Chunin Exams – Third Round
A month passed in the blink of an eye. The third round of the Chunin Exams had begun.
Since this was an internal examination involving only Konoha ninja, there was no grand arena built like in the joint exams between major villages.
This time, the exams were held indoors, in a large hall attended only by Chunin-ranked ninja and above, the jonin, and a few important figures of the village.
One by one, the matches unfolded. As many had predicted, only two names and one team truly dominated the exams: Uchiha Itachi and Team Kushina.
Without much difficulty, they swept through every match, leaving only four names in the quarterfinals:
Izumo Kamizuki vs. Kotetsu HaganeHyuga Natsu vs. Uchiha Itachi
The atmosphere in the hall grew tense as Itachi and Natsu stepped into the arena first.
In the reserved spectator section, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat calmly beside Kushina, who today wore an emerald green kimono with her red hair neatly tied up.
Her appearance was elegant, yet she still radiated the aura of a kunoichi always ready for battle.
No one was surprised to see her seated next to the Hokage. The close relationship between Kushina and Sarutobi was well-known—she was his unofficial foster granddaughter.
Beyond that, her status as a Konoha hero, the one who forced the Fourth Raikage to retreat without war, had jounin whispering:"Could she be the next Hokage?"
Sipping his tea, Hiruzen asked casually, "Kushina, who do you think will win?"
Kushina glanced at the two young fighters now facing each other.
"I'm not sure..." she murmured honestly. "I should root for Natsu—she's my student. But... Itachi is an exception. Even though he's three years younger, his abilities are remarkable."
Kushina's thoughts drifted. With her knowledge from her past life, she saw Itachi as a 'destined prodigy.' Deep down, she sometimes wondered—between Minato and Itachi, who would win if they were born in the same era?
But Kushina kept that thought to herself. She knew comparisons like that were useless in the real world.
On the opposite balcony, Fugaku Uchiha sat with arms crossed, but his pride was unmistakable. "Look at him. That's my son." His gaze blazed with pride.
The match began.
Natsu and Itachi moved simultaneously, trading shuriken and kunai in a fast, precise rhythm. Metal clashed, bounced, and embedded into the arena walls in seconds.
Itachi clearly had the edge in throwing techniques. His trajectories were complex—sometimes curving, sometimes bouncing off walls to strike from unpredictable angles.
Natsu chose to block and close the distance, shifting to close combat. With her Byakugan active and palms open in the signature Jūken stance, she advanced with surgical precision.
Fwoosh—! Itachi unleashed Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu. A massive fireball hurtled toward Natsu.
She flipped aside mid-air, spinning gracefully to narrowly avoid the blast.
Itachi held back from using genjutsu. Using illusions against a Byakugan user was risky—their chakra sensitivity made them difficult to deceive. So he stuck to defense and long-range strikes.
Natsu, on the other hand, knew a single touch from her Jūken could disrupt her opponent's chakra network. But landing that hit? Not easy.
Itachi was a shadow—nearly untouchable. His fully activated three-tomoe Sharingan read her movements, predicted attacks, and dodged with perfect efficiency.
Their match wasn't just a battle of strength—it was a clash of intelligence, skill, and adaptability.
From time to time, they swapped positions in a flash, each trying to ensnare the other in a trap. Kicks, kunai swings, palm thrusts... they flew at a speed that left even some jounin jaw-dropped.
"Are they... really just genin?" a stunned Chunin whispered.
"Hyuga girl's no joke...""And Itachi... he's like a ghost. How can a kid fight like that?""If they keep this up... we're the ones who'll look like amateurs."
Sweat trickled down several foreheads. The clash of steel, wind, and chakra filled the room.
Then, as Itachi paused mid-strike, Natsu smiled—not mocking, but genuinely enjoying the fight.
From the upper gallery, Kushina watched with mixed emotions. Pride and concern warred in her chest.
"No matter the outcome," she murmured, "this is a fight they'll remember for life."
------------------------
Natsu dashed forward, hands slicing the air with deadly precision. Her Byakugan pierced through Itachi's feints, trying to pinpoint his chakra flow.
Just one touch could disable his tenketsu points—but Itachi wasn't an ordinary opponent.
He dodged calmly, countering with minimal movement, his kunai deflecting blows faster than most could see.
Then—Natsu leapt, attempting Hakke Kūshō. A shockwave of chakra burst from her palm toward Itachi.
In a blink, Itachi sidestepped, circled around, and struck her shoulder with the blunt side of his kunai.
Thud!
Natsu's body spun and tumbled before landing on one knee, one hand bracing her weight.
"Hyuga Natsu is unable to continue. The winner: Uchiha Itachi!" the referee announced.
Applause broke out across the hall, especially from impressed jounin.
But what surprised everyone wasn't the outcome—it was Natsu's expression.
She stood, panting, yet... smiling.
"She's not upset?" Kotetsu whispered to Izumo."She looks... happy?" Izumo blinked.
Natsu stepped forward, bowed to Itachi, and said firmly:
"Thank you for the match, Uchiha Itachi. From this day on, you are my rival. Next time—we'll see who wins!"
Silence.
Even Itachi looked stunned—then gave a small smile. "I'll be waiting. I always welcome a challenge."
From the stands, Kushina held back a chuckle. Hiruzen beside her smirked, "Seems our next generation is quite... interesting."
Kushina glared at her two male students, who were snickering.
"Don't you dare—"
Too late.
Kotetsu clapped Izumo on the shoulder."Behold: the grand union of dojutsu! Sharingan marries Byakugan!"
"Offspring with eyes that pierce heaven and earth!" Izumo added.
Kushina sighed. But looking down at the blushing Natsu... she smiled.
"This is going to be a long journey."
Back in the team room—
"Congrats on the match, Lady Uchiha~""Shall we begin writing wedding invitations? 'Uchiha Natsu,' huh?"
BAM!
The table trembled from Natsu's furious punch. Her hand trembled, holding back from smacking her idiotic teammates.
"YOU TWO—!"
"Sorry! Sorry! Just kidding!"Kotetsu and Izumo raised their hands in surrender.
Natsu sat far away, face still red, hiding behind her palms.
But inside, she couldn't lie to herself:'That smile… it's dangerous…'