Kimimaro faced Sasuke with a grave expression.
The earlier Genjutsu: Unknown Fire had been a warning—this match would be far harder than he'd imagined.
But surrender? That wasn't in his nature.
Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!
Kimimaro raised both hands. His fingers spread—and white finger bones burst forth like bullets, slicing through the air at impossible speed.
But Sasuke's Sharingan saw everything in slow motion.
He drew the Sword of the Thunder God, lightning humming along its blade.
Clang—clink—clang!
With effortless precision, Sasuke deflected every projectile. The bone shards clattered harmlessly to the ground.
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed. He charged.
Dance of the Willow!
White bones erupted from his palms as he struck, his movements flowing like a storm—two thrusts from his hands, one from his knee.
But Sasuke didn't retreat.
His sword flashed three times in an instant. Each strike met its mark—deflecting Kimimaro's attacks cleanly.
Then he twirled the glowing blade, relaxed and poised.
"Before these eyes of mine," Sasuke said coolly, "every movement you make is laid bare."
Bones spread across Kimimaro's body, forming a gleaming exoskeleton. His entire frame was now a living weapon—not unlike Killer B's Eight-Sword Dance.
But unlike B, Kimimaro was still far from his peak.
Curse Mark of Earth: Level One!
Dark markings flared across his skin, pulsing with ominous chakra.
Tayuya's eyes widened. "He activated the Curse Mark already?!"
"The Sharingan's insight is terrifying," Ino explained, eyes following Sasuke's calm movements. "It slows everything you do—you'll always feel one step behind."
Tayuya frowned, remembering their earlier exchange.
It was true. Against an ordinary opponent, Kimimaro's triple bone strike would've overwhelmed them.
But Sasuke had predicted every motion before it even began.
Sakura added quietly, "And that's not all. The Sharingan can copy your movements—even your ninjutsu."
Kiba groaned. "I'd hate to fight Sasuke. That's just unfair!"
"Tell me about it," Tenten sighed. "I couldn't even hit him with a single weapon."
Tayuya finally understood why the Uchiha Clan was so feared across the shinobi world.
Back on the field, Kimimaro vanished.
This time, he was faster—much faster. The Curse Mark had boosted both his speed and strength.
Sasuke's eyes strained to keep up. The Two-Tomoe Sharingan could still track him… barely.
Steel clashed with bone. Sparks burst between them.
Kimimaro's knee bone came in fast—too fast.
Sasuke blurred backward in a flicker, widening the gap between them.
He landed, hands already forming seals.
Fire Release: Great Fireball!
A massive sphere of flame roared from his mouth, surging toward Kimimaro like a tidal wave of heat.
Kimimaro leapt aside, flames licking his arm as he dodged.
But Sasuke wasn't done.
Chidori Senbon!
A sharp chirping filled the air. Lightning gathered in his hand—then exploded outward, scattering into hundreds of glowing needles.
They streaked across the field like a storm of blue light.
Kimimaro had just landed when he saw them coming. His pupils shrank—there was no way to dodge them all.
Dance of the Camellia!
He drew a bone sword from his forearm, its pale surface glinting under the light.
With one clean sweep, he cut through the air—slicing the lightning needles apart with blinding speed.
Sparks and bone fragments scattered across the arena.
Kiba's jaw dropped. "Wait—that was Chidori!? How can he turn it into senbon!?"
Neji's face darkened.
As a taijutsu user, he knew it instantly—that kind of long-range, high-speed technique was the worst possible counter to the Gentle Fist.
He clenched his fists slightly. "Sasuke's versatility is… frightening."
Yakumo's expression turned thoughtful. Lightning Release was infamous for its speed—and Sasuke wielded it with deadly precision.
If she ever faced him, she couldn't hesitate for even a second.
Her only hope would be to trap him instantly in Genjutsu—otherwise, she wouldn't stand a chance.
But deep down, she could already feel it—as Sasuke's Lightning Release grew stronger, even her illusions might one day fail to keep up.
And his Sharingan… was still only at Two Tomoe.
"This is Lightning Release: Chidori Senbon," Sakura explained, eyes gleaming with admiration. "Kitazawa-sensei taught him that."
She'd seen Sasuke practicing it earlier during the break, lightning needles slicing through targets.
"Kitazawa-sensei again?" Tayuya muttered, frowning. "Is there anything that man doesn't know?"
"Of course not!" Ino said proudly, hands on her hips. "Kitazawa-sensei's an all-rounder ninja—he knows everything!"
"Yeah," Kiba added eagerly. "He even invents new jutsu! My Three-Headed Hellhound—his idea."
"Kitazawa-sensei also knows Gentle Fist," Hinata said softly, nodding.
"..."
Neji hesitated. He wanted to warn her not to speak of that too loudly—but then stopped himself. With Kitazawa's current status, even the Hyuga Clan couldn't afford to challenge him.
Still, Neji couldn't help but recall that moment during training. When Kitazawa demonstrated the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, his precision and fluidity had been… beyond even Hiashi's.
But that shouldn't be possible. How could anyone master Gentle Fist without the Byakugan?
He couldn't make sense of it.
Their conversation faded as the clash in the arena grew more intense.
Kimimaro, having deflected the Chidori Senbon, surged forward with renewed determination. He had realized one thing—only close combat could break through Sasuke's defenses.
Leaf Style: Willow!
Sasuke drew the Sword of the Thunder God, its blade crackling with blue light.
He swung his arm—once, twice—and dozens of sword shadows spiraled outward like a storm.
Kimimaro froze mid-charge. His vision blurred; his limbs refused to move.
Genjutsu?
So this was a fusion—Kenjutsu and illusion intertwined.
Kimimaro gritted his teeth. He had underestimated him again. Sasuke had shown so little in his earlier fights…
Curse Mark of Earth: Level Two!
Dark chakra burst from his body like wildfire. Black markings spread across his skin as his form distorted into something almost monstrous.
The violent surge shattered the Genjutsu instantly.
Sasuke's eyes sharpened—the real strike was already in motion.
He lunged forward, blade flashing.
Clang!
A massive bone tail whipped up behind Kimimaro, catching the Thunder God's sword with a metallic ring.
The sheer force of the block made Sasuke's arm go numb. He realized instantly—Kimimaro's physical power in this form far outclassed his own.
In a burst of speed, Sasuke retreated, widening the distance.
Close combat's suicide now.
He formed hand signs in rapid succession.
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!
A fiery dragon erupted from his lungs, heat rippling across the arena. The air shimmered; the temperature spiked.
The flaming beast roared forward.
Kimimaro didn't dodge—he met it head-on.
Bones burst from his forearms, forming a gleaming white guard. His tail lashed out violently, smashing the dragon's head.
Flames scattered. Kimimaro charged through them like a demon, his bone armor glowing red-hot from the heat.
He swung his arms, shredding the fire dragon apart.
And then—
Chirp… chirp… chirp.
That sound again.
Lightning screeched in the air.
Chidori.
Kimimaro's eyes snapped to Sasuke. Dazzling light gathered in the Uchiha's right hand.
He dashed forward. Kimimaro responded instantly.
Dance of the Camellia!
His bone sword slashed forward in a flurry, each strike aimed to land before Sasuke could unleash the attack.
But this wasn't the same jutsu as before.
Lightning Release: Chidori Nagashi!
Electricity burst across Sasuke's entire body in a web of crackling arcs.
Their blades met—Thunder God steel against living bone.
The sword blocked Kimimaro's deadliest strike. The rest of the blows hit the lightning shroud, sparks exploding in every direction.
Kimimaro felt the jolt too late. The electricity raced down his bone blade and into his body.
Lightning exploded outward.
Kimimaro's scream caught in his throat as his muscles seized, pain and numbness washing over him like a wave.
He froze in place, unable to move.
Sasuke exhaled softly, lowering his blade. He could have finished it—but this was a spar, not a killing match.
He stepped back, expression unreadable.
"Winner—Uchiha Sasuke," Kitazawa declared.
Kimimaro's body still trembled from the residual charge. One more strike, and Sasuke could have ended him.
Kitazawa stepped forward, raising his hands. Pale green chakra enveloped Kimimaro's body, soothing the burns and restoring his circulation.
Being electrocuted by Sasuke's lightning techniques was hardly pleasant—but thanks to the Curse Mark's abundant chakra, the injuries weren't critical.
Kimimaro took a slow breath, his pride wounded far more than his flesh.
Sasuke sheathed the Sword of the Thunder God, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
He had to admit—Kimimaro had pushed him harder than expected.
But once he'd grasped the rhythm of his opponent's movements, victory became inevitable.
As expected… the Uchiha are the strongest.
A surge of pride welled up inside him, the urge to laugh threatening to slip out. But he held it back.
Kimimaro was not his true goal.
His real target stood a short distance away—grinning under the afternoon sun.
Uzumaki Naruto.
Defeating Naruto—that was the only way to prove his strength.
"We won!" Sakura cheered, clapping her hands together, eyes shining with admiration.
"…We lost again."
Tayuya muttered bitterly under her breath.
From the moment Kimimaro had been trapped in Genjutsu, she'd sensed it—that cold, sinking premonition of defeat. And the battle had proven it right.
But could she blame him? Not really.
Even with the Curse Mark of Earth, Kimimaro couldn't overcome Sasuke. That cursed seal might boost power, but it wasn't truly his strength.
The real reason was simpler—Uchiha Sasuke was just stronger.
"How did Sasuke improve this much?" Ino said, exasperated. "He's leaving the rest of us no room to breathe!"
"Every time I think I've finally caught up," Kiba groaned, ruffling his hair, "Naruto and Sasuke stomp on my motivation all over again. It's not even fair! Shouldn't progress slow down the stronger you get?"
Shikamaru sighed. "You still haven't figured it out? Those two stopped being human a long time ago."
Tenten laughed softly. "Yeah. That's what real genius looks like—the kind that breaks logic."
Neji's mouth twitched. Once, he'd thought himself the pinnacle of genius—the Hyuga prodigy.
And he was.
But meeting Naruto and Sasuke had shown him there was something beyond even that—a level of genius that defied reason.
Especially Uzumaki Naruto.
Sasuke's talent made sense—Sharingan, clan jutsus, and talent. But Naruto…?
His chakra reserves alone made him feel like a walking Bloodline Limit.
"As expected of my lifelong rival!" Naruto shouted, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Sasuke's performance had lit a fire inside him. Those new lightning techniques—Chidori Nagashi and Chidori Senbon—even he found them troublesome.
The thought of facing them thrilled him.
"If Sasuke weren't so young," Kosuke said, stroking his beard, "he could probably qualify for the Jōnin Exams."
"The new generation is truly terrifying," he added with a chuckle.
Hiruzen smiled knowingly. "Naruto and Sasuke are outliers, that's all. The rest are still perfectly normal."
Kakashi nodded in agreement. He'd met many geniuses—been one himself—but those two were something else entirely.
"It's a blessing for Konoha," Kosuke continued. "In ten years, the other villages will be pulling their hair out trying to keep up."
Kakashi smirked. "Make that five."
Kosuke chuckled. "You're probably right. You made Jōnin at twelve—these two might do it even sooner."
The gentle green light around Kimimaro flickered and faded as Kitazawa withdrew his hands.
He studied the boy's downcast expression, searching for the right words.
"Your Shikotsumyaku has only begun to awaken," Kitazawa said finally. "With time, you won't be far behind them."
Of course, it wasn't entirely true.
Under normal circumstances, the Shikotsumyaku could rival even the Sharingan—but Sasuke wasn't exactly normal. He had the undeniable glow of a protagonist's destiny.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei," Kimimaro said quietly, bowing his head.
Kitazawa smiled, patting his shoulder. "Besides, they've been under my special training for months. You've only been here a single month—it's natural there's a gap."
Kimimaro didn't argue.
If one genius could be explained by luck or talent, then a classroom full of geniuses meant something else entirely—it meant the teacher was exceptional.
Otogakure's training, in comparison, had been chaos. Orochimaru rarely involved himself directly. Kitazawa, however… he guided every detail.
And Kimimaro couldn't help but feel a spark of anticipation.
The stronger he became, the closer he was to fulfilling his purpose—to be Orochimaru's perfect vessel.
[Current Mission: Help Kimimaro achieve first place in a practical exam.]
[Mission Reward: 20% of Shikotsumyaku.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa's brow twitched.
"You're making things difficult for me again…" he muttered under his breath.
Kimimaro was powerful, yes—but expecting him to surpass Naruto, Sasuke, and Yakumo? That was practically suicide.
Then realization struck.
The mission didn't specify which practical exam.
Meaning he could create a new one entirely—perhaps a field mission, a team assessment, or a tactical exercise.
Smiling faintly, Kitazawa accepted the mission.
As Kimimaro and Sasuke left the arena, Kitazawa approached the lottery box again.
Kimimaro had now lost all three matches—meaning his task in this exam was over.
Still, there was one more adjustment to make.
He reached into the box and drew two slips of paper.
"The third round, second match—Tayuya versus Uzumaki Naruto."
"...Huh?"
Tayuya froze, eyes wide.
Me? Against that monster?
Kiba burst out laughing. "Looks like your luck's just as bad as Kimimaro's!"
Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head.
….you really think this is luck?
Kimimaro's matchup had been one thing—but Tayuya's? That couldn't possibly be coincidence.
He looked at Kitazawa, suspicion flickering behind his lazy eyes.
So that's it. He's teaching them humility.
And judging by the defeated looks on their faces… the lesson was working perfectly.
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