The announcement echoed through the arena: Hanekawa.
Uchiha Obito's heart skipped. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to focus. Over the past year, his training under Minato Namikaze had accelerated his growth exponentially. More importantly, he had something to prove—someone to impress.
His eyes drifted toward Rin.
"You guys need to work hard," she said with that gentle smile.
"Rin, I will definitely win!" Obito declared, his confidence burning bright.
Rin hesitated, then nodded. He won't beat Hanekawa, she thought, but kept it to herself. No point crushing his spirit before the match.
"Let us witness the power of youth!" Guy threw up a thumbs-up, his enthusiasm as loud as ever.
"Kill him!" Kurenai shouted, her fists clenched in support.
Hanekawa smiled and walked to the center of the arena. Obito stared at him, jaw tight. I can't lose. Not here. Not in front of Rin.
Sharingan activated.
A single magatama bloomed in each eye.
"Begin!" Inoichi announced.
"I'm faster than you!" Obito declared, already forming seals. His mouth opened wide.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!
The inferno erupted with terrifying force. Heat warped the air itself. Compared to his performance a year ago, his progress was staggering—faster seals, nearly double the power.
Inoichi's eyebrows rose. Impressive for his age.
But Hanekawa simply stood there.
The fireball engulfed him.
"Yes!" Obito couldn't help the triumphant shout. I did it—
Then Hanekawa appeared on the opposite side of the arena, completely unscathed.
Obito's stomach dropped. An illusion.
Fire Style: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique!
Obito spun and unleashed a barrage of fireballs, each one rapid-fire and desperate. They chased Hanekawa across the arena like angry hornets, forcing him to sprint frantically.
Obito's lips curved upward. If only the venue were different, I'd be laughing.
"What's happening?" Shizune asked, confused. "Hanekawa hasn't moved."
"He's trapped in an illusion," Kurenai said knowingly, a smile playing at her lips. As a genjutsu specialist, she recognized the signs immediately.
"When?" Shizune's eyes widened.
"From the start," Uchiha Shisui answered, his expression grave. "Hanekawa's illusions are instantaneous now. His hand seals are too fast to follow."
Instant casting, Asuma thought grimly. That's... dangerous.
Kakashi remained silent, already calculating countermeasures.
"It's a visual distortion technique," Kurenai explained. "The Hanekawa that Obito sees isn't actually there."
"That's terrifying," Shizune breathed.
"Why didn't his Sharingan catch it?" Asuma asked.
"Two reasons," Shisui said thoughtfully. "First, Obito's Sharingan is only one magatama. Second—Hanekawa's genjutsu is on another level entirely. Not just stronger. Vastly stronger."
"Of course!" Kurenai said proudly. "His illusions are almost matching my father's level. He might surpass him next year."
Realization dawned on Shisui's face. Yuhi Shinku was a jonin-level genjutsu master. For Hanekawa to approach that level meant a single magatama Sharingan stood no chance.
Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!
Obito's hands blurred through seals. Massive flames erupted in a straight line, consuming everything in their path. His chakra reserves were nearly depleted after four consecutive fire jutsu.
That has to be it, he thought, breathing hard.
The flames cleared.
Hanekawa stood untouched.
Obito's pupils dilated. Impossible.
Reality crashed down on him. His face flushed crimson as laughter rippled through the crowd. He'd been flailing around like a clown while Hanekawa stood perfectly still.
What is Rin thinking right now?
Rage flooded his system. His chakra surged violently.
A second magatama blazed to life in his eyes.
"Two magatama!" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Unexpected," Minato murmured, genuinely surprised. He'd always assessed Obito's talent as merely adequate. Perhaps his strength lies with the Sharingan itself.
"Can Hanekawa still win?" Kushina asked.
"Of course," Tsunade smiled. "That brat hasn't used a third of his power."
Uchiha Fugaku watched with mixed feelings—impressed by Obito's eye development, but puzzled by the circumstances of its awakening.
---
"You're finished!" Obito's confidence exploded outward. "With these eyes, you have no chance! I will have everything!"
"Congratulations," Hanekawa said mildly.
He's not even surprised, Obito thought, but pushed forward anyway.
Genjutsu: Tree Binding Killing!
Hanekawa's hands moved. Chakra surged. Spectral branches erupted around Obito.
"I see it!" Obito's enhanced Sharingan caught the technique mid-cast. The two magatama gave him superior dynamic vision. He shattered the illusion instantly.
"Really?" Hanekawa's voice came from behind him.
Obito spun—too late.
A sphere of swirling blue chakra filled his vision.
No. No. No—
The Rasengan connected directly with his abdomen.
His body flew backward. The world spun. Then darkness.
"Hanekawa wins!" Inoichi announced.
Medical ninja rushed forward to carry Obito away.
"Arrogance is a dangerous thing," Asuma muttered.
"You would know," Kurenai shot back with a smirk.
"I'm never arrogant," Asuma protested weakly.
Kakashi's expression was unreadable. He used Minato's jutsu to defeat a student. Bold.
---
Hanekawa stood in the arena, already thinking ahead. No new entries from Obito. Not strong enough, I guess.
The break passed quickly. The screen scrolled again.
"Third round, match one: Hanekawa versus Uchiha Shisui."
Shisui took a deep breath, his expression deadly serious.
Hanekawa's mind sharpened. Let's see if Shisui can trigger an upgrade.
---
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