Pulling Punches

The second class-versus-class battle concluded as scheduled.

Team 7's opponents were Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu.

Although Obito nearly arrived late again and got knocked flat by a kick from Might Guy after choking on candy during the match, Team 7 ultimately won and advanced successfully.

As for their opponents, Might Guy and the other two also advanced by special exception due to their outstanding performance.

This was mainly because Team 7's main force was Kakashi, who was already a Chunin. If Might Guy's team lost their Chunin qualification simply because Kakashi defeated them, it would have been unfair.

The third exam would be an individual tournament, held in the Training Ground inside the central tower of the Forest of Death.

It would take place a month later, giving the examinees ample time to rest and prepare.

It was rare for Toru to have a month without missions. He trained with Kurenai every day, mainly helping her improve her combat skills.

A month was not enough to learn much, but it could still raise their strength a little.

That month, Uchiha Obito became the most hardworking person in the entire Uchiha Training Ground.

Whenever Toru and Kurenai returned to their quarters after training, they would see Obito practicing fundamentals like shuriken, Fire Release, and taijutsu in the Training Ground.

Only when Toru asked did he learn that Obito had been one-shot by Might Guy. He was working so hard to wipe away that humiliation.

It made sense. Might Guy had been dead last at the Ninja Academy, while Obito had at least been second to last.

Now, Might Guy was strong enough to one-shot Obito. Though carelessness had played a part, it was still not easy for Obito to accept mentally.

The month passed quickly, and Obito set off with confidence.

Toru happened to pass by, so the two headed for Training Ground No. 44 together.

On the way, Toru and Obito parted ways. One went to find Kurenai and Asuma, while the other went to find Rin and Kakashi.

At the center of the Forest of Death stood a towering structure.

Inside the tower, the Third Hokage waited for the examinees with several Jonin examiners.

"These students are Konoha's future. These new leaves will carry the Will of Fire forward once more."

Sarutobi Hiruzen smoothly launched into his usual speech about the Will of Fire.

The Jonin beside him all chimed in agreement.

This ideology was deeply rooted in Konoha, but Toru had little interest in it.

Perhaps it was because Toru had developed a mature and independent way of thinking from a young age, one that had not been cultivated in the environment of the so-called Will of Fire.

Toru and the other examinees arrived at the Training Ground.

Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately began a long-winded, stirring speech before them.

Toru pretended to listen attentively from below, but in truth, he was distractedly using the Six Eyes to observe the testing ground.

Though the arena was indoors, it was exceptionally spacious.

Both its length, width, and ceiling height were more than enough to accommodate ninja combat.

At the very front of the arena stood a massive statue making a hand seal, symbolizing that this was a Training Ground for ninja.

Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking.

Everyone present then completed the first round of drawing lots.

This individual tournament followed an elimination-and-advancement format. Whether one advanced to Chunin would be decided based on final ranking and performance.

Toru was unexpectedly assigned to the first match, against Genma Shiranui from Might Guy's team.

Genma Shiranui had also ranked among the better students at the Ninja Academy.

Though he could not compare to Toru and Kakashi, and was somewhat inferior to Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai, he was still among the top students in his class.

His grades were about on par with Mitarashi Anko and Gekko Hayate's, placing him within the top ten of the class.

Genma wore a blue headscarf and a black-and-gray jacket. His brown hair hung loose, and he had a lazy air about him. A slender senbon, like a toothpick, rested between his lips.

What terrible luck. Looks like I'll go down here.

Genma's eyes drooped with the same dead-fish look as Kakashi's, and he had already lost heart.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other examiners went up to the second-floor viewing platform, while the other examinees also headed upstairs to wait for their turns.

Shikaku was the one left behind to serve as the examiner.

Shikaku announced that the match was about to begin, and Genma was just about to surrender outright.

Then Might Guy shouted from above, "Genma! Keep it up! For our youth!!!"

Those words froze Genma's half-raised hand in place. He could only scratch his head to ease the awkwardness.

"Nothing to do about it. A loss is a loss."

Genma decided to go all out regardless.

Using the Six Eyes, Toru judged Genma Shiranui's strength to be roughly equal to Mitarashi Anko's.

However, Anko was Orochimaru's disciple, while Genma did not have such excellent instruction.

So Genma could be considered something of a talent.

Toru therefore decided to pull his punches in this match and give Genma some room to show what he could do.

After all, the Hokage, Minato, and many others were watching from above. It would both give Genma a chance to shine and help establish Toru's image as someone kind to others.

"Begin."

At Shikaku's command, the third round of the Chunin Exams, the individual tournament, officially began.

Genma Shiranui immediately discarded his lazy demeanor. Kunai in hand, he quickly put distance between himself and Toru.

The two remained locked in a standoff for a long while. When Toru did not budge, Genma chose to make the first move.

He suddenly spat out the senbon in his mouth, attacking Toru with lightning speed.

But he was not finished. Genma rapidly formed hand seals, and the single senbon instantly multiplied.

Ninja Art: Senbon Rain!

Toru saw at a glance that this move had been created using the principles of the Shadow Clone Technique.

Although the Limitless Technique meant he did not need to dodge an attack of this level, Toru still did.

He took several steps back, formed hand seals, and used the Great Fireball Technique to block every senbon raining down from above.

The senbon, heated red-hot by the flames, fell one after another. The fireball continued toward Genma, though it was not moving very fast.

Genma easily dodged to the side, puzzled.

Genma keenly sensed that Toru was pulling his punches.

Whatever your reason, thanks.

Genma darted to one side, then charged at Toru with a kunai in hand.

Toru reached into his Ninja Tool Pouch and threw shuriken one after another.

Genma knocked each of them aside, only to discover that thin wires were tied to the shuriken and pulled them back.

Genma had no choice but to halt his advance. He turned with his kunai in hand, repeatedly dodging and blocking in place before finally weathering that wave of attacks.

Toru then fired a kunai at Genma's back.

Genma escaped with the Substitution Technique.

After that exchange, Genma was already breathing hard, while Toru remained remarkably relaxed.

Genma's admiration for Toru's strength deepened.

If Toru had simply defeated him, that would only have shown that Toru was strong.

But Toru had restrained his strength precisely to the limit of what Genma could handle. That not only showed Toru's unfathomable power, but also his exceptional judgment.

If that last kunai had been even a little faster, Genma would have been injured.

Genma formed a hand seal and created a clone.

This was not an ordinary Clone Technique, but the Shadow Clone Technique.

Genma and his shadow clone charged forward again with kunai in hand.

Toru leaped into the air and unleashed Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson.

A barrage of fiery shuriken swept down. Genma displayed extraordinarily nimble reflexes, weaving back and forth through them alongside his shadow clone.

The shadow clone crouched down, and Genma stepped onto its shoulders. Together, they launched the original body into the air.

Genma and Toru exchanged blows briefly in midair.

In the end, Toru landed below, while Genma was kicked flying.

Yet before either of them hit the ground, they formed hand seals at the same time.

Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Jutsu!

Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!

The two ninjutsu sounded very similar, but one was a B-rank technique and the other a C-rank technique. The gap between them was enormous.

The Great Dragon Flame Jutsu gathered a large amount of Chakra into a flaming dragon before releasing it, while the Dragon Flame Jutsu merely unleashed a high-speed line of fire at the enemy.

The two collided, erupting into flames that shot skyward.

The Great Dragon Flame Jutsu instantly broke through the Dragon Flame Jutsu and surged toward Genma.

Fortunately, Genma landed in time and dodged the scorching fire dragon above him.

But then Toru burst from the flames, Rasengan raised in his hand, and destroyed Genma's shadow clone in a single strike.

Seeing this, Genma rushed forward to engage Toru.

But when the flames cleared, another Toru appeared on the field. The first one had actually been Toru's shadow clone.

Toru and his shadow clone attacked from both front and back, and Genma was quickly defeated.