As the smoke cleared, the crowd gasped. Yagami stood in front of Darui, his blade resting lightly against Darui's neck. The Cloud Genin was on his knees, sweat pouring down his face, his expression one of shock and defeat.
Unbeknownst to Darui, he had been caught in a Genjutsu during the chaos, unable to discern reality from illusion.
Commentator: (raising his voice) "The winner of the Genin match: Uchiha Yagami!"
The audience erupted into applause, though many stood in stunned silence, awestruck by Yagami's sheer dominance. In the stands, the Raikage leaned back in his seat, a grudging smile tugging at his lips.
Raikage: (muttering) "The Uchiha... they really are something else."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated nearby, took a slow puff from his pipe, his eyes gleaming with pride.
Hiruzen: "This is only the beginning."
Yagami walked back to his side of the arena, his blade sheathed, his clothes and demeanor as pristine as they had been at the start of the match. He hadn't just won—he had made a statement.
The commentator raised his hand, his voice cutting through the crowd's anticipation:
"Let the match between Uchiha Shisui of the Hidden Leaf and Yugito Nii of the Hidden Cloud... BEGIN!"
The arena fell silent as the two shinobi stepped forward, their stances brimming with confidence.
Shisui: (calmly) "I am Uchiha Shisui of the Hidden Leaf."
Yugito: (smirking) "Yugito Nii of the Hidden Cloud."
Wasting no time, Yugito dashed forward, her kunai gleaming in the sunlight as she aimed a swift strike toward Shisui.
With a single movement, Shisui opened his eyes, his Sharingan spinning to life.
The air seemed to grow heavier, a palpable shift in the battlefield's energy.
Pop.
Before anyone could register what had happened, Yugito's kunai clattered to the ground. She stood frozen for a moment, her legs giving out as she collapsed onto the arena floor, unconscious.
Commentator: (raising his hand once more) "The winner of the Chunin match: Uchiha Shisui!"
The commentator raised his hand high, his voice cutting through the arena's anticipatory silence:
"Let the match between Hatake Kakashi of the Hidden Leaf and Dodai of the Hidden Cloud... BEGIN!"
Kakashi stood calmly, lifting his headband to reveal the Sharingan, its red glow mesmerizing. Dodai smirked, stretching his arms, the rubber chakra around his hands shimmering with heat.
Dodai: (confidently) "Let's see if the famous Copy Ninja lives up to the tales."
Kakashi: (calmly) "You'll find out soon enough."
Dodai immediately took the offensive, forming a series of rubber spheres with precise hand seals.
Dodai: "Lava Style: Scorching Rubber Balls!"
The orbs launched toward Kakashi, glowing with intense heat as they streaked through the air.
Kakashi sidestepped and ducked, avoiding the first few projectiles. The Sharingan allowed him to track their trajectory, and he used a kunai to deflect one. The rubber ball ricocheted, melting part of the arena wall.
Kakashi: (thinking) "Those aren't just hot—they stick and burn. I can't let them corner me."
Kakashi created a shadow clone, which dashed at Dodai while the real Kakashi weaved through the projectiles. Dodai quickly adjusted, directing a volley of rubber balls toward the clone.
Dodai: (grinning) "You can't fool me with simple tricks."
The clone exploded on impact, sending a cloud of smoke toward Dodai. From within the smoke, Kakashi appeared above, kunai in hand.
Kakashi: "Got you!"
Dodai countered with surprising speed, slamming his palm on the ground.
Dodai: "Lava Style: Expanding Rubber Ball!"
A massive rubber orb burst forth, expanding rapidly. Kakashi twisted mid-air, barely avoiding it, but the orb exploded, sending smaller rubber globs in all directions. One caught Kakashi's arm, forcing him to land awkwardly.
Dodai: (mocking) "Slowing down already? That Sharingan won't help you if you can't move."
Kakashi quickly formed hand seals.
Kakashi: "Lightning Style: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang!"
A crackling wolf of electricity surged toward Dodai, its fangs bared.
Dodai responded calmly, forming more rubber spheres in his hands.
Dodai: "Scorching Rubber Barrage!"
He hurled the orbs at the wolf, which collided with them in a dazzling display of sparks and molten rubber. The impact created a smokescreen, obscuring both combatants.
From within the smoke, Kakashi emerged silently, closing the distance between them. His kunai clashed with Dodai's rubber-infused gauntlets in a series of rapid strikes. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as the two traded blows, Kakashi's speed and precision against Dodai's raw power and durability.
Dodai suddenly backed off, tossing another rubber ball at Kakashi's feet. The ball exploded into sticky molten rubber, anchoring Kakashi in place.
Kakashi: (gritting his teeth) "Not good."
Dodai capitalized on the moment, weaving signs rapidly.
Dodai: "Lava Style: Binding Rubber Sphere!"
A giant rubber ball formed around Kakashi, enclosing him completely. Kakashi struggled, his Sharingan glowing fiercely, but the rubber held firm, sapping his energy with its intense heat.
The crowd watched in stunned silence as the ball hardened. Moments later, the outer layer cracked and shattered, revealing Kakashi kneeling on the ground, exhausted and unable to continue.
Dodai: (standing tall) "Your reputation is well-earned, Kakashi. But even legends have their limits."
The commentator raised his hand dramatically.
Commentator: "The winner of the Jonin match: Dodai of the Hidden Cloud!"
Dodai offered a hand to Kakashi, who accepted it reluctantly.
Kakashi: (panting) "You're strong. I'll admit that."
Dodai: (grinning) "You're not bad yourself, Copy Ninja. Let's meet again."
The Raikage stood quietly, his gaze locked on the arena, though his thoughts were elsewhere. His arms were crossed, and the tension that had been building in the match slowly turned into a simmering reflection.
Raikage's thoughts: "At least we were able to win the Jonin level match... But the Uchiha Clan, they're an entirely different beast. Their strength is undeniable, and the fact that every single contestant wielded a Sharingan with three tomoe is... disturbing. I didn't expect that kid, Yagami, to be so dangerous. He didn't even activate his Sharingan in his match against Darui, and yet... he took down one of our Special Jonin with ease. I can't ignore that kind of power."
Raikage's brow furrowed, his mind racing. Yagami's performance had not only been impressive—it had been calculated. Darui, despite his strength and experience, was made to look amateurish in the face of the Uchiha's incredible skill. And the fact that Yagami hadn't even needed to fully rely on the Sharingan... that was a serious threat.
Raikage's thoughts continued: "I need to take this seriously. If there is any hope of weakening Konoha, we must act while they're divided. From the information Danzo provided, it's clear that the Hidden Leaf is currently in a state of internal conflict. There are two factions: one supporting the Hokage, the other supporting Uchiha supported by daimyo. A civil war within their walls could weaken them enough to be vulnerable to an external attack. But it has to be timed perfectly."
He paused, contemplating the next steps in his strategy. The alliance with Danzo.
Raikage's thoughts: "Shit, I only asked for a pair of Byakugan, If it was Sharingan it would being nice, all though, after today's sparing match, it is evident, that my body guards will struggle to seal one"
He turned his gaze towards the sky as he considered the gravity of the situation. A well-timed strike—targeting the heart of Konoha's leadership—would give Kumo the upper hand. And with the resources Kumo had amassed over the years, an attack could cripple the Hidden Leaf from within.