The Continental Joint Chūnin Examination had drawn a total of three hundred participants.
During the first written exam, one-third were eliminated, leaving two hundred.
The second survival test cut that number in half, reducing the field to one hundred.
The third preliminary round eliminated sixty more, leaving forty candidates to advance.
As Ryoma had expected, Kakashi, Obito, Rin, Terumi, and the others advanced to the fourth and final stage with overwhelming ease.
The fourth exam was the official combat round.
The remaining forty candidates were divided into twenty pairs by lottery, and the winner of each match would be promoted directly to chūnin.
The venue was a massive, open-air training ground resembling a stadium. There were no environmental hazards—just open space, designed to test a ninja's pure combat ability.
"Boiling Mist Technique!"
On the battlefield, thick white mist burst from Terumi's mouth, instantly engulfing the Konoha shinobi standing opposite her. In the blink of an eye, his uniform corroded away, and his exposed skin blistered and burned.
"AAAAH!"
With a scream, the Konoha ninja collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Terumi wins!"
As the referee declared the result, Terumi lifted her gaze toward Ryoma, seated on the high platform. Her eyes carried a clear message:
You didn't even praise me.
Sensing her look, Tsunade asked suspiciously,
"That girl seems to be staring at you. Do you know her?"
"There's some history," Ryoma replied with a faint smile.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, clearly unconvinced.
"…You're not some kind of lolicon, are you?"
"I'm not," Ryoma said calmly.
"Hard to say."
Ignoring Tsunade's strange remark, Ryoma returned his attention to the arena.
Soon after, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin also won their respective matches. Each of them already possessed strength on par with jōnin, far surpassing ordinary genin. Their victories came without difficulty.
Several hours later, only twenty shinobi remained standing.
They were the final victors of the official matches—qualified for promotion to chūnin and the very first group to emerge from the Continental Joint Chūnin Examination.
Just as the referee prepared to announce the results, Obito stepped forward, followed by Kakashi.
"May I duel Kakashi here?" Obito asked earnestly.
Kakashi nodded in agreement.
Originally, the two had planned to hold back and share victory. But now that the examination was over, both wanted to demonstrate the results of their recent training—in front of their teacher.
At once, the gazes of the village leaders shifted toward Ryoma.
Everyone present knew that these two boys were his disciples. Naturally, no one dared object.
In the past, such behavior would have been considered reckless—the early bird that gets shot.
But times had changed.
Now, anyone who dared criticize Ryoma's people would become the bird instead.
"It's fine," Ryoma said calmly. "Let the young ones have a chance to show themselves."
With his approval, the leaders immediately agreed. The arena was quickly cleared, and preparations were made for the duel between Kakashi and Obito.
"Those two are Lord Ryoma's disciples…"
"Looks like we're in for a good show."
Ignoring the murmurs around them, Kakashi and Obito stepped into the center of the field, locking eyes with solemn expressions.
"I won't hold back," Obito said, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"Neither will I," Kakashi replied.
Before the match began, the two exchanged a formal hand seal, showing respect for one another.
The referee raised his arm.
"Begin!"
The moment the command fell, Kakashi and Obito charged toward each other simultaneously.
Kakashi was the first to move.
When he was still two meters away, he suddenly accelerated, his footing tightening as waist and stance aligned. His right fist shot forward in a straight punch aimed directly at Obito's chest.
"So fast!"
Obito was caught off guard. In an instant, the black of his pupils turned crimson. Three tomoe spun slowly within his Sharingan, locking onto Kakashi's movements.
Everything became clear.
Obito raised his right elbow at just the right moment, blocking Kakashi's punch head-on. At the same time, he slid half a step to the left, closing the distance in a flash, his fist whipping forward toward Kakashi's face.
Kakashi retreated with minimal movement, calmly knocking the strike aside.
Both of them understood—these opening exchanges were nothing more than probes.
The calm before the storm.
Obito's Sharingan has already evolved into the three-tomoe stage, Kakashi assessed rapidly.
His dynamic vision, copying ability, and genjutsu are all far stronger now. I need to be careful.
"Whoosh! Sou! Sou!"
A storm of shuriken erupted between them. Kakashi and Obito exchanged volleys with extreme precision, each deflecting or evading the other's attacks without hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged more than twenty moves.
The surrounding examinees stared in shock. If any of them had been matched against either Kakashi or Obito earlier, they would have been eliminated without question.
"Boom!"
Obito suddenly slammed a smoke bomb at his feet. Thick smoke exploded outward as he retreated into the haze.
Although the three-tomoe Sharingan granted him tremendous power, it was also rapidly draining his chakra.
In pure taijutsu, Obito was already at a disadvantage against Kakashi. Even with the Sharingan compensating for reaction speed, prolonged close combat only worsened the strain on his body.
He needed distance.
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
As Kakashi charged out of the smoke, Obito completed a rapid hand seal. A massive fireball—nearly the size of a house—erupted from his mouth and slammed into Kakashi's path.
The explosion roared. Scorching air washed over Obito's face.
But instead of relief, his expression turned grave.
He felt it.
That familiar presence.
From within the flames, a figure burst forward.
Kakashi emerged, surrounded by flickering heat waves. His uniform was torn and scorched, and burn marks were visible across his skin—clearly, the jutsu had not been completely avoided.
But around his eyes, a distinctive, mysterious pattern had appeared.
Obito's eyes widened.
"So that's why you haven't been using ninjutsu," he said slowly.
"You were refining Sage Chakra the entire time—even while fighting in close combat."
Even Obito couldn't help but admire it.
Kakashi possessed no bloodline limit. Everything he achieved was the result of pure chakra control refined to an astonishing level.
To divide one's focus—maintaining taijutsu combat while simultaneously gathering and refining natural energy—Obito knew himself well enough to admit it.
That's something I can't do.
(End of Chapter)
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