Might Guy's overwhelming victory drew the eyes of most of the students.
Their spirits, which had flagged after seeing how strong the examiners were, surged with confidence again.
"Hmph. Show-off. Just wait till you see what I can do," Obito muttered.
He still remembered the kick Guy had thrown during their earlier fight.
As if defeating an examiner were nothing worth mentioning, Guy calmly walked out of the white circle.
Fugaku smiled. Guy had yet to be swept up in Might Duy's hot-blooded passion for youth, so he still had a somewhat cool air about him.
But judging by the way Guy was developing, he would probably change completely within a year or two.
Not everyone could endure such grueling training. Guy's transformation was partly due to Might Duy's guidance.
The other part was that only by staying optimistic and passionate could he keep up that inhuman training year after year.
The matches continued below. Some students passed; others failed.
Konoha had developed rapidly over the past few years, and its policies were bearing fruit. The Ninja Academy had more students, including plenty of talented ones.
One Ninja after another caught the crowd's attention, among them Asuma Sarutobi and Ibiki Morino.
Ebisu fought his examiner to a draw and barely passed.
The hall buzzed with noise. Every outstanding student drew attention and sparked loud discussion.
In the arena, Kakashi stood inside the white circle, his face masked and his expression cool.
Obito came over and shouted, "Show-off Kakashi! You'd better do your best!"
Kakashi had only just put on that cool expression, and already he wanted to cover his face. His mouth twitched beneath his mask, but he kept his gaze fixed on the examiner across from him and ignored Obito.
"Fourth-year student Kakashi Hatake. Identity confirmed. The examination begins."