Ino Yamanaka Regrets Not Eating Breakfast

[Name: Ino Yamanaka]

[Chakra: 800]

[Quality: A]

The quality of Sakura Haruno was a full grade higher than that of Ino Yamanaka.

Qiushui knew that she would eventually apprentice under Tsunade, learning the Strength of a Hundred Seal and the Chakra Enhanced Strength through rigorous training to fully realize this potential, but that was years away. As of now, Sakura Haruno was merely a civilian student with solid theoretical knowledge, possessing neither a clan heritage nor any significant accumulation of combat experience.

Ino Yamanaka, however, hailed from the Yamanaka Clan.

Although her future growth ceiling might not reach that of Sakura Haruno, in terms of the present, the ninja bloodline flowing through her veins and the family atmosphere she had been immersed in since childhood were tangible advantages.

Qiushui had already made his judgment: In this match, Ino had the higher chance of winning.

"Begin."

The moment his words fell, movement erupted on the field.

Almost simultaneously, Ino Yamanaka reached into her ninja tool pouch, drew a kunai, flicked her wrist, and threw it toward Sakura Haruno's thigh.

The tips of the kunai used for academy sparring were dulled; even if they hit, they would only leave a bruise rather than draw blood.

At nearly the same instant, Sakura Haruno moved as well.

Her movements were equally swift; she drew a kunai from her own pouch, aiming for Ino's lower leg.

The two kunai crossed in mid-air, neither finding its mark, and landed on the ground with two crisp clatters.

Ino did not pause; her fingers danced as she released four shuriken, targeting Sakura's shoulder, waist, leg, and knee.

Sakura did not show weakness, returning fire with her own shuriken, her form quite decent.

But this time, the results were clear.

One of the shuriken thrown by Ino struck Sakura's lower leg with precision, while all those returned by Sakura were dodged by Ino's agile movements.

Sakura let out a muffled grunt, the pain in her lower leg causing her body to sink involuntarily.

A look of tension appeared on the faces of the girls supporting Sakura, while those supporting Ino were filled with joy.

Ino Yamanaka's eyes lit up.

How could she miss such a golden opportunity?

She pushed off the ground, her figure lunging forward to close the distance instantly and initiate close-quarters combat.

She clenched her fist and swung it toward Sakura's face.

Sakura raised her arms to block.

Ino lifted her leg, kicking toward Sakura's abdomen.

Sakura jumped back two steps, narrowly avoiding the blow.

Yet Sakura was not one to merely take a beating; seizing the moment before Ino could launch her next wave of attacks, she steadied herself, clenched her fists, and charged back.

The two became entangled in a brawl.

Fists flew and legs struck, hair whipping through the air. At a glance, it looked intense, but Qiushui watched calmly, his heart unmoved. In terms of actual technique and force, this fight was not even as good as the mediocre performances of the previous groups of boys.

Time ticked away, second by second.

Fifteen minutes later, the two finally separated, each retreating a few steps, bending over to gasp for air. Sweat slid down their cheeks, and their chests heaved like bellows.

But anyone with a discerning eye could see the difference; Ino Yamanaka's breathing rhythm and the color in her face were both much better than Sakura Haruno's.

On the sidelines, Choji Akimichi stuffed potato chips into his mouth while asking his companion indistinctly, "Shikamaru, who do you think will win?"

Shikamaru Nara, hands behind his head, glanced lazily at the field and said with certainty, "It should be Ino. Her stamina is better than Sakura's."

His judgment was not wrong.

Ino Yamanaka also felt the advantage in her stamina. She steadied her breathing and prepared to press forward again—

However, just as she took two steps, a wave of intense hunger surged from her stomach without warning, rushing straight to her head. The world spun, her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.

Across from her, seeing Ino charge, Sakura had gritted her teeth to meet her, but after running only two steps, the same wave of dizziness struck. Her body, too, could no longer hold up.

One after the other, they fell in the center of the arena.

Watching this scene, Qiushui's mouth twitched slightly as he calmly announced, "Both are unable to continue fighting. Draw."

Figures rushed to the edge of the field as the girls' friends scrambled to enter the arena, helping their respective companions off to rest.

Ino Yamanaka took the water handed to her by a friend and drank a few sips. The dizziness gradually receded, but the regret in her heart began to well up.

She should have listened to her father this morning and eaten more.

If she had enough stamina, she would have definitely won this match—not only winning, but also showing off well in front of Sasuke-kun.

But now, she glanced at Sakura Haruno, who was being supported not far away, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Meanwhile, Sakura Haruno leaned against her friend, breathing weakly, yet a faint, relieved smile appeared on her lips involuntarily.

She had already felt that she had almost no strength left; if they had kept fighting, she certainly would not have been a match for Ino.

Ino's sudden fall—truly, even the Sage of Six Paths was on my side!

The pace of the subsequent matches accelerated abruptly.

When it was Aburame Shino's turn to take the stage, his opponent's face turned deathly pale the moment he caught sight of the pitch-black swarm crawling out from beneath Shino's collar.

Those tiny Kikaichū circled around Shino, emitting a faint, dense buzzing sound that made one's scalp tingle; the student barely hesitated before raising his hand—to forfeit.

Shino silently retracted his insects, his expression as calm as ever, as if he had merely performed some trivial task.

Inuzuka Kiba's battle was far more boisterous.

He and Akamaru displayed perfect coordination, the boy and his dog darting and dodging across the arena. Seizing the right moment, the red dog suddenly lifted a leg, launching a "Jet" surprise attack that struck his opponent square in the face.

The student staggered back a few steps, and before he could even steady himself, Inuzuka Kiba's kunai was already pressed against his throat.

After the match ended, he lowered his head to sniff his own scent, his expression collapsing instantly.

When it was Nara Shikamaru's turn, he merely glanced lazily at his opponent, let out a yawn, and raised his hand to signal his forfeit.

"Too troublesome," he said.

This was his reason, and it was his style.

Choji Akimichi's match was a different scene entirely.

His opponent was rather thin, and despite putting his all into the punches and kicks that landed on Choji, Choji hadn't been eating all those meals for nothing over the years; the fat that had once brought him ridicule now acted like an invisible suit of armor, causing those attacks to sink into him like a stone into the sea, leaving no damage whatsoever.

Choji didn't even frown; he simply took a slow breath and thrust his massive belly forward.

Once, twice, three times.

His opponent stumbled backward, finally losing his balance after the third impact and landing hard on his backside.

The watching students looked at one another, unsure of how to evaluate this battle.

"Winner, Choji Akimichi," Qiushui announced.