Pre-match preparations

The Uchiha Clan Compound

"So naive, utterly naive. That ignorant brat Fugaku actually trusts an outsider so much that he's begun questioning the supreme power possessed by our noble Uchiha Clan."

Uchiha Setsuna turned his back, his expression grim as he spoke in a hostile tone.

He was one of the Uchiha Clan's elders. He had enjoyed considerable prestige within the clan since the Second Hokage's era, and now, as a revered elder, he had the right to weigh in on many matters.

That was why Uchiha Fugaku's repeated praise of Ryuuzaki Eiji within the clan displeased him so much. The Second Hokage's wariness of the Uchiha's power had filled him with resentment, but having that power belittled was even more intolerable, especially when the person doing so was Fugaku, their future clan head.

Behind him, a ninja knelt on one knee with his body bowed.

He had delicate features and looked only about twelve years old. He kept his head lowered without saying a word.

"Uchiha Yo, you are undoubtedly a genius among this year's new students. You've already awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan at such a young age. With your current strength, you could hold your own even against an ordinary jonin."

"..."

Uchiha Yo remained silent. He agreed with Clan Head Setsuna's assessment and had no doubts about his own strength.

"I want you to defeat this Ryuuzaki Eiji in the upcoming match. Can you do it?"

"I'll do everything I can."

"Not everything you can. You must defeat him." Uchiha Setsuna's tone was cold. "You must defeat him. Only then can we prove that the Sharingan is the greatest dojutsu in the shinobi world, and that the Uchiha are the strongest clan."

Uchiha Yo also felt some resentment toward Ryuuzaki Eiji.

I'm the pride of the Uchiha. Yet lately, everyone in the clan had been talking about Ryuuzaki Eiji, while the attention paid to him had gradually dwindled. How could a genius who thought so highly of himself accept that?

Besides, how powerful could those eyes of his possibly be?

No matter how powerful they are, could they compare to the Sharingan, which can keep evolving?

The Hyuga are a clan with a dojutsu bloodline too, but haven't they always fallen short of the Uchiha precisely because the Byakugan can't evolve?

But he was also levelheaded and would not let himself become blindly arrogant. After all, Ryuuzaki Eiji had defeated a Root ninja in a head-on fight.

"But Ryuuzaki Eiji also possesses a dojutsu bloodline. We still don't know what kind of power those eyes hold."

"I know, but you needn't worry. You've already awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan. No matter how strong he is, he couldn't possibly be a match for you."

Elder Setsuna naturally knew that Ryuuzaki Eiji had defeated a Root ninja, but he merely assumed the opponent had been too careless. Besides, that trash from the Shimura Clan didn't have a Sharingan. Wasn't losing to a ninja with a kekkei genkai only natural?

As for why Shimura Shio had lost, he did not know, and few others did either.

"But the exact power of his eyes is still unknown. To make your victory more certain..." Setsuna took a prepared ninjutsu scroll from inside his robe and tossed it to Yo. "There's still a month until the match. For a genius like you, mastering this ninjutsu shouldn't be difficult."

Uchiha Yo caught the scroll. When he saw the words "Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame" written on it, he understood.

So that's it. This ninjutsu really is as good as cheating in a match like this.

The circular arena only had so much space. If he felt he could not defeat his opponent easily, he could retreat to the edge and unleash a wide-ranging Fire Release attack indiscriminately across the entire arena. With nowhere to hide, his opponent would have no choice but to suffer a brutal defeat.

Even if his opponent chose to flee, leaving the arena would incur a penalty. Either way, they would lose.

But wouldn't doing this go against the Uchiha Clan's pride?

Isn't this just exploiting a loophole in the rules? How could an ordinary encounter ever take place on terrain like that?

"There's no need to resent this. It's merely insurance. I would much rather you defeat him head-on."

Seeing Uchiha Yo's misgivings, Setsuna spoke coldly. He, too, possessed the pride of an Uchiha, and winning through such an unfair advantage would hardly bring him any honor.

"Yes. I will fulfill the clan's mission!"

Uchiha Yo's eyes instantly turned scarlet, two tomoe spinning within each iris, making them look especially dangerous.

His voice brimmed with confidence. He would crush Ryuuzaki Eiji head-on without using Majestic Destroyer Flame. Then the glory that should have belonged to him would be his once more!

The Hyuga Clan Compound

"I know you have your doubts, but don't be afraid! Our Hyuga Main Family's Gentle Fist is invincible! As long as you focus on using Gentle Fist, there will be a limit to what that boy can do, no matter how terrifying his ninjutsu is! Have confidence in yourself!"

After hearing the Hyuga Elder's assurances, Hyuga Yamashiro no longer had any doubts. He clenched his fists and declared loudly.

"I understand! I'll use Gentle Fist to its fullest. No matter what ninjutsu he uses, I'll crush it completely!"

He had originally been worried about Ryuuzaki Eiji's special dojutsu. It was said to be capable of stopping objects in flight. What would he do if it could stop Gentle Fist as well?

"That's the spirit!"

The Hyuga Elder looked at the Hyuga Clan's young genius with satisfaction.

"Don't worry. I've investigated Ryuuzaki Eiji! That dojutsu of his, the one that can stop external objects, must be a power housed within his eyes. But I'm certain it requires an enormous amount of chakra to work, so it won't last long. Our Hyuga Clan's Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms is the perfect counter!"

So that's how it works. Hyuga Yamashiro's doubts vanished completely.

Science had advanced rapidly in the shinobi world, and almost every ninja understood the principle of conservation of energy.

Since Ryuuzaki Eiji had the ability to stop external objects, sustaining that power had to require an immense expenditure of energy. Anything else would simply be too unreasonable.

His sole objective this time was to defeat Ryuuzaki Eiji and compete with Uchiha Yo for the title of Konoha's greatest genius!

It was not just the Uchiha and Hyuga. Children from other ninja families, and even civilian households, were running themselves ragged preparing for the Shinobi Selection.

Children from major clans refined their clans' secret techniques under their fathers' guidance, while in the usually deserted Konoha Forest, children from civilian families could frequently be seen throwing shuriken at targets over and over.

They had all heard that the Daimyo of the Land of Fire would be attending the competition.

For clan ninja, this was an opportunity to make a name for themselves and win glory for their clans before the Daimyo.

For civilian children, it was an even better opportunity to change their lives. If they were chosen to become the Daimyo's guards, they would not only gain status but also secure their pay and personal safety.

After all, who would try to assassinate the Daimyo for no reason? Serving as his guard was far better than living in constant fear as a village ninja.