Just as Tekka prepared to make his move, Kiyohara sharply curled the fingers of his right hand—the same hand that had thrown the shuriken.
The near-invisible copper wires connecting the three shuriken snapped taut in midair.
Under Kiyohara's control, the electrified blades began to converge, tightening their arc around Uchiha Tekka like a trap set to crush him.
"Damn it!"
Tekka's brow furrowed deeply. His Sharingan had seen the trajectory shift clearly—but his body couldn't keep up with the sudden change in motion.
He managed to dodge two of the shuriken, but the third—wreathed in searing lightning—grazed the outside of his arm.
SZZZT!
A burst of electricity surged through his upper body.
Burning heat and numbing pain shot through his arm, locking up half of his body on the spot.
Kiyohara used the lingering momentum from his earlier leap to close the distance. He dashed forward and brought his black kunai to Tekka's throat.
"I yield…"
Tekka forced out the words as his chakra finally dispersed the paralysis—but it was too late.
Even a split second of delay was enough to determine victory or defeat.
As a proud member of the Uchiha, he said no more. His clenched jaw and flushed face showed his frustration.
But a loss was a loss.
To make excuses or throw out threats—that was something only the weak did.
Kiyohara saw the complex expression on Tekka's face and quietly withdrew his kunai.
"Just a stroke of luck," he said with a calm smile.
He wasn't trying to steal someone's famous catchphrase—he really meant it.
Without Rogue Kiyohara's help, he doubted he could've won so cleanly—or even won at all.
But as it turned out…
My urn beat your Sharingan!
The proctor was stunned for a moment, then raised his voice:
"Winner: Kiyohara!"
Up in the audience, Hyūga Tetsu, who had been using his Byakugan to observe, frowned slightly.
Ordinarily, the Sharingan could see chakra flow.
But the Byakugan could see both chakra flow and the underlying muscles, even internal organs.
From his vantage point, he could see clearly: the leap Kiyohara had made earlier defied the physical limits of a Genin's muscle structure.
"A secret technique?" he wondered.
He could only assume that Kiyohara had used some sort of technique in advance—something that activated just in time for his battle against Tekka.
After all, in this vast ninja world, strange jutsu and bloodline limits were everywhere.
At the edge of the ring, the proctor stared at Kiyohara for a long moment before glancing down at his clipboard. When he found Kiyohara's name, he firmly wrote the words "EXCELLENT" beside it.
There was no mistaking the appreciation in his eyes.
"Namikaze Minato sure has a sharp eye… this kid's fundamentals are solid, and his combat adaptability is outstanding. He's more than qualified for direct promotion."
Kiyohara took a few steadying breaths before walking off the field. He approached the proctor and asked respectfully:
"Sir, when will the next match begin?"
The proctor looked at the young face before him, and a rare smile tugged at his lips. He tapped the board in his hand.
"No need for another match. Your performance against Uchiha Tekka was more than enough—your technique, tactics, and adaptability all surpassed the Genin standard. Based on my evaluation, you've passed. Once all matches are finished, those promoted will receive the official Chūnin vest."
Direct promotion!
Kiyohara blinked in surprise, then grinned in relief.
That saved him the trouble of more fights. He could rest.
"You hear that?" he said internally, directing his thoughts to the only one who could sense them.
"Looks like I'm just about ready to fulfill your second wish."
"I heard." Rogue Kiyohara floated quietly beside him, his voice as ghostly as ever.
Kiyohara could sense the older version of himself looking not just at him, but at the proctor… then back again.
"A Chūnin... a legitimate one… heh. Maybe your future won't end up like mine—hunted like a stray dog."
There was a strange softness in Rogue Kiyohara's voice. Faint amusement, maybe even envy.
"Once you officially receive your rank, I'll disappear. You'll inherit part of my strength… but the path forward is still yours to walk."
Kiyohara fell silent.
That… might have been the true meaning of a will.
He said nothing more and walked toward the spectator area.
There, Kurenai was already waiting for him with a full bag of snacks.
The moment she saw him, she rushed up with wide eyes:
"That was amazing, Kiyohara! You scared me half to death when he activated the Sharingan—I thought you were finished!"
"Barely scraped through," Kiyohara replied with a small grin.
His bloodline might not have been as flashy—but it ran deeper than Tekka's today.
He took the dango skewer she handed him and took a bite.
The soft, sweet dumplings melted in his mouth, taking the edge off his post-battle fatigue.
"What was that jutsu you used earlier? I don't remember seeing it back in the Grass Country."
"Ah, that one? I came up with it myself—'Lightning Style: Shuriken Thunder Flow.' It's a mix of chakra infusion and wire-manipulated projectiles. Wouldn't have pulled it off without Kakashi's lightning-style notes, though."
He explained casually.
"Kakashi, huh…" Kurenai nodded, only half understanding. Lightning Style wasn't her specialty.
But regardless of the jutsu, Kiyohara getting stronger meant one thing: their squad had a better chance of surviving this war.
"Anyway, I'm really glad you're getting stronger!"
As Kiyohara munched on his snacks, his eyes drifted back toward the ring where more matches were still underway.
'The one-tomoe Sharingan is strong... but it's the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Uchiha power.'
He thought silently.
There was still the second tomoe, the third…
And beyond that, the fabled Mangekyō Sharingan.
Greater dojutsu. Stronger enemies. Unimaginable threats.
He still had a long way to go.
'I wonder what I'll inherit after fusing with Rogue Kiyohara...'
After all, Rogue Kiyohara had only fused with one future. The second wish hadn't even been fulfilled yet when he died.
Kiyohara hoped he'd inherit more chakra, at the very least.
Because his own chakra reserve… was pitifully small.