Sasuke wore a pitch-black shirt, blending into the night like his jet-black hair. It was clear that after a month of intense training, he hadn't had time to groom it—it had grown out quite a bit.
Yet somehow, it gave him a more carefree vibe.
At this moment, Sasuke's aura had completely changed.
If before he resembled a conflicted child, now he was an enigmatic young man brimming with a confidence one couldn't quite grasp.
*Too cool for school*, Shiki thought with a slight smirk.
Shiki also pursed his lips slightly—never did he expect Kakashi to bring Sasuke in with such an entrance.
Under normal circumstances, Shiki would've already slipped silently beside Sasuke, joking around while marveling at how fast Sasuke had improved.
But right now, he had no mood for that.
"I need to stay calm and watch carefully for Gaara's appearance," Shiki silently reminded himself.
He cast a glance toward the Kazekage sitting next to the Third. He knew full well this "Kazekage" was just Orochimaru in disguise.
Still, none of that mattered to him at the moment—he needed to find the Sound Four who had already hidden themselves and begun setting up the Four-Corner Sealing Barrier.
Shiki vanished from where he stood. At that moment, he had quietly activated the second gate of the Eight Gates Technique—the [Healing Gate].
Naturally, this was as far as he could go without drawing attention. Opening further gates would likely stir unwanted gazes.
Even so, doing this alone elevated his speed to an entirely new level.
"It seems we're a bit late," Kakashi said with a slight smile, narrowing his eyes.
However, nobody seemed to care about that anymore. Genma Shiranui lifted his head slightly, smirking faintly as he looked down at Sasuke.
"State your name."
Sasuke's expression grew serious. Amid everyone's anticipation, he uttered his name:
"Sasuke Uchiha."
Only at this moment did Sasuke seem to regain the natural poise and aloofness befitting a prodigy.
"Tch... Causing so much trouble like that—who does he think he is?"
Shikamaru curled his lip into a faint smile, acting unusually gracious—as if a hermit unconcerned with worldly matters.
He didn't mind at all when everyone's attention shifted away from him onto Sasuke.
Kakashi asked Genma a few questions, his tone carrying subtle apologies for their lateness.
But beneath that was a hint of pride—he knew there was always a good reason for being late.
The extent of Sasuke's improvement even surprised Kakashi himself. After all, within merely a month, he'd managed to match Lee's Taijutsu skill when he wasn't using the Eight Gates Technique.
It was utterly unbelievable.
Not only that—he'd also mastered the move Kakashi once thought impossible for him to learn in such a short time. Winning the Chunin Exam championship this time might not be an issue at all.
Compared to Kakashi, however, Sasuke's gaze flickered uncertainly.
As if searching for something—or someone—but among the crowd of friends, he couldn't spot the one person he wanted to see most.
Now, he had once again become stronger. Far more powerful than before.
But still, he had a goal—to defeat *him*.
Perhaps he should be grateful for that person's arrival—it gave him a goal and determination. It kept him from feeling the loneliness and solitude usually tied to being a genius.
Because above him, there was still someone else. Even when that person had been severely injured, he repeatedly convinced himself that this opponent had already lost all potential.
But now, he had finally faced everything head-on.
He accepted this opponent as a challenge worth taking seriously.
In truth, ever since stepping onto the battlefield, he had already prepared himself, secretly expecting that person to suddenly appear behind him—perhaps cracking some terrible joke or delivering some heavy moral lesson.
Yet...
He didn't show up at all. In fact, throughout the entire examination area, there was no sign of the man with fiery red hair.
"Did he also end up late?"
Sasuke shook his head and turned his gaze toward Naruto, who stood full of fighting spirit.
After making a promise to fight, Naruto happily dragged Shikamaru away.
Meanwhile, Gaara needed to come down from the spectator stands to the battleground.
Besides having to walk down a regular staircase, he also had to pass through a dark corridor.
At this moment, Shiki was leaning against the railing, standing at a sunlit corner overlooking that dark corridor.
As time passed, Naruto and Shikamaru climbed up another set of stairs and peeked over—they could just barely spot the corridor.
Naruto curiously asked, "Shiki, what are you doing here?"
"Waiting for an excellent show to begin," Shiki replied lightly, though his voice carried a hint of coldness.
Completely different from his usual carefree self.
There, two Chunin from the Grass Ninja Village were already waiting.
And only one slender, frail-looking figure had entered the corridor. The same shade of red hair as Shiki. And carrying a Gourd on his back.
"Halt."
Even in summer, these two Grass Village Chunin wore thick purple scarves around their necks.
Gaara stopped, a trace of darkness flashing across his eyes.
The two Chunin used a tone that sounded polite but was clearly laced with threats, urging Gaara to throw this match on purpose.
This is because many Daimyos from various nations had gathered here specifically to watch the Chunin Exams—mainly for gambling purposes.
They thought they were blades—tools meant to carve fate.
But they were wrong. They were nothing more than fish placed on the cutting board... fish willingly offering themselves to the blade.
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