It wasn't until one clever kid started clapping that everyone else finally caught on—the Examiner's pause had been a cue for applause!
Eventually, scattered applause broke out, helping ease the Examiner's awkwardness. He quickly moved on to the main event.
"Alright then, the final three matches will now begin!"
At this point, all the students couldn't help but speculate—who would face whom in these matches? And who would ultimately come out on top?
Sasuke Uchiha was clearly the most popular among everyone. Whether it was his handsome looks or his exceptional ninjutsu skills, many girls' hearts were racing.
Especially Sasuke's cold demeanor—it practically became an instant-kill charm for girls of that age.
Next came Hyuga Ao. While he wasn't as good-looking as Sasuke, he still looked quite decent. Moreover, being from the Hyuga clan made him special. As the largest clan currently in Konoha, even being from the branch family meant he stood out.
Plus, he was practically the second-best genius after Sasuke Uchiha—many girls who gave up on winning Sasuke's attention had shifted their interest to him instead.
As for third place, that was Shiki Uzumaki. In terms of popularity, Shiki definitely surpassed Shino Aburame. After all, Shino often seemed barely noticeable at all.
Actually, Shiki Uzumaki's popularity originally hadn't been much lower than Sasuke Uchiha's. However, once most of the students learned that Shiki couldn't use any ninjutsu, his popularity plummeted instantly.
What exactly did it mean if someone couldn't use ninjutsu?
In the eyes of these young students, wouldn't that mean Shiki Uzumaki would remain a Genin for his entire life?
For those who dreamed of becoming Hokage someday—or at least a powerful Jonin—how could they possibly admire someone destined to stay a mere Genin?
As for Shino, due to his naturally weak presence and the negative impression created by his insects, he ended up ranked fourth.
"I think this Exam already has no suspense left—at least for me. Though I hate to admit it, Sasuke will definitely win."
"No way! Ao can definitely give him a real fight! Even though Ao performed worse than Sasuke Uchiha in previous Exams, that doesn't mean he'd lose in actual combat!"
"Yeah, Ao isn't nearly as arrogant as Sasuke. If he wins, it might actually be a better outcome."
Several boys, long overshadowed by Sasuke, naturally didn't want him to claim ultimate victory.
But their words were instantly met with furious backlash from a group of girls.
"Who said that?! Sasuke *will* win!"
"What is Hyuga Ao even supposed to be? How could he ever compare with Sasuke?"
"Don't you dare insult Sasuke!"
The boys could only flee in defeat.
Hyuga Ao and Shiki Uzumaki both noticed what was going on nearby.
When Ao heard how easily the girls dismissed him, placing him beneath Sasuke Uchiha, he still maintained his calm, smiling expression.
Yet no one noticed the strange patterns emerging across his chest, hidden beneath his clothing.
"How do you think you'll rank?" Hayate Gekko asked as he walked over to Shiki's side.
"It depends on the opponent. You see, because I've been skipping Academy sessions and napping during lectures recently, it's been a while since I last fought any of them," Shiki honestly admitted.
Hayate genuinely looked surprised. "I never thought someone like Shiki, who works so hard, could say something like that. Ahem... old habits, you know."
"That's okay, but Senior Hayate, you really should pay more attention to your health," Shiki kindly reminded him.
After the children discussed things for a while, the Examiner saw that time had come and spoke out, "The next match will be between Shiki Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha!"
What?
Shiki hadn't expected his very first match to be against Sasuke.
But no matter how shocking it was, Shiki still stepped forward. After all, even against Sasuke, Shiki was fully confident he could win this fight.
Sasuke also stood expressionlessly before Shiki, yet Shiki could still sense the restrained emotions hiding behind Sasuke's calm exterior.
Thinking back now, this would actually be their very first battle.
Chapter 72: Regret
Shiki remembered how this boy before him used to constantly seek a challenge. But time and again, he'd refused with the words, "Your strength isn't enough yet."
And now, he'd chased that dream all the way here.
Shiki understood clearly now—this child, Sasuke Uchiha, had grown far stronger than he was in the original story.
By now, even during the Chunin Exams when Lee challenged him again, he might actually be able to force Lee to take off his training weights.
With that thought, Sasuke slowly raised his right hand, clearly showing the shuriken he held.
Whoosh!
The shuriken flew quickly through the air, marking the beginning of the battle between the two.
Unsurprisingly, Shiki tilted his body to the right, dodging the attack completely. The weapon continued flying onward.
Until Asuma Sarutobi caught it.
"Come on now, I've already said we need a new location. For these kids, fighting in such an open arena is simply too dangerous."
Asuma complained to the Ninja Academy teachers.
Indeed, without Jonin-level ninja around, it might actually be impossible for anyone to stop their attacks.
After all, there's a big difference between being strong enough to defeat an individual opponent and being absolutely certain not to endanger bystanders.
The latter requires stopping every single attack, which would actually be quite challenging for the Chunin instructors at the Ninja Academy.
However, this shuriken was only the beginning.
Sasuke chose not to use Fire Release techniques just yet, knowing this wasn't the best timing.
Only when Shiki Uzumaki found himself unable to dodge effectively would using fire techniques be the best choice.
Immediately afterwards, he charged forward holding a kunai, his speed becoming fast enough for the other children to barely distinguish.
Shiki also took a serious stance, because the current Sasuke was no longer the same as before. And besides, he had lost access to both his [jutsu] and the [Eight Gates] technique.
Underestimate Sasuke now and he'd be the one to lose.
Clash!
Shiki's kunai met Sasuke's midair in a clash. Sasuke glared at Naruto and shouted,
"Why won't you fight me seriously until you've lost all your power?"
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