My Ash Box is Above Your Sharingan!

Just as Tekka Uchiha was about to move, Renegade Kiyohara hooked the five fingers of his right hand inward, pulling on the Shuriken he had previously thrown.

The nearly transparent copper wires trailing behind the three Shuriken, which were wreathed in blinding lightning, suddenly snapped taut.

Under the control of Renegade Kiyohara, the range of the three Shuriken began to shrink, spiraling inward to entangle and strike at Tekka Uchiha in the center!

"Damn it."

Tekka Uchiha frowned deeply; although his Sharingan had clearly tracked the trajectory, his body could not keep up with this sudden change in direction.

He managed to dodge two of them, but the third Shuriken, wreathed in lightning, could not be fully avoided, grazing the outer side of his arm!

Crackle!

A powerful electric current instantly surged through half of his body, and a burning, numbing sensation spread from Tekka Uchiha's arm.

This caused Tekka Uchiha's movements to stiffen, leaving him frozen in place.

Renegade Kiyohara used the remaining momentum from his previous leap to quickly arrive in front of Tekka Uchiha.

He extended a black Kunai, its tip resting against Tekka Uchiha's throat.

"I lost..."

Only then did Tekka Uchiha use his Chakra to disperse the numbing effect of the lightning, but this brief moment was already enough to decide the outcome.

The pride of the Uchiha clan prevented him from saying anything else.

Even though his face was flushed with frustration, a loss was a loss!

Making excuses or spouting threats was the behavior of the weak.

Renegade Kiyohara looked at the complex expression on the other's face and slowly withdrew the Kunai.

"Just a stroke of luck."

Renegade Kiyohara smiled slightly.

This wasn't him trying to steal a line from some Flame Emperor, but rather, it really was luck.

If Renegade Kiyohara hadn't been there to help him, he didn't think he could have won so easily on his own; whether he could have won at all was a question mark.

Unfortunately, it seems my Ash Box is superior to your Sharingan!

The referee was stunned for a moment, then loudly announced:

"The winner, Kiyohara!"

Hyuga Tetsu, who had been observing the opponent's intelligence with his Byakugan, frowned slightly.

Generally speaking, the Sharingan could only see through the flow of Chakra.

The Byakugan could not only see through the flow of Chakra but also directly peer through the human body to see muscles, internal organs, and more.

Therefore, he saw more clearly than anyone else that the way Kiyohara jumped, defying the laws of the body in that final move, involved muscle exertion that simply wasn't possible for an ordinary Genin.

"A secret technique?"

Hyuga Tetsu thought to himself.

He could only attribute it to Kiyohara having made some preparations before the match, with the effects only manifesting when he fought Tekka Uchiha.

After all, in the vast ninja world, all kinds of secret techniques and Kekkei Genkai emerged one after another.

The chief examiner stood on the sidelines, his gaze lingering on Kiyohara for a while before he looked down, found the name "Kiyohara" on the evaluation form in his hand, and firmly wrote the words "Excellent" next to it with his pen.

There was undisguised appreciation in his eyes as he thought:

"Jonin Minato's eye for talent is truly sharp. This Kiyohara not only has a solid foundation but also excellent adaptability... a direct promotion is fully deserved."

Kiyohara calmed his slightly rapid breathing, walked steadily off the stage, and approached the chief examiner to ask:

"Examiner, may I ask when the next round of the assessment begins?"

The chief examiner looked at his young face and revealed a rare, gentle smile. He patted the evaluation board in his hand and said:

"There is no need for another round. Your performance in the battle against Tekka Uchiha just now has fully proven your strength, tactical literacy, and on-the-spot adaptability, all of which far exceed the standards of an ordinary Genin.

According to the regulations and my judgment, you have passed the standard for a Chunin. Later, after all the assessments are finished, the ninja vest that only Chunin are qualified to wear will be issued to those who passed."

Direct promotion!

Kiyohara was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.

This saved him the trouble; he wouldn't have to waste time continuing to fight.

"Did you hear that?"

He said in his mind to the Renegade Kiyohara that only he could perceive.

"It seems I will be able to complete your second dying wish very soon."

"I heard."

Renegade Kiyohara nodded slightly, his illusory spirit still floating quietly by his side.

Kiyohara could feel that Renegade Kiyohara's gaze seemed to fall on the chief examiner, then slowly shifted back to him.

"Becoming a Chunin, a legitimate Chunin... Heh, perhaps your future won't be like mine, being hunted down like a stray dog."

In that faint, ethereal chuckle of Renegade Kiyohara, there were too many complex emotions—relief, mockery, and perhaps a trace of imperceptible envy.

"Once you officially obtain your Chunin qualification, my consciousness will dissipate. At that time, you will merge with me and inherit a portion of what I possess, but... the path, in the end, is one you must walk yourself."

Renegade Kiyohara said calmly.

Kiyohara remained silent.

He knew that this was perhaps his true final words.

Kiyohara said nothing more and turned to walk toward the spectator stands.

Kurenai Yuhi was already waiting there, holding a bag of snacks she had just bought.

Seeing Kiyohara approach, she immediately stepped forward to meet him, her tone filled with surprise:

"That was amazing, Kiyohara! You scared me to death just now. When I saw the opponent activate the Sharingan, I thought you were going to lose."

"It was alright, a narrow victory."

Kiyohara smiled.

It was just that his purity was higher than that of Tekka Uchiha.

Kiyohara then took the skewer of Three-Color Dango she handed him and took a bite. The sweet, chewy texture melted in his mouth, slightly easing the fatigue from the battle.

"What was that ninjutsu you used just now? I don't recall you using it in the Land of Grass."

"That move was something I figured out myself, called 'Lightning Release: Shuriken Lightning Induction'. It combines Lightning Release enchantment with shuriken manipulation techniques. Its success is also thanks to some insights on Lightning Release that Kakashi shared previously."

He explained simply.

"Kakashi, huh..."

Kurenai Yuhi nodded as if she understood, though she was not proficient in Lightning Release.

But Kiyohara's increase in strength was undoubtedly an asset for their squad to survive on the cruel battlefield.

"Regardless, it's great that you've become stronger!"

While eating his snack, Kiyohara cast his gaze back toward the arena below, where the matches were not yet over.

One-Tomoe Sharingan... It is indeed powerful, but this is merely the starting point of the Uchiha's power.

He pondered to himself.

In the future, there would be Two-Tomoe, Three-Tomoe, and even the legendary Mangekyo... stronger ocular techniques and more terrifying enemies were still to come.

As he was now, he still had a long way to go.

This made Kiyohara even more curious about what he would inherit after merging with Renegade Kiyohara.

Renegade Kiyohara had only merged with one future, and he had died before the final words of the second future could be completed.

Kiyohara hoped to inherit more Chakra.

After all, his own Chakra was simply too scarce.