Gekkō Hayate stood at the edge of the arena, his gaze sharp and unwavering as he watched the competitors prepare. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation. The crowd hushed as he raised his voice to announce the next match.
"The first match will be Uchiha Sasuke versus Kin Tsuchi! Any objections?"
Neither fighter nor spectators raised any dissenting voices. The two opponents nodded in agreement, signaling their readiness.
Uchiha Sasuke's face was stoic and focused, betraying none of the turmoil inside him. Opposite him, Kin Tsuchi's lips curved into a faint, confident smile — a smile that hinted at her hidden strategies.
"Then, let the match begin!"
Without hesitation, Kin Tsuchi swiftly threw a volley of senbon needles adorned with tiny bells, their delicate chimes echoing as they spun through the air. In response, Sasuke reacted with equal speed, hurling a set of kunai blades. He dodged and weaved carefully to avoid the incoming senbon.
Suddenly, a flash of pain erupted from Sasuke's neck — the cursed seal flared uncontrollably, forcing him to collapse onto the ground. His face twisted in agony.
"Ah! Sasuke!" Naruto and the other Konoha shinobi gasped in alarm.
Sasuke struggled to rise, pushing past the excruciating pain. He quickly glanced up to see Kin Tsuchi making no move to attack during his moment of weakness. With a sigh of relief, he gripped his kunai tightly and struggled to push forward.
Kin Tsuchi's smile widened, almost mocking. Unbeknownst to Sasuke, the bells she had embedded on him with the senbon now jingled faintly, emitting sound waves that reached his ears.
With a subtle pull of the string attached to the bells, a chilling ding-dong sound resonated sharply through Sasuke's senses.
"Ugh!" Sasuke staggered again, his vision swimming as dizziness swept over him, sapping his strength.
"You're feeling powerless now, aren't you? That spinning in your head, the disorientation?" Kin Tsuchi taunted, eyes glinting dangerously.
Sasuke blinked, trying to clear his mind. But then he saw them — multiple afterimages of Kin Tsuchi surrounding him, laughing maniacally.
"Hahahaha, you can't touch me, hahahaha!" echoed countless mocking voices, all seeming to come from Kin Tsuchi.
Sasuke clutched his head, pain wracking his body. He collapsed once more onto the ground, helpless.
"Sasuke! Get up!" Naruto shouted, desperation coloring his voice.
Seizing the opportunity, Kin Tsuchi casually tossed a few senbon toward Sasuke's prone form.
In his dazed state, Sasuke's eyes perceived a barrage of senbon needles flying at him. He raised his arm in defense, but two sharp needles pierced through his skin with a soft puff puff sound.
Glancing in the direction from which the needles came, Sasuke quickly activated his ninjutsu.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A blazing inferno erupted from his mouth, a massive fireball hurtling toward Kin Tsuchi.
She reacted with calm precision, forming hand seals and slamming her palm down hard onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
A towering wall of earth erupted in front of her, absorbing the fiery assault and quelling the flames.
Kin Tsuchi's eyes flicked sideways.
Unseen, Sasuke had taken advantage of the momentary distraction to close the distance rapidly.
She turned to meet him, a cold chuckle escaping her lips as she caught the kunai in his hand with one of hers. Before Sasuke could react, she grasped his other fist, their hands locking together.
Trapped, Sasuke twisted and tried to use his knee in a desperate counterattack.
But Kin Tsuchi was quick to step on his foot, causing him to stumble.
"Ah! Damn it!" Sasuke grunted, wrenching his fist free with raw force.
A rapid exchange of blows followed — fists striking, parried, blocked — each meeting Kin Tsuchi's unyielding defense.
Nearby, Zaku and Dosu observed the fight with curiosity.
"Is that really Kin Tsuchi?" Zaku asked, frowning.
Dosu nodded slowly, eyes narrowing. "Who is this woman? Her aura... it's terrifying."
Suddenly, Kin Tsuchi did something unexpected.
She spread her arms wide, relaxed completely, and looked at Sasuke with an inviting smile.
"What... what is she doing?" the crowd murmured in confusion.
Sasuke hesitated, suspicious but intrigued.
Since Kin Tsuchi appeared to be lowering her guard, he saw a chance to end the fight quickly.
As he readied to strike, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him hard again. He collapsed, clutching his head, groaning in agony.
"No! Sasuke!" Sakura and Naruto cried out, concern flooding their voices.
Kin Tsuchi's eyes narrowed slightly, her smile never fading as she extended her unnaturally long tongue, licking a senbon needle.
"How dare you take my senbon so lightly? You really weren't afraid of poison? What a coincidence — my senbon are poisoned," she taunted.
"Wait, did I lick it too?" Kin Tsuchi suddenly stopped and looked fearful.
"Of course, I'm fine," she laughed loudly to cover her doubt.
Nearby, the Hokage's guards whispered nervously.
"Is this person the Hokage-sama?" one asked hesitantly.
The Third Hokage shook his head slowly.
"No, this is not Orochimaru," he said gravely.
The guards stepped back, confused but obedient.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, studying Kin Tsuchi closely.
"This woman... who is she? She's not the Kin Tsuchi I know. And she's far stronger and stranger than that woman," he murmured.
Sakura frowned, whispering to Naruto, "She's so strange."
Naruto nodded, "Yeah... but why doesn't she attack when she has the advantage?"
Sakura added, "And she wasn't like this before..."
Izumi suddenly appeared beside Sasuke, quietly speaking into his ear.
"This is a hallucinogenic poison. It distorts your senses and can manipulate your memories. What are you thinking about right now? No, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm here to help you recall the truth."
Kin Tsuchi smiled maliciously, leaning closer.
"Remember your family? The way your clan was slaughtered in one night? The mighty Uchiha, wiped out, and you're all alone now," she whispered mockingly.
Sasuke's bloodshot eyes blazed with fury.
"You shut up! I won't let you speak like that!" he shouted, his voice thick with anger.
Through blurred vision, he saw multiple afterimages of Kin Tsuchi but forced himself to focus.
"I insist on speaking!" she retorted, voice cold. "Do you really think Orochimaru values you? No. He prized your brother more. But your brother was too powerful, too dangerous to keep around. So now, he's using you. Your brother was the prodigy—graduated ninja academy in one year, became Hokage's bodyguard, even an Anbu captain..."
Izumi's voice cut through Sasuke's mind softly, "He killed your parents and clan members. Every last one."
"No... no! Get out of here!" Sasuke roared, eyes wild with anguish.
Suddenly, the cursed seals flared all over his body, their dark markings glowing ominously.
With renewed strength and ferocity, Sasuke lunged at Kin Tsuchi, grabbing her roughly by the arm.
Without hesitation, he delivered a brutal kick to her neck.
A sickening crack echoed as Kin Tsuchi's neck bent unnaturally, and she was thrown several meters away.
"Sasuke!" Sakura gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
The cursed seal's power radiated off Sasuke, an aura so intense it made everyone in the arena uneasy.
Naruto and Sakura exchanged worried glances.
Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly.
"Well done! Though I don't know who you are exactly, you've done very well," he praised.
Kakashi sighed heavily, concern clouding his face.
Gekkō Hayate approached the prone Kin Tsuchi, who lay with her neck grotesquely bent.
He sighed deeply, then announced, "The winner... Uchiha..."
Suddenly, a sharp voice interrupted him.
"Wait a moment!"
The crowd turned sharply to see who had spoken.
"What? How is that possible?" Sakura, Ino, and others whispered, their eyes wide as they stared at Kin Tsuchi.
Orochimaru and the others exchanged tense glances.
Slowly, Kin Tsuchi sat up, touching her neck as if adjusting a joint.
With two quick clicks, she reattached her neck.
"Oh, you scared me to death!" she chuckled lightly, standing up as if nothing had happened.
She turned to Sasuke, her smile unnerving.
"I was only playing a trick on you," she teased. "Why are you so angry?"
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