Gaining Strength, Déjà Vu, and Acting

The fourth round ended quickly, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that Sakura was no weakling.

Temari tried to analyze the situation: "That pink-haired girl looks frail, but her actual strength is quite astonishing."

Gaara also stared at Sakura for a few seconds: "My Sand Shield wouldn't be able to stop her fist."

Temari immediately wore a look of shock: "If even you say so, perhaps it would be better for me to just forfeit if I run into her in the later exams..."

"Kakashi!"

Might Guy leaned in close to Kakashi, looking a bit excited: "How come you never mentioned this girl to me? To think the village has such a fine seedling; let her study taijutsu under me!"

"No."

Kakashi shook his head and explained: "Sakura's most outstanding trait isn't her strength, but her chakra control. She is currently studying medical knowledge, and I plan to ask Lady Tsunade to take a look at her later."

"You actually want to seek out Lady Tsunade? You really think highly of this girl."

Might Guy laughed: "In that case, I suppose I have no choice but to give up."

"Actually... the future achievements of those three in taijutsu might not be inferior to yours."

Kakashi hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Especially Naruto. If he goes all out, he might even be able to suppress you using only taijutsu."

"You seem to have said something truly unbelievable."

Although Might Guy did not doubt Kakashi, he was curious about the reasoning behind such a judgment: "The Naruto you're talking about is that Uzumaki Naruto, right?"

Kakashi did not answer, but instead asked: "Do you remember what the Third Hokage said a few days ago?"

Might Guy's brows furrowed slightly: "Are you talking about, the..."

"Shh."

Kakashi held a finger up to his mask: "Don't talk about it here."

Might Guy quickly reined in his tongue: "Of course I remember such an important matter. But what does that have to do with Naruto?"

Kakashi: "That day, Anko and the Anbu followed the tracks and found a forest that had been completely destroyed in the Forest of Death. After verification, it was the route the three of them took."

Might Guy: "That doesn't necessarily mean they were the ones who did it, right?"

"Their ninja tools were left at the scene of the battle."

Kakashi: "The day before yesterday, the Anbu came to question them, and I was there too. It is certain that the traces at the scene were left after Naruto fought that person. At the same time, Naruto handed over a special sealing jutsu to the village. Later on, you and your disciples might end up owing Naruto a favor."

"What could a sealing jutsu possibly have to do with me?"

Might Guy frowned, considering a possibility: "Can that sealing jutsu be used for taijutsu?"

"It provides a massive boost to taijutsu."

Kakashi nodded: "Based on what I know, the theoretical limit of that sealing jutsu is no lower than the Eight Inner Gates."

"!!"

Might Guy's eyes widened, and he broke into a brilliant smile: "That means my strength could be greatly enhanced, and then I could surpass you, my eternal rival, Kakashi!"

Kakashi was visibly stiff for a moment before slowly nodding: "Indeed."

Sakura and Ino were still chatting about girl talk, while the screen on the wall displayed the next matchup:

Tenten vs. Temari

This battle lasted only a little longer than the one between Sakura and Ino.

Less than three minutes after Hayate Gekko announced the start, Tenten was taken down by Temari.

The Sunagakure side looked calm, as if this outcome were a matter of course.

On the Konoha side, the expressions weren't too bad; after all, Tenten had performed well, but the compatibility with her opponent was just too poor—Tenten primarily fought using ninja tools, while Temari used that giant fan of hers, combined with Wind Release, to blow away every tool Tenten threw.

Even so, Tenten did not give up, only falling after being battered and bruised by Temari's Wind Release until she lost consciousness.

This one-sided battle caused by poor compatibility made those present feel as if they were watching the previous match between Kankuro and Shino Aburame; since both sides were from Sunagakure and Konoha again, the sense of déjà vu was even stronger.

Temari was somewhat wary of the strength displayed by the others from Konoha and did not deal a heavy blow to Tenten, but seeing their teammate injured still made Rock Lee and Neji somewhat angry.

The tournament continued to the sixth round:

Kabuto Yakushi vs. Choji Akimichi

With Asuma's promise of all-you-can-eat barbecue, Choji's fighting spirit was stronger than ever.

Kabuto Yakushi, however, was feeling a bit conflicted.

Now that his teammates were all wiped out, if he wanted to fulfill his primary duty as a "spy," he had to defeat his opponent and earn his qualification for the third exam.

"With the secret techniques of the Akimichi clan, I shouldn't be able to win with the strength I've currently displayed."

Kabuto's expression was grave as he walked slowly toward the arena, struggling to think of how to win without exposing his true strength.

"Both sides, prepare."

Hayate Gekko gave a brief reminder and announced: "Begin."

Choji immediately formed hand seals and shouted loudly: "Multi-Size Technique!"

His already round body suddenly expanded into a massive ball of flesh over two meters in diameter, complete with limbs and a head. Immediately after, his limbs and head retracted into the meat, and propelled by chakra, his body began to roll forward at high speed—Taijutsu: Human Bullet Tank!

At first glance, this ninjutsu and taijutsu technique looked somewhat comical, but its defensive and destructive power were both incredibly high.

"Kunai and Shuriken will be deflected directly, and even a Chakra Scalpel cannot pierce through that layer of fat to damage his internal organs."

Kabuto Yakushi felt there was no way to get a handle on this: Unexpectedly troublesome, this fatty. It seems the only way is to let him crash into a wall himself, or drag it out until his chakra is exhausted.

Having made up his mind, Kabuto Yakushi began to run continuously, circling the entire arena.

This guy, is he planning to wear down my chakra this way?

Choji thought silently, but with no better options, he could only continue to increase his chakra consumption and accelerate his rolling speed.

Time ticked by second by second; Choji rolled faster and faster, the continuously accumulating destructive power growing stronger and stronger.

It's about time to reach the limit of what I've been showing.

Kabuto Yakushi silently calculated, feigning that his stamina was nearly exhausted. He looked back with an expression of unwillingness, then naturally "ignored" what was in front of him. Just as he was about to slam headfirst into the wall, he turned his head, feigned sheer terror, and with every ounce of strength he could muster, dove to the side.

Under precise control, only the soles of Kabuto Yakushi's feet were grazed by the Human Bullet Tank, causing a minor injury. However, because Choji's speed was too high, he couldn't brake in time and crashed headlong through the wall, becoming wedged inside and coming to a halt.

Kabuto Yakushi climbed up from the ground, clearly stunned for a moment upon seeing Choji's state. He then swiftly drew a Kunai, found Choji's neck, pressed the blade against it, and exclaimed joyfully, "I—I won!"

Hayate Gekko felt a subtle sense of dissonance regarding the Kabuto Yakushi before him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong: "Sixth round, winner, Kabuto Yakushi."

"A bit of a pity, but he already tried his best."

Asuma said to Shikamaru with a smile: "Aren't you going to go help him up?"

Shikamaru replied helplessly: "I'm going, I'm going..."