When the organizing committee went to meet with the Hokage to discuss the event, nearly every young ninja in Konoha who used a sword had already heard about it in one way or another. Some, like Uchiha Kairen — one of the "seed" competitors — even knew the rules inside out.
Everything proceeded smoothly; both sides agreed almost instantly. The news spread rapidly throughout Konoha, and even the Daimyō received an invitation. Since the preparations moved quickly, by the time word reached other nations, registration had already closed — those who wanted to participate would have to wait for the next tournament.
The competition rules and details were soon posted all over the village, drawing great excitement. Compared to the usual Chūnin Exams, this event was far more novel and interesting.
Competition Structure
The tournament would be divided into several stages:
Stage 1: The Preliminary Round
All Konoha ninja under the age of 20 could register.
The only permitted combat tools were ninja swords, with no restriction on the number of swords a participant could carry.
Before each match, staff members would strike large bronze drums to signal the start of the battle.
During the match, contestants were forbidden from using any weapon other than a sword, and from attacking the opponent's eyes or vital areas. Falling out of the ring, surrendering, or being unable to continue all counted as a loss. Killing an opponent would lead to immediate disqualification. Konoha's medical-nin would be on-site to heal injured competitors.
The first round of the preliminaries was simple — defeat ten opponents to advance.
Each contestant could go on stage up to three times. For example, if you lost your first match, you could still return and continue; as long as you managed ten victories and no more than two losses in total, you would move on.
The second round followed a numbering format: #1 vs. #10, #2 vs. #11, and so on. Losers would be eliminated. If there was an odd number of contestants, the final participant received a bye.
Stage 2: The Advancement Round
All remaining contestants would be divided into ten groups, each with at least three people, using a point system. Every participant would face the others in their group; the one with the highest score advanced directly.
Those placing second and third entered the Losers' Bracket.
In the Losers' Bracket, each group's second-place contestant would face challenges from other groups' third-place contestants. Each second-place contestant could refuse one challenge. Winning earned 3 points; losing gave 0. The ten contestants with the highest points advanced.
Stage 3: The Top 10 Round
The ten remaining contestants — the top performers of their respective groups — would face off against the Losers' Bracket qualifiers according to rank. The victors would advance.
After that came the Exhibition Round.
Ten appointed judges would personally take the stage to determine the strongest among them. Based on their ranking, each judge would randomly draw a disciple to mentor for one week.
After a week of training, the competition would move to its Final Challenge Round.
1st vs. 2nd, 3rd vs. 4th, and so on. The top five would then face placement challenges among ranks 6–10, where lower-ranked contestants could challenge higher-ranked ones once.
Finally, the King's Challenge Round would determine the overall ranking from 1st to 5th place.
Rewards and Rules
Those ranking 1st–10th would receive personal commendations from the Hokage, with prizes becoming more valuable by rank.
The Champion would receive a "Master's Guidance Scroll," allowing them to choose any mentor in Konoha for a one-month apprenticeship.
Judging Panel:
Chief Judge: Hatake Sakumo
Deputy Judges: Uchiha Ankoku and Shimura Katsuhisa
Judges: Getsumei Shinji, Uzuki Tōshi, Kazeyuki Ryouei, Kamigami Sanju, Oda Saishi, Kishimoto Dairen, Maruboshi Kosuke
(Judges were nominated by the Hokage and selected from among the Jōnin.)
Note: The champion of each tournament cannot compete again in future editions.
Note: Sword-specialist Clans may nominate one person directly into Stage 2.
Note: Each judge may recommend one contestant to skip the first round.
Note: Kekkei Genkai clans may use their abilities in conjunction with their blades.
Registration would close at the end of the month, and all young ninja were encouraged to participate enthusiastically.
The Uchiha clan had two recommendation slots: one for direct entry into the Second Stage, given to Uchiha Yoshihisa, and another for direct entry into the Qualifiers - Stage 2, given to Uchiha Kaze.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Kairen and Uchiha Danten, two of the clan's most talented young swordsmen, chose to start from the very beginning — the preliminary round — to maximize the number of Uchihas advancing later.
As expected, both Kairen and Danten achieved ten consecutive victories and easily advanced to the next round.
Other participating Uchihas included Uchiha Kenshin, Uchiha Masaka, Uchiha Motonari, Uchiha Masamune, and Uchiha Genjo, along with Uchiha Kaze, who had been granted direct advancement.
In total, eight Uchihas reached the second round — the highest number among all clans.
The second round proceeded smoothly. Except for Uchiha Masaka, who nearly lost due to overconfidence, the rest of the Uchiha competitors won comfortably.
Since the tournament was organized by the Sword-specialist Clans, most arranged to avoid fighting their own kin before the second stage.
For civilian ninja, defeating these trained clan members — raised on swordsmanship from childhood — was nearly impossible.
When the Uchiha sent ten members into the second-stage matches, each was assigned to a separate group.
If all of them were to win, the final stage of the tournament would effectively become an Uchiha family showdown.
This display of strength shocked every other clan in Konoha — the old powerhouse Uchiha truly brimmed with talent.
During the battles, four Uchiha members refrained from even activating their Sharingan, proving that they were still holding back.
"A terrifying clan indeed," people whispered.
Uchiha Kairen, watching the excitement among his clansmen, couldn't help but sigh inwardly —
Even if the Uchiha wanted to keep a low profile, their strength simply wouldn't allow it.
From childhood, every member of the clan underwent basic kenjutsu training. Those with talent continued to learn advanced techniques from their fathers and uncles. Once they awakened their Sharingan, they went on to master the Uchiha Style Kenjutsu — a deadly fusion of perception and technique.
You might be a genius, Kairen mused, you might even be born into a Kenju Clan… but I have the Sharingan. Do you?
Unless someone became a true swordmaster, they'd always be one step behind.
Fine, I'll say it outright, he thought, smirking. I've got a cheat code — the Sharingan.
---
In the first advancement round, the Uchiha once again dominated.
Six members advanced as group champions, while the remaining four entered the Losers' Bracket.
There, it seemed as if every other contestant had conspired to challenge the Uchihas. Each of the four fought multiple grueling matches, their tactics gradually exposed the longer they battled.
Even so, one more Uchiha made it through to the next round — and the others, though eliminated, earned the crowd's admiration.
The spectators' impressions were unanimous:
The Uchiha are truly incredible.
No wonder their patrols are so fierce — they have the power to back it up. If these are just the young ones, how terrifying must their veterans be? No doubt they truly once rivaled the Senju Clan.
***************************
Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
P@treon/GodDragcell