"Students with number two, please step forward."
After giving Naruto Uzumaki a score of ninety-five, Kitazawa called out.
Shino Aburame, wearing his white high-collar coat and dark sunglasses, stepped calmly into the arena. His opponent was a boy with average performance, normally decent, but against Shino Aburame, defeat was inevitable.
Just as the boy began forming hand signs, a swarm of kikaichū insects burst from Shino's hair and sleeves.
The boy panicked, dropped his jutsu, and bolted. From the moment the match started, he was already being overwhelmed.
After dodging frantically for barely ten seconds, he was finally caught by the swarm.
"I, I surrender!"
The boy stared at the insects crawling over his arms and legs, shaking with fear. He seemed convinced they would burrow into his body at any moment.
"Students from a shinobi clan really have too much of an advantage," Iruka said in evaluation.
"Not every shinobi clan wins this easily," Kitazawa shook his head. "Some clans have strong points and weak points, even the Uchiha have areas they're not good at."
But the Aburame clan is… well-rounded. As long as they raise their kikaichū properly, reaching chūnin level is easy. And if the insects mutate or they bond with a rare species, their strength skyrockets.
Like Torune Aburame's nano-poison bugs.
Unfortunately, Danzo had taken Torune into Root.
That was the fate of many clans, finally producing a genius, only for Danzo to seize them and turn them into tools. And no clan could openly complain.
"Students with number five, step forward."
Kitazawa looked over Class 1-A.
Sasuke Uchiha walked into the arena, expression calm.
"Sasuke-kun, do your best!" Sakura shouted, raising a tiny fist.
"Who's the other number five?" Ino looked around, puzzled.
"Whoever it is, unlucky for them," Choji said sympathetically.
"That unlucky guy is me," Shikamaru sighed, absolutely lifeless.
"There's someone even less lucky than me?" Kiba threw an arm around his shoulder. "Just withdraw, you'll save yourself a beating."
A good suggestion. Normally Shikamaru would've agreed instantly, but surrendering meant getting no points. Without combat points, even a great written score wouldn't place him in the top ten.
"Do your best, Shikamaru!"
Ino encouraged him.
"Even if you lose, it's fine!"
"Shikamaru! Youth has no room for retreat!" Naruto said with a thumbs-up.
After enduring so many training sessions together, the two had become close.
"Yeah, yeah…"
Shikamaru scratched his head helplessly and stepped in front of Sasuke.
"Begin!"
After the two exchanged the seal of confrontation, Kitazawa announced the start.
Shikamaru glanced down. Because of the weather, both their shadows were sharp and clear.
Sasuke didn't hesitate, six shuriken flew from his hands instantly. In his mind, Shikamaru didn't warrant using Fire Style. He needed to save chakra for Naruto and Hinata.
The six shuriken covered every vital point on Shikamaru's body. But seeing them actually made Shikamaru exhale in relief.
He quickly drew a kunai.
Cling! Cling! Cling!
Metal rang loudly.
His throwing accuracy was impressive, but rushed, he only managed to deflect three. They spun off and lodged into the ground in deliberate arcs.
For the remaining three shuriken, Shikamaru rolled across the dirt, barely dodging them. Sasuke frowned slightly.
When did Shikamaru get faster?
What kind of training had Kitazawa-sensei put them through?
But… it didn't matter.
A faint smirk appeared on Sasuke's lips. He raised his hands. The rubber strings tied to his fingers snapped tight, Shuriken Control Technique.
But the moment he moved, Shikamaru stepped forward and stomped on one of the embedded shuriken.
Shadow Imitation Jutsu!
Shikamaru quickly formed the hand signs. His shadow spread along the shuriken, then raced up the taut rubber strings.
Sasuke recognized the signs and instantly abandoned that shuriken. But the remaining five shot off the ground, aiming directly for Shikamaru.
Just before they hit him, Sasuke's expression twisted in shock. His fingers jerked backward uncontrollably. The five shuriken halted midair, then whipped back toward him.
"What's happening?!"
Naruto shouted, wide-eyed.
"Why is Sasuke attacking himself?!"
"It's Shadow Imitation," Ino explained with a grin.
"Shikamaru can control Sasuke's movements."
"Shikamaru actually learned Shadow Imitation?" Choji gasped.
For someone as lazy as Shikamaru, learning it at his age meant terrifying effort,
or terrifying training from Kitazawa.
"He… actually changed Shikamaru's personality," Choji whispered.
Shino began to comment, "The Nara clan's secret jutsu really is—"
"So cool!" Naruto interrupted loudly.
"Is Sasuke gonna lose?!"
"Sasuke-kun won't lose!" Sakura clenched her fists.
"Is that really Shikamaru?" Iruka muttered in disbelief.
Six years old… and already using a clan secret technique?
Kitazawa narrowed his eyes. He was ready to intervene if it became dangerous. In theory, once captured by Shadow Imitation, death was inevitable. But Shikamaru was only six, his technique wasn't fully mastered.
Sasuke struggled violently as the five shuriken closed in. He remembered Might Guy's teachings, chakra surged into his legs.
Shikamaru gritted his teeth, trying desperately to hold Sasuke's shadow in place.
Just half a second more and he would win.
"Uaaaah!"
Sasuke roared in frustration.
He absolutely could not lose. Not in the first round. Not in front of the class. Not to someone as unknown as Shikamaru.
Rage, shame, fear, determination, all of it surged at once.
His vision pulsed red. Suddenly, his body felt light. He didn't think, he just moved. Sasuke kicked off the ground, barely avoiding the shuriken.
"What?!"
Shikamaru's pupils shrank.
He didn't expect Sasuke to break free at the crucial moment.
Kitazawa's posture straightened slightly. That chilling aura just now, that was definitely yin-release chakra… or the stirring of ocular power.
Shadow Imitation was also yin-release. Sasuke had overpowered it.
Did he almost awaken his Sharingan?
Kitazawa stared at Sasuke's eyes. No tomoe yet, no true Sharingan. But the foundation was there. This would help Kitazawa's mission tremendously.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also paused, surprised.
He had felt it too. A surge of extreme emotion, just a little more and Sasuke might have awakened the sharingan at six years old.
"The Uchiha clan really does produce too many geniuses…"
He thought of Itachi. Opened his eyes at age eight, already a prodigy.
If Sasuke awakened at six…
Hiruzen fell into silence.
"I surrender," Shikamaru said immediately, raising a hand.
First, Shadow Imitation consumed too much chakra, he couldn't cast it again. Second, Sasuke would now fight seriously. Third, Sasuke wouldn't use shuriken control again, so Shadow Imitation wouldn't work. Fourth, he already demonstrated enough skill to earn high marks.
His victory just now had relied heavily on luck.
"No!"
Sasuke almost reacted instinctively, hands forming seals.
He had nearly lost, he needed to turn the tables. If Shikamaru surrendered, where would that pent-up frustration go?
"Sasuke," Kitazawa said firmly.
"This is only a spar. Surrender is allowed."
"…Tch."
Sasuke stopped, jaw tight.
"Winner: Sasuke Uchiha," Kitazawa announced.
Sasuke walked off the field, not relieved, only frustrated.
Meanwhile, the class erupted around Shikamaru. No one expected him to push Sasuke this far.
"How are you scoring this?" Iruka asked uncertainly.
"Ninety-five each," Kitazawa said casually. "First round, don't overthink it."
"Alright."
Iruka marked the scores.
"Number six, step forward."
Hinata Hyuga and her opponent entered the field.
Clone Technique!
The boy made two clones.
Hinata activated her Byakugan, found the real body immediately, and won with a single Gentle Fist strike.
"Winner: Hinata Hyuga," Kitazawa announced.
Seeing Kitazawa nod made Hinata brighten and hurry back joyfully.
"His Clone Technique is decent," Iruka remarked. "A bit more polish and he could graduate.
But… unlucky to face Hinata."
He gave her a ninety, and the boy an eighty.
Kitazawa's scoring was similar.
Then came Sakura, Choji, and Ino. All comfortably won, none of them met each other in the first round.
"First round is complete. Fifteen-minute break."
Kitazawa announced,
"Students who scored eighty and above will advance to the second round."
Iruka read the list after combining their scores.
"Sasuke-kun… are you alright?" Sakura asked quietly.
Since his duel with Shikamaru, Sasuke had been silent and icy.
"I'm fine," Sasuke said expressionlessly.
The narrow escape had shaken him deeply. He had underestimated Shikamaru. But he wouldn't make that mistake again.
He must take first place, no matter what.
"Shikamaru was the biggest surprise this round," Iruka said, looking over the scores.
"His improvement is incredible."
"It's the result of his effort," Kitazawa said with a nod.
"I tried for so long to get him to change… nothing worked. But you did it, Kitazawa-senpai. You transformed him completely."
Iruka admired him sincerely.
"I recommended you to Shikaku as Shikamaru's home tutor for a reason," Hiruzen said as he approached during the break.
"It was Hokage-sama's recommendation?" Iruka gasped in envy.
That meant Kitazawa already had a special place in the Hokage's eyes, perhaps the only Academy teacher who had impressed him.
Kitazawa blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Shikaku to have consulted the Third Hokage first.
"Thank you for your trust, Hokage-sama."
"No need for thanks. Your own abilities earned this," Hiruzen said.
The fifteen minutes passed quickly. The second-round students stepped forward to draw lots.
"I'm number one again!"
Naruto beamed. Two number-ones in a row, clearly fate wanted him to take first place.
"Looks like it's my turn now," Choji laughed nervously.
"Naruto… go easy on me."
"No problem!"
Naruto thumped his chest.
"We'll keep it light."
Choji sighed in relief.
The two exchanged taijutsu blows. Choji hadn't learned any Akimichi secret techniques yet, only basic Leaf-style Taijutsu.
Under Naruto's Leaf Whirlwind, Leaf Great Whirlwind, and Leaf Strong Whirlwind, he surrendered quickly.
"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki."
Kitazawa paused, then called:
"Number two, enter the field."
Sasuke stepped out coldly.
"I'm doomed," Kiba wailed.
"Can anyone be more unlucky than me?!"