The fifteen-minute break came to an end.
Kitazawa stepped up to the lottery box.
Only eight students had advanced to the third round, which meant that this round would determine four winners.
Even though Kitazawa knew each of them very well, it was difficult to predict who the final victors would be at this point.
Sasuke and Naruto should be able to make it into the fourth round without much issue.
As for the remaining six students, it was hard to say—any one of them could advance. In the end, it would largely come down to luck.
Kitazawa reached out and drew two small slips of paper from the lottery box.
After taking a glance, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
They were Neji and Rock Lee.
In the original Chunin Exams, Rock Lee had always wanted to challenge Neji, but that battle had never come to pass due to Gaara's interruption.
"Third round, first match: Neji versus Rock Lee!" Kitazawa announced immediately.
"Great!"
Rock Lee became excited the moment he heard this. "Neji, we finally get the chance for a battle filled with youth!"
Although his lifelong rival had now become Naruto, facing another genius still filled him with passion.
Especially since, before joining the Genius Class, he and Neji had once been classmates.
Neji nodded calmly. Since entering the Genius Class, the opponents he pursued had been Sasuke and Naruto.
But that didn't mean he underestimated Rock Lee.
After Lee mastered the Eight Gates, his threat level had risen rapidly. Even so, Neji was still confident in defeating him.
"Aren't you going to take off the weights you're wearing?" Neji asked after stepping onto the field.
During Rock Lee's first-round battle with Chino, he had already noticed the weights on Lee's body.
"As expected of Neji!" Lee immediately gave a thumbs-up. "I'll take them off now. If I don't, I definitely won't be able to beat you!"
With that, he removed the weights strapped to his body. Two heavy thuds echoed out as the weights hit the ground, causing the earth to tremble.
Many people revealed looks of astonishment. Those weights were clearly no ordinary burden.
"Konoha Whirlwind!" Rock Lee appeared in front of Neji like a flash of lightning.
Neji calmly stepped back, avoiding the spinning kick.
He didn't use the Fate-breaking Bow. Instead, he raised his hand and struck Rock Lee's right leg with a precise palm.
Lee immediately felt his right leg go numb.
His heart sank. In his excitement, he had temporarily forgotten about Neji's Gentle Fist.
"Violent: Leaf Adamantine Strength Whirlwind!"
Rock Lee forcibly twisted his body, green chakra coating his left leg as he kicked toward Neji.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" Neji didn't take the attack head-on.
He thrust out his left hand, and an invisible shockwave burst forth.
Boom!
Palm and foot collided in mid-air. Visible airwaves rippled outward, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.
"Eight Gates! First Gate—Gate of Opening, open!"
Chakra erupted violently within Rock Lee's body, forcibly opening the tenketsu in his right leg.
Neji did not advance with Gentle Fist again. Instead, he seized the moment to retreat and widen the distance.
"Multiple Arrows!" Once he steadied himself, Neji immediately drew his bow.
Nine Yin Release Arrows shot forward, sealing off all of Rock Lee's possible escape routes.
"Bring it on!" Rock Lee shouted excitedly. "Konoha Gale!"
The effect of the First Gate was to unleash one hundred percent of the body's potential.
At this moment, Rock Lee was effectively at his peak in normal form. He turned into a blur, delivering three consecutive kicks.
All nine Yin Release Arrows were knocked aside.
Without pause, Rock Lee followed up with another kick aimed directly at Neji.
An invisible airwave burst forth from his movement.
Neji's vision blurred, and Rock Lee's right leg was already just inches away.
At the critical moment, Neji spun his body and activated Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.
Rock Lee's attack was forcibly interrupted, and he was sent flying backward.
Neji immediately canceled the rotation and took out his Fate-breaking bow.
"Explosive Arrow!" A Yin Release Arrow flew out and detonated in mid-air.
Rock Lee's body stiffened.
"Spiral Arrow!" Seizing the opening, Neji fired another arrow without hesitation.
"Aaah!" Rock Lee's body trembled as he forcibly snapped himself back to alertness. "Second Gate—Gate of Healing, open! Third Gate—Gate of Life, open!"
In an instant, a raging green current of chakra enveloped his body.
Neji's pupils constricted as an oppressive pressure washed over him.
Rock Lee's expression twisted violently, and a powerful chakra current surged outward from his body.
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!" Rock Lee appeared in front of Neji in an instant.
His speed was so fast it was practically teleportation.
Neji instinctively raised his Fate Breaking bow.
Boom! Rock Lee's foot slammed into the bow.
The terrifying impact caused the surrounding air to explode outward.
Neji felt his right arm go numb as an overwhelming force surged through him, forcing him backward.
"Konoha Gale!" Rock Lee roared as he caught up once more.
"Yin Release Chakra Mode!" At the moment of crisis, a massive amount of chakra erupted from Neji's body.
But just as the Yin Release chakra began forming around him, Rock Lee's attack arrived.
Neji's body shuddered as he was kicked head-on, sharp pain surging through him.
Fortunately, the Yin Release chakra coating his body provided some defensive buffering—otherwise, he would have lost consciousness on the spot.
Neji clenched his teeth and mobilized the Yin Release power within him. In an instant, Yin Release Arrows materialized all around his body.
However, Rock Lee relied on his overwhelming speed to dodge every single one.
"Explosive Arrow!" With a single thought, Neji triggered it.
Three Explosive Arrows detonated simultaneously. Rock Lee was caught in the blast and couldn't help but pause for a brief moment.
Neji seized the opportunity, stepping back rapidly to pull away.
This intense exchange temporarily came to a halt.
If not for the instantaneous offensive capability granted by the Yin Release Chakra Mode, he would likely have already lost.
"He actually pushed Neji this far?" Kiba asked, completely dumbfounded.
"I really didn't expect Lee to become this strong," Ino said in amazement.
Rock Lee's combat exam results in the Genius Class had never been particularly outstanding.
Since joining the Genius Class, he had rarely managed to break into the top ten.
That was due to the inherent flaw of pure taijutsu users—the lack of long-range options.
The reason his strength had now advanced by leaps and bounds was entirely thanks to the Eight Gates.
The terrifying speed granted by the Eight Gates allowed him to close distances instantly, dragging opponents into the close-combat rhythm that pure taijutsu ninjas excelled at.
And of course, the Eight Gates enhanced far more than just speed.
"The Eight Gates truly are the strongest taijutsu." Yakumo nodded in agreement.
But for her, all she could feel was envy. Learning the Eight Gates was practically impossible for her.
"This is youth!" Naruto clenched his fists tightly and shouted, his eyes blazing. "It's getting me completely fired up!"
"Neji has already used the Yin Release Chakra Mode." Tenten said in a worried tone, "But I don't know if Lee can still open the Fourth Gate of the Eight Gates."
"The Eight Gates place an enormous burden on the body."
Shikamaru watched Rock Lee closely and said, "He already looks extremely exhausted."
"You won't be able to hold on much longer."
Neji possessed the Byakugan, so he could see the situation far more clearly and accurately than Shikamaru.
Although the first three gates of the Eight Gates belonged to the so-called safe zone, operating under such extreme overload still placed tremendous pressure on the body.
In other words, it doubled the accumulation of fatigue.
"Then let's decide this once and for all!" Rock Lee took a deep breath and roared, "Fourth Gate—Gate of Pain, open!"
The green current of chakra around his body surged violently once more.
Once the Eight Gates reached the Fourth Gate, the body began to suffer actual damage.
Neji's eyes narrowed slightly, fearing that Lee might continue opening even more gates.
Fortunately, Rock Lee stopped after opening the Fourth Gate.
Firstly, he had yet to fully master the Fifth Gate. Secondly, Might Guy had told him that sparring between classmates did not require a life-and-death struggle.
"Watch out, Neji!" Rock Lee suddenly accelerated and shouted, "Reverse Lotus!"
The moment he opened the Fourth Gate, Neji immediately clapped his hands together.
A massive tree rose up, blocking the path in front of him.
Boom!
Rock Lee slammed into the tree at terrifying speed.
A piercing sound rang out as countless shockwaves formed from compressed air; under his relentless assault, the tree rapidly shattered into pieces.
Neji's heart jolted at the sight. This level of power was truly frightening.
At that moment, Rock Lee unwound the bandages wrapped around his arms.
He burst forward once again at extreme speed, his right fist aimed straight at Neji, while his left hand hurled the bandage toward him as well.
Neji instantly understood his intent. Lee planned to bind him with the bandages and then deliver a decisive blow.
Without hesitation, Neji mobilized all the Yin Release power within his body, forming a Wood Dragon out of thin air.
Even so, he still felt uneasy.
Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!
Neji spun rapidly, forming a spherical chakra shield around himself.
Rock Lee shot toward the Wood Dragon like a razor-sharp arrow.
The Wood Dragon trembled violently under his relentless strikes.
Seizing the opportunity, Rock Lee flung out his bandages.
But in the very next second, the bandages were torn apart by Neji's Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.
Left with no other choice, Rock Lee forced out one final punch. He descended from the sky, smashing down directly toward Neji.
In an instant, the air distorted, the ground trembled, and dust erupted in every direction.
Centered on Rock Lee and Neji, visible shockwaves spiraled outward.
"What an incredible battle." Jiraiya couldn't help but praise.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think this was a Jonin Exam." Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his beard and chuckled.
As the instructor of the Genius Class, the better the students performed, the happier he felt.
"Who won?" Nara Shikaku asked curiously.
"It's Neji." Hyuga Hiashi activated his Byakugan and finally let out a small sigh of relief.
"The burden of the Eight Gates is simply too great." Uchiha Fugaku shook his head and said, "Lee has already collapsed from exhaustion."
As the dust gradually settled, just as he said, Rock Lee lay sprawled on the ground, while Neji remained standing where he was.
"Even so, Lee did extremely well," Tsunade said with a smile. "He will definitely become the next Guy."
"The winner, Hyuga Neji!" After Kitazawa announced the result, he walked over to Rock Lee.
He crouched down and placed his hands on Lee's body.
Rock Lee's injuries hadn't been caused by Neji, but by the backlash of the Eight Gates.
Fortunately, it was only the Fourth Gate, so the injuries weren't severe, and Rock Lee soon regained consciousness.
"Neji, let's fight again next time!" Rock Lee gave a thumbs-up and said.
"I'll be waiting." Neji nodded in response.
After this battle, he had come to regard Rock Lee as an opponent on the same level. The Eight Gates were even more terrifying than he had imagined.
"Third round, second match: Uzumaki Naruto versus Akimichi Choji!"
After Neji and Rock Lee stepped down, Kitazawa called out once more.
"Choji, good luck!" Ino pumped her fist and shouted.
"Don't push yourself too hard—just stop when it's enough," Shikamaru said casually. "After all, your opponent is Naruto."
"I understand." Akimichi Choji scratched his head and replied, "I'm already satisfied just making it to the third round."
"Choji, come on—let's release our youth!" Naruto said with a wide grin.
"I'll give it everything I've got!" Akimichi Choji nodded with a smile.
Yang Release Chakra Mode!
Butterfly Mode!
Just as he said, Choji went all out from the very beginning.
Terrifying chakra erupted from his body, and combined with the butterfly wings on his back, he looked like a deity descending to the battlefield.
Choji accelerated and appeared in front of Naruto. He clenched his right fist and punched straight out.
"Violent: Leaf Adamantine Strength Whirlwind!" Naruto twisted his body and kicked back.
Boom!
Both of them were forced backward by the immense impact.
However, Choji retreated two steps fewer. This clearly indicated that, in his normal state, Choji's strength currently exceeded Naruto's.
Partial Tailed Beast Transformation!
Seeing this, Naruto stopped holding back. Blood-red chakra surged from his body as four tails lashed wildly behind him.
"Again!" Naruto leapt into the air and delivered a flying kick. "Dynamic Entry!"
Choji roared and clenched his fist once more. As he swung, his fist suddenly expanded to three times its original size.
Another violent collision followed.
"Konoha Gale!" Naruto retreated two steps and said excitedly.
Choji charged forward yet again.
The stacking of the Yang Release Chakra Mode and Butterfly Mode allowed him to unleash his full power at any time.
Combined with the Multi-Size Jutsu, it enabled him to exchange blows evenly with Naruto.
"Is this really Choji?" Sakura asked in disbelief.
Choji had used Butterfly Mode before, but because his opponent was Shikamaru, it hadn't been nearly as shocking.
Now that he was facing Naruto, it felt truly unbelievable. After all, everyone in the Genius Class knew just how strong Naruto was.
"Choji is still at a disadvantage," Sasuke said calmly.
Naruto had only activated the four-tailed partial Tailed Beast transformation and still hadn't gone all out.
Even so, Choji's performance forced Sasuke to reassess him.
Because in his memory, Choji had always been just an ordinary classmate who loved snacking.
"Naruto is still way too abnormal." Shikamaru shook his head.
"Choji has already done extremely well." Ino paused and said, "Much better than me."
Although it wasn't her turn yet, she could already foresee her own defeat.
Her remaining possible opponents were Sasuke, Hyuga Hinata, and Kurama Yakumo. No matter which one it was, victory would be difficult.
At this moment, the happiest person present was undoubtedly Akimichi Choza.
Choji's performance had greatly elevated the reputation of the Akimichi Clan.
After all, the fastest way to become famous was to challenge someone who was already famous.
Naruto's fame needed no explanation.
The son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
And the Konoha's Dragon, who had defeated Sasori of the Red Sand.
"Naruto!" Choji pulled back, gasping for breath as he spoke. "One last strike!"
Because of the Yang Release Chakra Mode, he could activate Butterfly Mode without relying on prohibited pills.
However, Butterfly Mode—much like the Eight Gates—could not be sustained for long. This was because it doubled the consumption of his Chakra.
Butterfly Bullet Bombing! Choji raised his left hand.
Butterfly-shaped Chakra patterns spread across his left arm. Chakra erupted from his legs as the power of his entire body converged into that single arm.
He aimed straight at Naruto and swung his fist. In an instant, the wind howled violently.
"Good! Let me see your youth! Konoha Dragon God!" Naruto spread his arms and began to spin.
A blood-red giant dragon surged forth, swallowing Akimichi Choji whole.
In the next second, a fierce shockwave erupted.
Under Choji's punch, a hole was blasted open in the blood-red dragon's body—but that was as far as it went.
Choji was immediately sent flying by the remaining force of the dragon, his left arm drenched in blood.
"The winner, Uzumaki Naruto!"
Kitazawa flashed forward and caught Choji. He gently set him down and immediately began emergency treatment.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto dispelled the Konoha Dragon God and the partial Tailed Beast transformation, then hurried over and asked anxiously, "How serious is Choji's injury?"
"Minor injury," Kitazawa replied calmly.
Even if Choji had died on the spot, he could have revived him, let alone an injury of this level.
Of course, that was only for him. If an ordinary Medical Ninja Jōnin were present, they would likely panic and need an hour or two to stabilize the situation.
"Alright, you two can step down now." Kitazawa withdrew his hands and spoke.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei." Choji turned and left, supported by Naruto.
Kitazawa withdrew his gaze and walked toward the Lottery Box. He casually drew out two small slips of paper.
They were Sasuke and Ino. How should he put it?
Although Ino had learned the Infinite Darkness Jutsu, defeating Sasuke was still extremely difficult.
The Infinite Darkness Jutsu could be said to counter most members of the Uchiha Clan. It simply did not include the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
After all, Senju Tobirama had been unable to defeat Uchiha Madara back then either.
Moreover, drawing Sasuke and Ino meant that the fourth match would be Kurama Yakumo versus Hyuga Hinata.
For Hinata, Yakumo was an extremely troublesome opponent. Genjutsu on the level of the Mangekyō Sharingan was simply too dangerous.
That said, Hinata had mastered the Yin Release Chakra Mode, so defeat was not guaranteed.
"Third round, third match: Uchiha Sasuke versus Ino Yamanaka!" Kitazawa snapped back to his senses and announced loudly.
"Ino, good luck." Sakura looked at Ino and said.
"Why aren't you cheering for Sasuke?" Ino asked in surprise.
"Because Sasuke-kun will definitely win. There's no need to cheer." Sakura replied bluntly.
"…" Ino was instantly speechless. Although it made sense, it sounded extremely irritating.
"When did Sakura learn reverse cheering?" Kiba couldn't help but laugh.
Sakura's lips twitched. She really wasn't trying to curse anyone!
"The fact that Ino made it this far already makes her stronger than us," Shikamaru said lazily, hands behind his head.
"That's right." Ino glanced at Sakura Haruno and said proudly. "At least I made it to the third round."
"…!" Sakura was so angry her chest felt tight.
Sasuke and Ino stepped onto the field. Both of them were calm.
One believed he would certainly win. The other believed she would certainly lose.
Super Beast Imitating Drawing!
After a brief thought, Ino abandoned conventional genjutsu altogether. After all, ordinary genjutsu was almost useless against the Uchiha Clan.
Two giant lions leapt out from the scroll and charged straight at Sasuke.
Sasuke immediately activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. He drew the Sword of the Thunder God and met them head-on.
With effortless movements, Sasuke dodged their attacks and sliced open their bellies.
He shifted his gaze to Ino and swung his sword. Dazzling arcs of lightning burst forth from the Thunder God Sword.
Ino dodged while rapidly forming hand seals.
Ninja Art: Mind Butterfly! An invisible mental shockwave shot toward Sasuke.
"Too slow." Sasuke accelerated and avoided the attack.
Konoha Style: Willow!
His right hand blurred as the Sword of the Thunder God split into countless afterimages.
Ino froze on the spot.
Fortunately, her reaction was quick—she immediately broke free and used the Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique!
She retreated, and the moment she landed, she formed seals and activated the Darkness Genjutsu.
But Sasuke had already seen through her hand signs. He vanished from where he stood.
Tenjōtōtsuki!
Sasuke appeared behind Ino and raised his sword.
"I… I surrender." Ino froze for a moment, then spoke decisively.
The gap between her and Sasuke was far too great to be bridged by Super Beast Imitating Drawing and Infinite Darkness Jutsu.
Sasuke nodded and sheathed the Sword of the Thunder God.
He felt no joy in defeating Ino because the true challenges lie ahead.
At this stage of the graduation exam, every remaining student was capable of threatening him.
The greatest threat was naturally Naruto. After that came Kurama Yakumo, Neji, and Hyuga Hinata.
"The winner, Uchiha Sasuke!" Kitazawa announced promptly.
Sasuke and Ino stepped off the field.
"Third round, fourth match: Kurama Yakumo versus Hyuga Hinata!" Kitazawa continued.
"Good luck to both of you!" Ino clenched her fist and said.
If it had been earlier, she would have believed Yakumo would win without question. But now, she wasn't so sure.
Hinata's Yin Release Chakra Mode didn't seem inferior to Yakumo's genjutsu Bloodline Limit.
"Thank you," Yakumo replied calmly.
"Thank you." Hinata echoed softly.
The two walked onto the battlefield.
"I really can't tell who will win." Nara Shikaku smiled. "This is genuinely hard to predict."
"I think Yakumo has the higher chance," Fugaku said after some thought.
He understood all too well how terrifying Mangekyō-level ocular techniques could be.
"That's not necessarily the case," Tsunade said evenly. "The Yin Release Chakra Mode gives Hinata the qualifications to compete with Yakumo."
Hyuga Hiashi had wanted to say something in support of Hinata, but since Tsunade had already spoken, there was no need.
"Moreover, Hinata possesses the Moon Chasing Bow." Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled. "A Jinchūriki is extremely difficult to restrain with genjutsu."
Everyone quickly understood.
The Yin Release Chakra Mode was an imitation of a partial Tailed Beast transformation. Satori could help Hinata break free from genjutsu.