Around nine o'clock, a light drizzle fell beneath the gray sky...
Two teams of ninjas were patrolling the gates of Konoha. Today was a special day, so the guards had assigned two jonin squad leaders to watch over the entrance. As for how many Anbu members were hidden around Konoha, no one could say for sure!
Suddenly, two sensor ninja from the patrol teams snapped their heads up and looked toward the forest. They sensed two figures moving at incredible speed—far faster than any ordinary person or carriage could manage.
Such astonishing speed and powerful chakra could only mean two formidable ninjas were approaching Konoha!
Jonin squads were usually experienced and worked well together. The sensor ninja's reaction immediately put both squad leaders on alert. They directed their teams to face the two figures and prepare for them...
"Whoosh, whoosh—" Two figures appeared in their line of sight!
Trailing green light, they raced through the forest, their incredible speed stirring the air and whipping the branches around them. Before long, they had reached a point just a hundred meters away. They leaped down from the trees and slowed to a walk.
"Who are you? No one can enter Konoha freely today without a pass..."
A jonin wearing a Forehead Protector and a green vest stepped out from the group. He called out to the two short figures in rain capes. For the past few days, Konoha had banned people from entering and leaving, in order to prevent anyone from disrupting the competition.
So, without a pass, no one could freely enter or leave Konoha during these days.
"I'm a competitor in this event. Here's my registration letter..."
Sato Hideaka gently lifted off his oversized rain hat, revealing damp, blue-green hair and clear, sky-blue eyes. The green, flame-like energy surrounding him slowly faded until it vanished without a trace.
"You're Sato Hideaka? The only elite who passed the Genin Exam in the Forest of Death at the age of ten?" The jonin took the letter, checked it against Sato Hideaka's face, and asked in amazement.
"That's right. The competition is about to begin. I'd appreciate it if you let us through." Sato Hideaka took back the letter the jonin returned and spoke calmly.
"Ah... all right. You may go in!" the jonin replied, pausing before he could stop himself.
"Thank you. Let's go, Guy..."
Sato Hideaka spoke calmly, then put his rain hat back on. Green, flame-like energy suddenly burst around him, and he and the other figure—also wearing a gray-brown rain cape and surrounded by green energy—vanished from their spot in an instant, disappearing from the ninjas' sight in the blink of an eye—
"Green, flame-like energy... What kind of jutsu is that? It gave those two kids the speed of elite Chunin... That's unbelievable." The jonin squad leader stared at the spot where they had vanished and muttered to himself.
A child of about six with the speed of an elite Chunin—could he even be called a Genin?
He was probably the strongest Genin in history!
A middle-aged ninja of around forty frowned, his expression skeptical and uncertain. "Could that jutsu be the Eight Inner Gates Formation developed by the Second? Incredible. Besides Might Duy, someone else has actually trained in it?"
"The Eight Inner Gates Formation? What kind of jutsu is that?" asked a jonin of about twenty. He clearly trusted the veteran Chunin beside him, who had fought in the Second Shinobi World War.
"It's less a jutsu than a form of training. The method is extremely brutal, pushing past the limits of the body over and over. How could an ordinary person endure that? And now there's a six-year-old who's opened three gates... unbelievable..."
The Chunin watched the two figures disappear, his clouded eyes filled with a complex mix of suspicion, disbelief, and admiration.
Hundreds upon hundreds of seats in Konoha Stadium were packed with spectators. As they watched the match take place on the square of blue stone at the center of the stadium, they erupted in deafening cheers and clamor, as if they would shatter the dome overhead!
A jonin wearing a green vest and carrying a short sword stood in the center of the arena. After delivering a string of self-congratulatory praise and listening to the leaders' speeches, he announced loudly, "The first match will be Uchiha Kenichi against Shimura Masao. The second match will be Sato Hideaka against Aburame Hakushou. The third match will be Uchiha Kaoru against Inuzuka Jin. The fourth match..."
"The first match is starting now. Uchiha Kenichi and Shimura Masao, please enter the arena!"
Amid the crowd's cheers, Uchiha Kenichi and Shimura Masao walked to the center of the arena. They bowed and performed Hand Seals, then immediately retreated to a safe distance, watching each other warily.
"Sharingan, activate!"
Uchiha Kenichi formed Hand Seals, and his scarlet Sharingan sprang to life. Two black Tomoe slowly revolved in his eyes as he stared intently at Shimura Masao, who had already begun forming Hand Seals, preparing to use a jutsu...
But Uchiha Kenichi's Sharingan copied every one of Shimura Masao's movements. He began forming Hand Seals alongside him, and the two performed them in exactly the same way, without the slightest difference!
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
They completed their Hand Seals almost simultaneously, drew in a deep breath, and exhaled invisible blades of wind. The techniques collided in midair with a series of dull thuds. Most of the spectators could only tell the two jutsu had clashed by looking at the blue stone slabs cut open beneath them, where they could see just how devastating the invisible techniques were.
The Wind Blades canceled each other out in midair. With the advantage of his Sharingan, Uchiha Kenichi could easily follow the paths of the chakra blades as they collided. He didn't fear the invisible aftershock hurting him. Gripping a sharp Kunai, he charged straight at Shimura Masao...
"Clang, clang, clang..."
The two clashed with their Kunai again and again, sparks flashing at every point of contact. They swung, thrust, slashed, and sliced with their blades, shifting, trading places, advancing, and retreating—their movements were a dazzling blur.
Uchiha Kenichi's Sharingan could easily track Shimura Masao's movements. Before long, Shimura Masao couldn't keep up with his pace. During the fight, Uchiha Kenichi baited him with an opening, then kicked him away...
Shimura Masao opened up some distance and tried using jutsu again. Unfortunately, Uchiha Kenichi could not only see through his moves but also had far more chakra. His Taijutsu was better, too. The match had lasted less than ten minutes before Shimura Masao was defeated!
"Uchiha! Uchiha... Uchiha!"
The spectators below cheered in unison. The Uchiha Clan might be aloof, arrogant, and difficult to get along with, but as Konoha's foremost noble clan and a symbol of the village's greatest military strength, everyone set those flaws aside in that moment.
Uchiha Kenichi waved both arms vigorously, basking in the crowd's cheers. This was the honor the Uchiha deserved. The Uchiha would take first place in this competition and earn the greatest prestige. He had no doubt about it.
Hearing the crowd's loud cheers and seeing their exaggerated reaction, the Third Hokage's clouded eyes darkened, though his face remained expressionless. Shimura Danzō, Haruno Torune, and Mitokado Homura, however, frowned, their eyes revealing wariness and resistance...
"Uchiha Kenichi wins the first match. Now, Sato Hideaka and Aburame Hakushou, please enter the arena!" The jonin in the green vest and carrying a short sword returned to the center and announced loudly.
As soon as he finished speaking, countless tiny insects poured from the stands and swarmed together in the middle of the arena, forming the shape of a woman wearing a green coat and sunglasses. She was the same woman in sunglasses who had been Uchiha Kaoru's teammate in the Forest of Death!
"Sato Hideaka! Sato Hideaka... Where is Sato Hideaka?"
Seeing that only one person had arrived, the jonin called out again. When he called a third time, one of the doors to Konoha Stadium slowly opened, and a green figure shot out, reaching the center of the blue-stone arena in an instant.
"Sato Hideaka, reporting in!"