Preliminary Matches

After the Third Hokage concluded his speech, he handed over the responsibility of overseeing the matches to Fugaku Uchiha, the current clan head. Fugaku, with his tall figure, dark hair, light skin, black eyes, and a red and white fan on his sleeves, stood before the genin and began explaining the rules. His gaze lingered on all the participants, particularly his son Itachi, and he also made note of the Shigaraki ninja.

Deep down, Fugaku felt a sense of gratitude towards the Shigaraki ninja. Their emergence had led to a positive shift in the village's attitude towards the Uchiha clan. With the looming threat and the Hokage's desire to avoid further division, Fugaku believed that his role in overseeing the preliminary matches and ensuring Itachi's passage to the finals was part of the plan to showcase the excellence of the Uchiha clan to everyone.

Bringing his focus back to the matter at hand, Fugaku continued explaining the details of the matches. "There will be ten matches, and these will be fights until a clear winner is determined. The fights will only conclude if a participant can no longer continue, surrenders, or in the unfortunate event of death," he stated, emphasizing the possibility of fatal outcomes. Fugaku observed some changing expressions among the Konoha ninja upon hearing this, but there was no reaction at all from the Shigaraki ninja.

Fugaku, being previously warned by the Hokage about the peculiar behavior of the Shigaraki ninja, was not surprised by their lack of reaction. In fact, he and the Hokage had already devised a plan for today's matches, specifically arranging the first four matches to be between undercover Root operatives and the Shigaraki ninja.

"Now that the rules have been established, we will begin the first match once it is displayed," Fugaku announced, as the participants moved to the top to await the outcome of the first match. As they waited, the display showed that the first match-up was between a Shigaraki ninja and Renji Akimichi, a Root operative. The Hokage observed closely, hoping that the use of the Akimichi clan techniques by the Root operative would push the Shigaraki ninja to reveal more of their abilities.

When the two ninjas made their way down to the arena to face each other, the onlookers couldn't help but notice the striking similarity in their demeanor. Both the Shigaraki ninja and Renji showed a remarkable display of disinterest, further hinting at the mysterious nature of the Shigaraki team.

"Alright, the first match of the preliminary exams is about to begin," said Fugaku, glancing at the two opposing Genin. He then proceeded to ask, "Are you ready?" with a curious expression. Both Genin nodded in acknowledgement. Fugaku created some distance between himself and the two ninja before declaring, "Begin."

As soon as Fugaku said the word, Renji swiftly began performing hand signs and unleashed a clan jutsu. "Partial Multi-Size Technique," Renji announced as his right arm and fist grew to enormous proportions, heading towards the Shigaraki ninja with its size matching that of the ninja. However, the Shigaraki ninja remained unfazed until the fist was right in front of them. Just before the impact, the Shigaraki ninja flashed a burst of green chakra, leaping over the colossal fist and landing on top of it.

Realizing that his punch had missed, Renji swiftly released his expansion jutsu from his right arm and transferred the chakra to his left, trying to swing it around and strike the ninja while they were momentarily suspended in the air. Renji yelled out, "Plump Punch!" as his fist connected, forcefully smashing the ninja towards the ground and causing a cloud of smoke upon impact.

Observing the fight, Itachi couldn't help but acknowledge the speed displayed by the Shigaraki ninja. However, he believed that they wouldn't be able to dodge in time, as he focused on the dust cloud caused by the collision. The other watching ninja, including the Hokage, seemed to share a similar sentiment, expecting more from the Shigaraki ninja. The only exception was Jiraiya, who was visibly shocked by the sudden disappearance of natural energy in the area, a phenomenon that occurred far quicker than anticipated.

Suddenly, a loud snap echoed through the air as a figure rushed out from the dissipating dust cloud, clutching their left hand by the wrist, which appeared to be broken. As the dust cleared completely, everyone around, including the spectators, were stunned to see Renji holding his left forearm, blood trickling from two deep gashes. Their attention then turned back to the dust cloud, which revealed the Shigaraki ninja holding two kunais soaked in blood, the crimson staining their hands right up to their elbows.

Before the fist could make contact with the Shigaraki ninja, the ninja activated their physical enhancement quirk to the maximum, swiftly taking out two kunai to stab at the giant fist hurtling towards them.

With the aid of their enhanced durability, the impact of the fist was greatly reduced, allowing the Shigaraki ninja to land firmly on their feet, causing the ground to crack beneath them. They took advantage of the opportunity to pierce through Renji's enormous fist, breaking it and rendering his left hand useless.

Renji managed to escape the dust cloud caused by the shattered ground, attempting to assess the damage to his left hand. However, before he could react, a streak of green blurred past him, and suddenly his view began rotating. In a final moment of realization, Renji saw his own body and understood what had transpired before he met his demise, his head colliding with the ground.

Fugaku, who was closest to the match and had already activated his three-tomoe Sharingan, reluctantly admitted that even he struggled to keep up with the speed of this genin. Understanding the severity of the threat posed by someone of this caliber, Fugaku couldn't help but shudder at the thought of a Shigaraki jonin. Not only Fugaku, but almost everyone watching, except for the Shigaraki ninjas themselves, was astonished by the remarkable speed and precision displayed by the Shigaraki ninja.

Among the shocked spectators, Jiraiya, in particular, was deeply unsettled. He had finally sensed the Shigaraki ninja's newfound sage mode, and the news was distressing. While the power increase alone was only half that of his own sage mode, what truly disturbed Jiraiya was the lightning-fast speed at which the Shigaraki ninja entered it—a speed far beyond anything he had ever witnessed, even from his own sage masters.

The swiftness with which they activated sage mode reminded Jiraiya of the tales surrounding the First Hokage, whose sage mode was rumored to be instantaneous. Witnessing the Shigaraki ninja, a mere genin, achieve such a feat instilled a sense of fear in Jiraiya's heart.

After the winner of the previous match had been declared, the black billboard began flashing once again, revealing the next matchup: the Shigaraki ninja versus Sora Yamanaka, another operative from Root. As the two genin made their way to the arena, Itachi couldn't help but reflect on the previous fight, contemplating how he would handle such a situation if he were in Renji's place, determining that he would have been able to see but reacting was not possible.

Itachi was a compassionate and protective ninja who wanted to safeguard both his clan and the village. Witnessing a fellow ninja from the village being killed before his eyes left him disheartened. Itachi could only hope that his own teammates wouldn't have to face off against the Shigaraki ninja, and if they did, he would do everything in his power to make them surrender.

In the arena, the two genin stood before Fugaku, who officiated in the middle. "Are you both ready?" Fugaku asked, receiving nods of acknowledgement from the genin. He then declared, "Begin," and created some distance between himself and the competitors.

Sora, determined not to let his guard down, grabbed a handful of shuriken and flung them towards the Shigaraki ninja in front of him. Simultaneously, Sora began performing hand seals, preparing to utilize his clan's mind transfer technique on the Shigaraki ninja, both for victory and gathering information on Shigaraki's abilities.

As the shuriken flew towards the Shigaraki ninja, they swiftly retrieved a kunai and used it to block the incoming projectiles. However, during this blocking sequence, Sora managed to complete the sealing and executed his jutsu. Forming his hands into a triangle formation and facing the Shigaraki ninja, Sora called out, "Mind Body Change Technique," activating his clan's jutsu and transferring his mind into the body of the Shigaraki ninja.

Unbeknownst to Sora, the mind of the Shigaraki ninja was intrinsically connected to Kurogiri's subconscious. As soon as Sora entered the Shigaraki ninja's body, the overwhelming influx of information caused his own mind to break. Meanwhile, the observing ninja noticed that Sora had successfully executed his clan's technique, assuming that the Shigaraki ninja should have been taken over.

However, contrary to the beliefs of the Konoha ninja, Sora's body suddenly convulsed, with blood flowing from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He slumped over and fell to the ground, lifeless. Shock was the prevailing emotion among the Konoha ninjas as they watched with disbelief and reluctance the lifeless body of Sora lying in the arena.

Fugaku declared the Shigaraki ninja as the winner of the match and called for some ninjas to remove Sora's body. Concern filled the hearts of all the Konoha ninjas, and Itachi looked at his teammates and spoke with a serious tone, "If either of you are paired with the Shigaraki ninja, surrender immediately. They don't spare any opponents' lives."

However, contrary to his expectations, his teammates expressed their determination not to give up and vowed to advance together to the finals. Itachi could only shake his head in both admiration and concern, a small smile forming on his face as he acknowledged the unwavering resolve of his teammates, even in the face of death.

The black billboard displayed the details of the next match, revealing another Shigaraki ninja chosen to fight against Akihiro Nara, another root operative. The two ninjas made their way down to the arena, and just like in the previous matches, they confronted each other.

Akihiro, mindful of his previous comrade's defeat, refused to underestimate his opponent. As Fugaku initiated the match, Akihiro dropped three smoke bombs in the arena, attempting to create distance from the Shigaraki ninja and start performing hand signs for a jutsu.

However, his plan of obstructing the view did not work out as expected. Even before Akihiro could finish his seals, the Shigaraki ninja had swiftly closed the gap, utilizing their infrared quirk, which allowed them to keep track of Akihiro's movements within the smoke.

With great speed, the Shigaraki ninja rushed through the smoke, using their enhanced physical abilities to drive a Kunai into Akihiro's chest. Caught off guard, Akihiro barely managed to shift his body to avoid a direct hit to his heart.

In a desperate attempt to create some distance from the relentless Shigaraki ninja, Akihiro moved, but it was too late. In a swift motion, the Shigaraki ninja used their other free hand, holding a kunai, to slash across Akihiro's throat, leaving a thin red line.

With a powerful strike, they detached Akihiro's head, which flew out of the dissipating smoke and crashed into the wall. The Konoha ninjas, witnessing the aftermath of the deadly encounter, were left in shock and horror, their gazes fixed upon the severed head of Akihiro stuck in the wall, an expression of surprise etched upon his lifeless face.

After the arena was cleaned up, the next match was decided by the board, and it turned out to be another clash between a Shigaraki ninja and Kazuki Sakurai, a civilian who had been raised and trained by Root since a young age. Kazuki, proficient in Kenjutsu and Taijutsu, entered the arena with utmost focus, his eyes locked onto the emotionless Shigaraki ninja standing across from him. They both nodded to Fugaku, indicating they were ready for the match to commence.

As soon as the match began, Kazuki channeled chakra into his feet and legs, swiftly closing the distance between them with his sword gripped tightly in his hand, aiming for an overhead strike. With the sword descending upon the Shigaraki ninja, they produced a kunai with their right hand, skillfully parrying Kazuki's attack.

Utilizing their free left hand, the Shigaraki ninja attempted to grab hold of Kazuki's sword hand. Sensing the imminent danger, Kazuki harnessed the momentum of the parry to spin around and deliver a forceful kick towards the Shigaraki ninja.

However, to Kazuki's surprise, the Shigaraki ninja did not retract their hand. Instead, they activated their physical enhancement, increasing their speed to grab Kazuki's kicking leg with their left hand while simultaneously stabbing it with a kunai held in their right. Kazuki felt a sensation reminiscent of his days as a child training with Root, when he would kick against trees.

His kick struck the Shigaraki ninja's left hand, but before he could react, a searing pain shot through his leg. Reacting swiftly, Kazuki rotated his body to bring his sword at an angle, intending to sever the arm of his opponent. However, just as his sword was about to strike, the Shigaraki ninja maximized their physical enhancement, allowing Kazuki's strike to only leave a shallow cut on their left arm.

To the horror of Kazuki and everyone watching, they witnessed the green chakra already beginning to heal the Shigaraki ninja's arm. Distracted and disheartened by this turn of events, Kazuki failed to notice the Shigaraki ninja swiftly using the kunai in their right hand to end his life, removing his head from his body.

After that match, the other matches were unremarkable in order to avoid any further losses. The Konoha ninjas only fought against each other, while the Shigaraki ninjas were paired with their own teammates. However, things took a turn for the worse when Itachi's teammate, Tenma Izumo, was pitted against a Shigaraki ninja. Itachi couldn't help but feel nervous for Tenma and tried to convince him to surrender. However, Tenma was determined to prove himself to Itachi and refused to back down. With determination in his eyes, Tenma stepped into the arena, ready to win by unleashing his fire jutsu right from the start.

As Tenma squared off against the Shigaraki ninja, he was taken aback by the apathy displayed by his opponent. Itachi, sitting in the stands, activated his sharingan with a single tomoe, prepared to intervene and protect Tenma if necessary. With Fugaku's signal, the final match began, and Tenma swiftly performed a series of hand signs. "Fire Style: Giant Fireball Jutsu!" he exclaimed, inhaling deeply and then exhaling a massive fireball over fifteen feet wide toward the Shigaraki ninja.

However, to his surprise, the Shigaraki ninja seemed completely unfazed. Activating an intense physical enhancement, he charged straight through the fireball, leaving Tenma dumbfounded. Tenma never expected anyone in their right mind to jump through a raging fire, and as the Shigaraki ninja passed by him, Tenma felt a sharp pain in his neck before everything went black as the ground rushed up to him.

Itachi watched in horror as the Shigaraki ninja rushed through the fireball, ultimately taking the life of his teammate by decapitation. Unbeknownst to Itachi, his sharingan evolved from one tomoe to three tomoe due to this traumatic event. With Tenma's death, the preliminary exams of the Chunin exams came to an end, as announced by Fugaku.

The Third Hokage delivered a brief speech, informing the passing ninjas about the upcoming finals in a few months' time, before quickly dismissing everyone. They all dispersed, heading towards their own destinations, but one thing was clear to every Konoha ninja, from genin to Hokage - the Shigaraki ninjas were proving to be far more troublesome than initially anticipated.