Subsequently, the qualification matches continued.
The sixth match turned out to be Nara Shikamaru's fight. Even though he was clearly distracted and not in the best state of mind, he still managed to secure a clean victory.
What stood out, however, was his unusual behavior. Throughout the match, Shikamaru kept glancing around the arena, as if he were searching for someone in the crowd.
After Shikamaru stepped down from the arena, the atmosphere briefly relaxed.
The next names had yet to appear, and the participants used the short break to observe their surroundings or quietly assess potential opponents.
The Snow Hidden team stood together, calmly watching everything unfold.
Their expressions remained composed, showing little interest in the tension that filled the rest of the arena.
"He keeps looking over here," Hinata muttered softly.
"Yeah. Not exactly subtle either."
"That's the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, right?"
The three of them exchanged glances.
In this world, Naruto wasn't an orphan. He had been properly guided since childhood. Although his theoretical knowledge was still lacking in some areas, his overall combat ability far surpassed that of the Naruto from the original timeline.
Under Kushina's guidance, he had even learned techniques like the Rasengan ahead of time.
Even so, in the eyes of the Snow Hidden team, Naruto's strength was merely passable—not particularly impressive.
After all, they had grown up under the strict training of instructors whose power stood at the level of peak Kage.
Compared to them, both their standards and their worldview were on a completely different level from ordinary genin who had never left their villages.
Meanwhile, Naruto had been sneaking glances at them for a while.
More precisely, his gaze kept drifting toward Karin.
Even though he had once approached her and been quietly ignored, he found that he didn't dislike her at all.
He scratched the back of his head, hesitated for a moment, then decided to walk over again anyway.
Naruto had never been the type to overthink things.
"Karin-chan, right?"
He leaned forward slightly, grinning.
"You… kinda remind me of someone."
Karin looked at him calmly and let out a small sigh.
"So-so."
"…Huh?"
Naruto blinked, completely thrown off.
"I didn't even say anything yet!"
"…."
The others beside Karin remained silent, though the faint amusement in their eyes made it obvious they were enjoying the scene.
"I was talking about your pick-up line, kid. It sucks," Karin said dryly.
"Eh?! That wasn't a pick-up line!" Naruto shot back at once. "I just said you reminded me of someone!"
"And who exactly?" Karin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My mom," Naruto replied without hesitation.
Karin froze for a second, clearly caught off guard.
"…Are you calling me old?"
"Eh?! No, no!" Naruto waved his hands frantically. "My mom's super young! I mean— not that you look old! You just— uh— have the same hair!"
"…That didn't help."
"I meant it in a good way!" Naruto insisted. "You even feel kinda similar… I don't know how to explain it!"
Karin crossed her arms, staring at him. "So now you're saying I feel like your mom too?"
Naruto froze. "…When you say it like that, it sounds weird."
"It sounded weird before."
"Oi, I'm trying here!"
"…You're doing this on purpose right?"
"Yeah, well, you're scary!"
"Scary?" Karin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Naruto immediately straightened. "I mean— cool! You're cool! Very cool!"
"…Get lost."
Karin added flatly, "Unless you want to get choked with my chain."
Naruto's face instantly turned purple as the image popped into his mind.
He slowly took a step back.
Then another.
I'm not scared, he told himself inwardly. Not scared at all.
This is just… a tactical retreat.
He nodded to himself seriously.
Yeah. Tactical.
"I'll be back!" Naruto declared, trying to sound confident as he continued backing away.
The moment he turned around, however, his pace quickened noticeably.
"…."
--
Then, the eighth match began.
"Hyūga Akiba vs. Hyūga Neji."
Hyūga Akiba was a girl in the same class as Naruto and Shikamaru, one of the Konoha rookies.
The Ninja Academy, originally established by the Second Hokage, was Konoha's official training institution. With the Third Hokage personally overseeing it as principal, the major clans in the village naturally showed their support. Every year, they would send one or two of their younger members to enroll.
As a result, each class at the Academy included children from various prominent clans.
After Hyūga Hinata's disappearance, the Hyūga clan selected Akiba, who was of a suitable age, to enter Naruto's class in her place.
"Akiba, you can do it!"
Seeing his classmate step into the arena, Naruto cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted encouragement from the sidelines.
"A Hyūga versus a Hyūga…"
This matchup immediately caught the Snow Hidden team's attention.
After all, one of their own teammates was from the Hyūga clan as well. They were extremely familiar with the Byakugan and the clan's Gentle Fist taijutsu.
"Neji-oni-sama…"
"Akiba, let's both do our best."
Neji spoke calmly. The girl standing before him was, like him, a member of the Hyūga branch family. Because they shared the same circumstances, he treated her with a certain quiet consideration.
The match was decided quickly.
With precise movements and overwhelming control, Hyūga Neji secured an easy victory.
--
After that, the next match was announced—finally, it was Snow Hidden Village's turn.
"Kimimaro vs. Rock Lee."
Once again, it was Konoha versus Snow Hidden Village.
Seeing this pairing, even several jōnin in the stands looked a little surprised.
"That team again…"
Karin couldn't help complaining as well. After all, her own match had also been against someone from the same team.
"Kimimaro," Yugao said seriously, her expression firm, "as usual, don't kill him. Hold back as much as possible. This is just a sparring match."
She knew better than anyone that Kimimaro was the most dangerous among them. If he lost control and got carried away, things could quickly turn troublesome.
"Understood."
Kimimaro nodded calmly, as if the reminder was unnecessary.
"Hey, Kimimaro," Karin said with a grin, leaning forward slightly. "Don't end it too fast. If you're going to fight, at least make it flashy and—"
Before she could finish—
"…I'll keep that in mind," Kimimaro replied evenly. "I won't get rid of him too quickly."
With that, he leapt down from the stands, landing in the arena with a quiet, composed presence.
"That guy," Naruto muttered as he appeared beside Karin again, lowering his voice, "if you underestimate thick eyebrows, you're gonna regret it."
He had already seen Rock Lee fight Sasuke earlier. Even though Lee had been overwhelmed, Naruto knew that "bushy brows" wasn't someone to take lightly.
"Haha," Haku chuckled softly. "Kimimaro is the strongest among the three of us. Don't underestimate him, Naruto-kun."
"Really?" Naruto blinked in surprise and turned toward him. "He's even stronger than Karin-chan?"
"Hmph."
Karin pursed her lips and turned her head away, clearly refusing to comment.
"Uh… um…"
Naruto hesitated, wanting to continue the conversation, but then realized he didn't even know the other person's name yet.
"My name is Haku," he said gently, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Naruto-kun."
"So cute…"
For a moment, Naruto was completely stunned. The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself.
"Pfft—"
Beside him, Karin struggled to hold back her laughter, shoulders trembling as she covered her mouth.
Oh my god, this is way too funny, she thought, thoroughly entertained.
Even Yugao glanced over, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"Ah—?"
Coming back to his senses, Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Then, with a bright, sunny grin, he straightened up and introduced himself loudly.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki! And I'm gonna become the Hokage!"
"Hokage, huh?" Haku said warmly. "That's a wonderful dream. Do your best."
"Ohhh!"
Naruto gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up, grinning foolishly.
After all, in this village, there weren't many people who treated him with such gentle sincerity.
Feeling like he had made a new friend, Naruto couldn't help but feel genuinely happy.
--
Not far away, Sasuke Uchiha was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, arms folded across his chest.
When he heard the announcement of the next match, his eyes slowly opened. Scarlet light flickered within them as the Sharingan emerged—three tomoe spinning quietly.
His gaze shifted to the names displayed on the board, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Rock Lee wasn't much of a concern to him. No matter how loudly that guy shouted about youth and passion, it held little interest for Sasuke.
He was well aware of the forbidden technique known as the Eight Gates—its explosive power and the heavy price it demanded from the user.
In theory, hard work could momentarily allow the untalented to catch up to geniuses.
But to Sasuke, it was nothing more than a fleeting blaze—a final flash from those struggling to shine.
Kimimaro, however, was different.
His instincts told him that the Snow shinobi would be the greatest obstacle he had to overcome in this exam and the key to claiming victory and earning approval from that man.
So even if Rock Lee was merely a brief spark, Sasuke didn't mind letting that spark flare brightly for a moment…
…if it meant exposing the strength hidden behind Kimimaro.
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