"Why is it Choji?"
Shikamaru let out a long sigh.
"Shikamaru, you have to go a bit easy on Choji," Ino said at once.
"You don't understand Choji's current strength," Shikamaru replied, shaking his head.
"What do you mean?" Kiba cut in immediately.
"It means that in the first round, Choji didn't show his full power," Shikamaru answered.
"…?"
Kiba subconsciously glanced over at Choji.
Who would've thought a guy with thick eyebrows and big, honest eyes like that was secretly getting so strong?
"For real?" Sakura and the others were stunned.
"You'll see in a second."
With that, Shikamaru stepped out into the middle of the field.
Choji followed right behind him.
"Battle start!" Kitazawa announced.
Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!
Shikamaru hurled a shuriken without hesitation.
It vibrated in mid-air, then split apart.
In an instant, a rain of shuriken filled the sky and poured down over Choji.
"Isn't that Tenten's Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique?" Neji and the others were surprised, their curiosity about Choji's current strength growing.
After all, Shikamaru's own ability by now was nothing to scoff at.
Yang Release Chakra Mode!
Butterfly Choji Mode!
Seeing this, Choji decided to show his best friend the greatest respect he could—by going all out.
In the original story, he needed to take three forbidden pills to use Butterfly Choji Mode.
But after mastering Yang Release Chakra Mode, he no longer needed them.
With a thunderous boom, a terrifying surge of chakra erupted from Choji's body.
His previously plump frame tightened to a normal build, and a pair of huge, translucent butterfly wings unfurled from his back.
As the shuriken rained down, Choji simply took to the sky.
"What is that?"
Everyone in the Genius Class stared in shock.
"Choji learned Butterfly Mode?" Ino's eyes went wide.
"What's Butterfly Mode?" Sakura asked on reflex.
Ino quickly explained:
"Butterfly Mode is the Akimichi Clan's ultimate secret technique. It releases all the fat they've stored up and turns it into chakra. In simple terms, it massively boosts physical ability—strength, speed, everything.
On top of that, you can even fly. In a way, it's similar to Yang Release Chakra Mode and Lightning Release Chakra Mode."
"No wonder Shikamaru thought he couldn't beat Choji," Yakumo said with a nod.
"I feel like Choji's current strength could already rank in the top ten of the Genius Class," Tenten muttered, clicking her tongue.
"So strong!" Naruto's face burned with fighting spirit.
He was already itching to have a hot-blooded battle of youth with Choji.
Neji, Kimimaro, and the others stayed silent, but they felt the pressure.
The one feeling it most, however, was Shikamaru.
He'd planned to seize the advantage from the very start with Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique—only for Choji to dodge it with ease.
Shadow Wall!
Shikamaru flashed through hand seals.
A wall of shadow rose up before him just as Choji dropped from the sky.
Choji landed squarely on it. The shadow wall bowed under the impact, then shattered.
Shadow Imitation Technique!
Retreating, Shikamaru formed more hand seals.
His shadow stretched across the ground, finally catching Choji's.
Choji's movement stalled for a heartbeat—then his chakra flared, and he broke free of Shikamaru's shadow restraint.
Butterfly Bullet Bombing!
He clenched his left fist, butterfly patterns glowing along his arm.
Shikamaru's body moved on pure instinct, flickering out of the way.
Choji's punch slammed into the ground.
With a deafening boom, the earth around him split apart, caving in to form a huge, deep crater.
This power far surpassed the Monstrous Strength Karin had displayed earlier.
Of course, it wasn't that Monstrous Strength itself was weaker—Karin's mastery was still a step behind, nowhere near Tsunade or Kitazawa's level.
"I forfeit!"
The moment Shikamaru landed, he shouted his surrender.
"Winner: Choji!" Kitazawa declared.
It had to be said: among the Ino–Shika–Chō, the Akimichi Clan really was the strongest in direct combat.
The Yamanaka and Nara Clans, by contrast, leaned more toward support.
"I think Choji, as he is now, already has Jonin-level strength," Shikaku said as he finally snapped out of his shock.
"At his age, he shouldn't be able to use Butterfly Mode without the pills," Inoichi added gravely. "The ninjutsu he used before entering Butterfly Mode is the key."
Ino's performance earlier had made him think she was the strongest of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio. Yet in the blink of an eye, Choji had shown an even more astonishing display.
"It was Kitazawa who taught him Yang Release Chakra Mode."
Tsunade praised lightly, "Yang Release Chakra Mode was created by Kitazawa. Right now, very few people in Konoha can master it."
Everyone present was a Jonin.
Just from watching Choji, they could already guess the effects of Yang Release Chakra Mode.
Most of them couldn't help feeling envious.
Even as Jonin, they hadn't been able to learn Yang Release chakra mode.
Yet Choji had picked it up so easily in the Genius Class.
"Second round, third match."
Kitazawa drew two small slips of paper and read out, "Yakumo vs. Tenten!"
Hearing this, Tenten slapped her forehead, instantly feeling like she had no chance at all.
"It's not that your luck is bad," Kiba sighed. "None of the students who made it to the second round are easy to beat."
"Indeed," Shino added, adjusting his glasses.
Before, with his strength, he could reliably place in the top seven. But now that the graduation exam had progressed to this stage, he no longer felt confident about even making the top ten.
With the strength Choji had just displayed, for example, he wasn't sure he could defeat him.
"The graduation exam doesn't impose any restrictions," Neji suggested. "Tenten, you can summon the Shiromari right from the start to block Yakumo's line of sight."
"That would work!" Tenten's eyes lit up.
Yakumo's expression didn't change at all when she heard this.
The two of them stepped into the arena.
"Summoning Technique!"
Without even looking at Yakumo, Tenten bit her thumb and slammed her hand onto the ground.
With a thunderous boom, the massive Shiromari appeared.
"Attack her!" Tenten let out a small breath of relief and shouted quickly.
The Shiromari roared and charged straight at Yakumo.
With its enormous size, its rush felt like a mountain bearing down, a suffocating wave of pressure crashing forward.
Many of the ninja watching couldn't hide their shock.
They hadn't expected that, aside from the three great holy lands of Summoning Beasts, there existed such a gigantic summon.
"Super Beast Imitating Drawing!"
Scroll in hand, Yakumo remained calm as her chakra surged out. In the blink of an eye, a tiger no smaller than the Shiromari sprang into existence.
Everyone was stunned.
Even the Genius Class students who thought they knew Yakumo were struck dumb.
The tiger roared and slammed into the Shiromari, the two titans clashing in close combat.
Their battle made the entire field tremble.
"How is Yakumo's Super Beast Imitating Drawing this strong?" Ino's eyes were wide as she asked.
"Because she has a lot of Yin Release chakra," Sasuke answered, just as surprised.
He had previously thought that after awakening the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he could steadily defeat Yakumo. Now, that confidence was shaken.
Her Yin Release power surpassed not only Ino's, but even his own.
"This should be the first time Yakumo has used a non-genjutsu ninjutsu," Neji murmured, his Byakugan activating instinctively as shock flickered in his eyes.
Until now, Yakumo had always crushed opponents with genjutsu, so they had never realized her Yin Release chakra was this terrifying.
Only Kitazawa wasn't surprised.
In the original story, Yakumo possessed so much Yin Release chakra that she gave birth to a Yin monster called Ido.
Judging from its performance, although Ido couldn't compare to a Tailed Beast, it was on a similar level to Moryo or the Zero-Tails.
Now, with Yakumo fully unleashing her power through Super Beast Imitating Drawing, it was equivalent to summoning Ido.
"…?"
Tenten, too, was seeing the Shiromari pushed back for the first time.
Feeling helpless, she could only resort to the shuriken shadow clone technique.
But Yakumo flickered to evade the storm of shuriken and appeared right in front of her.
With the Shiromari no longer able to shield her, Tenten was caught in a genjutsu in an instant.
"Winner, Yakumo!"
Kitazawa promptly announced the result.
"Yakumo was already really strong, and now she can actually go even further?" Kurenai couldn't help the twitch at the corner of her mouth as she sighed. "Being her team's sensei is really a lot of pressure."
"My three students are also stronger than me."
Asuma Sarutobi muttered, "Especially Choji… after becoming his sensei, I don't even know what I'm supposed to teach him."
He himself didn't know Yang Release: Chakra Mode.
"Are all the current students this ridiculous?"
Anko couldn't help thinking back to her own graduation.
Back then, she'd become Orochimaru's student purely on the strength of her performance at the Academy.
But looking at the Genius Class's graduation exam now, that once‑proud performance suddenly felt shabby.
If Orochimaru came to this Genius Class to pick a disciple, there was no way it would ever be her turn.
"Just get used to it," Tenzo said calmly. "Even though we're their team leaders, it probably won't be for long."
"With their strength, they'll be Jonin before we know it," Kakashi added, shaking his head.
"Yeah," Kurenai sighed. "It doesn't sound very nice, but we really are just a stepping stone for them."
"Second round, fourth match: Sasuke vs. Kiba!"
Kitazawa's voice cut through their conversation.
"This is the end for me…" Kiba's face went pale.
If it were Shino or Sakura, he might still have a shot.
But against Sasuke, he had no chance at all.
Even so, he didn't forfeit.
As soon as the match began, he used Inuzuka Style: Human–Beast Combination Transformation: Three‑Headed Wolf.
This was the Inuzuka clan's ultimate secret technique—the true "Cerberus."
In that form, every aspect—strength, speed, defense—was dramatically enhanced.
Yet it was still useless against Sasuke.
Sasuke went straight into the second stage of Susanoo, crushing Kiba until he couldn't even struggle.
The appearance of Susanoo sent a ripple of shock through the stands.
Most of the shinobi present had never seen Susanoo before.
Ignorance wasn't the real problem; what truly shook them was how overwhelmingly sinister and powerful it looked.
Under the stares of Hiashi and the others, Fugaku fought back the urge to burst into triumphant laughter and calmly gave a brief explanation of Susanoo.
They had already heard Jiraiya mention the Mangekyo Sharingan, but seeing Susanoo with their own eyes still left them stunned.
The Uchiha clan's Sharingan was simply absurd.
Hiashi felt especially bitter.
Why didn't the Hyuga clan's Byakugan have any kind of evolution?
Their Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan were supposed to share equal prestige.
On the field, Kitazawa could only shake his head.
With Sasuke's strength, he could have defeated Kiba without ever using Susanoo.
He'd clearly brought it out just to show off.
After all, Ino, Choji, and Yakumo had all put on impressive displays earlier—he wasn't about to be overshadowed.
By using Susanoo, he could both finish Kiba in an instant and stir up the crowd.
And undeniably, Sasuke's plan worked. He stepped off the stage with a swagger that radiated arrogance.
"Second round, fifth match," Kitazawa announced after drawing lots. "Uzumaki Naruto vs. Shino Aburame!"
Shino reflexively adjusted his glasses.
There was no doubt in his mind—this was a fight he had no hope of winning.
"Shino, you're just as unlucky as me," Kiba said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Woof, woof, woof!" Akamaru barked in agreement.
In the previous match, before it had even understood what was happening, Susanoo had slammed it to the ground, leaving a deep scar on its canine psyche.
"Winning or losing doesn't matter! What matters is putting your youth on the line and going all out!" Naruto grinned and gave a thumbs‑up.
Shino nodded. Victory and defeat had never been what he cared about most.
The two of them walked onto the field.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto formed the hand seals, and in an instant, more than a thousand Shadow Clones crowded the arena.
The stands erupted in cries of astonishment.
Even those who had seen it before still couldn't help being shocked by Naruto's ridiculous chakra reserves every single time.
"Summoning Technique."
Shino Aburame summoned the Queen Bee.
"Wind Release: Shuriken!"
Naruto shouted, and all of his clones drew their shuriken at once.
The wind roared as the sky turned into a storm of spinning steel.
The spectacle was even more overwhelming than when Tenten used her Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.
Shino could only shake his head helplessly.
He directed the queen bee to hurl out a beehive to shield his front.
But in the very next instant, the beehive was riddled with holes, pierced through by shuriken cloaked in Wind Release chakra.
"Secret Technique: Insect Wall Technique!"
Shino Aburame barely managed to force his kikaichū into a dense, protective wall around himself.
The barrier had only just formed when it was hammered by a storm of shuriken.
In seconds, the wall began to falter.
Seeing this, Shino immediately leapt upward. The queen bee surged beneath him, lifting him into the air.
He formed hand seals, gaze dropping to the arena below.
Honey Technique!
A swarm of bees poured down like rain.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
After just a glance, Naruto shouted the jutsu name.
His shadow clones flashed through hand seals and sent powerful gusts roaring up toward the sky.
'This is bad,' Shino thought.
He'd planned to use beeswax to immobilize Naruto. He hadn't expected Naruto to instantly switch from Wind Release: Shuriken to Wind Release: Gale Palm.
Caught in the violent updraft, the bees burst midair.
Golden beeswax sprayed in all directions—then, driven by the currents, arced back toward Shino instead of falling.
Shino hastily directed the queen bee into evasive maneuvers.
"Wind Release: Shuriken!"
Naruto and his shadow clones hurled their shuriken.
The Queen Bee was fast, but there were simply too many Wind Release: Shuriken. She could only dodge a portion of them.
Shino was forced to block the rest with his Secret Technique: Insect Wall Technique.
But as mentioned before, there were just too many Wind Release: Shuriken.
"I forfeit!"
After holding out for a brief moment, Shino declared his surrender without hesitation.
Naruto, still keyed up, dispersed his multiple shadow clone jutsu.
"Naruto's getting more and more terrifying," Kiba muttered.
"Even without relying on the Tailed Beast's power, Naruto can still place in the top three of the Genius Class," Shikamaru said calmly.
"Yeah," Ino agreed.
Sakura and the others also nodded in turn.
Sasuke felt a twinge of regret.
Even though Shino had jonin-level strength, he could no longer compete with Naruto.
From start to finish, he hadn't been able to draw out Naruto's true power.
"Second round, sixth match."
After Kitazawa announced Naruto's victory, he continued, "Hyuga Hinata vs. Kimimaro!"
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed.
For him, this was going to be a difficult fight.
His Shikotsumyaku was a strong counter to taijutsu-type ninja—but Hinata wasn't purely a taijutsu specialist; she was also proficient in Bow Ninjutsu.
The more he considered it, the more troublesome it seemed.
But things had already reached this point; he could only face the challenge head-on.
After all, surrender wasn't an option.
"Kimimaro, be careful," Jugo reminded him.
"Hinata, good luck!" Ino called with a smile toward Hyuga Hinata.
Though Hinata was the stronger one, defeating Kimimaro would still be no easy task.
Neji remained composed.
Both he and Hinata had mastered the Yin Release Chakra Mode.
He didn't believe Kimimaro could win.
Hinata and Kimimaro stepped into the arena.
"This match is definitely going to be impressive," Shikaku said as he watched.
"Shikotsumyaku and the Byakugan are both famous bloodline limits in the ninja world," Jiraiya added with a grin. "If I recall correctly, the Hyuga Clan and the Kaguya Clan are actually related."
"Before the Kaguya Clan was wiped out, we did indeed have ties with them," Hiashi admitted.
Among Konoha's higher-ups, this wasn't much of a secret.
"Who do you think will win?" Shibi asked curiously.
"Judging by past performance, Hinata has a slight edge," Hiruzen said after a pause. "But today, it's hard to say. Many students have exceeded expectations."
"Old man, want to bet? I'm taking Hinata," Tsunade said, lips curling faintly.
"Forget betting. It doesn't matter who wins," Hiruzen declined without hesitation.
In truth, he also believed Hyuga Hinata would come out on top.
------------------
AN: Check out my P@treon For FULL COMPLETED STORY.
Thank You For your Support!!
[email protected]/noviceauthor777
-----------------------
To keep the chapters coming - Support with POWER STONES.
For Every 100 power stones - 1 BONUS chapter.