Chapter 210. Unexpected Turn of Events

Chapter 210. Unexpected Turn of Events

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Among the three Jinchuriki, one had unexpectedly withdrawn—not due to defeat, but simply by pushing her tiles forward and exiting for no apparent reason.

Everyone was still completely baffled.

But after the host's explanation, they finally understood.

Contestant Hatake Kakashi had suddenly made a move, and for some unknown reason, contestant Uzumaki Kushina was forced to withdraw.

Ah, it all makes sense now!

They got it!

No wonder Kakashi, who had been observing quietly, suddenly made his move. He must have seized the perfect opportunity and successfully eliminated the strongest player, Uzumaki Kushina!

That had to be it!

[What kind of nonsense is this?!] Kakashi twitched at the corner of his mouth, feeling a headache coming on.

To this moment, he still had no idea why Kushina-sama withdrew. But after the host's announcement—

Damn it!

They were making it sound like he did it.

If he had known things would turn out like this, he should have surrendered right from the start!

As the crowd erupted in cheers, Kakashi rolled his eyes. Suddenly, he wasn't in the mood to play anymore.

But now—

If he withdrew, then the one advancing to the finals would be Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!

Now that would be embarrassing!

So, he glanced at Director Yakushi Nono, and a new plan began to take shape in his mind.

First, defeat Killer Bee.

Then, surrender—passing the win to someone else. By that time… everyone would realize Kushina's withdrawal had nothing to do with him!

In that split second—

Hatake Kakashi, the genius ninja, had already devised a perfect strategy.

Now then…

[Help me, Three-Tails.]

[Got it!]

As soon as the thought settled—

"The stakes are getting higher!" the host's voice rang out. "Let's check in with the audience and see who they think will win!"

Then—

Under the crowd's watchful eyes—

A blonde, curvy woman with an imposing presence appeared on the screen.

"Hello! Who do you think will win this match?"

"You're asking me?"

"Yes!"

Tsunade, standing beyond the red boundary, didn't seem particularly invested. She pondered briefly before answering seriously: "Although Kushina withdrew for reasons unknown, based on the current situation, Killer Bee—being a ninja from Kumogakure—should be the strongest remaining contender."

She continued, "According to information, he is the Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails and possesses not only an incredibly strong physique but also remarkable swordsmanship and Lightning Release. In that regard, he is quite similar to the Three-Tails Jinchuriki—Hatake Kakashi, who also excels in inherited sword techniques and Lightning Release."

"Oh~! So you're saying the match will be evenly matched?"

"No! Kakashi will win!" Tsunade shook her head firmly. "Killer Bee has a strong physique, and his Lightning Release is primarily used to enhance his body. But Kakashi—his signature move, Lightning Release: Taro Ball, combined with the power of his Tailed Beast, allows him to utilize both Lightning Release and Water Release in unimaginable ways."

Her eyes sparkled with confidence. "And don't forget—he hasn't even used the Three-Tails' power yet! Mahjong isn't about who's the strongest; it's about timing, momentum, calculations, and luck. That's why Kakashi will win. Because I said so."

The moment Tsunade finished speaking—

In that very instant—

Suddenly—

Kakashi fell silent as he stared at the three tails surrounding him—from above, below, and directly in front.

"…Yo, boy. What kind of scheme are you cooking up this time?"

"…"

I… I'm not…

"…"

The entire arena fell into silence.

Things happened way too suddenly—just as the well-endowed woman below finished her explanation, it looked like she was about to lose!

For a moment—

No one knew what to say.

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen shuddered, inhaling sharply as if he had a toothache. While others might not know Tsunade well, he had been a student of the First and Second Hokage and had personally trained Tsunade.

How could he not know her?

Kakashi was about to get eliminated.

However—

It really had happened too fast.

But to someone like Tsunade, who had spent years gambling in casinos, this was nothing but a minor setback.

So, when she noticed the host giving her a strange look, she didn't even flinch. Instead, she cleared her throat, maintained a deadpan expression, and said, "I wasn't finished speaking just now."

"…Please continue."

"Under normal circumstances, combining large-scale Water Release with Lightning Release, as long as the timing is right, guarantees victory. Unfortunately, it looks like Kakashi's plan has been exposed."

"So…?"

"The winner is definitely the Kumo ninja—Killer Bee!" Tsunade waved her hand with full confidence, her eyes gleaming with certainty, as if she had never said Kakashi would win just moments ago. "It has to be him! The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!"

Facing three tail-like blades poised to strike, Kakashi sighed inwardly, knowing it was over. So, with trembling hands, he played a tile, then immediately pushed his tiles forward in surrender.

At that moment—

Silence.

The winner had been decided!

What a shame.

This final duel… wasn't nearly as intense as everyone had imagined.

Surprisingly anticlimactic.

First, Uzumaki Kushina mysteriously withdrew, and now… Hatake Kakashi didn't even get the chance to unleash his techniques before being completely surrounded.

What a pity.

With the outcome set in stone—

The host nodded regretfully. "Although the match ended rather uneventfully, the winner was exactly as predicted—just as our guest here stated… the champion of this table is none other than the ninja from Kumogakure—Killer Bee!"

"Told you so!" Tsunade lifted her chin confidently, crossing her arms over her chest. "If it's not him, I'll do a live broadc—"

But—

Before she could finish her sentence—

Just as everyone assumed the winner had been decided—

Suddenly—

A soft, hesitant voice spoke up…

"Uh… I think I just won."

"…"

…

Winner: Yakushi Nono.

It was beyond everyone's expectations!

So much so that even as the host officially announced the result, no one had fully processed it.

Even Killer Bee, who had been grinning the whole time, looked absolutely dumbfounded. He had been this close to winning—only for someone to snipe the victory right from under him?!

At that moment—

Everyone finally remembered—

This is freaking mahjong!

The one who gets the best result wins!

Not some flashy duel!

As long as there was one player left standing—they were the winner.

Even Yuto let out a sigh of realization. He had almost forgotten about it.

This is Mahjong!

Meanwhile—

Standing beside him, Kabuto had a strange, unreadable expression.

This guy…

Did he predict it?

…

Meanwhile…

Having just stepped off the stage, Kakashi was still in a daze.

Way too bizarre.

But at least—

The winner was someone from Konoha.

That was good enough for him.

Even though things had been a little chaotic, the final outcome was exactly what he wanted.

"What a shame." Shiranui Genma sighed, pulling the senbon from his mouth and patting Kakashi on the shoulder. "I really thought you were going to make it to the finals."

"Where's Minato-sensei?" Kakashi rolled his eyes, looking around in confusion. "Why isn't he here?"

He clearly remembered—

Minato-sensei and the mysteriously withdrawn Kushina should have been watching from the sidelines.

"I don't know," Kurenai shook her head, looking a bit worried. "As soon as Kushina-sama left the stage, the Fourth Hokage-sama teleported her away using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. We don't know what happened."

"Relax." Genma shrugged. "Since there's no village-wide alarm, it's probably nothing serious. Besides, with the Third Hokage-sama, the Fourth Hokage-sama, and Tsuna—er, Slug-sama in the village, what could possibly go wrong?"

Then, glancing toward Obito, he let out a sigh. "Man, what a twist… but for now, we should focus on cheering for Obito!"

Just as he finished speaking—

Suddenly—

Rin, standing nearby, cried out in alarm, "Obito is about to lose!"

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