"You won this time, but next time I'll definitely win!" Sakura said, unwilling to accept defeat.
"Next time, I'll still win!" Ino said confidently, a wide smile on her face as she put away her Ninja Flower.
"Hmph, we'll see about that!" Sakura glared at her defiantly.
"Remember to treat me to barbecue tonight," Ino said without ceremony.
Sakura's expression changed, and she immediately felt a pang in her heart. Her allowance had just vanished.
"Winner: Ino Yamanaka," Kitazawa announced with a smile.
"We're heading off now, Kitazawa-sensei!" Ino happily waved to Kitazawa, then pulled Sakura back to the Genius Class's formation.
"First round, second match: Hinata Hyuga versus Shino Aburame," Kitazawa said after drawing the lot.
As his voice faded, three lines of text appeared before his eyes.
[Current Mission: Help Ino Yamanaka defeat Sakura Haruno in the next Monthly Exam.]
[Mission Reward: Mind Transfer Clone Technique.]
[Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
This was Ino's mission. As for the reward, there was nothing to say.
Kitazawa glanced at it, then his gaze fell upon Hinata. She walked onto the field very calmly.
Shino Aburame adjusted his glasses. He had fought Hinata several times but had never won. The Byakugan was too effective against his kikaichu.
Although he now had new parasite insects, they were still useless against the Byakugan. He estimated this result would be similar — in fact, it was exactly so.
The kikaichu released by Shino Aburame had no effect on Hinata. Finally, Hinata seized an opportunity, closed in with the Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique, and delivered Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms.
Shino defended with his kikaichu, but it was futile. After his kikaichu were destroyed, he was sent flying.
"Winner: Hyuga Hinata."
Kitazawa couldn't help but nod. Compared to her in the original work, the current Hinata had made rapid progress.
"Hinata seems to have gotten a lot stronger," Ino said thoughtfully.
"It's Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms," Neji took a deep breath and said.
The current Hinata was no longer inferior to him and could be considered to have fully realized her talent.
The reason lay in the improvement of her personality and unlimited three meals a day. Of course, there was also Kitazawa's guidance.
"No wonder." Ino had heard of Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms. After all, the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist and the Uchiha Clan's Fire Release were both very famous.
Sasuke frowned slightly. The speed of this Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms was faster than he had imagined.
Even with his Two-Tomoe Sharingan activated, a slight misstep would result in him getting hit. Fortunately, he now had Konoha-Style Swordsmanship, plus Fire Release, which could help him avoid close-quarters combat as much as possible.
Naruto scratched his head. After Kitazawa's practical combat mindset training, he had grown accustomed to thinking.
Similar to Sasuke's thoughts, he felt that the best way to deal with Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms was from a distance. His Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, combined with ninja tool throwing and Wind Release: Gale Palm, could achieve this.
"First round, third match: Kurama Yakumo versus Choji Akimichi," Kitazawa announced, glancing at the small slip of paper in his hand.
"Choji, a bad start." Shikamaru patted Choji's shoulder. "Just do your best."
Ino comforted him, "It's just a Monthly Exam, anyway."
Sakura pouted. You didn't say that when you were fighting me.
"Mmm." Choji, however, was quite calm. He was only interested in food now and had no desire to win or lose.
"Youth means facing challenges head-on!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up. "Choji, go for it!"
Choji smiled innocently and walked onto the field. Considering Yakumo's formidable strength, he used his full power right from the start.
Partial Multi-Size Technique!
Choji's right hand rapidly swelled, and his palm opened, grabbing at Yakumo like a giant windmill. The Genius Class students immediately let out a gasp.
Although Sasuke and Naruto had already demonstrated many ninjutsu, it was the first time they had seen the Akimichi Clan's secret technique.
"Wow!" Naruto's eyes lit up. "This ninjutsu is great!" He imagined it would be amazing when used in conjunction with Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"This is the Akimichi Clan's secret technique," Kiba explained. "It's called Partial Multi-Size Technique."
"If it's the Giantification Technique, he can become a giant even bigger than our school building," Ino said with a smile.
"Too strong!" Naruto's mind immediately conjured an image of Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu plus Giantification Technique, with giants sprawling everywhere.
Unfortunately, he couldn't learn it. After nearly a year of schooling, he had acquired a lot of ninja common sense and knew that secret techniques could only be learned by members of that clan.
"Yakumo didn't use genjutsu?" Sasuke's face showed surprise. Everyone chatting subconsciously looked towards the field.
Facing the giant hand, Yakumo chose to avoid it. At the same time, she seized the opportunity, kicked out, and hit his wrist.
Choji had not expected Yakumo to attack with taijutsu. He fell to one knee, tumbling forward.
At the critical moment, he released the Partial Multi-Size Technique, rolled on the ground, and nimbly stood up. Yakumo lunged forward.
The moment he stood up, she threw a punch. Choji subconsciously raised his arms.
Bang! The fist and arms collided. Both bodies trembled.
But Choji was larger and stronger, and even in his haste, he remained motionless. After pushing Yakumo away, he quickly threw a punch.
Konoha Whirlwind! Yakumo met it with a whirlwind kick.
She then engaged in close-quarters combat with Choji, combining it with Konoha-Style Taijutsu. Although she was in a suppressed state, such a scene still greatly shocked the Genius Class.
"Yakumo's taijutsu has become so good?" Sakura asked with a surprised expression.
"Her genjutsu is already the best in the class. If she also makes up for her taijutsu shortcomings, who can beat her?" Kiba asked, his eyes wide.
Sasuke fell silent. Yakumo's taijutsu level could only be described as average, but this revealed a very ominous signal — Yakumo was still getting stronger. He immediately felt a sense of urgency.
"Kitazawa-sensei is still too terrifying; everyone has made some progress," Ino thought.
Hinata subconsciously nodded in agreement.
"Winner: Yakumo Kurama," Kitazawa announced.
When Yakumo was about to give up on taijutsu, she switched to genjutsu. The situation reversed, and Choji Akimichi quickly lost.
How to describe it? This battle strategy was clever. It maximized the training of one's weaknesses, allowing for rapid improvement.
Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, the first round of fifteen matches concluded.
"Now, the second round begins." After a short break, Kitazawa drew lots again. "Second round, first match: Naruto versus Sasuke."
Undoubtedly, rigging was at play again.
"Here it comes — the main event." Shikamaru, for once, became serious.
Although usually lazy, he didn't miss a good show. Every battle between Naruto and Sasuke was incredibly exciting, keeping him captivated.
"Sasuke-kun! Take down Naruto again!" Sakura shouted, waving her small fists.
"Naruto, go for it! You absolutely have to take down Sasuke!" Kiba yelled loudly.
For a time, the Genius Class was divided into two camps, both boisterous in their support.
"Thank you, everyone!" Naruto said, waving his hand with a big smile. "On the name of youth, I won't lose this time!"
"Whether you lose or not isn't something you can decide," Sasuke said coolly, glancing at him, then walked onto the field.
"Sasuke! I've been looking forward to this for a long time. Youth means fighting with all your might. Come on!" Naruto walked in front of him, gave a thumbs-up, and said.
Sasuke's mouth twitched as he tightened his grip on his ninja sword.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto, as usual, created sixty shadow clones at the very start of the battle.
"Is it ninja tool throwing again?" Sasuke thought, immediately forming hand signs.
Shadow Clone Technique! Amidst the smoke, a clone appeared on his left and another on his right. He planned to continue using his previous method to counter it.
But to Sasuke's surprise, Naruto did not divide his shadow clones into three rows as before.
Thirty Naruto shadow clones formed a semicircle in the front, while the other thirty stood behind him. Sasuke couldn't help but feel puzzled. What is he doing?
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
After Naruto roared, he clapped his hands together. Wind release chakra, highly compressed between his palms, erupted violently, transforming into a roaring storm.
The first row of Naruto's shadow clones followed closely. Thirty-one Gale Palms overlapped. In an instant, a fierce wind roared, shaking the entire Training Ground.
At the same time, the second row of Naruto's clones flicked their hands, throwing sixty kunai.
"???" Sasuke's expression changed drastically.
Countless winds blew toward him. Wherever they passed, the ground trembled, and dust flew. The kunai, aided by the wind, pierced toward him like sharp blades.
Sasuke felt like a lone boat in a vast ocean, ready to be swallowed by the sea at any moment. At this moment, neither swordsmanship nor genjutsu had any effect.
Kitazawa twitched the corner of his mouth. It seems that having a lot of chakra really allows one to do whatever one wants. This display looked even more outrageous than he had anticipated.
The members of the Genius Class all widened their eyes, their faces filled with disbelief.
Kitazawa immediately flashed in front of everyone. He quickly formed hand signs, raising a Water Formation Wall to prevent Naruto's Wind Release: Gale Palm from affecting the audience.
But Sasuke on the field was not so lucky. After a moment of daze, he reacted immediately.
Body Flicker Technique! Sasuke dashed madly to the left, but the wind was too fast, catching up to him in a blink.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
In a hurry, Sasuke turned and spat out a large fireball. However, the fireball entered the storm and was blown away before it could last even a second.
One Wind Release: Gale Palm could knock a person flying; thirty-one together were enough to knock a building down. Adding the shuriken mixed within further increased the destructive power.
Sasuke no longer had time to cast another Fire Release ninjutsu; he could only draw his ninja sword. The shuriken arrived first. The sword flew rapidly, deflecting them one by one, but ultimately it was futile.
When the gale completely descended, he was sent flying.
Kitazawa used the Body Flicker Technique and appeared in front of him.
Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!
A ten-meter-high earth wall instantly rose, blocking all the gale and shuriken. The howling wind gradually subsided.
But the members of the Genius Class were still stunned in place, unable to react — including Sasuke.
"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto," Kitazawa announced as he removed the earth wall.
As his words fell, everyone slowly came back to their senses.
Sasuke hesitated to speak. He felt he had lost miserably before he even had a chance to display his full abilities. How could I fight like this?
"A C-rank Wind Release ninjutsu combined with Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu… can it become this terrifying?" Shikamaru couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
If not for Kitazawa's Water Release: Water Formation Wall, they would probably have been in trouble too.
"Most people simply don't have that much chakra!" Kiba complained.
"His chakra is more than all of ours combined." Tenten was both amazed and envious.
When she used Summoning Jutsu, her chakra ran out after only a few uses. But Naruto unleashed thirty-one C-rank Wind Release ninjutsu at once and was still brimming with energy; the difference was indescribable.
Sakura looked at the still-shaken Sasuke with a worried expression. Having been so confident only to suffer a crushing defeat, he must be feeling terrible.
Neji stood in place, brows tightly furrowed. He was thinking about how to deal with so many Wind Release: Gale Palms.
The only way was to stop him at the very beginning, preventing him from using it. But even this method was extremely difficult. Neji felt the meaning of sheer power for the first time.
"Youth is a storm!" Rock Lee shouted loudly, flashing his shining teeth. "Naruto, well done!"
Kosuke and Kakashi, watching from a distance, showed surprised expressions for the first time.
Everything before had been within their expectations, but Naruto's unique Wind Release: Gale Palm completely astonished them.
"This child's chakra is truly astonishing," Maruboshi Kosuke said with emotion.
Kakashi nodded. He realized that seven-year-old Naruto's chakra had already surpassed his own.
Yet, thinking of Uzumaki Kushina, he felt reassured again; an Uzumaki Clan member and nine-tailed jinchuriki naturally possessed immense chakra.
"Did Kitazawa tell him this tactic?" Kosuke mused. "It's not very useful against strong opponents and would just waste chakra." After all, it was only a C-rank Wind Release: Gale Palm; its destructive power wasn't exceptional.
"But for these children, it's very difficult to deal with." Kakashi's gaze fell on Sasuke.
Swordsmanship, Fire Release, and Genjutsu were all somewhat insufficient against this level of Wind Release. But Lightning Release was different; if used properly, there was a chance to turn the tide.
It just so happened that Sasuke had learned Konoha Style Swordsmanship; now was the time to continue his Lightning Release training.
"You two can go." Kitazawa patted Sasuke's shoulder.
Sasuke nodded silently and walked off the field.
"Second round, second match: Tenten versus Inuzuka Hana," Kitazawa called loudly after drawing the lot.
"Sister, watch out for her ninja tools!" Kiba immediately reminded her.
"Mhm." Inuzuka Hana smiled. "Kitazawa-sensei taught me a new Secret Technique. I can try it out now."
Tenten became alert upon hearing the words "Secret Technique." She hadn't trained in the same place as Hana, so she had no idea what the new technique entailed.
The two walked onto the field. Tenten, wary of Hana's Secret Technique, immediately used the Shadow Clone Technique taught by Kitazawa at the start of the match. Four Tentens simultaneously threw countless ninja tools, darkening the sky for a moment.
Inuzuka Hana's expression shifted slightly. She hadn't expected Tenten to also know the Shadow Clone Technique. But at this moment, she could only do her best.
Quadruple Fang Over Fang!
Hana and the three Haimaru brothers transformed into high-speed spinning tornadoes and charged forward.
Upon contact, a large number of ninja tools were immediately repelled. Then, the four tornadoes accelerated and crashed into Tenten.
"What?" The three Tentens quickly dodged to the sides, throwing more ninja tools as they ran. But it was all in vain.
In the original work, Kiba had used Fang Over Fang to dig a cave. With enhanced chakra, the attack power of Fang Over Fang was now comparable to multiple ninja tools.
The four tornadoes split into two, chasing Tenten from both sides.
With a loud bang! Tenten was caught. Under the attack of Fang Over Fang, her three shadow clones instantly vanished, and the real Tenten was sent flying. Kitazawa immediately flashed over and caught her.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei." Tenten breathed a sigh of relief.
"Winner: Inuzuka Hana," Kitazawa announced after they left the field.
The practical exam continued. Starting at nine in the morning, it quickly reached eleven.
"Third round, seventh match: Uzumaki Naruto versus Hyuga Neji!" Kitazawa called loudly. This was the third and final rigging of the practical exam.
Neji walked onto the field with a solemn expression. The previous match between Sasuke and Naruto had placed immense pressure on him. He had no confidence in this battle, but he had to try.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!
Neji rushed toward Naruto at top speed, aiming to suppress him before he could use Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
But as soon as he delivered the first palm strike, Naruto clapped his hands together, enveloped his entire body in Wind Release: Gale Palm, and accelerated to create distance.
Neji was taken aback. He hadn't expected Wind Release: Gale Palm to be used this way.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto seized the opportunity to create sixty Shadow Clones.
Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm! Neji reacted swiftly. He launched a palm strike directly at the real Naruto. But it was already too late.
Wind Release: Gale Palm!
A massive surge of wind chakra transformed into a violent storm, descending upon the battlefield once again.