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The exam period arrived swiftly. The morning session, as usual, consisted of written tests.
For Ryūsei, these questions posed no difficulty at all.
Once the morning exams concluded, Ryūsei and his classmates hurried home for lunch. There wasn't even time for a nap before they had to return to the ninja academy for the afternoon exams.
Fifth-year students had the most exams, while sixth-year graduation assessments consisted of only one final test.
The afternoon exams included shuriken throwing, taijutsu sparring, survival drills, kunai combat, and… an unrestricted duel.
Kunai combat was straightforward—students fought using only a single kunai, with victory achieved by either subduing or killing the opponent.
This was a foundational skill taught from the third year onward.
Ninjas were tools of assassination. If they couldn't kill, what use were they?
The unrestricted duel, however, was a subject exclusive to fifth-year students.
As the name suggested, it allowed any means necessary to defeat or kill the opponent.
The exams began promptly, starting with shuriken throwing.
Unlike the written tests, which required grading, the afternoon exams were scored on the spot.
Unsurprisingly, Ryūsei achieved a perfect score.
When it came to taijutsu sparring, Ryūsei's opponent wasn't Sasuke.
By the fourth year, these exams were no longer child's play.
During minor or surprise quizzes, Iruka could still freely decide the matchups. But for major exams, fairness was prioritized, and Iruka no longer had sole authority.
On the training field, standing beside Iruka was another chunin—not Mizuki from the original story, but a female instructor skilled in medical ninjutsu.
From the third year onward, the rules of taijutsu sparring had changed. It was no longer about knocking the opponent down to win, but rather subduing them or forcing them to surrender.
Injuries during these bouts were unavoidable.
Once the taijutsu matches began, Ryūsei and the others drew lots to determine their opponents based on assigned numbers.
Ryūsei's opponent wasn't one of the nine standout students in the class, but a girl.
She didn't surrender—doing so would mean a zero score.
Ryūsei didn't instantly defeat her either. Out of courtesy, he exchanged a few moves before gracefully securing victory.
Interestingly, Sasuke's opponent was Naruto.
For some reason, whenever matchups were decided by lot, Sasuke and Naruto frequently ended up facing each other.
This made Ryūsei wonder—was this the influence of fate binding these two "friends"?
The outcome of Naruto and Sasuke's taijutsu match was, without a doubt, Sasuke's victory.
At this point, Naruto was still the dead-last of the class, scoring poorly in every subject and often handing in blank written exams.
If graduation depended on total scores, Naruto would never make it.
Next was kunai combat, with opponents again determined by drawing lots.
However, the atmosphere was entirely different from taijutsu sparring. The stern expressions on Iruka and the medical instructor's faces made that clear.
Once Iruka blew his whistle, he only stepped back slightly, his eyes locked onto the dueling students. If anything went wrong, he would intervene immediately.
Ryūsei's opponent this time still wasn't one of the nine elite students, but a male classmate who often greeted him.
"…Thank you for the match!"
Just as with the girl earlier, Ryūsei wielded his kunai, effortlessly blocking a few strikes before vanishing in a shunshin and reappearing behind his opponent, pressing the kunai against the back of his neck to end the fight.
"As expected of Ryūsei. I never stood a chance." The nearly instantaneously defeated boy formed the reconciliation seal with Ryūsei, showing no trace of frustration.
Losing to Ryūsei was something everyone—aside from Sasuke and Naruto—had grown accustomed to over the years.
To them, Ryūsei was an invincible demon.
In fact, drawing Ryūsei as an opponent in kunai combat might have been a blessing.
In the following matches, many students ended up with torn clothes or minor cuts from kunai strikes.
Whenever a life-threatening situation arose, Iruka would immediately intervene with a shunshin, declaring the endangered student defeated.
If not for the fact that kunai combat had been part of the curriculum since the third year, many would have been crying in pain by now.
Ryūsei still remembered the first time they had conducted kunai combat—many classmates had been too terrified to move, trembling as they clutched their kunai.
After kunai combat concluded, the next exam didn't start immediately. Instead, the injured students received medical treatment first.
Many had bandages wrapped around their arms or faces, while others sported adhesive bandages.
Of course, some only had minor scratches that healed almost instantly.
Soon, the next round of exams began.
Not survival training, but… the unrestricted duel.
Ryūsei and the others lined up to receive their equipment—a pouch containing shuriken and kunai, along with gloves reinforced with metal plates.
Once everyone was geared up, they drew lots again to determine their opponents.
When the pairings were announced, Ryūsei froze for a moment.
So did Sasuke.
Then, an intense grin spread across Sasuke's face.
That's right—Ryūsei's opponent was Sasuke!
Finally, they were matched up!
Ryūsei's excitement mirrored Sasuke's.
Over the past few years, Ryūsei had only faced Sasuke in minor exams or surprise quizzes.
But since the third-year major exams, they had never been paired against each other again.
Though Ryūsei had won every previous encounter, he hadn't gained anything from Sasuke in terms of rewards.
Now, at last, they were matched up—and in an unrestricted duel, no less.
This was the most high-stakes battle possible.
Not only were Ryūsei and Sasuke eager, but their classmates, Iruka, and the medical instructor were equally anticipating this clash.
Everyone wanted to know—when both fighters went all-out, who would emerge victorious?
As one match after another concluded, the long-awaited duel finally arrived.
"This time, you're definitely losing!"
On the open field, Sasuke and Ryūsei stood facing each other.
Despite his zero-win record against Ryūsei, Sasuke radiated confidence, his tone brimming with arrogance.
"I'll show you just how wide the gap between us is."
"I'm looking forward to it. Don't disappoint me." Ryūsei smiled, raising his index and middle fingers in the seal of confrontation.
Sasuke mirrored the gesture, his face alight with excitement.
"You won't be disappointed!"
"Unrestricted duel, Match Seven—Hoshina Ryūsei vs. Uchiha Sasuke! Begin!"
Seeing both fighters assume their stances, Iruka wasted no time and blew his whistle sharply.
Beeeeep—!