Two days later,
The twelve Genin, including Ryou, Shisui, and Tenga, assembled in a large indoor arena that also served as one of the village's training grounds. The spacious arena featured a wide central opening with observation balconies where spectators could watch the matches below.
Alongside the Genin, several important people were present: the Third Hokage, some senior Jonin, Chunins, and the Jonin sensei of each team; Daichi, Kenta Sarutobi, Ikkaku Umino, and Seiji.
Ryou's gaze traveled around the space, taking in the presence of the Third Hokage, whom he was seeing for the second time, the Jonin, and the faces of his fellow opponents. Some looked excited, others nervous. His eyes then settled on Daichi, who gave them a solemn nod.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, dressed in his traditional Hokage robes and hat, stepped forward with a dignified and serious expression. He looked over the young Genin before him, meeting the eyes of every candidate.
"Today marks an important step in your journey as Shinobi. You all come here to prove yourselves and advance to the rank of Chunin. Show us the strength and energy of the Konoha village, and treat each opponent with respect."
With those words, Hiruzen stepped back, while a Jonin came forward to continue.
"Today, we'll conduct two rounds of elimination stage today, with the final three-way match scheduled for tomorrow.
Additionally, Hokage-sama has announced a reward for those who reach the finals. They will receive a B-level Ninjutsu Jutsu, while the champion of the Chunin Exams can choose two B-level Jutsu and one A-level Jutsu.
Now then, let's begin the first stage of the elimination round. There are no rules, your goal is to fight until your opponent either dies, collapses, or admits defeat.
Naturally, I reserve the right to call the match if necessary, and I expect everyone to follow my decision to avoid disqualification."
At Jonin's command, a large electronic board lit up at the front of the hall, displaying the tournament bracket for all to see. It listed the names of each Genin and their opponents in this round.
Ryou looked at his name that appeared at the top of the list, his opponent was a Genin named Miyuki. He recalled his opponent clearly, a young shinobi around 12 years old, carrying a short sword on his back, who was part of Retsu Hyuga's team.
At that moment, Ryou felt someone's gaze on him. Glancing over, he spotted Miyuki eyeing him, exuding a strong intent to fight. Ryou ignored this and looked at other names.
A few names down the list, he saw Uchiha Shisui's name who was paired with Uchiha Kaen. Ryou raised an eyebrow, seeing this. It's like the people above planned for the two Uchiha to fight each other, with ulterior motives.
Shisui, on the other hand, maintained his usual expression, as he didn't think much about confronting his fellow clansmen.
At the bottom of the list, Ryou found Tenga's name, whose opponent is a girl named Hana, also from Retsu Hyuga's team.
Hana was from a commoner family, but she was no ordinary Genin. Judging by her aura and intense look, she may be a strong opponent for Tenga.
---
The Jonin proctor announced the start of the matches, calling Ryou and Miyuki to the center of the arena for the first contest while asking others to move to the observation area on the first floor.
Ryou stood across his opponent Miyuki, while a Jonin referee stood between them, looking from one to the other. "Are you both ready?" he asked.
Both nodded in response. Ryou stood relaxed, a casual expression on his face, while Miyuki took on a more serious stance. He unsheathed his short sword with his right hand, while his left hand reached into his ninja tool bag, grabbing a handful of shurikens.
Meanwhile, in the observation stand above the arena, Shisui and Tenga stood beside Daichi, waiting for the contest to start. They stood with a relaxed and unconcerned attitude, as they knew what the outcome would be. There's no way Ryou would lose.
Some distance away, Retsu Hyuga and Hana were also watching with their Jonin sensei, Seiji. Hana turned to her teacher and asked, "Sensei, Miyuki will win, right?"
Jonin Seiji, a fair-skinned man with dark eyes and a rugged scar across his neck, wore the standard Konoha Jonin vest. His black, shaggy hair gave him a serious yet approachable look.
He glanced down at Ryou for a moment before stating his thoughts, "His opponent looks strong. It's going to be a tough fight. The one who doesn't give up will probably win."
Hearing the comment, Daichi smiled and shook his head. "Tough fight? Seiji, are you overestimating your boy? If Ryou decides to get serious, it'll be over in an instant!"
"What are you talking about? Aren't you a bit too arrogant?" Seiji shot back, his tone sharp. It didn't matter if Daichi said Ryou would win, but directly claiming his student wouldn't last a single move angered him.
---
Meanwhile, in the arena below, the match started as the proctor declared, "Begin!"
Miyuki sprang into action, dashing forward with remarkable speed. He unleashed a barrage of shurikens toward Ryou, his short sword poised for a precise strike as he aimed to catch Ryou off guard with shurikens as a distraction.
However, Ryou stood casually, hands tucked in his pockets, completely nonchalant. With barely a movement, he shifted his body just enough to let the shurikens whiz past him.
To the onlookers, it appeared as though he hadn't moved at all while the shurikens passed through his body like it was a mere mirage.
As Miyuki closed in, he swung his sword with all his might, determined to land a decisive blow on Ryou. But as he witnessed the scene of his shurikens harmlessly passing through Ryou, he understood he miscalculated the opponent's strength.
But he realized too late that he had miscalculated because Ryou was no longer in front of him but behind him. Before he could react, a powerful force struck the right side of his face.
Ryou had executed a powerful kick, the impact sent Miyuki crashing into the side wall with astonishing force, his body slumping to the ground, unconscious. He hadn't comprehended what had happened.
A pin-drop silence filled the closed arena!
The onlookers were momentarily stunned, not expecting the match would end in such a swift and unexpected way. It took a second for the reality of what they had seen to sink in.
Then, the silence broke into a loud commotion. Questions buzzed through the crowd as they turned to look at Ryou in astonishment. Isn't he too strong for a Genin?
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