Hearing this, Yugito finally realized—if it hadn't been for Matatabi, she would have already fallen for it.
Was it really that terrifying? She hadn't even noticed anything!
No, this wasn't skill—this was just dirty tactics! Her sensei even used cheap tricks during sparring!
"Hmph, what the heck, this isn't sparring at all, it's cheating!"
"I refuse to accept this!"
Yugito was practically fuming, but Matatabi lectured her calmly.
"In battle, there's no such thing as dirty tricks. As long as you defeat your opponent, that's all that matters."
"We cats hunt the same way—ambushing prey is normal."
Kazuyama nodded repeatedly at Matatabi's words.
With Matatabi stepping in, the sparring session came to an end.
Back in her human form, Yugito glared fiercely at her sensei, clearly still upset.
"Hmph, I'm remembering what you just said."
"Don't worry, I'll make the arrangements. I promise you'll be satisfied."
Kazuyama naturally had a plan in mind. With the war ramping up again, it was time for him to start preparing as well.
...
Returning to Konohagakure, Yugito went to rest, while Kazuyama summoned his three disciples for a pre-exam briefing.
"This is the situation for the Chūnin Exams."
"Whether it's individual matches or team battles, I want you to stand out and break through the competition."
"Otherwise... hehehe... Kakashi... Obito..."
Hearing that sinister laugh, Kakashi and Obito both shuddered.
They knew all too well: if they didn't meet their sensei's expectations, they were going to suffer terribly.
But Kakashi quickly noticed something off.
"Wait a second, sensei, I'm already a Chūnin."
"Why am I taking the Chūnin Exams?"
Kazuyama scratched his head—right, Kakashi was already a Chūnin. But he had already submitted his name...
Ugh, what a mess.
"You're right... forget it, you're out."
"Just come along to support the others. Rin and Obito will participate. As for their teammate, hmm…"
Kazuyama paused, not finding a suitable candidate.
"If it comes down to it, you two can just compete as a pair."
Rin and Obito both nodded. Even short one member, they didn't believe they would lose.
Kazuyama agreed. He knew their strength well—more than enough to handle the Chūnin Exams.
For Rin and Obito, this exam wasn't just a strength test; it was a vital milestone on their path to growth, and they were moving forward steadily.
As for Kakashi... he could fend for himself.
Reading the look in his sensei's eyes, Kakashi felt a little helpless.
He really shouldn't have taken the Chūnin Exams so early. Now he was completely sidelined.
It was a pretty frustrating feeling...
...
The Chūnin Exams began on schedule.
The venue at the village's northern side had already been set up.
Ninjas from five different villages gathered together.
Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi officially announced the start of the exams.
The first event, the team competition, progressed without surprises. Four teams made it into the semifinals:
Obito and Rin.
Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu.
Yugito and her two followers.
And a team of three Genin from Amegakure.
As luck would have it, Obito and Rin were matched against Guy's team.
Yugito faced off against the Amegakure team.
Kazuyama watched his disciples advance smoothly into the semifinals and was quite satisfied.
Maybe it was the world's corrective force at work, but Obito was still matched against Guy.
In the original story, Obito had been knocked out by Guy in a single kick.
But with his guidance, things would probably turn out differently this time.
As for Yugito against Amegakure, there was no suspense whatsoever.
He didn't believe for a second that Yugito would lose.
After all, Yugito had blasted through the preliminaries, able to 3v1 opponents using just Taijutsu.
...
"What a shame! I really wanted to fight the one from Takigakure!"
"But Obito, I'm happy to fight you too!"
"Come on! Let me show you the results of my training!"
The hot-blooded Might Guy shouted his battle declaration.
The match started, with Rin taking on two opponents and Obito facing Guy.
Obito, who had trained extensively in Taijutsu, showed real grit as he clashed with Guy in a fierce Taijutsu duel.
Fists and kicks blurred through the air at lightning speed.
While fighting, Obito couldn't help but be amazed at Guy's growth—this guy had really been working hard.
Meanwhile, Rin wasn't intimidated at all, even against two opponents.
She kept up a steady barrage of fireballs and waterballs, pressing Genma and Ebisu hard.
As they dodged, they threw several shuriken at her.
But Rin flickered and vanished, reappearing behind one of them and landing a solid kick.
At the same time, Obito and Guy's battle grew even fiercer.
But Obito wasn't just a Taijutsu fighter.
Just then, a voice rang out nearby, drawing the attention of all five combatants.
"So slow. You could've finished it a long time ago, you know?"
"A ninja should be decisive."
The voice came from the neighboring field, and its owner was a young, beautiful girl.
It was Yugito.
At her feet lay three Amegakure Genin, clearly defeated and seriously injured.
You could tell from the stormy look on the supervising Amegakure Jōnin's face just how bad his mood was.
Seeing that Yugito had already finished her match, Rin and Obito exchanged glances—and immediately unleashed an even fiercer offensive.
In the blink of an eye, the tide turned.
Rin's hands glowed with blue chakra as she charged at Guy.
This sudden move made the watching Jōnin from another village exclaim, "Chakra Scalpel?"
It was clear this Jōnin was quite familiar with Medical Ninjutsu.
"Someone that young can already use such an advanced technique?"
Yes, Rin was using an A-rank Medical Ninjutsu: the Chakra Scalpel.
By concentrating chakra into her hands, she could cut through any part of the body for surgery, transplant organs, or, in combat, sever muscles and chakra pathways—or even slice through opponents directly.
Kazuyama smiled and glanced toward Tsunade, who was also watching from the sidelines.
Yes, it was Tsunade who had taught Rin the Chakra Scalpel, at Kazuyama's earlier request.
With her sensei's guidance, plus her own hard work and natural talent, Rin had finally mastered this A-rank technique.
Meanwhile, Obito had switched to fighting Genma and Ebisu.
The change instantly shifted the balance of the fight.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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