Overwhelming Victory

"What did you say!?" Mitaraishi Anko was shocked and furious, her face turning liver-purple.

But Uchiha Kai remained unmoved. He crooked a finger, his brows full of provocation.

Seeing this, Anko completely lost her mind. She took two steps forward and began forming hand seals.

Snake - Ram - Monkey - Horse - Tiger.

"Fire Release—Great Fireball Technique!" With an angry shout, the girl puffed out her cheeks, and a massive fireball was about to erupt.

"Showing off before an expert." Uchiha Kai was thoroughly amused. Using Fire Release ninjutsu in front of the Uchiha Clan—and their signature Great Fireball Technique, no less.

This was no longer simple provocation. It was outright humiliation.

Since that's the case, I'll crush her completely from every angle. It fits the mission requirements perfectly, the boy muttered inwardly.

The next moment, he too began rapidly forming hand seals. Compared to Mitaraishi Anko's stiff and sluggish movements, Uchiha Kai's were not only fluid but far faster.

"Such fast hand seals... This child has really worked hard..." Funeno Daikoku's eyes brightened slightly from the side.

"Not bad." Even the stern Orochimaru spoke up, a rare occurrence.

"Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!" After a sharp shout, Uchiha Kai began madly drawing upon his Chakra, using nearly half of it to form the Great Fireball.

A terrifying heat wave surged forth. Under Anko's stunned gaze, a huge Great Fireball hurtled toward her, more than a level greater than hers.

Boom!

The two Great Fireballs collided in midair, sound and flames erupting together.

After a brief stalemate, Uchiha Kai's Great Fireball completely devoured Anko's attack and continued crushing forward.

"How is that possible!?" Anko's face was full of disbelief as she watched the terrifying attack rush toward her.

"That amount of Chakra? Is he really a student who hasn't even graduated yet..." Gasps sounded from below the platform.

"Is this the Uchiha Clan, born with such terrifying Chakra? How could anyone possibly win?" someone said in a voice as feeble as cannon fodder.

"Damn it! Move already, body! Dodge!" Anko shouted as she desperately shifted herself aside. At the last possible moment, she barely avoided the somewhat diminished Great Fireball.

Unfortunately, the flames it radiated still grazed her back.

"Mmph..." Feeling the searing pain on her back, Mitaraishi Anko could not help letting out a muffled groan.

The exploding Great Fireball kicked up a cloud of dust, concealing Uchiha Kai's figure for a moment.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Anko threw two Shuriken ahead, intending to delay the boy's movements.

Clang! The sound of metal colliding came from within the thick smoke.

Then, a black Kunai tore through the dust and sped toward Mitaraishi Anko.

Looking at the boy emerging from the smoke, Anko sneered.

"You're just an idiot who mindlessly wastes Chakra. No matter how powerful your ninjutsu is, it's useless if it can't hit anyone!"

As she spoke, the girl confidently tilted her head, narrowly avoiding the speeding Kunai.

She was certain that, even if he was from the Uchiha Clan, there was no way someone his age could use ninjutsu of that scale repeatedly. Besides, her previous attack had only been a probe; she had not used her full strength at all.

She had merely used the Great Fireball as an opening move to establish dominance. If her opponent was weak, she could finish him in one blow; even if she could not, she could force him to reposition. It was killing several birds with one stone.

"How could some pampered ornament from a great clan, immersed in so-called family glory, possibly defeat me, someone who has endured training under Lord Orochimaru!"

"As long as I drag this into a battle of endurance, you will definitely lose!" Mitaraishi Anko shouted at the boy standing amid the dispersing smoke.

But why did something feel wrong?

Pop! A muffled sound rang out beside her ear, followed by a highly recognizable puff of white smoke.

An overwhelming sense of danger clawed at Anko's scalp. The girl's heart lurched, and her body desperately tried to react, but it was already too late.

"It was the Transformation Jutsu! When did he do it?" The crowd below cried out in surprise.

"Not a bad tactic." Orochimaru, who had witnessed everything, curled his lips slightly in praise.

But in the girl's eyes, the scene was entirely different.

A flash of blood-red suddenly rose in her newly turned line of sight. In that instant, she seemed to see a pair of scarlet, sinister eyes.

Before the girl could react, she felt an unbearable, agonizing pain.

An icy Kunai swept across her throat, brutally severing her blood vessels as scarlet blood rushed out in a frantic stream.

"Ugh... Hah, hah, hah..." The fear of death overwhelmed the girl's mind. She desperately covered her throat with her hands, while the hot tears at the corners of her eyes could no longer be stopped.

Her vision grew increasingly blurry as dreadful darkness swept over her.

Just as the girl was about to break down, everything before her suddenly changed beyond recognition.

A cold sensation touched her neck. Uchiha Kai stood behind her with a Kunai in hand; with a mere flick of his wrist, he could have slit her throat.

"Hah... hah... hah..." Mitaraishi Anko gulped down great breaths of air, the hair at her temples already soaked with cold sweat.

She stiffly turned her head. The fear in her eyes had yet to fade when she saw the boy wearing a mocking expression.

"The victor has been decided!" Funeno Daikoku announced as referee.

Uchiha Kai withdrew the Kunai and walked off the field without looking back, leaving Mitaraishi Anko standing there with a blank expression.

"I lost..." Anko muttered, her face ashen.

"I lost so completely... There was no room for argument at all. If he had wanted to, he could have killed me with ease..." She turned back to look complicatedly at Uchiha Kai as he walked away, an unusual light flickering in her eyes.

"I'm sorry... Lord Orochimaru..." After leaving the field, Mitaraishi Anko came before Orochimaru and lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Why are you apologizing, Anko?" Orochimaru asked in a puzzled tone.

"Because... because I let you down. As your disciple, I actually lost to Uchiha Kai in front of everyone and tarnished your reputation..." Anko raised her head, forcing back the tears gathering in her eyes.

But what she received the next moment was not a rebuke, but Orochimaru's broad palm gently stroking her head as he spoke softly.

"Anko, you must understand that victory and defeat are only temporary. Right now, perhaps you find this difficult to accept." Orochimaru paused, his stern eyes carrying an unspoken weariness of age.

"But if you broaden your perspective and look at your entire life, you will find that this is merely something too small to matter. Compared to the vastness of time, what does the outcome of a single battle amount to?"

Anko raised her head to look at her teacher. Though she understood his intentions, a stubborn resentment still lodged in her chest, impossible to swallow.

"But... I just don't want to admit defeat." The girl stubbornly voiced her true feelings.

At that, Orochimaru's lips curved up, revealing a satisfied expression.

"That is a good thing. Losing is perfectly normal. As long as you are not afraid of losing and do not wish to lose, you will certainly continue surpassing yourself. When that time comes, it will not be too late to challenge the opponent who once defeated you." Orochimaru tilted his head, indicating Uchiha Kai below the field, who was chatting with his friends.

"Besides, this child is far from simple. His eyes hide something extraordinary..." Orochimaru said meaningfully, his gaze filled with appreciation.

Hearing this, Mitaraishi Anko turned her head as well and stared intently at the boy, her youthful face full of determination.

"I'll work hard, Teacher! I'll train until I can defeat that guy, and then I'll beat him and restore your reputation!" The girl's blazing gaze was utterly undisguised, making Uchiha Kai's scalp tingle.

Seeing this, Orochimaru chuckled and rubbed the girl's hair.

"Not for me. Do it for yourself. Take that outstanding boy as your goal and move forward."