The first round took two days to be over. The remaining fights had been noticeably less intense, almost as if Konoha had arranged them to filter out the weaker participants. Now, only 11 genin remained. Since Toji Senju's battle had been deemed the most impressive, he was automatically advanced to the next round, leaving 10 genin to fight for their spots.
The ten participants who had to fight in this round were:
Konoha: Uchiha Itachi, Hyuga Yuki, Harukaze Riko (+ Toji, who would miss this round)
Takimura: Takime Kaoru, Takime Akito, Kasai Mizuki
Kusagakure: Awaraka Ken
Iwagakure: Sabakaze Rina, Ishigane Akatsuchi
Sunagakure: Saburashi Suzuka
It was embarrassing for both Iwa and Suna that more genin from Takimura had made it through than from their established villages. Still, they couldn't deny the quality of the fights - Takimura's candidates had earned their places.
Konoha, of course, was pleased with the results. They had four genin moving forward, more than any other village. But the happiest person of all was Kaoru. Thanks to his strategic gambling, he had turned his winnings into 180,000 ryo, bringing his total up to 380,000 ryo. If things continued like this, he was confident he could push it to a million—or at least come close.
The matchups for the next round would be drawn at random, with all participants gathered in the arena. With the stands completely packed, the ten remaining genin stood at the center, waiting for Hiruzen to announce the pairings. The Hokage delivered a short speech, reminding them that while showcasing their strength was important, they should be mindful of their opponents and not go too far.
Kaoru barely paid attention—he was focused on his own plan. In case Hiruzen pulled out his name first, he wouldn't have time to place bets himself, so he left all his money with Sugeru, instructing him to bet on Kaoru, but only if he wasn't fighting Itachi Uchiha. He wasn't about to surrender, but he also wasn't delusional - he wasn't betting on himself against Itachi.
Hiruzen approached a transparent ball, inside of which sat small scrolls with each participant's name written on them. Placing his hand inside, he dramatically swirled it around with a faint smile before pulling out the first scroll.
"Arakawa Ken will be fighting against…"
He reached in again, pulling out another name.
"Takime Kaoru."
The crowd clapped and cheered, though the enthusiasm wasn't quite as intense as previous matchups. The reason was simple—nobody had actually seen Kaoru fight yet. His only battle had been in the preliminaries, where spectators weren't allowed.
The real buzz, however, was about Arakawa Ken. Kaoru had missed Ken's first fight, choosing instead to check on Akane after her match. However, he'd heard plenty about it.
Ken was exceptional when it came to Kenjutsu and his primary element was Lightning. However, his most standout qualities were his speed and brutality.
Kaoru didn't care much about who he faced—as long as it wasn't one of his friends. Fighting Akito or Mizuki seriously would have been difficult. Inside an arena full of spectators and bigshots he wouldn't be able to treat it like a friendly spar. So, in a way, he was relieved his opponent was Ken.
As the other participants left the arena, a familiar Uchiha judge appeared between them.
"Are you ready?" he asked, glancing at both genin.
Kaoru and Ken gave slight nods. The judge raised his hand and disappeared in an instant.
"Begin!"
Ken flickered, appearing in front of Kaoru in a blur. But Kaoru had been waiting for it. His cyan eyes glowed like polished gemstones, locking onto Ken's movements.
[I won't let you use your speed against me.]
Kaoru's hands blurred through quick, precise hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Pillar."
A massive column of water erupted between them, instantly obscuring their vision.
Ken had expected Kaoru to use water techniques - he had seen his fight. But he didn't know that Kaoru's Suijingan let him manipulate water particles themselves. He assumed this was just an ordinary Water Release technique.
Seeing the pillar blocking his way, Ken immediately began forming hand seals. But before he could finish, the water pillar suddenly collapsed forward, rushing at him like a crashing wave.
"What the hell—?!" he muttered, flickering away just in time, reappearing several steps away at an angle. The wave crashed violently onto the ground, soaking everything in water.
Ken's hands moved again, but once more, he felt danger. Instinctively, he twisted his body—but not fast enough.
A dark blue needle of high-density water shot through the air and pierced his shoulder.
[Tch—what is this technique?!]
Ken gritted his teeth. The needle didn't stop pushing. It was as if an invisible force kept pressing it forward, burrowing deeper into his flesh.
His hand shot up, gripping the needle, yanking it out, and tossing it aside. But before he could counterattack—
Danger. Again.
Ken flickered.
Ken was getting annoyed. He hadn't expected such relentless attacks. He was about to throw out a taunt but before he could even open his mouth, that same feeling of danger crept up his spine.
[How is he doing this? This time I was watching him, and he never made a single hand sign!]
Kaoru, on the other hand, remained completely calm. He kept his distance, pressuring Ken with pinpoint attacks. Ken hadn't realized it yet, but he was already dancing in Kaoru's palm.
<<<>>>
"Hiruzen, I'm telling you, this boy's Kekkei Genkai is special."
Danzo sat beside Hiruzen, his single visible eye locked onto the battlefield below. They were in the Hokage's private viewing area, a chamber covered in layers of Fuinjutsu. No one outside could hear what was being discussed.
"We need to get our hands on him."
Hiruzen remained composed, watching the fight unfold. His voice was calm, but there was a weight behind it.
"If we make a move, Konoha's reputation will be tarnished. If we can't guarantee the safety of the genin we're supposed to be hosting, no one will ever come here again." He turned his gaze toward Danzo. "But you already know that. So, tell me—what exactly are you proposing?"
Hiruzen was no fool. He wasn't a cruel man, but in the shinobi world, a powerful Kekkei Genkai was an invaluable asset. If obtaining Kaoru ensured Konoha's future dominance, he was willing to dirty his hands.
Danzo's voice was cold and firm.
"I want to bring him into Root." He took a brief pause for a moment before adding, "Or if he refuses to cooperate, we should eliminate him. His Kekkei Genkai is too powerful. I'm sure of it."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
"You're sure of it?" His tone sharpened. "Or are you merely seeing what you want to see, Danzo?"
Danzo remained expressionless.
"And how exactly do you plan to convince a ten-year-old child to join Root?" Hiruzen's voice grew heavier. "Especially when we'd be the ones tearing him away from his family?"
Danzo scoffed. "I have my ways."
Hiruzen's patience thinned.
"Even if you succeed, there's a high chance you won't. And if we want to take that boy, we'd have to eliminate their entire delegation." His voice darkened. "Takimura is a small village, losing two Master Jonin would cripple them. However, they aren't the only ones in play. If we move against them, Kirigakure will be the one who benefits the most."
Danzo stayed silent, listening.
Hiruzen continued, his words like a hammer driving nails into a coffin.
"We weaken a direct enemy, but for what? A single Kekkei Genkai that may or may not even be as powerful as you think? Instead of focusing our efforts on Kirigakure, we'd be creating another problem. Best case scenario, Takimura is crippled, and Kiri swallows them whole. Worst case scenario, we create another enemy for ourselves."
Danzo didn't flinch, but Hiruzen could tell his words were hitting their mark.
Hiruzen exhaled, then leaned in. His voice lowered, but the authority in it became unmistakable.
"Danzo, I'm beginning to think you're doing this for your own personal power- not for Konoha."
For the first time in a while, Danzo's expression shifted.
"Don't think I haven't noticed your little attempts to strengthen Root" Hiruzen's eyes hardened "even when it goes against my orders."
Danzo's fingers twitched slightly.
"What you did last night was the final straw."
The air in the chamber turned suffocating.
"I will no longer allow you to act freely. From now on, Root's every move will be reported to me. You are not to make any significant operations without my explicit permission. And if you disobey me again"
Hiruzen's gaze bore into Danzo like a weight pressing down on him.
"I will not only disband Root, but I will also strip you of your position as a Councilor."
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Danzo's face darkened. He knew Hiruzen wasn't bluffing.
His grip tightened on his cane, but he did not speak. He knew when to retreat.
For now.
<<<>>>
Each time Ken flickered, the needles followed. He was starting to slow down, his stamina draining, but Kaoru showed no signs of exhaustion. He stood like a statue, unmoving. The only indication he was even alive was the cold glow of his cyan eyes, tracking Ken wherever he went.
[I can't keep this up. He's going to exhaust me at this rate.]
Ken had yet to land a single attack. Every time he got close, a pillar of water erupted in front of him, cutting off his path. And then, like clockwork, a wave would chase him down, forcing him to flicker away until it crashed into the ground.
Frustrated, Ken flickered to the far edge of the arena, nearly hugging the wall. While it was humiliating, he needed distance. Without wasting another second, he formed hand signs.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The crowd immediately erupted in murmurs.
"A Kusagakure shinobi using Konoha's signature technique?"
"Did someone from Konoha teach him?"
While the Shadow Clone Jutsu was officially a Konoha secret, the reality was many outside the village had learned it. Unfortunately, none of those many were close to Kaoru.
Both Kens charged at him, their bodies crackling with lightning. But Kaoru didn't even blink.
With a single hand sign, he countered.
"Water Release: Greater Flowing Wave!"
A massive wave surged forward. Ken barely reacted, he wasn't worried. If he could see the hand seals, he could react, and with his speed, he'd be fine.
Or so he thought.
The wave didn't chase him. Instead, it crashed straight into the ground, flooding the entire arena in ankle-deep water.
[Wait… can he manipulate water that's already on the ground?]
Ken shook off the thought. Impossible. No human had that level of control over an element. But still, he could use this to his own advantage.
He made his own hand seals.
"Lightning Release: Thunderclap!"
Ken slammed his hands onto the waterlogged ground, sending electricity surging across the entire battlefield. He looked up, smug, waiting for Kaoru to collapse.
Instead, Kaoru stood completely unharmed.
The land around him was as dry as a desert.
[What the…]
Ken's thoughts never finished. The water around him shifted. Spikes started rising from every direction, trapping him and his clone inside a cage of sharpened water.
"Tch." Ken sneered. "That won't work on me."
He leaped into the air only to get blasted mid-air by a water bullet.
Before he could recover, water tentacles shot up from the ground, surging toward him. He felt danger. Real danger.
His heart pounded.
"I SURRENDER!"
The tentacles collapsed instantly, the water crashing harmlessly onto the ground.
Kaoru didn't react. Without a word, he turned and walked toward the exit. He had made a very important discovery - his water manipulation had a range limit. After a certain distance, it became too slow and drained too much chakra.
The judge finally spoke.
"The winner is Takime Kaoru from Takimura!"
The crowd clapped and cheered.
"Takimura kids are amazing, not as amazing as Konoha's, but still good!"
"Do you have to bring up Konoha every time?"
"I'll mention your village too—once you get four qualifiers."
"Takimura is barely a tenth of Konoha's size and still has three."
While the crowd argued, Kaoru was already thinking about something far more important.
[Alright, let's see… Sugeru should've placed my bet.] He smirked. [Even with average odds, that's at least 100,000 ryo in profit.]
"I'll buy Sugeru lunch as a thank-you," he muttered to himself, grinning like a man who had just robbed a casino.
And with that, he continued walking.
**
A/N -
Who do you think will fight in the next round, and who do you think will come out victorious?
Character Notes:
Kaoru – Gambling Prodigy - "I am just 10 and I'm already making more money than half the village. At this rate, I'll own Takimura by the time I hit puberty."
Danzo – GIMME MORE EYES - "Kid has a cool Kekkei Genkai? Time to throw diplomacy out the window and go full supervillain."
**