Chapter 216: Chapter 216

The clash between Sasuke and Naruto had ground into a stalemate.

Every time Naruto tried to set up his Rasengan with Shadow Clone support, Sasuke’s Sharingan caught it in advance, snuffing out the attempt before it could land.

But Naruto wasn’t the type to give up. Stubbornness was in his blood—he kept pushing, again and again.

Meanwhile, Sasuke’s initial thrill of near-victory had cooled into sharp calculation. The longer this dragged on, the worse it was for him. His chakra reserves were far lower than Naruto’s, and maintaining two Shadow Clones on top of repeated Fire Releases was steadily draining him.

Fortunately, Leaf Style Swordsmanship demanded little chakra. If it hadn’t, he would have already been forced to his knees.

For a moment, Sasuke silently acknowledged the people who had shaped his path—Kosuke for teaching him Leaf Style Swordsmanship, and Kitazawa, who had persuaded him to learn it in the first place. Without that intervention, he’d still be wasting time grinding away at Lightning Release nature transformation instead of sharpening his blade.

His Sharingan glinted.

He needed to end this.

And then, recalling Neji’s earlier match, an idea took root.

“Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!”

Sasuke unleashed a blazing sphere straight into Naruto’s dense wall of clones.

Caught mid-charge, they couldn’t dodge in time. The fireball swallowed them, reducing dozens to smoke with a chorus of startled yells.

“Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

Naruto immediately retaliated, summoning another fifty.

“Now.”

Sasuke’s eyes locked on the true Naruto and he moved instantly.

“Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!”

Another massive fireball roared forward—then, in a perfectly timed rotation, Sasuke and his two clones shifted clockwise.

“Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!”

A second Sasuke spewed out three flaming dragons that trailed the fireball, the searing heat rolling across the arena in waves.

The combination created a blazing sea of fire.

Naruto’s clones scattered in all directions, some diving headlong into the inferno, others vanishing on contact. Taijutsu meant nothing against an elemental wall like this—his shadow army burned away in seconds.

The three Sasukes rotated again. From behind the curtain of flames, the real Sasuke surged forward, his blade gleaming.

Naruto didn’t notice. His vision was still blocked by the fireball—and one of the flame dragons, guided by Sasuke’s chakra, came barreling at him.

“Violent: Leaf Hurricane Strong Whirlwind!”

Naruto’s chakra-empowered kick tore into the dragon’s head, dispersing it in a spray of sparks. But the rest of its flaming body slammed into him, momentum unbroken.

“Rasengan!”

Naruto knew brute force alone wouldn’t cut it. He thrust out his palm, the spinning sphere of chakra smashing into the fire dragon.

Boom!

The dragon exploded in a spray of flame and smoke.

And from that smoke, steel flashed.

A ninja blade was already at his arms—Sasuke’s.

Naruto’s pupils shrank. When did he—?!

He had no time to react. The Rasengan had left him open, vulnerable. The blade was already there, and all he could do was raise his arms in desperation.

The cold edge pressed against his skin—then stopped.

“You lost, Naruto.”

Sasuke’s voice was quiet but absolute. Had he not pulled his strike, Naruto’s arms would’ve been severed.

“I… did lose.” Naruto lowered his guard, then broke into a sheepish grin. “You were incredible today.”

“I was incredible before too.” Sasuke snorted, sliding his blade back into its sheath.

“What a fight!” Naruto’s eyes shone again, his energy instantly rebounding. “When I get stronger, we’ll have another showdown full of youth!”

“Then I’ll get stronger too,” Sasuke said confidently. “And I’ll still win.”

“Winner, Uchiha Sasuke.”

Kitazawa’s announcement rang out.

“Not an undeserved loss.” Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard. Sasuke’s final sequence had been brilliant—Fire Release to clear the field, then Body Flicker and precise swordplay to secure the finish. His coordination with his clones was seamless.

Naruto, on the other hand, still leaned on his same old patterns—Multiple Shadow Clones and Rasengan, without real adaptability.

But Hiruzen smiled softly as he looked at the boy’s unbroken spirit. Losing, especially at this age, was more valuable than constant victory. Defeat exposed weaknesses. And improvement always followed.

“Sasuke-kun won!” Sakura leapt with joy, her voice echoing.

“He’s a monster,” Kiba muttered, stunned. “I thought Naruto’s Shadow Clones plus Rasengan combo was already insane. But Sasuke… Sasuke’s even more terrifying.”

“Sasuke really has changed a lot,” Shikamaru admitted. “That wasn’t just a win—it was domination.”

“He owes it to Neji,” Tenten said flatly, arms crossed. “He’s copying Neji’s style.”

“True,” Shino agreed. Their sharp eyes all picked up the same similarities. But even imitation took skill.

Among the Genius Class, only Sasuke and Hinata had managed to mimic Neji effectively. The rest couldn’t come close.

“He did it better than me.” Neji’s voice was low. After his own win over Naruto earlier, he’d believed he could take Sasuke head-on. But after watching this fight, that confidence faltered.

If Sasuke’s swordsmanship became sharp enough, he could keep Neji’s Gentle Fist at bay with the reach of his blade.

Not yet—but soon.

“You forget,” Tenten reassured him, “he has Sharingan and he copied you. Of course he looks polished. But if you fight Naruto again, you’ll adapt too.”

Neji nodded. She was right. His pride wouldn’t allow otherwise.

“Naruto!” Lee bounded over, eyes burning. He threw a thumbs-up. “The sting of defeat is also youth’s flame!”

“I know!” Naruto beamed, tears brimming. “Catching up is what youth is all about!”

“Naaaruto!”

“Leee!”

The two collided in a dramatic embrace, bawling loudly.

“…”

Sasuke wordlessly walked around them, choosing not to comment.

“They’re… enthusiastic,” Shikamaru sighed, lips twitching.

Neji, Tenten, Ino, and the others all averted their gazes. Only Choji seemed unaffected, crunching his chips calmly.

Kitazawa’s eyes lingered on Naruto. He’d talk to him after the exam—this much spirit, even in defeat, was exactly the kind of trigger that might spark a new system mission.

“Third round, third match,” Kitazawa’s voice brought everyone back. “Inuzuka Hana versus Ino Yamanaka.”

Compared to Naruto versus Sasuke, the match felt underwhelming. Ino secured a quick victory with Ninja Art: Hundred Petal Storm, casting Hana and her three ninja hounds into Genjutsu.

When Kitazawa had developed both the jutsu, he’d designed them as group illusions, not single-target. Now, that decision proved wise.

“Third round, fourth match,” Kitazawa continued. “Yakumo Kurama versus Hyuga Hinata.”

He couldn’t help but raise a brow. Hinata’s luck really was rotten.

The two entered the arena.

And as Kitazawa expected, Yakumo emerged the victor.

Hinata opened with Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, but Yakumo, already familiar with it, dodged and countered with her genjutsu.

“Winner: Yakumo Kurama.”

After Kitazawa’s announcement, his gaze drifted to Hinata. Something about her expression seemed… wronged.

He walked over and gently patted her head.

“It’s normal to win some and lose some,” Kitazawa said softly. “What matters is winning the next one.”

“Kitazawa-sensei, I… I saw you… in the illusion.” Hinata bit her lip, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kitazawa blinked in surprise.

Ah. No wonder.

Hinata had always accepted her defeats with quiet grace, yet this time she seemed unsettled. Still, Yakumo hadn’t done anything wrong. A genjutsu specialist was supposed to dig out a target’s inner weaknesses—that was how they won. Just like when Yakumo had once used Naruto’s image to rattle Sasuke.

“I’ll treat you to lunch,” Kitazawa said simply, offering comfort in the most straightforward way.

Hinata’s eyes lit up immediately. “Mm!” she nodded, her mood lifting almost at once.

“Third round, fifth match of practical combat…” Kitazawa resumed, drawing lots once Hinata left the arena.

Time slipped by, and the third round finally concluded. Overall, the results were exactly what Kitazawa had expected—except for one thing: Naruto losing two matches. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Strength alone didn’t guarantee victory. The unpredictability of battle was its truest teacher.

It was better this way. Better to stumble inside the Academy, where failure only bruised pride, rather than outside where failure could cost a life.

“Everyone, take a short break. Rankings will be announced shortly.”

Leaving the arena, Kitazawa met with Iruka to tally scores. They had graded each student separately, and for fairness, the average would be used.

Hiruzen remained seated. He wanted to see the final rankings for himself—and he also intended to discuss the results with Kitazawa afterward.

“I’ll announce the theoretical exam rankings first,” Kitazawa said ten minutes later, returning with a roster. “First place: Nara Shikamaru. Second place…”

The list caused an immediate stir.

“What? Fourth place?” Sasuke’s face tightened. The thrill of defeating Naruto was suddenly dulled. His combat results had been stellar, yet a slip in theory meant his overall first place was uncertain. And if he couldn’t stand at the top… what was the point of beating Naruto?

“It’s over!” Kiba groaned dramatically, clutching his head. “Nineteenth place?! I’m doomed!” With only thirty students in the Genius Class, bottom ranks had to face challenges from other classes. Thankfully, his combat scores were passable—he wouldn’t be thrown out.

“The Genius Class really is brutal,” Tenten sighed. “I used to be second in Class 2-A. Here, I barely scrape into tenth.”

Neji nodded. Back then, he had always ranked one above Tenten—always first. But here, in the Genius Class, he was no longer first. Not even second. Just third. Even in combat, he hadn’t claimed the top.

“To compete against true geniuses—that’s the spirit of youth!” Lee declared, fists trembling with passion.

Tenten side-eyed him. You’re dead last. What are you even competing for?

Kitazawa’s voice cut through the chatter. “Now, for the practical exam rankings…”

This was different from theory. Everyone had witnessed the matches, so they had guesses. But guesses were still guesses. The official list held weight.

“First place: Yakumo Kurama.”

No one objected. Normally, Naruto should have secured the top with his massive chakra and genjutsu immunity. But he had fallen to both Sasuke and Neji this month, so giving him first again would be absurd.

The only person unsatisfied was Sasuke—because it put his own position in jeopardy.

“Second place: Uchiha Sasuke.”

“That’s amazing, Sasuke-kun!” Sakura cheered instantly—only to see Sasuke frowning deeply, already calculating Yakumo’s, Neji’s, and his own odds for overall first.

Yakumo had first in combat and sixth in theory.

He had second in combat, fourth in theory.

It all depended on Neji.

“Third place: Hyuga Neji.”

Kitazawa had debated giving Sasuke or Neji the second spot—after all, they hadn’t directly fought. But Sasuke’s brilliant performance against Naruto tipped the scales.

“This is bad…” Sasuke stood rigid, face blank, but inside his thoughts churned. Neji had placed third in both exams, Yakumo wasn’t far behind, and all three were neck and neck.

“Fourth place: Uzumaki Naruto. Fifth: Hyuga Hinata. Sixth: Shino Aburame. Seventh: Ino Yamanaka…”

“Seventh?!” Ino brightened, thrilled. Last time, she hadn’t even cracked the top ten. Two new ninjutsu from Kitazawa had catapulted her upward.

“Good thing I stayed top ten…” Kiba muttered, relieved.

The rest of the rankings followed until finally, Kitazawa asked with a small smile, “So, who do you think took overall first?”

“Sasuke-kun, of course!” Sakura shouted, hands clenched with certainty.

Sasuke, however, suddenly wasn’t so sure.

“Final rankings,” Kitazawa declared, flipping the page. “First place: Uchiha Sasuke.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened. “What?”

“You’re first place, Sasuke-kun!” Sakura cried happily.

“I… really am?” he murmured—then suddenly burst out laughing, sharp and unrestrained. “Hahahaha!”

It was raw relief. He had been suppressed for so long—this victory tasted all the sweeter.

Kitazawa only smiled. Let him celebrate. The higher Sasuke climbed, the more painful his next fall would be—and that too would be part of his growth.

“Second place: Yakumo Kurama. Third place: Hyuga Neji.”

——————

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