The sun beat down on the Ninja Academy's training ground, where many matches had already ended. "Arena five, Koboku Ito wins!" The referee's voice rang out, cutting through the noise like a thunderclap, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Koboku Ito stood on the platform, gasping for breath, his chest heaving and his clothes soaked with sweat. His opponent had already collapsed on the ground, limbs limp and unable to continue fighting.
The referee's announcements followed in quick succession. "Arena six, Aoki Kawa wins!" "Arena seven, Tai Chiba wins!" "Arena nine, Zeya Hyuga wins!" The calls echoed through the air, sending the crowd's excitement soaring again and again.
On arena ten, Utatane Koharu, who specialized in Medical Ninjutsu and water-attribute Ninjutsu, faced Utatane Gōgun of the same clan. Looking at him, she judged that she probably couldn't stand up to her younger male cousin. After a dozen exchanges, Koharu had been driven entirely onto the defensive and was reluctantly about to concede. But Gōgun suddenly raised his hand and called out, "I concede!" The reversal left the spectators staring at one another in astonishment and whispering as they speculated about the reason.
The results continued to be announced. "Arena eleven, Nannen Uchiha wins!" "Arena twelve, Muranzi wins!" "Arena thirteen, Hakukei Gekko wins!" "Arena fourteen, Mokubon Kurama wins!" "Arena fifteen, Kyūgen Aburame wins!" Every announcement was met with cries of excitement or disappointment from the crowd.
As the matches on the other platforms ended, everyone's attention turned to arena eight. The battle between Kagami Uchiha and Biwako was reaching its peak. Faint Lightning Release Chakra crackled around Kagami, and his Sharingan shone with a mysterious light, as though it could see through everything. Biwako's expression was grave, fine beads of sweat rolling down her forehead as her hands flashed through Hand Seals. An earth-yellow shield slowly formed before her, radiating a heavy aura.
Kagami suddenly moved, vanishing from where he stood and leaving only an afterimage. Biwako's gaze sharpened and her heart clenched. Relying on her keen senses, she twisted aside, narrowly avoiding his Lightning Release: Swift Lightning Light. The lightning brushed past her, its scorching heat burning her skin and leaving her shaken. Kagami leaped back as soon as his attack missed, his hands quickly forming seals. "Great Fireball Technique!" A massive fireball roared toward Biwako, carrying waves of heat and igniting the air in its path with a sizzling sound.
Biwako remained calm. Pressing both hands firmly to the ground, she cried, "Earth Style Wall!" A thick wall of earth erupted from the ground, solidly blocking the Great Fireball. Kagami's attack did not end there, however. The instant the Earth Style Wall blocked Biwako's view, he formed seals again. "Lightning Blade Thrust!" A sharp blade of Lightning Release Chakra condensed in his hand, gleaming with a cold light as he thrust it at the wall.
Boom! The Lightning Blade Thrust pierced the Earth Style Wall with ease. Biwako's expression changed drastically, and she hurried backward, drawing a Kunai from her waist and hurling it at Kagami with all her strength. Kagami dodged to the side, only for the Kunai to explode suddenly in midair.
"That's... an explosive tag!" cries rang out from the spectators, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Taking advantage of the spreading smoke, Biwako quickly formed seals. "Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" A gigantic water dragon burst from the smoke, baring its fangs and claws as it lunged at Kagami. His gaze hardened, his Sharingan spinning rapidly as Chakra surged wildly around him. "Lightning Release: Raging Lightning Dragon Explosion!" A huge dragon-shaped bolt of lightning descended from the sky and struck the water dragon head-on. They collided with a deafening roar, and the powerful shock wave made the nearby spectators shudder. Many went pale with fright. If not for the barrier, even the stands would have been caught in the blast.
"That was incredible! Those two children are unbelievably strong!" a Konoha villager shouted excitedly from the stands, waving both arms, his face flushed red.
"Yeah, especially Kagami Uchiha's Sharingan and Lightning Release. They're terrifying," another villager agreed, eyes full of amazement.
"Biwako really lives up to her reputation as the school's goddess. She's so strong! She must never have used her full strength when sparring with the other students," a young female student said enviously.
"And Medical Ninjutsu is her main focus. Even so, she's fighting Kagami Uchiha to a standstill," someone in the crowd added, their voice full of admiration.
Amid the smoke and mist, their figures crossed once more. Relying on the insight of his Sharingan, Kagami dodged Biwako's attacks again and again, while Biwako put up a tenacious resistance with her superb Taijutsu and Ninjutsu.
By now, Kagami and Biwako had both suffered injuries. Biwako was annoyed. That bastard actually dared to challenge little brother Tsubasa. He'll have to get past me first. Enduring the pain, she quickly healed her injuries with Medical Ninjutsu. Kagami frowned, thinking that he couldn't afford a battle of attrition with Biwako and had to end the fight quickly. They stared at each other, their eyes full of fighting spirit, neither willing to back down.
Kagami took a deep breath and decided to use his strongest move. His Sharingan blazed, and fire- and lightning-attribute Chakra surged wildly around him, as though it would set the surrounding air ablaze. "Great Dragon Fire Lightning Explosion!"
Biwako looked at the enormous dragon of lightning and fire before her, a sense of helplessness rising within her. It was as though an invisible hand had gripped her heart tightly. But she gritted her teeth, determination in her eyes, and refused to give up. She pressed both hands to the ground, poured all her Chakra into it, and shouted, "Earth Release: Super Earth Rock Shield Technique!" A wall of blue-gray rock rose from the earth in front of the dragon. Like a towering mountain, it held the beast back, not letting it advance an inch.
"Wh-what kind of Ninjutsu is that? It can even make it hard for the fire and lightning dragon to move!" the spectators cried out again, shock written across their faces.
Kagami clenched his teeth and increased his Chakra output, veins bulging. The fire and lightning dragon struggled through the wall, its head lunging to bite Biwako. She hurried to dodge, but was still struck by the aftermath of its attack. Spitting blood, she fell to the ground.
Just as Kagami prepared to deliver the final blow, Biwako suddenly opened her eyes. At some point, a green light had appeared in her hand, which she pressed against her injuries. Her wounds rapidly healed. That's... advanced Medical Ninjutsu! Kagami was startled, disbelief showing on his face.
Biwako stood up and formed seals again. "Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!" A gigantic waterfall poured down from the sky, rushing toward the fire and lightning dragon caught in the rock. Unwilling to be outdone, Kagami sent the dragon crashing through the wall with all its strength and charging at the waterfall.
The waterfall and the fire and lightning dragon collided and exploded with a roar, throwing up a huge spray and filling the air with mist. The entire platform was flooded, and the spectators could see only two blurred figures fighting fiercely in the water.
Suddenly, a sword of lightning flashed over the water, and the long blade pierced Biwako's body. She slowly closed her eyes and fell into the water. She knew she had lost.
"Arena eight, Kagami Uchiha wins!" the referee announced, and silence fell over the entire venue. Then thunderous applause and cheers erupted.
Kagami put away his sword and sank to the ground in exhaustion, his limbs weak. The battle had drained all his strength.
"Senior Sister... Kagami Uchiha, how dare you kill my senior sister! I'll kill you!" Tsubasa roared in fury as he watched Biwako fall. His eyes turned red in an instant, and his heart felt as though it would leap into his throat. He rushed toward Biwako on the platform, heedless of everything else. His mind was blank except for one thought: Nothing can happen to Senior Sister.
The medical-nin quickly gathered around Biwako and began treating her. Fortunately, the sword had not been aimed at her heart. Clearly, Kagami had not intended to kill her. Seeing Biwako open her eyes, Tsubasa finally felt the weight lift from his heart. He let out a long breath as his fear and worry gradually faded.
A faint smile appeared on Biwako's pale face. "You care so much about me, Junior Brother. Have you fallen for your big sister too?"
Tsubasa smiled. "Of course I like you. You're so pretty, Sister. But you really had me worried. When you saw how strong that guy was, you should've conceded sooner! Now you're hurt so badly, the whole family will be heartbroken."
Biwako said, "That guy was the one who wanted to challenge you. If he dared bully my little brother, I was going to teach him a lesson."
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, and the other students who admired Biwako crowded around, expressing their concern and offering to teach that bastard Kagami Uchiha a lesson for her.
The doctor chased away the crowd of students trying to curry favor and took the injured Biwako away for further treatment and rest.
By this point in the tournament, the top fifteen contestants had finally been decided. Tobirama Senju announced that all the students would have two hours to rest, recover from their injuries, and replenish their Chakra before the final battle.