Taki Chiba!

Bang!

Dust billowed up.

The weighted gear hit the ground, smashing two small craters into it.

Chiba removed the weights from his legs.

The surroundings instantly fell silent!

The girls stared at the two small columns of dust, their mocking words toward Chiba dying in their throats.

The boys all stared wide-eyed as well.

Even Uchiha Hirohiko's cold face showed shock, and Teacher looked equally stunned.

He had actually... actually been wearing such heavy weights!

You had to be kidding, right?!

Could anyone even walk while wearing something that heavy?

The students unconsciously opened their mouths wide as they stared at the weighted training gear lying silently in the small craters.

This Taki Chiba! Uchiha Hirohiko suppressed his shock and grew cautious.

Hyuga Yukina looked at Chiba in the field.

So he hadn't been using his full strength! Teacher's mouth twitched as well.

What was with this Taki Chiba? He was a seven-year-old child—he was still only seven, wasn't he?! Yet Chiba ignored the looks around him, hopping twice in place before letting out a long breath.

This should be fine now! "All right, let's begin!" Chiba steadied himself and spoke to Uchiha Hirohiko.

Uchiha Hirohiko narrowed his eyes, said nothing, and formed the Seal of Confrontation. Chiba followed suit.

"Begin!" Teacher announced!

Whoosh!

The instant Teacher's words fell, Uchiha Hirohiko, who had been watching Chiba closely, saw a blur before his eyes, and Chiba vanished.

Where was he?!

Uchiha Hirohiko's heart tightened.

Then his left cheek took a savage kick. His feet left the ground, and he was sent flying.

So fast!

He had only enough time for that thought before his right shoulder took another kick. The force was immense, and he was kicked flying again.

Uchiha Hirohiko's reactions simply couldn't keep up with Chiba's speed!

Chiba showed no mercy either, unleashing a torrent of fierce attacks.

To the onlookers, Chiba seemed to flash back and forth while Uchiha Hirohiko could only cross his arms to block, taking a beating without any chance to strike back.

"That's impossible!" a girl shrieked!

How could our Hirohiko be this useless?! The boys, meanwhile, all stared with their eyes wide open.

What incredible speed! They couldn't see him at all! Then, both the boys and girls thought at the same time: Was Hirohiko going to lose? Even Teacher's eyes were dazzled by the exchange. Still, he was a Chunin Teacher, so he could catch Chiba's movements, though only with some difficulty.

Such incredible speed! Was this Taki Chiba a taijutsu specialist? Was he the same type as that hot-blooded kid who graduated last year?

But he couldn't beat Hirohiko!

Teacher had complete confidence in Uchiha Hirohiko.

As if confirming Teacher's thoughts, Uchiha Hirohiko, who had been passively taking hits all this time, suddenly turned and grabbed. With a smack, he caught Chiba's incoming kick. His other hand drove a fierce punch into Chiba's face. Chiba hadn't expected Uchiha Hirohiko to keep up with his speed, and in a moment of carelessness, he was sent flying.

Chiba flipped in midair, landed steadily, and rubbed his cheek.

Tch! What strength! At the same time, he raised his vigilance to its peak. Before him, a pair of scarlet eyes stared fixedly at him, the two tomoe in each pupil especially conspicuous.

The Sharingan! This Uchiha Hirohiko had actually awakened the Sharingan, and both eyes had two tomoe! A two-tomoe Sharingan could already see through some taijutsu and ninjutsu, and could even copy certain techniques.

The moment Chiba landed, two shuriken came whistling at him. Uchiha Hirohiko had launched his attack. Chiba didn't even look at the two shuriken, merely tilting his head to dodge them while crossing his arms to block.

Bang!

Uchiha Hirohiko's flying kick struck Chiba's crossed arms and sent him skidding back a considerable distance.

Chiba gritted his teeth.

This guy's taijutsu was strong too! With that thought, Chiba shook his arms and knocked Uchiha Hirohiko away, then rushed forward, his fists shooting out rapidly.

With two smacks, Uchiha Hirohiko easily blocked them. But Chiba didn't stop. Punches and kicks came in a fierce barrage. He practiced side kicks and straight punches every day, and after years of relentless training, his straight punches and side kicks were powerful, steady, and incredibly fast. Although Uchiha Hirohiko saw through them and blocked them, his hands still went numb from the impacts.

Such heavy blows! Uchiha Hirohiko narrowed his eyes slightly.

For a time, the two fought at close range. Uchiha Hirohiko's Sharingan spun as Chiba launched round after round of attacks. Every attack was seen through and blocked by Uchiha Hirohiko. At the same time, Uchiha Hirohiko's counterattacks were also deflected and blocked by Chiba.

They countered and blocked each other, their figures entwining as crackling collisions rang out without pause. The spectators watched in dead silence.

Amid the fierce battle, Chiba's expression grew increasingly grave, but he showed no impatience. He had not opened a single gate yet and had not used his true full strength. He deeply felt the terror of the Uchiha Family.

At that moment, no matter how Chiba increased his speed, Uchiha Hirohiko could always see through his movements and react. He effortlessly caught up to the speed Chiba had gained through grueling training.

Chiba suddenly understood a little of how Rock Lee had felt. How great a shock Sasuke's appearance must have dealt him back then.

Uchiha Hirohiko was secretly alarmed as well. Without the Sharingan, he would have already lost. In terms of taijutsu, he was absolutely no match for this dead-last Taki Chiba. It dealt him quite a blow.

But he was a genius after all. In battle, his concentration, composure, and thinking were all exceptional. Though he had been shaken, he remained calm and collected, constantly thinking of ways to defeat the evenly matched opponent before him.

In taijutsu, I admit defeat!

After thinking it over continuously, Uchiha Hirohiko reached that conclusion.

But in this match, I would be the one to win! His gaze sharpened. He suddenly leaped back and flung out several shuriken, breaking away from the fight while Chiba dodged.

He formed hand seals, and with a bang, an identical Uchiha Hirohiko appeared beside him.

A clone!

Two shuriken landed behind Chiba. He glanced back, his heart tightening.

No! It was the Shadow Clone Jutsu!

A regular clone was only an afterimage with no physical form, but Chiba could sense that this Uchiha Hirohiko clone was solid!

There was no doubt about it—it was the Shadow Clone Jutsu! Uchiha Hirohiko had actually learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu! Teacher, watching from the side, was also astonished. As a genius the academy kept an eye on, Uchiha Hirohiko was nothing like Chiba; Teacher knew every aspect of him extremely well.

When had Hirohiko learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu?

Teacher stared at Uchiha Hirohiko in the field, utterly incredulous! "That's the Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Hirohiko actually learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu! That's a Jonin-level ninjutsu!"

"That's terrifying!"

The spectators erupted into discussion.

In the field, Uchiha Hirohiko did not stop after creating the shadow clone. The two Uchiha Hirohikos rushed toward Chiba, both forming hand seals as they ran.

Chiba slowly straightened and looked at the two Uchiha Hirohikos, with no intention of dodging.

"What is Taki Chiba doing? Has he given up?"

"Of course he has! He could barely handle one Hirohiko, let alone Hirohiko with a shadow clone!"

"If it were me, I'd give up too. There'd be no shame in losing to Hirohiko!"

The crowd murmured among themselves.

He hadn't given up yet!

Hyuga Yukina's face showed a trace of surprise. Uchiha Hirohiko producing a shadow clone had clearly caught even her off guard, but she didn't think Chiba's refusal to dodge meant he had given up.

Somehow, she found herself looking forward to it.

She hoped Chiba could defeat this genius. She wanted to see what method Chiba would use to defeat him!

As they ran, the two Uchiha Hirohikos finished their hand seals and opened their mouths, each spewing out a fireball.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!

The two fireballs shot straight toward Chiba at considerable speed. The grass along their path quickly withered, and the heat was intense! Eight Gates, First Gate, Opening Gate, open!

Eight Gates, Second Gate, Gate of Healing, open!

Whoosh!

Just as the fireballs closed in, Chiba suddenly disappeared from where he stood. In that instant, even the Chunin Teacher failed to catch him.

Bang!

Then a cloud of white smoke exploded.

Uchiha Hirohiko's shadow clone had been blown apart! Where was he? Uchiha Hirohiko abruptly stopped and stared at the white smoke from his destroyed shadow clone. His Sharingan spun, but he couldn't catch sight of Chiba.

Shock filled his heart.

Then his eyes widened slightly, glancing behind him. He sensed it.

Someone was behind him!

But it was already too late. A kunai rested against his neck.

"You lost."

Chiba's voice came from behind him.