A Lifelong Rival? (Part 2)

The second stage of the Joint Chunin Exams is scheduled for four days. For the genin, the beasts and venomous insects within the forest are life-threatening hazards.

Coupled with potential enemies, gathering both the Heaven and Earth scrolls is naturally a difficult task.

Ever since Shu Furukawa cleared the stage alone in five hours, the Konoha ninja have been in an uproar. This result is truly absurd, but the more absurd it is, the more it proves his strength!

"It seems some have been forced to withdraw. Tsunade, it appears you don't know your own disciple well enough."

"You couldn't have taught him that level of Body Flicker Technique!"

"It is a pity I couldn't witness his talent for ninjutsu."

Inside the Central Tower, Orochimaru leans against the railing with an excited expression on his face. Finally, unable to suppress his body's instincts, he extends his long tongue to lick his lips.

His old friend's voice is as hoarse and low as ever, but Tsunade always feels that Orochimaru has changed. That indescribable feeling makes her frown:

"There are many talented ninja, but even more die in war."

"Orochimaru, Shu's talent should be applied to medical ninjutsu."

"The village needs medical ninja who can stand on their own. Only by establishing a comprehensive system can we help more people."

Dressed in her jonin attire, Tsunade is exceptionally serious when discussing her disciple's future. She does not want Orochimaru interfering with his training; power can sometimes lead people down the wrong path.

With a gloomy laugh, Orochimaru pays no mind to Tsunade's intense gaze, instead continuing with interest:

"Perhaps you are right, but in the end, Shu will walk the same path as I do."

"Understanding the truths of the world—for anyone with outstanding ninjutsu talent, no one can resist such temptation."

"Tsunade, eternal life is real. You will see it!"

The second stage of the exam has officially ended. After several days of combat in the forest, more than half of the genin have been directly eliminated.

On the field, some are covered in wounds, while others collapse to the ground. When the Konoha jonin announces the results of the written test, some of the youths who passed burst into tears.

"I have already passed the second stage; why are you eliminating us based on the results of the first?"

"..."

"If you want to be recognized as a chunin by Konoha, then do as we require!"

"You should be grateful that the results weren't announced after the one-on-one duels. Don't let me hear any more questioning."

The resolute Konoha jonin warns them loudly, his pride visible to the naked eye:

Konoha is the law!

At the front of the crowd, Shu Furukawa looks calm. After resting for a few days, even the traces of his journey have vanished.

Some genin in the back glance at him from time to time, their faces filled with fear.

Inabi Uchiha, with his long, parted black hair, still bears the marks of battle; he is not entirely sure what happened.

But seeing the remaining Sunagakure and Kumogakure ninja afraid to even lift their heads, Inabi Uchiha also shifts his gaze toward Shu Furukawa—this may be his future opponent.

After a brief introduction to the combat rules, as names appear on the giant screen behind them, the Konoha jonin hosting the exam once again shows an excited expression:

"Shu Furukawa VS Baki."

"Will both contestants please take the stage!"

Shu Furukawa sees Tsunade with her arms crossed above, nods slightly to acknowledge her, and then walks onto the field at a leisurely pace. However, before he can even prepare himself, a voice suddenly comes from behind:

"I... I... choose to forfeit..."

The heavily injured Baki barely manages to raise his arm. Seeing the disappointment on his team leader's face, he cannot help but lower his head in shame, then shouts loudly:

"I will not forget the humiliation you have caused me, Shu Furukawa. I will view you as my lifelong rival. Sooner or later, we will meet again, I swear..."

"So your name is Baki!"

Suddenly hearing Shu Furukawa's voice, Baki instinctively looks up, only to find a playful expression on his opponent's face. The sense of humiliation intensifies, his breathing becomes increasingly difficult, and he finally faints on the spot.

This scene nearly makes the Konoha ninja on the scene burst into laughter. The jonin hosting the duel is so excited his face turns red; ignoring the expressions of the Sunagakure ninja, he announces loudly:

"The winner! Shu Furukawa!"

"Whoosh..."

Shu Furukawa appears on the railing above in the blink of an eye. Tsunade, arms crossed, has a smile on her face as she offers a simple word of encouragement:

"Not bad performance!"

The subsequent duels become dull and uninteresting. Ultimately, the final matches will turn into an internal Konoha affair; this joint exam is nothing more than a show of force.

In late June, following intentional promotion by the higher-ups, most villagers show expressions of pride upon hearing the results of the Joint Exams.

Konoha ninja are the strongest!

The final assessment is held in a circular arena. The interior of the venue is lined with curved walls, and the ceiling is high and dome-shaped.

The spectator stands are filled early. The daimyo of various nations gather together, the higher-ups of every ninja village have sent representatives, and spies are mixed in among them.

At the very top sat the Third Hokage; it was rare to hold such a large-scale event, and hearing the cheers, a smile appeared on the face of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Although I don't like that guy Inabi, a two-tomoe Sharingan can see through everything!"

"A jonin from the clan even gave him one-on-one instruction. At this age, it's hard for anyone to defeat the Sharingan..."

In the stands, Obito Uchiha began to explain the power of the Sharingan to Kakashi and the others beside him, and as he spoke, he pointed to his own eyes and declared loudly:

"As long as I can awaken my eyes, I'll surpass everyone in no time!"

"..."

On the field, the "Begin!" command from the Konoha jonin rang out, and the shuriken from Inabi Uchiha flew out immediately, heading straight for the vital points of Shu Furukawa.

Both were wearing black training uniforms, and the sight of sparks flying made the audience cheer excitedly:

"Oh!"

Kunai clashed repeatedly. Having activated his Sharingan from the very first moment, Inabi Uchiha was clearly very confident in his taijutsu; seizing an opportunity to create distance, he unleashed his first Talk no Jutsu:

"Strength of a Hundred? It has no effect in front of these eyes. I can see through all your movements!"

Inabi Uchiha, gripping his kunai with both hands, tried to force his opponent to look into his eyes. Just as he was about to launch another attack, Shu Furukawa in front of him suddenly vanished.

His pupils constricted sharply as he hurriedly raised his arms to block, but the force was far beyond his imagination. With a sharp pain in his chin and a spray of blood, he was kicked instantly into mid-air.

Dust rose from the ground as Shu Furukawa, having used the Rising Dragon Kick, vanished once more. In mid-air, Inabi Uchiha felt a sharp pain in his arm, followed by his entire body beginning to spin, forcing a scream from his lips:

"Ah!"

Seeing Inabi Uchiha spinning like a top and about to slam headfirst into the ground, the observing jonin immediately formed hand seals, turning the earth into a mud pit.

"Bang!"

He remained motionless, buried in the mud. The audience who witnessed this scene gasped in shock. The presiding jonin did not hesitate, looked at the boy beside him, and announced loudly:

"Winner! Shu Furukawa!"

"Yahoo!"

In the stands, Might Guy shouted excitedly, waving his fists and jumping up and down. The surrounding audience applauded repeatedly, while Kakashi looked at the wide-eyed Obito and replied simply:

"The eyes can see it, but the body can't keep up."

"Don't measure Shu with your own talent."

"..."