Chapter 214

Chapter 214: Chapter 214

"As expected of a jutsu created by Kitazawa-sensei—it really suits you."

Kiba said with open admiration, eyes following Ino as she stepped down from the arena.

"Yeah." Sakura nodded in agreement. She knew Ino’s family ran a flower shop, and the sight of petals swirling through the battlefield felt as though this ninjutsu had been designed for her from the start.

"Mhm." Ino’s smile beamed with pride. "I really like both of the techniques he taught me. They’re not just pretty—they’re practical too."

"What a shame we only got to see one of them." Kiba sounded almost disappointed.

Shikamaru smirked, lip twitching. "Don’t worry. You’ll get to personally experience both in the next round."

"Hah, but I won’t lose!" Kiba shot back. "I’ve got one of Kitazawa-sensei’s jutsu too!"

Naruto puffed up, ready to chime in. "You guys make me so—"

"Oi, what are you even jealous of?" Kiba cut him off with a snort. "You already learned Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu and Rasengan."

Before Naruto could argue, Shino adjusted his glasses, his voice calm and precise. "Kitazawa-sensei is drawing lots again. Let’s see who’s up next."

Kiba’s ears perked. "It’s my turn, I can feel it!"

"First round, fourth match—Sakura Haruno versus Tenten," Kitazawa announced.

Sakura froze. "It’s over." She knew immediately she was in trouble. Tenten specialized in weapon techniques—wide-range, relentless, and brutally effective. Against that, Sakura had only one ninjutsu: Water Release: Water Wave.

If only she’d had more time to master Water Release: Water Formation Wall, her odds would be much better.

"Sakura, you can do it!" Ino clenched her fists. "Just... don’t lose too quickly!"

"Hmph, maybe I’ll win." Sakura glared at her before storming into the arena with forced bravado.

"Tenten, burn with youth!" Lee shouted, his teeth glinting.

"..." Tenten sighed, instantly turning to Neji for sanity.

"Be careful," Neji said calmly.

She nodded, squaring herself against Sakura.

"Begin!"

Tenten wasted no time, unfurling a scroll. Weapons erupted forth in a storm, steel whistling through the air.

"Water Release: Water Wave!"

Sakura’s fingers blurred into hand seals. Bending forward, she spewed a high-pressure torrent of water. The stream smashed into the incoming weapons, knocking them clattering to the ground.

Though basic, Water Wave grew deadlier with sheer chakra—enough to cut through trees, even forests, if pushed to the extreme.

But Sakura barely had time to exhale before the fallen shuriken twitched, springing back into the air.

Tenten’s hands danced on near-invisible wires. Four blades arced, crossing directly in front of Sakura.

Her pulse spiked. Instinctively, she tried to raise a defense. Water welled around her—only to vanish a heartbeat later.

Her Water Formation Wall collapsed mid-activation. Her chakra control wavered, her nerves too unsettled.

Before the shuriken could land, Kitazawa appeared behind her in a flicker, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her clear.

"Winner, Tenten," he declared.

Hiruzen’s eyes narrowed. Though Tenten had won, his attention was fixed on Sakura.

That Water Formation Wall and the hand signs... it wasn’t the ordinary kind. That was Tobirama-sensei’s technique.

Unlike the standard version that shielded one direction, Tobirama’s formed a complete dome, protecting on all sides. Sakura’s attempt—though incomplete—was unmistakably of that type.

Hiruzen’s thoughts quickened. Kitazawa’s report had mentioned Kosuke leading the Water Release study group. Could Sakura have learned it there?

In one month, she’d nearly learned two Water Release jutsu—one fully, one halfway. That was prodigious. And she was already skilled in medical ninjutsu, interning at the hospital. A healer with Water Release?

His eyes lit with possibility. Another future elite jōnin... and from a civilian background, no less.

Meanwhile, he noted Tenten’s progress too. Her mastery of the shuriken was impressive—but her reliance on weapons alone limited her future potential. Unless she wielded the fabled Six Paths tools, her ceiling was clear.

"Good thing you only know one Water Release jutsu," Tenten admitted, patting her chest in relief.

"Don’t get cocky. I’ll have more by the next exam." Sakura clenched her fists.

Kiba whistled. "How are you learning Water Release so fast? It’s only been a month!"

"Because she’s training as a medical ninja, her chakra control is naturally strong," Ino explained, though her words left a bitter aftertaste. A sense of crisis gnawed at her. If things kept going this way, Sakura might surpass her.

"Ino..." Sakura smiled, hearing this. "I’m looking forward to facing you next exam."

"Hah! Don’t think it’ll be that easy!" Ino shot back, hands on her hips, though inwardly she was already begging, Kitazawa-sensei, save me!

"Water Release, huh..." Shino adjusted his glasses again, silently musing about his own Kikaichu experiments.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura, unimpressed. Water counters fire, sure. But I’m not just fire. With genjutsu and kenjutsu, she’s no threat.

"First round, fifth match: Akimichi Choji versus—"

The exam pressed on. The later matches lacked the same intensity—Hinata, Lee, and Kiba’s opponents were older, newly added students, but they were swiftly defeated.

By the end of the round, the core fifteen—Konoha 12 plus Karin, Hana, and Yakumo—had all advanced, Karin being the only one who struggled. But she was studying sealing, not combat; no one blamed her.

"The second round will begin after a fifteen-minute break," Kitazawa announced.

Exhausted, the students dropped onto the training ground, ignoring the dirt. Chakra recovery came first.

From the sidelines, Hiruzen watched with quiet satisfaction.

A single month of study, yet every one of them had grown. The standouts were Sasuke, Ino, Sakura, and Neji, but what truly amazed him were the average students. Their talent was modest, yet their progress undeniable. Even their three basic jutsu now met graduation standards.

The only explanation: their teachers. Kitazawa, Kosuke, and Kakashi.

Establishing the Genius Class was the right choice, Hiruzen thought. If this continues, Konoha’s strength will rise across the board.

Had Kitazawa overheard, he would’ve only shrugged. To him, this was simply the power of proper education—something Konoha had long neglected.

The academy’s system, built for wartime, prioritized mass-producing soldiers with only the basics. Adequate then, but in an age of peace? It needed change.

And now, that change had begun.

The fifteen-minute break ended, and the students pushed themselves up, brushing dirt from their uniforms. All eyes turned to Kitazawa as he approached the lottery box. Whispers broke out—everyone eager to know their second-round opponent.

"The first match of the second round: Ino Yamanaka versus Kiba Inuzuka." Kitazawa announced.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Figures. You two were bound to clash." His predictions had been annoyingly accurate today.

"I’ll claim the first win of round two!" Kiba declared confidently. "Petals or not, you can’t beat me—I’ve got two heads on my side!"

Ino stifled a laugh. "We’ll see about that."

She knew her jutsu blurred the line between real and fake. If Kiba didn’t catch on to the genjutsu hidden among the petals, he’d already be halfway to defeat. But even so, she wasn’t entirely sure she could overcome him.

"Ino’s only shown one jutsu so far, you know," Sakura reminded everyone. Their rivalry aside, she wasn’t about to sell her friend short in front of others.

"Ha! I’m not worried!" Kiba smirked. "I’ve got a secret clan technique too!"

"Now that we’re both even on information, we can fight fair," Ino answered sweetly.

Kiba blinked, realizing he’d been coaxed into spilling intel, maybe even by both Ino and Sakura working together. Still, it didn’t matter—just knowing he had a secret technique didn’t give her any advantage.

The two stepped into the arena.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

"Hellhound!"

Kiba’s chakra flared as his clones merged, transforming into a hulking, two-headed hound. It was larger and fiercer than his earlier Hellhound, drawing gasps from the crowd.

Ino narrowed her eyes. This wouldn’t be easy.

"Ninja Art: Hundred Petal Storm!"

She swept her arms wide. A storm of petals burst forth, filling the air until her figure vanished among them.

"One head per direction! Let’s see you try and sneak up on me now!" Kiba barked, each of his two pairs of eyes sweeping the battlefield like searchlights.

"What’s Kiba doing? Can’t he see Ino right there?" Naruto scratched his head. To him, her position was obvious—he wasn’t caught in the illusion.

"This isn’t right," Shikamaru muttered, frowning. Back in his own match, he’d thought Ino’s Moonlight beauty had only obscured her movements with petals. Now, seeing her shift into Hundred Petals Storm, he understood. She’s mixing illusion with reality.

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. "Genjutsu."

His mind compared it to his own Crow Clone trick—mixing fake and real threats. But Ino’s was inverted: she made her enemies believe the petals were entirely real, masking the genjutsu hidden among them.

"So... those petals are genjutsu?" Sakura asked nervously.

"Not exactly." Shikamaru shook his head. "What we see is just petals. But what Kiba sees is petals plus the illusion."

"A clever design," Shino admitted. "Without prior knowledge, anyone would be fooled."

"Kiba’s already caught," Hana sighed. "He doesn’t even realize it."

"It’ll come down to whether his Hellhound can tank the ambush," Tenten added, watching closely.

Her words proved timely. Two petals darted forward at blinding speed, sharp as kunai.

"Not so fast!" Kiba spotted them with his multiple eyes and slashed, claws ripping the flowers apart. But in that instant, Ino materialized behind him, kunai in both hands, stabbing at his flank.

"Aagh!" Kiba yelped in pain. The beast’s thick hide saved him from worse, but blood seeped from two punctures. Growling, he lashed out with a powerful kick, forcing Ino to retreat.

The damage was split across him and his two clones, so it wasn’t crippling—but he knew he couldn’t drag this fight out.

He lunged again, claws flashing like blades.

"Ninja Art: Moonlight Beauty!"

Ino smirked and vanished into another swirl of petals.

"Damn it!" Kiba spun, searching wildly. He raised his heads toward the sky, wary of the same ambush Shikamaru had fallen to—but no Ino.

Confusion gnawed at him. Gritting his teeth, he dispelled the Hellhound. Two Kibas reappeared, fanning out into a triangle.

Ino hesitated for only a moment before committing, diving at one of them and kicking him clear across the arena.

"Fang Over Fang!"

The two Kibas spun into drills, hurling themselves at her. Ino had just landed—too slow to dodge.

A flash. Kitazawa appeared, snatching her out of harm’s way as the twin tornadoes tore past harmlessly.

"Thank you, Sensei!" Ino exhaled in relief.

"You did well." Kitazawa ruffled her hair.

Her brilliant smile returned instantly. She had held back, of course. If she’d aimed her kunai for the head or heart instead of the flank, the outcome might’ve been different. But those were vital points—and Kiba would’ve been on guard. Better safe than sorry.

"Winner: Kiba Inuzuka," Kitazawa declared.

The Hellhound user staggered over, clones dispelling. His face went pale as the pain rushed back to him, and he clutched his backside with a grimace. "Kitazawa-sensei, hurry and heal me!"

"It’s only a minor injury." Kitazawa placed glowing hands over the wounds, closing them neatly.

Watching from the sidelines, Hiruzen stroked his beard, impressed. Three new jutsu... all crafted by Kitazawa. They may not be overwhelmingly powerful, but they’re ingenious and perfectly suited to their users. Truly the mark of a creative shinobi.

Innovators were rare. Most geniuses could learn, but few could create. Kitazawa’s talent made the old Hokage quietly hopeful.

"How about that?" Kiba swaggered back to the group. "First win of the second round belongs to me!"

Shikamaru smirked. "And you were also the first one screaming for Kitazawa-sensei to heal you."

Sakura hugged Ino’s arm with a grin. "Honestly, you only won because of Sensei."

"I—I—detected Ino’s ambush the second time using her smell." Kiba sputtered, but couldn’t deny it. Without the Hellhound, victory would’ve slipped away.

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