Tenten and Neji weren't the only ones observing the match.
Hidden in the shadows nearby were Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai.
"So these are this year's graduates? Kind of mid," Asuma said casually, lighting a cigarette.
"You could at least try not to get spotted," Kurenai frowned. She wasn't happy with how laid-back Asuma was being.
But Asuma clearly didn't care. They were elite jōnin—how could a bunch of kids who weren't even genin possibly detect them?
"The two in the ring right now are supposed to be the strongest of this year's class."
Kakashi wasn't sure why, but every time he looked at Nagi, he got an odd feeling.
Like Nagi knew he was being watched.
"Uchiha Sasuke, huh. Kid from the Uchiha clan. What a pain."
Asuma actually frowned—a rare sight.
With the Uchiha clan wiped out, Sasuke was basically a political landmine. Asuma had no intention of taking him on.
"And the other one? Who's he?" Kurenai asked, her purple eyes focused curiously on Nagi.
She was instantly intrigued.
"His name's Nagi. Honestly… I can't read him."
Kakashi's expression grew serious.
"His written exam scores were perfect. But in every combat test—zero."
"According to Iruka, he's always chosen to forfeit."
Kakashi clearly saw something in him that couldn't be ignored.
"Interesting kid. Doesn't meet the usual combat standards, but I like his vibe," Kurenai said.
Seeing Kurenai speak so highly of Nagi, Asuma got a little jealous.
"Don't forget—Lord Hokage already finalized your team lineup," he reminded her.
They'd all been briefed beforehand on their assigned squads.
Asuma would be in charge of Team 10: Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Chōji Akimichi—representing the trio of their respective clans.
Kurenai was set to lead Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyūga.
Seeing how interested she was in Nagi, Asuma was starting to worry she might try to switch.
"Enough. The match is starting."
Kakashi cut the conversation short.
On the field, the fight was about to begin.
Naturally, it started with a little verbal sparring.
"Oi, didn't you usually forfeit these? Better call it now while you still can. You might not get the chance later."
Sasuke stood across from Nagi, tension in the air.
He was still salty about being compared to Nagi earlier.
After all, Sasuke was still just a kid—prideful and easily provoked.
"Whether I get the chance or not, I'd say you definitely won't."
Nagi's tone shifted from laid-back to deadly serious.
Just that change in energy was enough to make Sasuke hesitate.
"I'm not scared!"
"Then let the match begin!" Iruka announced.
The moment the words left his mouth, Sasuke dashed forward like a bullet.
"Damn! He's fast!"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He might argue with Sasuke all the time, but he'd never questioned his strength.
Bang!
In the next instant, a body flew through the air like a kite with a snapped string.
"It's Sasuke?!"
Even Iruka, acting as referee, wondered if he was seeing things.
Sasuke had been sent flying with a single hit.
"When did that happen?!"
Iruka hadn't even seen Nagi move.
"Did something just—"
"What's going on?!"
"Sasuke got launched?!"
The students erupted in chaos.
Sasuke was supposed to be a genius. How had he been tossed like that?
"You okay?"
Nagi hadn't expected his reflex strike to be that strong.
He hadn't trained for physical combat; the raw boost in his body came entirely from his Wood Release-enhanced constitution.
"Damn, Nagi's so cool!"
"There's no way! He always ranked dead last with Naruto in the previous exams. How is he this strong?!"
"…So this is all you've got?"
Sasuke climbed back to his feet, undeterred.
"I haven't gone all-out yet."
His Sharingan spun furiously. Sasuke now saw Nagi as a worthy rival.
Rat → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke gathered chakra into his throat and unleashed a massive fireball from his mouth.
"His personality might suck, but Sasuke's got serious talent. Seems like a good fit for you, Kakashi."
Back in the shadows, the jōnin observed calmly.
There was no doubt Sasuke lived up to his number-one ranking.
"Yeah, no need to watch the rest. That Nagi kid's not gonna stop that."
Asuma turned to leave. In his mind, a civilian kid had no chance against a Uchiha prodigy.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Nagi casually slapped his hand together and formed a few symbolic hand seals.
He'd discovered he could use ninjutsu without hand signs—but to stay low-key, he faked a few anyway.
Poof!
Suddenly, a dozen Nagi clones filled the battlefield.
"Whoa! Nagi can make that many clones?!"
Sakura screamed in shock.
"But those won't do anything against Sasuke, right?"
Shikamaru frowned. He didn't think basic clones would work on someone like Sasuke.
"Clones, huh? You think that'll trick me? Too naive!"
Sasuke smirked arrogantly.
"With the Sharingan, nothing escapes me!"
But the moment his eyes activated—he froze.
"…No way."
From Sasuke's perspective, every single clone had a huge chakra signature.
Even his Sharingan couldn't tell which was real and which was fake.
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
Rather than dodge, Nagi responded directly with a jutsu he'd learned just the day before.
Water crashed against fire—Sasuke's fireball fizzled out like a candle.
The surge of water slammed into Sasuke and sent him flying again.
Had Nagi not already mastered the jutsu to perfection, that wave might've killed him outright.
[End of Chapter]