The explosion had torn open half the battlefield, leaving the spectators stunned. Was this truly the Chūnin Exams? It looked more like a test for Jōnin.
From Gaara's clash with Sasori onward, the scale of power on display had already shaken everyone's understanding. The genin from Kamigakure—Kaede's people—were too strong. So strong it was almost unreal.
"Impossible… How were they ever just genin in Konoha?" someone muttered from the stands.
But there was no denying it. With a single jutsu, Naruto's overwhelming chakra had shaken the entire arena. And that was only Gaara showing a fraction of his own power.
The genin from Kirigakure weren't weak either. After dodging Naruto's Rasengan, four of them moved to surround him from every side.
"Water Style: Water Fang Bullets!"
Four spiraling jets of water ripped through the air toward him.
Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance, then reached deeper. "Fine… I'll use your power, Kurama!"
A red chakra tail sprouted from his back, then another, then another, until four swayed behind him. His hands grew claw-like, his body wrapped in the seething cloak of the Nine-Tails.
This time, he formed a Rasenshuriken—not to throw, but to wield. With three Shadow Clones at his side, he charged the four Kirigakure genin head-on.
The impact was devastating. A thunderous blast rocked the arena, smoke and dust swallowing the field. When it cleared, the four lay unconscious, unable to move.
"Out!" the proctor called.
Medics rushed in, carrying them quickly toward the hospital set up under Kamigakure's care.
Elsewhere, Gaara ended his own fight with terrifying ease. Sandstorms swirled, a tornado of grit swallowing his opponents. When the storm subsided, they too lay defeated, stripped of all fighting strength.
What was expected to be a balanced exam had turned into one-sided slaughter. One after another, Kaede's shinobi dismantled their enemies.
Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji fought with perfect coordination, their teamwork impeccable. Victory after victory piled onto Kamigakure's side.
The crowd began murmuring. "At this rate, most of the new Chūnin will come from Kamigakure. The last two spots… unless something shocking happens, they'll be the only ones left for the others."
But then, something shifted.
Before Naruto stood a familiar figure.
He almost shouted "Sasuke!"—but the name caught in his throat.
Because the boy before him was no longer disguised. His form shifted, revealing black hair, pale skin, and eyes that glowed with twin tomoe that had already evolved into three.
The Sharingan.
Not just any Sharingan—Sasuke's.
Here, in Kamigakure's arena, among Kaede's shinobi, a single foreign headband gleamed on his forehead.
And it was Sasuke, the boy Naruto had always chased, the rival who had lived in the center of his heart since their earliest days.
The genius of Konoha. The untouchable one. The one Naruto had secretly sworn to surpass.
Now, finally, he had come.
(End of Chapter)
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