Kitazawa walked up to the Advanced Class students.
Not everyone from the class was present—some were seated in the stands.
For example, Hanabi and the others, because they weren't taking this graduation exam.
Aside from them, Gaara and Fū also weren't participating.
First, because they hadn't fully joined Konoha yet.
Second, because they'd only been in the Advanced Class for a short time—their strength had nothing to do with the class's training.
From that perspective, they didn't really count as Advanced Class students.
After excluding Hanabi and the others, along with Gaara and the rest, there were exactly thirty Advanced Class students taking the chunin exams.
"The rules for this graduation exam are the same as the previous live-combat exam—random matchups."
Kitazawa took out a ballot box and said, "There's no limit on rounds. We'll keep going until every rank is decided."
The previous live-combat exam only had three rounds, but three rounds really weren't enough.
With thirty students, it would take roughly six rounds to fight down to the last person.
"Round one, match one."
Kitazawa drew two slips of paper and called out, "Akimichi Chōji versus Hotaru!"
"You two, do your best!"
Yamanaka Ino clenched her small fist and cheered.
The other students also offered their encouragement.
They'd been classmates for so long that everyone got along pretty well.
And since this was a graduation exam, there was no need to make it overly hostile.
In fact, most of them weren't fixated on rankings anymore.
If you couldn't make the top three, the remaining placements didn't matter much.
Only Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto and a few others still cared about ranking.
Chōji and Hotaru stepped into the arena.
Most of the audience didn't have much impression of Hotaru, but they knew who Akimichi Chōji was.
Akimichi Chōza even felt a rare flicker of nervousness.
After all, Konoha's top brass were all here.
If Chōji performed poorly, it could reflect badly on the Akimichi clan.
"Begin!"
Kitazawa declared.
Multi-Size Jutsu!
Chōji's body rapidly grew larger.
The ground shuddered.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!
Hotaru had anticipated this—right as the fight began, she formed seals.
The sound of rushing water rose, and a water dragon thicker than a man's waist appeared out of thin air and slammed toward Chōji.
Human Bullet Tank!
Chōji pulled in his limbs, turning into a rolling ball of flesh as he charged straight into it.
With his huge size and spinning momentum, the ground rumbled.
Boom!
The water dragon collided with the meatball—water exploded everywhere in a spray.
Chōji's spin stalled.
But the next instant, he started rotating again, smashing the water dragon apart and barreling toward Hotaru.
Water Release: Water Blade Slash!
Hotaru reacted quickly and drew a kunai.
Water surged along the kunai, forming a blade of water.
She thrust the water blade forward.
Sensing danger, Chōji immediately canceled Human Bullet Tank.
Super Open Hand Slap!
He halted right in front of her, enlarged both hands, and brought them down.
A massive shadow swallowed Hotaru.
Hotaru sprang backward.
Even if her Water Blade Slash could hurt Chōji, she'd be flattened by those palms.
The moment she cleared the strike, the giant hands slammed into the ground.
The earth cracked and sank, leaving two enormous palm prints.
Water Release: Heavenly Weeping!
While dust filled the air, Hotaru opened her mouth and spat three needles of water.
The water needles pierced through the haze and hit Chōji.
But Chōji was too big—and his defense was boosted—so the damage was minimal.
Then the dust parted, and a meatball appeared again.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Instinctively, Hotaru summoned a wall of water in front of herself.
But she immediately realized the problem.
This Human Bullet Tank was different—Chōji's surface was covered in kunai.
Kunai were strung together with rope and tied around his body, turning it into a Spiked Human Bullet Tank.
Compared to the normal version, its killing power was far greater.
The moment Hotaru realized it, her Water Formation Wall was smashed apart.
The kunai-wrapped rolling tank crashed toward her with terrifying force.
Hotaru's face went pale.
Kitazawa appeared at the perfect moment, reached out, and stopped Chōji cold.
Seeing this, Chōji instantly canceled the Spiked Human Bullet Tank and Multi-Size Jutsu.
"Winner: Akimichi Chōji!"
Kitazawa announced as he stepped forward and healed Chōji.
Chōji had been injured by Heavenly Weeping—Hotaru, on the other hand, was fine.
"Not bad."
Chōza nodded in satisfaction.
The first match was a clean win—no embarrassment for the Akimichi.
And quite a few spectators who were watching the Advanced Class's live exam for the first time looked shocked.
Chōji being this strong was expected.
But Hotaru—a student with no reputation—having such impressive Water Release?
At her age, mastering even one jutsu would be considered genius, let alone four.
And those already famous—like Naruto and Sasuke—would probably exceed expectations even more.
"Round one, match two."
After Chōji and Hotaru left, Kitazawa said, "Chino versus Rock Lee!"
Chino and Lee stepped into the arena.
"Lee's a pure taijutsu ninja. Against the Ketsuryūgan's genjutsu, he'll probably struggle,"
Tenten said as she watched.
"Under normal circumstances, yes,"
Hyūga Neji replied, his gaze falling on Might Guy in the stands—so excited he looked ready to explode. "But the Eight Gates aren't afraid of genjutsu."
Genjutsu essentially interfered with a target's chakra flow to affect the five senses.
But once the Eight Gates were opened, chakra flowed in violent chaos—impossible to control.
And it came with continuous bodily damage—pain.
"I see."
Tenten nodded.
"Eight Gates, huh…"
Inuzuka Kiba sighed.
The Eight Gates were famous in Konoha.
That reputation came from Might Duy—
during the Third Shinobi World War, he alone shattered the Mist's Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"If Lee opens all Eight Gates, wouldn't he catch up to Sasuke and the others?"
Ino asked curiously.
"The price of opening all Eight is death,"
Nara Shikamaru shook his head. "In theory, Lee will never use the Eighth Gate in his life."
"Even just the first seven are more than strong enough,"
Naruto said with a thumbs-up.
He hadn't learned the Eight Gates himself, but he'd seen Guy teach Lee—chaotic and loud didn't begin to describe it.
"Begin!"
Kitazawa's voice cut off their conversation.
Chino immediately activated the Ketsuryūgan.
Lee quickly lowered his head.
He might be all about youth, but he wasn't stupid.
And Guy had specifically helped him plan for this.
"Eight Gates Technique!"
Lee roared. "First Gate: OPEN! Second Gate: OPEN!"
The moment two gates opened, chakra burst out, forming turbulent currents around him.
Chino's pupils contracted.
She didn't even have time to think before a green blur appeared in front of her.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Lee kicked.
Even the weakest move in the Leaf Whirlwind series became terrifying with the Eight Gates behind it.
Chino barely managed to track his motion with her Ketsuryūgan.
She reflexively retreated, then opened her mouth and spat three water needles.
In this moment, the no-hand-sign Water Release: Heavenly Weeping was the optimal answer.
Lee didn't dodge at all—he kicked the three water needles away.
Twisting midair, he unleashed Leaf Rising Wind.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Chino was already forming seals while retreating.
A wall of water rose before her.
Two loud cracks sounded.
Lee shattered the water wall with two kicks—then the third kick struck Chino cleanly.
She flew backward, slammed into the barrier at the edge of the arena, and passed out on the spot.
"Winner: Rock Lee!"
Kitazawa flashed to Chino's side.
Under his treatment, Chino woke up quickly.
"No wonder it's the Eight Gates…"
Tayuya said grimly.
Once Lee opened the Second Gate, his normal speed alone already outpaced her.
Her only option would be activating the Cursed Seal of Earth.
Tayuya couldn't help feeling grateful to Kitazawa.
If he hadn't implanted the Cursed Seal of Earth for her half a month ago, this graduation exam would probably be even worse for her.
"Just the Second Gate is already this terrifying?"
Kiba asked, wide-eyed.
He knew Lee had learned the Eight Gates, but he'd never seen the actual power until now.
"If he can truly open the Seventh, he'll probably place top five in our class."
Shikamaru thought for a moment.
Sasuke subconsciously glanced at Naruto.
Good thing Naruto hadn't learned the Eight Gates yet.
Otherwise, it would be even more troublesome.
As for Lee's Eight Gates, Sasuke wasn't worried.
In front of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, that speed still wasn't enough.
"I wonder which gate Lee can open at most right now."
Kiba scratched his head.
He suddenly felt like he probably wouldn't make top ten this time.
Even though his strength was already "once-in-a-century" talent in the Inuzuka clan, in the Advanced Class he still felt ordinary.
"Round one, match three."
Kitazawa casually pulled out two slips of paper, raised an eyebrow, and called out, "Kaguya Kimimaro versus Karin!"
The first three matches featured six familiar faces.
That was normal—there were thirty students in the Advanced Class taking the graduation exam.
That meant only fifteen could advance to round two, and among the top twenty-one, six would still be eliminated.
"Karin, just do your best!"
Ino and the others cheered her on.
Because in their eyes, the final victory here clearly belonged to Kimimaro.
The gap between them was simply too large.
"Yeah."
Karin nodded and walked into the arena.
As a medical ninja, she didn't care much about winning or losing.
Just like they said—do your best.
"Begin!"
Kitazawa shouted.
Kimimaro immediately rushed Karin.
As he moved, several lengths of white bone burst from his forearms.
Karin, as if she hadn't reacted, stood still.
Kimimaro narrowed his eyes.
He didn't understand why she wasn't dodging, but in battle, he never held back.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willows!
Kimimaro suddenly accelerated, his body drifting like willow fluff.
At the same time, the white bones launched a rapid barrage at Karin.
Monster Strength!
Karin finally moved.
She clenched her fist and punched straight out.
Kimimaro reacted fast—he raised the bones on his arms as a shield.
But the instant they met Karin's fist, he knew something was wrong.
A terrifying force crashed into him.
Kimimaro felt like he'd been rammed head-on by a high-speed bull.
He was blasted away like a cannonball, and his arms went numb in an instant.
If his bones weren't as hard as blades and steel, they would have shattered into pieces.
Seeing this, Karin hurried after him.
Cold sweat beaded on Kimimaro's forehead.
But luckily, he wasn't an ordinary taijutsu fighter.
Thanks to Shikotsumyaku, he didn't pass out outright from that monstrous-strength punch.
The moment he hit the ground, he used Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Clematis without hesitation.
In the next instant, dozens of massive bones erupted all over his body.
They could withstand tremendous impact—and their counterforce was vicious.
Karin slammed a punch into them and was blown backward.
Kimimaro let out a breath.
He'd been this close to falling in the first round.
"Winner: Kaguya Kimimaro!"
Kitazawa went to Karin and treated her.
In the stands, Tsunade nodded.
Karin's Monster Strength proficiency was decent—especially the timing of that strike. She'd picked it perfectly.
In Karin's hands, monster strength wouldn't be wasted.
And with medical ninjutsu on top of it, she was practically born to be Tsunade's student.
But Tsunade was about to retire, so she wasn't interested in taking more disciples.
Still, for the Uzumaki clan's sake, teaching her advanced techniques like the Yin Seal wouldn't be a problem.
"How did Karin get so strong?"
Kiba gaped.
"If he hadn't reacted in time, most ninjas would've been knocked out immediately by that punch."
Tenten marveled.
"It's monster strength."
Sakura said proudly. "Kitazawa-sensei taught it to the three of us."
Ino paused, a hint of envy rising in her heart.
But even though she hadn't learned monster strength, she'd learned Bringer-of-Darkness Technique and Super Beast Imitating Drawing—jutsu that weren't inferior to monster strength.
Kiba immediately looked wary when he heard that.
If he matched against Sakura or Shion later, he'd have to watch out for their monster strength.
"Too bad."
Neji explained. "Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku hard-counters monster strength. Otherwise, he would've lost to Karin."
"Yeah."
Tenten nodded in agreement.
"Round one, match four."
Kitazawa glanced at the slip and called out, "Uchiha Sasuke versus Jūgo!"
"Looks like my luck isn't great today."
Jūgo shook his head.
He knew Sasuke's strength well—no matter how hard he trained, Sasuke was someone he could never beat.
Tayuya hesitated, not knowing how to comfort him.
But Jūgo kept a calm mindset.
He walked into the arena and looked at Sasuke.
Cursed Seal of Earth: Level Two!
Jūgo's body changed immediately—his skin darkened and his face turned feral.
Sasuke simply watched him calmly.
The next second, Sasuke raised an eyebrow—Jūgo started spinning in place.
Sasuke recognized it at a glance: Leaf Dragon God.
The wind howled.
A massive blue dragon appeared out of nowhere, whipping toward Sasuke at incredible speed.
Where it passed, the ground trembled and dust surged.
"What?!"
Tayuya exclaimed in shock. "Jūgo actually learned Leaf Dragon God?"
"Damn it!"
Kiba clenched his fist. "How did you all suddenly get so strong?!"
Only four matches in, and they'd already seen Rock Lee, Karin, and Jūgo pull off abnormal performances.
The others felt similarly.
As expected of a graduation exam—everyone was showing their full strength.
Sasuke remained calm.
If this were the old him, dealing with Konoha Dragon God would be a headache.
But now he had the Mangekyō Sharingan technique—Ame no Tokotachi.
Sasuke vanished from where he stood.
The vicious dragon froze for an instant.
Sasuke reappeared directly above Jūgo's head.
He drew the Sword of the Thunder God and slashed down.
Lightning burst out, swallowing the spinning Jūgo.
Jūgo screamed and immediately stopped; Konoha Dragon God was forced to disperse.
"Winner: Uchiha Sasuke!"
Kitazawa announced at once.
Sasuke's lips curled upward.
Before, whenever Naruto used Konoha Dragon God, Sasuke would be thrown into chaos.
But through Jūgo, he'd now seen its weakness.
"What's going on?"
Aburame Shibi asked, puzzled. "How did Sasuke suddenly appear above Jūgo?"
Only a few people knew Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
And since they didn't visit the Ninja Academy often, this was their first time seeing that Mangekyō technique.
"That looked a lot like Flying Thunder God."
Akimichi Chōza said grimly.
"Leaf Dragon God has razor-sharp wind blades on the outside,"
Nara Shikaku thought aloud. "Only Flying Thunder God could ignore that."
"It's the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
Jiraiya blurted out.
The fight ended quickly, but he'd caught a glimpse of Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
The moment he said it, Hinata's father and the others all changed expression.
Only Uchiha Fugaku crooked his mouth into a smile.
Without a doubt, Sasuke's appearance had a stunning effect.
Even though he was already famous, the Mangekyō Sharingan still surprised Jiraiya and the others.
"Round one, match five."
Kitazawa continued, "Hyūga Hinata versus Shion!"
Shion was, without question, another Karin.
Both had learned medical ninjutsu, sealing techniques, and monster strength.
Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku countered monster strength; Hinata's Byakugan and bow-style secret arts also countered it.
Shion tried her best, but Hinata kept more than five meters of distance the entire time, and Shion was ultimately defeated from range.
Time passed steadily.
Round one quickly approached its end.
"Round one, match fifteen—Aburame Shino versus Haku!"
Kitazawa called out loudly.
Shino pushed up his glasses.
As he walked, he reviewed what he knew about Haku.
The most troublesome thing was Ice Release; next was Water Release.
"Begin!"
Kitazawa declared.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!
Haku formed seals, summoning a huge water dragon.
Shino raised both hands.
From his sleeves burst a dense swarm of blue kikaichū—special water-parasite insects with resistance to Water Release.
They blocked the water dragon head-on.
Boom!
Water exploded outward, soaking the nearby ground.
Haku formed seals again.
Ice Release: Shattering Ice Crystals!
A frigid aura spread. The water that had formed the dragon instantly froze—and the water-parasite insects were frozen with it.
Then the ice shattered, the fragments streaking toward Shino.
Shino frowned.
He hadn't expected Ice Release and Water Release to be used together like this, and he'd lost the initiative.
But his reaction was still quick.
Secret Technique: Insect Wall!
A large mass of kikaichū flew out and formed a barrier in front of him.
Shattered ice struck it, killing a number of insects immediately.
Using the opening, Shino widened the distance and flicked both hands.
Bee Bomb Technique!
Several bees flew toward Haku.
Haku's response was simple—he snapped out several kunai.
The kunai hit the bees, triggering explosions.
Summoning Jutsu!
Shino bit his thumb and summoned a queen bee.
The queen bee rose into the air.
Shino then released a thick swarm of bees.
Bee Senbon Technique!
A rain of poisonous needles shot toward Haku.
Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!
Haku answered with senbon as well.
Only one was poison needles, the other was water needles.
The two volleys collided midair.
Shino immediately directed the water-parasite insects forward.
They ignored the water needles and closed in fast.
Water Release: Instant Water!
Haku dove into the stream of water on the ground.
Shino's heart jolted—he quickly moved away from the water, but he was too late.
Haku reappeared not far from him and formed seals immediately.
Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!
Multiple ice mirrors sprang up, surrounding Shino.
Haku exhaled in relief.
He might win!
Haku slipped into the mirrors and hurled senbon at Shino.
The senbon hit Shino.
Shino fell—and turned into honey.
It was a Honey Clone Technique.
Haku froze and immediately realized something was wrong.
Shino relaxed slightly.
He'd used the Honey Clone earlier, under cover of the commotion from the bee explosions.
Because he knew exactly how terrifying Haku's Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals were.
Once trapped, it would be hard for him to defeat Haku.
Honey Technique!
Shino raised his hand without hesitation.
The queen bee and the swarm rose into the air and released massive amounts of beeswax.
The beeswax flowed like golden water, coating every ice mirror—and Haku inside them.
Haku couldn't move.
The battle ended there.
"Winner: Aburame Shino!"
Kitazawa announced.
"Haku got so strong too!"
Kiba said with a sigh.
"If Shino hadn't avoided getting caught in Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals ahead of time, Haku probably would've won."
Tenten nodded.
"And this is only the first round…"
Shikamaru rubbed his head. "With my strength, I feel like I can only make it to round two at best."
"Youth means fighting!"
Lee gave a thumbs-up. "This is seriously getting my blood boiling!"
"Yeah!"
Naruto said excitedly. "The fights coming up are definitely going to be even more full of youth!"
"Round one ends here. Everyone rest for fifteen minutes."
Kitazawa paused, then said, "Fifteen students advanced to round two. One student will get a bye."
~~~
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