The roars of dragons and phoenixes echoed, as a dragon formed from compressed air fiercely collided with a phoenix condensed from lightning, triggering a terrifying explosion.
BOOM!!!
The world seemed to turn white, the dazzling light so intense that people couldn't help but raise their hands to shield their eyes, squinting.
This was the full-powered attack, the final gambit, of two of the world's most powerful youths.
After a long while, the terrifying explosion finally ended.
The ground of the arena was cracked, a deep pit appearing in its center.
Within the pit, a young man lay unconscious. Another knelt beside him, gasping for breath.
The one lying down was Might Guy, and the one kneeling was, naturally, Kakashi.
Both looked battered; their clothes were torn, their faces covered in dust, blood at the corners of their mouths, and their bodies covered in wounds.
As the ones closest to the collision, it was impossible for them to remain unscathed after such a violent impact.
Fortunately, although both were seriously injured, neither had died.
Of course, Hui and the others wouldn't allow either of them to die.
"I won again."
Kakashi spoke to the unconscious Guy, regardless of whether he could hear or not.
He and Guy had faced off countless times, but every single time, he had emerged victorious.
This time was no exception.
And it would always be so.
After speaking, Kakashi shakily stood up.
He had won this match again.
Therefore, he was number one!
Slowly raising an arm, he extended his index finger towards the sky.
Kakashi closed his eyes, knowing that cheers would erupt any second now.
"The winner, Hatake Kakashi!"
As expected, following Hizashi's loud announcement, a tremendous roar erupted, shaking the very heavens.
"That was amazing! That attack just now wasn't something someone of this age should possess!"
"As expected of the two most talented and powerful youths. With their achievements, they could even participate in the Outstanding Youth Ranking of the First Sage Shinobi World Elite Youth Tournament!"
"But in the end, Kakashi is still a cut above, maintaining his undefeated record against Might Guy."
"Might Guy is already very strong, but unfortunately, he encountered Kakashi."
"The talent and potential Kakashi has displayed... It feels like he will be the next Lord Minato!"
"No, I think it's more than that! With Kakashi's current performance, I think he might even become an existence like the Tree God in the future!"
"Kakashi!"
The crowd's discussions and exclamations, upon seeing Kakashi with his arm raised below, transformed into a repeated chant of three characters.
"Kakashi! Kakashi! Kakashi!"
Everyone was shouting Kakashi's name. At this moment, Kakashi was the focal point of the entire world.
At this moment, even Sakumo revealed a smile, feeling proud of Kakashi.
And on the other side, Might Duy was bursting with pride for his son.
Even though his son lost in this tournament, he firmly believed that his son, possessing the same unwavering will as himself, still had a long way to go in the future. Guy's achievements would definitely surpass his, his father's.
On the main stage, Hui gazed at the still unconscious Might Guy. Activating his Celestial Eye, he instantly brought Guy before him.
Infusing life force, Guy's battered body rapidly healed under this powerful energy.
Within a couple of seconds, Guy's body was fully restored.
His eyes fluttered open, and he awoke.
A moment of confusion flashed in his eyes, but in the next instant, he was fully alert.
Upon regaining consciousness, he heard the resounding cheers of "Kakashi" echoing in his ears.
Looking at Kakashi standing in the arena, basking in the crowd's adulation, a sense of loss welled up in Guy's eyes, as if a light had been extinguished.
He had lost.
Although he had mentally prepared himself for this possibility, the defeat still stung.
After all, he had forcefully opened the Fifth Gate within his body, pushing himself to the level of a Fifth-Tier Sage, yet he still lost.
But he was Might Guy, after all. He quickly recovered, his gaze towards Kakashi once again filled with determination.
"Next time, I will definitely win!"
He muttered to himself, bolstering his own spirits.
With the conclusion of the final battle, the First Sage Shinobi World Elite Youth Tournament came to an end.
The champion was Hatake Kakashi, the runner-up Might Guy, third place…., fourth…
Next, Hidden Sage Village would allocate cultivation resources based on their rankings, providing them with specialized training to accelerate their growth.
This was Hui's intention, not only to combat the Ōtsutsuki Clan and conquer the cosmos but also for other worlds.
Although currently, Hui had only constructed a Teleportation Array to the world of One Piece, and he had only entered that world, with his Space-Time Ninjutsu, entering other worlds was a simple matter.
The future of the Sage Shinobi Nation was destined for a tremendous leap.
Because as his understanding of Space-Time Ninjutsu deepened, Hui gradually grasped the truth of the world.
Within all of space, countless dimensions and worlds were tightly packed together, like numerous bubbles, one after another, separated by transparent walls.
These layers of walls divided space into individual worlds.
Hui had an idea: he wanted to break down the walls between worlds, merging different worlds to ultimately form one super-big world.
This idea required not only his personal abilities but also the abilities of his subordinates.
However, such a thing was still far off. For the current Sage Shinobi Nation, the priority was dealing with the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
"Congratulations, Kakashi, on becoming the champion of the youth tournament."
Hui personally awarded Kakashi the prize, a medal that could store energy and, once fully charged, unleash an attack as powerful as a Six Paths Technique.
Besides this Sage Weapon, there were many other rewards for first place.
For example, the winner could choose any three S-Rank or higher Sage Arts, receive three days of specialized training from Hui, obtain a body-enhancing potion, and so on...
With these rewards, Kakashi's overall strength would undoubtedly receive a significant boost.
"Strive hard, continue to improve, and grow quickly! This world is vast and wondrous. I need your strength, the Sage Shinobi Nation needs your strength, and the future needs your strength!"
Hui's final words to the hundred youths stirred their hearts.
Although they didn't understand why the invincible Sage needed their strength, hearing these words ignited a fervent desire within them to dedicate themselves to Hui, to the Sage Shinobi Nation, and to the future of everyone.
After all, they were still youths, filled with passionate fervor.
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