"Byakugan!"
Hyūga Hinata let out a soft cry as her chakra-coated palm surged forward with sharp momentum.
Naruto didn't counter immediately. Instead, when the distance between them closed to barely an arm's length, he shifted to the side, narrowly slipping past her strike by a hair's breadth.
"Too much motion—too obvious."
Hinata twisted her body abruptly, the force in her hands not diminishing in the slightest.
"Nice!" Naruto's eyes lit up. That strike perfectly embodied the 'gentle' aspect of the Gentle Fist.
But the gap between them was far too great to be bridged by technique alone.
Kusabimaru lightly tapped her elbow.
Hinata's balance instantly tilted, her guard wide open.
"Uzumaki Naruto wins!" Genma Shiranui called out.
Naruto withdrew the back of his blade from Hinata's neck.
"My apologies."
"Naruto-kun really is as strong as ever," Hinata said softly, shaking her head.
Back at the Ninja Academy, the two had sparred many times—she had never won once, and he had never lost.
In truth, the outcome had been clear the moment the matchups were announced.
"Let's go." Naruto sheathed his sword.
Fighting at full strength was the greatest form of respect.
Watching the two walk side by side, Izuno and Raemon exchanged knowing smiles.
—
[Match Eight]
Hyūga Neji vs. Rock Lee!
As the two faced each other on the field, those familiar with them cast sympathetic looks toward the thick-browed jōnin in green.
Internal conflict within one's own team—
what kind of luck was that?
"Neji! This day has finally come!" Rock Lee stared at the boy in white, excitement blazing in his eyes.
"Wasn't the outcome already decided, Lee?" Neji replied calmly.
After a year as teammates, they knew each other's strength well.
They had sparred countless times—
And every single time, Neji had won.
"Is this… the power of youth?!" Might Guy exclaimed emotionally.
Everyone else: "..."
"Guy-sensei! I want to use that move!"
Rock Lee suddenly turned toward the stands.
"I approve, Lee! Let your youth bloom!" Guy said solemnly, giving a thumbs-up.
"…Sigh." Genma waved his hand and quietly stepped back.
Rock Lee leapt backward and landed atop a statue, calmly unfastening two massive training weights from his legs.
Neji didn't stop him.
As his teammate, Neji knew Lee's strength well—and he didn't believe that removing the weights would make Lee his equal.
BOOM! BOOM!!
The moment the weights hit the ground, the shock alone made the entire arena jump.
"H-Hey! What kind of monster is that?!" Izuno stared blankly.
"Yeah… that's pretty insane," even Naruto couldn't help commenting.
Whoosh!
A flash of deep green burst through the dust, charging straight at the boy in white.
The speed was so extreme that some spectators on the second floor simply lost track of him.
Neji calmly assumed his stance, the bulging veins around his eyes signaling that his Byakugan was already active.
Lee's current speed didn't surprise him—
he'd seen it many times before.
To other genin, it was terrifying.
But to him—to his Byakugan—it was nothing special.
Left side! Lee, your approach is still the same as always!
Neji's left hand snapped out, deflecting Lee's straight punch, while chakra gathered at the fingertips of his right hand, stabbing toward Lee's tenketsu.
This was a critical chakra point—
once sealed, Lee's chakra flow would be disrupted, making the rest of the fight easy.
But Neji knew Lee's style intimately—
and Lee knew Neji's methods just as well.
A whipping kick tore through the air, smashing into Neji's elbow.
Hard against soft.
No dazzling ninjutsu, no flashy explosions—
yet the match was just as captivating. Every spectator watched in rapt attention.
"First Gate—Gate of Opening!"
Lee's aura shifted violently, his strikes instantly growing heavier.
Even with the Byakugan, Neji could only retreat under this overwhelming pressure.
"That technique…" Naruto's brows jumped.
It felt eerily similar to the sensation of using Sugar Candy from Senpou Temple.
Or rather, Lee's method shared the same principle—sacrificing the body in exchange for explosive power.
The difference was that Lee unlocked his body's limiters through sheer will,
while Sugar Candy relied on external means.
"Gate of Healing—Open!"
"Gate of Life—Open!"
To press his advantage, Lee opened two more Gates in succession.
The terrifying surge of power was so intense that even the spectators on the second floor felt its impact.
For the first time, Neji's calm composure shattered.
"Leaf Hurricane!!"
With crushing force and blistering speed, Neji had no way to evade.
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out through his arms.
Neji knew instantly—his arms were broken.
BOOM!
The boy in white slammed into the wall, his body's instincts kicking in as he lost consciousness.
"Haah… haah…"
On the field, the boy in green panted like a bellows, staring at Neji's unconscious body in a daze.
For this moment, he had endured countless days and nights, shed endless sweat…
Yet now that his dream stood fulfilled before him, he felt little excitement—as though this outcome had always been inevitable.
Hard work would always bear fruit.
"Rock Lee wins!"
Genma looked at Lee's arms—now exposed beneath torn bandages, covered in scars—with an unreadable expression.
'A genius of hard work…'
...
The entire audience fell silent.
Putting themselves in Neji's place—
could they have done any better?
Probably not…
"Ugh… ugh…"
Might Guy choked up, overwhelmed by pride, pain, and sorrow all at once.
After all, the winner was his student—
and so was the one who lost.
Palm or back of the hand—both were flesh.
"Damn this exam…"
He muttered hoarsely as he used the Body Flicker to appear on the field, gave a thumbs-up to the standing student, and hoisted the unconscious one over his shoulder.
"Head up. The next match is about to begin," Genma said to Lee.
"…Yes!" Lee jolted, but the backlash of the Eight Gates hit immediately.
"Tch, honestly… none of you ever give me peace of mind."
Tenten, who had expected this, casually lifted him onto her shoulder.
As another of Guy's taijutsu students, her physical strength was nothing to scoff at.
—
[Match Nine]
Gaara vs. Dosu
A full day had passed since Shukaku had been provoked by the Nine-Tails.
Although the One-Tail's rampage had subsided, Gaara's fury had not.
The moment the proctor stepped off the field—before Dosu could even finish his taunt—
Gaara crushed him into a mass of flesh with Sand Coffin –> Sand Burial.
Gulp…
If the previous match had been shocking—
Then this one-sided slaughter inspired pure terror.
—
Match Ten
Raemon Koshiki vs. Akimichi Chōji
Like Izuno before him, Raemon was unfortunately defeated when facing the heir of a major clan.
Among their peers, Inuzuka Kiba absurd luck—advancing directly to the third round without a fight.
"Hahaha! I'm the chosen one!"
Kiba laughed proudly, Akamaru perched atop his head.
/////////////////////
[300 Powerstones - Bonus]
[600 Powerstones - Bonus]
[900 Powerstones - Bonus]
[1200 Powerstones - Bonus]
Add to library and drop reviews btw. Thanks.