Path Of War

The match might have ended, but the rivalry—and perhaps a budding respect—had just formed.

"That was an awesome fight!" Fū excitedly exclaimed with flushed cheeks. "I had a lot of fun, Hana! Oh, and by the way, how did you transform without using any chakra?!"

Hana felt her face turn a shade of crimson; she was embarrassed because earlier, she had been ready to rip Fū's face off. But now, standing in the aftermath of their sparring, she found herself admiring the girl.

"I took a special food pill from my clan," she admitted sheepishly, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

Fū tilted her head and curiously asked, "A food pill? What's that about?"

Hana cleared her throat and shared what "military ration pills" were.

"They're special pills that nourish and replenish the body. They're jam packed with powerful stimulants and nutrients that are almost instantaneously absorbed. With just one, you can keep fighting for three days and three nights without rest."

Fū dumbfoundedly asked, "Wait, is that allowed?"

"Well, yes and no," Hana continued with a small smirk on her face. "It's technically against the rules, but you forgot to read the fine print. The pills can't be consumed during the match, but no one ever said I couldn't take them before the match started."

That was how Hana was able to transform. She not only took the food pill before the match, she had also stored the energy until the right moment.

Fū's jaw dropped in recognition as she asked, "So you were able to pull off that transformation without using any chakra at all?"