“The students who drew number two, please come forward!” Kitazawa spoke after giving Naruto a score of ninety-five.

Shino Aburame, dressed in a white robe and wearing sunglasses, calmly stepped onto the field. His opponent was a young boy who usually performed decently, but drawing Shino Aburame meant his fate was sealed.

Just as the boy was about to form hand signs, a large swarm of Kikaichū flew out from Shino’s hair. Startled, the boy was forced to cancel his jutsu and quickly fled backward.

From the very start, he was completely suppressed.

After dodging for over ten seconds, he was finally overtaken by the Kikaichū.

“I… I surrender!” The boy shouted, trembling as he looked at the insects crawling all over him. He was terrified they might burrow into his body at any moment.

“Students from ninja clans still have too much of an advantage,” Iruka commented.

“Not all clans win so easily,” Kitazawa shook his head.

Ninja clans varied widely in strength—even the Uchiha had weaknesses. But the Aburame clan was known for their well-rounded capabilities.

As long as their Kikaichū were raised properly, becoming a Chunin was almost guaranteed.

And if the insects mutated or encountered rare breeds, a rapid increase in strength was even easier.

Like Torune Aburame’s nano-poisonous insects. Unfortunately, he was noticed by Danzo Shimura and absorbed into Root.

This was the problem many clans faced: A rare genius would emerge, only to be ruined by Danzo’s machinations, turned into nothing more than a tool. But against Danzo Shimura, most clans didn’t dare speak out.

“The students who drew number five, please come forward.” Kitazawa looked toward the First Year Class A students.

Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward with a calm expression.

“Sasuke-kun, you can do it!” Haruno raised her fist in encouragement.

“Who has the other number five?” Yamanaka looked around. No one stepped forward.

“Meeting Sasuke? That’s rough.” Choji Akimichi said sympathetically.

“That unlucky guy is me.” Shikamaru sighed in resignation.

“So there’s someone even unluckier than me.” Kiba put his arm around Shikamaru’s shoulder. “Why not just forfeit? You’ll get hit less.”

It was a solid suggestion. The old Shikamaru might’ve accepted it instantly. But forfeiting meant scoring zero.

Without any practical exam points, getting into the top ten with just theoretical scores would be impossible.

“Go, Shikamaru!” Ino cheered. “It’s okay even if you lose!”

“Shikamaru, youth doesn’t back down!” Uzumaki Naruto gave a thumbs-up.

He and Shikamaru had done several practical sessions together. As the saying goes, friendship grows through fighting. They were already quite familiar with each other.

“Fine, I’ll just fight.” Shikamaru scratched his head and walked over to stand opposite Uchiha Sasuke.

Once they formed the Seal of Confrontation, Kitazawa announced: “Start!”

Shikamaru looked down. Due to the weather, the shadows cast on the ground were unusually clear.

As soon as the match started, Sasuke threw six shuriken without hesitation.

In his mind, there was no need to waste chakra using Fire Release against Shikamaru. He needed to conserve his strength for stronger opponents like Naruto and Hinata.

The six shuriken moved with high speed and wide coverage, aiming for all of Shikamaru’s vital spots. But Shikamaru, upon seeing them, actually sighed in relief.

He quickly pulled out a kunai.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

He deflected three of the shuriken in midair. They landed on the ground in specific trajectories. The remaining three shuriken he dodged by rolling across the field.

Sasuke frowned.

Why was Shikamaru suddenly faster? What kind of special training had Kitazawa-sensei been giving?

The practical training had happened elsewhere, so Sasuke didn’t know the details.

But it didn’t matter.

A smirk crept onto Sasuke’s face. He lifted both hands. Rubber strings wrapped around his fingers tightened. The shuriken attached to their ends shot back under his control.

“Hmm?” Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

At that exact moment, Shikamaru stepped forward—right onto a shuriken.

Shadow Imitation Technique!

Shikamaru quickly formed hand seals. His shadow extended along the shuriken and traced the rubber string.

Sasuke noticed and immediately abandoned that shuriken. The remaining five soared up again, targeting Shikamaru.

But as they neared, a flicker of alarm crossed Sasuke’s face. His hands moved on their own.

The five shuriken were yanked midair, suddenly turning back toward him.

“What the—?” Naruto’s eyes widened. “Why is Sasuke hitting himself?”

“It’s the Shadow Imitation Technique,” Ino explained with a proud smile. “Shikamaru can control Sasuke through his shadow.”

“He actually learned it?” Choji was stunned. He knew Shikamaru had joined Kitazawa’s special training, but for a notorious slacker to master a clan technique…

No, the real miracle was Kitazawa. He had actually changed Shikamaru’s entire attitude.

“The Nara clan’s secret techniques are really—” Shino began, but was cut off.

“So cool!” Naruto’s eyes sparkled. “Wait, could Sasuke actually lose?”

“Sasuke-kun won’t lose!” Sakura shouted, her fists clenched.

“Is that really Shikamaru?” Iruka blinked in disbelief.

He learned a clan technique at six? Wasn’t he always lazy before? What changed him?

Kitazawa narrowed his eyes. He was already on standby—ready to intervene.

In theory, once caught by the Shadow Imitation, escape was impossible.

But in practice, there were exceptions. Especially since Shikamaru was only six and far from mastering the jutsu.

Sasuke stared at the approaching shuriken and struggled desperately.

Might Guy’s training… His mind echoed with the memory. With a loud grunt, he focused his chakra into his legs.

Shikamaru gritted his teeth, fighting to maintain control. If he could just hold out another half-second, he would win!

“Arghhh!” Sasuke roared in anger and desperation.

He couldn’t afford to lose, not in the first round. Not to someone like Shikamaru. Not when the entire Uchiha clan was watching.

The thought of losing here, not to Naruto or Hinata, but to a previously unknown student, made his blood boil. His eyes turned bloodshot, reddening subtly.

At that moment, Sasuke felt the weight on his body vanish. Without hesitation, he kicked off the ground and awkwardly dodged the incoming shuriken.

“What?” Shikamaru’s eyes widened.

He hadn’t expected Sasuke to break free at the last second.

Kitazawa instinctively straightened. That burst of cold intent just now—it was Yin Release, or more precisely, pupil power.

The Shadow Imitation was also Yin Release. This meant it could be overcome by another strong Yin-type force.

Did he awaken the Sharingan? Kitazawa’s gaze immediately focused on Sasuke’s eyes. No tomoe.

But that raised another question. Sasuke already possessed the necessary foundation to awaken the Sharingan. It was only a matter of time.

For Kitazawa, this was a good thing, as it would facilitate the completion of his mission.

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s movements paused, and a flicker of surprise appeared on his face. If Kitazawa could see it, then Hiruzen could naturally sense it too.

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought for a moment and understood the reason. It was because Uchiha Sasuke had experienced intense emotional fluctuations in that instant. But in the end, it was just a little short.

“There are still too many geniuses in the Uchiha Clan.” Hiruzen thought of Itachi Uchiha.

He had awakened his Sharingan at eight years old, already a rare genius within the clan. If Sasuke awakened his Sharingan at six… Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent.

“I surrender!” Shikamaru raised his hand and declared decisively.

First, because the Shadow Imitation Technique consumed a significant amount of chakra, another use would be difficult. Second, because he knew Sasuke would now go all out.

Third, because Sasuke would no longer rely on the Manipulating Shuriken Technique, rendering Shadow Imitation ineffective. Fourth, because he had already shown enough strength that his score wouldn’t be too bad.

Ultimately, Shikamaru’s trick on Sasuke had relied heavily on luck.

“No!” Sasuke, who was forming hand signs, blurted out in protest. He had almost lost just now! Now was the time for a counterattack—if Shikamaru surrendered, who would he vent his anger on?

“Sasuke.” Kitazawa reminded him, “This is just a practice match. Surrendering is allowed.”

Sasuke gritted his teeth and reluctantly stopped forming hand signs.

“Winner, Uchiha Sasuke,” Kitazawa announced the result.

Although Sasuke had won, he didn’t feel the slightest bit happy. He left the field with a sullen expression.

Meanwhile, though Shikamaru had lost, he received waves of exclamations. The students of First Year Class A hadn’t expected him to be capable of so much.

“Kitazawa-senpai, how did you score them?” Iruka hesitated for a few seconds before asking.

“Both got ninety-five points,” Kitazawa replied casually. “It’s only the first round. No need to overthink it.”

“Alright then.” Iruka relaxed and also gave them ninety-five points.

“The two students with number six, please come forward!” Kitazawa called out.

Hinata and a young boy walked into the field.

Clone Technique! The boy reacted swiftly, creating two clones.

Hinata activated her Byakugan, found the real body instantly, and struck with a single palm. The Byakugan couldn’t distinguish physical shadow clones, but it could easily expose non-physical ones.

“Winner, Hyuga Hinata.” Kitazawa nodded and announced.

Hinata’s heart leapt at his nod, and she left the field happily.

“His Clone Technique is good. With a little more practice, he’ll reach graduation level.” Iruka sighed. “It’s just a pity he had to face Hinata.”

After some thought, he gave Hinata ninety points and the young boy eighty. Kitazawa’s scoring was roughly similar.

After Hinata, it was Sakura Haruno, Choji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka’s turn. Luckily, they didn’t face each other and all won easily.

“First round over. Fifteen-minute break,” Kitazawa announced. “Students who scored eighty or more in the first round will proceed to the second round of practical training.”

“I’ll now announce the students who will proceed to the second round.” Iruka, having combined his scores with Kitazawa’s, began to read out the names.

“Sasuke-kun, are you alright?” Sakura hesitated a few seconds before speaking.

Ever since the match with Shikamaru ended, Sasuke had been unusually cold and silent.

“I’m fine.” Uchiha Sasuke replied with a blank expression.

That narrow victory had shaken him. Fortunately, it was only because he’d been careless and failed to notice the Shadow Imitation Technique.

If they had a rematch, he would show Shikamaru what cruelty really was.

Still, Shikamaru had reminded him: never underestimate anyone. He had to secure first place—step by step.

“The biggest surprise of this round has to be Shikamaru,” Iruka said, glancing at the score sheet. “His progress is truly immense.”

“It’s the result of his hard work.” Kitazawa nodded.

“I tried to find ways to change his personality, but nothing worked. Kitazawa-senpai, you’re incredible—you completely transformed him.” Iruka said with sincere admiration.

“It seems I wasn’t wrong to recommend you to Shikaku as Shikamaru’s home tutor.” Hiruzen Sarutobi walked over during the break, smiling.

“It was Hokage-sama’s recommendation?” Iruka couldn’t help feeling envious.

This meant that in Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes, Kitazawa had already earned a place as an outstanding teacher. Perhaps even the only Ninja Academy instructor who had truly left a deep impression on the Third Hokage.

Kitazawa paused slightly. He hadn’t expected that Shikaku Nara would come to him because of Hiruzen.

“Thank you for your kindness, Hokage-sama.” Kitazawa quickly said.

“Think nothing of it,” Hiruzen replied with a shake of his head. “It’s your own ability.”

—

Fifteen minutes passed quickly.

The students who entered the second round stepped forward to draw lots.

“I’m number one again!” Uzumaki Naruto said with a wide grin. Drawing number one twice in a row, clearly a sign that he was destined to take first place in this exam.

“Is it my turn this time?” Choji gave a simple smile. “Naruto, please go easy on me.”

“No problem!” Naruto patted his chest. “We’ll just spar lightly.”

Choji breathed a sigh of relief. The two engaged in taijutsu.

It was obvious Choji hadn’t learned the Akimichi clan’s secret techniques yet and was using Konoha-style taijutsu. Under Naruto’s relentless barrage—Konoha Whirlwind, Konoha Great Whirlwind, and Konoha Strong Whirlwind—he quickly surrendered.

“Winner, Uzumaki Naruto.” Kitazawa paused, then continued: “The students with number two, please enter the field.”

Sasuke stepped forward, face cold as ice.

“It’s over!” Kiba nearly cried. “Is there anyone unluckier than me?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep