It wasn't even nine yet, but every student of the Genius Class was already gathered, lined up in the section right beside Asuma and the other official Ninja.
"There are actual Jōnin here…?"
Tenten scanned the lineup, dumbfounded.
Yesterday she had insisted it was impossible. Today, reality slapped her in the face—not only were Jōnin present, there were several of them.
"There are Jōnin, but also Chūnin," Shikamaru said calmly. "Kitazawa-sensei will match opponents based on strength. We don't need to panic."
"Yeah, Jōnin won't have anything to do with us," Chōji added, fully aware of his limits.
"YOUTH IS ABOUT CHALLENGING THE STRONG!"
Lee thrust his thumb up, sparkling.
"Uncle Asuma came too?"
Ino brightened immediately at the sight of Asuma.
"How strong is he? Is he super strong?" Naruto asked, eyes shining. He'd met Asuma once before—at the dinner where Kitazawa had brought the Third Hokage and his family.
"He's a Jōnin," Ino said. "And his Fire Release and Wind Release are crazy strong."
"Well, he is the Third Hokage's son," Naruto said with excitement. "I hope he's my opponent."
"For you? Doubt it," Kiba said. "I saw Uchiha Jōnin and Hyūga Jōnin too."
"There are two Uchiha Jōnin," Sasuke murmured, frowning. "Both with fully awakened three-tomoe Sharingan."
He already had a sinking feeling that one of them—Tekka or Inabi—would be his opponent. Same Sharingan, but far more experience.
Beating them would be… extremely difficult.
"How are we supposed to fight that?"
Tenten groaned.
Neji nodded slightly.
Even with the bow Kitazawa gifted him, besting a seasoned Jōnin wouldn't be easy.
"Did Kitazawa-sensei overestimate us…?" Sakura whispered.
They were geniuses, yes—but Jōnin were on a different scale.
"Winning isn't the point," Shino said, adjusting his glasses. "Our performance is."
"Shino's right," Kiba agreed. "If we can win, great. If not, we still give it everything."
He was confident—but realistic.
"Don't be so pathetic."
Tayuya snorted. "When the time comes, we'll show them what the Genius Class is made of!"
"It seems someone's fitting right in," Ino teased with a grin.
"T-That's not what I meant!"
Tayuya flared instantly.
But everyone knew her by now—they exchanged looks that clearly said Sure, sure.
Tayuya opened her mouth, realized she'd lose either way, and settled for blushing in silence.
Spectators filled both sides of the training field.
On the left: Genius Class teachers and the rest of the students.
On the right: the special audience Kitazawa had personally invited—elite Jōnin only.
Tsunade, Shizune, Itachi, Hiashi, Fugaku, Shikaku, and more.
Over forty in total—not a huge number, but more than enough to broadcast the results of this exam across the entire village.
The referee today wasn't Kitazawa, but Iruka.
First, the matchups were pre-arranged—no need for him to manipulate anything.
Second, Kitazawa was sitting beside Tsunade.
"You sure have confidence in them," Tsunade said, eyeing the lineup. "Arranging this many Jōnin."
"You've seen their strength," Kitazawa replied, smiling.
"Their age is the problem," she muttered.
"Not age," Kitazawa corrected. "Experience."
"…Fair point."
Tsunade nodded, then asked, "How many matches do you think they can win?"
"Ten."
Tsunade blinked. "Ten? You're serious? I'd say five would already be impressive."
Experience was the biggest factor—these official ninja had battle history and life-or-death missions under their belts. Even if their strength was equal, their odds were higher.
"How about we bet on it?"
Kitazawa's eyes sparkled. "If you win, I'll accompany you to the casino this afternoon. You can gamble with my money—no limits."
"Deal!" Tsunade said instantly.
"…Aren't you going to ask what happens if you lose?" Kitazawa asked dryly.
"I won't lose!" Tsunade snorted.
Kitazawa resisted the urge to sigh.
Why was she so confident, when she'd never once won a bet?
Iruka stepped into the center of the field, inhaled deeply, and raised his voice.
Dozens of eyes fell on him simultaneously.
His heart skipped—but he had refereed enough battles to regain composure quickly.
"The Genius Class final examination for this semester—begins now!"
Iruka's voice rang through the training ground.
"For the first match: Haku vs. Hyūga Natsu!"
A black-haired girl with calm, pale Byakugan eyes stepped forward.
Hyūga Natsu—the maid who served Hyūga Hanabi in the original timeline—now stood as the Genius Class's first official opponent.
Haku watched her approach, thinking of Hinata and Neji.
How strong is her Gentle Fist compared to theirs?
But he had seen enough Hyūga battles to know one thing very clearly—
Avoid close combat at all costs.
"Did Haku… learn Ice Release?"
Tsunade's gaze sharpened.
"He's mastered two Ice Release techniques," Kitazawa replied casually.
"Two? At that age?"
Tsunade paused, mildly impressed. "Not bad at all."
The surrounding spectators leaned forward. As the first match, curiosity was naturally high.
"Haku? Which clan is he from? Why pit him against a Hyūga?"
Chōza asked, confused.
Bloodline ninja were usually a cut above, and Byakugan users could easily crush weaker Chūnin.
Yet this boy—this unknown, clanless student—had been matched with her?
"I've never heard of him," Shibi said. "Likely not from any known clan."
"Then he'll probably lose," Tsume said bluntly.
Typical Tsume—direct to the bone.
"Not necessarily."
Hiashi shook his head. "Knowing Kitazawa, he wouldn't arrange a one-sided match."
Fugaku gave him a sideways look.
Since when were you on such friendly terms with Kitazawa? And you're not even favoring your own clan?
The other clan heads also exchanged surprised glances.
Hiashi was not known for flexibility.
"Begin!"
Iruka waved his arm.
Byakugan!
Veins bulged around Natsu's eyes. With a swift Body Flicker, she closed the distance instantly.
But—
Ice Release: Ice Dome!
Haku raised both hands.
A massive ice wall erupted between them.
Natsu skidded to a stop—it was either that or slam into it head-first.
The spectators buzzed in confusion.
Ice Release… in Konoha?
Had Kitazawa abducted a child from the Hidden Mist?
There was simply no other explanation—a child this young could only inherit Ice Release, not develop it.
Natsu quickly changed tactics, darting up the ice wall instead of trying to break through it.
But—
Haku flicked his wrists.
Six shuriken spun toward her.
Natsu leaped back, cleanly avoiding all six.
Just then—
Crack.
She froze.
The ice wall was… fracturing?
Was his Ice Release… unstable?
No—the real technique was only beginning.
Ice Release: Shattering Ice Crystals!
The entire wall detonated.
Countless razor-sharp ice shards burst outward like a storm of blades.
Natsu's eyes widened—Byakugan or not, there were simply too many projectiles to dodge.
And then—
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
A tall earth barrier shot up before her, carved with three dog heads.
The barrage slammed into it like hail against stone, but the wall held firm.
Kakashi stood behind it, one hand still raised.
Without his intervention, Natsu would have been gravely injured.
"The winner—Haku!"
Iruka announced the result decisively.
Natsu bowed silently. She knew she had lost.
"Haku's that strong now?!"
Kiba's jaw dropped.
He used to barely scrape eighteenth place, knowing only basic techniques and Konoha Taijutsu.
But today?
He wasn't eighteenth—he was something entirely different.
"Ice Release is still a Bloodline Limit," Sakura murmured, swallowing hard.
"This is such a drag…"
Shikamaru felt the beginnings of a headache.
Competition in the Genius Class was already brutal—now they had a new wildcard.
"He actually knows Ice Release?"
Tayuya clenched her fists.
Is he going to steal my ranking?
Not now, but in the future?
Possible.
If things got tight… maybe she really would have to swallow her pride and ask Kitazawa for help.
Kimimaro, Sasuke, Neji, and the others were surprised as well—but calm.
They believed, with certainty, that even with Ice Release, Haku still couldn't surpass them yet.
"That Ice Release is AWESOME!"
Naruto shouted, eyes sparkling.
Naturally, his thoughts went in an entirely different direction from everyone else's.
"The second sparring match—Jūgo vs. Izumo Kamizuki!"
Iruka read aloud from the match list.
"My turn already?"
Izumo blinked, genuinely surprised.
"You're a Cursed Seal Unit squad leader now. Show them what you've got."
Kotetsu grinned.
"I heard your entire unit was inoculated with that strength–boosting Curse Mark."
Asuma lowered his voice. "Is Kitazawa letting you use it during the exam?"
"Lord Kitazawa didn't say…"
Izumo scratched his cheek, thinking. "So… that probably means yes?"
"Sounds like permission to me."
Asuma nodded. "Use it—I want to see it in action."
"If I can't beat him normally, then I'll use it."
Izumo finally decided and headed into the arena.
He sized up Jūgo.
Normal-looking kid. Nothing unusual… right?
"Start!"
Jūgo didn't hesitate.
Cursed Seal—Activate!
His body darkened, claws lengthened, strange cylindrical vents erupted from his back—
and in an instant he jumped straight to State Two.
A violent, beast-like aura surged across the field.
Izumo's breath caught.
Okay… this was NOT normal.
Without a moment's delay, he activated the Curse Mark as well.
His skin darkened, hair spiked, talons formed—two monsters facing each other.
The spectators leaned forward.
Even though the village higher-ups had been briefed about the Cursed Seal Unit, this was the first time they were witnessing it with their own eyes.
"Huh? Why does he also have the Curse Mark?"
Even Jūgo looked confused for a heartbeat—then charged.
Exploding Smash!
Jūgo hurled himself forward, smashing down with overwhelming force.
CLANG!
Izumo blocked using his oversized kunai–blade.
The collision sent shockwaves through the ground, both of them skidding back—
But Jūgo slid two steps further.
Age, physique, and foundation—Izumo had the advantage.
"Again!"
Izumo dashed in, blade swinging.
The two entered into a fierce Taijutsu brawl—Jūgo's monstrous arms clashing directly against the huge blade, neither giving an inch.
"The boost from that Curse Mark is impressive."
Chōza nodded approvingly.
He knew Izumo—normally a solid Chūnin.
With the Curse Mark, he was easily hitting Special Jōnin levels.
"It's still limited."
Fugaku shook his head.
"Not much use for a full Jōnin," Hiashi agreed.
"There aren't many Jōnin anyway," Shikaku mused. "Raising Chūnin to Special Jōnin so easily? That's extremely valuable."
The others nodded—sound logic.
"It just looks ugly."
Tsunade made a face.
"That's temporary," Kitazawa said lightly. "They'll return to normal once the fight ends."
"Hm."
Tsunade watched a moment longer—then smirked.
"Your student's about to lose. Looks like our bet will be tied again."
As she said it, Izumo forced Jūgo back one more time.
But instead of pursuing—He formed a rapid string of seals.
Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field!
A stream of sticky fluid shot from Izumo's mouth—and just as Jūgo recovered his footing, it hardened into binding ropes that wrapped around him.
He struggled—hard—but the syrup solidified faster than he could break it.
Izumo body-flickered behind him, pressing the massive blade to Jūgo's neck.
Iruka raised his hand.
"The winner—Izumo Kamizuki!"
"Our wager has only just begun."
Kitazawa smiled calmly, unfazed by Tsunade's earlier tease.
Her infamous bad luck with bets never failed—especially not against him.
"After this exam, have the ANBU warn them not to reveal anything about the Cursed Seal Unit," Tsunade added suddenly.
"Understood," Kitazawa replied.
Even if people saw the Curse Mark, they'd never connect it to a hidden special forces unit. No one would guess two mad geniuses—Orochimaru and Kitazawa—were innovating within the same village.
"When did Jūgo get the Curse Mark? Just like Kimimaro?"
Kiba scratched his head, suddenly uneasy.
Jūgo had been bottom-tier before—seventeenth, barely ahead of Haku.
But now?
Totally different story.
"You're mistaken."
Tayuya folded her arms proudly.
"Jūgo was actually the first true bearer of the Curse Mark."
"He was?!"
Ino's eyes widened.
"Then why didn't he use it before?" Tenten asked.
"His Curse Mark was… special," Tayuya explained. "He used to lose control and go berserk. Kitazawa improved it, so now he can use it freely."
"I see," Tenten said, nodding.
"Kitazawa-sensei is amazing!"
Hinata said softly but earnestly.
Tayuya pouted but couldn't argue.
"The rankings are going to change a lot this time…"
Shikamaru sighed.
He was referring to positions eight through eighteen.
The top seven wouldn't be shaken yet.
"Everyone's getting stronger! I can FEEL the burning youth!"
Naruto clenched his fists, brimming with excitement.
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