After being caught by the Shinju, the girl's cheeks flushed red.
She hurriedly pulled herself out of his arms.
"Sorry… I… I didn't mean to."
"It's fine." Shinju shook his head.
At that moment, Lee and Neji, who had come with Tenten, noticed Shinju and both turned to look.
When Lee saw him, he excitedly introduced to Neji beside him,
"This is the genius I told you about to Guy-sensei! Last time we were doing endurance training outside the village, we saw him training in the Eight Gates!"
"It's him?"
Neji asked as he looked toward Shinju.
The trademark red hair of the Uzumaki clan, delicate features, and a demeanor that seemed easy to get along with.
He doesn't look like some hidden prodigy at all.
"Guy-sensei said he's way beyond me. I have to spar with him."
Lee's eyes burned with anticipation.
In Lee's view, there are two kinds of geniuses: those born with talent, and those who work tirelessly like him.
But Shinju was a third kind—someone who not only had talent, but also worked incredibly hard!
He absolutely had to fight this guy!
...
Elsewhere, Sasuke activated his Sharingan and saw through the genjutsu.
Facing the two people blocking the door to Room 301, he said,
"Your pathetic genjutsu isn't fooling anyone. Move it—I'm going to the third floor to hand in our forms."
The genjutsu shattered, and everyone suddenly realized—
The "301" classroom had turned into "201."
It turned out they'd all been under an illusion since entering the Academy building.
Team 7 walked up to the third floor and submitted their forms.
Neji, Tenten, and Lee watched their backs with thoughtful expressions.
Tenten looked dreamily at Shinju's back.
"So those three are Kakashi's students? They seem really strong."
"That red-haired boy… I hope he doesn't disappoint me," Neji said, his Byakugan gleaming.
"No way—I have to fight that red-haired guy!" Lee said with absolute determination.
...
After the group left, the two examinees who had set up the illusion at the 201 classroom door dispelled their Transformation Jutsu, revealing themselves as two uniformed proctors.
Watching the backs of the examinees leaving—
"Looks like this year's students aren't bad. That Uchiha kid's something."
"That redhead's not bad either."
...
When Shinju's group finished submitting their forms and came downstairs to the Academy's first-floor training ground—
They found Lee in his green bodysuit waiting there, clearly for quite some time.
"You finally came, Shinju. Spar with me!"
Lee stood in place, hooked a finger toward Shinju, and radiated fighting spirit.
"What's your deal, bushy-brows mushroom-head? Why are you suddenly picking a fight?" Naruto muttered from the side, clearly annoyed.
Ignoring everyone else, Lee kept his eyes locked on Shinju.
"Please, fight me. I want to see your taijutsu for myself."
Behind him, Tenten's face showed open curiosity.
She wanted to see just what kind of power this red-haired boy possessed.
Neji crossed his arms, ready to watch.
After all, it was likely he and this redhead would face each other after the Chūnin Exams. There was no harm in learning about his potential opponent early.
"Looks like if I don't fight you, I won't be leaving today."
Shinju sighed helplessly and slowly walked into the training ground.
Once in position, he took up a precise taijutsu stance, then hooked his finger toward Lee.
"Come on!"
"Then I won't hold back!"
Lee's brows shot up.
"Fwoosh!!"
In a blur, he closed the distance and swung a kick at Shinju's waist!
Shinju raised an arm to block.
Smack!
The force of Lee's kick numbed Shinju's palm slightly—
But he caught it cleanly and held it!
"What?!"
Tenten's eyes widened.
"He stopped Lee's kick? And it doesn't even look like he's struggling!"
"How old is this guy? How can he have that much power?!"
Even Neji, who had been watching with a cool expression, found himself leaning forward, eyes locked on the fight.
Lee himself froze for a moment.
Just from that one exchange, he could tell—Shinju's strength was well above his own!
Lee gritted his teeth.
"Then let's see if you can stop this!"
His waist twisted sharply—
"Fwoosh!!"
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
With a shout, Lee spun into a sweeping kick aimed low at Shinju's legs!
Shinju stepped back, avoiding the sweep.
Then, using his keen eyesight, he timed Lee's airborne moment perfectly—
And lashed out with a hard kick of his own.
Bang!
His foot connected with Lee's backside, sending him flying over ten meters!
Lee hit the ground and rolled, clutching his rear.
Tenten's eyes sparkled.
"Not only is he handsome, he's so strong! (⌯︎¤̴̶̷̀ω¤̴̶̷́)✧︎"
"They're a year below us, right? They've had a whole year less field experience, and he still beat Lee?"
"Impressive," Neji nodded.
His timing and control over his strength were both above Lee's.
Lee had no grounds to complain about losing.
"I'm not giving up that easily!"
Lee jumped up, steam bursting white-hot from his body.
He still had a trump card—there was no way he'd quit now!
"Lee's… about to open the Eight Gates?"
Tenten frowned.
"This is totally unnecessary—it's just a friendly spar! The Eight Gates should be saved for the actual exams!"
Facing Lee's opening of the Gates, Shinju didn't flinch.
Lee wasn't the only one who could open them.
"First Gate—Open!"
"Second Gate—Open!"
"…"
"Fifth Gate—Open!"
In one breath, Shinju blasted straight to the Fifth Gate, green steam exploding off him in a fearsome wave!
Lee: ヽ( ຶ▮ ຶ)ﾉ!!!
He went straight to the Fifth Gate?!
And he looked like it took him no effort?!
If that's the case, he could probably open the Sixth… meaning he was still holding back!
"I forfeit! You win!"
Lee surrendered on the spot.
Against a Shinju with the Fifth Gate open, he had no chance.
Sure, Lee could open the Fifth Gate too—but the toll on his body was huge. That kind of move was best saved for the Chūnin Exams.
Shinju, on the other hand, clearly had no intention of hiding his taijutsu power—because even without it, he still had plenty more to keep secret.
"So that's it? Guess bushy-brows wasn't that big a deal. (￣3￣)" Naruto pouted.
"Actually, he's way stronger than the two of us. (ー_ー)!!"
Sasuke gave Naruto a flat look.
Where did this idiot get the nerve to talk like that?
While Lee and Shinju fought, Sasuke had been watching the whole time with his Sharingan active.
From his analysis, while the Sharingan could track Lee's movements, his own body couldn't react in time.
If Shinju were replaced with him in that fight—he'd have no chance at all.
The odds were high Lee would wipe the floor with him.
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