Asuma nodded thoughtfully. "I noticed it back when I was his instructor, but his chakra's gotten even more terrifying…"
Kurenai Yuhi, who had only ever watched Naruto from the sidelines, was stunned. "Wow… I never imagined he had such strength."
Kiba Inuzuka laughed, "He is the top ninja in our year—of course he's got that kind of power!"
Sakura Haruno remained silent. Her expression was uneasy; never had she expected the boy she once dismissed to become so formidable.
Temari, herself a Wind Release user, was equally startled. "That's not just ninjutsu," she murmured. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough isn't rare, but that scale and this much chakra... Even when weakened, after having his chakra drained, he can still unleash something that powerful..."
Kankuro shared her shock, but it was Gaara who trembled with anticipation. "Good," he whispered, his turquoise eyes gleaming. "Victory over someone that strong will give my existence meaning."
Meanwhile, Hinata and Sasuke both breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's a real monster," Sasuke muttered, a smirk breaking through his usual frown. "He still has that much strength, even now…"
Hinata smiled warmly. "Why not just tell Naruto how impressed you are?"
Sasuke paused, then turned his eyes away, shaking his head. Naruto, meanwhile, dashed around the training ground, grinning and waving to everyone like he'd already won the whole tournament.
Sarutobi, the Hokage, smiled. "Naruto… you still had that much strength left? Remarkable."
Kabuto Yakushi, watching quietly from the background, allowed a sinister smile to creep across his lips. "No wonder Lord Orochimaru set his sights on another prey besides Sasuke… Naruto Uzumaki, you really are frightening."
The uproar over Naruto's demonstration lasted an unusually long time. Eventually, Moonlight Gekko coughed into his sleeve to restore order and gestured that the bouts would continue.
The next two matches were both between friends.
First came Nara Shikamaru versus Akimichi Choji.
The best friends stood across from each other. Shikamaru yawned, clearly not eager to fight. "Should I just let you win, Choji?"
But Choji shook his head, his gaze firm. "No. Even if we're best friends—no, because of that—I want us to fight seriously. Watching Naruto, Hinata, everyone fighting so hard, don't you feel that too? This is more than an exam—it's our time to prove ourselves."
He gazed up at the other stands, his voice carrying across the arena. "I love goofing around, Shikamaru. But our families, our sensei, our teammates… They all depend on us. So fight me, for real!"
Shikamaru's lazy eyes grew sharp as he looked at his friend. "I get it, Choji. Fine… just this once, I'll go all out."
Choji grinned. "That's my friend!"
He instantly activated his clan's secret jutsu. "Expansion—Human Boulder!"
Boom— Choji turned into a massive spinning sphere, thundering across the arena toward Shikamaru.
In sheer strength, no genin could match Choji's impact. But Shikamaru's genius lay elsewhere. He sidestepped, fingers forming the familiar sign.
"Nobody knows you like I do, Choji… which means you can't know all my tricks either." His shadow snaked along the ground. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
Choji altered his course, rolling erratically to avoid the pursuit, but Shikamaru simply smirked.
"Hard to chase, aren't you," he mused. "But…"
Suddenly, his shadow split, surging in from behind as Choji bounded skyward to dodge. But when Choji landed, his shadow overlapped with Shikamaru's.
"Gotcha." Shikamaru forced a slight turn. "Shadow Possession—success."
"Oh, so the shadow was there from the start," Choji said, grinning despite defeat. "That's just like you, Shikamaru. I give up."
Their bout was simple, but left a deep impression. Asuma, puffing his cigarette, smiled. "Shikamaru never even used his full skill… though if it wasn't for Choji, maybe he'd never have put in any effort."
Following that, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame faced off.
Despite Kiba and Akamaru using their Fang Over Fang attack, Shino's mastery of insect-based techniques—detecting, sensing, attacking, defending, and even tracking—soon overwhelmed them. Shino's insects had already burrowed into Kiba and Akamaru, draining their chakra. Kiba, realizing defeat was certain, conceded.
Next, Temari swept aside Ino. Despite Ino's hard-earned skill, her mind techniques were ill-suited for direct combat, especially when her opponent's strength was overwhelming.
Then, Rock Lee confronted Misumi Tsurugi of the Sound Village. Misumi's body could twist, stretch, and contort like a serpent's—useful for escaping holds or mounting surprise attacks. At first, Rock Lee struggled, his attacks sliding off his foe's slippery form. But buoyed by Naruto's cheers and his sensei's unwavering gaze, Lee's determination flared.
With a dazzling display of speed, he ensnared Misumi's body with his bandages, immobilizing him before unleashing a barrage of fierce physical blows. The crowd cheered its approval.
"Guy-sensei, I did it!" Lee cried, eyes sparkling.
Might Guy gave a dramatic thumbs-up. "Well done, Lee! This is what youth is all about—release your full potential with passion!"
Another round of applause echoed around the arena as the preliminaries continued, the spirit of Konoha shining in every bout.