Kitazawa stepped out in front of the students of the Genius Class.
Not everyone from the class was on the field; some sat up in the stands as spectators.
Hyuga Hanabi and her group were among those watching. They weren't taking part in this graduation exam at all.
Gaara and Fu were also absent from the participant list.
For one thing, they had not officially joined Konohagakure yet. For another, they had only entered the Genius Class recently, so their current strength had little to do with the class's training.
Strictly speaking, they couldn't really be considered true genius-class students.
Excluding Hanabi, Gaara, and the others like them, there were exactly thirty students taking part in the graduation exam.
"The rules for this graduation exam are the same as the previous combat tests—random matchups."
Kitazawa produced a small ballot box and continued, "There's no limit to the number of rounds. We keep going until every ranking is decided."
Previously, the combat exams had only run for three rounds, but three rounds really weren't enough.
With thirty students, it would take roughly six rounds to fight all the way down to the last person.
"First round, first match."
Kitazawa drew two slips of paper and announced, "Choji versus Hotaru!"
"Good luck, both of you!"
Ino clenched her small fists and waved them encouragingly.
The other students also called out their support.
After being classmates for so long, everyone got along fairly well.
Besides, this was a graduation exam—there was no need to make the atmosphere too hostile.
Most of them weren't fixated on their rankings anymore.
If they couldn't make the top three, the exact place they ended up in didn't matter much.
Only Sasuke, Naruto, and a few others were still serious about chasing a high rank.
Choji and Hotaru walked to the center of the field.
Most of the spectators had barely any impression of Hotaru, but everyone knew Choji.
Even Choza, watching from the stands, felt a rare flicker of nervousness.
After all, the village's top brass were all present.
If Choji performed poorly, it could reflect badly on the Akimichi clan.
"The match begins!"
Kitazawa declared.
Expansion Jutsu!
Choji's body swelled in an instant, rapidly growing larger.
The ground shook beneath his feet.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
Hotaru had clearly anticipated this. She began forming hand signs the moment the battle started.
The roar of water filled the air as a water dragon, thicker than a person's waist, surged into existence and crashed toward Choji.
Human Bullet Tank!
Choji pulled in his limbs, curling into a ball of flesh, and rolled forward to meet the attack head-on.
His tremendous size, combined with his rotation, made the entire field tremble.
Boom!
The water dragon slammed into the rolling flesh ball, exploding into a spray that drenched the arena.
Choji was forced to a halt.
But a heartbeat later, he spun up again, grinding through the water dragon and shattering it, then barreled straight toward Hotaru.
Water Release: Water Blade Slash!
Hotaru reacted instantly, drawing a kunai.
Water surged along the blade, elongating it into a shimmering water blade.
She thrust the water blade straight at him.
Sensing danger, Choji immediately cancelled his Human Bullet Tank.
Super Push Hand!
He braked to a stop in front of Hotaru, his hands suddenly swelling to an enormous size as he brought them crashing down toward her.
A massive shadow fell over Hotaru.
She hurriedly leapt backward.
Even if her Water Blade Slash could cut him, being hit by those giant palms would flatten her.
The instant she dodged away, the huge palms struck the ground.
The earth split and sunk, leaving behind two enormous palm prints.
Water Release: Heavenly Cry!
Using the cover of the rising dust, Hotaru opened her mouth and spat out three thin water needles.
They sliced through the dust cloud and struck Choji's body.
But with his enlarged size and enhanced defense, the attack barely affected him.
As the dust finally dispersed, the rolling flesh ball emerged once more.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Seeing this, Hotaru instinctively raised a towering wall of water in front of herself.
Then, in the next instant, she realized something was wrong.
This Human Bullet Tank was different—kunai bristled all along Choji's body.
He had strung the kunai together and wrapped them around himself, turning it into a spiked human bullet tank.
Compared to the normal human bullet tank, its destructive power was on a completely different level.
The moment Hotaru realized this, her Water Formation Wall shattered apart.
The spiked human bullet tank tore through the spray, roaring toward her like a living battering ram.
Hotaru's face went pale.
Kitazawa flashed in front of her just in time, extending a hand to stop Choji's charge.
Seeing this, Choji immediately released the Spiked Human Bullet Tank and canceled his Expansion Jutsu.
"The winner: Choji!"
Announcing the result, Kitazawa stepped forward to heal Choji.
Choji had been injured by Water Release: Heavenly Cry, while Hotaru was completely unscathed.
"Not bad."
Choza nodded in satisfaction.
The first match was a clean victory, and the Akimichi Clan's reputation remained untarnished.
In the stands, many spectators watching the Genius Class combat exam for the first time stared in astonishment.
That Choji possessed this level of strength was within their expectations.
But that Hotaru, a completely unknown student, could unleash such powerful water release…
At her age, mastering even one Ninjutsu was enough to be called a genius—yet she had four.
And then there were the already famous Naruto and Sasuke, whose strength would likely surpass everyone's expectations.
"First round, second match."
After Choji and Hotaru left the field, Kitazawa announced, "Chino versus Rock Lee!"
Chino and Lee stepped into the arena at the sound of their names.
"Lee is a pure Taijutsu ninja. Against the Genjutsu of the Ketsuryugan, he'll probably be at a disadvantage," Tenten said, watching the two of them.
"Under normal circumstances, that would indeed be the case."
Neji's gaze shifted to an excited Might Guy in the stands as he added, "But the Eight Gates are not afraid of Genjutsu."
The essence of Genjutsu was to disrupt the target's chakra flow and interfere with their five senses.
Once the Eight Gates were opened, however, the chakra inside the body became violently turbulent and impossible to control.
On top of that, the technique inflicted continuous physical damage—pain that constantly jolted the user's senses.
"I see," Tenten murmured, nodding.
"After all, it is the Eight Gates," Kiba sighed.
The Eight Gates were well known throughout Konoha.
Their fame traced back to Might Duy, who had single-handedly annihilated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist during the Third Shinobi World War.
"If Lee opened all eight gates, wouldn't he be able to catch up to Sasuke and the others?" Ino asked curiously.
"The price of opening all eight gates is death," Shikamaru said with a shake of his head. "In theory, Lee will never use the eighth gate in his life."
"Even just the first seven gates are already crazy strong," Naruto said, giving a thumbs-up.
He hadn't learned the Eight Gates himself, but he had seen Guy training Lee with them. Those sessions were always wild.
"The battle begins!"
Kitazawa's voice cut through their conversation.
Chino immediately activated her Ketsuryugan.
Seeing this, Lee quickly lowered his head.
His heart burned with youth, but he wasn't an idiot—Guy had gone over a strategy with him in advance.
"Eight Gates!"
Lee roared, "First Gate: Gate of Opening… open! Second Gate: Gate of Healing… open!"
With the opening of two gates, chakra exploded from his body, whipping the air around him into a raging current.
Chino's pupils contracted.
Before she could react, a green blur had already appeared right in front of her.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Lee's leg cut through the air in a fierce kick.
Even Leaf Whirlwind, the weakest of the Leaf Hurricane techniques, became terrifying when powered by the Eight Gates.
Chino barely managed to keep up with his movements using her Ketsuryugan.
Instinctively, she retreated, opening her mouth to spit out three water needles.
Water Release: Heavenly Cry—no hand signs required, the best choice in that instant.
Lee didn't dodge. He simply kicked all three water needles aside.
His entire body spun in mid-air, releasing a Konoha Gale.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Chino was already weaving hand signs as she fell back.
A wall of surging water rose in front of her.
Bang. Bang.
Two kicks shattered the water wall, and the third kick slammed directly into Chino.
She was blasted across the arena and crashed into the barrier at the edge of the field, losing consciousness on impact.
"The winner: Rock Lee!"
Kitazawa appeared at Chino's side in a flash.
Under his treatment, Chino soon woke up.
"As expected of the Eight Gates."
Tayuya spoke with a grave expression.
Ever since Lee opened the second gate, her normal speed could no longer keep up with him.
The only option left was to activate the Curse Mark of Earth.
She couldn't help feeling grateful to Kitazawa.
If he hadn't given her the modified Curse Mark half a month ago, she would have done far worse in this graduation exam.
"Just the second gate already has this kind of terrifying power?"
Kiba asked in shock.
He knew Lee had learned the Eight Gates, but he had never seen it in action before and had no real sense of its power until now.
"If he actually opened the seventh gate, he could probably rank in the top five of our class."
After thinking for a moment, Shikamaru gave his assessment.
Sasuke instinctively glanced at Naruto.
Fortunately, Naruto hadn't learned the Eight Gates yet.
Otherwise, things would be even more troublesome.
As for Lee's Eight Gates, Sasuke wasn't worried.
In front of the Mangekyo, Lee's speed was still not enough.
"I wonder how many gates Lee can open at most right now."
Kiba scratched his head as he spoke.
A sense of pressure washed over him.
He suddenly felt he probably wouldn't even make the top ten in this graduation exam.
Yet by Inuzuka Clan standards, his current strength already counted as a once-in-a-century genius—only to be merely average in the genius class.
"First round, third match."
Kitazawa casually pulled out two slips of paper, raised an eyebrow, and called out,
"Kimimaro versus Karin!"
The six students in the first three matches were all familiar faces.
That was only natural.
There were thirty students in the Genius Class taking part in the exam, which meant only fifteen could advance to the second round—and six of the top twenty-one would be eliminated.
"Karin, just do your best!"
Ino and the others all cheered for her.
In their eyes, the winner of this match was already decided: it would definitely be Kimimaro.
The gap between the two was simply too large.
"Mm."
Karin nodded and walked into the field.
As a medical ninja, she didn't place much importance on winning or losing.
Just as Ino and the others had said, she only needed to do her best.
"The battle begins!"
Kitazawa called out loudly.
At the signal, Kimimaro charged straight at Karin.
As he moved, segments of white bone burst from his arms.
Karin, however, remained motionless, as if she hadn't reacted at all.
Kimimaro narrowed his eyes slightly.
He didn't understand why Karin wasn't dodging, but he never held back in a fight.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow!
He suddenly accelerated, his body gliding forward like drifting willow fluff.
At the same time, the white bones turned into a flurry of stabbing attacks aimed directly at Karin.
Monstrous Strength!
Karin finally moved.
She clenched her fist and drove it straight forward.
Kimimaro reacted quickly, the bones on his forearms crossing in front of him to block.
But the instant they met Karin's fist, he realized something was wrong.
A horrifying force surged into him.
Kimimaro felt as if he had been slammed by a rampaging bull at full speed.
His body shot backward like a cannonball, his arms going numb in an instant.
If his bones weren't as hard as blades, they would have shattered on the spot.
Seeing this, Karin immediately rushed after him.
Cold sweat beaded on Kimimaro's forehead.
Fortunately, he was no ordinary taijutsu ninja.
Thanks to his Shikotsumyaku, he managed to stay conscious even after taking that monstrous punch.
The moment he hit the ground, he activated Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch without hesitation.
In the next instant, dozens of huge bones erupted from all over his body.
These bones not only absorbed impacts, they also carried a powerful counterattack effect.
Karin's punch landed—and she was the one blasted backward, sent flying.
Kimimaro couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He had nearly lost in the very first round.
"Winner, Kimimaro!"
Kitazawa announced, then walked over to help treat Karin.
In the stands, Tsunade gave a small nod.
Karin's control over Monstrous Strength was already quite decent, especially her timing just now—she had seized the perfect opening.
Monstrous Strength would not be wasted in her hands.
On top of that, she had already learned medical ninjutsu; she was practically born to be Tsunade's disciple.
However, Tsunade was on the verge of retirement and had no interest in taking on more students.
For the sake of the Uzumaki clan, teaching her advanced ninjutsu like the Yin Seal wasn't a problem.
"How did Karin's strength get so insane?"
Kiba stared, completely dumbfounded.
"If you don't react in time to that punch, I'm afraid most ninja would be knocked out instantly," Tenten said, still in awe.
"It's Monstrous Strength," Sakura explained, chin slightly raised in pride. "Kitazawa-sensei taught it to the three of us."
Ino blinked, momentarily stunned as a flicker of envy rose in her chest.
She hadn't learned Monstrous Strength, but she had mastered Darkness Genjutsu and Super beast imitation drawing—Ninjutsu no less impressive in their own right.
Hearing this, Kiba immediately tensed up.
If he ended up facing Sakura or Shion later, he would have to be extra careful of that terrifying power.
"What a pity," Neji said, calmly analyzing the match. "Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku is a perfect counter to Monstrous Strength. Otherwise, he would've lost to Karin."
"Yeah," Tenten agreed with a nod.
"First round, fourth match."
Kitazawa glanced at the slip of paper in his hand and called out, "Uchiha Sasuke vs. Jugo!"
"Looks like my luck's not too great today," Jugo muttered, shaking his head.
He understood Sasuke's strength very well. No matter how hard he tried, Sasuke was someone he simply couldn't defeat.
Tayuya opened her mouth, then closed it again.
She had no idea how to comfort him.
Even so, Jugo stayed calm. He walked to the center of the field and faced Sasuke.
"Cursed Seal of Earth: Stage Two!"
Jugo's body warped in an instant—his skin darkened to black, his features twisting into something monstrous.
Sasuke watched him with an unreadable, steady gaze.
An instant later, his brows lifted slightly as Jugo suddenly began to spin in place.
He recognized it immediately: Konoha Dragon God.
The wind roared.
A giant blue dragon erupted into being, coiling through the air as it lunged toward Sasuke at terrifying speed.
Wherever it passed, the ground trembled and dust exploded upward in thick clouds.
"What?" Tayuya shouted in shock. "Jugo actually learned the Konoha Dragon God?!"
"Dammit!" Kiba clenched his fists. "How did all of you suddenly get so strong?"
In just four matches, he'd already seen Lee, Karin, and now Jugo unleash incredible power.
The others watching felt the same.
As expected of a graduation exam, everyone was fighting with everything they had.
Sasuke remained perfectly calm.
Back then, dealing with Konoha Dragon God would have been a major headache. But now, he possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan dōjutsu: Amenotejikara.
Sasuke vanished from where he stood.
The raging dragon stalled for a brief moment.
Sasuke reappeared directly above Jugo's head.
He drew the Thunder God Sword and brought it down in a clean, decisive strike.
Lightning burst forth, spreading over Jugo's spinning body.
Jugo screamed, his rotation breaking off; the Konoha Dragon God collapsed and dispersed at once.
"Winner: Uchiha Sasuke!"
Kitazawa announced immediately.
At that, the corners of Sasuke's mouth lifted ever so slightly.
Naruto had always thrown him into a panic whenever he used Konoha Dragon God, but now—through Jugo—Sasuke had already envisioned Naruto's defeat.
"What just happened?" Aburame Shibi asked, puzzled. "How did Sasuke suddenly appear above Jugo's head?"
Only a handful of people knew that Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.
And since many of them rarely set foot in the Ninja Academy, this was their first time seeing the Mangekyo Sharingan dōjutsu, Amaterasu, in action.
"This looks a lot like the Flying Thunder God," Choza said gravely.
"The outside of the Konoha Dragon God is covered in sharp wind blades," Shikaku added, frowning in thought. "Only something like the Flying Thunder God could ignore that."
"It's the Mangekyo Sharingan!" Jiraiya blurted out.
The fight had ended in a flash, but he'd still caught sight of Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
As his words fell, the expressions of Hiashi and the others shifted drastically.
Only Fugaku's lips curved into a faint smirk, satisfaction flickering in his eyes.
There was no question that Sasuke's performance had left a powerful impact.
Even though his name was already well-known, the sudden reveal of the Mangekyo Sharingan still shocked Jiraiya and the others.