"The second round, second match of practical combat: Hyuga Hinata versus Rock Lee."
Kitazawa stood in front of the lottery box and announced.
Besides the match between Naruto and Neji, he hadn't manipulated any of the draws — there was no need.
The battle between Hinata and Rock Lee was bound to be one-sided. After all, Gentle Fist was too effective against most Taijutsu users, and Hinata's strength already surpassed Rock Lee's.
"Winner, Hyuga Hinata."
After announcing the result, Kitazawa walked forward and treated Rock Lee.
Like Naruto, Lee always fought with all his might, and when struck at vital points, it was easy to get injured, even if the wounds were only superficial.
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa." Rock Lee stood up, turned to Hinata, and said, "Fighting with all our might is truly full of youth! Let's fight again next time!"
With that, he left the arena. But Hinata didn't leave. Instead, she looked at Kitazawa with anticipation — after all, he had just patted Ino's head.
"You won beautifully. Keep up the good work next time." Kitazawa smiled and gently pinched her cheek.
Hinata paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously. Satisfied, she left the arena with a joyful heart.
"The second round, third match of practical combat: Uzumaki Naruto versus Inuzuka Hana."
Kitazawa drew two more names from the lottery box.
"Sis, just do your best," Kiba immediately comforted her. "Naruto is a monster; it's normal if you can't beat him."
"Indeed, it's very normal to lose to Naruto," Ino agreed.
"If it's really too much, just give up directly," Shikamaru yawned and suggested.
"Okay, thank you, everyone," Inuzuka Hana replied calmly.
Naruto scratched his head. Even he could sense the atmosphere.
"This is respect for the strong," Kiba said, putting an arm around his shoulder.
"Hehe, I'm not strong enough yet," Naruto smiled. "Teacher Kitazawa is the truly strong one." Every time he sparred with Kitazawa, he ended up badly beaten.
"…" Kiba's mouth twitched.
You're a first-year academy student already setting your sights on Kitazawa, who's been a Special Jōnin? There was simply too much to comment on.
Naruto and Inuzuka Hana entered the arena. Their battle surprised no one.
Although Hana had three Ninja Hounds, Naruto had countless Shadow Clones, and she was besieged from beginning to end.
"The second round, fourth match of practical combat: Hyuga Neji versus Kurama Yakumo."
Kitazawa couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. This sparring match sparked a hint of interest in him, but after thinking it over, he felt the outcome was already decided.
Neji didn't have much of a chance. Mangekyo Sharingan-level Genjutsu was still too difficult to counter at this stage.
Neji walked to the center of the arena with a solemn expression. His strength was outstanding even among the Genius Class; even when facing Sasuke and Naruto, he believed he had a chance to win. Only Yakumo left him uncertain.
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!" Neji immediately launched a long-range attack. An invisible air shockwave swept toward Yakumo Kurama.
"Terrifying Illusion!" Yakumo instantly used her Bloodline Limit.
At the same time, she quickly ran, trying to dodge Neji's attack. But she was still a step too slow and was hit in the arm. Fortunately, Neji was dragged into the illusion. Yakumo let out a breath.
The Vacuum Palm's speed wasn't particularly fast, but her Taijutsu was far too weak — she had only learned Konoha Whirlwind, which was useless in front of Neji.
Sasuke's eyes lit up. Neji had confirmed something for him: if one launched a sufficiently fast attack at the start, it might be possible to defeat Yakumo Kurama before she could cast her Genjutsu.
Although Sasuke didn't have such a technique now, Lightning Release Ninjutsu could achieve it. After all, Lightning Release was known for speed.
"Winner, Kurama Yakumo."
Kitazawa came to Yakumo's side and stretched out his hands to treat her arm.
After the recent battle, he realized a problem: he should teach Yakumo Konoha-Style Taijutsu, not Konoha Whirlwind. Her Taijutsu foundation was too weak.
But it didn't matter — he would teach her Konoha-Style Taijutsu after she mastered Konoha Whirlwind.
Time slowly passed, and the second round of practical combat came to an end.
"I announce the list of students entering the third round." Kitazawa took the roster handed to him by Iruka.
He glanced at it and found it was basically identical to the previous final exam, which had also been the Student Council selection practical combat.
The only addition was Sakura, because she had learned Water Release: Water Bullet. Just that one Water Release technique put her above most students in the Genius Class.
All of the Konoha 12 except Akimichi Choji entered the third round.
Choji had started his special training too late and hadn't had time to learn the Akimichi Clan's Secret Technique, so his strength lagged behind.
There were only two students not among the Konoha 12: Inuzuka Hana and Yakumo Kurama. Karin had already been eliminated in the second round.
"Rest time is over. The third round of practical combat now begins."
Kitazawa walked to the lottery box.
After the first two rounds, these thirteen students in the third round already understood each other well. Who would win or lose was largely predictable before the fight even began.
"The third round, first match of practical combat: Nara Shikamaru versus Inuzuka Kiba." Kitazawa glanced at the lottery results and announced.
"Shikamaru, prepare for your defeat!" Kiba immediately laughed loudly upon hearing this.
"Being too arrogant often leads to a bad outcome." Shikamaru shook his head.
"You lost to Ino, and I won against Ino." Kiba patted his shoulder. "The outcome between us is already predetermined."
"That's not necessarily true." Ino snorted lightly. "My winning against Shikamaru doesn't mean you can win too."
"I can definitely win!" Kiba tossed his head and entered the arena.
"Kiba is too full of himself! Shikamaru, teach him a good lesson!" Sakura couldn't stand it anymore and quickly cheered for Shikamaru.
Sasuke subconsciously tightened his grip on the hilt of his ninja sword. Why did he feel that Kiba now resembled him?
Looking at it that way, he did seem a bit cocky. But in terms of presence, Kiba couldn't compare to a Uchiha.
"I'll try my best." Shikamaru leisurely walked into the arena, but his mind was already working frantically.
"Shikamaru, watch out!" Kiba still used Shadow Clone and Three-Headed Hellhound.
Shikamaru had anticipated this and, with a raised hand, threw four shuriken.
But Kiba reacted quickly. The moment the Three-Headed Hellhound appeared, it swiped with a claw. The four shuriken were immediately deflected and scattered around.
Kiba accelerated at once. The Three-Headed Hellhound reached Shikamaru, its front paws pressing down fiercely.
"Shadow Imitation Technique!"
The moment the shadows overlapped, Shikamaru rolled on the ground, simultaneously forming hand signs.
His shadow immediately came alive and grabbed the Three-Headed Hellhound's shadow. The beast instantly froze in place.
But Shikamaru also paled, feeling a massive loss of chakra. Controlling the Three-Headed Hellhound consumed far more than he had imagined.
"What—?" Kiba found himself unable to move and immediately struggled.
Cold sweat broke out on Shikamaru's forehead. He used all his strength to control the Hellhound's shadow.
Kiba's eyes suddenly widened. The Three-Headed Hellhound's front paw uncontrollably lifted and swung toward one of its heads.
"Aaaah!" Kiba roared, actually stopping the controlled front paw. The two entered a stalemate.
Seeing this, Shikamaru unhesitatingly released the Shadow Imitation Technique. Kiba was in a state of exerting force, and now, losing the opposing strength, the Three-Headed Hellhound suddenly fell to the ground.
Because of its huge size, its shadow happened to cover the four shuriken Shikamaru had thrown earlier.
"Shadow Imitation Shuriken!"
Shikamaru immediately formed hand signs. One of the shuriken instantly pinned the Three-Headed Hellhound's shadow. He had injected chakra into this shuriken beforehand, and it finally took effect.
Kiba was about to get up. Suddenly, his shadow was pinned, forcing him to stick to the ground in a very awkward posture. His eyes were bloodshot as he tried again to break free with brute force.
But this delay allowed Shikamaru to seize the opportunity. He flung both hands, and six shuriken flew directly toward Kiba's three heads.
"No—!" Kiba's pupils contracted, and he instinctively shouted. But now it was too late to counterattack.
The next second, Kitazawa appeared and blocked the six shuriken for him.
"Winner, Shikamaru," Kitazawa announced the result.
Although the Three-Headed Hellhound was thick-skinned, its head was still very vulnerable. If it had really been hit by six shuriken, it would have been seriously injured.
"How could this be?" Kiba dispelled the Three-Headed Hellhound and his Shadow Clone, his face filled with disbelief.
"Shikamaru actually won?" Tenten's face showed surprise.
"The Three-Headed Hellhound's large size was originally an advantage, but against Shikamaru's secret technique, it became a disadvantage," Neji said slowly.
"That's right." Ino nodded. "The bigger the target, the bigger the shadow — which makes it very easy for Shikamaru to capture the target's shadow."
"Damn it!" Kiba clenched his fist. "If only my strength were great enough, I could instantly break free from Shikamaru's secret technique control."
"That makes no sense," Sakura retorted. "What if Shikamaru had as much chakra as Naruto? You wouldn't even have a chance to break free."
"…" Kiba hesitated to speak. But Sakura's words were too logical, leaving him unable to refute.
"The second match of the third round, Naruto versus Sasuke." Kitazawa narrowed his eyes and announced.
The people who had been discussing suddenly fell silent. Compared to the sparring between Shikamaru and Kiba, the sparring between Naruto and Sasuke was clearly more significant.
"All right!" A glint flashed in Sasuke's eyes.
He finally faced Naruto again. He had lost terribly in the last final exam.
But now he had activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan and learned Konoha Style Swordsmanship, greatly increasing his strength.
And most importantly, Neji had already shown him how to fight Naruto. The Uchiha's Sharingan was best at copying.
"Sasuke!" Naruto excitedly gave a thumbs-up. "I have a feeling this will be another passionate youth battle!"
"There's no passionate youth — only your defeat." Sasuke glanced at him, then walked into the arena.
"Youth doesn't allow for failure!" Naruto quickly followed him.
"I feel like Sasuke will win this time." Kiba stroked his chin. "He looks very confident."
"When does he not look confident?" Ino countered.
"I guess so," Kiba recalled and nodded.
"Times have changed!" Sakura loudly declared. "I believe in Sasuke-kun!"
"You always say that." Ino retorted.
"However, Sasuke's learning Konoha Style Swordsmanship definitely increases his chances of winning by a lot," Shikamaru said thoughtfully. "Konoha Style Swordsmanship is quite effective against the unarmed Naruto and his Shadow Clones."
"Shikamaru is right!" Sakura immediately agreed.
In fact, it was usually like this: after the battle began, Naruto used Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu combined with ninja tool throwing.
Sasuke's response was the same as before — using the Shadow Clone Technique. But this time, he didn't use the Manipulating Shuriken Technique; instead, he used Konoha Style Swordsmanship.
Three Sasuke clones charged into Naruto's Shadow Clone formation and immediately began cutting them down.
Sword light flashed.
Every time Sasuke swung his sword, a Shadow Clone vanished. In an instant, Naruto's first batch of thirty Shadow Clones was quickly dealt with.
"Sasuke, you've gotten so much stronger than before!"
Naruto couldn't help but say. The previous Sasuke couldn't deal with his thirty Shadow Clones that quickly.
Body Flicker Technique! Sasuke rushed in front of Naruto. A flash of white sword light — the ninja sword slashed directly toward Naruto.
The excessive speed made Naruto's breath catch. At the critical moment, he leaned back, his right leg snapping up toward Sasuke's wrist.
The sound of air tearing rang out.
Sasuke understood Naruto's strength and dared not confront him head-on. He pulled his right hand back and pressed down, the ninja sword cutting toward Naruto's right leg.
Naruto's pupils constricted. Propping himself up with his hands, he raised his left leg as well, his feet clamping Sasuke's sword.
The next second, the blue chakra surged from his feet.
"Violent — Leaf Adamantine-Strength Whirlwind!" Naruto roared and performed a backward spin kick.
Sasuke frowned slightly and, without hesitation, drew his sword back and retreated.
Naruto flipped over and landed steadily. He immediately formed hand seals without stopping. "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! From the smoke, over a hundred Shadow Clones appeared.
"It seems Naruto is feeling a lot of pressure." Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and said slowly.
Previously, because of Kitazawa's reminder, Naruto had gotten used to summoning only thirty Shadow Clones at a time, first, to conserve chakra.
Second, to avoid having too many clones to command. Third, to prevent Sasuke and Neji from exploiting them.
But now, Naruto's Shadow Clone count exceeded one hundred. That meant he felt thirty clones could no longer change the situation.
"Next, we'll see if Naruto's Rasengan can be effective." Hiruzen had already guessed Naruto's thoughts.
At this point, the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu had been countered. He could only rely on the Rasengan.
"Even more Shadow Clones are useless." Sasuke gripped his sword, a smirk on his lips. "You must be planning how to use the Rasengan right now, aren't you?"
"How did you know?" Naruto blurted out.
"Isn't that obvious?" Sasuke finished speaking and waved his hand.
His two Shadow Clones immediately appeared in front of him. The three of them formed a back-to-back stance.
"Come on," Sasuke said with great confidence.
"Go!" Naruto waved his arm and shouted.
"Dynamic Entry!" Three Naruto Shadow Clones leapt up, aiming flying kicks at Sasuke.
Sasuke's response was simple: he slashed out with his sword. The three Naruto Shadow Clones were hit and dispersed on the spot.
"Violent — Leaf Adamantine-Strength Whirlwind!" Another Naruto Shadow Clone realized ordinary taijutsu was ineffective and used his most powerful move.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Sasuke didn't confront him head-on at all. He sheathed his sword and spat out a large fireball. At the same time, another Sasuke stabbed with his sword.
As soon as Naruto's Shadow Clone kicked away the large fireball, he was hit by a sword and dispersed on the spot.
"Rasengan!" Taking advantage of the two Sasuke clones' movements, Naruto seized the opportunity.
He rushed at extreme speed toward Sasuke, who was performing the Fire Release. At the same time, his other Shadow Clones rushed to entangle the remaining two Sasuke clones.
"Sure enough…" Sasuke, who had just performed the Fire Release, smiled. Naruto had used a similar tactic during his battle with Neji.
"Manipulating Shuriken Technique!" Sasuke raised both hands. The shuriken prepared on the ground flew from both sides toward Naruto.
"What?!" Naruto, left with no choice, smashed the Rasengan into the shuriken. This also meant his Rasengan failed.
"Naruto, this is Uchiha!" Sasuke said coldly. "Any of your methods has nowhere to hide before these eyes!"
Kitazawa looked at him with a strange expression.
Sasuke had been imitating or copying Neji's fighting style from beginning to end — even using the Sharingan as if it were the Byakugan.
In terms of perception, the Byakugan and Sharingan indeed had similar effects. But the Byakugan had a 360-degree field of vision, which the Sharingan did not.
Sasuke had thought of a solution: if one pair of Sharingan wasn't enough, then three pairs of Sharingan.
Neji used Gentle Fist to strike pressure points; Sasuke, instead, used his sword advantage to directly eliminate Naruto's clones. In effect, it was quite similar.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. Was Naruto going to lose?
To be honest, before the actual combat exam, even he hadn't thought Naruto would lose two matches. Now it seemed truly unexpected.
One could only say they were indeed the two male leads with the strongest bonds in the original work.
Kitazawa was deep in thought. If Naruto lost two matches in a row, according to the system's usual behavior, it might trigger a corresponding mission.