"Tsunade-sensei, how was it?" Kitazawa walked over to Tsunade during the break.
She was seated right in the middle of the stands, occupying a table and chair all by herself, posture relaxed yet commanding.
"How was what?" Tsunade gave him a sidelong glance and said coolly, "Are you hoping I'll praise you for a job well done?"
"Verbal praise alone won't satisfy me." Kitazawa sat down to her left, his tone unashamedly bold.
"Then you'll just have to wait." Tsunade gave a soft snort.
She knew exactly what kind of reward Kitazawa wanted, but agreeing outright would be letting him off far too easily. Naturally, she intended to let him stew in anticipation for a while.
"Tsunade-sensei." Kitazawa felt a surge of excitement and grinned. "Then I'll look forward to it."
Based on his understanding of Tsunade, as long as she didn't outright refuse, it meant there was still room to maneuver.
The fifteen-minute break passed quickly.
One by one, the spectators straightened in their seats and turned their attention back to the arena.
Although only the first round of the Genius Class graduation exam had concluded, it had already delivered an overwhelming shock.
Even the Chunin Exams or Jonin evaluations had never been this intense.
That was because every single student in the Genius Class had displayed strength that far exceeded what their age should allow.
Especially Naruto and Sasuke. At only eleven or twelve years old, they were already stronger than many Jonin.
This made countless Ninjas truly understand the saying: the new generation surpasses the old.
"Second round, first match." Kitazawa walked from the spectator stands to the lottery box and announced loudly, "Yamanaka Ino versus Tayuya!"
"Ino, I won't go easy on you." Tayuya glanced at Ino and spoke bluntly.
Although they were on good terms, rankings were on the line, and she had no intention of stopping in the second round.
"I don't need you to go easy on me either." Ino smiled confidently. "I've gotten much stronger."
Tayuya snorted lightly. "Me too."
Ino nodded and walked into the center of the arena.
Tayuya stepped to the opposite side.
"Battle starts!" Kitazawa retreated to the sidelines.
Tayuya bit her thumb and slammed her hand onto the ground. "Summoning Technique!"
Smoke billowed, and her Three Angry Demons emerged.
Ino calmly pulled out a scroll.
Tayuya paused for a split second, puzzled, but she didn't hesitate and immediately played her flute.
"Demonic Flute: Illusionary Warriors Manipulating Melody!"
The flute's melody rang out as the Three Angry Demons were brought under her control, charging together toward Ino.
A thunderous rumble echoed across the arena. Before the towering summoned beasts, Ino's petite figure looked precarious.
"Super Beast Imitating Drawing!"
Ino opened the scroll and swiftly drew two lions.
The moment they took form, the lions leapt forward, pouncing on the two nearest Angry Demons.
Without stopping, Ino drew again—this time, a python. The Python shot toward the third Angry Demon at extreme speed.
In the blink of an eye, the Three Angry Demons were tangled up by the lions and the python.
Six massive figures clashed violently in the arena.
"What kind of Ninjutsu is that?" Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.
It was her first time seeing Super Beast Imitating Drawing. After all, Ino had only learned it recently.
"This looks a lot like Yakumo's Bloodline Limit." Tenten subconsciously glanced toward Yakumo.
"This is Super Beast Imitating Drawing," Yakumo explained softly. "Kitazawa-sensei taught it to her."
"As expected—it was taught by Kitazawa-sensei." Shikamaru sighed.
"How is Ino secretly getting stronger, too?" Kiba clenched his fists.
"Maybe Tayuya is also getting stronger," Jugo said calmly.
"…" Kiba fell silent.
Even though he himself had grown much stronger, if everyone else was doing the same, then the gap hadn't actually closed at all.
While they were talking, a loud boom resounded.
One of the Angry Demons smashed down with a giant wooden club, crushing one of the lions.
But Ino immediately used Super Beast Imitating Drawing again, creating a new lion to replace it.
"No wonder you're so confident." Tayuya took a deep breath.
Since her Summoning Beasts were being held back, she would have to act personally.
"Cursed Seal of Earth: Stage Two!" Tayuya's body transformed instantly.
Her skin and eyes turned black, her crimson hair lengthened, and two pairs of white horns emerged from the sides of her head.
Ino's gaze sharpened.
Although this was her first time seeing Tayuya use the Cursed Seal of Earth, she reacted immediately.
After all, when Kimimaro and Jugo had activated it, their bodies had undergone similarly drastic changes.
Ino could immediately tell—things were about to become very difficult.
Under Cursed Seal of Earth: Stage Two, Tayuya's strength skyrocketed.
"Is that the Cursed Seal of Earth?" Tenten asked after observing for a moment.
"That's right." Jugo nodded.
He had once accidentally witnessed Tayuya using it.
"When did Tayuya learn the Cursed Seal of Earth?" Kiba's mouth twitched.
His earlier words had turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy—both Tayuya and Ino had grown far stronger.
"Probably about half a month ago." Jugo speculated.
"Ino's in trouble now. I wonder if she can still win." Sakura said with concern.
Though she and Ino often bickered, when it truly mattered, she was firmly on Ino's side.
After activating Cursed Seal of Earth: Stage Two, Tayuya charged at Ino without hesitation.
Her speed was far beyond before—she was in front of Ino almost instantly.
"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!" The moment their gazes met, Tayuya unleashed her genjutsu.
"Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique!" Ino had anticipated this.
The instant she made eye contact, her body scattered into leaves and vanished.
Tayuya frowned slightly. She glanced at the entangled Angry Demons and immediately blew her flute again.
The Three Angry Demons shuddered as their strength surged, quickly finishing off the lions and the python.
The melody shifted. The Three Angry Demons split up, charging toward Ino from three different directions.
"Ino, you can't escape!" Tayuya's lips curved into a faint smile—victory felt within reach.
Ino glanced around. The Three Angry Demons, along with Tayuya herself, had sealed off all four directions.
But she didn't panic. Instead, she quickly formed hand seals. "Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness!"
Seeing this, Tayuya immediately commanded the Angry Demons to attack.
But in the next instant, her body froze.
All light vanished. Her world was swallowed by absolute darkness.
"What… what's going on?!" Panic surged through Tayuya's heart.
"Super Beast Imitating Drawing!" Ino gave her no time to react.
A massive amount of Chakra erupted as she summoned lions, tigers, and pythons all at once.
Sounds echoed in the darkness. Tayuya desperately tried to control the Three Angry Demons to defend her surroundings.
But there were simply too many beasts. The Three Angry Demons couldn't block them all.
Tayuya wasn't a taijutsu specialist, and with her vision completely sealed, she had no effective way to deal with the onslaught.
In the end, she had no choice but to admit defeat.
"The winner, Yamanaka Ino!" Kitazawa nodded and announced loudly.
The combination of Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness and Super Beast Imitating Drawing had produced an unexpectedly outstanding effect.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!" Ino dashed over to him in a burst of speed, her face filled with excitement.
"This is only the second round."
Kitazawa raised his hand and flicked her forehead, reminding her calmly, "Release your Infinite Darkness Jutsu."
Only then did Ino realize that Tayuya was still trapped in the darkness.
She stuck out her tongue sheepishly at Kitazawa and hurriedly released Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness.
"What kind of Ninjutsu is that this time?" Kiba asked with a headache.
"I don't know." Sakura shook her head.
Just moments ago, she had been worried about Ino losing, but now she was worried about herself instead.
The combination of Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness and Super Beast Imitating Drawing felt extremely troublesome.
"It's a genjutsu," Sasuke spoke in a deep voice.
Although Ino's strength was far inferior to his in his eyes, Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness still gave him a faint sense of pressure.
Because an effect that completely deprived vision was truly a natural counter to the Sharingan.
However, with his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he could react before the jutsu was activated.
But if it weren't Ino, but an opponent with strength on par with his…
Fortunately, such an opponent didn't exist.
At the very least, Naruto didn't know Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness.
At this moment, Ino and Tayuya left the field.
"Ino, what kind of genjutsu was that?" Yakumo asked curiously.
She felt that Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness suited her extremely well. At the same time, she was also quite surprised.
In her view, after awakening her genjutsu Bloodline Limit, she no longer needed to learn other Ninjutsu.
Yet she hadn't expected a genjutsu like Infinite Darkness Jutsu, whose effect even she found appealing.
"It's Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness, created by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama-sama."
Ino paused, then smiled. "Kitazawa-sensei taught it to me."
"No wonder it's so powerful." Realization dawned on Yakumo's face.
The audience in the stands was also buzzing with discussion.
"Is that really Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness?" Nara Shikaku asked in a stunned tone.
Uchiha Fugaku, on the other hand, found it difficult to remain calm.
At a glance, Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness was clearly designed to target the Uchiha Clan.
If it weren't for the fact that the current Uchiha Clan was no longer afraid of being singled out, he would have already placed Ino under close observation.
"It seems Ino has remarkable talent in genjutsu." Tsunade couldn't help but laugh.
Kitazawa truly taught everything. From the perspective of power distribution, that wasn't necessarily a good thing.
High-level Ninjutsu and Secret Techniques were precious resources, and obtaining them usually required paying a corresponding price.
But Konoha Village was currently in a period of prosperity, so such concerns were insignificant.
"That's all thanks to Kitazawa's teaching." Yamanaka Inoichi immediately spoke up.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for Ino to learn Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness.
Whether in terms of merit or status, it simply wouldn't have been allowed.
Hyuga Hiashi, Aburame Shibi, and the others all nodded in agreement.
After all, their own children had received similar treatment, so there was little reason for envy.
"Second round, second match." Kitazawa drew two small slips of paper and announced, "Nara Shikamaru versus Akimichi Choji!"
"Why did it have to be Choji…" Shikamaru let out a sigh.
"Shikamaru, you should go a bit easy on Choji," Ino said immediately.
"You don't understand Choji's current strength." Shikamaru shook his head.
"What do you mean?" Kiba chimed in at once.
"It means that Choji didn't show his full strength in the first round," Shikamaru replied.
"…?" Kiba subconsciously looked toward Choji.
Who would've thought that a guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes like you was also secretly getting stronger?
"For real?" Sakura and the others were equally surprised.
"You'll find out in a moment." Shikamaru finished speaking and walked into the center of the field.
Choji followed closely behind.
"Battle starts!" Kitazawa announced.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!" Shikamaru threw a shuriken without hesitation.
The shuriken vibrated lightly and split apart midair. In the blink of an eye, a rain of shuriken descended toward Choji.
"Isn't that Tenten's Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique?" Neji and the others were startled, their curiosity about Choji's true strength growing.
After all, Shikamaru's current strength was already quite formidable.
"Yang Release Chakra Mode!"
"Butterfly Mode!"
Choji chose to give his best friend the highest respect possible.
In the original story, he had needed to take three forbidden pills to activate Butterfly Mode.
But after mastering Yang Release Chakra Mode, forbidden pills were no longer necessary.
Boom! A terrifying surge of Chakra erupted from Choji's body.
His figure instantly returned to normal size, and a pair of enormous butterfly wings spread out behind him.
Facing the incoming shuriken, Choji took off directly into the air.
"What is that?!" Every student of the Genius Class stared in shock.
"Choji learned Butterfly Mode?!" Ino's eyes widened.
"What's Butterfly Mode?" Sakura asked instinctively.
Ino quickly explained.
Butterfly Mode was the ultimate Secret Technique of the Akimichi Clan, converting accumulated body fat into massive amounts of Chakra.
Simply put, it dramatically enhanced physical abilities such as strength and speed.
In addition, it allowed flight.
In a sense, Butterfly Mode was similar to Yang Release Chakra Mode and Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"No wonder Shikamaru thought he couldn't beat Choji." Yakumo nodded.
"I think Choji's current strength can already place him in the top ten of the Genius Class." Tenten clicked her tongue in amazement.
"So strong!" Naruto said, his face filled with fighting spirit.
He suddenly wanted nothing more than a youthful battle with Choji.
Neji, Kimimaro, and the others didn't speak, but they all felt the pressure.
The one feeling the greatest pressure, however, was Shikamaru himself.
He had planned to seize the initiative with the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, but it had been effortlessly avoided.
"Shadow Wall!" Shikamaru quickly formed hand seals.
The moment the shadow wall appeared, Choji descended from the sky.
He landed directly on the Shadow Wall. The wall bent—and then shattered.
"Shadow Imitation Technique!" Shikamaru retreated while forming hand seals.
His shadow stretched forward and caught Choji's shadow.
Choji's movements froze briefly, then the Chakra around his body surged violently, breaking free.
"Butterfly Bullet Bombing!" Choji clenched his left fist, butterfly patterns appearing on his arm.
"Konoha Body Flicker Technique!" Shikamaru instinctively evaded.
Choji's punch smashed into the ground.
Boom! The earth cracked outward from the point of impact, forming a massive crater.
That power far exceeded the Chakra Enhanced Strength Karin had displayed earlier.
Of course, it wasn't that Chakra Enhanced Strength was inferior. It was simply that Karin's level had yet to reach the realm of Tsunade or Kitazawa.
"I forfeit!" After landing, Shikamaru immediately shouted.
"Winner, Choji!" Seeing this, Kitazawa promptly announced the result.
It had to be said that among the Ino–Shika–Chō clans, the Akimichi Clan truly possessed the greatest direct combat power.
The Yamanaka Clan and the Nara Clan both leaned more toward support roles.
"I feel that Choji already has the strength of a Jonin." Shikaku finally snapped back to his senses and spoke.
"At his age, he shouldn't be able to use Butterfly Mode without taking pills," Inoichi said in a deep voice. "The Ninjutsu he used before activating Butterfly Mode is the key."
Ino's earlier performance had made him think she was the strongest among the Ino–Shika–Chō, but in the blink of an eye, Choji had delivered an even more exaggerated showing.
"It was Kitazawa who taught him the Yang Release Chakra Mode,"
Tsunade praised calmly. "Yang Release Chakra Mode was created by Kitazawa himself. At present, not many people in Konoha Village are capable of mastering it."
Everyone present was a Jonin.
Combining Choji's performance just now, they could easily infer the terrifying effect of Yang Release Chakra Mode.
Many of them felt a twinge of envy. After all, even as Jonin, they had not learned Yang Release Chakra Mode.
Yet Choji had mastered it effortlessly while studying in the Genius Class.
"Second round, third match." Kitazawa drew out two small slips of paper and called out, "Kurama Yakumo versus Tenten!"
Hearing this, Tenten slapped her forehead, feeling that she had virtually no chance of winning.
"It's not that your luck is bad," Kiba sighed. "None of the students who made it into the second round are easy opponents."
"Indeed." Shino Aburame adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly.
In the past, with his strength, he could steadily rank within the top seven.
But as the graduation exam progressed to this point, he no longer felt confident about even making the top ten.
For example, judging by the strength Choji had displayed earlier, he wasn't certain he could defeat him.
"The graduation exam doesn't restrict any conditions," Neji suggested. "Tenten, you can summon the Chameleon Summon at the start to block Yakumo's line of sight."
"That could work!" Tenten's eyes lit up.
Yakumo's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this.
The two of them walked into the field.
"Summoning Technique!" Tenten didn't even look at Yakumo. She bit her thumb and slammed her hand onto the ground.
Boom! The massive Chameleon Summon, Shiromari, appeared.
"Attack her!" Tenten let out a breath of relief and quickly shouted.
At her command, Shiromari charged straight toward Yakumo.
Its enormous body came crashing down like a mountain, carrying an overwhelming sense of oppression.
Many Ninjas in the audience showed shocked expressions.
They hadn't expected that, aside from the three great sage regions of Summoning Beasts, such a massive Summoning Beast could exist.
"Super Beast Imitating Drawing!" Yakumo calmly opened a scroll.
Her vast Chakra surged forth, and in the blink of an eye, a tiger no smaller than Shiromari descended onto the field.
Everyone was dumbfounded. Including the Genius Class students who thought they understood Yakumo Kurama.
The tiger roared and collided head-on with Shiromari. The two behemoths clashed violently, shaking the entire arena.
"How is Yakumo's Super Beast Imitating Drawing this strong?" Ino's eyes widened as she asked.
"Because she possesses an enormous amount of Yin Release Chakra," Sasuke said, his tone tinged with surprise.
Previously, he had felt that after awakening the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he could steadily defeat Yakumo.
But now, that confidence no longer felt so solid.
Because her Yin Release power wasn't just greater than Ino's—it was greater than his as well.
"This should be the first time Yakumo has used a non-genjutsu Ninjutsu," Neji instinctively activated his Byakugan and couldn't help but feel shocked.
In the past, Yakumo had always crushed her opponents with Genjutsu alone, so they hadn't realized just how terrifying her Yin Release reserves truly were.
Only Kitazawa wasn't surprised.
In the original timeline, Yakumo possessed so much Yin Release Chakra that she awakened a Yin Release monster known as Ido.
From its performance, although Ido couldn't compare to a true Tailed Beast, it was on a level comparable to Mōryō or the Zero-Tails.
Now, with Yakumo fully exerting herself through Super Beast Imitating Drawing, it was effectively the same as summoning Ido itself.
"…?" For the first time, Tenten saw Shiromari being pushed back.
With no other options, she could only attempt to use the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.
However, Yakumo used the Konoha Body Flicker Technique to evade the shuriken and instantly appeared in front of her.
Without Shiromari blocking the way, Tenten fell directly into a Genjutsu.
"Winner, Kurama Yakumo!" Kitazawa announced the result at just the right moment.
"Yakumo was already incredibly strong, and now she's actually taken another step forward?"
Kurenai couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth as she sighed. "Being her team teacher is really stressful."
"My three students are all stronger than I am as well." Asuma complained, "Especially Choji. I don't even know what I'll be able to teach him once I officially become his teacher."
After all, even he didn't know Yang Release Chakra Mode.
"Are students nowadays all this ridiculous?" Anko recalled her own graduation days.
She had only managed to become Orochimaru's student because of her outstanding performance at the Ninja Academy.
But now, looking at the Genius Class graduation exam, she felt that her performance back then was nothing special at all.
If Orochimaru were choosing students from the Genius Class now, it wouldn't be her turn no matter what.
"Just get used to it," Yamato said calmly.
"Even though we're team teachers, we probably won't be for long." Kakashi shook his head and said, "With their strength, they'll become Jonin very soon."
"That's true," Kurenai sighed. "Even if it sounds a bit unpleasant, we really are just a transitional stage for them."
"Second round, fourth match—Uchiha Sasuke versus Inuzuka Kiba!" Kitazawa's voice cut through their discussion.
"This is it…" Kiba said, his face turning pale.
Against Shino or Sakura, he might still have had a chance. But against Sasuke, there was no chance at all.
Even so, he didn't forfeit.
Once the battle began, he immediately used the Inuzuka Clan's Human–Beast Combination Transformation: Three-Headed Wolf.
This was the ultimate Secret Technique of the Inuzuka Clan—the genuine Cerberus. In terms of strength, speed, and defense, all aspects were massively enhanced.
But in front of Sasuke, it was meaningless.
Sasuke directly activated the second stage of Susanoo, suppressing Kiba so completely that he had no power left to resist.
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Check out my other novels:
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