Preliminaries Begin!

The huge electronic screen lit up, and the match roster rapidly scrolled before finally stopping.

First Match: Sasuke Uchiha vs. Akadō Yoroi

Second Match: Zaku Abumi vs. Shino Aburame

Third Match: Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka

Fourth Match: Ling Yue vs. Black Hoe of the Hidden Rain Village

Seeing her opponent's name, Ling Yue's brows furrowed slightly.

Someone from the Hidden Rain Village? Hidden Rain Village again? Thinking of the person who had tried to steal scrolls in the Forest of Death and the barely perceptible gaze from the stands, a hint of wariness rose in her heart.

"Whoa! I'm fighting Sasuke?!" A Sound Ninja cried out in surprise, sounding a little flustered.

Sasuke merely gave the Sound Ninja named Akadō Yoroi a cold glance without saying anything. His attention was more focused on the spot hidden beneath his collar. The seal seemed very stable.

Naruto, meanwhile, shouted at the match board, "Aah! Why am I in the last match?!"

Sakura and Ino exchanged looks, their expressions equally complicated. They were friends, but also opponents.

"First match, Sasuke Uchiha and Akadō Yoroi, step forward!" Genma Shiranui lazily announced as the referee.

The match officially began.

Akadō Yoroi seemed to possess some strange ability to absorb chakra. At first, Sasuke found himself constrained by it and was even forced to the point of nearly using the power of the curse mark.

But Sasuke quickly calmed down and used the Sharingan's insight to see through the flaw in his opponent's technique.

In the end, he cleanly took down his opponent with a precise Lion Combo combined with Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu, earning cheers from the entire arena.

Kakashi nodded slightly in the stands, seemingly fairly satisfied with Sasuke's control.

The following matches each had their own winners and losers.

Shino easily subdued Zaku with his insects.

Sakura and Ino, the pair of friends, fought fiercely without either gaining the upper hand. In the end, they both collapsed from their injuries and were disqualified together due to the draw.

Finally, it was Ling Yue's turn.

"Fourth match, Ling Yue and Black Hoe, step forward!"

Ling Yue took a deep breath, walked down from the stands, and entered the center of the spacious arena.

Her opponent, the Hidden Rain Village genin named Black Hoe, also sauntered forward.

He was a tall, thin youth with a pale face and narrow eyes that gave people a sinister feeling. He casually played with a kunai in his hand.

After Genma Shiranui finished reading the rules, he retreated to the edge of the arena. "Begin!"

Black Hoe did not attack immediately. Instead, he looked Ling Yue up and down, a strange smile curling across his lips. "A Hidden Leaf Village genin? You don't look like much. I heard you were pretty good at running in the Forest of Death?"

Just as expected! This guy knew that Rain Ninja from before! He might even have been with him!

Without revealing anything, she quietly activated [Zetsu], suppressing her presence, while [Thunder Breathing] silently circulated to heighten her reflexes. "Cut the crap."

"Hmph, you've got quite the attitude." Black Hoe sneered, and his figure suddenly moved!

He was incredibly fast! His footwork was strange as well. Keeping close to the ground, he instantly circled to Ling Yue's side, his kunai stabbing straight toward her ribs!

So fast! Far beyond an ordinary genin!

Ling Yue instinctively activated [Paper Arts], her body shifting slightly with the airflow stirred up by the kunai as though weightless. She barely evaded it, then used [Flash Step] beneath her feet to instantly pull away.

"Oh? Interesting." A trace of surprise flashed through Black Hoe's eyes. He clearly had not expected Ling Yue to dodge his sneak attack so easily. "Looks like you're not completely useless."

He lunged at her again, his attacks fast, ruthless, and precise, targeting difficult-to-defend areas such as her lower body and joints!

Ling Yue combined [Paper Arts] with [Flash Step], continuously evading his attacks around the arena. Occasionally, she used her kunai to block a strike or two, producing clear metallic clashes.

She was not in a hurry to counterattack. She was observing.

Her opponent's taijutsu style was bizarre and carried a heavy aura of slaughter. It did not resemble the techniques taught at the Ninja Academy. It was more like... the wild fighting style forged through countless life-and-death battles.

Moreover, her opponent seemed to be testing her as well.

In the stands, Naruto watched nervously. "Whoa! That guy is so fast! Yue can only dodge!"

Sakura looked worried. "His attacks are so vicious..."

Sasuke's Sharingan slowly turned as he said in a low voice, "She's probing him. That Rain Ninja isn't going all out."

Kakashi stood with his arms folded, his gaze narrowing slightly.

This Hidden Rain Village genin was a little beyond the normal range for a genin. And that fighting style...

In the arena, Black Hoe had attacked for a long time without success and seemed to be growing impatient. His eyes became even colder. "You're good at dodging! Let's see how long you can keep it up!"

He leaped back a step and rapidly formed hand seals!

"Water Style: Water Shockwave!"

A violent stream of water blasted from his mouth toward Ling Yue! Its range was enormous, covering nearly half the arena!

Ling Yue did not hesitate. She rapidly flickered with consecutive [Flash Steps], struggling through the gaps in the rushing water, but the splashing spray still soaked her clothes.

At that instant!

Black Hoe appeared at the point where her movement had slowed, his kunai carrying fierce killing intent as it stabbed directly at her throat! His speed was astonishing!

"It's over!" A cruel smile appeared on Black Hoe's face.

Cries of alarm rose from the stands!

The kunai was just about to strike!

A fierce glint flashed through Ling Yue's eyes. After evading passively all this time, she finally moved!

[Thunder Breathing] erupted at full power! Blinding lightning instantly wrapped around her legs!

She did not retreat! Instead, she charged diagonally forward into the kunai at an even greater speed! At the same time, her body twisted like a sheet of paper with [Paper Arts]!

The kunai grazed her neck, leaving behind a thin line of blood!

And she had already cut into the opening at Black Hoe's center!

So fast! The smile on Black Hoe's face froze. He had never expected her to counterattack in such an almost suicidal manner!

And she was far faster than before!

"What?!"

Before he could react, Ling Yue's palm, wreathed in faint arcs of lightning, had already struck precisely against his chest!

"Break!"

It was not some powerful ninjutsu. She had simply driven the explosive chakra generated by [Thunder Breathing] into his body through her palm in an instant!

Black Hoe took the heavy blow and was sent flying backward. He crashed hard onto the ground and slid several meters before stopping. A sweetness rose in his throat, and he nearly coughed up blood!

The entire arena fell silent!

No one had expected the situation to reverse so suddenly!

"Awesome!" Naruto shouted excitedly.

A trace of surprise flashed through Sasuke's eyes as well. The timing and courage of that move were not something an ordinary genin could possess.

Kakashi's gaze deepened even further.

That method of instantly unleashing lightning-nature chakra was very strange. It did not resemble any known Lightning Style technique.

Black Hoe staggered to his feet, clutching his numb chest. His face had become extremely ugly, and the contempt in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by fury and killing intent!

"You... are courting death!" he growled, forming hand seals again. This time, the seals were even more complicated and strange!

Dense chakra gathered before him, faintly emitting an ominous aura!

"Water Style..." He was just about to unleash his ninjutsu!

But Ling Yue would not give him the chance!

Strike while he was down!

[Flash Step] activated again! Lightning flashed! She instantly closed in!

Black Hoe was forced to interrupt his hand seals and hastily raised his kunai to block!

The two once again became locked in close combat!

Ling Yue completely abandoned defense, pushing the explosive power of [Thunder Breathing] and the speed of [Flash Step] to their limits. Combined with the strange evasions of [Paper Arts], her offensive became swift and direct!

Her attacks had no set pattern, but they were fast, accurate, and ruthless!

Every strike targeted the points where he exerted force and his joints!

Her kunai, elbows, knees... her entire body became a weapon!

Black Hoe was forced back step by step. He could only defend himself and had no chance to retaliate!

How was this girl's close-quarters fighting even more like that of a desperado than theirs?!

Finally, Ling Yue caught an opening and delivered a vicious side kick infused with lightning-nature chakra into Black Hoe's abdomen!

"Urgh!" Black Hoe screamed as he was sent flying backward again, his kunai flying from his hand into the air.

Ling Yue kicked off the ground, shooting into the air. She caught the falling kunai, then viciously drove it down toward Black Hoe, who lay unable to rise! Her target was his shoulder! She intended to completely take away his ability to fight!

Everyone in the stands held their breath!

However, at the instant the kunai was about to strike—

A crazed, vicious grin flashed across Black Hoe's eyes. He did not look at the falling kunai. Instead, he suddenly opened his mouth!

A poison needle gleaming with a faint blue light shot silently from his mouth, heading straight for Ling Yue's face!

A sinister hidden weapon! The distance was too close—there was no way to dodge it!

"Watch out!" Kakashi and Sasuke's expressions changed drastically in the stands as they cried out at the same time!

The aura of death descended in an instant!

It's over! I can't dodge it!