock golem. Nevertheless, he believed it was sufficient to deal with Choji.

"Shall we compare sizes?" Choji's expression turned serious as a substantial amount of fat transformed into chakra, causing his body to expand continuously.

"Super-Enlargement Technique…"

Using the enlargement technique alone, Choji could only grow to a height of over three meters. However, when his chakra surpassed its limits, Choji's body continued to expand, not stopping even after reaching a considerable size.

"Keep getting bigger for me…"

Choji roared, rapidly enlarging until he became a giant two to three times the size of the rock golem.

At this point, the onlookers were left speechless. They had never witnessed a Chunin Exam match ending in a size comparison. Without causing injuries, the two contestants had pressed their showdown to a size contest, a truly unprecedented spectacle.

However, Gekko Hayate, the main examiner, was not having an easy time. The arena was nearly filled with these two giants, leaving him with no place to stand.

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 215: Care from Konoha's Two Gentle and Compassionate Doctors