The second round started almost without interruption, fully testing the participants' endurance in prolonged combat—along with their luck.
If someone kept getting matched against weaker opponents, they could conserve more stamina, increasing their chances of winning.
No one complained about the fairness of this system.
After all, they were ninjas.
In the ninja world, fairness didn't exist.
Luck was just as crucial as skill when it came to survival.
As a result, an interesting situation unfolded.
Only eight contestants remained.
And out of them, four were from Konoha!
Hanyu Simu, Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Fugaku, and Nara Shikaku.
Meanwhile, the other two competitors from smaller ninja villages had already been eliminated.
The remaining Jōnin from those villages gritted their teeth, glaring at Jiraiya and Tsunade with obvious frustration.
For a moment, it felt like they were all united against Konoha.
After all, Simu's performance had been too overwhelming.
One of the strongest contenders, Han, a Jinchūriki with the potential to win the whole tournament, had been taken out in the first round.
What could they even say?
Soon, the matchups for the next round were announced.
Since Konoha occupied half of the spots, an internal showdown was inevitable.
Hanyu Simu vs. Uchiha Fugaku.
Uchiha Fugaku's face turned pale as soon as he heard it.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Mikoto, who had been eliminated in the first round, was watching from the stands.
On one hand, she wanted to support Fugaku—he was her fellow clansman, a teammate, and a partner.
On the other hand, there was Hanyu Simu, the person who had saved her…
But then she recalled how Fugaku had almost given up on her during the first round.
Her emotions flared.
She took a deep breath and shouted:
"Mr. Simu, good luck!"
Simu froze.
Fugaku was stunned.
Kushina? Even more stunned.
What the hell?!
Someone was trying to steal her man?!
Her fist clenched tightly.
Feeling the gazes around her, Mikoto's face turned red with embarrassment.
"A-And, Fugaku, you should do your best too..." she added quickly.
Of course, Mikoto's support wouldn't affect the outcome of the match.
But psychologically, Fugaku was already at a disadvantage against Simu.
The moment the battle started, Fugaku activated his Sharingan, staring intently at Simu to track his movements.
Simu, on the other hand, simply put his hands in his pockets and closed his eyes.
"Sharingan, huh? That's terrifying."
"I'd better keep my eyes shut, just in case I fall into your genjutsu," Simu said casually.
Uchiha Fugaku: ???
Usually, when someone fought against the Sharingan, they avoided direct eye contact while still tracking their opponent's movements through peripheral vision.
That way, they could dodge attacks without falling into illusions.
But what was Simu doing?
He was just shutting his eyes completely?
Was he really planning to fight while blind?
That tone of his… that attitude…
Fugaku felt completely humiliated.
He gritted his teeth, forming hand seals.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire!"
Dozens of shurikens shot out, each one wrapped in blazing flames.
The fiery projectiles completely surrounded Simu from all directions.
But even with his eyes closed, Simu remained unfazed.
Using Observation Haki, he could sense every single movement in the battlefield.
Not only could he track the shurikens, but he could even predict what Fugaku was going to do next.
With his hands still in his pockets, he casually walked forward.
The flaming shurikens whizzed past him.
One after another, they barely missed, slipping past his body as he adjusted his stance ever so slightly.
It was as if everyone had fallen into an illusion.
All they could see was Simu leisurely strolling forward, twisting his body slightly—
—And avoiding every single attack.
Fugaku's Sharingan widened in shock.
His pupils trembled.
"Is this... genjutsu?" he muttered in disbelief.
Panic-stricken, he quickly formed a hand seal.
"Release!"
But nothing changed.
At that moment, Simu had already reached him.
"You think this is an illusion?" Simu chuckled.
"This isn't genjutsu. It's just a special kind of ninjutsu."
He casually reached out and tapped a finger against Fugaku's forehead.
"You lose."
Fugaku's face turned ashen.
His lips trembled.
"...It's not an illusion…" he muttered.
"I… I lost…"
High up in the stands, one of the Uchiha Jōnin watching the match had a grim expression.
Fugaku was supposed to be the future of the Uchiha Clan.
If his confidence was shattered here, what if he never recovered?
But there was nothing anyone could do.
Fugaku staggered off the battlefield, dazed.
Simu scratched the back of his head.
"...Maybe I went a little too far?" he muttered to himself.
After all, he had no personal grudge against the Uchiha Clan.
Originally, he just wanted to put some pressure on the future Uchiha patriarch.
But it seemed like he had completely crushed him instead.
Oh well.
Simu yawned.
This place was too cold.
All he wanted now was to get back to Konoha and sleep.
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