D: Ripples of Change
As the silence fell, Hayashi resheathed his blade, the metallic rasp echoing through the stillness His eyes lingered on Yoroi's still form, his chest rising and falling with shallow, ragged breaths.
The ground beneath them was stained crimson with spilled blood, which shimmered in the dim light.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"I did what I could to restrain my strength, but..." Hayashi's words trailed off, his expression clouded with concern as he glanced at Yoroi's motionless form.
"I hope he's still alive," he added softly.
The silence that followed was oppressive, unsettling the other candidates.
Even the Third Hokage and some Jonins found themselves momentarily taken aback by the simplicity and lethality of Hayashi's swordplay.
Orochimaru's gaze, however, was fixed on Hayashi with a growing sense of recognition. A figure from his past, long buried in memory, began to resurface.
In this new generation of Konoha, where talents like Sasuke and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had emerged, Orochimaru was surprised to find another unassuming civilian who possessed such remarkable skill.
It seemed that Konoha remained a fertile ground for nurturing exceptional talent.
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Kurenai shot Kakashi a knowing smile, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"What's your take, Kakashi?"
Beneath his mask, a hint of nostalgia softened his features as he delivered his assessment.
"Remarkably talented, worthy of the top spot," he declared.
"Drawing a sword or using the Teleportation Jutsu— both mundane actions, yet in his hands, they blend into a technique that is quite deadly."
Kurenai's smile widened with satisfaction.
As former comrades turned mentors, Kurenai stood alongside Kakashi and the others, guiding the next generation of shinobi. A subtle undercurrent of competition ran through their ranks, each mentor eager to prove their student's superiority.
Kakashi and the others may have underestimated her, but Kurenai's student outperformed the rest, fueling her quiet confidence.
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As some candidates trembled with fear, Sasuke's grip on his neck tightened, his eyes fixed intently on Hayashi.
"I will be stronger," he growled, his teeth clenched. With each passing moment, his determination only grew.
Though Sasuke lacked personal experience, he couldn't deny the deadly swiftness and precision of Hayashi's blade.
Even with his Sharingan activated, he found himself struggling to dodge the onslaught, his usually sharp reflexes no match for Hayashi's lightning-fast attacks.
And the technique lacked chakra, making it mostly a physical feat. Even with his exceptional visual insight, Sasuke couldn't react quickly enough.
Frustration surged within him, fueled by the daunting gap in skill that seemed despairing. Only four months had passed, yet the distance between them felt like an eternity.
An intense unwillingness gnawed at his heart.
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Meanwhile, Naruto marveled at Hayashi's prowess without the burden of complex thoughts.
"Incredible," he breathed.
Hayate, an accomplished swordsman himself, was equally impressed. He studied Hayashi's technique, searching for any flaws or weaknesses.
But there were none. The young ninja's swordsmanship was flawless
What puzzled Hayate, however, was the lack of chakra in Hayashi's attacks. It was as if he was generating power from thin air.
How could someone so young wield a sword with such devastating force?
As Hayashi made his way towards the second floor, Hayate's gaze lingered on him. He couldn't help but wonder about the true extent of the boy's strength, hidden beneath his unassuming appearance.
But Hayate's confusion was short-lived, as the urgency to save life took over. He quickly called out for medical aid, and a team of medical ninjas clad in white rushed forward with a stretcher to attend to Yoroi.
The severity of Yoroi's injury was stark - his right arm dangled lifelessly, severed at the shoulder. But the medical team sprang into action, their expertise focused on stemming the blood loss and stabilizing his condition.
The situation was dire, but not hopeless. Yoroi's life hung in the balance, swaying on the edge of survival.
Only the skilled hands of a master healer could hope to mend the damage. With urgency, the medical team worked together, their every move a delicate dance between life and death.
As Hayashi ascended the stairs to the second floor, his eyes darted towards Yoroi's stretcher, a fleeting glimmer of empathy crossing his face. But beneath the surface, he felt no genuine remorse for his defeated foe.
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Down below, the screen flickered to life, revealing the draw for the second round of the showdown. The crowd's anticipation was visible as the names appeared:
Uchiha Sasuke vs Koizumi Ryota.
Ryota's heart sank as he gazed up at the screen, his opponent's name staring back at him: Sasuke. The odds were against him, and his confidence took a hit.
Despite his doubts, he took a deep breath and faced his opponent head-on.
But with each exchange, he felt increasingly outmatched and outclassed.
As the match wore on, it became clear that he was no match for Sasuke's skill, even without his powerful Sharingan. Sasuke's swift and precise movements left him struggling to keep up.
In the end, Sasuke emerged victorious, leaving Ryota defeated and humbled.
As he trudged to the second floor, a heavy sense of disappointment weighed him down, his footsteps slow and heavy with the weight of his failure.
He whispered to himself, "Maybe next time," as he gazed out at the crowd. Kiba approached, a sympathetic smile on his face.
"Tough break out there," Kiba said, clapping Ryota on the shoulder.
"But don't worry, Sasuke's getting stronger, and so are we."
Ryota managed a weak smile, grateful for Kiba's words. He glanced over to see Megumi standing nearby, his expression unreadable as usual.
As he took in the sight of his teammate, his eyes naturally fell on the ground around Megumi, noticing how the shadows seemed to be cast in an unusual way.
Ryota rubbed his tired eyes, wondering if he was just seeing things due to exhaustion.
Megumi nodded at Ryota, his eyes giving away nothing. Despite the uncertainty, he felt a sense of solidarity with his teammates, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that he'd really seen something unusual in Megumi's shadow.
He pushed the thought aside. He must be seeing things, his mind playing tricks on him.
As the match ended, Kakashi stepped in to treat Sasuke's Curse Mark, leading him away for further evaluation.
Ryota watched them go, a lingering sense of unease settling in. His gaze lingered on the departing figures, and that's when he noticed a Sound Jonin slipping away, following discreetly behind them.
A shiver ran down Ryota's spine as a wave of apprehension washed over him. Was it just a coincidence, or something more sinister?
His mind raced with possibilities, each one more unsettling than the last.
"What was that feeling...," he whispered to himself.
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The stage was set for the next battle:
Aburame Shino vs Abumi Zaku.
Zaku, a member of the Sound Ninja Trio, exuded confidence as he entered the arena, his eyes gleaming with intensity.
Zaku could shatter rocks with his mastery of airwaves. As the signal sounded, he unleashed a torrent of airwaves, causing the ground to tremble.
Shino moved in time, dodging the attack with fluid movements.
"You'll need more than that to defeat me," he said calmly.
Zaku sneered, his arrogance evident.
"I'll crush you like an insect!"
But Shino merely tilted his head, a faint smirk on his lips. With a swift motion, he summoned a swarm of chittering insects that surrounded him like a living shield.
The arena erupted into chaos as Zaku struggled to penetrate the cloud of insects. His airwaves faltered, and Shino seized control. The insects swarmed Zaku relentlessly, leaving no room for escape.
As the dust settled, his enemy lay motionless on the ground.
Hayate stepped forward.
"The winner of this match is Aburame Shino!" he declared, his voice echoing throughout the arena.
Shino remained stoic, his expression unchanged behind his sunglasses.
With a subtle nod to his teammates, he calmly made his way to the second floor.
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As the fourth fight was about to begin, Hayashi's eyes locked onto the screen:
Hyuga Hinata vs Tsurugi Misumi.
This unexpected pairing deviated from the original series, piquing his curiosity.
He had little interest in Misumi, a mere companion of Yoroi. What really caught his attention was Hinata's confrontation with him.
He wondered if this was the result of a butterfly effect, where small changes had significant consequences.
In the original series, Hinata would have faced her cousin Neji, allowing the Third Hokage to assess the strength of the Hyuga clan's main and branch families.
Yet, fate had other plans.
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I want to clarify something. It's not that I will drop this novel; I will simply have less time for it, even though I have more free time overall now. I'm dividing my free time between writing this novel and working on a new one, which is not a translation but my own work. I am not sure if this should be classified as a fanfic. At the moment, I have a rough direction and a name.
I'm curious if any of you noticed the foreshadowing I included in the fillers and in this chapter for the upcoming events.