"All right."
Kurenai Yuhi nodded.
In the end, she agreed to Kiyohara's request. After all, Kiyohara was a civilian, while her father was a Jonin specializing in Genjutsu, so she was actually a little rich girl.
Seeing this, Kiyohara continued walking inside.
He spotted a few familiar faces, as well as many strangers.
The crowd was roughly divided into two circles. On one side were civilian Genin in varied clothing, most of them quiet and reserved. On the other were clan Genin in uniform attire, carrying a faint air of pride.
Among them, Tekka Uchiha, dressed in a dark, high-collared short-sleeved shirt bearing the fan crest on its back, and Hyuga Tetsu, clad in loose white training clothes with pure white pupils, were especially eye-catching.
Naturally, several clansmen and friendly ninjas had gathered around the two of them, forming small groups.
The chief examiner was a stern-looking Jonin with a scar at the corner of his eye. He briefly announced the rules of the examination.
The rules were simple: one-on-one matches, stopping short of lethal blows, though damaging ninjutsu was permitted.
The examiners would make a comprehensive assessment based on factors such as performance in battle, tactical application, and strength, then decide whether someone would be promoted.
"Tekka Uchiha, huh."
Kiyohara watched Tekka Uchiha. He remembered that in a few years, Tekka would become Fugaku Uchiha's right-hand man.
But at present, he probably had not joined the Konoha Military Police Force yet, since only Chunin were qualified to enter it.
"The biggest opponents in this examination should be Tekka Uchiha or Hyuga Tetsu."
Kiyohara glanced at the two of them several times.
Both came from Konoha's great ocular-jutsu clans and naturally possessed many advantages over civilians.
"Come draw lots now."
The chief examiner had several other proctors bring out a black box. Kiyohara and the others needed to reach in and draw their numbers.
One after another, everyone stepped forward to take their lot. Soon, it was Kiyohara's turn.
"Not very lucky."
Kiyohara looked at the number in his hand. It was clearly a four.
And the corresponding number happened to belong to Tekka Uchiha.
"I wonder if Tekka Uchiha has awakened his Sharingan yet."
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
The Sharingan could be said to be a Kekkei Genkai with a complete evolutionary system.
One Tomoe, Two Tomoe, Three Tomoe—granting abilities such as perception, copying, hypnosis, seeing through chakra flow, and more. In the end, one could even awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan!
The Mangekyō Sharingan could randomly awaken two ocular jutsu, along with the bonus Third Power, "Susanoo."
All Kiyohara could say was that this goddamn bloodline world was truly unreasonable.
The entire Ninja World was really just the story of the Otsutsuki family and their descendants fighting among themselves. All civilians were merely there to fill out the cast.
The endpoint that countless civilian ninjas struggled toward for their entire lives might not even compare to the starting platform of certain bloodline supremacists.
Naruto had also shouted slogans of hard work and fiery passion in the early days, only to make a sudden turn and become the greatest bloodline supremacist of all.
He became the reincarnation of a god, known as the so-called Child of Prophecy. His father in his previous life was the Sage of Six Paths, the ancestor of ninjas, while his father in this life was the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
"What, are you jealous?"
Renegade Kiyohara drifted out and spoke to Kiyohara.
"I'm just sighing again over how important reincarnation skills are in the Ninja World."
Kiyohara shook his head slightly and suppressed his stray thoughts.
"But it's not like I have no chance."
If you couldn't beat them, join them.
With the "Last Words Book," perhaps he could gather every bloodline into himself?
By then, the first battle had already begun ahead.
Two ninjas appeared on the arena.
At the referee's signal, the two quickly began fighting.
Kiyohara had drawn number four, which meant there would be three matches before his.
So, he began observing the methods of the other ninjas, treating it as intelligence gathering.
Information warfare was an important part of ninja combat.
Most of the earlier matches were contests between civilian Genin, or clan Genin suppressing civilian Genin.
The fighting was fierce, but it lacked enough standout moments.
When civilian ninjas fought each other, they were extremely cautious with their chakra, calculating every bit of it.
Most would first engage in close combat with Kunai, use Shuriken for feints, and only unleash ninjutsu as their trump card at the end.
Those from ninja clans were not so particular. Their innate chakra reserves were greater than those of civilians, and they used ninjutsu much more frequently, making their battles look rather dazzling.
Meanwhile, in the spectator stands.
From the stands, they could see a massive notice board below. It displayed the ninjas' names, lot numbers, and their opponents.
"Kiyohara's first match is against an Uchiha ninja... What terrible luck."
Kurenai Yuhi had just returned, and the bag she carried was filled with the snacks Kiyohara had asked for earlier.
"Yeah, it really doesn't look too promising."
Genma Shiranui shifted the Senbon in his mouth and said indistinctly:
"Have faith in him, Kurenai. We all saw what he did at Kannabi Bridge. That kid has definitely been hiding his strength all this time. He's not that simple."
Genma Shiranui spoke with complete confidence.
They had agreed to slack off together, yet he was the only one who had truly done so.
Before long, the first three matches ended, and the referee announced loudly:
"Fourth match: Kiyohara versus Tekka Uchiha. Both contestants, take the field!"
Kiyohara took a deep breath and steadily walked to the center of the field.
Tekka Uchiha stepped onto the field at the same time. He stood opposite Kiyohara with his arms crossed, his gaze carrying the habitual arrogance of the Uchiha clan.
"I've heard of you. You seem to have done something on the Land of Grass battlefield, but the limits of a civilian end here. Meeting me is your misfortune."
Kiyohara did not respond. He merely adjusted his breathing calmly, bringing his body to its optimal state.
"Begin!"
The referee waved his hand and shouted.
Almost the instant his voice fell, Tekka Uchiha's hands had already completed a blur of hand seals, and his chest swelled sharply.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Tekka Uchiha used the Uchiha clan's signature ninjutsu. Nearly every ninja in their clan knew this Fire Release technique.
In an instant, heat waves surged. A massive, blazing fireball over two meters in diameter, carrying enough heat to warp the air, crushed toward Kiyohara!
"A kind technique that can't burn anyone to death..."
Kiyohara suddenly recalled the mocking nickname for Fire Release ninjutsu.
According to the laws of "no injury when there's smoke" and "no death when there's fire," Fire Release ninjutsu had burned very few people to death in the original story.
That was why it had earned the nickname of a kind technique.
But Kiyohara did not dare underestimate it now. That fireball was coming straight for his head!
He rapidly formed hand seals as well.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A powerful whirlwind burst from his mouth.
However, the whirlwind did not collide head-on with the Fireball Jutsu. Instead, it struck the side of the fireball.
Wind and fire rubbed violently against each other, altering the fireball's trajectory. The enormous fireball that had originally charged straight ahead was actually blown off course by the gale.
With a suffocating heat wave, it howled past not far from Kiyohara's side before slamming viciously into the protective barrier at the edge of the field, bursting into sparks that scattered across the sky!
Tekka Uchiha's Fire Release ninjutsu was powerful, but... the Wind Release ninjutsu Kiyohara had inherited from Renegade Kiyohara was Jonin-level!
Before you continue