"No matter who my opponent is, I'll defeat them with my taijutsu and shine brighter than anyone else in this tournament! I bet my father is watching me right now!"
Might Guy stood in the middle of the arena in his iconic green spandex, eyes blazing with passion. Compared to the other contestants, his presence was explosive, his whole body trembling with energy as if he had been injected with pure fire.
In the stands, Hyūga Akane and Kusuo Hatake were still uneasy. Both carried worry in their eyes — concern not only for themselves, but especially for Uchiha Shigure, who had yet to step onto the stage.
Nara Kazu, by contrast, sat casually, arms crossed. To him, one less contender meant one less obstacle between him and victory. He knew how strong Shigure was, and if anything, he was waiting to see what kind of trouble his rival would stir up.
The examiner stepped forward, clipboard in hand, and announced the next match by lottery draw.
"First match! Uchiha Shigure versus… Might Guy!"
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
"What?! Shigure's opponent is Guy? That's too unlucky!" Kusuo muttered, looking as though he'd swallowed bitter medicine.
Before the match could be called, a masked jonin appeared beside the examiner and whispered something in his ear. The examiner paused, nodded, then addressed the crowd again.
"For special reasons, the first match will be held at the end of the round. We will proceed with the next lot."
People raised their brows in curiosity, whispers flooding the arena, but the examiner's tone left no room for argument. He held up the next slip of paper.
"Second match! Yoshida Kappei versus Hatake Kusuo!"
The audience roared with excitement. Kusuo Hatake, youngest wielder of the Grayfang Blade and seen as one of the strongest new genin, was a heavy favorite. His name alone ignited the crowd, their enthusiasm quadrupled by the thought of another major clash.
Kusuo exhaled, gripping the hilt of Grayfang. His voice was steady, but his eyes carried burning determination. "It's my turn. This time, I will defeat him."
His opponent, Yoshida Kappei, emerged from the waiting area. Unlike the carefree and somewhat cheeky boy Kusuo remembered, the Kappei standing there was grim-faced, his expression cold and measured. The playful spark in his eyes was gone, replaced by something oddly detached.
The examiner raised his arm. "Contestants, to the arena!"
Both kusuo and Kappei stepped forward, drawing weapons. The air crackled with anticipation.
"Begin!"
Kappei was the first to move, launching a barrage of kunai and shuriken in quick succession. Sparks flashed as Kusuo deflected every projectile with precise strokes of Grayfang, his compact ninja blade gleaming. With a surge of speed, Kusuo closed the distance and lunged into a vicious exchange of slashes.
"Hatake swordsmanship?" Kappei's eyes narrowed, his body rolling lithely away from Kusuo's strikes, moving with agility refined by long hours of training.
Kappei's hands blurred through seals — far faster than Kusuo expected.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
Three roaring dragons of flame spiraled forward, the heat distorting the very air.
Kusuo planted his feet, Grayfang glowing with focused chakra. "Wind Dragon Slash!"
A surge of gray-white energy erupted from his blade, a cutting wave so sharp it split the ground beneath him as it tore outward. The sword energy clashed against the fiery dragons in an explosive burst of smoke and heat.
The spectators leapt to their feet, roaring in approval at the dazzling display of ninjutsu and kenjutsu combined. Enthusiasm filled the arena like a storm.
On the observation platform, Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his beard, eyes gleaming. "The son of Hatake Sasame… his swordsmanship is already this refined? Remarkable."
Mitokado Homura leaned forward. "That flame jutsu was equally shocking. This Yoshida Kappei possesses real talent."
Utane Koharu nodded gravely. "Neither side seems likely to fall easily."
Back in the arena, Kusuo gritted his teeth. His sword energy had found its match — the battle was dead even.
Kappei smiled faintly… though it was not the warm grin Kusuo remembered. Pulling a short blade from behind his back, he coated it in flames.
"Flame-Bound Sword."
With a roar, he charged Kusuo, fire licking along the weapon's edge. Steel rang sharply as Grayfang intercepted it.
"I didn't think you were skilled with a sword… I underestimated you!" Kusuo admitted, pressing back against the blaze.
They fell into a furious cadence: blade against blade, sparks flying at every clash. Each strike sought vulnerability, countered by equal precision. It was no longer purely ninjutsu versus swordsmanship — this was a duel between two true swordsmen.
And yet, Kusuo realized with growing unease, something was wrong.
"Wind chakra… fire chakra—you're layering both into your moves? Kappei never showed anything like this…"
The boy before him fought flawlessly, without hesitation, adopting an icy confidence utterly unlike the cheerful companion Kusuo knew from the Academy.
"You're not Kappei," Kusuo spat, hurling a clone toward him. Instantly, the fake Kappei crushed it underfoot.
"That carefree idiot always laughed everything off. You're too cold… and these jutsu aren't his. Who are you really?"
The crowd roared too loud for anyone to catch their exchange.
Kappei tilted his head faintly, expression unchanged. "Beat me… then you'll earn the right to ask questions."
His blade flared again. Kusuo darted forward with his perfected thrust. "Gray Thrust!"
The strike would have pierced through most opponents' guard — but Kappei's short sword flicked aside the deadly thrust with measured strength.
The two combatants locked in stalemate, breath steaming in the cool air.
Finally, Kappei exhaled, murmuring, "You're stronger than I expected. But this is where it ends."
His hands flashed through seals. Kusuo blinked—just once—but it was enough.
A dark haze closed around his mind. The world twisted, and before him loomed a colossal skeletal shadow, its hollow eyes burning with malice.
"An illusion!"
Kusuo fought to dispel it, but the fraction of hesitation cost him dearly. The phantom shattered as he broke free — only to feel the blunt smash of a hilt against his skull.
"Sorry," Kappei said quietly. "You lose."
Kusuo's vision went dark, his knees hitting the stone floor.
The examiner rushed in, kneeling briefly before raising his hand. "Winner — Yoshida Kappei!"
The stands erupted in chaos, cheers shaking the very air. A boy from the Hatake clan, defeated by someone thought to be his lesser — the upset sent shockwaves through the spectators.
Even the elders were rattled.
"To think anyone could overcome a Hatake so decisively," Homura muttered. "That boy's future will be limitless."
Koharu frowned. "But something feels strange… was that truly Yoshida Kappei?"
While the others debated, all eyes turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi. His reaction was oddly calm, almost expectant.
"You knew this would happen," Koharu accused softly.
Hiruzen stroked his beard and smiled. "Kusuo is promising, but my concern lies elsewhere. Uchiha Shigure's battle must be worthy of attention. At minimum, I had to ensure he faced a worthy opponent."
The advisors' eyes widened. "You mean…?"
Hiruzen nodded. "That was no ordinary match. Yoshida Kappei was eliminated earlier by another team in the team competition. An Anbu operative volunteered to take his place — to fight as him."
He paused, eyes glinting with meaning.
"I feared Uchiha Shigure would be targeted by his own clan rivals. So I deployed an Anbu guard under disguise, to protect him… and at the same time, to test the strength of the student I now consider my final disciple."
Gasps went up among the advisors. They leaned forward, awed by the implications.
"So that wasn't Yoshida Kappei at all… It was an Anbu ninja concealing himself, fighting in earnest to push Shigure to his limits."
Hiruzen's gaze returned to the arena. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Indeed. Now… let's see just how strong Uchiha Shigure truly is."
--
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