"Is this even human?" Kiba couldn't help but ask a profound question.
"None of them are human." Shikamaru's mouth twitched, agreeing.
The battle between Naruto and Yakumo had entered a state they couldn't comprehend.
Yakumo Kurama utilized her Kekkei Genkai ability, Genjutsu Creation, to make the contents of her paintings continuously come true. From lightning to flames, and then to strong winds, each painting seemed incredibly powerful.
In fact, that was precisely the case.
Naruto's Shadow Clones died very quickly—basically one per second. But surprisingly, his Shadow Clones were also replenished very quickly.
"How is their Chakra so outrageous?" Ino felt genuine envy.
A ninja's strength came from two things: first, Ninjutsu and Bloodline Limit; second, Chakra. Theoretically, the more Chakras one had, the stronger they were.
"This is probably what genius is." Shino Aburame suddenly thought of Torune Aburame.
They were the same age and good friends. But Torune possessed very special nano-sized poisonous insects.
The Aburame clan's talent was undoubtedly reflected in the insects they raised. However, precisely because of Torune's talent, he was noticed by Danzo Shimura and was forced to join Root.
Everyone knew the consequences of joining Root. But the Aburame clan dared not resist this Hokage's assistant and Root leader, so they could only let it happen.
Actually, Danzo Shimura wanted Shino Aburame, but Torune voluntarily took his place.
"…" Sakura subconsciously looked at Sasuke. Even with her love-struck mind, she understood that the gap brought by reality couldn't be bridged by a simple I believe in you.
Sasuke ignored her. He had already activated his Sharingan.
Under the Sharingan, Naruto's movements were clearly visible. Sasuke was confident he could defeat him—provided it was a one-on-one fight.
But with so many Shadow Clones and such terrifying Chakra, what was there to fight?
Sasuke suddenly realized a problem. After Naruto learned Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, his strength was elevated to an unknown degree.
Sasuke felt a deep sense of defeat. The arrogance he felt after activating his Sharingan completely vanished at this moment.
"Such a battle shouldn't be happening at the Ninja Academy." Shizune felt an unprecedented urge to complain.
One might think they were watching the Chunin Exams, not a first-year monthly exam.
"Although Yakumo has prepared many paintings, she will eventually run out." Kitazawa pondered for a moment and said, "At that time, she'll have to use the other ability of her Bloodline Limit."
"Naruto can only rely on Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu for a while longer." Tsunade still didn't have much confidence in Naruto. "Once he enters the Genjutsu world, his Shadow Clones will be much less effective."
Kitazawa fell silent upon hearing this. He also couldn't predict how the next battle would unfold.
"Naruto is already very strong, but he met the wrong opponent." Shizune sighed.
Genjutsu still countered Naruto too much. Just then, the chaotic Chakra on the field paused. Yakumo subconsciously reached for a painting—only to find that not a single one was left.
This was a first for her.
When she fought Neji before, she hadn't even used up a third of her paintings. But Naruto surprised her again and again.
Infinite vitality, seemingly endless Chakra, and a determined gaze from beginning to end.
Terrifying Illusion!
Yakumo Kurama stood still, and an invisible, chilling aura rolled outwards. In an instant, the world changed color, and the surrounding environment underwent a drastic transformation.
"What?" Naruto felt like he had suddenly arrived in a starry sky, surrounded by dazzling sights. But he quickly discovered the hidden danger behind this beautiful scenery.
Yakumo waved her hand, and brilliant lightning fell from the sky. Naruto's Shadow Clones were instantly engulfed in the lightning, and countless screams echoed.
Genjutsu Creation made Yakumo Kurama's paintings come true. Terrifying Illusion, on the other hand, created a Genjutsu world controlled by her.
In this Genjutsu world, she could create any wonder she desired.
However, she hadn't yet mastered Demonic Illusion: Five Senses, which could make the damage received in the Genjutsu become real.
Normal Genjutsu only targeted the mind, not the body. Kakashi Hatake was tormented by Uchiha Itachi's Tsukuyomi, but only his mind suffered severe damage.
Yakumo Kurama's current Terrifying Illusion, without Demonic Illusion: Five Senses, was very similar to Tsukuyomi.
No matter how much damage was dealt, it wouldn't be reflected on Naruto's body. Even so, the mental pain was enough to make him unbearable.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto's response was very simple.
Twenty more Shadow Clones appeared around him.
"Dynamic Entry!" Naruto roared, and all his Shadow Clones leaped into the air, performing flying kicks.
"It's useless." Yakumo's body suddenly accelerated.
In the Genjutsu world, she was a god; her usually weak body also became extraordinary. She easily dodged the attacks from Naruto and his Shadow Clones.
Yakumo waved her hand. Numerous vines appeared out of thin air.
"Ah!" Caught off guard, half of Naruto's Shadow Clones were grabbed and then disappeared without a trace.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
"Dynamic Entry!"
"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"
The remaining Shadow Clones were not intimidated by this and continued to attack her with various Taijutsu techniques.
Yakumo repeated her trick. Countless vines surged forth, directly reducing the number of Shadow Clones.
Yakumo calmly raised her hand. A giant meteor fell, crushing the Shadow Clone that rushed in front of her.
Inside the Genjutsu world, the battle raged, but outside, it was very calm. Yakumo and Naruto stood still. The only thing increasing was Naruto's Shadow Clones. But as soon as a Shadow Clone appeared, it would immediately be pulled into Yakumo's Genjutsu world.
"Naruto will probably be defeated very soon," Tsunade shook her head and said.
Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu itself consumed a lot of Chakra. And Naruto kept using it; no matter how much Chakra he had, it would eventually run out.
"It's a shame we can't know what's happening inside the Genjutsu world," Shizune said with regret.
Yakumo only pulled Naruto and his Shadow Clones into the Genjutsu. The spectators naturally wouldn't be pulled in. After all, the more people, the more Chakra consumed.
"Maybe Yakumo will run out of Chakra first," Kitazawa said casually.
"Yakumo's Yin Release power is very dense; I even feel that Yin Release creatures could be born from it." Tsunade was startled when she first gave Yakumo a physical examination. Because there was so much Yin Release power, it was so much that Yakumo seemed like a Jinchuriki.
Tsunade's eyes suddenly narrowed. Naruto was a genuine Jinchuriki. But… he wouldn't be able to use Nine-Tailed Chakra at his age.
Kitazawa secretly thought that in the original work, Yakumo indeed gave birth to a creature named Ido. Even if it couldn't compare to a Tailed Beast, it was still formidable enough.
It seemed the ultimate hope still lay with the Nine-Tailed.
Time slowly passed.
"What's wrong with Naruto? Is he still not giving up?" Tsunade rubbed her forehead with her hand and asked. Fighting in the Genjutsu world for almost half an hour, the pain was unimaginable. She didn't understand why Naruto was still persisting.
If something happened to him in the end, she wouldn't be able to explain it to Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina.
"Naruto's dictionary doesn't contain the word 'give up'," Kitazawa shook his head and said.
"Why not give up when you know the outcome is a loss?" Tsunade felt an inexplicable irritation.
"What's important isn't the result, it's the process," Kitazawa said softly. "And why determine the outcome without even trying?"
Just then, the situation on the field changed. Space seemed to crack, revealing a large part of the starry sky. At the same time, the situation inside the Genjutsu world could also be vaguely seen.
"Is this a sign of the Genjutsu world losing control?" Tsunade's pupils contracted, feeling confused.
"It's Yakumo's body that can't handle such high-intensity combat." Kitazawa's gaze fell on Yakumo's face, which was already faintly pale.
"…" Tsunade opened her mouth, realizing her miscalculation. Although Yakumo had a lot of Yin Release power, her body was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person. The more Yin Release power she used, the greater the burden on her body.
"But Naruto's condition is also very bad," Shizune said in a deep voice.
Tsunade subconsciously looked at Naruto. His body trembled, and his face was devoid of color, an extreme display of exhaustion.
Tsunade suddenly felt a sense of relief. Thankfully, it was a battle within a Genjutsu world; otherwise, seeing blood would have triggered her hemophobia.
"It seems Naruto's result is still a loss." Tsunade glanced around and said. Naruto's condition looked worse than Yakumo Kurama's.
"Give up, Naruto," Yakumo gasped and said.
"Youth has everything, except for giving up willingly!" Naruto formed hand signs and shouted, "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"In that case, I'll keep fighting until your Chakra is exhausted," Yakumo gritted her teeth and said. She didn't know why, but seeing Naruto's unyielding appearance, she also didn't want to give up.
Thumping sounds continuously rang out. The Shadow Clones dissipated one by one. Because Naruto could no longer maintain so many Shadow Clones.
"Again!" Naruto's voice was still very firm. "Youth means fighting until the very last moment!"
He and his remaining Shadow Clone continued to attack.
"Naruto will definitely become a strong Ninja in the future," Shizune murmured to herself. She had already acknowledged Naruto. This never-give-up spirit, coupled with his talent, meant his future would definitely not be bad.
"His dream isn't to become a strong Ninja, but to become a Hokage who surpasses all previous Hokage," Kitazawa corrected her.
"Only an idiot wants to be Hokage." Tsunade subconsciously clenched her fists, and a look of daze appeared on her face. Before her eyes appeared a little boy, Nawaki, who was as much of an idiot as Naruto.
"He is indeed an idiot," Kitazawa echoed.
As Naruto continued his assault, Sasuke and Shikamaru fell silent. They realized they still knew too little about Naruto. If it were them, they would never be able to persevere like this.
"Am I… am I going to die?" Naruto slumped to the ground. Although in the Genjutsu world, only mental trauma is inflicted, accumulating to a certain extent can lead to unimaginable consequences.
Naruto now felt weaker than ever before. He felt even more powerless and dazed than after Might Guy's hellish training.
"Naruto, it's time to end this; you lost." Yakumo's voice rang out. Her voice also sounded weak.
"How could it be that easy?" Naruto stood up again, his gaze firm, and said, "My youth isn't over yet!"
"You…" Yakumo suddenly had the thought of giving up. Since birth, she had never felt so exhausted.
Naruto took two steps and then fell to the ground.
If it were a normal battle, he could have gained an advantage by relying on his strong physical stamina. But in the Genjutsu world, physical stamina was not involved.
"Why?" Tsunade gritted her teeth and asked.
"Perhaps this is his Ninja Way," Kitazawa said, feeling moved.
Although the Naruto in the original work was such a hot-blooded idiot, seeing it with his own eyes, the impact was even stronger. Kitazawa hadn't expected him to go to such an extent.
Thinking about it carefully, there was another reason. That was Might Guy and his youth. This was something not present in the original Naruto.
When he was just starting out, Naruto would also feel afraid when facing Zabuza Momochi and Orochimaru. But now, under the blessing of the power of youth, he directly skipped the fear stage.
"…" Tsunade fell silent.
The next second, she suddenly looked up. Because Naruto was struggling to stand up again.
Her expression immediately became very complicated. Why were there always so many idiots in Konoha Village?
"What is this place?" In a daze, Naruto went from a dazzling universe to a deep, dark room.
Suddenly, a whooshing sound rang out. A huge tail smashed towards him. Although it was blocked by bars, the surging Chakra rushed out with undiminished force.
"Ouch!" Naruto held his forehead and then found himself back in Yakumo's Genjutsu world.
With a crack. The Genjutsu world collapsed.
Naruto returned to reality.
"How… how is that possible?" Yakumo's eyes widened, her face paled, and she felt dizzy.
Her Genjutsu was broken, and coupled with her physical weakness, she instantly became shaky.
"What's going on?" Naruto scratched his head, also feeling bewildered.
How did he suddenly break free from the Genjutsu? Wait! Where did that tail that whipped him come from?
Kitazawa arrived on the field with a Body Flicker. He reached out and supported the falling Yakumo. At the same time, he placed his other hand on her forehead.
Pale green Chakra flowed into her.
"Naruto, how are you?" Kitazawa looked at Naruto and asked.
Although it was only for a moment, he still sensed that abnormally evil Chakra. It was the Nine-Tails, one of the strongest Tailed Beasts.
Although Yakumo's Bloodline Limit was powerful, it was ultimately Genjutsu. There was only one way to break Genjutsu, and that was to disrupt the flow of Chakra within the body.
The Nine-Tailed's Chakra just happened to disrupt Naruto's Chakra, causing him to break free from the Genjutsu. This was the advantage of a Jinchuriki; they weren't very afraid of Genjutsu.
Of course, if the caster was strong enough to control both the Jinchuriki and the Tailed Beast with Genjutsu, then it would be unsolvable. For example, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, a perfect Jinchuriki, was also controlled by Uchiha Obito for many years.
"I'm fine." Naruto patted his chest and said, "I feel great now!"
"…" Kitazawa's mouth twitched.
He even wanted to curse him for being an ox; this Uzumaki clan, plus Nine-Tailed Chakra, was truly outrageous.
"Kit… Kitazawa-sensei." Yakumo was much more awake after the treatment.
"This spar ends here, with Naruto as the winner." Kitazawa released her and said.
If he were to summarize this match, it would be a cheater meeting an even bigger cheater, a battle between gods.
"Mm." Yakumo nodded and said, "I accept my defeat wholeheartedly."
Kitazawa suddenly raised an eyebrow.
Because he noticed that Tsunade and Shizune had already left at some point. Are they in such a hurry to leave?
He became even more certain that Tsunade had wavered. Although this time it wasn't as extreme as in the original work, the protagonist remained Naruto both times. Or rather, there was also Nawaki, who was quite similar to Naruto.
Kitazawa secretly thought that inviting Tsunade to watch was indeed the correct choice. With her wavering, he could press the advantage and eventually get her to accept treatment for her hemophobia.
"You two rest for a moment; the rankings will be announced soon." Kitazawa finished speaking and walked towards Iruka.
He was currently standing in place, looking dazed. Naruto had also made a great impact on him.
Iruka's parents died in the Nine-Tailed incident, so he held a grudge against Naruto. But now he had greatly changed his perception.
"Iruka, are the rankings out?" Kitazawa stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and asked.
"Soon." Iruka came back to his senses and immediately started compiling the rankings.
The practical exam rankings were very clear at a glance; the main thing was that they also needed to be combined with the theoretical exam rankings, so it required some time.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto ran over.
"What's wrong?" Kitazawa looked at him.
Not far from him, First Year Class A was discussing animatedly. The protagonist of their discussion was naturally Naruto.
After all, his performance just now was too terrifying. And with Naruto's personality, not going to listen to their praises and running over to him was quite unusual.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Naruto said with a serious expression, "I think there's something wrong with my mind."
"Why do you say that?" Kitazawa was startled for a moment and asked.
"When I was fighting Yakumo earlier, I saw an orange tail." Naruto replied, "I'm sure it whipped me."
[Current Mission: Inform Naruto of the Nine-Tailed's existence.]
[Mission Reward: Half a card of Chakra upper limit.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa's first reaction was how such a simple mission could have such a generous reward. But then he thought about it and realized that this mission was very difficult.