"Are you glaring at me? Such a scary look."
"Evil-eyed Fugaku, is this how you got your title?"
Zenkichi smiled as he spoke, his fingers constantly moving, emitting golden lasers.
Uchiha Fugaku was worn down from constantly dodging. He had spent too much energy, and each narrow escape drained him further.
Looking at the increasingly fatigued Fugaku, Zenkichi said with a smile, "Want to admit defeat, Uchiha kid?"
Although Fugaku knew he had lost, Zenkichi's mocking tone triggered his rebellious spirit.
"What a joke!" Fugaku growled bitterly, determined to resist to the end.
"Really? Then I'll kill you now."
Zenkichi's voice was flat as he raised a hand and fired a laser that pierced Fugaku's shoulder, dropping him to the ground with a scream.
"How... how is this possible?"
Fugaku was shocked—the Sharingan had predicted the attack wouldn't hit there.
"Surprised? What a disappointment."
"Do you think you're the only one who can predict attacks?"
Zenkichi stared at him with amusement.
"You should've noticed by now—I haven't been serious at all."
Prediction isn't exclusive to the Sharingan. Zenkichi's Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) could also foresee movements.
Fugaku predicted Zenkichi. Zenkichi predicted Fugaku.
When both fighters have predictive abilities, the stronger one wins.
"Predicting your prediction..." Zenkichi muttered, the familiar cross-shaped flash forming at his fingertips again.
"Since you refuse to surrender—then die."
The cross-shaped laser fired.
Whoosh!
At the critical moment, a white flash shot across the field—
Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, suddenly appeared, cleaving the laser beam apart with his blade.
"Ahhh—!"
"Are you joining too, Konoha's White Fang—Hatake Sakumo?" Zenkichi asked lazily.
"Of course not. I won't participate in a match like this," Sakumo replied, his tone calm but serious.
"I stepped in because today's match wasn't meant to be a fight to the death."
"If this continues, someone will die. This match ends here."
"Oh? The game's over? I don't mind," Zenkichi replied with a shrug.
"But who wins and who loses? It can't be a draw."
Zenkichi looked at Sakumo with a lazy smile.
"You win this match," Sakumo said. "But you haven't won the final victory yet. There's still one Konoha contestant you haven't defeated."
Zenkichi smirked. "Namikaze Minato? I'm looking forward to that fight."
His body dissolved into particles of light as he returned to his seat. Terumi Mei greeted him with a congratulatory smile.
The fourth match was set: Zenkichi versus Yagura.
"You really want two Kirigakure shinobi to fight each other? How shameless!"
"Yagura, withdraw from this match!" grumbled Elder Genji, expressing his disapproval at Konoha's behind-the-scenes manipulation.
But he didn't challenge the Third Hokage. Both he and the Hokage understood this match wasn't truly about victory or loss—it was about showcasing the strength of each village's next generation.
Even so, it was against the spirit of the exam for two contestants from the same village to fight each other.
Yagura nodded calmly, showing no strong reaction. He had clearly assessed the gap between his power and Zenkichi's. There was no way he could win right now.
---
"You've given up? That's fine."
"It's a bit much to have Kirigakure's shinobi fighting each other in Konoha's arena anyway."
"Not that I ever intended to let them fight each other."
----
"Minato has a good chance of defeating Zenkichi. Letting Zenkichi waste energy on Yagura first would be wise."
The Third Hokage murmured to himself, then gave the order to announce the final matchup.
---
Inside the Arena
A special kunai was embedded at the center of the arena. Namikaze Minato appeared next to it instantly via the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Zenkichi's appearance was even more dramatic. Countless light particles gathered across from Minato and condensed into Zenkichi's shining form.
"So it's really you in the final round," Zenkichi said. "Didn't expect Konoha to stoop so low, pitting me and Yagura against each other first."
"So you'd be at your peak for this fight—Konoha really has no shame."
His smile made Minato slightly uncomfortable.
"Doesn't matter."
"This won't change the outcome," Minato said. "That's why we didn't question it."
Zenkichi looked at him calmly. "You mean you already know you'll lose?"
Minato's expression darkened. "You mean... you're certain you'll win?"
"Of course," Zenkichi replied. "I know you've prepared some tricks for me—but they're meaningless."
Without a word, Minato pulled out a large handful of special kunai and threw them in all directions, scattering them around the stadium.
Zenkichi didn't dodge; he let the kunai pass through his body.
Minato suddenly teleported behind Zenkichi and threw another kunai.
Zenkichi shrugged theatrically. "Confident, aren't you? Confident men are scary."
Minato's tone was serious. "Words mean nothing. You'll soon know who's stronger."
"It's useless. You saw the earlier matches, right? These attacks won't work on me."
Zenkichi remained indifferent.
"Is that so?" Minato answered calmly.
His figure flickered. He reappeared beside one of the special kunai—and suddenly appeared behind Zenkichi again.
He was trying to find the weakness in Zenkichi's ability.
---
Light Speed V Teleportation.
Hehe.
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