"Have you heard? Uchiha versus the Sunagakure Jinchuriki!"
"That red-haired kid? He looks scary..."
"Sasuke Uchiha is the Clan Head's son, a genius!"
"What are the odds? I want to place a bet..."
Qingyu's mouth twitched. Good grief, they'd even started a betting pool?
Konoha's residents sure had plenty of entertainment.
When his ramen arrived, he buried his head and ate.
Halfway through, two people sat down at the next table.
"Hey, Angelo, you're out of the hospital?" came a familiar voice.
Qingyu looked up.
He saw Nara Shikamaru and Choji Akimichi sitting at the next table. Shikamaru still looked half asleep, while Choji was crunching away at a huge bag of chips.
"Shikamaru, Choji," Qingyu greeted them. "You guys here to watch the matches too?"
"What a drag..." Shikamaru scratched his head. "But my dad insisted I come study 'a showdown between geniuses.' Choji's just here for the spectacle."
Choji nodded and held out the chips. "Want some? Barbecue flavor."
Qingyu took one and casually asked, "Where's Ino?"
"She's sitting in the front row with the other girls." Shikamaru's eyes went dead. "She said she wanted to cheer Sasuke on up close... Women are such a pain."
Qingyu laughed.
Just wait until Temari gives you a hard time. Then you'll learn!
But Ino was still just as lovestruck as ever. That hadn't changed.
"By the way," Shikamaru said, suddenly looking at him, "your next opponent's been decided. Kankuro beat Kiba Inuzuka, and Temari beat that Amegakure guy, so you'll be fighting Kankuro."
Qingyu's heart tightened.
So it really was Kankuro...
"A puppeteer, huh..." Shikamaru rubbed his chin. "That's a troublesome opponent. But after seeing you fight Neji, I think you can handle him."
"I'll take your word for it," Qingyu said with a wry smile.
After finishing their ramen, the three headed to the arena together.
On the way, Shikamaru briefly filled them in on yesterday's two matches.
Kankuro had defeated Kiba with poison needles and hidden mechanisms in his puppet, while Temari had simply overwhelmed her opponent with Wind Release.
"Was Kiba Inuzuka badly hurt?" Qingyu asked.
"Only minor injuries, but he was poisoned," Choji said. "He's still at the hospital getting the poison out. The poison in Kankuro's puppet is pretty nasty."
Qingyu filed that away.
Poison... I'll have to watch out for that.
By the time they reached the arena, the stands were already packed.
Thanks to his status as a participant, Qingyu had gotten a seat near the front, right beside the Uchiha family section.
The moment he sat down, he felt several gazes land on him.
He turned and saw a group of Uchiha seated not far away.
Clan Head Fugaku sat in the front row, his expression stern.
Beside him were several elders, and... Itachi and Shisui?
Shisui noticed him looking and waved with a smile.
Itachi merely gave him a slight nod.
Qingyu quickly returned their greetings, but inwardly he grumbled: What a lineup! All the Uchiha bigwigs came to watch?
"It's not just the Uchiha," Tobirama said in his mind. "Look across the arena. The Hyuga are here too, and..."
"Up at the highest point in the stands. Those people wearing masks."
Following the hint, Qingyu looked over and indeed spotted several Anbu members in the shadows.
One of them... looked a little familiar?
Kakashi?
Even with the mask, that silver hair and dead-eyed air were unmistakable.
Good grief, he's practically me!
"All the major factions are watching this match," Tobirama analyzed.
"The Uchiha prodigy and the Sunagakure Jinchuriki... The outcome could influence many people's judgments."
Qingyu's heart sank.
He was right. This match was about more than just two Genin fighting.
As Qingyu's thoughts wandered, an announcement rang out across the arena:
"The final round of the Chunin Ninja Exams, match four, is about to begin!"
"Both competitors, enter the arena!"
The entire crowd fell silent.
Everyone's eyes turned to the entrance tunnel.
On the left, Sasuke Uchiha walked out.
He wore a dark blue, high-collared combat uniform, with the Uchiha clan's Gunbai crest on his back.
His expression was cold, his gaze sharp, and each step was steady and sure.
A subdued cheer rose from the Uchiha section of the stands.
Clan Head Fugaku gave a slight nod. Itachi's expression remained calm, though something seemed to flicker deep in his eyes.
On the right, Gaara walked out.
Red hair, dark circles under his eyes, and a gourd on his back that seemed to radiate an almost imperceptible killing intent.
He walked slowly, each step as if measuring the distance to death. Temari and Kankuro followed behind him, their expressions tense.
The Sunagakure section was across the arena. There weren't many of them, but their presence was imposing.
The two took their places in the center of the arena, thirty meters apart.
The referee stood on the platform and took a deep breath.
"Match rules: no restrictions! Any ninjutsu, taijutsu, or ninja tools are permitted! A competitor loses if they surrender, are knocked down for ten seconds, or lose consciousness!"
"Both competitors, get ready!"
Sasuke formed Hand Seals, and a red glow flared in his eyes!
Sharingan, activate!
Two Tomoe slowly revolved in his scarlet eyes.
The stands erupted in astonishment!
"Two Tomoe! A Two-Tomoe Sharingan at such a young age!"
"The Uchiha's prodigy really lives up to the name..."
Qingyu's eyes widened too.
Wait, so you could awaken it without your whole family dying?
Then Itachi wiping out your clan just to give you one Tomoe was a complete waste!
Seeing the Sharingan with his own eyes, Qingyu still had to admit... it was so cool!
Was it normal for an eighteen-year-old not to have awakened the Sharingan—or the Byakugan?
Sharingan for sale on the highway! Go claim yours!
Gaara showed no expression. Sand began to pour from the mouth of the gourd on his back, swirling around him as if it were alive.
"Begin!"
The instant the words fell—
Both of them moved at once!
No, Sasuke moved first! The Sharingan boosted his speed, and he burst forward.
He became a blue blur, charging straight at Gaara!
Shuriken flew like a downpour, each one aimed at a vital point!
Gaara stood still.
The sand formed a shield on its own, deflecting every shuriken.
Metallic clangs rang out one after another.
What was this, a blacksmith's workshop?
Sasuke rushed in close, his punches and kicks a blur!
But the sand blocked every attack.
Gaara didn't even raise a hand. He simply watched Sasuke with emotionless eyes.
"It's useless," Gaara said softly. "My sand protects me automatically."
Sasuke retreated and rapidly formed Hand Seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball erupted!
At last, Gaara moved.
He raised a hand, and the sand surged like a tidal wave, forming a thick wall.
Boom!
The fireball struck the sand wall. Flames scattered, but the wall remained unmoved.
"What an incredible defense..." someone in the stands exclaimed.
Qingyu frowned too.
Gaara's sand defense was practically cheating! It blocked attacks automatically, and it was that tough. How were you supposed to fight him?
A mother's love had arrived.
"Sand is vulnerable to water," Tobirama said in Qingyu's mind, "but Sasuke doesn't know Water Release."
"Lightning Release works too," Izuna added. "Lightning can disrupt the sand's structure, but Sasuke's Lightning Release right now..."
On the arena floor, Sasuke had evidently realized the problem too.
He stopped attacking and stared fixedly at Gaara, his Sharingan spinning rapidly as if analyzing something.
Before you continue