Chapter-57

"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats as the fifth match between Shinzo Hitoshi and Tokoyami Fumikage is about to begin!" Present Mic's enthusiastic announcement stirred the crowd as they watched the two participants make their way to the battle arena and take their positions.

Shinzo wasn't surprised that the spectators were showing support for Tokoyami, especially after his standout performance during the cavalry battle with Midoriya. "If both contestants are ready, let the battle commence!" Midnight's authoritative voice signaled the start, and they didn't have to wait long for Tokoyami to launch his first attack.

"You're eager to fight, bird guy!" Shinzo had to swiftly drop to the ground to avoid Dark Shadow's menacing strike. The shadowy bird's relentless pursuit forced him to roll and dodge across the arena. As he maneuvered, Shinzo attempted to provoke his opponent further. "Are you going to let your 'pet' do all the work?" he taunted. However, his opponent remained stoic, showing no intention of responding, which presented a challenge.

"I already know about your quirk," Shinzo thought calmly and signaled Dark Shadow to continue its assault. Eventually, Shinzo couldn't maintain his evasive pace, and a blow from Dark Shadow struck his back, sending him tumbling to the sandy ground.

"It's futile; he won't say a word," Shinzo muttered with frustration as he slowly picked himself up. Observing Dark Shadow closing in for a potentially decisive attack, Shinzo clenched his fists.

"You possess the power to control anyone you want; it's up to you to figure out how to make it work... It's a peculiar power," he remembered. A smile crossed Shinzo's face as he spun on the ground and propped himself up on his elbows, watching as the shadow beast approached him. "Being taken out by my opponent's 'pet'—how pathetic," he remarked aloud, achieving the desired response.

"'Pet'?" Dark Shadow cried out, offended by the term. But before he could voice further protest, his entire body quivered, and his eyes turned white as Shinzo's own eyes emitted a faint glow.

"Dark Shadow?" The bird-headed boy questioned with a furrowed brow as he witnessed his partner suddenly halt mid-air. His confusion deepened when his opponent, wearing a grin, rose to his feet.

"Get him out of the sand, now!" came the unexpected shout from the Class-C student, who pointed towards a bewildered Tokoyami. He watched in disbelief as the shadowy bird began to pivot to attack him. The teen bird had no time to dissipate Dark Shadow when it clamped onto his left arm, dragging him off the platform. By the time Tokoyami managed to disperse the shadow, it was too late— he had been pushed out of bounds.

"Shinso Hitoshi is the winner!" Midnight announced, brandishing her whip towards the purple-haired teen. The crowd erupted in cheers, celebrating the victor of the match. In the center of the platform, Shinso stood in silence, observing as everyone applauded him, including his classmates who had been his biggest supporters. Unable to help himself, he cracked a smile, bowed, and expressed his gratitude for the acclaim.

"…" Naruto, in the stands, watched this with mild interest. It seemed the kid wasn't as foolish as he initially appeared; at least he was attentive.

"Something caught your eye?" Ibara inquired, once again at her friend's side. His response was to offer her a bottle of soda.

"Nothing, you did well in your fight," the shinobi calmly replied as he continued to observe the arena, where the next match was about to commence.

Another disappointing match unfolded between the pink-haired girl who emitted acid and the French boy, whose name he couldn't recall at the moment. From Naruto's perspective, it all seemed rather mundane. The pink-haired girl with antennae triumphed in her match, advancing to the next stage. She had a good grasp of her abilities, but her exuberant and bubbly personality was a drawback.

"Thank you," the boy expressed his gratitude to the shinobi for his congratulations before rejoining him.

The next bout Naruto witnessed featured a brash redhead with the power to harden his skin against another boy who, if memory served, could turn his skin into steel. Both had similar quirk attributes, so the victor would be determined by their strategic prowess. However, instead of a tactical contest, Naruto was met with...

"A couple of idiots," he sighed listlessly. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, the Uzumaki observed the two combatants who were exchanging blows with their quirks activated. It was akin to watching two boulders collide—a pointless battle that ended in a double knockout, leaving the outcome inconclusive.

"Naruto?" Confused, Ibara noticed that Uzumaki had crossed his arms and closed his eyes—was he sleeping? It was hard to say. As she refocused on the fight, she witnessed the relentless battle continuing until the red-haired teenager emerged victorious. After a few more minutes, the last preliminary battle was set to begin.

A few seats away, Izuku appeared, relying on crutches to take a seat beside his other classmates, sandwiched between Iida and Toru. Both of them regarded him with concern, but the green-haired teenager reassured them with a smile, indicating they shouldn't worry. Observing the platform where the final match would take place, she noticed her friend Uraraka already in position, facing off against Bakugo.

"The eighth match is about to begin! Katsuki Bakugo vs Uraraka Ochako!" Present Mic enthusiastically announced, introducing the two participants. Midnight raised her whip to signal the start of the match, and there was little waiting involved before the girl took the initiative to attack.

"Really, Round Face?" Katsuki mocked, deploying an explosion with his right arm, squarely hitting his opponent, who could only shield herself with both arms, but it was insufficient protection.

Naruto, from his seat, opened his eyes to witness Uraraka rolling on the ground after the explosive attack. As seconds ticked by, he observed the girl attempting to close the gap through clever maneuvers, only to fail repeatedly.

"Not bad, kid…" Naruto smiled slightly, noting that within the cloud of dust generated by the explosive teenager, several debris pieces ascended above the platform. With each passing minute, more and more debris, both large and small, floated upward into the sky.

Returning to the battle scene, the exhausted Ochako joined her hands, unleashing everything she had sent soaring toward the sky like a meteor shower. All of it came crashing down upon Katsuki, who was taken aback by the impending onslaught. However, instead of dodging, he raised his right arm to create a colossal explosion that obliterated all the descending debris.

"It can't be…" Frustration evident, the brown-haired student shielded herself once more with an explosion as new debris rained down. Notably, the spectators expressed their discontent, albeit to a lesser degree than when Naruto had fought Momo.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as Aizawa came to Bakugo's defense, thinking it wouldn't have hurt for the teacher to offer similar praise during his bout against Yaoyorozu. With a sigh, he shook his head, deciding it wasn't worth dwelling on. As he watched the platform, he saw that the brown-haired girl had been defeated—better than some of the more absurd battles, at least.

"The preliminary battles have concluded! Now, the quarterfinals will begin with the match between Uzumaki Naruto and Todoroki Shiori! It's going to be a clash of titans! Starting soon!" Present Mic gleefully announced as screens displayed the upcoming fights order.

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