Yamcha remained sitting on the ground, looking somewhat dazed.
However, after a brief moment of shock, he let out a soft sigh and regained his composure. He wasn't exactly resentful, just a bit resigned.
In truth, Yamcha had long expected to lose this match. He was well aware that he was fundamentally no match for Uchiha Madara. Moreover, he could sense that although Madara's attacks were domineering, he hadn't truly exerted his full strength. Perhaps it was out of respect for Master Roshi; otherwise, Yamcha might have been in mortal danger right now.
Despite knowing this, having trained bitterly for so long only to be defeated so overwhelmingly still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
In the end, it all came down to the fact that he was still too weak!
Silently resolving to undergo even more insane training in the future, he left the ring and returned to the contestant spectator area, preparing to watch the upcoming matches closely.
As it turned out, the battles that followed truly opened the eyes of Yamcha and everyone else on Earth!
The next eight groups of battles were essentially an "internal war" of the Ninja Guild!
Sakumo Hatake vs. The Fourth Kazekage! The Third Raikage vs. The Second Tsuchikage! Jiraiya vs. Nagato! Might Dai vs. The First Raikage!
Because Lin Xuan knew how powerful the Dragon Ball world was, the individuals he selected to participate in the World Martial Arts Tournament were already powerhouses. After passing the tournament's preliminary screening, those who remained were the absolute peak existences of the Ninja World.
When this group of people began to fight, the spectacle was dazzling enough to blur the vision of the audience.
The battles were particularly intense due to some very interesting matchups.
Take, for instance, Sakumo Hatake and the Fourth Kazekage.
Sakumo Hatake and the Hidden Sand Village had significant grievances, especially since Sakumo had killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had been supported in his rise to power by Chiyo. In the past, he had promised her that he would help eliminate the "White Fang of the Leaf," Sakumo Hatake. Unfortunately, before he could fulfill that agreement, Sakumo had committed suicide back in the Hidden Leaf Village.
Neither of them expected that they would be able to face off today in a completely different world!
Both men were the type to skip the small talk. The moment they stepped onto the stage, a fierce battle erupted.
However, almost immediately after the exchange began, Sakumo fell into a disadvantage.
Sakumo specialized in swordsmanship, but weapons were forbidden in the World Martial Arts Tournament. Without his blade, he couldn't display his full capabilities.
Suddenly, a massive wave of gold dust shot through the air, pressing down on him.
This scene stunned every spectator, both inside and outside the arena.
Rasa had activated his Ninjutsu, summoning a vast amount of gold dust and shaping it into giant spikes that thrust violently forward.
"Heavens, what is going on? That man can control sand!" "Is this also martial arts? That's impossible!" "I don't think it is either. This must be a special ability!" "What special ability! Didn't you hear Uchiha Madara and the others earlier? This is Ninjutsu!"
While the audience buzzed with discussion, the tournament announcer below the stage rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on after the initial shock passed.
To be honest, he had always felt that the use of these techniques by Madara's group was against the rules. After all, this was a Martial Arts Tournament, not a Ninjutsu Tournament. Using such magic-like arts seemed inappropriate.
However, remembering that these people were brought by Lin Xuan, the major shareholder of the tournament, he felt he couldn't really say anything. He could only turn a blind eye to these matters. Besides, rules had always been something the organizers could interpret however they pleased!
Little did he know, the future World Martial Arts Tournaments would feature not just Ninjutsu, but terrifying powerhouses from across the universe displaying all sorts of unfathomable abilities.
For Lin Xuan, it didn't matter if it was martial arts or Ninjutsu; as long as it earned him Reputation Points, it was good!
At this moment, the battle between Rasa and Sakumo Hatake was indeed generating a significant amount of Reputation Points, and that was enough.
In the end, the match concluded with Rasa's victory.
Although Sakumo had other means besides swordsmanship—and had even learned Armament Haki from the One Piece world—he managed to hold his own against Rasa for a long time.
However, he was eventually caught off guard by Rasa, who used the sand to sever one of his arms. Although Sakumo was a Reanimated being (Edo Tensei) and his arm regenerated quickly, he knew he had no hope of victory in this specific format, so he admitted defeat.
Following that was the battle between the Third Raikage and the Second Tsuchikage.
This match was equally thrilling.
The Hidden Stone Village and the Hidden Cloud Village had their own history of deep grudges, so naturally, neither side held back.
The Second Tsuchikage, Mū, was known in the Ninja World as a "Non-Person" for his lack of presence, but also as a brilliant strategist famous for conspiracy and politics. He excelled at developing Ninjutsu and had created the "Dust Release" (Particle Style), a Kekkei Tōta that surpassed Kekkei Genkai. He was also one of the few ninjas in the five great nations capable of flight.
As soon as the match started, he played to his strengths, flying directly into the air and launching continuous attacks at the Third Raikage on the ring below!
However, while his Dust Release was powerful, his opponent was no ordinary fighter.
The Third Raikage was renowned as the strongest Raikage in history. He once fought ten thousand ninjas alone for three days and three nights before dying of exhaustion. He possessed strength rivaling a Tailed Beast and had fought the Eight-Tails in a rampage state to a standstill, with both collapsing from exhaustion.
Facing the Dust Release attacks, the Third Raikage activated his "Strongest Shield"—the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. He dodged continuously while simultaneously launching counterattacks against the airborne Tsuchikage!
For a time, the arena was filled with either the disintegration of Dust Release or the roar of lightning. In the blink of an eye, the entire ring was blasted to pieces!
The audience watched in bewildered awe once again.
Many were being exposed to martial arts for the first time today, only to discover that humans could control such terrifying forces!
Many even began to doubt whether this was a real scene or if they were watching a TV show with special effects.
After the skepticism passed, an unprecedented enthusiasm for cultivation surged through the entire world.
Of course, this passion wasn't just for traditional martial arts, but also for the powerful Ninjutsu displayed by the strong fighters Lin Xuan had brought.
People were already frantically searching the internet, trying to find ways to learn martial arts or Ninjutsu.
Lin Xuan was happy to see this happen.
For him, the influx of Reputation Points was all that mattered.
And for Earth, having more people become strong might mean that in the future, when facing powerful alien enemies, the burden wouldn't rest solely on Goku's family!
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T/N:
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