Earth Boy Takes the Stage

But everyone below the stage could see it.

Horii Masami was getting emotional, and he was slowly falling into Nagano Nami's rhythm.

Panting hard, Horii Masami thrust his sword at Nagano Nami again.

Nagano Nami calmly raised his kunai across his body and turned sideways to meet him.

Clang!

After knocking Horii Masami's longsword off course,

Nagano Nami raised his other hand and drove a fist at him.

Thud!

The punch landed squarely on Horii Masami's face.

He went flying backward.

Nagano Nami pressed his advantage and rushed after him.

"Taijutsu: Nagano Barrage!"

Nagano Nami's fists rained down on Horii Masami.

And the whole time he was hitting him, he kept roaring,

"Die, Obito!"

Obito: "..."

Whoa. This feels a little personal, doesn't it?

The young female examiner stepped onto the stage with a graceful sway.

She announced the result of the first match.

"The match is over. The winner of the first group is Nagano Nami!"

"Die, Obito!"

"Hey, contestant, stop hitting him... Stop... Stop right now!"

Nagano Nami and Horii Masami were both carried off the stage.

With that, the first match came to an end.

The examiner was at a loss for words as she drew the contestants for the second match.

"Second group: Shikaba Nara versus Marco."

Marco was a ninja from Takigakure.

His short, curly hair made his head look like a pineapple.

"Pfft."

Obito laughed from below the stage.

Pineapple Head versus the other pineapple head. This should be interesting.

Shikaba and Marco exchanged no words.

The moment they stepped onto the stage, shuriken went whistling through the air.

The distance between them kept shrinking.

Marco drew a tachi and chose to fight up close.

His long blade flashed through the air, swift and fierce.

Shikaba didn't dare meet it head-on and retreated again and again.

In terms of raw strength, he seemed slightly outmatched.

But then,

Shikaba showed everyone what it meant to keep an opponent at arm's length.

Weave, weave~

Shikaba's nimble footwork left the crowd below the stage marveling.

Obito said enviously,

"Shikaba's got a really good waist."

Guy heard him and shook his head.

"You're mistaken, Obito-kun. You and I practice the Dragon Spine Opener every day. Our core strength must be better than his!"

Rin looked over curiously.

"Dragon Spine Opener? What's that?"

It wasn't just Rin. Kakashi, Ayako, and the others turned to look as well.

Guy said smugly,

"The Dragon Spine Opener is... mmph, mmph!"

At the crucial moment, Obito clapped a hand over Guy's mouth.

Looking a little guilty, he said,

"It's nothing, nothing... Look! Shikaba's about to win!"

Everyone turned their attention back to the stage.

Shikaba kept fighting Marco while retreating toward the edge.

His back was to the edge of the stage, only a few steps away from it.

Across from him, Marco pushed off with both legs and charged again.

Now!

Shikaba spun sharply and darted to the side.

The shadow beneath his feet stretched out instantly, binding Marco's shadow like a spiderweb.

Shadow Imitation Technique, activated!

Caught in the grip of the Shadow Imitation Technique,

and carried along by his own momentum,

Marco rushed straight off the stage.

In the stands, the Third smiled and took a sip of tea.

"Splendid! Just what I'd expect from a child of the Nara Clan."

The examiner stepped onto the stage and waved a slender hand.

"The result is decided. The winner of the second match is Shikaba Nara!"

Marco left the arena, looking dejected.

Shikaba clasped his hands behind his head and strolled off the stage.

In the meantime,

the examiner had drawn the contestants for the third match.

"Third match: Kakashi Hatake versus Aoyama Shinichi."

Kakashi walked onto the stage with a cold expression.

He drew his short sword and pointed it at the Grass Ninja opposite him.

Below the stage, Rin waved her little fists and cheered him on.

"Go, Kakashi!"

Obito took Rin's hand and said with a perfectly straight face,

"Lin-chan, Kakashi's definitely going to win. You don't need to cheer for him. That'd just be a waste of energy."

"Save your strength so you can beat your opponent later!"

Rin tilted her head.

Something about that seemed wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"But..."

"The winner of the third match is Kakashi Hatake," the examiner announced coolly.

Obito: "???"

Rin: "???"

Only then did they realize

that Kakashi had won while the two of them were talking.

Ayako gazed at Kakashi on the stage with open admiration.

It felt as though a little deer in her heart was dancing a waltz of love.

Kakashi is so strong!

The whole match didn't even last half a minute!

But... is finishing that fast really a good thing?

Konoha had won three matches in a row.

The leaders from the other nations weren't looking too pleased.

Their faces were as dark as Black Zetsu.

"Why does Konoha keep winning? I thought their younger generation had been struggling these past few years."

"Well, a dying camel is still bigger than a horse. Can't argue with that..."

"Konoha is still Konoha. As long as that old man is around, no one else can get the upper hand..."

Of course,

the darker their faces grew and the harsher their complaints became,

the wider Hiruzen smiled.

He savored his tea, smacking his lips from time to time.

The people from the other nations seethed but didn't dare say a word to him.

Soon,

the examiner's voice rang out again.

"Fourth group: Obito Uchiha versus Might Guy."

Someone on the second floor of the arena burst out laughing.

"Konoha's finally going to lose! Hahahaha!"

The person beside him was speechless.

"Buddy, are you sick? You're taking self-comfort a bit too far."

For crying out loud.

Two Konoha ninja are fighting each other. What's their win or loss got to do with you?

By that logic, I could say Konoha's about to win four matches in a row!

Rin softly encouraged Obito.

"Good luck, Obito-kun."

Obito nodded and walked onto the stage with Guy.

He looked at Guy across from him and said gravely,

"Guy, when we fight, please..."

Guy raised a hand, cutting Obito off.

"Don't worry, Obito-kun. I know exactly what you mean."

As Obito's closest friend, he believed the two of them understood each other perfectly.

They had no need for words.

A single glance was all Guy needed to know what Obito was thinking.

Guy removed his training weights and said solemnly,

"I'll go all out. I won't hold back against you!"

Obito's expression turned complicated.

...Heh.

I knew it!

Seeing the "gratitude" in Obito's eyes,

Guy smiled from the bottom of his heart.

No words needed.

Obito began thinking glumly.

Guy's taijutsu is exceptional.

Overpowering him probably isn't realistic.

And his will is strong.

At my level, my genjutsu probably won't hold him for long.

This is going to be tricky.

If I can't win easily, I won't be able to dazzle the whole crowd...

No choice. I'll have to find another way!

Dazzle the whole crowd, dazzle the whole crowd...

As his thoughts raced, Obito's eyes suddenly lit up.

I've got it!

(The author's wild guess: someone's going to make a wild guess.)