Just as Uchiha Tatsumi and Mikoto were chatting leisurely in the classroom, the third match between the fifth grade and the graduating class had already begun on the stage.
Yes, it was the third match.
The second match had ended with Hyuga Nissara's forfeiture, meaning the two remaining students from the fifth grade were engaged in a wheel fight.
The last student from the graduating class, even if he could beat one of them, couldn't hold his ground when facing both. Ultimately, the match ended in defeat for him.
The fifth grade won, but it was a pyrrhic victory, as one of their members was more injured than Hyuga Himeji.
Hyuga Himeji remained with Tsunade in the back, alongside her brother, Hyuga Nizu.
As for the young patriarch, Hyuga Nizu... well, who cared about him?
The students had no sympathy for him after what he did to his sister.
"You shouldn't have done that, Nizu!"
"Disgraceful! What a cowardly move!"
"Unforgivable! I'll make sure he doesn't have a girlfriend before graduation!"
"Yeah! No one should go near him!"
"..."
Though Hyuga Nizu's injuries were serious, they were still acceptable.
The situation now seemed clear. From here on out, the only remaining contenders were Uchiha Tatsumi's team from the second grade, the Oil Girl team from the third grade, and Hyuga Himeji's team from the fifth grade.
Though Tsunade's medical ninjutsu was impressive, two of the Oil Girl team were seriously injured. Tsunade herself was left alone to tend to them.
On the other hand, Hyuga Himeji's team was down to just her and one teammate who could still fight.
"So, to determine the top three, you'll need to pick three from the six of you," announced Rope Tree, who had suddenly appeared again, looking like a smug intelligence broker about to make a deal with Uchiha Tatsumi.
"Your opponents will be the third grade Yuzushi, and from the fifth grade, Hyuga Himeji and Shimura Palace," Rope Tree continued, giving a quick analysis.
"Himeji should be seriously injured, right?" Uchiha Tatsumi raised an eyebrow. "Is your sister really that good at medicine?"
"Of course, you don't look at whose sister she is. Her medical skills are top-notch," Rope Tree bragged.
"Her injuries aren't too bad. The main issue is that her acupuncture points were sealed by the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. It's simple to undo that," Rope Tree explained.
So, despite how badly Hyuga Nizu had hurt her, it seemed like he had secretly let her off the hook. He really does care about her, Uchiha Tatsumi thought.
At this moment, Rope Tree added with a grin, "By the way, my sister asked me to tell you: if you make it into the top three, you'd better choose her as your advisor. Otherwise, she'll break your legs."
Uchiha Tatsumi winced.
"Why? If she's a Konoha Shinobi, can she just do whatever she wants with me?"
I don't want to be her student, Uchiha Tatsumi thought, remembering Tsunade's terrifying methods.
Rope Tree continued, looking pleased, "My sister said she's going to train you. She's really looking forward to it."
"Wait, what do you mean by 'train'?" Uchiha Tatsumi was immediately suspicious, his skin crawling at the idea.
"Uh..." Rope Tree hesitated. "She meant 'teach.'"
"Teach? At least use words like 'educate' or 'guide'," Uchiha Tatsumi said, his unease growing.
Suddenly, Uchiha Tatsumi had a thought. Why did a six-year-old know that particular word?
A spark of realization flickered in his mind. "Rope Tree, how do you know the word 'train'?"
"...Uh, I saw it in Jiraiya's comic book," Rope Tree said, looking a bit sheepish.
"What comic book?"
"He said it was about life and ethics. Don't tell my sister."
"Jiraiya hasn't changed at all. For some kinds of knowledge, maybe even Hokage-sama, known as the Doctor of Ninjutsu, is far behind," Uchiha Tatsumi sighed.
At that moment, Jiraiya, lying in a hospital bed, sneezed dramatically, pulling his wound open, much to the nurse's dismay.
"Ah, it hurts so much," he muttered, wincing.
"..."
"By the way, Rope Tree, why did your sister pick me as her student?" Uchiha Tatsumi was flustered now, considering how dire the situation with Jiraiya had been.
Rope Tree leaned in close, making sure Tsunade wasn't nearby, and whispered, "Here's the thing. I risked my life to find this out. It's worth at least a meal of ramen."
Uchiha Tatsumi sighed and agreed, figuring the cost was worth it if it meant getting the full scoop.
"According to witnesses," Rope Tree began, "before being beaten up, Brother Jiraiya said that you told him to do it this way. He said by doing so, you could get closer to my sister."
"And he also said it's possible you used a Genjutsu on him. He claimed he was forced."
"So, if you don't choose her or don't make the top three, things might get ugly," Rope Tree said, his tone nonchalant.
Uchiha Tatsumi swallowed hard. "Okay, so if I choose her..."
"At best, you'll just break a few bones like Brother Jiraiya," Rope Tree smiled wickedly.
"Boom!" Uchiha Tatsumi collapsed, breaking into a cold sweat. Mikoto hurried to help him up.
Meanwhile, Oshemaru had already taken his place at the center of the ring.
And Konoha's princess, Tsunade, was in the back, likely resting... and possibly planning how to train Uchiha Tatsumi. Or maybe calculating how much money she still had for another round of dice.
"Now that the top six are decided, they are Uchiha Tatsumi from the second grade, Mikoto Uchiha, Mizumon Nami, the third grade Yuzushi, the fifth grade Hyuga Himeji, and Shimura Palace. Next, we'll determine the specific ranking in the next round."
Oshemaru made a hand seal, and once again, a number box appeared beside him.
"The rules remain the same as before. Those who draw the same number will face each other."
"The three winners will receive private guidance from me, Jiraiya, and Tsunade. This is an invaluable opportunity."
"Also, after graduation, there's a high chance they'll be assigned to elite Shinobi positions."
The words sounded enticing, but everyone knew that behind them lay the influence of Konoha's famous clans. What most were truly after was the guidance of the three legendary Naruto disciples... and the connections that came with them.