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The outcome of this battle exceeded many people's expectations.
Igawa, Kurosuki Raiga, and even Suikazan were all stunned. While Mangetsu wasn't as "ignorant" as them, he was still surprised.
He had considered the possibility of Midorima winning, but entertaining the thought didn't mean he truly believed it would happen.
The audience erupted in an uproar—some refused to believe what had just unfolded before their eyes, while others insisted that Ringo Ameyuri would still get back up.
Kisame turned away. He could tell that the fallen Ameyuri no longer had any chance of victory. At the same time, Midorima's performance in this match had made him wary of the young shinobi.
From the very first aggressive strike, Midorima had sought to seize the initiative. Ameyuri had noticed his intentions and launched a relentless counterattack, a storm of blows aimed at overturning the momentum of the match—and for a time, she succeeded.
But in the final exchange, she was just one move short, allowing Midorima to deliver the finishing blow.
At the very least, this match proved that Midorima was on the same level as Ringo Ameyuri.
Zabuza clicked his tongue in frustration and stood up reluctantly.
Mei Terumī was equally shocked by the result, but while she was happy, she also felt a pang of heartache.
Midorima would likely need at least a week to recover, but the next match wouldn't be postponed for his sake. She could only hope he would heal quickly.
The referee stepped onto the stage to examine Ameyuri's injuries. She tried several times to get up but failed each time due to the pain. Medical-nin carried a stretcher over and, after a brief examination, delivered their verdict.
"Three ribs are broken—possibly more. She needs immediate treatment. If they puncture her organs, it could be life-threatening."
After some persuasion from the referee, Ameyuri finally conceded defeat. Lying on the stretcher, tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.
She wasn't crying because she had lost, but because she didn't understand how she had lost.
Why did my Lightning Armor suddenly disappear?
"Senior, the squad leader said to see him after the match," one of the medical-nin whispered to Midorima as they carried Ameyuri off the stage.
Midorima gave a slight nod. Right now, he wanted to conserve even the energy it took to speak.
After the referee announced his victory, Midorima dragged his exhausted body off the battlefield.
The shinobi responsible for repairing the arena immediately got to work, restoring what had become the most damaged stage since the start of the selection matches.
---
"It hurts…" Midorima finally couldn't hold back a groan.
"And now you admit it hurts?!" Shimomura glared at him. "Your right arm is fractured, your left leg is badly injured, and your abdomen was pierced. Even with preliminary treatment, you'll need time to recover."
"But I won, didn't I?" Midorima forced a weak smile. "By the way, how's Ameyuri?"
"Her?" Shimomura's anger instantly deflated, replaced by a heavy sigh. "Kid, you really went all out. Four broken ribs, internal damage, and severe blood loss. It's a complicated case, but her life isn't in danger."
Midorima let out a relieved breath.
He and Ameyuri had no personal grudge. He didn't want anything bad to happen to her, nor did he want this match to jeopardize her future as a shinobi.
When Midorima asked to go home, Shimomura arranged for a trainee medical-nin to escort him.
The Third Mizukage looked baffled when he saw Midorima's injuries. "Did someone beat you up?"
"In a match, you either beat someone or get beaten."
Only after returning home did Midorima truly relax, no longer worried about his secrets being exposed.
Though his wounds looked severe, with the help of the [Catalysis Chamber], most of them would heal by the next morning.
Ameyuri was the strongest opponent Midorima had faced so far. Their chakra reserves were nearly equal, and neither Water Release nor Lightning Release held a clear advantage over the other. It had been a true battle of equals.
Winning the match made Midorima happy, but there was one flaw—his final strike had used Wind Release to disrupt Ameyuri's Lightning Armor, dealing the decisive blow.
Right now, Ameyuri might still be confused, but once she calmed down, she'd likely figure out he had used Wind Release.
Well, a medical-nin who also knows Water and Wind Release is pretty rare in Kirigakure, isn't he?
Still, since he had decided to step into the spotlight, hiding Wind Release was no longer an option. But when should he reveal his mastery of Lightning Release?
Speaking of Lightning Release, he had gained something valuable in terms of jutsu.
Ameyuri had intensified her techniques to suppress him, forcing him to endure repeated injuries while her chakra lingered in his body.
After multiple attempts, the [Analysis Lab] successfully deciphered two of her techniques: "Lightning Release: Raging Thunder Tiger" and "Lightning Release: Falling Thunder."
From now on, he could wield these powerful Lightning Release techniques.
The first day after an injury was always the hardest, but after a night of continuous [Catalysis Chamber] treatment, Midorima's body had recovered significantly. Apart from some lingering soreness in his arm and difficulty exerting force, his leg was mostly fine. His chakra reserves might need another day or two to fully replenish, but it shouldn't affect his next match.
Mei had a match the next day, so she didn't visit him. Meanwhile, Midorima needed to maintain the illusion that he was still badly injured, so he couldn't go watch her fight either.
She would probably win easily, but coming out completely unscathed was unlikely.
At this rate, the earliest they could meet properly would be the next round.
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By the time the second day's matches ended, the streets had grown livelier, and the guards began their shift rotations.
Igawa had been too nervous to sleep the previous night. The next morning, as he was relieving himself in the bathroom, Zetsu suddenly emerged from the wall, startling him so badly he nearly lost control of his bladder.
"Don't forget tonight's task," Zetsu said before vanishing.
For the sake of his future, Igawa had no choice but to endure the humiliation.
Once this is over, I'll make sure to tell Zetsu never to appear so suddenly again. If I weren't mentally strong, I'd have died of fright by now.
He hadn't slept at all, yet he felt strangely alert—even as night fell, he showed no signs of fatigue.
His mind was fixated on tonight's operation, which would determine his fate.
He prepared all the necessary equipment—kunai, shuriken, explosive tags—and after bidding his family farewell, Igawa left his home.
According to his prior discussion with Zetsu, his role was to lure away the other guards, leaving Yagura to face Zetsu and his allies alone while cutting off reinforcements from Kirigakure.
Even if they failed, he could still walk away unscathed, at most bearing the blame for inadequate support. But if they succeeded, he would become Kirigakure's greatest victor.