Eve of the Duel

Sharingan.

Great Fireball Technique.

Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.

These three items were the fruits of Kyosuke's arduous labor this time.

It must be said that the loot from this dungeon run was well worth his efforts.

There was no need to mention the Great Fireball Technique and Phoenix Sage Fire Technique; he could simply upgrade them directly.

What Kyosuke valued most was the item simply named "Sharingan."

Filled with anticipation, he picked it up and discovered that this scroll was exactly what he needed to upgrade his Sharingan talent.

Overjoyed, Kyosuke immediately chose to use it.

In an instant, he felt a cold energy frantically gathering within his brain's nerves, eventually surging entirely toward his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, two tomoe were slowly rotating within his scarlet pupils.

Although the Chakra consumption had increased, compared to the Sharingan reaching the Two-Tomoe state, every bit of effort was worth it.

Now, that Hyuga boy had no hope of victory.

"Hey, hey, Kyosuke, wake up~~~" Early the next morning, Kyosuke, still fast asleep, was woken up by an excited Uchiha Nagisa.

Dazed and groggy, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at her in annoyance before getting up to wash.

While he was washing, Nagisa kept chattering away incessantly.

"Sigh~ I wonder how many people will come to watch today."

"Kyosuke, do you have any confidence? This young lady is rooting for you, you know~"

"Hey~ Kyosuke."

"Ugh~ why are you ignoring me!"

Kyosuke: "."

Soon, after finishing his wash, he and Nagisa arrived at the Second Elder's residence.

There, countless clansmen were already prepared. Seeing their solemn expressions, one might have thought the Uchiha were about to launch a coup today.

But then, the two saw that even the Great Elder had made an appearance. After exchanging a glance, the two kids couldn't help but put away their frivolous expressions.

The Great Elder stood there with his hands behind his back. It wasn't until Kyosuke approached that he slowly turned around, watched him silently for a moment, and finally said, "Today, show me the spirit of the Uchiha. Do you understand?"

Kyosuke brought his legs together and replied loudly, "Yes!"

The Great Elder nodded at him, then turned and left with the other Elders.

Nagisa had originally wanted to sneak off to watch the battle, but she was grabbed by her small ponytail by the Second Elder and dragged away against her will.

Regardless of the outcome today, she was not suited to be present at the competition grounds.

Kyosuke gave her a gloating look before turning his attention to the leader of the group for the day, Fugaku Uchiha.

Fugaku scanned him up and down, nodded in satisfaction, and waved his hand. In an instant, everyone, including Kyosuke, vanished from the spot.

Konoha, Training Ground 43.

Although there was still some time before the duel was set to begin, the entire training ground was already tightly surrounded by crowds who had come for the spectacle.

Because the two sides had not specifically avoided civilians when setting the duel, the news that a genius Uchiha youth was going to duel a Hyuga had spread throughout almost all of Konoha.

Normally, a place like the training ground would not be open to civilians, but for some reason, the higher-ups in Konoha had decided to allow entry without any restrictions today.

That was why so many ordinary Konohagakure villagers were here to watch.

In addition to these commoners, members of the Sarutobi Clan, the current Ino-Shika-Cho, the Hatake Clan, the Kurama Clan, and others were all present.

Not to mention the older generation who were senior to Kyosuke.

More than half of the future backbone of Konoha had appeared here.

Kakashi, Might Guy, and those a year older than him—Ibiki, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Rin, Shizune, and others—had all come to watch the battle under the guidance of their respective elders.

The reason for such a grand occasion was entirely because the Uchiha Clan had been hyping Kyosuke up so excessively during this period, practically packaging him as the second coming of Madara Uchiha.

Although rumors shouldn't be fully trusted, when it came to the Uchiha Clan, there was no such thing as a small matter.

What's more, there was the possibility of a second Madara appearing.

Therefore, various clans sent people to watch. Smaller clans like the Hatake simply mobilized everyone, treating it as a day off.

As for the younger generation, they were brought by the adults to observe and learn; nothing was more stimulating than seeing a genius of one's own generation.

In addition to members of various clans, some high-ranking figures of Konoha were also in attendance.

Orochimaru, acting as the witness, would not be absent, and Jiraiya had also arrived at the training ground with his student, Minato.

"Hey, hey, Orochimaru, if that kid wins, you aren't really going to take him as your student, are you?" Jiraiya stood on the high platform, nudged his old friend with his shoulder, and asked quietly.

"Breaking one's word is not a quality an adult should have." Orochimaru flicked his tongue across his lips, his voice growing deeper. "Besides, I am quite interested in that child. If he truly can win, what harm is there in taking him on?"

"But..." Jiraiya frowned and didn't continue, but he trusted that Orochimaru understood what he meant.

"Heh, are you talking about the hidden threat of the Uchiha? They're just a bunch of clowns who can't see the situation clearly; nothing to worry about." Orochimaru said, casting his gaze toward a dark corner not far away, a strange smile playing on his lips.

There, a group of ninjas dressed in Anbu attire were cautiously surrounding an old man whose head was wrapped in bandages.

At the gathering place of the Hyuga Clan, two brothers who looked remarkably similar were whispering to each other.

"Big brother, it's almost time. Why haven't the Uchiha people arrived yet?" The speaker was Hizashi Hyuga, who had just turned 20 this year, and the older brother he addressed was none other than the future clan head, Hiashi Hyuga.

"Don't be impatient. The Uchiha are not people who lack punctuality; they will be here soon." Hiashi looked at his younger brother and said with a smile.

Then, he patted the somewhat anxious youth in front of him, signaling him not to be nervous.

This youth was Hyuga Tagawa, who was set to duel Kyosuke today.

He looked at Hiashi, who had already made a name for himself within the clan, and offered a slightly uneasy smile.

For some reason, Hyuga Tagawa, who had been incredibly excited for today, found himself unexpectedly nervous.

"Hoo." Hyuga Tagawa took a breath, secretly steeling himself in his heart.

He attributed his nervousness entirely to the presence of so many important figures today; as for his opponent, he had never truly taken him to heart.

After all, no matter how much of a genius that Uchiha brat might be, at five years old, he could never be his match.

This sentiment was the consensus of everyone present.

The reason so many people had come to watch wasn't to see who would win or lose, but to see just how far that Uchiha kid could go.

Or to put it another way, the big shots were only concerned with how long he could last against a Chunin—especially one from the Hyuga Clan.

Just as the time for the start approached, a sudden gust of wind swept through Training Ground 43.

Accompanied by swirling leaves, a group of about twenty ninjas, wearing forehead protectors and black tactical gear emblazoned with the fan crest, suddenly appeared in the center of the field.

Some leaned against wooden posts, others stood atop them, each in a different posture.

But there was one thing they all had in common: pairs of scarlet, eerie Sharingan eyes, coldly staring down everyone in the arena.

The handsome young man at the lead stepped forward slightly and shouted:

"Uchiha Clan."

"Present!!!"