"Thank you, Kitazawa-sama." Raidō breathed a sigh of relief, sheathing his black-bladed Katana.
He subconsciously glanced at Hinata. With her current strength, she shouldn't have been able to perfectly evade all his attacks.
The only explanation was that bow. But Ninja tools were also a part of one's strength, so he had nothing to say.
Raidō deactivated the Cursed Seal of Earth and left the Training Ground.
"Congratulations, you won." Kitazawa reached out and patted Hinata's head, smiling as he spoke.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei." Hinata couldn't help but smile, saying, "I only won because of the Moon Chasing Bow you gave me, Kitazawa-sensei."
"Moon Chasing? That sounds like a good name." Kitazawa praised it, then added, "You can go rest now."
"Mm." Hinata happily turned and left.
Kitazawa didn't linger either and returned to his seat. He nudged Tsunade's thigh with his right leg.
"Tsunade-sensei," Kitazawa said with a smile, "It's now eleven wins and three losses."
"I won't renege on our bet!" Tsunade glared at him, clearly displeased.
"That's good." Kitazawa nodded and said.
When Hinata returned to the Genius Class queue, she was immediately surrounded by Ino Yamanaka and the others.
"H-Hinata," Kiba was the first to ask, "You dodged all the attacks in advance—how did you manage that?"
"My bow has a Yin Release monster named Satori sealed inside it." Hinata explained, "It can sense emotions."
"That powerful?" Ino asked in surprise, "Does that mean no one can ever hit you from now on?"
"No." Hinata shook her head and said, "If I can't react in time, I'll still get hit."
"You also have the Byakugan, so situations where you can't react should be rare." Shikamaru mused.
"Byakugan plus emotion sensing… your strength has increased quite a bit!" Ino felt envious.
She also wanted such a powerful Ninja tool. But she knew very well that such tools were rare and nearly impossible to obtain.
Hyuga Neji was slightly stunned. This was the first time he realized his Fate Breaking bow and the Moon Chasing Bow were fundamentally different.
However, thinking carefully, it made sense.
The Moon Chasing Bow sealed Satori, while the Fate Breaking Bow sealed the Zero-Tails. Satori's ability was emotion sensing—so what special abilities did the Zero-Tails possess?
Neji had been too focused on practicing Spiral Arrow and hadn't had time to research the Zero-Tails.
Sasuke was completely dumbfounded. Was this reasonable?
He had thought that after spending three months mastering the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he would easily dominate the Genius Class upon his return.
But Neji and Hinata had quietly given him a massive scare.
Especially Hinata's Moon Chasing Bow. That emotion-sensing ability was practically a natural counter against all the Ninja.
Fortunately, Itachi had told him the method to resist that ability—by completely clearing his mind of distractions.
Although Sasuke felt that achieving true mental emptiness would be extremely difficult for him.
Tayuya's gaze fell on the Moon Chasing Bow. If her flute also had a Yin Release monster sealed inside it, wouldn't her Genjutsu become virtually invincible?
But such things were pure fantasy; where in the Ninja World could one find so many powerful Yin Release monsters?
Tayuya felt that the most important thing now was to focus on improving her own strength.
She couldn't defeat Hinata or Neji regardless, so whether they had those bows or not made no practical difference to her.
But she definitely didn't want to fall out of the top ten—or worse, out of the top eighteen.
Kimimaro stood rooted to the spot, brows tightly furrowed.
Before, with the Cursed Seal of Earth and Shikotsumyaku, he could sometimes—if fortune favored him—slightly surpass Hinata and Neji.
But now, with the addition of the two bows, victory was nearly impossible.
His only long-range technique was Shikotsumyaku: Ten Fingers Shooting Bullet. All his other Shikotsumyaku techniques were close-range.
Byakugan combined with a bow, could easily overwhelm him at a distance.
Kimimaro felt that he was letting Orochimaru down. After joining the Genius Class, he was no longer the invincible genius he had been in Otogakure.
"The fifteenth match, Kaguya Kimimaro versus Akimichi Shidō!" Iruka shouted loudly.
"Kaguya?" Inuzuka Tsume subconsciously asked, "Could it be that the Kaguya Clan from Hidden Mist Village—the one that was annihilated?"
"That's right, it's the Kaguya Clan from Hidden Mist Village." Aburame Shibi replied, "He was saved by Orochimaru-sama."
He had participated in the snake-hunting operation with Tsunade and Kitazawa before, so he recognized Kimimaro.
"I see." Inuzuka Tsume nodded. She hadn't participated in the assault on Orochimaru and thus hadn't known.
"First Ice Release, then Shikotsumyaku…"
Akimichi Choza couldn't help but smile, saying, "I never expected the two great Bloodline Limits of Hidden Mist Village to appear in our Konoha Village."
"And if nothing goes wrong, Hidden Mist Village will no longer have Ice Release or Shikotsumyaku." Nara Shikaku added.
"Shikotsumyaku is the bane of Taijutsu Ninja; I wonder if Shidō can win." Aburame Shibi said, bringing the topic back.
Akimichi Shidō was a Jonin of the Akimichi Clan.
In the original story, he appeared in only two scenes—fighting Deva Path Pain and being knocked out, and later protecting Naruto during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
"The Akimichi Clan isn't just any Taijutsu Ninja." Nara Shikaku shook his head and said, "And Shidō is one of the top strongmen in the Akimichi Clan."
"That's true—but the performance of the Genius Class students is also not to be underestimated." Akimichi Choza teased, "If they pull out another bow, Shidō will be helpless."
Nara Shikaku hesitated.
He wanted to say "where would they find so many powerful bows," but then remembered Kitazawa had already produced two—so he stayed silent.
"Begin!" Iruka finished speaking and stepped aside.
Kimimaro looked at Akimichi Shidō with an emotionless expression.
Battles with Neji and Hinata were for the future. The most urgent task was to win this spar as much as possible.
The reason for "as much as possible" was because he wasn't entirely confident.
As soon as the battle began, Kimimaro used Cursed Seal of Earth: State Two.
The audience had already seen Jugo and Kotetsu Hagane's Cursed Seal of Earth, so they weren't particularly surprised.
Seeing this, Akimichi Shidō immediately pulled out a long staff.
Shikotsumyaku: Ten Fingers Shooting Bullet!
Kimimaro raised his hands, and ten finger bones flew out. Then, his entire body turned into an afterimage, chasing after them.
Akimichi Shidō didn't say a word and began to swing his staff. The staff's shadow formed a semicircle, blocking all the finger bones.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow!
White bones emerged from various parts of Kimimaro's body. He launched a series of attacks in an instant, like willow catkins swaying in the wind.
Akimichi Shidō immediately became flustered. Because Kimimaro's entire body was covered in sharp bones.
He felt like he was facing a seven-sword style master, with a blade occasionally thrusting from a tricky angle.
"Shikotsumyaku is indeed formidable." Akimichi Choza praised.
"After all, they were the largest Ninja clan in Hidden Mist Village." Nara Shikaku nodded and said.
"It's a pity they no longer exist." Hyuga Hiashi looked at Kimimaro, a hint of regret on his face.
Nara Shikaku and the others then remembered that the Kaguya Clan and the Hyuga Clan had a familial relationship.
"At least hope remains." Uchiha Fugaku said slowly. He was pondering a question: would Shikotsumyaku plus Sharingan be a good combination?
The Hyuga Clan's tradition was endogamy, which could maximize the chances of the next generation awakening the Byakugan.
Of course, there were exceptions. If the Ninja marrying into the Hyuga Clan was a high-ranking Konoha official, or even the Hokage, no one would dare to stop it.
The Uchiha Clan was different; they didn't have this tradition, and there were quite a few Uchiha Ninja who married outside the clan.
For example, Uchiha Izumi's father was not a Uchiha Ninja. But she could still return to the Uchiha Clan after awakening the Sharingan.
In fact, not only Uchiha Fugaku, but other Ninja clan heads were also considering this question.
Kimimaro was handsome, strong, and single. This was simply the most perfect son-in-law. Besides Kimimaro, Haku also had similar conditions.
However, considering they were both Kitazawa's students, force certainly couldn't be used.
They all had many girls of similar age within their clans who could appropriately interact with them; if they hit it off, it would be a huge gain.
Clang!
Akimichi Shidō struck Kimimaro back with a staff, quickly creating distance. He put away his long staff.
After the recent exchange, he understood that he couldn't defeat Kimimaro in close combat; he could only use the Akimichi Clan's Secret Technique.
Multi-Size Technique!
In an instant, Akimichi Shidō's body swelled, transforming him into a five-meter-tall giant. If he hadn't considered that this was the school Training Ground, he could have continued to grow larger.
Kimimaro's breathing hitched, and he felt the pressure.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia!
He drew a bone blade from his left arm. Kimimaro leaped up and charged towards Akimichi Shidō.
Super Open Hand Slap!
Akimichi Shidō gathered Chakra into his hands, making them as heavy as hammers.
He aimed at Kimimaro and slammed his hands down. The immense force stirred up gusts of wind.
Kimimaro gritted his teeth, continuously stabbing the bone blade into Akimichi Shidō's palms.
Numerous bloody marks appeared on Akimichi Shidō's palms. But relative to his massive body, these blood marks seemed insignificant.
Kimimaro felt a mountainous weight, and his body involuntarily began to fall. At the crucial moment, he retreated, avoiding the range of Akimichi Shidō's palms.
With a loud boom! Akimichi Shidō's palms pressed into the ground. The ground cracked and sank directly downwards.
Kakashi flashed forward, shielding Tsunade and the others.
He quickly used Earth Release Ninjutsu to prevent the ground collapse from spreading. Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen also made his move in time, protecting the students of the Genius Class.
Kimimaro's eyes suddenly narrowed, spotting an opportunity. He leaped, running forward on Akimichi Shidō's arm, his bone blade gripped tightly, aimed at his head.
Human Bullet Tank!
Akimichi Shidō immediately retracted his head and limbs, transforming his entire body into a ball. He spun his body, directly crashing into Kimimaro.
Kimimaro's pupils contracted, and he instinctively shielded his head with both hands, bones protruding from various parts of his body.
The Human Bullet Tank formed by Akimichi Shidō continuously struck his bones.
After a second of stalemate, Kimimaro was unable to withstand the terrifying force and was directly sent flying.
Akimichi Shidō changed direction and continued to charge towards him.
Kimimaro had not even landed yet when he was sent flying again in mid-air. He was completely dazed and disoriented from the impact.
Seeing Akimichi Shidō charging at him once more, Kitazawa appeared directly in front of him and carried him away.
Akimichi Shidō immediately stopped and deactivated his Multi-size Technique. He slowly exhaled.
To be honest, he and Akimichi Choza had similar thoughts, fearing that Kimimaro would suddenly pull out a bow. Fortunately, such a thing did not happen.
"Winner, Akimichi Shidō!" Iruka promptly announced the result.
"The Genius Class is truly terrifying." Izumo exclaimed, "Out of fifteen sparring matches, the Genius Class only lost four!"
"Indeed, a group of students fighting against official Ninja, eleven wins and four losses—who would believe that?" Kotetsu agreed wholeheartedly.
"But we can't completely blame ourselves for the losses." Ebisu shook his head and reminded them, "Think about who the teachers of the Genius Class are."
Uchiha Tekka, Hyuga Himon, Yūgao Uzuki, and others fell silent. Meanwhile, Asuma, who had yet to participate, felt an unprecedented pressure.
Although Ebisu's words made a lot of sense, the problem was that he was the son of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Under normal circumstances, the audience would favor him more. But what if he lost? What face would he have then?
And losing to students of Kakashi and Kitazawa would only add insult to injury.
However, the performances of the Genius Class students were simply too outrageous. Asuma's mindset had shifted from absolute confidence to merely considering not losing as a victory.
"The sixteenth sparring match, Uchiha Sasuke versus Uchiha Inabi!" Iruka quickly announced the next pair to spar.
Has it finally arrived? Uchiha Fugaku's spirits lifted upon hearing Sasuke's name.
The Hyuga Clan had gained significant attention, and their Uchiha Clan could not fall behind. An eight-year-old activating the Three-Tomoe Sharingan would surely astonish them.
The only issue was that Uchiha Inabi, as an opponent, would be a challenge for Sasuke. With both possessing the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, it would come down to their individual skill.
"Why do I have a sense of déjà vu?" Inuzuka Tsume thought of the battle between Hyuga Neji and Hizashi Hyuga.
"Does Sasuke also have a bow?" Aburame Shibi subconsciously asked.
Hyuga Hiashi looked at Uchiha Fugaku upon hearing this.
The Sharingan, like the Byakugan, possessed excellent insight. Although it lacked the long-range and X-ray vision, making it less suitable for bows, if used, it would still be much stronger than other Ninjas.
"No." Uchiha Fugaku shook his head and said, "He uses the Sword of the Thunder God."
Most of the people here had been spectators at the exchange event between Konoha Village and Hidden Mist Village, so they were not surprised.
The sword of the thunder god was also good, but compared to the bows of Hyuga Hinata and Hyuga Neji, its performance was somewhat inferior.
On the other side, in the Genius Class ranks:
"Sasuke-kun, you can do it!" Sakura clenched her small fists, cheering him on.
"Sasuke, let your youth bloom!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up and said.
"You all just await my victory," Sasuke said calmly. After he finished speaking, he walked into the arena.
"Sasuke won't have an easy win." Shikamaru shook his head and said, "His opponent is also a Uchiha Jonin who has activated the Three-Tomoe Sharingan."
"Sasuke-kun will definitely win!" Sakura immediately said.
"Sasuke, although he is from the Uchiha Clan, doesn't seem like an Uchiha." Tenten said with a smile, "He often ranks in the top three in practical exams, not primarily because of his Sharingan."
"That's right." Ino agreed, "He's more skilled in Lightning Release and swordsmanship."
Hyuga Neji nodded slightly.
Actually, there was another reason: the other two in the top three of the practical exams, Kurama Yakumo and Uzumaki Naruto, were not afraid of the Sharingan or Genjutsu.
"Battle start!" Iruka shouted loudly.
Everyone stopped chatting and looked towards the arena.
"Sasuke." Uchiha Inabi raised his hand and said, "You first."
"I won't hold back, Inabi-senpai," Sasuke said with a calm expression.
"You have a similar personality to your brother." Inabi smiled faintly and said.
He didn't care about Sasuke's attitude towards him. Because, in his opinion, as a genius of the Uchiha Clan, one should indeed display such an attitude.
Sasuke gripped the Sword of the Thunder God. He rushed forward with a Body Flicker Technique.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique! Uchiha Inabi unhurriedly spat out a large fireball.
A scorching aura permeated the air. This large fireball was about three meters high, completely engulfing Sasuke.
Brilliant lightning glowed on the blade of the sword of the thunder god. Sasuke slashed with his sword, cutting the large fireball in half.
Konoha Style: Willow! Sasuke twisted his wrist, and the sword of the thunder god suddenly accelerated.
"Genjutsu?" Uchiha Inabi immediately felt himself rooted to the spot. At the same time, numerous sword shadows appeared in his vision.
He didn't hesitate to activate his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and the sword of the thunder god broke through the dazzling sword shadows, thrusting towards him.
At the critical moment, he broke free from the Genjutsu of Konoha Style: Willow, drew a Kunai, and blocked the sword of the thunder god.
Uchiha Inabi couldn't help but sigh in relief. He had almost been in trouble. After the first exchange, he also became serious.
"As expected of Itachi's younger brother." Uchiha Inabi gripped his Kunai, exerting force, preparing to parry the sword of the thunder god.
But just then, several bolts of lightning surged from the blade of the sword of the thunder god, heading towards him.
Uchiha Inabi quickly released his hand and retreated. The Kunai was immediately struck by the lightning, emitting crackling sounds.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Crimson Claw!
Uchiha Inabi threw out a large number of Kunai and exhaled a massive amount of flames. The Kunai wrapped in flames bloomed like a flower in front of him.
Sasuke immediately activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Wielding the Sword of the Thunder God, he retreated while deflecting the flaming Kunai.
The two re-established their distance, standing face to face.
"What? Sasuke opened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan?"
Apart from Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi, Hyuga Hiashi, Inuzuka Tsume, and others all showed shocked expressions.
Activating the Three-Tomoe Sharingan at eight years old had no precedent in their memory.