The second round of the Chunin Exams concluded swiftly.
A total of forty-seven candidates advanced. Whether it was sheer luck or something else entirely, all members of the original Konoha Twelve had made it to the third round.
The relatively weaker group, Kiba Inuzuka's team, had relied on Akamaru's instincts to avoid nearly all the "hard" and "hell" level opponents, and managed to defeat the weakest team in the round.
Even Kaede, who had been treating this year's Chunin Exam as a live-action ninja film, couldn't help but laugh at the result. Naruto, Sasuke, Tenten, and Lee had also successfully avoided fighting each other in the previous round.
But in the third round…
The Konoha Twelve wouldn't be so lucky.
Among the forty-seven remaining candidates, there was a true "hell-level" opponent: Hinata Hyuga. Add in Haku, who was in the "hard" category, as well as Naruto and Sasuke who were close to that same tier, and it was clear that anyone who wanted to advance would need more than just luck, they'd need real strength.
"Next match… Uzumaki Naruto vs Inuzuka Kiba," said proctor Hayate Gekko in his usual weak and tired tone.
Kiba's face immediately fell. Nearby, Shikamaru and the others looked over at him with expressions that clearly said, "Good luck, buddy."
Naruto was no longer the dead-last loser. He was now known as the Fourth Hokage's son and a genius on par with Sasuke. No one wanted to face him.
A few minutes later,
Kiba was slammed into the ground by Naruto and soundly defeated.
From the top-level corridor overlooking the arena, Kakashi, serving as the chief proctor, watched with a faint smile. Just then, he sensed something and turned.
"Big brother?"
"I came to take a quick look," Kaede said with a smile as he quietly stepped over to the railing and looked down at the ongoing match.
The exams continued below, and none of the Genin noticed his arrival.
After Naruto overwhelmed Kiba, the screen above the arena displayed the next randomized pairing,
Uchiha Sasuke vs Hyuga Hinata!
Smack!
Kakashi slapped a hand to his forehead and looked toward Kaede.
"How strong is Hinata's training now?"
He hadn't kept close tabs on her, but he knew she was Kaede's student, and the inheritor of Otsutsuki Hamura's chakra.
Kaede smiled faintly.
"Hmm… Her current strength? She could probably handle ten Sasukes. Unless Sasuke's Sharingan jumps straight from two tomoe to Mangekyo," he said half-jokingly.
Kakashi tilted his head. "Actually… after watching your fight with Kaguya, Sasuke was so inspired, or maybe traumatized, that he awakened the third tomoe."
"Oh?" Kaede looked down at Sasuke with mild surprise.
In the arena,
Sasuke leapt down from the second-floor railing and landed gracefully in the arena. Across from him, Hinata approached calmly, and their eyes met, his flickering with subtle anticipation.
Hyuga Hinata…
The Hokage's student, huh…
As Uchiha Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke was well aware that Hinata's teacher was none other than the current Hokage, Hatake Kaede. That fact wasn't a secret in the village. After all, both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans were top-tier noble families, and having the heir of each as the Hokage's student seemed natural enough.
Still…
What seemed reasonable to the village elders didn't sit well with Sasuke.
He didn't think Hinata was anywhere close to being in the same league as his brother, Itachi. Aside from both being heirs of their respective clans, Sasuke believed that in terms of talent and capability, Hinata was far beneath his older brother.
"Match seven: Hyuga Hinata versus Uchiha Sasuke," Hayate Gekko announced. "Any objections?"
"None," said Hinata.
"No." replied Sasuke.
After the declaration, Sasuke looked at Hinata and said slowly, "I can guess why the Hokage chose you as his student… but I don't think you're someone who could stand beside my brother. Still, if I beat you, maybe… I'll earn some recognition from Hokage-sama too."
As Itachi's little brother, Sasuke had always craved his brother's acknowledgment, and now, standing before him, was Hinata: the only other student of Hatake Kaede besides Itachi himself.
This was the perfect chance to prove himself!
But Sasuke's words had an unexpected effect. Hinata, who'd originally been rather calm, suddenly clenched her fists and took on a much more serious expression.
"…Sorry," she said quietly.
"But I also want to earn sensei's recognition, so I won't lose to you."
Hinata wasn't especially competitive by nature. But if there was one thing she cared about above all else, it was not letting her teacher down. She had to earn Kaede's approval.
Ever since she became his student, her father, Hiashi Hyuga, had drilled that principle into her, and she had lived by it ever since.
Watching this unfold from the upper corridor, Kakashi couldn't help but cover his face with one hand.
"…Seriously, Sasuke… why'd you have to provoke her?"
Yep. He was getting cocky now that he had the three-tomoe Sharingan.
Sasuke really thought he could win!
If he'd stayed humble, maybe he could've found an opening while Hinata was holding back. But now?
Kakashi could already picture Sasuke getting absolutely destroyed.
As Hayate Gekko gave the signal, both Sasuke and Hinata activated their dōjutsu, the Sharingan and Byakugan, at the same time. Standing ten meters apart, their ocular powers clashed in an instant.
Buzz!
Sasuke struck first, launching a genjutsu!
Hinata countered immediately with her Hamura-enhanced Byakugan!
Whoosh!!
Sasuke charged in!
Hinata knocked him flying!
Crackle!!!
Sasuke unleashed Chidori!
He charged again!
"So much lightning chakra…"
Hinata's Byakugan tracked the intense chakra flow of Chidori and Sasuke's lightning-fast movements. In response, she released the full extent of the chakra she could channel from Hamura.
BOOM!
The surge of chakra cracked the ground beneath her feet like a spiderweb, spreading out in all directions. The shockwave stunned even Ino and Sakura nearby, they were so slack-jawed they nearly dropped their chins to the floor.
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"
WHUMP!!
Hinata launched a devastating palm strike!
A massive wave of chakra condensed into the form of a giant palm!
BOOM!
Sasuke's Chidori was shattered!
Sasuke was slammed into the ground!
Sasuke got thoroughly pounded!
Sasuke started questioning his entire existence!
Watching the beatdown unfold, Kakashi slowly covered his eyes.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria