The Tournament's First Round

  As Gaara left the battlefield, he used his sand to restore the venue as much as possible. Although the original yout was unrecognizable, the sand had solidified enough to serve as a makeshift arena.

  There wasn’t much to say about Haku and Gaara’s match. Haku had only recently arrived in the vilge and was still adjusting to both the environment and the way people interacted—especially the use of firearms in combat, which he found difficult to accept.

  On the other hand, Kankuro was a veteran who had lived in the vilge for several years. As a puppeteer, his creations had to evolve with the times. The firearms technology integrated into the vilge suited him well. When the vilge transitioned into a mechanized era, he immediately began modifying his puppets. However, unlike Orochimaru, he cked sufficient research funds, forcing him to save money for his upgrades. Over time, his puppets had nearly reached perfection.

  Kankuro grinned, lifting a scroll and kissing it. "Alright, my little darling—show yourself!"

  With a puff of smoke, a towering mechanized puppet appeared at the center of the arena.

  The puppet was a blue-and-white humanoid construct with three heads, its body covered in barbed spikes resembling eerie tendrils. A thick tail extended from its back, ending in a cw-like appendage, while its arms bristled with various integrated weapons. Some attachments looked like fmethrowers, others resembled pistols, some took the form of electric fans, and a few appeared to be lightning rods. The entire machine had a crude, patched-together aesthetic—less like a refined puppet and more like a stitched-together monstrosity created from salvaged parts due to financial constraints.

  As soon as the puppet was summoned, chakra threads extended from Kankuro’s fingertips, linking to the construct. Under his control, the mechanical beast stirred to life.

  With a grating "crunch, crunch," its three heads turned toward Haku, lifeless eyes staring bnkly. The puppet’s mouths opened, unching three metallic hooks straight at him.

  Although Haku didn't fully understand the nature of the strange puppet before him, he knew one thing—he had to dismantle it. As the hooks shot forward, he gripped his sword, Yukigetsu (Snow Moon), and leaped into the air.

  A yer of frost coated the bde, and with a swift ssh, he severed the hooks mid-air. The freezing energy spread rapidly, encasing the severed chains in ice. Seizing the opportunity, Haku tightened his grip on his scabbard and followed the frozen chains toward the puppet.

  Kankuro responded swiftly, activating an array of weapons at once. Fmethrowers, fans, sledgehammers—every attachment unched an assault, but the attacks failed to stop Haku’s advance.

  Around the arena, small ice formations began to appear. In an instant, Haku merged into the surrounding frost, his body vanishing into countless shimmering ice crystals. These floating shards reflected his image, creating a dazzling illusion—Makyo Hyosho (Demonic Ice Mirror Jutsu).

  Kankuro found himself and his puppet trapped in an intricate ice byrinth. From within the mirrors, countless reflections of Haku emerged, striking from all directions.

  Realizing his puppet was still incomplete, Kankuro made a quick decision. He didn’t want his carefully crafted creation to suffer excessive damage, so he raised his hand in surrender.

  "I forfeit!" he decred.

  For Kankuro, the tournament was primarily an opportunity to win valuable modification materials. If his puppet sustained major damage, it would be a severe setback.

  With that, the first round concluded. The winners were Uzumaki Karin, Aburame Hatsuizumi, Gaara, and Haku.

  Zikusu, the tournament official, was about to arrange the next round when Haku stepped forward.

  "I overexerted myself in the st match," he said. "I’d rather not continue for now."

  The other contestants also admitted they had used up a considerable amount of energy in their battles and were not in a condition to fight again so soon.

  Zikusu nodded, not pressing the issue. His main objective was to evaluate everyone’s strength, and that had already been accomplished.

  "In that case, we need a final winner. Since Gaara and Haku have withdrawn, that leaves only Uzumaki Karin and Aburame Hatsuizumi," he announced.

  Karin hesitated but ultimately conceded.

  "I don’t stand a chance against Hatsuizumi," she admitted. "I may have strong defensive abilities, but my attacks are cking. Even if I have enough chakra, I wouldn’t be able to nd an effective hit."

  With Karin surrendering, Aburame Hatsuizumi was decred the winner.

  "Huh? That’s it?" Hatsuizumi blinked in surprise. "I win just like that? But I barely got to fight!"

  Zikusu chuckled. "Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of chances to battle in the official tournament. This match helped everyone recognize their weaknesses—consider that a victory in itself."

  The fights had indeed revealed various shortcomings.

  Temari realized her arrogance could backfire.

  Hyuga Chinano learned to adjust her combat mentality.

  Neji considered expanding his techniques to include long-range attacks.

  As for Kankuro, he simply wished he had more funding for better upgrades. He had no choice but to repurpose common household appliances like electric fans into makeshift weapons. He was still broke.

  "Hatsuizumi, do you want a prize, or would you rather I grant you a wish?" Zikusu asked, his arms open as if radiating divine light. "As long as it’s not too outrageous, I’ll make it happen."

  Hatsuizumi scratched her head, struggling to come up with a request.

  Standing nearby, Karin bit her handkerchief in frustration, both envious and resigned to her loss.

  After a moment, Hatsuizumi’s face lit up. "Then… next time we run into Ichikishima-hime, help me beat her up!"

  Zikusu blinked. "...Alright." He had no idea why she wanted that, but he hoped Ichikishima-hime wouldn’t hold a grudge against him for it.

  With that settled, Zikusu turned to the group. "I’m confident in your abilities. You’re all strong enough for the tournament. Use this time to train and improve."

  The announcement was met with a mix of emotions. The others knew what it meant—Zikusu was about to leave on another mission.

  "You're leaving again?" Hyuga Chinano sighed. "You just got back."

  Zikusu shrugged. "We still need to invite other vilges. Besides, we need to spread the news about the defeat of the Akatsuki members. That will serve as our first step in establishing a reputation."

  Neji nodded. "Understood. I’ll take care of things here."

  With everything settled, the sun had already climbed high in the sky. The heat was almost unbearable.

  Zikusu waved farewell, slung his bag over his shoulder, and set off.

  His next destination—Kumogakure, the Hidden Cloud Vilge.

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