Chapter 6
The sky above the central compound had no sun. Just clouds that didn't move, and wind that didn't feel natural.
This wasn't the real world anymore.
The tournament realm, created by Madara's twisted chakra and the ancient sealing system, bent reality. Gravity was stable, air was breathable, but everything felt… off.
Naruto sat on a stone bench near a pale-blue lake. He looked down at his hands.
They weren't trembling.
But his heart was.
"Two matches in… and I haven't scratched the surface," he muttered.
Behind him, Sakura arrived—arms folded, bruises fading. "You're overthinking."
"Am I?" he replied, not turning.
"You beat someone with way more experience. Without Kurama. That's not luck."
Naruto didn't answer right away.
Sakura sat beside him.
"You're not fighting alone. We're all in this."
He turned slightly. "You looked calm in your fight."
"I wasn't," she admitted. "I just remembered what Tsunade said: Don't waste movement. Don't waste emotion."
Naruto chuckled weakly. "Sounds like her."
A soft chime echoed through the air.
Then the ground lit up beneath them.
A transparent grid appeared midair. Each name floated inside a glowing square.
The first group chart had been revealed.
Group A – First Stage Bracket(Top 2 advance from each group
Shinobi
Wins
Losses
Status
Naruto Uzumaki
2
0
Qualified
Sakura Haruno
1
1
Ongoing
Renga Katsui
0
2
Eliminated
Yugito Nii
1
0
Ongoing
Rock Lee
1
1
Ongoing
As the grid stabilized, a system voice echoed calmly across the realm. Every participant could hear it, no matter where they were.
"Welcome to the Group Stage of the Shinobi World Tournament."
All participants have been placed into 16 balanced groups, each with 5 members.
Every ninja will fight each of the other 4 members in their group once.
The top two from each group—based on wins and battle performance—will move forward to the next round.
Tie-breaks are decided by:
Chakra control,
Jutsu effectiveness,
and strategic clarity—measured by the system.
Early matches are non-lethal. Losers are defeated, not killed, and their chakra and techniques are partially absorbed by the victor.
After each match, stamina and injuries are reset.
Restrictions:
No outside interference.
No summoning outside your original contract.
Forbidden jutsu are locked unless system-authorized.
"This is not a war. It is a test."
As the voice faded, the glowing chart pulsed once and vanished.
Sakura crossed her arms again. "So four fights each, and only two of us walk out. Everyone else disappears."
Naruto nodded. "Reset or not… you lose, you're out. That's how they break us."
They both turned toward the central tower—far off in the sky.
Up there, in the darkness of chakra and stone, Madara watched them.
He didn't need to speak. His presence alone was pressure.
Sakura glanced at the next field lighting up nearby. "Lee's up next. Against Yugito."
Naruto stood. "They'll both go all out. Neither of them can afford to lose now."
As the buzz of another match echoed faintly, they walked side by side.
Not yet teammates.
Not yet enemies.
Just shinobi, trapped in something bigger than any of them.
And the first real round hadn't even started.
Naruto asked quietly, "Sakura… do you think this ends with just a winner?"
She shook her head. "No. Not with Madara watching everything."
He looked up toward the black tower at the far edge of the sky—where Madara sat on his throne of chakra, unseen but always present.
"There's something worse coming," Naruto said.
Sakura agreed.
And they both knew—
The real tournament hadn't even begun.