For the ninth sparring match, Tayuya from the Genius Class stepped forward.
Her opponent was a Genjutsu Ninja, but she won by relying on her three Summoning Beasts, Doki (Angry Demons).
It must be said that the combination of Genjutsu and Summoning Beasts is very effective against ordinary Ninja.
"Tenth sparring match: Nara Shikamaru vs. Aburame Muta!" Iruka shouted loudly.
"A Ninja from the Aburame Clan?" Shikamaru was startled for a moment, then sighed and said, "What a troublesome opponent."
"He's a Special Jonin, leaning towards being a Perception Ninja." Shino reminded him.
"Thanks." Shikamaru nodded and said.
"Even Sakura can defeat a Special Jonin, Shikamaru; you can too!" Ino waved her small fist and said.
"What do you mean, 'even I can defeat a Special Jonin'?" Sakura snorted softly, lifted her chin, and said proudly, "I'm very strong!"
"Sakura is indeed very powerful!" Naruto said with a flash of his teeth.
"I always feel a bit strange hearing that from you." Sakura retorted.
She had never defeated Naruto, so how could she be considered very powerful?
"Shikamaru, you can do it!" Choji cheered him on.
Shikamaru bid them farewell and walked to the center of the Training Ground.
Aburame Muta had already arrived a step earlier. Like other Ninjas of the Aburame Clan, he wore a white robe, sunglasses, and carried a jar on his back.
Aburame Muta was one of the members of the Underwater Exploration Team established by Kitazawa.
When he previously returned to Konoha to report on his work, he was unexpectedly chosen by Kitazawa, so he came to participate in the Genius Class's final exam.
"I feel like it's going to be hard to win." Shikaku Nara said with a frown.
"Have confidence in Shikamaru, he's your son." Choza Akimichi comforted him.
"I have confidence in him, but his opponent is very strong." Shikaku Nara shook his head and said, "The Aburame Clan's Secret Technique is quite a counter to the Nara Clan's."
If it were a team battle, he naturally wouldn't worry.
The Secret Techniques of the Ino–Shika–Chō Clans complement each other, making them virtually flawless. But now, it was just Shikamaru alone.
"In front of your Nara Clan's high intelligence, there's no such thing as being countered." Aburame Shibi shook his head and said.
"Battle starts!" Iruka's voice made them look towards the field.
Secret Technique: Parasitic Destruction Insect! Aburame Muta raised his hand.
He understood the Nara Clan's Secret Technique very well. Once controlled, defeat was not far off, so the best way was to maintain a certain distance.
That way, Shikamaru's shadow would be discovered as soon as it moved. He could dodge in time and then defeat him with Kikaichu from a distance.
Seeing this, Shikamaru immediately threw out two shuriken.
But just as the shuriken were about to hit, the Kikaichu directly dispersed into four streams, successfully avoiding the two shuriken.
"As expected." Shikamaru wasn't surprised. After throwing the shuriken, he ran to the left.
Seeing this, Aburame Muta immediately commanded the Kikaichu to pursue him.
Shikamaru was chased in a very disheveled manner, rolling and crawling across the field to evade the Kikaichu.
Aburame Muta breathed a sigh of relief. The previous Genius Class students had made him feel a great threat, but now it seemed Shikamaru was a little inferior.
Whoosh!
Shikamaru took the opportunity to throw out six more shuriken. But this time, he didn't attack the Kikaichu, but aimed at Aburame Muta.
Secret Technique: Insect Wall Technique!
Aburame Muta stood still. From his jar flew out Kikaichu like thick smoke.
The Kikaichu rapidly gathered together, forming an insect wall. The six shuriken landed on the insect wall, immediately losing their impact and falling to the ground.
One of the shuriken happened to be stuck in Aburame Muta's shadow.
Shadow Imitation Shuriken! Shikamaru's Secret Technique immediately took effect.
Aburame Muta immediately noticed something was wrong; his body suddenly became unable to move.
He scanned the shuriken on the ground and finally discovered the shuriken that had pinned his shadow.
"Miscalculation!" Aburame Muta, while trying to regain mobility, commanded the Kikaichu forming the insect wall to bite the shuriken on the ground.
Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique!
Shikamaru vanished like a leaf. The Kikaichu pursuing him lost their target and all stopped in place.
Aburame Muta's expression changed drastically, but he was ultimately a step too late. Shikamaru appeared at his side, a Kunai pressed against his neck.
"Winner, Nara Shikamaru!" Iruka announced.
"As expected of your Nara Clan." Aburame Shibi couldn't help but say after watching the whole process, "First feign weakness, then win in one fell swoop."
"Shikamaru is indeed smart." Choza Akimichi agreed.
"The key was still the Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique." Shikaku Nara smiled, but still said humbly, "Kitazawa's contribution is the greatest."
"After all, it was Kitazawa's arrangement." Hyuga Hiashi nodded and said, "He must have had some considerations."
Uchiha Fugaku glanced at him. Hiashi had been very supportive of Kitazawa from beginning to end today; had something he didn't know about happened between them?
Fugaku Uchiha felt a sense of urgency. If nothing unexpected happened, Kitazawa would become the next Hokage.
Whoever had a good relationship with him would gain the upper hand, especially since he could decide the candidate for the Hokage after next.
Theoretically, Hinata and Neji, like Sasuke, had the qualifications to become Hokage.
Although the two of them were a bit inferior to Sasuke, their talent and strength were outstanding among their peers.
Neji had the Caged Bird Seal, so his probability of becoming Hokage was lower.
However, Hinata was hard to say. Especially since there had already been a female Hokage like Tsunade.
Shikamaru returned to the Genius Class queue.
"Why are all of you from the Nara Clan so smart?" Sakura couldn't help but ask.
"It's natural, nothing we can do about it." Shikamaru shook his head and said.
"Damn it!" Kiba said enviously, "If I had Shikamaru's intelligence, I definitely wouldn't have lost!"
He had almost won his previous battle against Kotetsu Hagane.
"It's not just a matter of intelligence." Shikamaru explained, "My victory was entirely due to the Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique taught to me by Teacher Kitazawa."
He and Nara Shikaku, without consulting each other, used the same explanation.
Ino nodded, thinking he made a good point. Without the Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique, he wouldn't have been able to seize that brief second to attack Aburame Muta.
Tayuya subconsciously clenched her fists. Although she had defeated her opponent, that was just a Chunin.
Shikamaru and the others had defeated Special Jonin; their rankings this time would probably all be above hers.
And their progress was too fast; if this continued, what would she do if she fell out of the top eighteen? It seemed she really had to go to Kitazawa for help.
"Eleventh sparring match: Yamanaka Ino vs. Uzuki Yūgao!" Iruka looked at the match schedule and read aloud.
"It's your turn, Ino." Shikamaru immediately said, "Be careful in everything."
"Hmph, I'd like to see how you lose!" Sakura said, crossing her arms.
"Lose? Just wait for my victory!" Ino glanced at her and said with great confidence.
"Don't get too happy too soon. I heard Teacher Kosuke mention Senior Yūgao before; her Konoha Style Swordsmanship is very powerful!" Sakura snorted softly and said, "You definitely can't win against her!"
Seeing this, Sasuke closed his mouth again. When Maruboshi Kosuke taught him Konoha Style Swordsmanship earlier, he had mentioned Yūgao and Hayate Gekko.
Because they were the Ninja most proficient in Konoha Style Swordsmanship besides him. But since Sakura had already given the reminder, he didn't need to repeat it.
"We shall see!" Ino elbowed her and walked into the arena.
Yūgao then walked to face her. She looked at Ino, and the Secret Technique of the Yamanaka Clan appeared in her mind.
The previous sparring match between Inuzuka Hana and Yamanaka Fu had also shown her how to defeat a Ninja of the Yamanaka Clan.
Thinking of this, she immediately had a countermeasure.
Shadow Clone Technique! As soon as the battle began, Yūgao split into two Shadow Clones.
Shadow Clones were undoubtedly quite effective against the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Body Switch Technique and Mind Transfer Clone Technique.
Ino frowned slightly. This tactic indeed made her feel tricky.
Fortunately, she was no longer just a simple Ninja of the Yamanaka Clan.
Ninja Art: Moonlight Beauty! Ino stood still and threw out a large number of petals.
Konoha Style Swordsmanship! Yūgao and her two Shadow Clones, holding ninja swords, charged towards Ino.
Halfway there, they suddenly stopped. Because Ino had disappeared from their sight.
Yūgao and her two Shadow Clones subconsciously looked around, but none of them saw her.
Just then, a whooshing sound came from above. Yūgao subconsciously looked up and saw countless Ninja flower shuriken attacking them.
Konoha Style Swordsmanship: Crescent Moon Dance!
Yūgao was very decisive. She and her two Shadow Clones directly met the attack.
The Ninja flower shuriken were cut apart by their ninja swords, and they quickly surrounded Ino.
Sly Mind Affect Technique! Ino did not dodge; she immediately released a Genjutsu.
Yūgao and her two Shadow Clones suddenly changed direction. What was originally a straight line became a diagonal line, causing them to brush past Ino.
This was the effect of the Sly Mind Affect Technique, making the target unconsciously wander as if bewildered by a fox.
Genjutsu: Release! Yūgao was a Special Jonin after all, and she reacted immediately.
Just then, Ino turned around and threw three specially made Ninja flower shuriken at them.
As soon as Yūgao released the Genjutsu, she smelled a familiar scent of exploding tags.
Her face instantly changed, and she retreated.
Her two Shadow Clones, to save her, had no choice but to slash at the Ninja flower shuriken with their ninja swords.
With a bang! The Ninja flower shuriken exploded, blowing her two Shadow Clones into smoke.
Yūgao felt a sense of subtlety. Ino hadn't used any of the Yamanaka Clan's Secret Techniques from start to finish, rendering all of Yūgao's assumptions useless.
She no longer hesitated, leaping up and unfurling her ninja sword in mid-air.
Konoha Style Swordsmanship: Hazy Moon Night!
Her ninja sword was incredibly fast, its afterimages forming a full moon. Yūgao flashed down from the sky, appearing before Ino, her countless sword shadows enveloping her.
Ninja Art: Mind Butterfly!
Ino's lips curled into a slight smile as a mental shockwave hit Yūgao, who was right in front of her.
Her body trembled violently; she felt dizzy and couldn't hold her ninja sword steady, which clanged to the ground.
"I win!" Ino immediately pulled out a Kunai and held it against Yūgao's neck.
Yūgao shook her head. Once she recovered her senses, she saw the Kunai in front of her.
"You really don't seem like a Yamanaka," Yūgao said with a smile, picking up her ninja sword.
"It's all thanks to Kitazawa-sensei's excellent teaching," Ino said proudly.
"I see," Yūgao nodded and said, "I don't regret losing."
"Winner, Yamanaka Ino," Iruka announced.
"How did Ino completely become a Genjutsu Ninja?" Akimichi Choza subconsciously looked at Inoichi Yamanaka.
"This was Kitazawa's arrangement," Inoichi Yamanaka said with a smile, "I didn't expect her to have such good talent in Genjutsu."
"I have to say, Ino's performance was indeed very good," Nara Shikaku praised, "Even without the Ino–Shika–Chō combination, she can successfully become a Jonin."
"What was that Secret Technique Ino used at the end?" Aburame Shibi asked curiously, "I don't recall your Yamanaka Clan having that Secret Technique."
"It's a Yin Release Secret Technique created by Kitazawa," Inoichi Yamanaka replied.
"It feels like Kitazawa already has the demeanor of the Second Hokage-sama," Nara Shikaku couldn't help but exclaim.
"Indeed," Inuzuka Tsume echoed. Kitazawa alone had created several Ninjutsu for Kiba.
"Twelfth match, Aburame Shino versus Uchiha Tekka!" Iruka glanced at the match schedule; his pupils constricted, but he still called out without changing his expression.
However, the audience showed surprised expressions upon hearing this.
"Shino's opponent is Uchiha Tekka?" Inuzuka Tsume couldn't help but feel astonished.
Although she had a premonition that Shino's opponent would be a Jonin, she didn't expect it to be a Uchiha Jonin.
The strength of a Uchiha Jonin far exceeded that of a normal Jonin. In the Ninja World, there was a legend of Uchiha being invincible in one-on-one combat.
"This arrangement... is very tricky."
Nara Shikaku originally wanted to say that this arrangement was unreasonable, but remembering it was Kitazawa's arrangement, he immediately changed his words.
"It's not just generally tricky," Akimichi Choza shook his head and said.
Even they had to be careful when facing Uchiha Tekka. After all, he had the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and a slight oversight could lead to trouble.
"Kitazawa wouldn't arrange such a seemingly mismatched spar," Uchiha Fugaku said calmly, "The only explanation is that he believes Shino has the strength to contend with Tekka."
Hyuga Hiashi subconsciously looked at him. Why are you learning from me?
The reason he strongly supported Kitazawa today was that Kitazawa had given the Hyuga Clan two invaluable Ninja tools.
Of course, this was only the superficial reason. The deeper reason was that Kitazawa gave such invaluable Ninja tools to Hinata and Neji, indicating his high regard for them.
Hyuga Hiashi had no aspirations for the Hokage position before because the Hyuga Clan had always avoided contention, only seeking to maintain their current status.
But now, because of Kitazawa's actions, he had a slight change of heart. What if?
If Hinata and Neji became Hokage, the Hyuga Clan would usher in an unprecedented era of prosperity.
Nara Shikaku looked left and right, vaguely guessing something. But he could only feel envy.
After all, under normal circumstances, their Nara Clan could not produce a Hokage. Their strength didn't allow it.
"Shibi, why aren't you speaking?" Nara Shikaku noticed the blind spot.
"I have nothing to say," Aburame Shibi smiled and said, "Let's watch the spar."
Not many people knew that Shino had learned the Kamizuru Clan's Secret Technique. Aburame Shibi, as his father, naturally knew.
In addition, there were also Fire-type Kikaichu and Exploding Insects. Considering everything, Shino indeed had a chance to win.
"It seems you are confident," Nara Shikaku realized.
The others, including Uchiha Fugaku, became curious upon hearing this. He actually didn't think Shino could defeat Uchiha Tekka; he only said so out of respect for Kitazawa.
Shino took a deep breath and walked onto the field.
Uchiha Tekka put a lot of pressure on him. After all, he had never defeated Sasuke in the Genius Class.
In contrast, Uchiha Tekka seemed very relaxed. Although the previous students of the Genius Class had shown surprising strength, they were still some distance from being Jonin.
He didn't think Shino possessed the strength of a Jonin.
"Begin!" Iruka's gaze fell on Shino.
As a teacher, although he knew Shino's strength, his opponent was Uchiha Tekka, and he didn't have much confidence in him.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique! Uchiha Tekka formed hand signs, and a huge fireball rapidly flew towards Shino.
Insect Wall Technique! Shino immediately released a large number of Kikaichu.
With a bang! The fireball hit the insect wall, and the scorching high temperature caused the Kikaichu to burn fiercely, instantly being incinerated to nothing.
The fireball, now a bit smaller, still continued towards Shino.
Shino immediately flashed to the left.
Uchiha Tekka smiled faintly, feeling confident of victory.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Crimson Claw!
As soon as Shino reappeared, he immediately threw shuriken and simultaneously exhaled flames. The flames enveloped the shuriken, like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, sealing off all escape routes around Shino.
Summoning: Queen Bee!
Shino bit his thumb and pressed it to the ground. A queen bee, four to five meters long, appeared.
It immediately flung out a Hive, blocking in front of Shino.
The flaming shuriken hit the hive, and the Chakra contained within was quickly absorbed by the hive.
"What?!" Uchiha Tekka's expression suddenly changed.
"This is... the Kamizuru Clan's Queen Bee?" Nara Shikaku looked twice, asking uncertainly.
"That's right," Aburame Shibi nodded and explained, "Kitazawa took Shino out on a mission and happened to encounter a Kamizuru Clan Ninja."
"It's Kitazawa again?" Akimichi Choza exclaimed with emotion, "It feels like the students of the Genius Class are getting stronger all because of Kitazawa."