Konoha Village, Chunin Ninja Exams Duel Arena.
The stands were packed with ninjas and villagers. They whispered among themselves while watching the Genin in the preparation area.
The most eye-catching of the two was Itachi.
At ten years old, he had entered the Chunin Ninja Exams alone and achieved excellent results in the first two tests.
The other was the white-haired youth, Uchiha Eiji, who was leaning in a corner and spacing out.
Like Itachi, he had also entered the exams alone. People called him another prodigy on par with Itachi.
Just as Eiji was silently greeting Itachi in his mind, the examiner, Shiranui Genma, walked to the center of the Duel Arena with a senbon between his teeth.
"Contestants, gather around."
He looked at the Genin before him and repeated the criteria for the third Chunin Ninja Exams.
"Winning isn't the only way to qualify for promotion. What matters more is your performance during this examination."
Hearing this, the contestants relaxed considerably.
At the same time, they silently prayed that they wouldn't run into those two monsters, Itachi or Eiji.
After giving the contestants a few more instructions, Genma drew two name slips from the box.
"First match: Uchiha Itachi versus Uchiha Eiji!"
The instant his words fell, a wave of exclamations erupted from the stands.
No one had expected Eiji and Itachi, the two young prodigies, to face off in the very first match.
At that moment, another pleasant electronic voice rang out in Eiji's mind.
[New Mission: Give the naturally evil Uchiha brat a thorough beating]
The corner of Eiji's mouth twitched involuntarily. System, do you really think I'm Tobirama?
Three years ago, he had transmigrated to the Naruto World and awakened the Character Template System.
As long as he completed the various missions issued by the system, he could obtain more abilities from that character.
And then...
Eiji had drawn Senju Tobirama's template.
[Name: Uchiha Eiji] [Age: Eleven] [Template: Senju Tobirama] [Ninjutsu: Water Release Mastery. Can freely transform it into various forms for attack and defense. Only two hand seals are required to release it, along with other insignificant ninjutsu.] [Support-Type Ninjutsu: Chakra Sensing] [Passive: All abilities are enhanced when fighting against the Uchiha] [Evaluation: Precisely because he is the Hokage, he must uphold an unfeeling attitude]
Eiji quietly sighed. Forgive me, Itachi. This definitely won't be the last time.
The other contestants quickly left the arena, leaving Eiji standing in the center.
He gently rested his right hand on the hilt of his sword.
The system had given him this sword as a reward when he graduated from the Ninja Academy. It was said that Tobirama had used it to defeat Izuna back in the day.
On the other side, Itachi walked toward Eiji.
He didn't care who his opponent was. He only remembered his father's order to defeat every opponent, as well as his promise to practice shuriken with Sasuke after the match.
When Itachi and Eiji took their positions in the center of the arena, another wave of cheers erupted from the stands.
Supporters of both sides loudly shouted their names.
Itachi said quietly, "Sorry, Eiji. I have a reason I can't lose."
He looked at Eiji seriously, the scene of his younger brother Sasuke cheering him on echoing in his ears.
"Is that so?" Eiji unconsciously rubbed the hilt of his sword. "I also have a reason I can't lose."
Itachi fell silent for a moment. He knew Eiji was an orphan, so what was the bond he cared about most?
As though sensing the tension in the air, Sasuke looked toward Fugaku with concern from the stands.
"Father, Big Brother will win, right?"
Fugaku nodded lightly.
"Itachi is the strongest."
Having received his father's affirmation, Sasuke excitedly waved his fists.
"Big Brother, defeat him!"
Genma glanced at the two contestants, a strange smile on his face.
He also wanted to see what sparks would fly when these two young prodigies collided.
Then he raised his voice. "Begin!"
The instant Genma's voice fell, the sound of something slicing through the air rang out. Itachi flung three shuriken and leaped ten meters away at the same time.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Eiji drew his sword with his right hand, its radiance like a cascading waterfall.
Itachi formed hand seals so quickly that afterimages trailed behind his hands.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball spewed from his mouth, its dazzling flames blanketing the entire Duel Arena.
The wave of heat made the front-row spectators catch their breath.
Fugaku narrowed his eyes and nodded in satisfaction.
Itachi had grown even stronger.
The smile on Genma's face instantly froze. Was this a ninjutsu a Genin could use?
Even among the Chunin present, the power of Itachi's Great Fireball was considered exceptional.
Just as Genma was wondering whether he should rescue Eiji, a wall of water surged from the ground.
"Water Release: Water Wall."
Eiji formed two hand seals as a token gesture. The instant he brought his hands together, the water wall transformed into a colossal Water Dragon Tornado.
The Water Dragon Tornado surged into the sky, carrying shattered rocks with it. Amid the roar of steam, it collided with the fireball, and boiling mist instantly enveloped the entire arena.
Genma completely lost his composure.
You two Uchiha brats aren't planning to stop, are you?
As the eldest son of the Uchiha clan head, it was reasonable that Itachi's Fire Release was powerful.
But where had Eiji learned Water Release?
He had released Water Release in an environment without water, and its power was still astonishingly strong.
More importantly, it looked like he had only formed two hand seals...
Genma's head began to itch, as though something was about to grow out of it.
He seemed to see the shadow of a legendary figure.
"Water Dragon Bullet Technique."
Eiji formed two hand seals, and the water wall transformed into a gigantic water dragon that roared as it charged toward Itachi.
In the stands, Fugaku sucked in a sharp breath.
Two hand seals!
He had used only two hand seals!
Throughout Konoha Village, aside from the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, who else had ever managed that?
Eiji, you've truly given me an enormous surprise.
With a boom, Itachi was slammed into the wall by the water dragon, letting out a muffled groan of pain.
"It's over, Itachi."
Eiji stood amid the waves, looking down at Itachi from above.
With his ninja sword in hand, he charged in front of Itachi.
Itachi hurriedly raised his Kunai to block. Feeling the force in his arm, he couldn't help frowning.
Where did Eiji get such incredible strength?
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Eiji and Itachi became locked in close combat, and Itachi's expression grew increasingly ugly.
Even after activating his Sharingan and predicting his opponent's movements, he still couldn't respond effectively.
It was as if Eiji had predicted his predictions...
"Father," Sasuke said anxiously as he looked at Fugaku. "Why isn't Big Brother counterattacking? Didn't Big Brother awaken the Sharingan that our Uchiha clan is so proud of?"
The red glow in Fugaku's eyes slowly faded. After hesitating for a moment, he answered Sasuke softly.
"Even if Itachi sees Eiji's next move, his body can't keep up with him."
There was another important question.
Where had Eiji learned his swordsmanship?
Fugaku could tell that this wasn't merely a difference in their Taijutsu.
More importantly, every move Eiji made seemed to have been created specifically to counter the Uchiha.
Tsk. How are we supposed to fight this?
While Fugaku's thoughts drifted, Itachi had already been forced into a corner by Eiji.
With nowhere left to retreat, Itachi panicked for a moment.
The two-tomoe Sharingan in Eiji's eyes spun wildly. He sheathed his sword, then struck again, shattering the Kunai by force.
Itachi's pupils contracted. He desperately twisted his body, barely dodging the sharp blade.
Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, Eiji let out a furious shout.
He turned sideways and kicked Itachi hard in the chest. A clear crack of breaking bones came from Itachi's crossed arms as he blocked.
Itachi was sent flying, smashing heavily into the wall of the Duel Arena with a tremendous boom.
Boom!
Itachi seemed to have been embedded in the wall, spiderweb-like cracks spreading all around him.
Feeling the pain throughout his body, Itachi let out a muffled groan. If nothing unexpected had happened, he had broken seven or eight bones.
He struggled to take a few steps, only to collapse helplessly onto the ground.
"Big Brother!"
Sasuke let out a hysterical roar, while Fugaku clenched the fist hidden inside his sleeve.
Genma, who had been watching the battle from the side, instantly appeared beside Itachi and carefully examined his condition.
Then he announced loudly, "The winner is Uchiha Eiji!"
At the same time, another pleasant electronic voice rang out in Eiji's mind.
[Mission Reward: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique]
After the match ended, the Medical Corps rushed into the arena and began treating Itachi, who had been beaten half to death.
Eiji, meanwhile, sheathed his ninja sword and returned to the familiar corner.
Inside the Hokage Building, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen gently set down his pipe before the Crystal Ball.
The ninjutsu and Taijutsu Eiji had used—even his white hair—reminded him of a certain great man.
"I want all of Eiji's information. All of it!"
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