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The moment Kakashi saw the dark-skinned young man opposite him, his expression involuntarily turned serious. His hand instinctively reached for the Ninja tool pouch behind him, his eyes fixed on the seven swords behind the opponent, while his peripheral vision monitored the two young women behind the opponent.
However, Killer Bee seemed to completely ignore the white-haired young man, who was a few years younger than him and appeared unremarkable. Instead, he stared at Obito, who had been aggressive just now and had the red and white fan clan crest on his back.
"Yo! Red eyes, yo! Uchiha!"
"Half-grown brat, still wet behind the ears, and you want to fight me?"
Although the opponent's strange, B-box-infused sounds were difficult to discern, the contemptuous expression beneath his sunglasses was clearly captured in their eyes.
Obito was not someone who could take provocation. A fire instantly flared up in his heart. The dark eyes behind his goggles instantly turned crimson, and dark tomoe swirled in his pupils like swimming fish, staring intently at the tall, dark-skinned young man in front of him:
"Someone like you dares to look down on us Uchiha?"
The spirit of youth often leads to swords and life-and-death battles after just a few words.
A mere disagreement was enough reason for the two sides to start a fight.
With almost no hesitation, the moment his words fell, Obito's right index finger had already hooked the Kunai at his waist. His fingertips spun and reversed, and the dark blade of the steel Kunai traced an elegant semicircle in the air. His body had already shot towards Killer Bee.
His target was the dark-skinned young man opposite him.
However, facing such a situation, neither Yugito Nii and Samui beside Killer Bee, nor Kakashi and Rin on Obito's side, showed any intention of making a move.
Both sides almost simultaneously stared at the opponent's teammates, while also dedicating some attention to the battle between the two.
Clearly, Kakashi's side was not the only one who wanted to gather information about the 'enemy' before the Chunin Exams began.
Noticing the rapidly approaching Obito, Killer Bee's prematurely mature face instantly broke into an excited grin.
Amidst the whistling wind, his hands had already gripped the two hiltless short swords at his waist and back in a reverse grip. One was thrown forward like a shuriken, while the other was held firmly in front of him like a shield.
Although Obito was reckless and impulsive, he, like Kakashi, had received a complete six years of basic Ninja education. He lacked no essential experience, and after this period of mission training, he had made significant progress in practical combat.
The short sword, thrown like a wheel, was reflected in his crimson two-tomoe Sharingan. While pointing his Kunai forward with one hand, he took out several shuriken from his Ninja tool pouch with the other, throwing them in a sharp arc using the standard Uchiha throwing technique, encircling Killer Bee's body like wings.
Then, his Kunai blocked the spinning short sword in front of him, emitting a crisp 'ding' of metal clashing, and swept it into the air.
At the same time, his mind rapidly simulated the opponent's possible reactions to the attack.
'A Ninja encountering a flanking throwing technique for the first time will instinctively dodge and jump, so as long as…'
As he habitually speculated on the opponent's counter-strategy based on past experience, Kakashi's warning suddenly reached Obito's ears:
"Watch out! Obito!"
Almost the instant he heard the voice, Obito's crimson eyes, fixed on the spinning short sword in mid-air, instinctively swept forward.
The next moment, Killer Bee's dark, fifteen-year-old face, which looked like it belonged to a thirty-year-old, immediately filled the center of his vision.
'How could he... be so fast?!'
Obito was suddenly startled. The scene reflected in his Sharingan was instantly fragmented into dozens of frames, like a slow-motion video.
In this sliced-up view, the opponent's series of actions—drawing his sword forward, stepping, and slashing—were clearly reflected.
Obito's forward charge immediately came to an abrupt halt. He reversed the Kunai in his hand and held it in front of the opponent's blade.
However, when the Kunai blocked the opponent's blade, he felt only a light, cotton-like touch in his palm.
Watching the opponent's movements, Obito's eyes suddenly widened.
'He let go?'
'No!'
He suddenly realized.
The inertia from the short sword slashing against the Kunai's edge caused it to spin into a ring with gravity, forming a dangerous steel flower in mid-air.
The Killer Bee opposite him, however, had already completed his advance and re-drawing of the sword during the brief motion of Obito raising and blocking.
The blades, flung forward from behind, one up and one down, were reflected in Obito's eyes like two whistling steel whips, crossing like scissors to tear at his waist and abdomen.
In just an instant, Obito, relying on the precognition of his Sharingan, stepped back.
The diffused Chakra and the instinctively used 'Shave' allowed him to create a distance of over three meters from Killer Bee in this very short time.
But before he could regroup, the scene reflected in his Sharingan made him even more horrified.
'He let go again!'
In this slow-motion perspective, Obito clearly saw the opponent's actions: slashing the sword, letting go, biting the hilt, stepping forward with both hands, and simultaneously reaching out to draw another sword.
Relying on his superb taijutsu, nerve reaction speed comparable to the Sharingan, and extremely refined swordsmanship.
Killer Bee had, in just a few short steps forward, managed to draw seven short swords.
His seven-sword offensive was continuous and ceaseless. Before the previous blade, flung into the air, could even hit the ground, the next sword had already followed close behind. At the same time, he was completely unconstrained in his grip on the swords.
Holding it in his mouth, clamping it with his neck, clamping it with his elbow, holding it in his hand, lifting it with his knee, kicking it with his foot...
Simply by coordinating simple body movements with his short swords, the young man in front of Obito so easily transformed into an impenetrable, fire-resistant iron porcupine.
Every part of his body seemed to have become a steel blade. Simply by stepping forward, he forced Obito in front of him to retreat step by step, struggling to cope.
At this moment, Obito felt incredibly suffocated.
Although the Sharingan, a bloodline limit, allowed him to clearly see Killer Bee's every move, his neural reactions and body speed were out of sync with his high-speed camera-like eyes. Every one of his movements was a beat behind the opponent's.
In just three to two short seconds, his shoulder, elbow, and thigh had already been cut several times, leaving streaks of crimson.
And the constant, subtle stinging pain from all over his body intensified the anger in the already short-tempered Obito, making his entire body's Chakra boil like flames.
"Bastard—!!!"
It wasn't until his shoulder was struck again that Obito finally couldn't control the impulsive agitation in his heart.
He fought desperately, seemingly disregarding the blade pointing at his arm, willing to take a hit to his limb if it meant plunging the Kunai in his hand into the dark-skinned giant's abdomen.
But seeing his performance, Yugito Nii behind Killer Bee couldn't help but frown.
"Seven Swords Style! Lariat!"
Before she could even speak a warning, all of Killer Bee's short swords had already begun to spin like a top, sweeping and slashing towards the young man in front of him.
"Bang!"
However, that seemingly impulsive figure suddenly transformed into a substitution jutsu log, shattered into multiple pieces.
Killer Bee's figure seemed to pause for a moment.
Immediately following, a playful sound rang out from behind him.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A rapidly expanding giant fireball surged from the young man's mouth, and the surging Chakra enveloped the entire area within a few meters in one breath.
In Obito's crimson eyes, Killer Bee's final, somewhat bewildered expression still lingered, making his triumphant look even more pronounced.
Hmph! Who are you looking down on?
Do you really think I'm the kind of idiot who gets hot-headed just from a little provocation?
This move, this was his true trump card!
However, just as Obito's triumph was about to overflow.
Kakashi keenly noticed that the two Kumogakure girls opposite him hadn't even moved a single step.
His heart instantly tightened.
As expected.
"Boom!"
A piercing roar of wind suddenly erupted, making the eardrums of those nearby vibrate.
Amidst the thunder and wind, interspersed was Killer Bee's robust physique, a head taller than average, and the surfaces of his seven blades were all wrapped in faint lightning.
The surging great fire was easily torn apart in front of the young man, carving out a vacuum pathway.
His target was Obito, who was still in the act of spitting out the fire.
Killer Bee's face distorted into a ferocious grin.
His blades spun in his hands.
Relying on the instinctive experience gained from countless battles, Obito subconsciously raised his two Kunai, blocking with the armor on his wrists. Instantly, a 'clink, clink, clink—' of clashing metal and brilliant sparks erupted in the air.
Before he could dissipate the heavy pushing force, a thick thigh suddenly broke through his arms like a long spear, thrusting in horizontally.
"Bang—!"
A dull thud and a violent impact simultaneously slammed into Obito's brain, making his vision go black for a moment.
His small body tumbled and slammed heavily into the wall behind him, emitting a muffled 'thump'.
Obito!
Kakashi's brow furrowed tightly, and his figure already shot out, suddenly interposing himself between the two sides.
No matter how much they argued normally, this guy was his teammate.
"Clang!"
The Red Fang, given to him by Sawara Kiri, was drawn from its sheath with a crisp clang. A faint flicker of fire gleamed on the dark red blade, carrying an extraordinary sharpness.
"Ugh—cough, cough."
A series of coughing and gasping sounds came from Obito behind him, indicating he was clearly not lightly injured.
"Obito, are you alright?" Kakashi asked in a low voice.
"That bastard, I, cough, cough, I'm going to kill him!"
If Obito were to be put into a cremation furnace alive at this moment, what would be left would surely be his impossibly tough mouth.
However, Kakashi's gaze did not linger on him for too long.
He and Killer Bee, facing each other, almost simultaneously stopped their movements, both looking towards the high wall on the other side.
Appearing in their field of vision were three Genin, roughly their age, with Iwagakure headbands on various parts of their bodies.
The leader among them was a tall young man wearing a red straw hat, his entire body enveloped in bamboo armor.
Almost the instant he appeared, a hint of apprehension involuntarily appeared in the depths of Kakashi and Killer Bee's eyes.
They had both just felt an unusual and strong Chakra reaction.
This guy... is a Jinchuriki.
"Before the assessment begins."
"Please be mindful of your behavior."
The young man enveloped in red bamboo armor spoke with the distinctive voice of a teenager going through puberty, but his tone was impeccably serious.
"With all the esteemed lords gathered in Iwagakure, please do not make things difficult for us."
Hearing his words, Kakashi pressed down on the Red Fang in his hand, but his gaze turned to the dark-skinned Kumogakure Ninja in front of him.
Killer Bee's face broke into a disdainful grin, and he continued his strange B-box from before, mocking them as if singing:
"Yo!"
"Stubborn Iwagakure, inflexible!"
"Konoha weaklings, strong on the outside, weak on the inside!"
"Chunin Exams, I'll make you look good!"
"Pfft, pfft, bang—"
Listening to the incomprehensible beatboxing that followed, Kakashi's expression gradually turned cold, while Killer Bee's provocative expression grew even stronger.
However, the standoff between the two was interrupted by a calm remark from Han:
"You idiot, do you really want to kill their Ninja outside the examination grounds, right under Sawara's nose?"
"If you want to die, don't drag us Iwagakure into it."
"..."
Almost the moment 'Sawara Kiri' was mentioned by both sides.
The tense atmosphere, which had been on the verge of erupting, quickly cooled down.
Kakashi even clearly saw that the dark-skinned young man, who had been so unrestrained until then, seemed to stiffen for a moment upon hearing that name.
Clearly, the Sawara in these people's perception was completely opposite to the one he knew.
"Tch."
Soon, the standoff between the three parties gradually dispersed.
Han, as the representative of the Iwagakure squad, did not say much more to Kakashi and the others. He merely gave them a scrutinizing glance before quickly departing.
Only Obito and the others, who had barely recovered, remained on the spot.
This was just the tip of the iceberg of the Chunin Exams, yet it had already revealed such a scene.
Kakashi grew increasingly worried about the upcoming Chunin Exams.
On the other side.
By the time Tsunade and Sawara Kiri, among others, had finished being hosted by Ōnoki with Kage-level treatment and returned to the luxurious hotel specially prepared for them, it was past eight in the evening. The sky outside had already turned completely dark, and the temperature had dropped significantly.
They were assigned a standard presidential suite, which alone occupied most of a floor. Even the water resources, which were quite scarce in the Land of Earth, were plentiful, and a wet-dry separated bathroom was specially provided.
Tsunade strode into the room, escorted by Sawara Kiri. The long journey had indeed made her somewhat tired, and the mental exhaustion from the scheming with the old fox Ōnoki only added to it.
At this moment, she was seen rubbing her shoulders as she walked towards the presidential suite's bedroom, and casually asked Sawara Kiri beside her:
"Kiri, this time—"
However, before she could finish her question.
She looked up to see Sawara Kiri had already raised a 'shush' gesture to his lips.
Tsunade then remembered she was no longer in the Village, and her voice immediately stopped.
Sawara Kiri's clear blue eyes merely swept around the presidential suite, and he easily retrieved dozens of listening devices, as small as flies, from under the bed, the edge of the coffee table, the bottom of the bookshelf, and ceiling compartments. On the tiny surface, no bigger than a fingernail, were densely drawn complex Sealing Technique formulas.
In this regard, the Ninja World could be said to have pioneered a new path, nestled between technology and Sealing Technique.
This was also inspired by Sawara Kiri's 'All-Purpose Capsule'.
"That old geezer."
Tsunade looked at the dense array of listening devices and immediately cursed in annoyance.
Seeing her grumbling, Sawara Kiri couldn't help but smile. He slowly walked behind her, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and whispered in her ear:
"You must be careful recently, Fourth Hokage."
"This situation is likely to be quite big; even I don't have complete confidence in protecting you."
Seeing his actions, Tsunade's anger clearly did not subside; instead, she gently elbowed him, lowering her voice and scolding:
"You know I'm the Fourth Hokage and you dare to do this in a place like this?"
"Aren't you afraid of being seen by the Iwagakure people?!"
"Do you believe that if what you're doing now is discovered, it'll spread throughout the entire Ninja World by tomorrow?"
Tsunade threatened with a feigned fierce tone: "Then, we'll see if you get into trouble when you go home!"
She clearly still resented what he had said to Ōnoki earlier in the day.
"It's alright."
"My eyes can see very clearly, you know."
"Fourth Hokage."
"You—ugh, don't move your hands!" Tsunade's face was flushed, but she still stubbornly clutched his wrist, continuing to lower her voice and trying to change the subject, "First, tell me, what are you and that Orochimaru guy secretly preparing, hiding it from me?"
Sawara Kiri's movements paused: "Ah, that's a bit hard to say."
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