The names on the display finally settled into place, cold lettering reflected on the faces of the gathered crowd, each wearing a different expression.
[First Match: Uchiha Sasuke VS Akato]
As Gekko Hayate announced the start of the match through coughs that sounded as though he might stop breathing at any moment, the other examinees who had been standing in the center of the arena swiftly vanished onto the second-floor stands.
In the empty arena, only Sasuke and the Sound Ninja wearing sunglasses and a skintight suit like a diving outfit remained—Akato.
"Hmph, I didn't expect to run into a genius from the Uchiha Clan in the very first match." Akato adjusted his sunglasses, a malicious smile curling across his lips. His right hand opened slightly, and an eerie pale-blue Chakra glow faintly shimmered in his palm. "Looks like I'm pretty lucky."
Sasuke covered the Curse Mark on his neck, his face pale as cold sweat slid down his temples.
Orochimaru's approach just now had triggered the Curse Mark's resonance. The agonizing pain, as though countless bugs were burrowing beneath his skin, made even standing difficult. Yet the fighting spirit in his eyes had not diminished in the slightest.
"Cut the crap." Sasuke endured the pain and assumed a fighting stance.
"Begin!"
Gekko Hayate gave the order.
Almost at the same instant, Akato charged forward like a cheetah. Though Sasuke was unwell, the dynamic vision of his Sharingan still allowed him to sharply capture his opponent's movements.
That speed... I can see it clearly!
Sasuke steadied himself and reached toward his ninja tool pouch with his right hand, preparing to throw a Kunai.
However, at the instant he mobilized his Chakra, the Curse Mark on his neck suddenly throbbed!
"Ugh!"
The searing pain caused his movements to stiffen for an instant.
When experts clashed, an opening lasting only an instant could be fatal. Akato immediately closed in. Rather than using any ninja tools, he directly extended that large blue-glowing hand and grabbed Sasuke's shoulder.
"Got you!"
Bzzzt—!
A burst of teeth-grinding electrical crackling sounded.
There was none of the expected impact, but Sasuke's eyes abruptly widened as he let out a pained grunt. He felt the Chakra within his body madly draining away through the point of contact on his shoulder!
"This is..."
Everyone watching from the stands was stunned.
"What's going on? Why isn't Sasuke moving?" Naruto leaned over the railing and shouted anxiously. "Fight back, Sasuke!"
Kakashi's gaze instantly turned grave. "That is... the Chakra Absorption Technique?"
While everyone else worried for Sasuke, Ye Tian, standing on the other side of the railing, was leisurely peeling a five-spice peanut he had pulled from his pocket.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
Ye Tian looked at Sasuke being suppressed in the arena, then at Akato's smug expression. He shook his head, undisguised contempt appearing on his face.
"So this is what they call absorbing energy?" Ye Tian chewed his peanut and muttered indistinctly, "It's too crude. What a complete waste."
Naruto heard Ye Tian muttering and turned around with a baffled expression. "Big Brother Ye Tian, what are you talking about? That sunglasses guy looks like he's absorbing Sasuke's Chakra! Isn't that really powerful?"
"Powerful?"
Ye Tian sneered, brushing the peanut skins off his hands. He looked down at Akato with the gaze one might give a bumpkin from the countryside.
"Naruto, remember this. In my hometown... cough, cough, in the ancient texts I've read, forcibly plundering another person's energy through direct bodily contact is called a cheap version of the Spirit-Devouring Demonic Art, or an inferior imitation of the Star Absorption Technique."
"Star Absorption Technique?" Naruto did not understand it, but he thought the name sounded incredibly imposing.
"It sounds impressive, but it's a wicked path."
Ye Tian pointed at Akato and began his little "Cultivation lesson":
"Energy has attributes and impurities. Every person's Chakra carries a strong personal imprint, containing that person's spiritual will and physical traits. If you absorb someone else's Chakra directly into your body without filtering or purifying it, like drinking dirty water..."
Ye Tian paused, his tone turning sinister. "That's no different from drinking poison to quench thirst. It can weaken your opponent and strengthen yourself in the short term, but in the long run, foreign energies will clash within the Meridians, damaging your foundation and even causing a mental breakdown."
"Look at Akato. He may seem to have the upper hand now, but the more happily he absorbs, the faster he'll die. Sasuke's Chakra is mixed with the evil energy of the Curse Mark. He's practically committing suicide."
Just as Ye Tian was explaining, the situation in the arena changed.
Sasuke had clearly realized this as well. The weakness from having his Chakra drained nearly forced him to his knees, but he did not give up.
I can't use ninjutsu... and I can't use the Sharingan either...
Sasuke gritted his teeth. Suddenly, the taijutsu move Rock Lee, the thick-browed boy with big eyes, had used against him in the forest a few days ago flashed through his mind.
It was pure physical power, completely independent of Chakra transformations!
If it's taijutsu...
Sasuke suddenly raised his leg, delivering a vicious kick squarely into Akato's chin!
Bang!
The kick was heavy and powerful, sending Akato reeling backward and forcing him to release the hand that had been absorbing Chakra.
"Good chance!"
Sasuke did not hesitate in the slightest. Enduring the excruciating pain of the Curse Mark, he lowered his body and instantly darted beneath Akato.
"Leaf Shadow Dance!"
A beautiful uppercut launched Akato into the air. Sasuke then leaped high, appearing behind Akato.
The entire sequence flowed as smoothly as water, practically a replica of Rock Lee!
"Those are... Little Lee's movements?" Guy and Rock Lee were both stunned in the stands.
"No, it's more than just copying."
Ye Tian narrowed his eyes as he watched Sasuke in midair, a trace of approval curving his lips. "Though the opening stance is the same, the techniques for exerting force afterward have changed. This kid... learned to use the principles of bodily leverage in desperate circumstances."
In the air, Sasuke did not use the Front Lotus as Rock Lee would have. His condition did not allow him to open the Eight Gates, nor did he have bandages to use.
But he had his own pride.
"I'll finish you here!"
Sasuke forcibly twisted his waist in midair. Using gravitational momentum, his left fist and right foot struck Akato like a raging storm!
"Lion Combo!"
Boom—!
With the final crushing stomp, Akato slammed into the ground like a meteor, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The concrete floor was smashed into a large crater. Akato rolled his eyes, foam spilling from his mouth as he completely lost consciousness.
The entire venue fell silent for a second before erupting into cries of amazement.
"He... he won?!" Naruto jumped up excitedly. "That was so cool, Sasuke!"
"Huff... huff..."
After landing, Sasuke dropped to one knee and panted heavily. The Curse Mark on his neck stirred again because of the intense exertion, and purple evil Chakra flickered in and out of sight.
"The winner... cough, cough... Uchiha Sasuke." After stepping forward to confirm it, Gekko Hayate raised his hand and announced the result.
At that moment, Kakashi instantly appeared in the arena.
"Sasuke, don't move around."
Kakashi's expression was grave as he placed one hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Come with me. We need to deal with this Curse Mark immediately."
Sasuke glanced at Kakashi. Though unwilling, he knew how terrible his current condition was. He nodded and allowed Kakashi to support him as they headed out of the arena.
Just as they were about to disappear into the entrance passage.
Ye Tian was still leaning against the second-floor railing, idly playing with the empty thermos in his hand.
His gaze was not fixed on the victorious Sasuke. Instead, it passed over the crowd and settled on the man hidden in the shadows of the stands—the man disguised as the Sound Ninja team's instructor, Orochimaru.
At that moment, Orochimaru was watching Sasuke's departing back with a greedy yet gratified look, as though admiring a perfect work of art.
"Hehehe... Sasuke-kun, you truly haven't disappointed me." Orochimaru murmured, his tongue sliding over his lips.
However, he did not know that not far behind him, the seemingly sickly Konoha Genin was currently locking onto him with Divine Sense.
Old Snake Skin, you're having quite a good time watching, huh.
Ye Tian sneered inwardly.
Though he was only at the Qi Condensation Stage, confronting Orochimaru head-on would be no different from seeking death. But what were Cultivators best at?
Methods. Strange methods that these ninjas had never heard of or seen before.
Using the motion of drinking water as cover, Ye Tian swiftly formed a hand seal within his sleeve.
[Tracking Technique · Ten Thousand Miles Soul-Chasing Incense]
This was not an ordinary tracking technique, nor did it rely on scent or Chakra. It was a special marking method originating from the cultivation world.
Using his Divine Sense, Ye Tian drew out an extremely faint trace of Shadowless Powder from the system space—a colorless, odorless powder refined from the droppings of a creature called the Spirit-Seeking Insect.
"Go."
Ye Tian moved with a thought.
With an almost imperceptible current of air, that trace of powder did not fly directly toward Orochimaru, which would have exposed it. Instead, it drifted through the ventilation ducts of the hall to the light fixture above Orochimaru's head, then naturally settled down with the dust.
As long as even a little adhered to him, unless Orochimaru shed his skin again and replaced all the flesh on his body, he would shine as brightly as a lighthouse in the night to Ye Tian's Divine Sense for the next month.
"It's on him."
Ye Tian sensed that faint feedback and slightly raised the corners of his lips.
"Kakashi took Sasuke away to seal the Curse Mark. Orochimaru definitely won't be able to resist following them to spy... or cause trouble."
Ye Tian withdrew his gaze and resumed his half-dead appearance before speaking to Naruto beside him.
"Cough, cough... Naruto, pour me a cup of water. All that explaining just now was hard on my throat..."
Naruto was still immersed in the joy of Sasuke's victory. Hearing Ye Tian, he immediately ran off eagerly to get water. "Got it! Big Brother Ye Tian, is that Star Absorption Technique you mentioned really that bad? Can I learn a version that isn't bad in the future?"
"When you can perfectly separate the oil from the water in ramen broth, I'll teach you." Ye Tian casually fooled him.
At that moment, the display screen began scrolling again.
Everyone's attention was drawn toward it.
As Ye Tian accepted the water Naruto handed over, he quietly calculated his next plan.
"Sasuke's match is over. There are still several good shows ahead."
"Shino Aburame's insects... they're excellent raw stock for refining Gold-Devouring Insects or a Six-Winged Heavenly Silkworm."
"And Kankuro's Puppet... the workmanship may be trash, but those joint materials can still be salvaged."
"The preliminaries... heh, where is this an exam? It's clearly my 'stock-up convention.'"
Ye Tian took a sip of hot water, feeling the warmth slide down his throat. He comfortably narrowed his eyes.
"Cough, cough... Who's up next? I hope I won't have to wait too long. Standing around is pretty tiring."