Two Tomoe

Uchiha Mikoto looked at Dekai expressionlessly, without a trace of the gentleness she had shown beside Qianye Lan just moments ago.

The examiner slowly raised his hand. "Begin!"

At the signal, both immediately leaped backward to put distance between them, watching each other warily.

Uchiha Mikoto rapidly formed hand seals.

[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique]

An enormous fireball hurtled toward Dekai, its heat distorting the air.

Dekai calmly formed hand seals.

[Water Release: Water Formation Wall] blocked Uchiha Mikoto's first assault.

The steam on the field obscured everyone's view.

Kushina watched with some concern. "Big Sister Mikoto's Fire Release is being countered by Water Release."

Hearing the worry in her words, Qianye Lan reassured her, "Don't worry. In a fight between ninja, chakra nature is only one factor that determines victory."

Kushina nodded at Qianye Lan's reassurance and turned her attention back to the field below.

But her tightly clenched fists betrayed her feelings.

Uchiha Mikoto calmly watched the mist ahead, without any panic.

A scarlet gleam flashed through her eyes as she looked calmly ahead.

The examiner beside her noticed her eyes and said with some surprise, "The Sharingan? Just what you'd expect from an Uchiha."

As the mist dispersed, Dekai also noticed Uchiha Mikoto's scarlet Sharingan.

At the sight of her Sharingan, Dekai instinctively lowered his head to avoid meeting her eyes.

Seeing this, Uchiha Mikoto's lips curved into a lovely smile.

He reacted quickly, but he probably doesn't know that the Two-Tomoe Sharingan can't cast genjutsu.

At that thought, a glimmer of resolve flashed through Uchiha Mikoto's eyes.

My chakra nature is being countered. I have to take advantage of this opponent's fear of meeting my eyes!

Uchiha Mikoto threw several shuriken, attaching a few steel wires where others couldn't see them.

Hearing something cutting through the air ahead, Dekai hastily scrambled to dodge.

Uchiha Mikoto remained unruffled as she watched him evade her shuriken.

A red glimmer flickered in her eyes, and she extended a few fingers, giving them a slight curl.

[Sharingan Windmill Triple Blade]

Countless steel wires instantly bound Dekai.

Uchiha Mikoto looked at the examiner, signaling for him to announce the winner.

Even as the examiner announced the winner, Dekai's eyes remained blank.

He couldn't believe he had lost just like that. Dekai raised his head toward the examiner and opened his mouth.

The examiner ignored him, his face indifferent.

By then, Uchiha Mikoto had already returned to Qianye Lan and Kushina.

Kushina was generous with her praise. "Big Sister Mikoto, you're amazing! What was that move you just used? How did you do it?"

Uchiha Mikoto smoothed her hair and replied, "Just a few simple tricks. If you want to learn, I'll teach you when we get back."

Kushina held out her hand. "Then it's a promise."

Looking at the somewhat "childish" Kushina, Uchiha Mikoto smiled gently and raised her own hand to give her a high five.

Only after they finished their high five did Qianye Lan get a chance to speak. "Big Sister Mikoto, that's just what I'd expect from you."

In contrast to the lively atmosphere around the three of them,

the atmosphere on Dekai's side was rather heavy.

"The Two-Tomoe Sharingan is just too powerful," Dekai muttered to himself. "How could commoners like us possibly stand against a great clan with a bloodline limit?"

Minato Namikaze wanted to comfort his teammate, but his mouth stayed open for a long time without his knowing what to say.

In the end, he could only squeeze out, "Dekai, you actually didn't need to lower your head back there."

Dekai asked in confusion, "Why?"

Minato Namikaze explained, "As far as I know, the Two-Tomoe Sharingan doesn't have genjutsu abilities."

Dekai froze at his words. He didn't doubt anything his teammate had said.

If Minato Namikaze said it didn't, then it most likely didn't.

"So..." Dekai muttered to himself. "Was I just making a clown of myself in front of her?"

While Dekai was feeling frustrated by his own stupidity, Qianye Lan also asked Uchiha Mikoto a question that had been puzzling him.

"Big Sister Mikoto, why did your opponent suddenly lower his head in the middle of the fight?"

At his question, Uchiha Mikoto suddenly broke into a radiant smile.

"After seeing my Sharingan, he lowered his head because he was worried he'd fall under genjutsu if he met my eyes."

"But..." Uchiha Mikoto added, "how could I cast genjutsu with just a Two-Tomoe Sharingan?"

After hearing Uchiha Mikoto's explanation, Qianye Lan laughed too. "So your opponent ended up being too clever for his own good?"

Uchiha Mikoto nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what happened."

While they chatted, the final two matches also ended.

Since one pair had knocked each other out, there was still a chance for someone to get a bye this time.

Kushina asked expectantly, "Lan, Big Sister Mikoto, do you think I'll draw another bye?"

Uchiha Mikoto replied, "That... probably isn't possible."

Qianye Lan even scoffed. "If you get a bye, I'll eat..."

Before he could finish, Kushina came up to him with her draw in hand, looking delighted. "Qianye Lan, I really did draw another bye!"

Qianye Lan immediately swallowed the rest of his words. When he looked, it really was a bye.

He said in disbelief, "How is that possible? That defies science."

While Qianye Lan stood there looking shocked,

Kushina leaned closer and asked, "Lan, what did you just say you'd eat if I drew a bye?"

With that, she looked at Qianye Lan with innocent eyes.

Meeting her gaze, Qianye Lan was instantly left speechless.

Luckily, it was Kushina. If anyone else had said that, Qianye Lan really would have thought they were mocking him.

With things having come to this, Qianye Lan produced an apple from somewhere and said awkwardly, "If you draw a bye, I'll eat an apple."

Seeing the apple Qianye Lan had taken out, Kushina asked, "Lan, did you get that from the lounge?"

Qianye Lan nodded, then walked over and casually drew a lot himself.

When he returned, Kushina leaned over and asked what he had drawn.

The bye was gone anyway, so what he drew didn't really matter.

Qianye Lan glanced at it and answered offhandedly, "It's A."

To distinguish this round from the last, the lots were specifically marked A, B, and C this time.

Soon, everyone else had finished drawing too. Uchiha Mikoto had drawn C.

Once everyone had drawn their lots, the examiner called out, "Ninja who drew A, please enter the field."

Hearing this, Qianye Lan flipped down and landed steadily on the ground.

After landing, he looked at his opponent with a flicker of surprise, then covered it with a smile. "So it's you, Minato."