Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, the referee, Gekkō Hayate, swept his arm down and announced the start. Naruto and Sasuke moved almost simultaneously.
Bang! Bang!
The two figures collided like arrows loosed from a bow. Their fierce taijutsu exchange instantly made everyone swallow the words on their lips.
"So fast!"
Even their simple exchanges of punches and kicks unleashed gusts that sent dust flying across the ground.
Standing nearby, Gekkō Hayate could clearly feel the sharp currents sweeping across his cheeks and tugging at his clothes.
Were these really just two Genin-level rookies fighting?
A dense series of dull impacts rang out from the center of the arena, like beans popping in a pan.
For the moment, Naruto and Sasuke were evenly matched in taijutsu. Neither could get the better of the other.
The high-level offense and defense made even Rock Lee, the taijutsu fanatic in the stands, nod repeatedly. "Both of them have reached an astonishing level in taijutsu!"
"Even that Dead Last's taijutsu has improved this much?"
Though Rock Lee sounded surprised, his eyes burned with passion. This only reinforced his conviction: with enough effort, even a dead last could catch up to a so-called genius.
Sasuke was an acknowledged genius, while Naruto was the acknowledged Dead Last.
Yet now, neither could pull ahead of the other.
Ino covered her mouth and gasped. "They're so strong! It's like they've both become completely different people!"
Sakura looked equally stunned. "Even Naruto has quietly become so strong that all we can do is look up to him?"
Shikamaru scratched his head, already feeling troubled. "They're unexpectedly difficult to deal with! Good thing neither of those lunatics is my opponent!"
Shino adjusted his sunglasses and spoke in a low voice. "But isn't there an even more frightening monster among