Team Tsunade Swept the Top Three!

Nagano Aka didn't dare move. His throat bobbed as that icy, razor-sharp aura prickled his skin and sent cold sweat streaming down his face.

"I surrender, I surrender! I lose!"

Nagano Aka raised both hands high and conceded at once, his face full of dismay.

He'd known this would happen. How could a civilian ninja like him possibly beat a clan ninja?

That incredible kunai-throwing technique alone was already far beyond him, to say nothing of the advanced ninjutsu she'd mastered, the Shadow Clone Technique...

Nagano Aka's face crumpled. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt.

"First match: Mikoto Uchiha wins!"

The second match was between two other examinees.

Team Tsunade watched their fight from upstairs. Well, how to put it...

It was a very traditional Genin battle.

They tested each other with kunai and shuriken, traded Taijutsu blows, made clever use of the Three Basic Techniques and smoke bombs to create openings, then pulled out their trump-card ninjutsu to win.

To Uchiha Chonhua, it was a fight between two amateurs.

But to Nagano Aka, who'd already been eliminated, it was a high-level battle. He watched, utterly absorbed, comparing their moves with his own and learning from their experience.

After a "fierce" battle, the two were left panting, their gazes fixed on each other with complicated emotions.

"Liuzang!"

"Koji!"

They roared and swung friendship-fueled punches straight at each other's faces.

With a dull thud, both were struck and sent flying. They landed unconscious on the ground.

"Uh..."

Uchiha Chonhua stared speechlessly at the arena. You two are really fired up.

The chief examiner froze for a moment, then checked on them and raised a hand to announce the result.

"Both are eliminated!"

No one present had expected a fight to end in a double knockout.

Their instructors came into the arena, faces dark, and carried their students away.

What lucky draws they'd gotten. Their opponents weren't Uchiha or Hyuga.

At least one of them should've made it to the next round, their instructors had thought. And this was what they got—a double knockout?

You two get along so well. Why'd you fight so viciously?

The instructors didn't understand, but they were deeply shaken!

There was no way they could stay in this humiliating place. The instructors took the two examinees and left the High Tower at once.

That left only the final pair.

Uchiha Chonhua and Hizashi Hyuga exchanged a glance, then jumped into the arena together.

Mikoto Uchiha called down from upstairs, "Good luck, Chonhua! Hizashi!"

"Uchiha Chonhua versus Hizashi Hyuga. Begin!"

As the chief examiner's voice fell, Uchiha Chonhua and Hizashi Hyuga formed the Seal of Confrontation.

Veins bulged along Hizashi Hyuga's temples as his Byakugan opened. Its powerful vision pierced through Uchiha Chonhua's body, bringing the locations of his chakra points into view.

He spread his arms like a great bird and settled into a focused stance.

Uchiha Chonhua was already within the Byakugan's sight.

"Ha!"

Hizashi Hyuga gave a low shout and stepped forward to attack. His arm swept out, and two fingers shot forward in a sudden jab!

Uchiha Chonhua didn't take on the same stance. He stood there lazily, looking wide open at first glance.

As Hizashi Hyuga closed in and was about to jab at his chakra points,

Uchiha Chonhua moved. Faster than his opponent, he thrust out both hands like a pair of dragons and seized Hizashi Hyuga's wrists, locking both hands in his grip.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, seated in the stands, praised the move. Hizashi Hyuga had launched into his Gentle Fist quickly; if his opponent couldn't stop him, a strike to the chakra points would disrupt his chakra flow.

Once the chakra flow faltered and the body stiffened, a storm of rapid strikes would follow.

This was the Hyuga Clan's signature Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

Hizashi Hyuga's strikes were fast, but Uchiha Chonhua was faster. He'd taken control of the exchange and disrupted his opponent's opening move.

He hadn't landed a single palm yet, and his rhythm was already broken.

Seeing this, Hizashi Hyuga quickly changed tactics.

His pointed fingers turned into two palms that thrust forward.

Uchiha Chonhua raised an eyebrow, dug in his foot, and leaped up using Hizashi Hyuga's wrists for support.

Boom!

The wall behind him exploded, sending stones flying.

Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!

Had Hizashi Hyuga already mastered the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm? That was news to Uchiha Chonhua.

He'd been holding back.

"Hiss."

Uchiha Chonhua suddenly frowned and released Hizashi Hyuga's wrists. He looked down at his hands, where tiny beads of blood were welling up.

Hizashi Hyuga's wrists had suddenly bristled with something like needles.

Had he turned his chakra outward into needles?

Seeing Uchiha Chonhua look at his wrists, Hizashi Hyuga explained, "I have you to thank for the pointers on shape transformation. This is what I've figured out: turning chakra into needles."

Hizashi Hyuga's usually expressionless mouth suddenly curled into a grin. He glanced at Uchiha Chonhua's hands, his tone teasing. "Surprised? Getting pricked by needles doesn't feel very good, does it?"

"It doesn't feel great."

A verdant glow spread over Uchiha Chonhua's palms. He pressed his hands together and rubbed them. The blood disappeared, and the tiny punctures healed in an instant.

"Here I come, Hizashi!"

Chapter 50: Team Tsunade Swept the Top Three!

Hizashi Hyuga swung a palm.

Chakra compressed the air and shot forward like a cannon blast.

Uchiha Chonhua dodged to the side. The space behind him exploded, and the blast sent his hair flying.

When his first strike missed, Hizashi Hyuga fired off a series of Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palms.

Uchiha Chonhua swayed left and right, dodging every attack as he walked toward his opponent one step at a time.

Seeing Chonhua approach with such an easy stride, Hizashi Hyuga furrowed his brow. He remembered his opponent's exceptional sensory abilities and knew that the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm couldn't bring him down.

He would have to close the distance and use the Eight Trigrams Palm to seal Chonhua's chakra points.

Hizashi Hyuga launched another Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, following close behind it as he charged at Uchiha Chonhua.

Uchiha Chonhua shifted slightly and slipped past the attack, making no attempt to dodge the fingers thrusting toward him.

Hizashi Hyuga was confused. Was he really leaving himself wide open like that?

The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist was different from Strong Fist. It dealt its damage internally. Though it looked soft, its strikes could severely damage the internal organs.

What's more, the Hyuga had the Byakugan, which let them see the locations of their enemies' chakra points. A finger thrust could inject the user's chakra and block the opponent's chakra pathways.

That would disrupt the flow of chakra, leaving the opponent unable to use their techniques and with no way to fight back.

Uchiha Chonhua knew all this. So why was he blatantly letting Hizashi do as he pleased...?

Hizashi Hyuga suddenly stopped and watched him warily.

"Why'd you suddenly stop?"

Uchiha Chonhua smiled, but that smile made Hizashi Hyuga's heart tighten. Something was definitely up.

He watched Uchiha Chonhua slowly raise his right hand, keeping his chakra ready. If anything seemed wrong, he would use Rotation to defend himself.

Hiss!

A flash of light suddenly appeared. Hizashi Hyuga's eyes widened as he stared at his left shoulder in shock. A blade of lightning, condensed into a sword, had slashed through his white robe.

It hadn't cut into his flesh, but Hizashi Hyuga swallowed, now sweating profusely.

So fast! He hadn't even reacted before the lightning blade appeared by his neck. If they'd been enemies, and that strike had gone straight for his heart...

The thought filled Hizashi Hyuga with even more dread.

"You used shape transformation on the Chidori?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes lit up. He knew that Uchiha Chonhua had created the Chidori; when he'd first heard about it, he'd been shocked.

For someone so young to create a ninjutsu of his own had once again changed Sarutobi Hiruzen's understanding of Uchiha Chonhua's talent. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help marveling: Young people these days are something else.

He hadn't expected Uchiha Chonhua to surprise him again by adding shape transformation to nature transformation.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had studied countless techniques. As soon as he saw the lightning blade, he realized that this probably wasn't the only variation Uchiha Chonhua had developed from the Chidori.

"Chidori Current: Chidori Sharp Spear."

Uchiha Chonhua calmly announced the name of the technique.

He smiled at Hizashi Hyuga. "I have chakra needles too. Why don't you give them a try, Hizashi?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Uchiha Chonhua flicked his right hand. The Chidori Sharp Spear shattered, turning into a barrage of Lightning Release Chakra needles that shot toward Hizashi Hyuga.

"Chidori Current: Eight Direction Needles!"

Hizashi Hyuga broke out in goose bumps. Chakra needles filled the space around him, prickling his skin.

He quickly spread his arms and spun, releasing a surge of chakra.

"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin!"

His chakra formed a curtain that deflected every chakra needle. The clanging rang out without end, like metal striking metal.

"Chakra as solid as that, no different from kunai. It must take incredible control."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his mustache and glanced at Tsunade, who was watching the arena without blinking.

That level of chakra control was the result of learning Medical Ninjutsu under Tsunade.

Facing Hizashi Hyuga's turtle-shell defense, Uchiha Chonhua chose to meet it head-on.

He raised his right hand. A violent gust sprang up, and a basketball-sized sphere formed in an instant.

"Big Ball Rasengan!"

Uchiha Chonhua raised the Big Ball Rasengan and slammed it down against the impregnable wall of Rotation!

Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the action.

So that was Chonhua's other offensive technique, and it didn't require hand seals.

He wanted to crack open Uchiha Chonhua's skull and see how he'd come up with the Chidori and the Rasengan.

Even to Sarutobi Hiruzen, with his vast experience, both techniques were at least A-rank in difficulty to learn!

Boom!

The Big Ball Rasengan smashed into the Rotation and broke through it.

Hizashi Hyuga staggered back several steps. In the end, he couldn't withstand the force and dropped to the ground with a slap.

Hizashi Hyuga shook his head. The thunderous blast had left him dazed for a moment, and he felt dizzy.