"Let the battle begin!"
With that announcement, Kitazawa retreated to the edge of the field.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto, by sheer habit, summoned more than a thousand Shadow Clones in an instant.
Across from him, Sasuke activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. A jet-black Amenotejikara mark appeared on Naruto's original body.
Even without actually unleashing Amenotejikara, that mark allowed him to track the real Naruto for the entire match.
"Wind Release: Shuriken!"
Naruto and his countless clones drew their shuriken.
A dense storm of steel rained down like arrows.
Sasuke's response was straightforward: he charged straight ahead.
Before the shuriken could reach him, two gigantic chakra hands manifested and crossed above his head like a shield.
All the shuriken slammed into the massive hands, ringing out in crisp metallic notes before bouncing away.
This was a basic application of Susanoo's initial form.
"Lightning Release: Chidori Blade!"
Sasuke ran forward, hands forming seals.
The thunder god sword in his grip flared with blinding light.
Seeing that, Naruto immediately switched to partial tailed beast transformation.
Blood-red chakra flared around him, and six tails whipped into existence behind his back.
"Konoha-Style Swordsmanship!"
Naruto drew Samehada and swung it straight down toward Sasuke.
Boom!
Sasuke's thunder god sword clashed with Samehada.
Lightning burst out in a shower of sparks, surging along the blade.
But the moment it touched Naruto's Tailed Beast Cloak, the lightning's effect was completely nullified.
And even the piercing power of Lightning Release: Chidori Blade couldn't break through Samehada.
Samehada's scales split open like a mouth.
It secretly drew in a bit of Naruto's Nine-Tails chakra, then, excited, snapped toward Sasuke to bite.
"Amenotejikara!"
Sasuke vanished from in front of him.
Samehada bit only air, and Naruto's body pitched forward from the force of his swing.
A sharp, birdlike chirping suddenly rang out.
Sasuke reappeared behind Naruto, his right hand thrusting toward Naruto's back like a cutting blade.
Lightning overflowed, wrapping his hand in a sheath of crackling light.
At the last instant, Naruto's six tails swung around and blocked behind him.
Sasuke's Lightning Release: Chidori pierced straight into the tails.
Reacting instantly, Sasuke grabbed the thunder god sword with his left hand and stabbed toward Naruto's head.
"Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!"
A golden radiance exploded from Naruto's body.
His speed spiked to the limit, and he vanished before Sasuke's thunder god sword could reach him.
"???"
Sasuke's stab hit nothing but air, his face practically full of question marks.
What was that golden light just now?
Before he could process it, Naruto had already streaked dozens of meters away.
"What is this?"
Shibi's eyes widened as he stared at the golden-clad Naruto.
"Partial Tailed Beast Transformation? Full Tailed Beast Transformation?" Choza asked uncertainly.
In his memory, Jinchuriki only had two forms.
One was Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, cloaked in the Tailed Beast's chakra with tails manifested.
The other was Full Tailed Beast Transformation, where the Jinchuriki completely became the Tailed Beast.
"This is a special kind of partial tailed beast transformation," Tsunade said with a faint smile. "It's called Nine-Tails Chakra Mode."
"There's actually a partial tailed beast transformation like that?"
Hiashi's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "His speed just now was truly astonishingly fast."
Even with his Byakugan active, he couldn't track Naruto's movements—only a vague streak of golden light remained in his vision.
Fugaku opened his mouth, then fell silent, unable to find the right words.
If Sasuke had held the advantage in speed before with Amenotejikara, that was no longer so certain.
The Genius Class erupted.
"What?"
Kiba stared as if he'd seen a ghost. "Naruto was actually hiding his strength before?"
Neji's eyelids twitched violently at those words.
The gap between him and Naruto was even greater than he had imagined.
He had thought their previous battle had at least forced Naruto to use most of his power—but in reality, they were worlds apart.
Yakumo, Kimimaro, and the others were struck speechless.
They didn't even know what to say.
"Watch out, Sasuke! Rasengan Barrage!"
Having escaped danger, Naruto suddenly halted, then shot straight toward Sasuke.
Behind him, six gigantic Rasengans formed out of thin air.
Sasuke's heart lurched.
The sight alone was overwhelming.
Amanoiwato!
Chakra surged within Sasuke, swelling outward and whipping the air into violent currents around him.
Susanoo!
With Sasuke at its core, gloomy ocular power roared skyward, taking shape as a towering warrior clad in Karasu Tengu armor.
This was Susanoo's fourth form—only a single step away from the Perfect Susanoo.
Sword of Susanoo!
Sasuke raised his arm.
Susanoo mirrored the motion, and a colossal sword descended from above, cleaving toward Naruto.
"So strong! As expected of my rival for life!"
Feeling an unprecedented pressure, Naruto's fighting spirit ignited.
He lifted the six giant Rasengans to meet the incoming strike.
The Sword of Susanoo crashed into the Rasengans, detonating in a terrifying explosion.
The shockwave roared upward, slamming into the barrier around the Konoha Arena.
Under the blast, the ground split open in long jagged cracks, huge sections collapsing and sinking.
Naruto felt a crushing weight pin him down as his body began to fall.
At the critical moment, he roared, and nine massive Chakra arms burst from his body.
"Nine-Tails Chakra Arms!"
Naruto controlled the giant hands to seize the Sword of Susanoo, forcing it backward with brute strength.
Sasuke and his Susanoo were driven back two steps.
The entire Konoha Arena fell into dead silence.
For a heartbeat, no one could even react to what they were seeing.
Whether it was Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra Mode or Sasuke's fourth-form Susanoo, both left the audience utterly stunned.
"So Sasuke was also hiding his strength?" Ino sucked in a sharp breath.
"What a... beast!" Kiba couldn't hold back his exclamation.
Neji, Kimimaro, and the others just stared, faces numb.
They couldn't win. There was absolutely no way they could win against monsters like this.
"Again!"
Naruto's voice rang out once more. "Youth Super Large Rasengan!"
An enormous torrent of chakra erupted from him like a bursting flood.
He raised all nine colossal hands, and at their center an enormous Rasengan spun into existence in an instant.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
Sasuke reacted immediately.
Susanoo's arms spread wide, and six gigantic magatama materialized out of thin air.
With a sharp motion, Susanoo hurled all six straight at Naruto.
Naruto charged in head‑on, still maintaining the Youth Super Large Rasengan.
The resulting explosion was even more terrifying than before.
The barrier maintained by the Sealing Squad at the Konoha Arena shattered on the spot, and the raging chakra shockwave slammed into the barrier upheld by Kitazawa.
That barrier shook violently, making the earth tremble in sweeping arcs.
In the stands, the spectators' faces twisted in terror, afraid the barrier would snap.
Fortunately, Kitazawa's strength was overwhelming, and he completely blocked the aftershocks of the clash.
"They can actually fight to this extent?" Shibi couldn't help but exclaim.
"Their strength has completely surpassed ours," Jiraiya said in amazement.
Judging from the power Naruto and Sasuke were showing now, even if he entered Sage Mode, he probably wouldn't be able to defeat them.
Hiruzen subconsciously nodded.
In his heart, he sighed. This was truly Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara reborn.
At the same time, excitement welled up in him. With talents like these, Konoha would return to its peak and once again stand above the entire ninja world.
Fugaku, however, felt a stab of regret.
If Naruto didn't exist, Sasuke would undoubtedly be the unchallenged leader and would smoothly become the Seventh Hokage.
Hiashi subconsciously clenched his fists.
Weren't they supposed to be equally renowned? How had the gap grown so vast?
And if not for Kitazawa, the distance between Hinata, Neji, and Sasuke would be even greater.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, excitement burning in his eyes. "This is youth!"
Sasuke stayed silent.
After that last exchange, he was still on the losing side.
Within the explosion, even the Tengu armor of his Susanoo had been left battered and riddled with cracks.
"Naruto, let's decide this in one final move!" Sasuke took a deep breath and roared.
The chakra in his body was nowhere near as abundant as Naruto's.
"Lightning Release: Kirin!"
Standing atop Susanoo's head, Sasuke quickly formed hand seals.
The sky darkened in an instant.
A gigantic Kirin made of roaring lightning took shape and, as soon as it appeared, plunged straight toward Naruto.
At the same time, Susanoo raised its massive sword.
"Bring it on!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Naruto threw his head back and opened his mouth wide.
He was preparing a Tailed Beast Ball—though a weakened version.
This move had been taught to him by Kushina and Minato.
In fact, in the original story, he had even used a Super Mini Tailed Beast Ball the size of a Rasengan.
The black-tailed beast ball slammed into Kirin.
In the next instant, blinding beams of light erupted in all directions, tearing through the air.
"Wood Release: Hobi!"
Kitazawa clapped his hands together.
A massive wooden shield shaped like a demonic face dropped from the sky, enclosing and protecting the entire Konoha Arena.
Sasuke felt his whole body shudder.
His Susanoo cracked and splintered, breaking apart inch by inch until it completely collapsed.
"Amenotejikara!"
At the critical moment between life and death, Sasuke vanished from where he stood.
But he didn't reappear behind Naruto for a sneak attack.
Naruto was surrounded by violent, chaotic chakra. If Sasuke showed up in that maelstrom, he'd be caught in the raging currents of chakra—and Naruto would have enough time to react and strike back.
Instead, Sasuke materialized in the spectator stands.
More precisely, in the section where the Genius Class was seated.
The instant he landed, his strength gave out and he crumpled to the floor.
"Sasuke-kun?!"
Sakura rushed over and caught him, propping him up.
"He's fine."
Kitazawa appeared in front of Sasuke. After a quick check, he concluded, "He just used up too much chakra."
Only then did the Konoha Arena finally fall silent.
Naruto stood in place as if nothing had happened.
All around him, the arena had been reduced to rubble.
Kitazawa's mouth twitched.
How should he put it?
Naruto had actually been holding back quite a bit during this fight.
"The winner: Naruto Uzumaki!"
Kitazawa announced the final result.
With that, the Genius Class graduation exam came to a successful close.
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