Naruto: Red Lightning

Then the head jonin stepped forward. "Now, you are going to spar with each other. There are forty of you, so after the first round, there will be twenty left, after the second, ten, and after the third, five. When only five remain, we'll host a free-for-all. Five matches will be held at a time. Each match ends when one fighter is knocked out, forfeits, is pushed out of the designated circle, or we decide they can't continue. If you use lethal or paralyzing moves, you'll be disqualified. Are we clear?"

Everyone shouted, "Yes, sensei!" and the matches began. My first fight was against another kid with good endurance. Most likely, we were paired based on our physical stats. My opponent was a year older than me, but we were the same height—dark skin, white hair, black eyes. I sensed his chakra and wasn't shocked. His reserves were above average compared to the others but tiny compared to mine.

(Inner thoughts: What should I do? Drag the match out to show I understand the technique, or end it as quickly as possible? Hmm. For this match, I'll go all out and adjust based on the proctors' reactions in the next one.)

As soon as the match started, I sprinted toward him at full speed and kicked toward his chest. He crossed his arms and blocked, but the force was immense, and he was thrown back. He flipped in the air and caught himself before leaving the circle. He tried to stand, but before he could, I kicked him again, knocking him out of the circle and the contest. The jonin said, "Good job, kid. Now wait until your turn comes up again."

Thirty minutes later, my name was called again. I took my spot, facing my opponent. He was the most average person ever—medium height, dark skin, black hair, brown eyes. But he had won his first fight, so I took him a little more seriously. The match started, and we both rushed toward each other. He punched forward; I caught his hand, pulled him toward me, and punched him in the jaw. He was thrown back, fell to the ground, and when a jonin checked on him, he was knocked out. I climbed a tree and waited for the next round.

Fifteen minutes later, I was called again. My opponent was a short kid—white, blond hair, blue eyes. *(He's small, but he made it to round three, so he must be either fast or unusually strong.)* The match started, and he rushed toward me. As I suspected, he was really fast—but I was faster. This time, I waited, and the moment he lunged at me, I fell back and tried to kick him out of the circle. I was sure he'd be eliminated, but at the last moment, he grabbed the ground and caught himself using chakra control. He flipped back and assumed a fighting stance. I did the same, and we began exchanging blows.

He went for a body shot. I could have dodged, but I chose a different approach. With my right leg, I kicked his hand upward, then turned around, planted my right foot hard, and heel-kicked him in the stomach with my left leg. He was thrown back, landing on his knees and sliding backward. He started coughing up blood violently before fainting. A medical ninja rushed to heal him, and I was left to wait for the next round.

This time, the wait wasn't as long. The head jonin called all the winners from round three and spoke. "This is a free-for-all between you five. All the previous rules apply. Just fight." Without further delay, we began. I targeted the kid with the least chakra, assuming he was the weakest. (Every chain is only as strong as its weakest link, after all.) I punched him, but before I could capitalize on my advantage, I was kicked from the side and thrown to the ground. A third kid, seeing me attack the other, tried a surprise attack.

(So that's how you want to play it.) I got up, lunged at him, knocked him down, and elbowed him in the head, knocking him out. I immediately turned to my original target, who was just regaining his footing. I swept his legs, throwing him to the ground. As I raised my foot to stomp on his chest, he yelled, "I surrender!" and was quickly pulled away by an instructor.

A jonin shouted, "Only three fighters left in the arena!" I turned and saw the final two kids rushing me. I grabbed the first by the arms, spun him around, and used his momentum to slam him into the other kid. Then, I threw him against a tree, knocking him out. The second kid attempted a flying kick. I dodged to the right, and as he flew past, I grabbed his neck and slammed him into the ground. I then lifted him and threw him out of the circle.

The head jonin announced, "AND THE WINNER IS—" He whispered, "What's your name, kid?"

I replied, "Roan."

He yelled, "ROAN!" and some of the kids cheered. .