Although the ten competitors had tacitly agreed to take down Shin first, they were still rivals among themselves. Their formation wasn't tight, giving him the opportunity to defeat them one by one.
He relied almost entirely on taijutsu and his exceptional reaction speed to defend and counterattack, taking down his opponents one after another. Occasionally, he would mix in a few low-chakra-consuming Water Release techniques to confuse his enemies.
Five minutes later, only Shin and Mitsuki remained on the battlefield.
Earlier, Mitsuki had also been slashed twice by him, but he had neutralized all physical damage using the Hydrification Technique.
Not wanting to waste time, Shin had chosen to deal with the others first.
Now facing Shin one-on-one, Mitsuki was drenched in sweat.
The Hydrification Technique was indeed formidable, but it consumed a significant amount of chakra with every use.
In contrast, Shin had hardly used any chakra. And judging by his appearance, he was still full of stamina.
If it came down to a battle of attrition, Mitsuki had no confidence at all.
Damn it!
He cursed inwardly.
What do I do now?
"Are you going to keep fighting or surrender?" Shin asked, hoisting his massive blade onto his shoulder.
"Who said I'm surrendering?" Mitsuki shouted, as if insulted, loud, but lacking conviction.
The outcome was already clear, but surrendering without a fight would bring shame to the entire Hōzuki clan.
"Very well," Shin replied with a devilish smile, forming a hand seal with one hand.
To be honest, he was thoroughly enjoying himself today. If he could play a little longer, all the better.
Not far away, Yumi watched in a daze. Shin's overwhelming presence and arrogant yet commanding smile were unlike anything she had ever seen from him.
Why is Tsukishima looking so cool right now? Am I hallucinating?
But soon, she couldn't see anything at all.
Moments later, thick fog spread across the entire arena. As water vapor rose from the surface, the mist thickened rapidly until visibility was reduced to less than a meter.
From that point on, the audience could only hear the sounds of fierce combat, they couldn't see a thing.
"Ahhh!"
A voice of frustration echoed from the fog. Mitsuki yelled, "You've gone too far! Next time, I swear I'll defeat you!"
"I'll be waiting," came the calm reply.
As their voices faded, the mist began to clear, along with the lake that had covered the battlefield.
When the fog fully dissipated, all that remained was Mitsuki lying on the ground, gasping for breath, clutching his eye tightly. No one could tell whether he was injured, or crying.
Meanwhile, Shin casually tossed aside the replica blade and strode purposefully toward the real one resting on its stand.
Grabbing the hilt of Kubikiribōchō with one hand, he lifted it high above his head and swept his gaze across the arena.
"Tsukishima!"
"Tsukishima!"
"Tsukishima!"
No one knew who started it, but soon the entire crowd was shouting in unison. The cheers shook the heavens.
Tsukishima's performance just now had been nothing short of breathtaking. Even though he hadn't used many flashy jutsu in actual combat, the strength and combat intelligence he displayed left everyone stunned. And with an overwhelming dominance, he had claimed ownership of Kubikiribōchō and earned his place among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
After basking in the cheers of the crowd, Shin slung the sword over his shoulder and walked toward the tunnel that marked the victor's exit.
His battle was over, but there were still five matches to come. Thanks to the electrifying start he provided, everyone was now eagerly looking forward to the rest.
As he passed by Yumi, who was serving as the referee, he suddenly paused. He extended a hand to shake hers and said, "Thank you for everything up until now. I was in the wrong before and caused you trouble, but yesterday I came to understand a lot of things. From now on, I'll be more mindful."
Yumi reached out and shook his hand in a mechanical daze, then watched in silence as Shin finished his sentence and walked off into the tunnel without even looking back.
Wait, what was that? Why wouldn't he even look at me?
What did he mean by 'understood a lot of things'? What does he mean by 'be more mindful from now on'?
She stared furiously at Tsukishima's retreating back, her chest heaving with anger.
Damn it, damn it!
Just as she had begun to develop a bit of fondness for him, she suddenly felt like something had been taken from her.
The feeling was unbearable.
No, after the tournament, I have to find him and get answers.
What the hell does all this mean? What is he trying to say?
Soon after, the second match began. This time, the prize was Hiramekarei.
Unlike the first match, where Shin had fought ten opponents alone, the second round was a true free-for-all. Still, the action was just as intense and thrilling, pushing the audience to a frenzy. However, during the battle, a sudden incident occurred that shocked everyone.
As two ninjas fought near the edge of the arena, one of them suddenly threw a kunai at the other. To everyone's surprise, the kunai missed its target and instead shot through the air like a meteor, heading straight for the Third Mizukage.
The Third Mizukage saw the kunai flying toward him. Arms crossed, eyes icy cold, he didn't move a muscle, showing no intent to dodge.
In the end, the kunai grazed his face, leaving a shallow cut.
In that instant, the Mizukage's chakra surged violently, exuding an oppressive force that all could feel.
The ninja who had thrown the kunai was terrified. He immediately dropped to his knees and begged for the Mizukage's forgiveness.
The Third Mizukage stared at him for a long while before finally withdrawing his chakra. He glanced coldly at the surrounding council elders and said, "This is what you wanted to see, isn't it? Satisfied now? I'll let it go this time. But if anyone pull this kind of childish stunt again, death."
This unexpected episode left everyone breathing a sigh of relief.
On one hand, they were reassured that the Mizukage hadn't been replaced by some mysterious white monster.
On the other hand, his decision not to lash out in fury, but instead forgive the attacker, demonstrated his strength of character.