Naruto and Sasuke's battle had been nothing short of spectacular, captivating the entire audience.
The sheer display of power from these two young shinobi left many in shock.
Konoha's strength is truly terrifying…
For the other contestants, witnessing that final clash between Rasengan and Chidori sent chills down their spines.
Kankuro's expression was grim.
"If I had to face either of them… I'm not sure I'd win."
Konoha had too many formidable threats.
The taijutsu specialist with the bowl-cut.
The strange, blindfolded girl.
The boy with the pale white eyes.
And now, these two.
"As expected of Konoha," Kankuro muttered under his breath.
A doubt crept into his mind.
"Can our plan really succeed against a village this powerful?"
Temari shot him a cold glance.
"If Konoha didn't have shinobi at this level, they wouldn't deserve their reputation," she stated firmly.
Kankuro then looked over at Gaara, who remained silent.
"...But with Gaara here, none of Konoha's so-called geniuses stand a chance."
Gaara's bloodthirsty eyes flickered toward Naruto, his expression darkening.
"That presence… There's no mistaking it."
Temari noticed his intensity and frowned.
"What presence?" she asked, puzzled.
Gaara didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on Naruto.
"Is there a monster inside him? Or… is it something else?"
---
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke were taken away for medical treatment.
Konoha's maintenance crew quickly began repairing the damage to the arena, using earth-release techniques to fill in the crater left behind.
Ten minutes later, the big screen above the stadium flickered, displaying the next match:
Tsuchiya Tsukigami vs. Sakuragi
It was an interesting matchup.
Both Tsuchiya and Sakuragi had barely scraped through their previous battles against similarly weak opponents.
This fight would be different from the previous one—no overwhelming power, no spectacular clashes.
At the very least, it ensured that no Konoha ninja would suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of an outsider, sparing the village from embarrassment.
Tsuchiya and Sakuragi stepped into the arena, exchanging subtle glances.
They didn't need words.
Tsuchiya's eyes seemed to ask, What do we do? How are we supposed to fight?
Sakuragi's look answered, Let's drag this out and go for a draw—just like Naruto and Sasuke did.
A silent agreement was made.
Both nodded slightly, their plan set.
Hayate, unaware of their little scheme, simply announced—
"Begin!"
At once, the two reached into their pockets, preparing to stall.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The battle began with a flurry of shuriken, flying through the air in perfect symmetry.
The projectiles from both sides collided mid-flight, canceling each other out before clattering to the ground.
At the same moment, both fighters closed the distance, launching into close-quarters combat.
Their movements were swift—but strangely coordinated.
A punch from the left.
A block from the right.
A strike from above.
A dodge below.
Sakuragi and Tsuchiya exchanged a quick glance.
Tsuchiya feigned an attack from the left.
Sakuragi instinctively followed up, swinging his blade from the right.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel met steel, sparks flying as they exchanged blows.
But unlike a typical battle—where fighters aimed for weak spots and openings—these two weren't trying to land a decisive hit.
Instead, their movements mirrored each other in perfect rhythm.
One attacked, the other defended.
Then they switched.
Their movements had an almost rehearsed elegance—more like a performance than a fight.
---
In the audience, the shinobi present exchanged puzzled looks.
"...Are they dancing?"
"Is this some kind of halftime show?"
"This has to be staged, right?"
"Are these two seriously faking a match?"
"What kind of technique is this… interpretive taijutsu?"
Chihiro's eye twitched in frustration.
"Once these two are done, they're in for some serious training."
Sakiya let out a long sigh, clearly unimpressed.
Nearby, Kakashi lazily turned his gaze toward Chihiro, his expression unreadable.
Chihiro, sensing the silent accusation, immediately put on a straight face.
"Don't look at me, Kakashi-senpai. I don't know these two guys."
(Lie with a straight face… that level of skill… impressive.)
Kakashi raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Tsuchiya, and Sakuragi quickly realized they had been holding back too much.
They exchanged a glance.
"We need to step it up."
Without hesitation, both fighters increased their speed and power.
Their attacks became sharper, their movements more forceful.
Sakuragi leaped backward, using the momentum to hurl a kunai mid-air.
Tsuchiya barely had time to react.
Clang!
The kunai deflected off his own weapon, sending a sharp metallic ring through the air.
Tsuchiya blinked.
"That fast?"
But if Sakuragi was getting serious, then so would he.
With a quick motion, Tsuchiya formed hand seals.
Sakuragi's eyes widened.
"Wait… is he actually going for it?"
He watched as Tsuchiya seamlessly completed his jutsu.
Sakuragi had no time to hesitate.
He pressed his hands to the ground.
Both attacked at the same time.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
A massive fireball erupted from Tsuchiya's mouth, roaring toward Sakuragi.
At the same time, a sturdy earthen wall rose in front of Sakuragi, blocking the flames.
The fireball crashed against the barrier, sending waves of heat through the air.
When the smoke cleared, the earth wall was still standing—only lightly scorched.
Sakuragi narrowed his eyes.
"Alright, if he's playing seriously… then so am I."
He formed another set of seals.
Tsuchiya saw this and reacted instantly.
Before the last embers of his fire jutsu faded, he leaped over the dirt wall, closing the distance.
Sakuragi was still crouched behind the wall, completely still.
Tsuchiya hesitated.
"Why isn't he moving?"
A sudden instinct kicked in—he squeezed his eyes shut, held his breath, and covered his crotch.
Just in time.
A cloud of powder exploded in front of his face.
At the same moment, Sakuragi's fist struck downward—right where Tsuchiya had just defended.
Sakuragi raised an eyebrow.
"Huh. He knows me too well."
Without missing a beat, he spun and delivered a kick straight to Tsuchiya's chest.
Tsuchiya grunted as he hit the ground, breathing hard.
But he forced himself up, still keeping his eyes shut.
The powder was still clinging to his face—opening his eyes too soon would be a mistake.
He controlled his breathing, cautious not to inhale any dust.
Sakuragi, meanwhile, took his time, circling him slowly.
Silent footsteps.
Tsuchiya clenched his fists.
"Damn it. This guy's actually serious."
"Fine then. No more holding back!"
Tsuchiya quickly pulled out five shurikens and threw them around him in a calculated pattern.
Sakuragi smirked and shifted slightly, effortlessly dodging the shuriken aimed directly at him.
But as soon as he moved, Tsuchiya tugged at the wires in his hand—revealing that the shurikens were all connected.
Sakuragi barely had time to react before one of the wires brushed against him.
Feeling the movement, Tsuchiya acted immediately. He kicked forward, predicting Sakuragi's next move.
His foot connected solidly.
Sakuragi crossed his arms in defense, but the impact sent a shockwave through his chest, forcing him back five steps.
"That power…! Since when was he this good at taijutsu?"
There was no time to think.
Tsuchiya was already closing in, swinging his shuriken by the wire as he advanced.
Sakuragi, refusing to back down, drew his kunai.
With a quick slash, he cut through the tangled wires.
But Tsuchiya was already too close.
Before Sakuragi could react, Tsuchiya dodged sideways, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it sharply.
Sakuragi's eyes widened as his balance was thrown off.
Then—
With a practiced motion, Tsuchiya flipped him over his shoulder.
Sakuragi crashed hard onto the ground.
Before he could recover, Tsuchiya pressed a knee to his head and held his kunai against his throat.
"You lost, Sakuragi."
Sakuragi felt the weight holding him down. His right arm was pinned. He couldn't move.
Defeat was clear.
"I lost."
Hayate nodded.
"Winner: Tsuchiya!"
Tsuchiya released him and stood up.
Sakuragi sat up slowly, his glasses slightly askew and dust covering his face.
"So that's it… Cheap tricks can only get me so far."
"Can I really become a strong ninja?"
Tsuchiya wiped his face with a cloth from the medical team and glanced at Sakuragi.
Then he grinned, reaching out a hand.
"Don't be so down, Sakuragi. You're strong. I just happened to be a little stronger today."
Sakuragi sighed, taking the offered hand as he stood up.
"You have the worst way of comforting people."
Tsuchiya laughed.
"Hahaha! Let's just keep working hard. We'll get stronger together!"
Sakuragi exhaled, shaking his head. But a small smile crept onto his face.
"Yeah… Let's."
As the two walked back to the stands, they felt a sharp gaze on them.
Chihiro was glaring at them, arms crossed, eyes filled with barely contained fury.
"You two! How dare you pull a stunt like that in an official match!"
Cold sweat dripped down their backs.
They bowed in unison.
"We're sorry!"
Chihiro cracked her knuckles.
"Sorry won't cut it. After the exams, I'm putting you both through special training."
Sakuragi and Tsuchiya exchanged terrified glances.
"We're doomed…"
Meanwhile, Sakiya ignored their panic, her attention locked onto the new match list on the big screen.
Sakiya vs. Gaara.
!!!