The audience was bewildered; they had no idea what had just happened. When Scorching Fla unleashed his powerful sword light, they were certain Gekkō Hoshiyomi (Kenshin) was done for. But then, after that blazing arc, a "V" shape flashed across the sky, and Scorching Fla was sent flying, spitting blood.
The spectators were confused, but that didn't stop Hoshiyomi from gaining a flood of admiration. Many female spectators, watching him escape death and defeat his opponent in one move, burst into wild cheers and screams.
Even the baffled male spectators joined in the applause. Who cared about the details? He was cool—and that was all that mattered.
The confusion wasn't limited to the crowd. Many contestants were also stunned. One instinctively turned to the samurai who had called out earlier:
"Brother, how did you know that Kenshin was in the air? How did he manage to dodge that strike with a leap?"
Soone nearby added:
"Yeah, I've heard my master talk about Scorching Fla before. He said the man's strength is at least top-eight level. That sword slash just now—if I were in the ring, I'd already be on the ground."
The samurai who had given the earlier warning had snow-white hair, a small beard on his chin, and wore traditional samurai armor—a picture-perfect warrior. He gave a quiet chuckle and replied:
"Kenshin saw through Scorching Fla's movents when he went to draw his blade. Scorching Fla tried to use the fla pillars to obscure vision—but that worked both ways. Kenshin leapt just before the strike. He used his sword as a pivot, launching himself upward, and grabbed it mid-jump. That kind of body control is no small feat. As for the technique that followed, I believe you all saw it clearly."
As the explanation sank in, the gathered contestants began to understand. The first one who asked gave a respectful bow.
"Your insight alone shows your swordsmanship is beyond mine. May I ask your na, brother?"
The samurai gave a faint smile and said:
"You're too kind. I am called Mifune."
A nearby contestant was startled. "Wait—you're Mifune-sama? The top genius of the General's Residence? The one hailed as the future of the Land of Iron? Forgive —I didn't recognize you!"
Despite the praise, Mifune showed no pride. He kept the sa calm, humble smile:
"How could a man of humble standing bear such a title? I am not worthy. If anyone deserves to be called the best, it would be that swordsman Kenshin in the arena. His talent surpasses mine. I greatly look forward to crossing blades with him one day."
Hoshiyomi was unaware of Mifune's assessnt. After hearing the result announced, he simply returned to the waiting area.
He absentmindedly petted Lobo's large head, wondering why the atmosphere around the other contestants suddenly felt so much warr.
He didn't put on airs—anyone who greeted him received a respectful nod—but he turned down all invitations, focusing instead on watching the duels in the arena.
Everyone who had reached the top 50 was a kenjutsu prodigy. While Hoshiyomi couldn't fight them all, observing their matches taught him a great deal. He quietly picked up many techniques just by watching.
In fact, so sword forms revealed their chanics to him after a single glance. He jotted these insights down on paper, waiting until his chakra recovered to test them out—much like Hatake Kakashi's fad "Copy Ninja" style.
After all, using techniques not granted by the system could yield significant growth. The moves he secretly picked up today might be worth dozens, even hundreds of experience points in the future.
Just as Hoshiyomi was silently learning, a familiar na rang out:
"Mifune versus Itada Taiga!"
Imdiately, Hoshiyomi's focus sharpened, and he turned to the stage. One look and he knew—there was no mistake.
Silver-gray hair down to the waist, samurai armor, a neat goatee—this wasn't just soone with the sa na. This was the Mifune from the original Naruto series—the one true swordmaster and the future leader of the Land of Iron.
In the ani, Mifune once sliced through a candle wick so cleanly that the fla kept burning on the blade's edge. Hoshiyomi still couldn't co close to that. He figured that must be the level of a true master swordsman.
As Mifune stepped onto the platform, Hoshiyomi quickly put away his notebook and focused fully.
He wanted to assess Mifune's current strength. In Hoshiyomi's plans, Mifune was a likely candidate to help him break past his current limits and reach master-level swordsmanship. He needed to observe carefully.
What he envied most was Mifune's Shunpo-like movent (Instant Step)—a high-speed technique similar to the Body Flicker Technique, but more refined, more effective. It was clearly superior to standard movent techniques. If Hoshiyomi could grasp even a fraction of its secret, his combat ability would rise another level.
But then, his brow furrowed.
The match ended too fast.
After just a few words exchanged, Mifune moved. In a flash, he closed the distance and struck with a single Iaijutsu slash—ending it instantly.
Mifune was an outlier among Iaijutsu practitioners. Normal samurai's Iaijutsu emphasized patience—waiting for an opponent to act, then striking when they revealed an opening. Calm in the beginning, decisive at the end.
But Mifune wasn't like that. He didn't care whether the opponent moved or not. He simply used his speed to get in close and struck before they could respond. If you couldn't guard in ti—then every part of your body was an opening.
That's exactly how Itada Taiga lost. He didn't even register Mifune's charge. By the ti Mifune reached him, it was too late to draw his sword.
No matter how skilled he was, he couldn't use a single technique in front of Mifune. That was also why Mifune could claim that ninjutsu was ineffective against him—because he struck before a shinobi could even weave their signs.
Looking at Mifune standing calmly with his sword sheathed, Hoshiyomi felt a surge of anticipation. He wanted to know—if the two of them fought, what would the outco be?
Given Mifune's future status as the leader of the Land of Iron, he was probably the strongest contender in this tournant. To face him, Hoshiyomi would have to make it all the way to the finals.
Elimination Matches
Top 25 → Top 16:
This round held little suspense. Hoshiyomi's opponent was even less impressive than Scorching Fla. Though his overall strength had just reached the jōnin threshold, he had no distinctive skills or finishing moves. Hoshiyomi dispatched him without much trouble.
Top 16 → Top 8:
His opponent specialized in underground surprise attacks. Troubleso—but after a series of exchanges, Hoshiyomi's sharpened hearing and battle-honed blade instincts allowed him to seize victory.
Top 8 → Top 4 (Quarterfinals):
This ti, Hoshiyomi faced the burly swordsman with the oversized nodachi. He'd expected a tough battle, but the man had sustained minor injuries in the previous match, affecting his attack speed. Though his strikes remained powerful, Hoshiyomi avoided direct clashes, opting for hit-and-run tactics to slowly wear him down.
In the final exchange, Hoshiyomi dodged his opponent's strongest blow, perford a Sekiro-style sword stomp, leapt upward, stomped down from above, and finished with Crescent Moon Slash – Second Form, securing his place in the semifinals.
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