The tournament order had been reshuffled. The first match became the fourth, and the second was pulled forward as the opening bout.
The crowd roared when Yoshida Kappei, a quick-witted Genin from Konoha, defeated Hatake Kusuo. His clever application of genjutsu outmaneuvered Kusuo's taijutsu, shocking many into silence before the stands erupted in cheers. The energy inside the Chūnin Exam arena reached a feverish pitch.
The proctor stepped forward, hand hovering over the next lot. The rotating names on the screen stilled—two more challengers appeared.
"The second match! Nara Kazu vs. Nohara Rin!"
From the stands came a familiar shout.
"Come on, Rin!" Obito's voice was unmissable. Though eliminated earlier, he still rushed to cheer his teammate with unrestrained passion.
The battle was spirited. Nohara Rin lacked overwhelming offensive ability, but her uncanny agility and quick thinking allowed her to pressure Kazu from the start. She darted left and right, catching the Nara heir off guard with her close-quarters persistence. For a time, the audience believed Rin might secure a surprise victory.
But once Nara Kazu grew serious, the tide shifted. The Nara clan's shadow techniques were merciless. No Genin could truly maintain an advantage against them for long. Inevitably, Rin's resistance broke, and she was captured in his control.
Though defeated, Rin bowed her head with neither shame nor regret. She had fought with everything she had.
"Good. That girl has heart," muttered Sarutobi Hiruzen from the high balcony, his eyes glinting with approval.
The crowd was uplifted by her courage, the arena swelling once again with excitement. The proctor took only moments to call the next match.
"Third match! Hyūga Akane versus Katori Sumire!"
A ripple of anticipation spread through the seats. Even Hiruzen leaned forward.
"A member of the Hyūga clan… is this the young prodigy of the main family people have spoken of?"
For the civilian spectators, the Hyūga's presence lent prestige to the exam. For shinobi, it raised their interest. The Byakugan's reputation as a top-tier dōjutsu always demanded attention.
"Sumire! Come on, win like Kappei did!" her teammate cried from the stands, joined by their instructor's encouragement.
Meanwhile, the Hyūga section of the audience called out with equal fervor, cheering on their scarlet-haired clanmate as she stepped forward.
"Akane! This time it's up to you!" Hinata Hizashi's usually reserved tone was strained with nervous energy. He muttered to himself, "Hold out as long as you can… until Shigure's battle."
In the ring, Sumire stepped across from Akane and gave a small bow. Her expression was resolute.
"I owe you an apology," she said frankly. "I used to see you only as a daughter of the Hyūga—the descendant of a noble line, blessed with the Byakugan. I thought you were beyond me for that reason alone. But I was wrong. Let me see today how powerful the Hyūga of Konoha truly are."
Akane returned the bow, replying sincerely, "You're too kind. I will fight with everything I have, and I'd ask the same from you. I don't want to hold my teammates back anymore. Today, I prove my worth."
Their eyes locked. Both could feel the obsessions the other carried—burdens neither could cast aside.
"Begin!"
The proctor's voice rang out, and the arena came alive. The duel between the two kunoichi immediately ignited attention.
Sumire struck first, flinging shuriken in a controlled arc. Steel glimmered through the air. Akane drew a kunai, deflecting each projectile with surgical precision.
But midway, Sumire's weapons dissolved into hovering eyes—genjutsu!
"Right at the start?!" gasped the crowd.
Akane's expression tightened, but her hands were steady. "Genjutsu… release!" She broke free almost instantly.
Though genjutsu was not her forte, months of grueling instruction from Hiashi had equipped her to resist them. She would not crumble so easily again.
The match pressed on. Sumire's next volley came armed with explosive tags. The kunai whistled as it traced through the smoke, charging directly at Akane.
White pupils widened, and Akane's stance shifted. "Byakugan—activate!"
Her chakra flared as she spun like a top, speed blurring her outline. A roaring wind erupted outward, forming a blue-white sphere of protection.
"Kaiten?!" gasped the spectators. The detonating tags ignited, but the explosion was swept aside, harmless against the Hyūga's perfect defense.
When the spinning ended, Akane stood untouched. Even Sumire's jaw tightened in surprise.
"So that's the Hyūga rotation… but I haven't shown my last card either." She began flying through hand seals.
Yet before she could complete her jutsu, Akane leapt forward, palm striking through the air.
"Eight Trigrams—Vacuum Palm!"
The shockwave rippled forward, crashing into Sumire's chest. Invisible needles of chakra struck her tenketsu points. She staggered, wide-eyed.
"My… chakra… blocked?!" Shock rattled her composure. She realized her body felt heavy, sluggish, her control faltering.
Memories of their previous encounter flooded back. The girl from three months ago could barely spar without flinching. This Akane was a different person entirely.
From the viewing platform, Hiruzen smiled thinly. "Acupuncture from a distance. A skillful application… perhaps her training was influenced by Shigure."
Koharu Utatane folded her arms, watching Sumire struggle back to her feet. "But she's not giving up. Another stubborn spirit."
Indeed, Sumire clenched her fists, trembling but unbowed. She dragged herself upright, grit radiating from her voice.
"I won't fall… not yet. At least withstand this one more blow."
"Don't force it!" Akane's concern broke through her composure. "Your chakra pathways are sealed. Pushing further could harm your body!"
But Sumire only shook her head. "If I can't defeat you… how could I ever stand against Uchiha Shigure?"
The statement froze Akane for half a second. Shigure again. Always Shigure.
Her heart squeezed. Am I any different? Clinging to this obsession, demanding recognition…
Sumire, teeth clenched, forced her hands through the final seals, sweating from the strain. "Then take this! Genjutsu: Naraku's Descent!"
A suffocating wave crushed over the arena. The spectators shivered—but no one felt it as sharply as Akane.
Her world bled away.
Corpses littered the arena. Blood dripped down broken stone. Shigure lay crumpled at her feet, his body motionless, eyes glazed. Around him—family, friends, the Hyūga, the Uchiha—all dead, their empty gazes blaming her.
Akane's scream tore the hallucination. "No—!" Her composure shattered, fear multiplying until it sank its claws into every corner of her spirit. For a dreadful moment, she forgot this was the Chūnin Exam. She forgot it was only a genjutsu.
And Sumire's wild gamble seized its chance.
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