"However, if I deem the outcome decided... cough... to prevent unnecessary deaths, I will intervene and stop you. What controls your fate next is that electronic display board. It will randomly display the names of the two combatants for each match."
"Now, we will immediately reveal the two contestants for the first match!"
As his words fell, Sasuke and Akado Yoroi's names appeared on the board.
'So soon.' Sasuke smiled slightly at the sight, then winced as the Cursed Seal sent a fresh wave of pain.
Yoroi, seeing it was Sasuke, whom Orochimaru was keenly interested in, smirked beneath his mask, unseen by others.
"Then, please have the two named contestants step forward. The first match: Akado Yoroi vs Uchiha Sasuke. Any objections?" Hayate looked at both.
"None," Both replied simultaneously.
Noticing this, Orochimaru showed a faint smile, eagerly anticipating Sasuke using the Cursed Seal.
Unlike Yoroi, most present cheered for Sasuke.
"Then, the first match will now commence. Cough... Aside from the two combatants, please move upstairs," Hayate instructed seriously.
Takeru's group naturally complied, moving up the stairs to the second-floor observation area to watch.
"Sasuke, don't use the Sharingan," Kakashi whispered as he passed Sasuke after everyone else left.
"You know," Sasuke said, startled, then smiled in realization.
"That Cursed Seal on your neck, if it runs wild, you'll die," Kakashi warned.
"I figured," Sasuke nodded in understanding.
After the brief warning, Kakashi calmly left for the observation floor.
Sasuke now understood: The Cursed Seal reacted to his Chakra. If he carelessly gathered Chakra, it would overwhelm his mind and drain all his Chakra.
So, not just the Sharingan, but even ordinary Ninjutsu was risky.
"Then, please begin." Seeing both seemed ready, Hayate announced.
"Let's begin!" Yoroi immediately formed a hand seal, gathering chakra in his hand.
Sasuke drew a kunai from his pouch.
As the match started, Yoroi threw four shuriken at Sasuke. Sasuke deflected them with his kunai.
However, habitually using Chakra triggered the Cursed Seal's reaction, causing intense pain. Coupled with the force of his swing, he lost balance and fell.
Seizing the opportunity, Yoroi dodged the deflected shuriken and charged at Sasuke, throwing a Chakra-infused punch.
At the last moment, Sasuke rolled away, avoiding the punch. He then stabbed his kunai into the ground to halt his momentum.
Using the kunai for leverage, he kicked Yoroi's legs, causing him to fall too. Sasuke quickly attempted to pin him with his legs and arms.
Unfazed, Yoroi placed his palm on Sasuke. As Chakra surged, Sasuke felt his strength draining.
Yoroi easily broke free from Sasuke's grip, raised his fist, and delivered a heavy blow to the defenseless Sasuke's abdomen.
"Argh!" Sasuke cried out, clutching his stomach in pain.
After the punch, Yoroi jumped back, calmly observing Sasuke.
'What's happening? My body suddenly has no strength...' Sasuke couldn't comprehend the change.
Before he could think further, Yoroi attacked again. This time, he charged, pressing Sasuke's head with his Chakra-infused hand, slamming it into the ground.
As Chakra continued to flow, Sasuke's struggles weakened. Watching from above, Kakashi's eye widened.
"You... you're taking my Chakra..." Sasuke realized in shock as his Chakra rapidly drained.
"Only realizing it now?" Yoroi sneered.
Yoroi possessed a special ability: Chakra Absorption Technique. By touching an opponent, he could drain their Spiritual and Physical Energy.
To Takeru, it resembled a weaker version of the Preta Path's ability.
Above, Orochimaru watched intently, hoping Sasuke would use the Cursed Seal's power, believing it was Sasuke's only chance to win.
"You... bastard!" Despite the drain, Sasuke mustered enough strength to kick Yoroi away, creating a brief respite.
'You still have strength left? Just an experiment subject...' Yoroi thought bitterly. As one of Orochimaru's earliest followers, being surpassed by others, especially Kabuto, irked him greatly.
Annoyed, Yoroi gathered Chakra in his hand again and charged at Sasuke, who was swaying as he stood.
Despite his exhausted state, Sasuke miraculously dodged all of Yoroi's grasping attempts, making Takeru somewhat speechless.
Yoroi's performance was lackluster. Perhaps he focused solely on his absorption technique, as his Taijutsu was abysmal.
Even Ritsu beside Takeru felt she could easily handle such an opponent, gaining confidence for her own match.
"Sasuke! Is this how the great Uzumaki Naruto's rival fights?" Naruto shouted from above, unaware.
Since Naruto was unconscious when Orochimaru placed the seal, he didn't know Sasuke was enduring immense pain and couldn't use Chakra freely. Otherwise, Sasuke could easily defeat someone like Yoroi.
Hearing Naruto, Sasuke instinctively glanced back and saw Lee beside Naruto. An idea sparked.
"You still have time to look around?!" Enraged by Sasuke's inattention, Yoroi charged again with gathered Chakra.
Despite the pain, Sasuke focused intensely, dodging Yoroi's attacks. Finally, when least expected, Sasuke counterattacked.
Exploiting an opening in Yoroi's movements, Sasuke seemed to vanish from his sight.
It wasn't true vanishing, as Sasuke used a visual trick and speed. Those watching from above, like Takeru, saw it clearly.
Sasuke used a Taijutsu move copied from Lee… Shadow of the Dancing Leaf. A low kick launched Yoroi into the air. Sasuke then appeared behind him mid-air.
However, the Cursed Seal nearly disrupted the follow-up. But in the end, Sasuke overcame it, suppressing the seal's flare-up with sheer will.
"It begins," Sasuke said softly to Yoroi, having suppressed the seal under the stunned gazes of Anko, Kakashi, and Orochimaru.
He then flipped Yoroi, using the momentum to spin himself. He delivered a heavy kick, blocked by Yoroi.
As Yoroi smirked, Sasuke's second strike came swiftly… a powerful punch to his head after another flip.
As both descended, Sasuke delivered the final blow: a spinning kick, combining his momentum with gravity, slamming Yoroi violently into the ground.
This was Sasuke's modified version of Lee's Shadow of the Dancing Leaf: Lion Combo. Under the impact, Yoroi lost consciousness completely...
"I am stopping this match. Then... the winner of the first round is Uchiha Sasuke. He passes the preliminary!" After checking Yoroi, Hayate quickly announced the result.