It would be better to just admit defeat now, at least he could retain some dignity. After all, this isn't a battlefield, and his opponent is from the same village. Although his heart was filled with resentment and anger, he was already too weak to continue fighting; his Chakra was almost completely depleted.
When Kisame heard Hozuki Shingetsu's words of surrender, his raised hands paused subconsciously, then slowly lowered. While his expression remained outwardly calm, Kisame inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
While he did indeed have some strength left to spare, Kisame himself was starting to feel the strain if the fight continued. This wasn't just about one victory or defeat; it was only the first round. There were still the quarterfinals, the semifinals, and even the finals to come. Having come this far, how could Kisame possibly not pursue his ultimate dream!?
What's more, this is a great opportunity for 'revenge'!
Therefore, it would be best to save as much energy, stamina, and Chakra as possible!
"First round, eighth match, winner— Kisame Hoshigaki!"
Not far away, Minato, upon seeing Hozuki Shingetsu's surrender gesture, immediately raised his right hand, pointed towards Kisame's location, and shouted Minato.
"Huh? Why are you giving up so easily!"
"Oh my god!? Is this pushing them to their limit?"
"No wonder! Those two used so much Ninjutsu! Don't forget, this is just the Genin Chunin Ninja Exams for genin!"
"Wow? Hozuki Shingetsu lost already? Wasn't the Hozuki Clan supposed to be the strongest ninja clan in Kirigakure? Didn't they even produce a Mizukage?"
"I can't accept this!!"
My money!
"Yeah, that was a pretty exciting match!"
"Wow, the Genin from Kirigakure this year is really high!"
"Haha, you bunch of gamblers! I'm the smartest one. As long as the game is exciting, that's all that matters!"
"Hehe, that's right! That's right!"
On the stands, a true picture of life unfolded. Most spectators were simply enjoying the exciting match, while a small number who had bet on the game were now lamenting their fate, knowing that 99% of those who bet on Hozuki Shingetsu had won!
This made the bookmakers in the shadows extremely happy!
Is there really such a good thing in the world?
Even the expressions of the nobles and dignitaries from various countries in the VIP section weren't pleasant. For them, each bet represented a huge sum of money, and the thought of losing that money was bound to have a negative impact on their mood.
Meanwhile, Kakashi, Baki, and the others in the contestants' seats had already increased their level of fear of Kisame to an unprecedented degree.
This is an absolutely formidable enemy that is impossible to predict!
Putting aside everything else, the amount of Chakra involved is truly terrifying.
Fortunately, the main tournament elimination rounds are continuous, with only short breaks between matches. Chakra and stamina recovery is not so easy, so if you encounter Kisame in the upcoming matches, it will definitely be much easier!
This is the opinion of Kakashi, Baki, and others.
However, this does not include Namiashi Raidō, who will be Kisame's opponent in the quarterfinals.
After all, he had also expended a lot of Chakra and stamina in the first round of clashes!
To put it bluntly, when facing such a ruthless opponent, Namiashi Raidō really doesn't have the confidence or assurance to win.
However, this Konoha boy still has plenty of fighting spirit. If he's going to lose, he'll have to fight first!
After the first round of eight matches, there was a short break. This was not only to give the spectators in the stands time to release their 'physiological stress,' but also to give the players some time to rest and prepare.
Unlike the first round of the round of 16, which included some weaklings, the subsequent round of 8 was filled with formidable opponents. Even the seemingly weakest two, Genma Shiranui Namiashi Raidō, were far superior to ordinary Genin.
It's not impossible that the car could overturn if you're not careful.
Therefore, it's also necessary to give the players some preparation time to consider tactics and other issues.
"I didn't expect you to use such tactics. I thought you would just use the most brutal fighting style to overwhelm them! Kisame!"
Watching Kisame Hoshigaki stride back.
Mei Terumi smiled slightly, looking at Kisame with a hint of teasing.
After all, in past battles, Kisame's fighting style had always been a wild and aggressive one, and he had never used any ranged tactics in previous missions. Today's fighting style was really beyond Mei Terumi's expectations.
"Hmph, that guy isn't someone you can defeat with just one brute force attack. That's the right approach!"
Kisame snorted in response.
Kisame's personality is a bit rough, but that doesn't mean he's single-minded. In the original work, Kisame is a guy with both wisdom and strength.
Kei wasn't surprised at all by Kisame's performance; at most, he could only sigh and say that a genius is indeed a genius, far surpassing others even in his childhood.
The short rest period passed quickly.
The audience members who had just left were gradually returning.
The fruit drinks on the VIP seats have also been replenished.
Minato, who had left earlier, returned to the field. The moment the remaining eight Genin on the contestant bench saw Minato's figure, their expressions turned cold.
"Round 2, Match 1: Minazuki Kei vs. Toroi!"
As Minato's resounding words fell, the huge electronic screen facing the audience directly displayed the names of Kei and Toroi.
"Oh oh oh oh oh!"
"It's starting! It's starting!"
"Finally, I can see some gorgeous Ice Release again!"
"Haha! Let's have even more fun this time!"
" Ice Release VS Magnet Release, wow, this is going to be even more exciting!"
"Qi Jun, you can do it!"
The spectators in the stands erupted in enthusiastic cheers and shouts at that moment.
"Whoosh!"
On the left, the last remaining and strongest member of the Cloud Ninja roster Cloud Ninja, Toroi Qi a cold look.
"Whoosh!"
With a leap, he flew away at an extremely high speed.
"Bang!"
"Boom!"
The figure crashed to the ground with a dull thud, raising a cloud of dust.
A burst of Chakra erupted, far exceeding that of an ordinary Genin.
"Come on, Minazuki Kei, let me see just how strong your Ice Release is!"
And then, as those incredibly arrogant and provocative words fell...
"Oh oh oh oh!"
"Whoa!?"
This further fueled the intense atmosphere among the spectators in the stands.