"Shisui, you're just not good enough!"
"They're both dragons—so how come your fire dragon got beaten by his water dragon?"
"Man, your body's just too weak. That guy looked like a zombie! If it were me, I'd open three gates and beat him to a pulp!"
Obito slapped Shisui on the shoulder, putting on a big-brother act.
Shisui, already frustrated over his loss, grew even more annoyed at Obito's gloating. He tried to brush his hand off, but Obito quickly locked an arm around his shoulders and kept talking.
Kazuyama Gekkō shook his head at the sight but didn't interfere.
Still, he was glad to see it. Obito, after all, was an Uchiha—and sooner or later, he'd be drawn into clan matters. Over the years, he'd stuck close to Kazuyama and Kakashi, and as an orphan, he'd drifted somewhat from his clan. Letting him bond with other Uchiha was a good thing.
Even if Shisui was a bit of a rebel himself.
...
"Next up, Kazuyama, it's your match with Kazuma."
"Keep it friendly," the Daimyō said, stepping forward to speak before the final round.
Kazuyama walked onto the arena with a smile, and Kazuma mirrored him.
The two locked eyes.
"Begin!"
This was the match the Daimyō had been waiting for.
He knew Kazuma's strength well, but what he truly wanted to witness was Kazuyama's—this young man who had claimed the title of Konoha's Twin Star on the battlefield. Just how strong was he?
Did he rival the Yellow Flash of Konoha—was he truly Kage-level?
...
At the Daimyō's command, Kazuma made the first move.
A four-bladed iron claw snapped into place on his left hand—similar to the trench knives Sarutobi Asuma would one day use. Chakra surged into the weapon, and with Kazuma's Wind nature, it gained deadly piercing power.
"So, we're starting off strong."
"All right, then."
"Shadow Clone."
Kazuyama, unfazed as Kazuma charged in, used a Body Replacement Technique to dodge the first strike.
The wooden decoy was instantly shredded by the iron claw. At the same time, ten Kazuyamas appeared behind Kazuma and began attacking. Clearly, all of them were shadow clones.
The switch from substitution to shadow clone was seamless—Kazuyama moved like water.
But Kazuma didn't flinch. Bracing with one hand, he launched into a powerful spinning kick, using raw taijutsu to knock back the clones.
When he turned again—Kazuyama had vanished.
Kazuma frowned.
Where the hell did he go?
The clones kept coming. These weren't watered-down imitations, but true shadow clones—the kind the Second Hokage had invented. Fragile, yes, but their attacks were real.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Kazuma wasn't about to stay on the defensive.
With a sharp breath, he blew back the three nearest clones, smashing them into the others behind.
A burst of smoke followed—seven clones gone in a flash.
The crowd gasped.
Even the Uchiha duo looked stunned.
The Great Breakthrough was only a C-rank jutsu, but in Kazuma's hands, it was terrifying.
Typically, the jutsu involved a wide blast of wind to suppress the enemy. But Kazuma hadn't expanded the range—he compressed the storm, increasing the destructive force within a limited area.
That's how he blasted away Kazuyama's clones so effectively.
The remaining three didn't hesitate—they charged again.
Kazuma's strength lived up to his title as the Daimyō's ninja captain. Whether it was taijutsu or ninjutsu, he was impressive.
The clones couldn't match him in pure close combat and were quickly dismantled by the iron claw.
As the last one vanished, Kazuma's scowl deepened.
Kazuyama was gone.
The entire arena was empty—only Kazuma remained.
"Huh? Where is Kazuyama?"
"Yanagimura, Hōgen, have either of you seen him?"
The Daimyō scanned the field. No one could see Kazuyama anywhere.
"Hehehe... Did you all forget what 'Ghost of Konoha' really means?"
"You can't see him, you can't find him, you can't touch him—that's what makes him a ghost."
"My sensei's stealth is unmatched. Even against stronger shinobi, unless he wants to be found, they won't find him."
Obito grinned proudly as he mocked the crowd. Since training under Kazuyama, both his strength and life had improved dramatically. He was now the definition of a fanboy—and watching everyone scramble to find his teacher, he couldn't help but gloat.
The others quickly remembered Kazuyama's nickname: the Ghost.
Of course—how could a ghost be found so easily? His absence spoke louder than words.
"This... How are we supposed to continue the match?"
"Kazuyama, this isn't how it's done!"
The Daimyō was speechless. The kid was just ignoring the rules!
How were they supposed to fight if one side refused to appear?
Finally, he had to speak up.
"Your stealth is impressive—we can all see that."
"But please, come out and continue the match."
But no matter what he said, Kazuyama didn't show himself.
Kazuma kept scanning the field but found nothing. Even the Daimyō's words didn't coax him out.
With no other option, Kazuma launched another jutsu.
"Wind Release: Thousand Winds!"
After completing the hand seals, he leapt high into the air.
A barrage of wind blades and gales erupted, sweeping across the entire arena.
Boom!
The force tore across the battlefield, kicking up a storm of dust and debris.
Still—no sign of Kazuyama.
Even Kazuma's eyes went wide.
He was the one who cast the technique. He knew it had blanketed the entire arena.
How was there still no trace?
"Pfft... Hahahaha!"
"Sorry—I couldn't hold it in!"
"All your intel's fake, huh?"
"What kind of ghost walks on the ground? Ghosts fly!"
Obito burst into laughter as he teased them. And he wasn't making it up—his sensei had told him exactly this.
Otherwise, not even ten lives would've made him brave enough to joke like that.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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