First up was the preliminary round for the contestants in the first group.
The participants headed to the Forest of Death, while the audience watched on the large screens in the main arena.
The Forest of Death had long been rigged with numerous cameras, many of which were tied to the legs of birds for mobile filming.
Four hours wasn't a particularly long or short amount of time, but finding two specific number plates in the vast Forest of Death was a considerably difficult task.
Surprisingly, the junior group, which went first, met with disaster. Only two contestants managed to successfully obtain three consecutive number plates.
This prompted the Five Kage to lower the difficulty, requiring only two consecutive numbers.
This also meant that, with a bit of luck, one could advance after defeating just a single person.
Nawaki, who had openly displayed his number plate, immediately felt two malicious gazes lock onto him. He wasn't flustered at all; in fact, he said with some pride, "Fugaku, Minato, it looks like I'll be advancing faster than you two."
"That's not a given," Fugaku's red eyes had already locked onto a person who met his requirements.
"When it comes to speed, I'm not afraid of anyone," Minato said with a smile, holding up a kunai marked with a special formula.
A short while later, under the guidance of Konoha staff, they were led to different entrances to await the start of the match.
Once everyone was ready, the competition finally began.
They all sprang into action, disappearing into the Forest of Death.
'Everyone's been separated. Will those two be able to find me?'
Nawaki hopped through the trees, cheering on his opponents. "Good luck, you guys!"
Because he hadn't put his number plate away, everyone he encountered along the way tacitly avoided him, keeping their distance.
However, there were also those with other motives, and Nawaki happened to run into one.
"Heh heh heh, so you're the Red Beast who made a name for himself in the last war," a portly man with orange hair tied in a topknot blocked Nawaki's path.
"That's right, I'm Nawaki. Is your number plate consecutive with mine?" Nawaki said, pointing to the plate on his chest.
"I've never cared about competitions. I'm lucky enough to have run into you. How could I possibly let you escape, Nine-Tails jinchuriki?"
"Oh, so you came specifically for me." Nawaki's face grew serious. "Who are you?"
"I am Fuguki Suikazan of the Mist Village, wielder of the greatsword Samehada!" Fuguki Suikazan gripped the Samehada, which was strapped to his back, and unwrapped the bandages binding it.
"You're Fuguki Suikazan of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?" Nawaki frowned, eyeing the large, deep blue sword covered in barbs.
During the war between Konoha and the Mist, seven Mist-nin wielding seven unique ninja swords had shone brightly, earning them the title of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Nawaki had heard the intelligence reports about them.
'The greatsword Samehada... I heard it can absorb chakra. A perfect counter to my Nine-Tails Chakra Mode? No wonder he's so confident. A pity for him, I have more than just the Nine-Tails' chakra.'
Fuguki Suikazan saw the grave expression on Nawaki's face and laughed loudly. "It seems you've heard of my name. Then accept your fate and die under my greatsword!"
As soon as his voice fell, he charged towards Nawaki like a meteor, raised Samehada, and slammed it down.
Boom!
The ground instantly shattered, and several nearby trees collapsed from the impact, but Nawaki had already agilely dodged.
"Tch, you're pretty fast. Then try this!"
Fuguki Suikazan set Samehada down, clapped his hands together, and his long hair immediately hardened and straightened like porcupine quills, shooting hundreds of thousands of strands at Nawaki.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
"Huh? Isn't that the exact same move as that Jiraiya guy's?" Nawaki's tone was filled with disrespect for the old pervert who was always lusting after his sister.
As he spoke, his reaction speed was not slow. His entire body immediately lit up with red chakra, his speed increasing manifold, and he easily dodged the hair attack.
"So this is the Nine-Tails' chakra?" Fuguki Suikazan sensed that because of this power, Samehada was already trembling slightly, as if it wanted to actively hunt down this delicious meal.
"Don't be in such a hurry. I'll make sure you eat your fill."
He grabbed Samehada and rushed towards Nawaki, simultaneously controlling his hair to lengthen and stab at him.
Faced with Fuguki Suikazan's offensive, Nawaki appeared to be at ease. After dodging for a while, he had more or less figured out his opponent's moves.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Nawaki laughed, suddenly summoning several shadow clones that scattered in all directions, momentarily confusing Fuguki Suikazan as to which was the real one. He could only follow his intuition and chase after one of them.
"Damn it, don't think you can run!"
After a great deal of effort, he finally struck Nawaki, only for him to dissolve into a puff of smoke.
It was just a shadow clone.
"This kid is too good at running!" Fuguki Suikazan's body was heavy; he was not a speed-type ninja to begin with, and he was being toyed with by the agile Nawaki.
"Forget it, I'll let you off the hook." He decided to give up.
He wanted to give up, but Nawaki had no intention of letting him leave so easily.
Just as Fuguki Suikazan was about to leave, Nawaki appeared and blocked his path.
"You think you can just run away after provoking me? There's no such thing as a free lunch."
The reappeared Nawaki was no longer covered in the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Fuguki Suikazan quickly noticed the circle of red eyeshadow that had appeared around Nawaki's eyes.
"What the hell, did you go and put on makeup?"
"Idiot, this is Sage Mode. Let me show you the power of a Sage!"
Nawaki's hands moved quickly, forming the hand seals in a second. Sage chakra gathered in his throat and then spewed out, transforming into a storm outside his mouth.
"Sage Art: Wind Style Great Storm!"
In an instant, a violent wind howled, and countless wind blades spun with the gale, slashing down like sharp blades, slicing the leaves, trees, and earth in their path into fragments.
Fuguki Suikazan's pupils contracted. He quickly brought Samehada up to block in front of him, and his thick hair also formed into armor covering his body.
The next second, the storm engulfed him. His once-indestructible hair was cut down like weeds in the blink of an eye.
His obese body was lifted into the air by the hurricane, spinning around several times before falling to the ground.
After the storm subsided, Nawaki walked over to Fuguki Suikazan's side. Looking at his bald head, he almost burst out laughing. "Mmm, you actually look pretty handsome like this."
Then, his gaze fell on Samehada lying nearby. He mused, "This greatsword is quite sturdy. It took my Sage Art head-on and is still intact. I might as well take it. If I can't use it, I can hand it over to the village."
Nawaki picked up Samehada, slung it over his shoulder, and strode away.