Naka Shrine

The twenty members quickly split into two groups. Everyone knew Fugaku Uchiha well.

Word of his exploits in the Land of Rain had begun to spread through the village: first, he had gravely wounded Yellow Rock and killed Kurokawa; more recently, he had joined forces with Hatake Sakumo to kill Zebon, a senior Iwagakure official.

Konoha owed much of its current position to Fugaku Uchiha. The men knew how strong he was. A chance to show what they could do before him and receive a pointer or two would be a stroke of luck.

The first match pitted Kawabe Shozo against Kenta.

The two stepped into the field and faced each other, their eyes locked. Both looked determined. They might not have been especially strong, but they already had the mindset of qualified ninja.

They moved almost at the same instant. Kawabe Shozo thrust his kunai forward, his feet shifting constantly to avoid Kenta's attacks.

Kenta kept his eyes on Kawabe Shozo's kunai. Their blades clashed, and the sharp ring of metal echoed across the Training Ground as they traded blows.

The fight was fierce, but Fugaku and the other two found little to hold their interest. From the angles of attack to the speed of each strike, both men left themselves wide open.

Fugaku felt that any of his three disciples could defeat them. These ninja had never received specialized training; much of what they knew, they had worked out on their own.

Many had earned merit through a flash of inspiration in battle, then been promoted to Chunin by the senior officials. That was the story of most Civilian Ninja in Konoha.

After more than ten exchanges without a clear winner, Fugaku stopped the match and pointed out some of their shortcomings.

The sparring continued. Fugaku and Hatake