"What's going on!" Ueda Shou looked shocked, watching as he stabbed the blade into his own abdomen.
The other contestants were also surprised, not understanding why Ueda Shou suddenly started self-harming.
"Sunagani wins!" To prevent any incidents, the referee immediately declared the battle over.
The moment the referee shouted, Ueda Shou realized he regained control of his body, quickly pulling out the knife and covering the wound.
"Chakra lines, could it be a Puppet Master?" In the Transparent World state, Kakashi observed a few fine lines connecting to Ueda Shou's body after he fell.
The ninja considered best at manipulating chakra lines is undoubtedly the Puppet Master from Hidden Sand.
A powerful Puppet Master can control multiple puppets to attack, making it difficult for opponents to defend.
Kakashi was somewhat unsure because this ninja, named Sunagani, wasn't wearing the Hidden Sand forehead protector.
The Martial Arts Tournament is very popular, with many Ninja Villages participating. Winning in the tournament benefits the village, potentially attracting commissions, so it's strange these village ninjas aren't wearing their forehead protectors.
"I'll have to watch the second round of battles again." Kakashi thought.
Given the current trend, if he dispatches his enemies a bit faster, he should reach the sixth zone before Sunagani's battle starts.
Then Kakashi proceeded to the seventh zone.
This was unexpected, as what he saw gave Kakashi a real shock.
"What terrifying chakra." When Kakashi observed Nagato's chakra through the Transparent World, he was startled.
Nagato's chakra wasn't just about quantity; apart from Jinchuriki, Kakashi had never seen such a strong chakra in a ninja.
Kakashi felt he should use a different adjective; among the ninjas he sensed, none had chakra as monstrous as Nagato's.
Because Konoha has so many strong individuals and Kakashi wasn't a voyeur, he didn't use Transparent World on everyone he met.
"It's that Akatsuki member." Looking at Nagato, Kakashi slowly recalled some memories.
Kakashi had a deep impression of Akatsuki because from Naruto's words, Akatsuki was a terrifying organization that seized Tailed Beasts. Yet, after investigating in the Land of Rain, they found Akatsuki wasn't so terrifying now and even seemed quite positive.
"Number nineteen Nagato versus number twenty Kurozawa."
Kakashi looked seriously at the battlefield. Kurozawa was an opponent he encountered during the Chunin Examination; although not comparable to Hoshigaki Kisame or Terumi Mei, he was still decent.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
As soon as Kurozawa entered, he quickly retreated, then spewed a thick mist covering the entire battlefield.
"Wind Release: Pressure!"
Nagato formed a hand seal with a calm expression and released a high-pressure wind sphere.
Whoosh!!
The moment the wind sphere touched the ground, it turned into a massive storm, swiftly dispersing the mist Kurozawa had released.
However, the power of Pressure did not stop there.
Powerful, high-pressure winds wreaked havoc on the field, shattering the ground. Kurozawa, not expecting Nagato's jutsu to be so terrifying, was instantly affected by the high-pressure winds, spewing blood and sent flying.
Kakashi: ...
During the Chunin Examination, they fought pretty fiercely, so how come now they're so weak, defeated in just one move.
"The ninjutsu is strong. However, if it's only at this level, it's manageable." Kakashi reasoned in his mind.
Compared to Nagato's exaggerated chakra, Nagato's ninjutsu level didn't particularly impress Kakashi.
Obito and Shisui's Fire Release, Kakashi's own Lightning Release, they could perform at this level, even stronger in the Breathing Technique chakra state.
"I'll have to watch again in the second round." Kakashi decided to stay in the sixth and seventh zones besides his own area today to study Nagato and Sunagani.
Sunagani has shown too little so far to say much, but Nagato, with just chakra and Wind Release, is definitely not to be underestimated.
PS: A bit stuck with the writing, it's 6k today, but at least the plot has moved on.
Additionally, asking for the monthly votes, double monthly votes have started.