The terrifying flames burned for several seconds before gradually dissipating.
"So big!" Sakura snapped out of her daze and quickly shouted, "You're amazing, Sasuke-kun!"
Following her lead, the students of Class 1-A erupted into cheers. They all understood that such a powerful Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique was enough to secure the win.
The difference in strength was so vast that there was no suspense.
Class 2-A also realized this and fell into silence.
"He is a formidable opponent," Neji said with a slightly grim expression.
He had already acknowledged Uchiha Sasuke as a worthy rival, and now he felt the pressure.
Against such a large-scale Great Fireball Technique, he had no option but to evade.
"What a burning youth!" Rock Lee clenched his fists with excitement.
Tenten stepped a little closer to Neji without saying anything. She had no idea when Rock Lee became so obsessed with talking about 'youth' every day, almost like he'd been brainwashed.
"How is this possible?" Mizuki's eyes widened in disbelief. He had only seen a fireball of that magnitude used by an elite jonin.
Damn it! Another damn genius!
Mizuki was consumed with envy and frustration.
"Another peerless genius," Nara Shikaku muttered in astonishment. "He's only six years old, yet he's already surpassed many genin."
The Ino–Shika–Cho alliance was formed precisely because each clan alone wasn't strong enough. But the Uchiha clan was a different story, producing one genius after another. It was enough to make others envious.
"His chakra reserves, his control, and his mastery of chakra form manipulation are all exceptional." Sarutobi Hiruzen commented. "His future won't fall short of Uchiha Itachi's."
Nara Shikaku thought silently. He remembered Hiruzen's past praise for Itachi, saying he could think like a Hokage at just seven years old. Could the Uchiha clan actually produce another Hokage?
But he quickly dismissed the thought. He knew all too well the mixed attitude Konoha's leadership had toward the Uchiha clan.
While Hiruzen extended goodwill, Shimura Danzo constantly sought to suppress them. It was a precarious balance to keep Konoha stable without allowing the Uchiha clan to grow too powerful.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Sasuke basked in the praise like a hero.
"Sasuke, that was incredible!" Inuzuka Kiba exclaimed, genuinely impressed. Although he usually disliked Sasuke's aloof personality, that giant fireball had earned his respect.
Sasuke nodded slightly, doing his best to maintain a cool, detached image. The only regret he had was that neither his father nor brother was present to witness his moment of glory.
"Sasuke, you truly are my eternal rival!" Naruto ran up and threw an arm around his shoulder.
"Naruto, let go of him!" Sakura yelled anxiously. She hadn't even gotten a chance to touch Sasuke—how could Naruto steal the moment like that?
That damned Naruto!
Sasuke tried to pull away, but couldn't. He wasn't physically stronger than Naruto, so he had no choice but to endure it.
His awkward expression didn't go unnoticed by the rest of Class 1-A. For a moment, the air was filled with laughter and joy.
Seeing Sasuke flustered was just too satisfying.
"What a heartwarming atmosphere." Sarutobi Hiruzen felt deeply content watching the cheerful scene.
This was what he hoped for. The future of Konoha was bright and thriving.
"Quiet." Kitazawa noticed Hiruzen walking over and quickly calmed the students.
"You all did very well," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, meeting their eager gazes. "But Class 1-A performed better overall."
"Yeah!!" Naruto and the others cheered in unison.
"This was just the first round." Mizuki took a deep breath and said, "As long as we win the next events, Class 2-A can still take the overall victory!"
His words helped his students regain some confidence.
"Very good. Everyone's full of energy," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "Take a ten-minute break, and we'll begin the second event."
During the short break, two Anbu ninjas helped prepare the next venue.
The second event was a competition in chakra control.
So Kitazawa had asked Hiruzen to send over two Anbu—one proficient in Earth Release, the other in Water Release.
There was no need to transplant trees for balance practice. Instead, the Earth Release ninja molded long Earth Pillars similar to tree trunks for the test.
As for water-walking, it was simpler. The Earth Release user created a shallow pit, and the Water Release ninja filled it with water.
Once the setup was complete, Kitazawa felt an odd sense of nostalgia, like he was watching a physical challenge segment from a TV show in his previous life.
---
"The rules of the second competition are very simple," Kitazawa announced after the break. "The first person to reach the finish line using chakra on both feet will be declared the winner."
"Everyone, line up at the starting point in order." Iruka immediately organized the students of Class 1-A.
Soon, all the students from both classes were standing at the starting line.
In front of them was a large pool. Beyond it stood a pillar resembling a tree trunk. The students had to cross the water, climb the pillar, and leap down to reach the finish line.
"This time, Neji will definitely take first place!" Tenten cheered confidently.
"Yeah." Neji nodded calmly because he completely agreed.
Whether it was the Byakugan or the Gentle Fist, the Hyuga clan emphasized precise chakra control. After all, without superior chakra manipulation, it was impossible to disable enemies through acupoint strikes.
"It's up to you, Neji." Mizuki patted his shoulder firmly.
Losing one round wasn't too bad, but losing two in front of the Hokage? That would be humiliating.
"Sakura, let's see who makes it to the finish line first," Ino said while doing warm-ups.
"Okay," Sakura smiled, "Whoever loses will have to do double homework tonight."
Naruto, who was just about to chime in, instantly froze at the mention of homework and backed out of the challenge. Thanks to Kitazawa's special training, he now had a serious fear of homework.
"Naruto!" Rock Lee gave a thumbs-up, "Let's have a youth showdown!"
"No problem!" Naruto flashed his bright smile. "Betting everything on the name of youth!"
"Ready!" Kitazawa interrupted their banter. "Three! Two! One! Start!"
A group of students stepped onto the water.
Uzumaki Naruto and Rock Lee exchanged glances and took off together.
But after just a few steps, they heard a splash.
Rock Lee had fallen into the water.
"Lee?!" Naruto was stunned.
"I can only go this far!" Rock Lee shouted dramatically, "Naruto, carry the torch of my youth and keep going!"
"Lee!" Naruto cried, shaking and tearing up.
"Go forth!" Rock Lee raised his thumb high.
"Youth!" Naruto wiped his tears and continued moving forward. But his chakra control wasn't very refined. Not long after, he also splashed into the water.
Still, that he even got that far was thanks to Kitazawa's training. Without it, he would've been just as hopeless as Rock Lee.
"I'm starting to regret it, Shikaku," Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed.
"What's there to regret?" Nara Shikaku asked, barely holding back laughter. Fortunately, his elite training helped him stay composed in front of the Hokage.
"I should've stopped Naruto when he went to train with Guy." Hiruzen rubbed his forehead. "But now it's too late—he's already been influenced."
"Still, this version of Naruto isn't bad for Konoha." Shikaku considered and nodded.
"True… but I can't shake the feeling that Minato and Kushina are blaming me from the afterlife," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a wry smile.
Kitazawa, standing not far away, couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth. Are they here to laugh at me or what?
"Guy's style is just like that." Kurenai chuckled. "Too bad Kakashi isn't here."
Kitazawa suddenly had a thought—If Naruto ended up Kakashi's student like in the original timeline… He can only say, Good luck to Kakashi.
A student like Naruto, molded in Guy's image? His head might just explode.
"The biggest relief is that Guy didn't come," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"Agreed." Kurenai pictured Gai, Rock Lee, and Naruto clinging to each other and crying, and shivered.
"Neji's in the lead?" Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
Within a minute, most students had already been eliminated. Only a handful remained.
Water-walking and tree-climbing were supposed to be post-graduation training, after all. Advancing it by years meant their current performances were naturally lacking.
"As expected of the Hyuga clan's genius," Kurenai said, then paused, surprised. "But your four students are closing the gap fast."
She meant Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, Hyuga Hinata, and Uchiha Sasuke.
Due to Neji's overwhelming reputation, their pursuit was unexpected and impressive.
"What the hell? Am I under genjutsu?" Mizuki thought he was seeing things.
Four students comparable to Hyuga Neji in Class 1-A? Impossible!
Still, he believed Hyuga Neji would win in the end.
A few minutes later, five contestants reached the second stage: climbing the cylinder.
Hyuga Neji looked around and frowned. He didn't expect four others to have caught up, especially Hinata.
Gritting his teeth, Neji abruptly accelerated.
This burst of speed widened the gap. Hinata and Sasuke couldn't keep up and began to fall behind.
Only Sakura and Ino remained hot on his trail.
Midway up, Ino began to slow down. But at the same time, Neji himself was running out of energy. His pace unconsciously dropped.
At that exact moment, Sakura surged forward and leapt to the top, claiming first place.
"What?!" Neji was stunned. But he had no strength left to stop her and could only watch as she dashed toward the finish line.
It was like being struck by lightning. He had reasons for losing the first round. His Gentle Fist lacked the visual impact of a massive fireball. It made sense to lose there.
But in a competition of chakra control, he was truly defeated.