Chapter 152: The First Round Ends
Uchiha Kagami stood there quietly.
For those without the strength of a Kage, even looking at him directly was impossible—they could only sense an overwhelming void.
It was as if time had been forcibly paused, and everything stood frozen at the moment of his arrival.
—Shwoosh—
The figures of Namikaze Minato and Senju Hashirama appeared at Kagami's side.
Minato surveyed the devastation and let out a bitter smile.
"This entire region's ecosystem has been completely destroyed…"
Even with Hashirama's Wood Release, restoring the greenery would be easy, but the countless animals that perished—those couldn't be brought back.
Returning the land to its former state would take at least twenty years.
"Should I use Deep Forest Emergence now?" Hashirama asked, visibly heartbroken.
This very forest… it was the same one he and Madara had once looked down upon from their stone faces.
"Not yet," Kagami replied.
His gaze shifted toward Shisui, perched atop a giant crow.
To be honest, Shisui's performance had been underwhelming—far from what he expected.
If he didn't show signs of true growth in the second round…
Kagami would have to take drastic measures.
Sizzle—
The Eight-Tails' massive form slowly shrank, leaving no foothold for those standing on it.
Both Kagami and Nagato had the ability to levitate, calmly descending to the ground.
Meanwhile, Minato and Hashirama teleported below.
Survivors from across the battlefield gradually gathered, converging toward them.
A's hand firmly supported the exhausted Killer Bee, his expression complex as he stared at Uchiha Kagami's back.
The man who had killed his father…
Had just saved his brother.
Of course, A knew that this wasn't an act of kindness—Kagami hadn't saved Bee out of mercy.
His brother had simply lasted long enough for the sunset to arrive.
Had he fallen even a minute earlier, Kagami wouldn't have intervened.
…
"Brother…"
"Lord Kagami."
Shisui and Ryūzetsu approached Kagami.
Shisui lowered his head slightly, feeling ashamed.
Despite his victory over the former Raikage and chaotic disruption of two major nations, he knew he had failed to meet his brother's expectations.
Uchiha Shisui was proud—he held himself to Kagami's standards.
Kagami had taught him to never compare himself to ordinary shinobi.
After all, when Kagami was even younger than Shisui, he had already been slaughtering these same so-called Kage-level warriors.
And yet, Shisui had relied on the Flying Thunder God to barely keep up.
Seeing Shisui's expression, Kagami sighed lightly.
"Next time… don't disappoint me."
Hearing this, the surrounding shinobi were left speechless.
A seventeen-year-old had defeated a Kage, showcasing unparalleled talent and strength—
And yet, Kagami was disappointed?
What exactly was he expecting?!
Even Kagami himself couldn't fully explain it.
Unlike Uchiha Itachi, he hadn't meticulously planned out Shisui's entire growth.
Instead, he had set the stage, hoping Shisui would find his own way forward—and when the moment came, Kagami would push him over the edge.
It was like handing him seed money, waiting for him to show results.
And when it was time to go public—Kagami would ensure he soared.
But so far, Shisui hadn't found that defining moment.
His growth was steady, much like Minato's—always rising, but never exploding.
But that wasn't how an Uchiha should be.
The Uchiha did not grow steadily—they exploded at specific turning points.
When Kagami had only a three-tomoe Sharingan, he had been formidable but not invincible.
But the moment he awakened his Mangekyō, he had become the strongest shinobi of his era—so much so that even Madara had been forced to relocate.
If Shisui still couldn't find that catalyst in the second round…
Then Kagami would create it himself.
What else could he do? Abandon Shisui?
Raising his hand, Kagami flicked a trace of Yang Release chakra, healing Shisui's injuries.
Then, his voice rang out.
"Since everyone is here, let's not waste time. We'll start the second round immediately."
…
…
"You're going to announce that before even healing the rest of us?"
"Blatant favoritism much?"
Was Kagami really rigging the tournament right in front of everyone?
Did they not deserve time to recover their chakra?
But no one dared to protest.
Instead, they scrambled to treat injuries and restore their chakra as fast as possible.
"I will scatter ten tokens across the second-round battlefield," Kagami announced.
"This phase will last for two days."
"Whoever possesses a token at the end will advance to the final round."
Kagami raised his hand, revealing a glowing blue crystal.
A powerful chakra aura emanated from it.
"That's… Dragon Vein Energy?!"
Scorpion's eyes widened in shock.
He had spent a decade using Dragon Vein energy—he was more familiar with it than anyone.
The power radiating from this single fragment of Kagami's crystal far surpassed everything he had used in ten years.
Could it be…
Was this a fragment of the Dragon Vein's core?!
Kagami glanced at him indifferently.
"This is just a small shard—roughly one-thirtieth of a full Dragon Vein crystal."
"Consider it a reward for those advancing to the next round. After watching you all fight so hard, I figured I'd offer something extra."
You felt bad?
Yeah, right.
Scorpion stared desperately at the crystal.
If just a fraction contained this much power…
He finally understood just how vast the gap was between him and Kagami.
"I have a question."
Jiraiya raised his hand.
"You said ten people can qualify."
"But can a single team collect multiple tokens?"
"If one team grabs all ten, does that mean the competition ends immediately?"
Kagami shrugged.
"If a single group manages to grab all ten… then yeah, the tournament's over."
Sweeping his gaze across the crowd, Kagami's tone turned ice-cold.
"I've already given weaklings a chance to survive."
"If you can't hold onto a single token for two days…"
"Then stop wasting time with unrealistic dreams—you'd be better off dying."
"Don't complain about fairness. The fact that someone like Nagato is even competing at all should be considered a privilege to the rest of you."
Hearing this, Nagato, who had looked annoyed before, suddenly felt… appeased.
That single offhand remark was enough to acknowledge his strength.
…
Kagami's gaze flickered to a group in the crowd.
Unlike the others, their clothes were spotless, as if they were on a sightseeing tour rather than a life-or-death battle.
Sensing his attention, the group immediately stepped forward in perfect unison.
It was a squad of elite Uchiha and Hyūga shinobi—including Genka, Unkai, the Hyūga brothers, Tetsuka, Uchiha Izumi, and others.
At least ten in total.
Most assumed they had been assigned to protect Shisui.
But Shisui knew that wasn't the case.
If a team of this caliber had been shadowing him, he would've noticed long ago.
"You guys can leave," Kagami said.
"The second round doesn't require you."
"Yes, Lord Kagami!"
With that, the first round officially came to an end.
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