So-called Chunin? (Second Update)

Early in the morning, after finishing his breakfast, Gong Yi hurried to the academy.

After meticulously checking his shuriken, kunai, bandages, and the various ninja tools required for combat, Gong Yi patiently awaited the upcoming graduation examination.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The crisp sound of wooden sandals striking the stone floor echoed through the empty indoor training hall.

Gong Yi opened his eyes and saw Ishii Kawa, accompanied by several adults.

There were no high-ranking Konoha officials as he had imagined, nor did the Third Hokage descend in person to award him a forehead protector as he had done for Kakashi's graduation.

Yet, Gong Yi felt no disappointment; he was certain that there were plenty of people watching this battle from the shadows.

"You must be Gong Yi! I am Iga Kawaji, the proctor in charge of this examination. This is your opponent, Hirata Saburo!"

Gong Yi nodded in silence, his focus shifting entirely to Hirata Saburo.

Ishii Kawa whispered from the side, "Lord Iga is a formidable Jonin. Having him as the referee ensures that neither side will suffer a fatal injury."

Gong Yi let out a soft hum, feeling a sense of relief.

Judging by this, the village's high regard for him was already apparent.

The fact that they had dispatched a powerful Jonin just to act as a proctor for a graduation exam spoke volumes.

"Kid, I heard you were the one who requested a Chunin as your examination opponent?"

As Gong Yi looked toward his opponent, Hirata Saburo cast a dismissive glance in his direction.

"Listen here, kid, you need to understand that a Genin and a Chunin are entirely different concepts. If I lose control later and leave you crippled, it would be a real shame. I suggest you give up, or perhaps choose a Genin as your opponent instead! My time is very precious."

Gong Yi raised an eyebrow and said in a clear voice, "With Lord Iga here, I have no such concerns. On the contrary, I feel that for Senior Hirata to underestimate me before the fight has even begun does not quite align with the 'value every enemy' rule in the Ninja Handbook, does it?"

Hirata froze, momentarily at a loss for how to retort.

Iga Kawaji smiled slightly and waved his hand.

"Begin. First, perform the Seal of Confrontation!"

Just as the atmosphere in the indoor training hall grew tense and ready to erupt, the eyes of countless students and teachers throughout the academy were focused on this very spot.

The genius student who had held the title of top performer for three years was going to battle a Chunin today.

As long as his performance was deemed qualified, he would be allowed to graduate early.

In a sense, this battle was attracting even more attention than Kakashi's had back then.

After all, Kakashi's opponent at the time had merely been a Genin.

"Yugao, do you think Gong Yi can win?"

Kurenai Yuhi gripped Uzuki Yugao's arm, her small face filled with extreme nervousness.

Uzuki Yugao's eyes were also brimming with worry; she was one of Gong Yi's admirers and harbored a secret crush on him, for Gong Yi was simply that powerful.

His usual aloofness and diligent training, while perhaps a bit antisocial, only made him seem cooler to young girls.

After all, when someone is incredibly strong, everything they do is right.

That isn't called being antisocial; that's called being cold and elegant!

Uzuki Yugao whispered comfortingly, "He should be able to! No one knows just how much Gong Yi has grown over these past three years. At the very least, we can no longer see through him."

Kurenai Yuhi complained, "Why couldn't Gong Yi just wait one more year for us? Then we could have graduated together and formed a team!"

"He must have his own plans."

"I heard my mother say that the situation between the ninja villages is becoming increasingly severe. Ninjas have already begun killing each other in secret to sabotage missions. If Gong Yi goes out to perform missions now, it will be very dangerous."

Listening to Kurenai's worries, Uzuki Yugao couldn't help but knit her beautiful brows together.

Behind them, Asuma, Hayate Gekko, and the others were also whispering to one another.

"Why aren't they holding the match on the main field? Keeping it in the indoor training hall—are they afraid we'll see Gong Yi looking pathetic while getting beaten up by a Chunin?"

Hayate Gekko shook his head. "A ninja's strength is partly composed of intelligence. A battle exposed to others reveals a portion of a ninja's combat methods. The academy's arrangement is correct."

Asuma grumbled, "Hayate, why are you taking Gong Yi's side? Your childhood sweetheart Yugao doesn't even play with you anymore."

Hayate Gekko gave a light cough. "Those are two separate matters; they shouldn't be lumped together."

Under the gaze of many, within the stifling training hall, the battle was on the verge of breaking out!

"Kid, accept your defeat! I will make you realize the gap between a graduate and a veteran Chunin!"

With a loud shout, Hirata Saburo charged forward, kunai in hand.

His speed was fast!

However, Gong Yi's speed was faster!

Clang!

The kunai clashed violently, sending sparks flying.

Gong Yi sidestepped and threw a punch straight at Hirata Saburo's face, the wind whistling with the force of the blow.

"The kid is fast, but when it comes to raw power, how could you possibly compare to an adult!"

Hirata Saburo swung his fist without showing any weakness, colliding head-on with Gong Yi.

The moment they clashed, Hirata Saburo's expression changed drastically.

How is this possible? Where did such power come from!

After three years of training, Gong Yi's Gravity Technique had reached the tenfold level.

Combined with his own body weight of one hundred jin, he was effectively carrying a thousand jin at every waking moment.

Consequently, his strength had become even more terrifying!

A faint sound of bone cracking echoed; with just that single contact, Hirata Saburo suffered a significant injury.

Strike while the iron is hot!

Gong Yi swept his left leg horizontally. Hirata blocked instinctively, but the immense force behind the blow forced a muffled grunt from him.

He retreated in a hurry, staring at Gong Yi with a dark expression.

This brat is no simple opponent!

He had intended to finish him off using only taijutsu, but it seemed he would have to resort to more extreme measures.

Gong Yi flexed his wrists. He was still under the ten-fold gravity of his daily training, making his body feel incredibly heavy.

However, once he released the Gravity Technique, his strength would skyrocket—both in power and speed.

At the very least, in terms of taijutsu, he was not inferior to the level of a Jonin.

Of course, this was one of his trump cards, and he wasn't about to reveal it so soon.

As a veteran Chunin, Hirata Saburo must still have plenty of tricks up his sleeve!

Gong Yi thought to himself, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.