Hyuga Neji stepped into the arena. His expression was solemn as he drew the Fate-breaking Bow.
This was, without a doubt, the most difficult battle he had faced since entering the Ninja Academy.
Although he had always regarded himself as a genius, compared to Naruto, he fell far short.
"Battle starts!" Kitazawa withdrew to the sidelines.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto formed a hand seal, and in an instant, more than a thousand Shadow Clones burst forth.
The Konoha Arena was immediately packed to the brim.
Multiple Arrows!
Neji pulled back the Fate-breaking Bow. The moment he released the string, a single Yin Release Arrow shot forward.
Mid-flight, it split—one became two, two became four—until a thousand Yin Release Arrows filled the sky.
The spectators gasped at the spectacular scene.
Satori's ability lay in sensing emotions. And the Zero-Tails possessed the power to divide Chakra.
Because of this, Neji was even more proficient with Multiple Arrows than Hinata. It was just that he had never found a suitable opportunity to use it—until now.
"Incredible! As expected of Neji!"
Watching more than half of his Shadow Clones disappear in an instant, Naruto flashed a thumbs-up.
This was the first time his Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu had taken such heavy losses in a single exchange.
Neji did not reply, drawing the bowstring once again. His Byakugan locked onto Naruto's true body, and then he released.
Spiral Arrow!
The Yin Release Arrow spiraled forward, crossing dozens of meters in an instant and arriving right in front of Naruto.
"Violent: Leaf Adamantine Strength Whirlwind!"
Naruto reacted instantly, smashing the Spiral Arrow aside with a powerful kick. His remaining Shadow Clones surged toward Neji at the same time.
Explosive Arrow!
Neji bent the bow three times in rapid succession. Three Explosive Arrows detonated mid-air like fireworks, engulfing Naruto's clones.
As they staggered, Multiple Arrows appeared once more, piercing through their bodies.
"Partial Tailed Beast Transformation!" Naruto ceased using the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Blood-colored Chakra erupted from his body, enveloping him completely. Four tails formed, lashing wildly behind him.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Naruto's feet exploded with speed as he closed the distance in a flash, delivering a ferocious kick.
Neji saw only a blur; acting on instinct, he raised the Fate-breaking Bow to block—only to be sent flying.
The violent impact nearly robbed his right arm of all sensation. In an instant, Neji was reminded of his previous battle with Rock Lee.
Without hesitation, he gripped the Fate-breaking Bow and activated Yin Release Chakra Mode.
Yin Release power surged outward, forming a towering tree in front of him.
"Violent: Leaf Adamantine Strength Whirlwind!" Naruto shattered the tree with a single kick.
Just as he was about to press the attack, a dense swarm of Yin Release Arrows appeared all around him.
"Konoha Dragon God!" Naruto instantly transformed into a blood-colored dragon.
The Yin Release Arrows rushing toward him were deflected one after another.
Neji immediately poured a massive amount of Yin Release Power into his technique. A Wood Dragon rose up, colliding head-on with Naruto's blood dragon.
Howling winds tore through the arena.
Neji's eyes narrowed.
Under the blood dragon's assault, the surface of the Yin-formed Wood Dragon was riddled with countless cutting marks.
It was being shredded by the Wind Release Chakra coating the blood dragon's exterior.
Neji took a deep breath and drew the bowstring once more. A Yin Release Arrow formed, yet it did not fly out immediately—instead, it began to vibrate.
An overwhelming amount of Yin Release Power flooded into it, causing the arrow shaft to shine brilliantly.
Spiral Arrow! Neji released his grip.
The Yin Release Arrow slammed into the blood dragon.
Boom!
The blood dragon was pierced straight through.
The Yin Release Arrow continued onward, reaching Naruto himself. In the next instant, four tails snapped forward, tightly wrapping around it.
Seeing this, Neji felt a trace of regret, but his movements did not slow. He once again directed the Wood Dragon to crash toward Naruto.
"Yang Release: Rasengan!"
Naruto roared as the number of tails behind him increased to six.
He raised his hand, and a blue Rasengan smashed directly into the Wood Dragon's head.
Boom! A deep crater exploded open in the Wood Dragon's skull.
After all, it was not a true Wood Dragon, but merely a Yin Release construct shaped to resemble one.
"Konoha Gale!"
With six tails, Naruto's speed reached an entirely new level.
Neji was struck by a kick before he could even react. His body slammed violently into the ground.
The earth shattered into fragments. Yet he did not lose consciousness, protected by Yin Release Chakra Mode.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Neji summoned a large number of Yin Release Arrows out of thin air.
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!" Naruto answered with a powerful kick.
The Yin Release Arrows he struck burst apart like balloons, scattering in every direction.
Without slowing in the slightest, Naruto charged straight at Neji.
Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!
Neji rose to his feet and spun rapidly. Chakra whirled around him, forming a protective dome.
"Dynamic Entry!" Naruto's kick crashed into the shield, but it failed to break through, forcing him backward.
His six tails stabbed into the ground behind him, anchoring his body.
"Konoha Dragon God!" Naruto spun in place and charged once more.
Beneath the blood-colored giant dragon, the Chakra barrier of the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven began to look dangerously unstable.
Seeing this, Neji immediately released Chakra from every part of his body. The shield around him expanded several times over in an instant.
Boom! The two forces collided.
Neji felt his body go numb as he was blasted away.
The Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven shattered, and the blood-colored dragon pursued him relentlessly.
A fierce gale tore across Neji's face.
Those winds were blades formed of Wind Release Chakra—if they struck him, he would be sliced apart.
Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!
A flash of inspiration struck Neji, and he thrust out a palm.
Using the recoil, his body was propelled even faster, instantly widening the distance between himself and Naruto.
Landing, Neji immediately drew the Fate-breaking Bow.
World-Extinction Arrow!
Left with no alternatives, he could only place his hopes on one final gamble.
Terrifying Chakra condensed in the air.
Naruto instantly recognized it—the weakened version of the World-Extinction Arrow that Hinata had used before.
He swiftly dispelled the Konoha Dragon God and planted his feet, the number of tails behind him increasing from six to seven.
"Youth Super Large-Scale Rasengan!" Naruto raised both hands and roared.
Blood-colored Chakra surged violently, forming a massive Rasengan over ten meters in diameter before him.
Watching from the sidelines, Kitazawa's mouth twitched.
In the original story, the enhanced form of the Rasengan was the Big Ball Rasengan.
Put simply, it involved pouring in an enormous amount of Chakra and compressing it to the extreme, granting it the destructive force of a small meteorite.
However, the current Naruto did not know the Big Ball Rasengan, so he chose a different—far more straightforward—method.
He desperately poured an ocean of Chakra into the Rasengan.
Though it lacked the step of extreme compression, the sheer volume of Chakra ensured that its power was in no way inferior to the Big Ball Rasengan.
Neji released his grip.
The World-Extinction Arrow shot forward, colliding head-on with the Youth Super Large-Scale Rasengan.
A blinding radiance erupted as countless streams of Chakra blasted skyward; the entire Konoha Arena trembled violently, as if struck by a massive earthquake.
"Konoha Gale!"
Wrapped in a seven-tailed Tailed Beast Cloak, Naruto ignored the violent aftershocks of the explosion and kicked straight toward Neji.
Even with the Byakugan active, Neji could not react at all—Naruto's speed was simply too overwhelming—and he was knocked unconscious by the blow.
Kitazawa shook his head. At this moment, he felt a faint sense of pity for Neji.
This was nothing short of bullying.
But there was no helping it. When the gap in raw stats reached this level, any technique would struggle to make a difference against such crushing power.
"Ne… Neji really worked hard to be able to fight Naruto for so long." Shikamaru spoke with a blank expression.
"Is the gap between people really this huge?" Ino murmured.
Naruto had already been absurdly strong before, but she had never imagined he would become this ridiculous.
And she didn't even know whether he had reached his limit or revealed his full strength yet.
"Perhaps he isn't necessarily human." Shino adjusted his glasses and spoke coldly.
"Naruto was already strong, and with the Nine-Tails, he's even more powerful." Kiba let out a helpless sigh.
"There's no need for us to compare ourselves to him," Tayuya said flatly, having completely given up.
"True." Karin nodded in agreement.
Sakura instinctively turned her gaze toward Sasuke.
His brows were tightly furrowed, his expression heavy and solemn.
She couldn't help but feel worried. She wanted to comfort him, yet feared saying the wrong thing, so in the end, she chose to remain silent.
"The winner, Uzumaki Naruto!" Kitazawa flickered to Neji's side.
He extended his hands and began healing him. Although Neji had lost consciousness, his injuries were not particularly severe.
That was because Naruto had deliberately held back his strength on the final kick.
"Neji lost with honor." Aburame Shibi said with emotion. "His strength already surpasses mine. He was simply unlucky to run into Naruto."
"After all, Naruto is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki." Nara Shikaku chuckled lightly. "He was destined to possess such terrifying power."
"That's a bit biased." Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head and said, "Among all the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki throughout history, Naruto's strength should be the greatest."
Neither the previous Uzumaki Mito nor Uzumaki Kushina had completed the training on Turtle Island as Naruto had.
Hearing this, Aburame Shibi and the others revealed surprised expressions.
"And this still isn't Naruto's full power," Tsunade said with a faint smirk.
"Does that mean Naruto has already become a Perfect Jinchuriki?" Jiraiya blurted out involuntarily.
Aburame Shibi and the others immediately shifted from surprise to outright shock.
They were well aware of the weight carried by the title of Perfect Jinchuriki.
Hyuga Hiashi wore a visibly resigned expression. If Neji could win against that, it would truly be a miracle.
"Don't rush it—you'll see soon enough." Tsunade waved her hand dismissively.
"Can Sasuke really force out Naruto's full strength?" Doubt crept onto Hyuga Hiashi's face.
"Sasuke definitely can." Uchiha Fugaku replied decisively.
Hyuga Hiashi and the others exchanged glances. It seemed Sasuke, too, was hiding a great deal of his strength.
"Why are you all assuming Hinata will lose to Sasuke?" Tsunade asked with a teasing smile.
Hyuga Hiashi hesitated, unsure how to respond. While he believed in Hinata, faith alone could not erase an absolute gap in strength.
Especially since she had already gone all out in the previous match, exposing nearly all of her cards.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei." Neji soon regained consciousness.
He accepted his loss to Naruto with remarkable composure. After all, the gap had been far too great—there was never any possibility of a reversal.
"Fourth round, second match: Uchiha Sasuke versus Hyuga Hinata!" After Neji left the field, Kitazawa called out loudly.
Sasuke glanced once at Naruto before stepping into the center of the arena.
"Just do your best." Kitazawa offered Hinata a few quiet words before retreating to the sidelines.
Hinata nodded, feeling noticeably more at ease.
"Battle starts!" After the Seal of Confrontation was completed, Kitazawa shouted.
Multiple Arrows! Hinata took the initiative, attacking first.
Nine Yin Release Arrows locked onto Sasuke's vital points.
Although the Yin Release Arrows were fast, they were still not fast enough before the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Sasuke shifted his position smoothly, effortlessly evading all nine arrows.
Hatake Swordsmanship!
His body accelerated in an instant, and the Sword of the Thunder God reached Hinata in the blink of an eye.
Clang!
Relying on her Byakugan, Hinata narrowly blocked the Sword of the Thunder God with her Moon-chasing bow.
Sasuke showed no surprise. He immediately channeled Lightning Release Chakra into the Sword of the Thunder God.
Brilliant lightning erupted, spreading toward Hinata at extreme speed.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!
Hinata decisively released the Moon-chasing bow and struck forward with both palms.
Sasuke did not dare receive the attack head-on and quickly retreated.
Gentle Fist was the bane of all Ninjas; even with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan active, having his Tenketsu struck would be extremely dangerous.
Explosive Arrow!
Hinata abruptly halted her Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, grabbed the Moon-chasing bow, and fired an arrow.
An invisible mental shockwave spread outward.
Sasuke's eyes flickered, and he completely ignored the Explosive Arrow.
Chidori Blade!
He stopped retreating and lunged forward, thrusting the Sword of the Thunder God toward Hinata.
The piercing cry of chirping birds echoed as lightning coated the blade, its speed reaching that of a lightning flash.
Hinata's breath caught, her vision overwhelmed by blazing light. At the critical moment, she immediately activated Yin Release Chakra Mode.
Yin Release Power surged forth, shaping itself under her control into a massive Wood Dragon.
Sasuke instantly halted his assault.
Susanoo!
He stood firm as a skeletal form, partially clad in armor, emerged around him. This was the second stage of Susanoo.
Susanoo clenched its fist and smashed it straight into the Wood Dragon.
Boom!
The Yin Release Wood Dragon let out a mournful cry as a massive dent formed in its head.
Hinata's expression changed drastically as she instinctively poured in more Yin Release Power.
Seeing this, Sasuke immediately used Tenjōtōtsuki.
Seizing the opening, he appeared behind Hinata and raised the Sword of the Thunder God to strike.
Though Hinata was protected by the flowing Chakra of her Yin Release Chakra Mode, it still could not fully block the penetration of the Chidori Blade.
After breaking through the Chakra currents, Sasuke halted his blade at the final moment.
"I surrender." Hinata dispersed the Wood Dragon and spoke calmly.
She had not used the World-Extinction Arrow because it would have been meaningless against Sasuke.
With Tenjōtōtsuki, he could easily evade it. In that case, it was better to conserve Satori's Chakra rather than waste it.
"The winner, Uchiha Sasuke!" Kitazawa announced loudly.
"Truly an unsurprising result." Kiba shook his head as he spoke.
"Woof woof woof!" Akamaru barked in agreement.
"You're right." Kiba couldn't help laughing as he said, "A freak should be dealt with by a freak."
"Next is the final battle of the graduation exam." Ino glanced toward Naruto as she spoke.
"Finally, I can have a battle full of youth with Sasuke!" Naruto clenched his fists, grinning broadly. "I can already feel my hot-blooded youth boiling!"
"Then are you prepared to lose?" Sasuke, who had just stepped off the field, asked calmly after hearing that.
"With youth like this, even if I lose, it's worth it!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing brightly.
"…" Sasuke was left momentarily speechless.
"Good luck to both of you!" Ino paused briefly, then added, "The most important thing is not to get hurt!"
"Yeah!" Sakura echoed immediately.
Sasuke subconsciously glanced at her. No jinxing this time?
"You guys should rest first." Shikamaru reminded them, "The next battle requires you to be in peak condition."
Sasuke nodded. Although his fight with Hinata hadn't consumed much Chakra, he didn't dare be careless when facing Naruto.
The fifteen-minute break passed in the blink of an eye.
"Fifth round, first match: Uchiha Sasuke versus Uzumaki Naruto!" Kitazawa announced loudly.
"This final match is definitely going to be exciting." Anticipation appeared on Aburame Shibi's face.
"Both Naruto and Sasuke have already surpassed most Jonin in strength." Akimichi Chōza sighed. "Even a standard Jonin exam wouldn't reach this level of intensity."
"One is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the other has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. I wonder who will win."
As Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his beard, his thoughts inexplicably drifted to Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
Fortunately, Sasuke's personality was completely different from Madara's, so there was no need to worry about him abandoning the village.
"Naruto's strength is slightly greater."
Tsunade knew very well that Naruto had already mastered Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, placing him close to a Perfect Jinchuriki.
"But Sasuke isn't weak either." Sarutobi Hiruzen said casually, "He possesses a Mangekyō Sharingan dōjutsu similar to the Flying Thunder God Technique."
To put it simply, Naruto had overwhelming stats, while Sasuke had exceptional mechanics.
"It's a shame there wasn't enough time. Otherwise, Naruto could become even stronger if he learned Sage Mode." Jiraiya said with a smile.
Uchiha Fugaku's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
He naturally knew what Sage Mode was. How did this Naruto still have the talent to cultivate Sage Mode?
Sasuke's talent and strength were already absurd enough, yet there was an even more outrageous Naruto?
The others exchanged bewildered looks as well. What exactly was going on with this Naruto?
"Let the battle begin!" After speaking, Kitazawa retreated to the edge of the field.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" By habit, Naruto summoned more than a thousand Shadow Clones.
Sasuke activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and placed a Tenjōtōtsuki mark on Naruto's original body.
Even without using Tenjōtōtsuki directly, he could track Naruto's true body throughout the entire match via the mark.
"Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken!" Naruto and his Shadow Clones pulled out shuriken.
Dense volleys of spinning blades rained down like a storm of arrows.
Sasuke's response was simple—he charged straight ahead.
Before the shuriken could reach him, two gigantic hands appeared, crossing above his head to block.
All the shuriken struck the massive hands, producing crisp clanging sounds before being deflected away.
This was an application of Susanoo's initial form.
Chidori Blade! Sasuke formed hand seals as he ran. The Sword of the Thunder God in his hand erupted with dazzling light.
Seeing this, Naruto immediately activated Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.
Blood-colored Chakra surged out, wrapping around him as six tails formed behind his back.
"Konoha Style Swordsmanship!" Naruto drew Samehada and slammed it straight toward Sasuke.
Boom! The Sword of the Thunder God collided with Samehada.
Lightning sparks exploded outward and spread rapidly. But the moment they touched Naruto's Tailed Beast Cloak, their effect was nullified.
And the penetrating power of the Chidori Blade was unable to affect Samehada at all.
Samehada opened its mouth. It secretly absorbed a trace of Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra, then excitedly lunged toward Sasuke.
Tenjōtōtsuki! Sasuke vanished from the spot.
Samehada bit into empty air, and Naruto leaned forward due to the momentum.
A sharp, bird-like chirping sound rang out. Sasuke appeared behind Naruto, aiming his right hand at Naruto's back to slice through.
Lightning overflowed, turning his right hand into a blade wrapped in crackling electricity.
At the critical moment, Naruto's six tails rose to block behind him.
Sasuke's Chidori cut directly into the tails.
Hatake Swordsmanship!
Sasuke reacted instantly, gripping the Sword of the Thunder God with his left hand and thrusting toward Naruto's head.
"Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!" A golden radiance erupted from Naruto's body.
His speed skyrocketed, and he vanished before the Sword of the Thunder God could reach him.
"???" Sasuke's strike missed, his face filled with confusion.
What was that golden light just now? Before he could even process it, Naruto had already dashed dozens of meters away.
"What is this?" Aburame Shibi's eyes widened as he stared at the golden-clad Naruto.
"Partial Tailed Beast Transformation? Full Tailed Beast Transformation?" Akimichi Chōza asked uncertainly.
In his understanding, Jinchuriki had only two forms.
One was Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, wearing the Tailed Beast Cloak and manifesting tails.
The other was the full Tailed Beast Transformation, where the Jinchuriki completely transformed into the Tailed Beast itself.
"This is a special form of Tailed Beast Transformation," Tsunade said with a smile. "It's called Nine-Tails Chakra Mode."
"There's actually such a thing?" Hyuga Hiashi spoke in astonishment. "That speed just now was truly terrifying."
Even with his Byakugan active, he couldn't clearly capture Naruto's movements—only a fleeting flash of golden light.
Uchiha Fugaku hesitated to speak.
If Sasuke previously held the speed advantage thanks to Tenjōtōtsuki, that advantage was now questionable.
The Genius Class erupted into an uproar.
"What?" Kiba looked as if he'd seen a ghost. "Naruto was actually hiding his strength all this time?"
Neji's eyelids twitched violently upon hearing this. The gap between him and Naruto was even greater than he had imagined.
He had thought that his earlier battle had at least forced out most of Naruto's power—but in truth, they were worlds apart.
Yakumo, Kimimaro, and the others were also left speechless. They didn't know what to say.
"Watch out, Sasuke! Spiralling Serial Spheres!" After escaping danger, Naruto immediately halted and charged straight toward Sasuke.
Behind him, six gigantic Rasengans manifested out of thin air.
Sasuke's heart jolted violently at the sight. The visual impact of that scene was simply overwhelming.
Tengan Baizō!
The Chakra within Sasuke's body surged explosively, expanding outward and forming turbulent air currents around him.
Susanoo!
Centered on Sasuke, gloomy ocular power shot into the sky, rapidly taking shape as a colossal humanoid warrior clad in samurai-like robes, its head crowned with a distinct helmet resembling a tengu mask.
This was the fourth form of Susanoo—only one step away from the Perfect Susanoo.
Sword of Susanoo! Sasuke raised his arm.
The Susanoo mirrored the motion, and a gigantic sword descended from the sky, slashing straight down toward Naruto.
"So strong! As expected of my lifelong rival!"
Naruto felt an unprecedented pressure bearing down on him, yet instead of fear, excitement surged through his veins.
He lifted the six massive Rasengans to meet the strike head-on.
The Sword of Susanoo collided with the Rasengans, instantly triggering a terrifying explosion.
Violent shockwaves blasted upward, smashing into the barrier surrounding the Konoha Arena.
Under the influence of the blast, vast sections of the ground cracked apart and sank downward.
Naruto felt his body grow heavy as he, too, began to fall. At the critical moment, he let out a roar, and nine enormous Chakra-formed hands burst forth from his body.
"Nine-Tails Chakra Arms!" Naruto controlled the giant hands, seizing the Sword of Susanoo and forcibly pushing it back.
Sasuke and his Susanoo were driven backward by two full steps.
The entire Konoha Arena fell into dead silence. For a brief moment, no one knew how to react to the shock before them.
Whether it was Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra Mode or Sasuke's fourth-form Susanoo, both left the spectators utterly dumbfounded.
"So Sasuke was hiding his strength, too?" Ino gasped.
"What a… monster!" Kiba couldn't help but complain.
Neji, Kimimaro, and the others stared blankly, their expressions numb. They couldn't win. They absolutely couldn't win.
"Again!" Naruto's voice rang out once more. "Youth Super Large-Scale Rasengan!"
An overwhelming torrent of Chakra surged out like a raging flood.
He raised his nine giant hands, and at their center, an incomparably massive Rasengan rapidly took shape.
Yasaka Magatama! Sasuke responded instantly.
The arms of Susanoo spread wide, and six enormous magatama materialized out of thin air.
With a sudden flick of its arms, Susanoo hurled all six magatama toward Naruto.
Naruto charged forward while maintaining the Youth Super Large-Scale Rasengan.
An explosion even more terrifying than before erupted.
The barrier maintained by the Sealing Squad around the Konoha Arena shattered instantly, and the violent Chakra currents slammed straight into the barrier upheld by Kitazawa.
That barrier shook violently, causing the ground beneath it to quake in wide arcs.
The audience members all turned pale with fear, terrified that the barrier would collapse once more.
Fortunately, Kitazawa's strength was extraordinary, and he perfectly blocked the aftershocks of the collision.
"They can actually fight to this extent?" Aburame Shibi exclaimed in disbelief.
"Their strength has completely surpassed ours." Jiraiya watched in stunned amazement.
Judging by the power Naruto and Sasuke were displaying now, he probably couldn't defeat them even if he entered Sage Mode.
Sarutobi Hiruzen subconsciously nodded. A sigh escaped him; it truly felt like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had reappeared.
Yet at the same time, his heart burned with excitement—Konoha Village would return to its peak and truly stand above the entire Ninja World.
Uchiha Fugaku secretly felt it was a pity.
If Naruto did not exist, then Sasuke would undoubtedly stand alone at the top and smoothly become the Seventh Hokage.
Hyuga Hiashi unconsciously clenched his fists. Weren't they supposed to be equally renowned? Why was the gap so vast?
And if not for Kitazawa, the gap between Hyuga Hinata, Hyuga Neji, and Sasuke would be even greater.
After all, the two bows combined with Yin Release Chakra Mode had drastically increased their strength.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted excitedly. "This is youth!"
Sasuke remained silent. After that exchange, he was still at a disadvantage.
Within the aftermath of the explosion, even the Tengu armor of his Susanoo was battered and riddled with damage.
"Naruto, let's decide this with one final move!" Sasuke took a deep breath and shouted.
The Chakra within his body was nowhere near as abundant as Naruto's.
Kirin!
Standing atop Susanoo, Sasuke formed hand seals.
The sky above abruptly darkened.
Then came a gigantic Kirin.
Wrapped in roaring lightning, it descended from the heavens, crashing straight toward Naruto.
At the same time, Susanoo raised its massive sword.
"Bring it on!" Naruto did not hesitate in the slightest and opened his mouth wide.
He intended to use a Tailed Beast Ball—but a weakened version.
This was something taught to him by Uzumaki Kushina and Minato Namikaze.
In fact, in the original story, he had even used a Super Mini Tailed Beast Ball no larger than a Rasengan.
The black Tailed Beast Ball slammed directly into the Kirin. In an instant, countless beams of light exploded outward in all directions.
Wood Release: Hōbi Technique! Kitazawa clapped his hands together.
A massive wooden shield shaped as a demonic face rose from the ground, enveloping and protecting the entire Konoha Arena.
Sasuke felt his body shudder violently. His Susanoo shattered inch by inch, unable to maintain its form.
Tenjōtōtsuki!
At the moment of life and death, Sasuke vanished from the battlefield. However, he did not attempt to sneak-attack Naruto.
Naruto was surrounded by violently chaotic Chakra—appearing there would mean being swept directly into the raging currents.
At that point, Naruto would have enough time to react and counterattack.
Sasuke reappeared in the audience stands. More precisely, within the section where the Genius Class members were seated.
The instant he landed, his strength completely gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Sasuke-kun?!" Sakura rushed forward to support him.
"He's fine." Kitazawa appeared in front of Sasuke and, after checking him, said calmly, "He just consumed too much Chakra."
At this moment, the Konoha Arena finally returned to calm.
Naruto stood in place as though nothing had happened. In contrast, the Konoha Arena itself had been reduced to a heap of ruins.
Kitazawa's mouth twitched.
How should he put it? In truth, Naruto had actually held back quite a bit in this battle.
"The winner, Uzumaki Naruto!" Kitazawa announced the final result.
With that, the graduation exam of the Genius Class came to a successful conclusion.
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Read the complete novel on P@treon: P@treon / Arvinstorm
Check out my other novels:
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