Chapter 40: The Battle Begins
The crowd beneath the stage could see it clearly—Masami Horii, now emotionally charged, was gradually falling into Nagano's rhythm.
Gasping for breath, Masami lunged forward, thrusting his blade toward Nagano.
Unfazed, Nagano calmly raised the kunai in his hand, sidestepping as he intercepted the attack.
"Slash!"
Deflecting Masami's sword, Nagano swiftly lifted his other hand and delivered a solid punch.
"Thud!"
The punch landed squarely on Masami's face, sending him flying backward.
Seizing the advantage, Nagano rushed forward.
"Taijutsu: Nagano Barrage!"
Nagano's fists rained down like a storm on Masami's body, each blow precise and unrelenting.
As he attacked, Nagano roared, his voice filled with fury.
"Die, Obito!"
From the sidelines, Obito muttered under his breath.
"Seriously? How much of this is personal vendetta?"
The proctor, a graceful young woman, sashayed onto the stage and announced the results of the first match.
"The match is over! The winner of the first round: Nagano!"
"Die, Obito!"
"Hey, contestant, stop hitting him! It's over—stop it already!"
Nagano and Masami were carried off the stage together, signaling the end of the first round.
With a helpless sigh, the proctor drew lots for the second match.
"Second round: Nara Shikayu versus Marco!"
Marco, a ninja from Takigakure, stepped forward, his short curly hair making his head look like a pineapple.
"Pfft!"
In the audience, Obito burst into laughter.
"Pineapple versus pineapple? This is going to be fun!"
Shikayu and Marco exchanged no words. As soon as the match began, shuriken zipped through the air in a flurry.
The distance between them closed rapidly, and Marco unsheathed a katana, opting for close combat.
The blade flashed with deadly precision, forcing Shikayu to retreat.
Skill-wise, Shikayu seemed at a slight disadvantage.
However, he soon demonstrated the Nara Clan's brilliance in battlefield control.
Shikayu's deft movements left the crowd in awe.
"Wow, look at that footwork!" Obito exclaimed enviously.
"Shikayu's got some serious moves!"
Might Guy, standing nearby, shook his head.
"Obito, you've got it wrong. With all our training, our core strength is definitely better than his!"
Rin tilted her head in curiosity.
"Core strength? What's that about?"
Her question drew the attention of Kakashi, Ryoko, and the others.
With a proud grin, Guy started explaining.
"Core strength is—mmph!"
Before he could finish, Obito clamped a hand over Guy's mouth, his expression uneasy.
"Nothing! Nothing at all! Look, Shikayu's about to win!"
The group's focus returned to the stage just in time to see Marco charging at Shikayu near the edge of the platform.
Shikayu, with his back to the edge, waited for the perfect moment.
"Now!"
He spun abruptly, dashing to the side as his shadow extended like a spider's web, ensnaring Marco's.
The Shadow Imitation Technique took hold, and Marco, carried by his own momentum, stumbled off the stage.
From the audience, the Third Hokage chuckled as he sipped his tea.
"Brilliant! As expected from a Nara."
The proctor returned to the stage, raising her hand.
"The second match is over. Winner: Nara Shikayu!"
Marco walked away dejectedly, while Shikayu casually descended the stage, hands behind his head.
In the meantime, the proctor had already drawn the names for the third match.
"Third match: Hatake Kakashi versus Shinichi Aoyama!"
Kakashi ascended the stage, his expression cold. Drawing his short sword, he pointed it at the Kusagakure ninja across from him.
From below, Rin cheered with her tiny fists raised.
"Kakashi, you've got this!"
Obito clasped Rin's hands with an air of seriousness.
"Rin, don't waste your energy cheering for Kakashi. He's bound to win anyway. Save your strength for your own match!"
Rin tilted her head, confused.
"But—"
"Winner of the third match: Hatake Kakashi," the proctor's cool voice interrupted.
Obito: "???"
Rin: "???"
The two looked up, stunned, realizing that the fight had ended while they were talking.
Ryoko, on the other hand, gazed at Kakashi with starry eyes. Her heart fluttered as if a deer were performing a waltz inside.
"Kakashi-kun is so strong! That was less than thirty seconds!"
However, as the match after match saw Konoha's victories, the other nations' leaders grew visibly disgruntled.
"Another win for Konoha? I thought their talent pool was running dry!"
"Hah! A starving camel is still bigger than a horse. Can't deny their strength!"
The more bitter their complaints, the brighter Hiruzen's smile grew. He sipped his tea contentedly, savoring every moment of their frustration.
Finally, the proctor announced the next match.
"Fourth round: Uchiha Obito versus Might Guy!"
In the viewing stands, a loud laugh echoed.
"Konoha's finally going to lose! Ha!"
Someone beside him sighed heavily.
"Brother, are you okay? They're fighting each other—how does that count as a loss for Konoha?"
Rin whispered words of encouragement to Obito.
"You can do it, Obito-kun!"
Obito nodded as he and Guy stepped onto the stage.
He looked at Guy seriously.
"Guy, I just hope—"
Guy cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Don't worry, Obito. I understand you perfectly."
As Obito sighed internally, Guy confidently declared,
"I will give this my all. No holding back!"
Obito's smile froze.
"...Of course you will."
With Guy removing his weights and assuming a fighting stance, Obito pondered his strategy.
"Guy's taijutsu is overwhelming, and his mental resilience makes genjutsu ineffective. This will be tough."
He clenched his fists, his mind racing.
"If I can't win easily, I won't stand out. I need to surprise everyone... but how?"
As the plan formed in his mind, Obito's eyes lit up.
"I've got it!"
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