Sasuke's sudden attack caught the Grass ninja off guard, except for Ryuzetsu and Chino, who remained unfazed while the others were stunned.
The Grass Village jonin leader hurriedly shouted, "Stop! It's just a misunderstanding!"
After the Grass Country's great war, Grass Village had abandoned its ambitions for dominance, fully embracing a path of peaceful coexistence. Thus, the entire village placed great importance on maintaining good relations with the five great shinobi villages, especially Hidden Leaf, which they viewed as their primary ally!
"Hmph!"
Seeing the Grass ninja yield, Sasuke let out a cold snort, preparing to lower his kunai.
At that moment, Shinji Koshi, the Grass ninja whose throat was pinned, suddenly grinned. "Nothing special, huh?"
Sasuke's expression darkened, but before he could act, Shinji Koshi threw a punch, striking Sasuke squarely in the abdomen and sending him staggering back.
"You!"
Feeling the sharp pain in his gut, Sasuke's brows furrowed tightly.
Shinji Koshi stepped forward from the Grass ninja group, smirking. "You can't even beat me. Looks like your taijutsu is as mediocre as the rumors say!"
Sasuke smirked back. "Mediocre, huh?"
Swoosh.
Sasuke instantly activated the Body Flicker Technique, lunging at Shinji Koshi. Unfazed, Shinji Koshi met him head-on, much to the astonishment of the other Grass ninja.
"Why's Shinji suddenly provoking Hidden Leaf's Mangekyo Sharingan Uchiha?"
"Is he crazy?"
"Even if he wants fame, this is way too reckless!"
The Grass ninja cleared space, whispering among themselves.
The Grass Village jonin leader's face was so dark it seemed to drip with gloom.
Having just arrived in Hidden Leaf and hearing that its Mangekyo Sharingan Uchiha was defeated by a Cloud ninja, he'd secretly gloated, thinking Hidden Leaf's prodigy was overrated.
But that was just a thought—he'd never considered challenging Hidden Leaf's ninja himself. Yet, Shinji Koshi, usually reliable, was acting so rashly today!
Unlike the others, Ryuzetsu and Chino exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt and unease in each other's eyes.
The previous night, they'd realized this "Shinji Koshi" was an impostor, but the impostor's strength was formidable. As Akatsuki members with secrets of their own, they couldn't risk exposure, so they stayed silent.
They'd assumed the impostor would cause trouble during the Chunin Exams, but they hadn't expected him to openly challenge Hidden Leaf's Mangekyo Sharingan Uchiha right upon arriving.
The clash quickly drew a large crowd of onlookers.
With similar duels happening frequently in recent days, and both sides usually restraining themselves to avoid harming bystanders, more and more people gathered, including nearby ninja.
...
On the Scene.
After a brief exchange, Sasuke realized his opponent was no pushover. He quickly shed his arrogance and fought more cautiously.
But compared to Shinji Koshi, Sasuke, not yet twelve, was noticeably smaller and weaker, gradually being overpowered.
Shinji Koshi seemed to toy with him, increasing his speed and sharpening his attacks.
"Damn it!"
Sasuke was struggling to keep up.
He'd only ever focused on Hidden Leaf's top talents—Shinji, Yakumo, Neji, and Kimimaro—never taking other villages' new generation seriously. Now, facing consecutive setbacks, he was starting to question himself.
As the crowd grew, so did the pressure on him. Losing to Cloud's Darui was already humiliating enough. If he couldn't even defeat a Grass ninja, Sasuke felt he might as well die of shame.
Shinji Koshi taunted leisurely, "Is this all Hidden Leaf's Mangekyo Sharingan Uchiha has got?"
Furious, Sasuke pulled back, forming hand seals to unleash Chidori.
Chzzzzt
In an instant, the dazzling lightning and Chidori's piercing cry echoed through the street!
"Trouble!"
The Grass jonin's face tightened, but at this point, he was at a loss for what to do!
With a whoosh, under the cover of lightning, Sasuke shot toward Shinji Koshi like a bolt.
Of course, knowing he couldn't kill in the village streets, he aimed for Shinji Koshi's shoulder, avoiding vital points.
But at that moment, Shinji Koshi sidestepped, dodging Chidori. In one fluid motion, he grabbed Sasuke's Chidori-wielding arm with one hand and clamped his throat with the other!
"What!?"
The sudden reversal stunned everyone present.
Even Ryuzetsu and Chino, who knew "Shinji Koshi" was strong, widened their eyes, realizing they'd still underestimated him.
Sasuke, throat constricted, was shocked. "How can his movements be faster than my Sharingan? No, he must've read my attack and predicted my path!"
The realization came too late. With his throat gripped, Sasuke could barely struggle, let alone breathe!
"What are you doing?"
"Let Sasuke go!"
Shouts rang out nearby.
Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino, who'd been shopping, saw Sasuke in trouble and rushed to help.
Noticing a flash of malice in Shinji Koshi's eyes, Ryuzetsu realized that if anyone interfered now, he might start a massacre.
She exchanged a quick glance with Chino.
Having lived and trained together for so long, they understood each other perfectly. Seeing Ryuzetsu's look, Chino instantly grasped her intent and flashed forward, blocking Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino.
"Move!"
Shikamaru shouted softly, beginning to form seals.
His shadow quivered, stretching forward!
At the same time, Choji enlarged his right hand, aiming to sweep Chino aside.
Chino lightly tapped the ground. Her petite frame darted like an elf through the gap beneath Choji's giant hand. Twisting, she evaded the shadows rising from the ground and landed a punch on Choji.
Using Choji's body as a shield against the pursuing shadows, she then lunged, kicking Shikamaru—who controlled the shadows—before landing a final punch on Ino.
The entire street fell silent.
From start to finish, Chino took down Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino in under three seconds, her movements flowing like water, leaving the onlookers stunned.
Looking at the fallen trio, Chino thought, "Sorry, I'm saving you guys!"
...
Meanwhile.
Seeing Shikamaru's group handled by Chino, Shinji Koshi, still gripping Sasuke's throat, lost interest. He threw Sasuke to the ground and spat, "Tch, boring!"