"That's… a Two-Tomoe Sharingan?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze sharpened.
Although there was a certain distance between the audience and the arena, as one of the top powerhouses in the Ninja World, his five senses far surpassed those of ordinary ninja. He saw the two tomoe in Sasuke's eyes at a glance.
"It is indeed a Two-Tomoe Sharingan." Tsunade asked with some surprise, "How did he awaken it at this moment?"
"Could it be due to the emotions of defeat?" Sarutobi Hiruzen said thoughtfully.
As a student of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, he naturally understood the Uchiha Clan very well. Whether it was the Sharingan or the Mangekyo Sharingan, both required extremely strong emotional stimulation.
Therefore, the awakening of a Sharingan among Uchiha Clan ninja often occurred after witnessing the death of close friends or family.
In comparison, Sasuke's awakening seemed quite unusual. Awakening it from a single defeat seemed too small a price to pay.
"It seems he cares a lot about Naruto." Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly understood. The defeat wasn't important; what mattered was who brought about that defeat.
"This is the bond of the Will of Fire." Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile.
Naruto had learned the Rasengan. Sasuke had awakened his Two-Tomoe Sharingan. The appearance of these two peerless geniuses undoubtedly foreshadowed Konoha Village's resurgence to strength.
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought back to the time after the Nine-Tailed incident when he was entrusted with the critical task of resuming his position as Hokage.
At that time, Konoha Village was riddled with scars, lacking fresh talent, and caught between internal strife and external threats.
Now, with Tsunade's return and a continuous stream of young geniuses, Konoha Village had new hope.
Tsunade twitched her lips. Don't link everything to the Will of Fire! But she didn't say much, lest Sarutobi Hiruzen chatter on about it for half the day again.
"Two-Tomoe Sharingan?!"
If there was anyone in the audience more excited than Sarutobi Hiruzen, it was undoubtedly Fugaku Uchiha. Awakening the Two-Tomoe Sharingan at the age of seven—in his memory, there was no one else besides Sasuke.
With such talent, the Uchiha Clan was bound to produce a Hokage. If it weren't for the inappropriate setting, Fugaku would have burst into laughter.
"He awakened it again?"
Itachi looked at the wildly laughing Sasuke, surprised, and a thought similar to Sarutobi Hiruzen's emerged. Indeed, his younger brother was different.
Whether it was the one tomoe last time or the two tomoe this time, the method of awakening was truly unique.
In Itachi Uchiha's view, the members of the Uchiha Clan were all quite similar. Addicted to the power of the Sharingan, they became arrogant and complacent, unable to see Konoha Village and the Will of Fire.
Now, Sasuke showed him a completely different future for the Uchiha Clan. What he and Shisui Uchiha had started, Sasuke could certainly continue.
"Sasuke can be considered to have gained a blessing in disguise."
Mikoto breathed a sigh of relief and said. As a mother, she hadn't thought too much, only worried that Sasuke wouldn't be able to accept this defeat.
Fortunately, the unexpected appearance of the Two-Tomoe Sharingan brought a turning point. Sasuke was now showing such a healthy smile; he must not have felt sad or upset about this defeat for a single moment.
Because of Sasuke's wild laughter, many people noticed his Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
"What the hell!" Kiba couldn't help but ask. "Why is Sasuke's strength also rapidly improving along with Naruto's?"
Naruto learning the Rasengan had shocked them greatly. But Sasuke's awakening of the Two-Tomoe Sharingan at seven years old was equally shocking.
"Sasuke-kun truly never disappoints!" Sakura said excitedly. Of course, she was even happier that Sasuke had emerged from his gloom.
"Two freaks." Shikamaru twitched his lips and said, "They're not giving us any chance to live."
Neji really wanted to complain, but didn't know what to complain about. The Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan were both eye-ninja clans of Konoha Village. Why didn't the Byakugan have such a mechanism for inexplicably rapid power boosts?
Now that Sasuke had awakened his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, Neji's confidence in beating him had diminished further. However, who would win or lose would only be known after they fought.
Shino Aburame adjusted his glasses. He was incredibly grateful to Kitazawa at this moment.
If it weren't for the Kikaichu he brought, he would have only one outcome against Sasuke and Naruto: defeat.
Of course, since they were all classmates, there was no need to use Kikaichu. Shino was just making a hypothetical assumption.
With the Kikaichu, he also had a chance to glimpse the world of top geniuses.
"As expected of the Uchiha."
Yakumo, however, found it natural.
After all, a long time ago, the Kurama Clan and the Uchiha Clan had similar reputations in Genjutsu Bloodline Limits. If she could possess such strong power at such a young age, Sasuke naturally could too.
Kitazawa was unaware of Yakumo's thoughts. If he knew, he would definitely complain bitterly. But his attention was now on the new text that had appeared before him.
[Current Mission: Help Sasuke awaken the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.]
[Mission Reward: Two-Tomoe Sharingan.]
[Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
Kitazawa immediately felt the surging power within him. No wonder Sasuke had let out that Uchiha-style wild laughter. His strength had indeed increased significantly after awakening his eyes.
The most direct change was his Chakra, which had increased by roughly the amount of an elite Chunin. For Sasuke, that was naturally a lot.
However, Kitazawa already possessed two cards of Chakra, so it was merely icing on the cake. But that wasn't the main point; the main point was that the Two-Tomoe Sharingan possessed more powerful abilities.
For example, the enhancement of dynamic vision, allows for better copying of the target's Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. Just this alone would save Kitazawa a lot of time learning Ninjutsu.
In addition, the Genjutsu cast with the Sharingan would be even more potent.
However, Kitazawa couldn't go test the Two-Tomoe Sharingan right now. After all, the Student Council selection practical exam was not yet over.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Sasuke suddenly thought of something, immediately stopped his wild laughter, and asked, "Can I continue fighting Naruto?"
"I've already announced the results. Fighting again would go against the rules." Kitazawa shook his head. Sasuke's intentions were easy to read.
After awakening his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, confidence surged within him. He wanted nothing more than to defeat Naruto right away and reclaim the pride he had just lost.
"You don't need to rush." Kitazawa patted his shoulder. "It's only the second round. You'll still have a chance to face him later."
In truth, Kitazawa was already planning something different for Sasuke. Arrogance like his was not conducive to learning Lightning Release, nor did it trigger new missions.
He had no intention of letting Sasuke fight Naruto again so soon. The boy needed to understand that more than one person in First Year Class A was capable of defeating him.
"Alright, you two, get off the stage."
Kitazawa glanced at Naruto as he spoke. Most students would shrink away after witnessing Sasuke awaken the Two-Tomoe Sharingan. But Naruto was different.
He looked exhilarated, practically itching to continue the fight. When Kitazawa refused, regret flashed openly across his face.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei."
Sasuke took a deep breath and stepped down. But when he saw Sakura and the others coming to greet him, the corners of his mouth curved upward again. To an outsider, it might have looked as if Sasuke had been the one to defeat Naruto.
Naruto, however, also received warm attention. The power of the Rasengan was overwhelming, and its reputation spread quickly.
"The tenth match of the second round: Shino Aburame versus Choji Akimichi!"
Kitazawa deliberately raised his voice, drowning out the excited chatter of the audience and dragging their focus back to the exam.
There was no helping it—the previous fight had been too shocking. One student had revealed the Rasengan, another had awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan. Even a veteran ninja would have been stunned by such a display.
Are these really just seven-year-olds?
Shino Aburame and Choji Akimichi entered the arena. Neither was weak, but against the spectacle of Naruto and Sasuke's battle, their clash felt almost subdued.
"The winner is Shino Aburame."
Kitazawa announced after the fight. Without his secret techniques, Choji was no match for Shino. And even if he had mastered them, victory would have still been difficult.
Time slipped by, and soon the second round came to a close.
"I will now announce the list of students advancing to the third round."
Kitazawa stood in the center of the arena, opening the roll book. Though the Student Council selection battle was open to the entire Academy, most of those advancing came from First Year Class A.
The list closely resembled the results of Class A's last monthly exam: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Shino Aburame, Yakumo Kurama, Hinata Hyuga, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Kiba Inuzuka.
Only Karin, Choji Akimichi, and Sakura Haruno failed to advance. From outside their class, the only names left were Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, Tenten, and Hana Inuzuka.
Kitazawa had played no favorites. This was simply the reality of the Academy's student level. After all, mastering the Three Body Technique alone was enough to qualify as a Genin. Yet Sasuke and Naruto already possessed skills far beyond that, rivaling even Chunin.
Not just in quantity, but in quality, they stood above the average Chunin. Most Chunin had only a handful of B-Rank techniques at best, relying heavily on C-Rank jutsu. To have already grasped A-Rank jutsu at this age was nothing short of abnormal.
"There are twelve students who made it to the third round, and eight of them are from First Year Class A," Sarutobi Hiruzen remarked after hearing the list. "In terms of teaching ability, Kitazawa is truly outstanding."
Though Sasuke and Naruto's talents were undeniable, without Kitazawa's guidance, they could not have progressed this quickly.
Hiruzen recalled his own generation. Whether it was himself, Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, or Utatane Koharu, all were gifted.
Their current status testified to it. Yet none of them had burned as brightly at this age as Sasuke and Naruto did now.
The difference lay in Kitazawa.
Still, the Third Hokage could not ignore a glaring issue in the Academy. Aside from Kitazawa, were the other teachers truly unwilling to teach? That wasn't the case—their skills simply had limits.
And another problem remained: the vast gap in student aptitude.
For talents like Naruto and Kiba, even the Shadow Clone Technique was within reach. But for many others, teaching beyond the Clone Technique was meaningless—they could hardly grasp the basics.
Hiruzen stroked his chin thoughtfully. He would need to speak with Kitazawa soon to see if the Academy's shortcomings could be addressed.
"Third round, first match: Hinata Hyuga versus Rock Lee!"
With the break over, Kitazawa returned to the lottery box.
"Hinata!" Ino Yamanaka clenched her fists. "You can do it!"
"Mhm!" Hinata nodded, stepping into the arena. Her gaze drifted to Kitazawa, and with that, her heart grew calm.
"Don't worry," Shikamaru yawned lazily. "Gentle Fist works pretty well against Strong Fist. Hinata's got a decent chance of winning."
"What is Strong Fist?" Naruto asked curiously.
"What you practice is Strong Fist," Kiba patted his shoulder and explained. "More precisely, aside from the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist, all other Taijutsu styles fall under Strong Fist."
"Your Guy-sensei is the prime example of the Strong Fist style," Shikamaru added.
"Guy-sensei is indeed amazing!" Naruto raised his thumb with admiration. "Whether it's Taijutsu or youth, he's my role model!"
Shikamaru was speechless.
Learning Taijutsu was fine—but learning 'youth' too? This kid was truly hopeless, walking further and further down the path of reckless passion.
"Although you're stronger than Neji, my youth will never give up!" Rock Lee's voice suddenly rang out.
Shikamaru sighed deeply. Both of them were hopeless… just bury them together.
"Please guide me," Hinata said earnestly, bowing with sincerity.
"Konoha Whirlwind!" Without hesitation, Rock Lee launched a spinning kick.
Hinata swiftly sidestepped, her body light as air. She raised her right hand and tapped his leg with precision.
Rock Lee immediately felt the chakra in his right leg stagnate. He wasn't surprised at all—this was exactly what happened every time he sparred with Neji.
"Konoha Violent Rock Ascent!"
Lee pressed forward, refusing to back down. He drove his right elbow toward Hinata's head with raw force.
Taijutsu was all he had. Even knowing that fighting Gentle Fist in close combat was unwise, he had no other option. His only chance of victory lay in overwhelming Hinata before his chakra was completely sealed.
But while the idea sounded good, reality was merciless.
Hinata raised her left arm, deflecting his elbow strike. Her right hand lashed out twice in rapid succession, sealing two more of Lee's chakra points.
Lee staggered, his movements losing stability.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
A divine brilliance flashed in Hinata's Byakugan. She seized the opening and struck with perfect rhythm—eight palms, fast and precise.
Lee collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
"Winner: Hinata Hyuga." Kitazawa nodded approvingly.
Without the Eight Gates Formation, it was simply impossible for Rock Lee to overcome either Hinata or Neji.
"Are you alright?" Hinata quickly knelt beside him, releasing the seals on his chakra points with delicate taps.
"I'm fine." Lee rose to his feet, smiling brightly. "What a battle full of youth!"
Hinata blinked.
Youth? Where was the youth in this? It was still something too difficult for her to fully understand.
"Third round, second match: Uchiha Sasuke versus Yakumo Kurama!" Kitazawa announced with a faint smile.
As a referee, it was easy for him to manipulate the pairings. He didn't even need Wind Release chakra to cheat—he was the one who placed the slips of paper into the lottery box. All he had to do was ensure Sasuke's and Yakumo's names stayed together.
"How did he end up drawing Yakumo?" Sakura frowned, worry evident.
"A perfect draw." Sasuke suppressed his excitement, his voice brimming with confidence.
In past monthly exams and sparring matches, whenever he faced Yakumo Kurama, he suffered crushing defeat. The reason was simple—he couldn't break her Genjutsu.
A Genjutsu battle was ultimately a clash of Yin Release power, and his was inferior. But now things were different.
With his newly awakened Two-Tomoe Sharingan, Sasuke could feel the surge of Yin Release within him. His strength had leapt from Genin level to high Chunin level, nearly doubling.
He was certain—this time, he could win.
"Sakura, Sasuke just awakened his Two-Tomoe Sharingan," Shikamaru reminded calmly.
"Oh, right!" Sakura's eyes lit up with renewed hope. "Then Sasuke-kun definitely won't lose again!"
Sasuke nodded faintly. No matter how much Sakura scolded him, this time he wouldn't fall.
Hands in his pockets, he walked into the arena slowly, his steps exuding the calm confidence of a master.
"Yakumo," Sasuke said evenly, locking eyes with his opponent. "Today, let's settle this with Genjutsu."
He wanted to rise from the place where he had fallen. He wanted to crush Yakumo in Genjutsu—to erase the sting of his past humiliations.
"Alright." Yakumo's expression turned serious. She could feel the surge of Yin Release pouring from Sasuke's body. It was far stronger than before.
"This is my first time seeing a Two-Tomoe Sharingan," Kiba remarked with curiosity.
Sasuke had activated it the moment he entered the arena, clearly determined not to fall prey to Genjutsu again. The Two-Tomoe Sharingan not only amplified Sharingan-based illusions but also provided resistance against ordinary ones.
"I wonder what Chunin's strength is really like," Naruto muttered curiously.
Neji had said that awakening the Two-Tomoe Sharingan meant stepping into Chunin-level power. Naruto's impression of Chunin was that they were incredibly strong—but he had no clear measure of it.
"Wait a second…" Ino suddenly frowned. "Why isn't Sasuke moving?"
"What's going on?" Sakura asked, confused. "Kitazawa-sensei clearly said the match has already started."
"…Perhaps Sasuke has already fallen into Genjutsu again," Shikamaru said after two seconds of silence.
"No way!" Sakura immediately denied it. "He's awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan—there's no way that happened!"