"Stop gloating, you mad dog of the Uchiha Clan!" Kurokawa continuously swung his kunai at Uchiha Yakoto, who easily dodged all of Kurokawa's attacks.
Seizing the opportunity, Yakoto delivered a side kick, sending Kurokawa flying.
Once again, the Sunagakure Ninja was kicked away by an Uchiha in plain sight, just as when the Uchiha Clan first entered the arena.
A fierce sense of humiliation surged within him.
"You bastard!"
Kurokawa grabbed a kunai with one hand and charged wildly at Uchiha Yakoto.
As he neared Uchiha Yakoto, Kurokawa pulled a black ball from his Ninja tool pouch with his other hand, then slammed it onto the ground where Uchiha Yakoto stood.
"Bang!" A cloud of purple smoke instantly exploded, engulfing the entire arena!
The audience was in an uproar.
"Hey! Is that guy using poison?!"
"Despicable! The Chunin Exams forbid the use of lethal Ninja tools!"
The referee frowned, but the rules didn't explicitly prohibit poison mist, so he could only observe for now.
"Say goodbye to those eyes you're so proud of."
However, Yakoto's voice calmly sounded behind him.
"Boring trick."
"What!"
Kurokawa whipped his head around, only to see the silvery-white flash of a blade and his own terrified expression.
Uchiha Yakoto's blade fell, and with it, the dog's paw of the Sunagakure Ninja.
"Ah ah ah—my hand! My hand!"
Kurokawa's screams echoed throughout the arena, and the blood gushing from his severed wrist painted a striking arc on the stage.
The severed hand, still clutching the poison smoke bomb, fell to the ground with a "thud."
Its fingers were still twitching convulsively.
The audience instantly erupted.
"He... he actually..."
"That's too ruthless! This is just an exam!"
The Medical Team immediately rushed onto the stage, and the leading Medical Ninja quickly formed a hand seal.
"Medical Ninjutsu: Hemostasis!"
But when he saw the wound, he couldn't help but gasp—the cut was terrifyingly clean, revealing the attacker's incredibly precise control.
Uchiha Yakoto slowly sheathed his blade and turned to leave the arena; not a single drop of blood stained his long blade.
The referee snapped back to reality and hastily announced: "W-winner, Uchiha Yakoto!"
Hyuga Hiashi's Byakugan veins bulged, having seen the entire process clearly.
"That strike..." he said in a deep voice, "Indeed... very fast."
Hyuga Hizashi frowned: "But this is too cruel. He could have..."
"No."
Hiashi interrupted him, "On the battlefield, mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself. That Sunagakure Ninja clearly intended to kill."
"If it were me, I wouldn't have let that Sunagakure Ninja off easy either."
...Akimichi Choza's potato chip bag fell to the ground. "Whoa, whoa, that move was a bit too..."
"Precise judgment." Nara Shikaku's eyes flashed with brilliance. "Responding decisively when the opponent uses a lethal weapon not only demonstrates strength but also serves as a warning to everyone."
Inoichi Yamanaka sighed: "But this will only exacerbate others'... feelings towards the Uchiha."
"They hated the Uchiha anyway," Shikaku shrugged. "If anything, this might make those fools behave."
..."Tch, Uchiha scum..." A dark-skinned Cloud Ninja spat.
His companion, however, looked grave: "Don't be careless, that person's blade... is very fast."
..."Damn Konoha! Damn Uchiha!" The Jonin leading the Sunagakure team slammed his fist against the wall. "This isn't over!"
"We must ask the Kazekage to get justice for us."
But the other Sunagakure Genin unconsciously shrunk their necks, and someone whispered: "It's all Kurokawa's fault for provoking him..."
Konoha's high-ranking officials and the other three Kage witnessed all of this from the highest viewing platform.
"I hope the Third Hokage can give me an explanation," the Third Kazekage spoke first.
Homura Mitokado pushed up his glasses: "According to the rules, when the opponent first uses a lethal weapon..."
"This situation should be considered self-defense," the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly drew on his pipe, exhaled a smoke ring, and then said.
"I am very sorry about this matter, and I believe Konoha's Medical Team will properly treat that Sunagakure Ninja."
"Moreover, in battle, it's normal to get injured. Before the battle, both sides signed a life-and-death contract, and I don't think the Kazekage would deny that."
It must be said that Hiruzen Sarutobi's political skill was quite high; his words were both firm and conciliatory.
Coupled with Sunagakure being thoroughly defeated by Konoha in the last Great Ninja War, the Third Kazekage didn't dare to pressure Konoha too much and merely let out a cold snort.
The Medical Team quickly carried away the continuously screaming Kurokawa, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground.
In the audience, many people unconsciously swallowed.
Fugaku nodded slightly in the Uchiha formation, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
For those who dared to challenge the honor of the Uchiha Clan, no treatment was too severe.
The other Uchiha Clan members straightened their backs, their faces filled with pride, even subtly tinged with fanaticism.
In the following days, Uchiha Yakoto still didn't encounter any interesting opponents.
It felt as if Konoha's lottery was somewhat intentional; there were basically no noteworthy matchups in these two days.
The seeded contestants from the major nations had not faced each other.
Until today's Round of 64.
Uchiha Yakoto versus Lady Pakura of Hidden Sand Village.
This was the first seeded contestant showdown in this Chunin Exams, raising everyone's expectations.
The atmosphere in the entire venue instantly became tense.
The Jonin leading the teams from each village all perked up; this match was no longer just a simple Chunin Exams bout.
This was the first direct clash between the new generation representatives of the two great Ninja Villages, Konoha and Sunagakure.
Both sides were bound to reveal some of their trump cards in this battle.
"Lady Pakura, please avenge Kurokawa!" Several Sunagakure Ninja surrounded Pakura, their eyes burning with hatred.
Pakura slowly tightened the bandages on her hands, her long hair gleaming with a metallic luster in the sunlight.
"Scorch Release does not need to be mixed with personal grudges." Her voice was terrifyingly calm.
"However... I do very much want to experience the Uchiha's Sharingan."
The Sunagakure Jonin next to her lowered his voice: "Be careful of his sword skill, that Uchiha is very fast."
A searing white fireball suddenly ignited on Pakura's fingertips.
"Against absolute high temperatures, even the fastest blade will melt."