The Third Stage of the Chunin Ninja Exams

The wind was blowing, but Kikyo Castle's arena was especially lively. The first match of the third stage of the Chunin Ninja Exams, Naruto Uzumaki versus Shikamaru Nara, had begun.

Sasuke stood on the viewing platform above the preparation area, his eyes fixed on the arena. Over the past month, he had trained with Kakashi, and his strength had improved by leaps and bounds.

He had also asked Kakashi about Naruto. Kakashi told him that Naruto had a new teacher as well and said there was no need to worry.

"Naruto, let me see just how much you've improved under Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin!" Sasuke glanced at Gaara, his own opponent. He was not worried about Naruto's battle with Shikamaru at all.

The battle began!

Naruto charged forward without hesitation, moving so fast that even Shikamaru was startled.

"What? He isn't using Shadow Clones to probe me first?"

Shikamaru was surprised by Naruto's reaction. He had watched Naruto fight before and knew he could use the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Shikamaru had assumed Naruto would create a huge number of Shadow Clones and confuse him among them, but Naruto had rushed straight at him so recklessly.

Shadow Imitation Technique!

Shikamaru formed hand seals, and his shadow suddenly stretched out, buzzing as it extended toward Naruto.

Whoosh!

Naruto moved quickly and threw a kunai beneath Shikamaru.

Shikamaru's pupils trembled as he retreated. The kunai embedded itself in the ground, interrupting his jutsu, and Naruto was already before him, driving a hard punch into his abdomen.

Shikamaru grunted in pain. The instant agony spread throughout his body, and he fell to the ground.

Naruto picked up the kunai from the ground, put it back into his ninja tool pouch, and smiled slightly at Shikamaru lying there.

Gritting his teeth, Shikamaru took out a kunai of his own, attached to an Explosive Tag, and flung it at Naruto.

Naruto tilted his head slightly, caught the kunai Shikamaru had thrown, spun around, and hurled it aside.

Boom!

The Explosive Tag detonated. Taking advantage of the moment, Shikamaru widened the distance between them and ran swiftly into the small woods in the arena.

"Not bad at adapting, huh? But Shikamaru, I know exactly what you're thinking!" Naruto gathered a Rasengan in his palm, raised it high, and continued enlarging it.

"Rasengan? Why is Naruto using the Rasengan now?" Sakura asked in surprise from the stands. What puzzled her more was why Naruto had not yet used the Shadow Clone Jutsu he was best at.

"That is...?" Kakashi revealed his Sharingan in astonishment.

Sasuke, Gaara, and the others watched in shock.

The Rasengan in Naruto's hand grew larger and larger as fine Wind-Nature Chakra slowly gathered within it.

Naruto still could not properly condense Wind-Nature Chakra with its nature transformation into the Rasengan, but it had already taken on the beginnings of a Rasenshuriken. This technique had a name as well.

Wind Release: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!

Naruto swung his arm fiercely toward Shikamaru's location, throwing the Wind Release: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan straight at him!

"He actually threw the Rasengan!" Sakura cried in astonishment.

Ino covered her mouth in surprise. Naruto had become much stronger over the past month. At this rate, wouldn't Shikamaru lose? None of Shikamaru's strategies had managed to come into play during the battle.

"What?!" Shikamaru could not believe it. He hurriedly jumped down from the tree and fled the woods at top speed.

Boom...

The Wind Release: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan exploded instantly. Naruto formed more Wind Release Rasenngans in both hands and continuously threw them at Shikamaru.

Boom! Boom...

Wind Release Rasenngans exploded all around him. This technique was a prototype of the Rasenshuriken. Its power was far inferior to the Rasenshuriken, and it did not possess the Rasenshuriken's cutting ability born of Wind-Nature Chakra's nature transformation.

Its power was weaker, but the side effects of the Wind Release Rasenshuriken were gone as well. It had become a practical long-range ninjutsu Naruto could use now.

As for how much chakra it consumed, did Naruto even care?

Shikamaru dodged in a miserable state, not daring to stop for even a moment. "Naruto actually has a technique like this. My strategy of luring him in is completely useless. I can only take the initiative and attack."

While evading Naruto's attacks, he took a smoke bomb from his ninja tool pouch, made a wide circuit around the arena, returned to the small woods Naruto had blasted into pieces earlier, and slammed it onto the ground.

Bang!

Smoke spread through the area. Naruto frowned slightly and stopped what he was doing.

When the smoke cleared, Shikamaru had vanished, leaving only a wreckage of broken trees behind.

"He didn't come out. Did he hide in there using the Transformation Technique? Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto formed hand seals and created a Shadow Clone, while his real body began making a wide circuit. The entire arena had been arranged to resemble a ninja battlefield, with not only small woods but also patches of grass.

Naruto's Shadow Clone gathered Wind Release Rasenngans in both hands and kept throwing them ahead as it advanced.

Broken trees, stones, roots—almost everything within its line of sight was blasted once by Naruto's Shadow Clone using Wind Release Rasenngans.

"He's not here? He isn't here?" Naruto's Shadow Clone said in surprise as it approached the field of scattered wood chips.

Suddenly, Naruto's Shadow Clone spotted the deep crater created earlier by the Wind Release: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan. Its expression changed, and its entire body stiffened.

Shikamaru Nara emerged slowly from the crater after undoing his Transformation Technique. His shadow was connected to Naruto's Shadow Clone's shadow.

Shikamaru rubbed his forehead, wiped away his sweat, and said lazily, "Whew... the Shadow Imitation Technique worked. I'm exhausted. Catching you, Naruto, really wasn't easy!"

"You transformed into a rock and hid in the crater I blasted out earlier!" Naruto's Shadow Clone said.

"That's right. Getting hit by your ninjutsu wouldn't feel good. Now the outcome has been decided!"

"Yeah, it has been decided!"

Shikamaru's pupils trembled. He felt a cool, faint touch at the back of his neck.

Naruto had appeared behind him with a kunai in hand, holding it against him.

The Shadow Clone Shikamaru had immobilized with the Shadow Imitation Technique chuckled and dispersed into smoke.

"I lost, Naruto. Ino was right—you've changed a lot. I gave it everything I had, but there was really nothing I could do. I lost to you!" Shikamaru said frankly.

Genma Shiranui announced, "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"

Naruto put away his kunai and waved to the audience, drawing a burst of enthusiastic applause.

Hiruzen Sarutobi praised, "Naruto has improved so much! And that boy named Shikamaru has reached the required standard as well!"

"Hmph, Lord Hokage, let's continue the matches," the Fourth Kazekage said, glaring angrily at Naruto in the arena.

After Naruto advanced to the next round, the second match was Kankuro versus Shino Aburame.

However, Sunagakure had come to Konoha for the Chunin Ninja Exams with another purpose in mind. Kankuro did not want to reveal his strength for what was to come, so he forfeited directly. Shino Aburame advanced, and the third match would be Temari versus Neji Hyuga.