Asuma Sarutobi slowly nodded, exhaling a thin trail of smoke.
"I noticed it while I was teaching him," he said in a low voice. "But now… it's become even more frightening."
Kurenai Yuhi, still relatively young among the jōnin, had never witnessed Naruto fighting up close before. She couldn't hide the astonishment in her eyes.
"What an incredible man…"
Inuzuka Kiba laughed loudly, his hands on his hips.
"Well, he is the most successful student of our generation," Kiba said confidently. "It's only natural he'd be this strong."
Sakura Haruno remained silent.
Her expression was unusually heavy.
She had never imagined that Naruto—the boy she once looked down on, the one she used to dismiss as a loud, talentless nuisance—would grow to such an extent.
Not just stronger.
But terrifyingly so.
Even Temari, a master of Wind Release herself, was stunned. Her pupils shrank slightly as she stared at the battlefield.
"What kind of power… is that?"
"Wind Release: Great Leap Forward," Kankurō muttered under his breath.
"The technique itself isn't the key," he continued grimly. "What truly matters is chakra quantity and control. Even exhausted, even with his chakra drained, he can still release ninjutsu at that level…"
He swallowed.
"It's absurd."
Gaara's body trembled faintly.
His lips slowly curled into a distorted smile.
"Excellent," he whispered. "Someone this strong… deserves even more to be killed by me."
"Killing him will prove the meaning of my existence."
Nearby, Hinata Hyūga and Uchiha Sasuke both released quiet breaths of relief.
Sasuke clicked his tongue, irritation mixed with unwilling admiration.
"This guy is a monster," he muttered. "To still have this much power in that condition…"
Hinata smiled softly and turned toward him.
"Sasuke-kun," she said gently, "why don't you just say it's a compliment to Naruto-kun?"
Sasuke stiffened.
"…Hmph."
He looked away and shook his head in silence.
Naruto himself, however, was in a completely different world.
He ran wildly around the training grounds, waving his arms and grinning from ear to ear, as if he had just conquered the universe.
"Hahaha! Did you see that?! Did you see that?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the scene with a warm smile.
"To still be this energetic," the Third Hokage murmured, "that really is you, Naruto…"
On the sidelines, Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses, a faint, unsettling smile curving his lips.
"So that's why Lord Orochimaru chose another target aside from Sasuke…"
"Uzumaki Naruto…" Kabuto mused quietly. "What a terrifying child."
The chaos Naruto caused lingered for quite some time.
Eventually, the exam proctor, Gekkō Hayate, coughed lightly and raised his hand.
"The matches will now continue."
The next rounds, coincidentally, were battles between teammates.
The first was Nara Shikamaru versus Akimichi Chōji.
Assigned to the same squad by fate, these two best friends now stood opposite one another.
Shikamaru scratched his head lazily.
"This is troublesome…" he muttered. "Why don't I just give up and let you win, Chōji?"
Chōji's expression instantly turned serious.
"Shikamaru," he said firmly, "don't say that."
Shikamaru blinked in surprise.
"Why? It's just a match."
Chōji shook his head.
"After seeing Naruto and the others," he said, clenching his fists, "don't you understand yet?"
"This isn't just an exam."
"It's a chance to prove ourselves."
"I'd love to keep eating snacks and living lazily with you," Chōji continued, voice growing stronger. "But we can't stay that way forever."
"Our families. Teacher Asuma. Ino. Everyone in the village…"
"They're all behind us."
"They need our protection."
Chōji lifted his head.
"So let's fight seriously, Shikamaru!"
Shikamaru stared into his friend's determined eyes.
After a long pause, he sighed—and smiled faintly.
"…Alright."
"For your sake, I'll make an exception."
"I'll stop being lazy—just this once."
Chōji beamed.
"That's the Shikamaru I know!"
He wasted no time.
"Secret Art: Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
"Human Bullet Tank!"
BOOM!
Chōji transformed instantly into a massive spinning sphere of flesh and chakra, roaring as he charged forward.
In raw power and destructive force, Chōji ranked among the strongest of the Konoha Twelve.
Shikamaru, however, was calm.
Attack was never his specialty.
Strategy was.
He clasped his hands together and slipped aside, narrowly avoiding the charging Human Bullet Tank while carefully observing its trajectory.
"Chōji," he said quietly, "no one understands you better than I do."
"And no one understands me better than you."
"So…"
"I won't hold back."
"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
A shadow shot out from Shikamaru's feet, racing across the ground in pursuit of the rolling mass.
"Heh! You won't catch me that easily!"
Chōji altered his path repeatedly, making it difficult for the shadow to connect.
Shikamaru smiled.
"As expected…"
"But—"
The shadow suddenly shifted direction.
Chōji reacted instantly, leaping high into the air.
"Dodged again!"
Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly.
"…Impressive."
Chōji laughed mid-air.
"I haven't been slacking off either, Shikamaru!"
The Human Bullet Tank crashed back down and charged once more.
Just as it was about to collide—
Buzz.
The spinning stopped.
Chōji froze in place.
"…What?"
Shikamaru smiled calmly.
"Shadow Possession complete."
Chōji turned his head—and realized his shadow was already connected.
"When did you—?"
"Even if you jump," Shikamaru explained, "your shadow stays on the ground."
Chōji laughed loudly.
"Just like you, Shikamaru…"
"I lose."
The match ended.
Though simple, it left a deep impression on the watching jōnin.
Asuma chuckled, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"Shikamaru still isn't taking things seriously…"
"But Chōji has grown a lot."
"If not for him," Asuma said softly, "no one could've ignited Shikamaru's fighting spirit."
Next came Inuzuka Kiba versus Aburame Shino.
Kiba fought with everything he had, using Fang Over Fang alongside Akamaru.
But it was useless.
Unbeknownst to him, Shino had already planted Kikaichū insects on both Kiba and Akamaru.
As the fight dragged on, the insects steadily devoured their chakra.
Tracking, detection, suppression, offense, defense—the Parasitic Destruction Insects were nearly flawless.
Eventually, Kiba collapsed.
Shino Aburame's strength left everyone stunned.
Then came Temari versus Yamanaka Ino.
Though Ino had worked hard, her techniques leaned heavily toward support.
Against Temari's overwhelming Wind Release, the gap was undeniable.
Temari emerged victorious.
Finally—
Rock Lee versus Misumi Tsurugi.
Misumi, an Otogakure ninja under Orochimaru, possessed the Soft Body Modification Technique, allowing his body to twist and stretch like a snake.
Rock Lee attacked fiercely.
Fast.
Precise.
Relentless.
Yet his blows seemed to melt away.
Lee was trapped, restrained, his power redirected again and again.
But then—
He heard Naruto's voice.
You can do it!
He saw Might Guy's gaze.
Absolute trust.
Lee's spirit ignited.
With renewed strength, he wrapped Misumi in bandages and unleashed his final technique.
"Leaf Storm!"
The violent assault overwhelmed Misumi completely.
The battle was decided.
"I did it, Sensei!"
Might Guy gave a radiant thumbs-up.
"Well done, Lee!"
"Youth… is meant to explode!"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)