The energy in the stadium hadn't waned since the first few matches. If anything, it had only intensified. The spectators, both civilians and shinobi alike, were locked in, their eyes glued to the arena. After the exhilarating matches between various participants, anticipation for the next round was sky-high. Now, it was time for the last two fierce battles.
As the proctor stepped forward once more, his voice amplified to announce the next match, a hushed silence fell over the crowd.
"Next match: Deidara of Iwagakure versus Naoki of Kirigakure!"
Immediately, the arena buzzed with excitement. Deidara was a name known even among the younger generation—simply because he never actually hid his powers. A prodigy of Iwagakure, feared for his Explosion Release and his mastery of destructive clay-based jutsu. On the other hand was Naoki, a skilled Water Release user from Kirigakure. Though not as famous as Deidara, just being from a major village was enough of a testament to his strength—no major village would send a weak ninja to the Chunin Exams.
"Place your bets now! Deidara from Iwagakure, 1:1.3, and Naoki from Kirigakure, 1:2! Explosive odds for an explosive match!" the stall owners shouted, adding to the fever-pitched atmosphere. Being in this field, they had some idea of the participants as well.
As the two competitors entered the arena, the difference between them was striking. Deidara's wild blonde hair and carefree demeanor contrasted sharply with Naoki's calm, collected composure. Deidara's smirk and relaxed posture made it seem as though he wasn't taking the match seriously, but everyone who knew him understood better. His nonchalant attitude was part of his style—Deidara always saw his art in the destruction he caused, and he was confident in the power of his creations.
Naoki, however, was not intimidated. Aside from strength, he also had quite a lot of experience, having killed his fair share of ninja. Some of them were even stronger than him, but in the end, he was the winner, and that was all that mattered.
The proctor raised his hand and shouted, "Begin!"
Deidara immediately reached into his pouch, pulling out a handful of clay. The mouths in his palms began to chew, molding the clay into small, lifelike shapes—a swarm of birds. With a quick hand sign, Deidara sent the clay birds soaring into the air. After reaching a satisfactory height, they swooped down toward Naoki, fast and deadly, ready to explode on impact.
Naoki reacted instantly, forming seals at a rapid pace. "**Water Release: Water Bullet Jutsu!**" he shouted, and a barrage of high-speed water bullets shot toward the incoming birds. Each water bullet collided with a clay bird, detonating them in midair before they could reach him. The explosions sent shockwaves through the stadium, but Naoki remained firm, his water bullets neutralizing the worst of the damage.
*Woooh* came a shout from the audience. The start of the match was the most visually impacting of all they had seen so far.
"Hmm, not bad," Deidara muttered to himself, his grin widening as he molded more clay, this time creating small, spider-like creatures. He tossed them onto the ground, and the spiders scurried toward Naoki with terrifying speed.
"**Water Release: Water Wall!**" Naoki called out as a high wall of water rose in front of him, blocking the clay spiders as they exploded harmlessly against it. But even as Naoki held his defense, he was aware that this was just the beginning. Deidara's attacks weren't meant to break through—he was evaluating him. Though Naoki wanted to attack, the number of spiders and birds attacking him was not small, so he had to defend while keeping an eye on Deidara.
As the smoke from the explosions cleared, Naoki shifted his stance. Knowing he may not get such a chance again, he prepared to go on the offensive. He performed another series of hand signs and slammed his hands down. "**Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!**" A massive dragon made entirely of water surged forward from Naoki's position, its maw open wide as it shot toward Deidara with incredible force.
Deidara, unfazed by the sight of the incoming dragon, quickly formed his own seals. "**Earth Release: Earth Dome Jutsu!**" he called out, and a thick dome of earth rose around him just in time to block the water dragon's ferocious attack. The dragon collided with the earth barrier, creating a massive splash and drenching the battlefield, but Deidara was fine. Though the dome had almost collapsed, it did its job—protecting Deidara.
Naoki gritted his teeth. He knew Deidara's Earth techniques, famous for their defense, would be difficult to break through. He had to be careful not to overextend himself. While Deidara's attacks were explosive and deadly, Naoki knew his own jutsu could wear Deidara down over time.
However, Deidara had other plans. From behind his earth dome, he crafted more explosive clay—this time in the form of a large bird. As the earth dome crumbled away, the bird flew high into the air, circling above the battlefield. Naoki immediately fired more water bullets, but the bird was agile, dodging the attacks. Being high in the air, it had ample time to do so. Unlike the smaller birds, this one was in full control of Deidara.
"**Art is an explosion!**" Deidara shouted, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He made the hand sign to detonate the bird, but Naoki was ready.
"**Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!**" Naoki yelled, sending a massive surge of water spiraling toward the bird. The water collided with the bird midair, forcing it to explode high above the stadium, sending a rain of water and debris down onto the battlefield.
The crowd erupted in cheers, impressed by the spectacle in front of them. This was the true power of ninjas—capable of altering the terrain.
Deidara, now drenched but smiling even wider, decided to escalate the fight. He molded even more clay in his hands, creating another swarm of smaller birds and spiders. This time, he sent them toward Naoki from multiple angles, forcing him to split his attention.
Naoki managed to block several of the attacks with his water jutsu, but some of the clay creatures slipped through. One exploded near his leg, causing him to stumble back with a grunt of pain. Before he could recover, another explosion went off close to his shoulder, sending him tumbling across the wet ground.
The crowd gasped as Naoki struggled to stand, blood dripping from a few minor wounds. Deidara wasn't letting up, and Naoki knew he had to end this soon. Being injured, he now had even less chance to defend himself, so he prepared to make his final move.
But Deidara wasn't giving him any time. He crafted one final, larger clay spider and sent it racing toward Naoki. With a swift hand sign, he detonated it just as it reached a few meters away from Naoki's feet.
A deafening explosion rocked the stadium. Smoke and debris filled the air, and for a moment, the crowd held its breath.
As the dust settled, Naoki lay on the ground, unconscious and severely injured from the blast. His body was covered in burns and bruises, and the stadium fell silent.
The proctor rushed forward to check on Naoki before raising his hand. "Winner: Deidara!"
The crowd erupted in applause, but Deidara wasn't paying attention. He glanced toward Kaida, standing among the other participants, and gave him a subtle smirk before turning and leaving the battlefield.
Medical ninja rushed onto the field to tend to Naoki, lifting him onto a stretcher and carrying him out of the stadium. The fight had been intense, but Deidara's explosive power had proven too much for Naoki to handle.
"You really made a powerful enemy for yourself," Kabuto said, seeing the smirk on Deidara's face as he looked toward Kaida.
"Well, he's now Captain's problem anyway, so I don't have to worry about a thing," Kaida said, shrugging his shoulders. For the first time, Itachi felt like punching someone, but he had to go for his match.
---
As the dust settled from Deidara's victory and some of the restoration had been done, the proctor stepped forward again.
"Next match: Itachi Uchiha of Konohagakure versus Ayami of Kumogakure!"
The crowd buzzed with anticipation. Itachi, a member of the Uchiha clan, and for those who knew better, heir to the clan, had no doubt about his strength at all.
After witnessing Kaida's use of genjutsu to swiftly defeat his opponent earlier, Ayami, a kunoichi from Kumogakure, was on high alert. She knew better than to look directly at an Uchiha's Sharingan, and her guard was up as she entered the battlefield.
Ayami, a skilled swordswoman and user of Lightning-Style jutsu, kept her head down, avoiding any direct eye contact with Itachi. She knew she couldn't afford to fall under his genjutsu.
Itachi, on the other hand, remained calm and composed. He could see that Ayami was taking precautions against his Sharingan, but that didn't faze him at all.
"Begin!" the proctor called.
Itachi didn't waste any time. He formed a series of hand seals and unleashed a **Fireball Jutsu**, sending a massive wave of flames toward Ayami. She quickly formed seals of her own, using a **Lightning Release** technique to move swiftly, dodging the attack easily.
Before she could fully recover, Itachi used his **Body Flicker Jutsu**, disappearing from view in an instant. He reappeared directly in front of her, his movements too fast for her to react.
Ayami instinctively swung her blade, but she made a fatal mistake—her eyes flicked toward Itachi's face for just a split second during her attack.
That was all Itachi needed.
Ayami's movements froze as she fell under his genjutsu. The entire crowd knew what had happened. The moment she made eye contact with Itachi, the match was over.
Itachi, calm and collected as always, approached her slowly, just as Kaida had done in his match. The crowd watched in silence as he raised his hand and tapped Ayami lightly on the neck.
The genjutsu broke, and Ayami came out of it with a defeated look on her face. She said, "I surrender."
The proctor stepped forward. "Winner: Itachi Uchiha!" The match was over even before people could place their bets. Those who had wanted to bet on Ayami thanked every god they could, relieved that their money was saved.
The crowd erupted into cheers once again, though this time there was a certain awe in the air. Itachi's mastery of genjutsu and his calm, calculated approach had left everyone in the stadium speechless. Along with his looks, some marriage proposals were flying toward him from the girls in the stadium.
Itachi simply ignored all that and walked off the field.