Before long, afternoon arrived.
Lin Ze went through three matches in the meantime. One opponent was a classmate who chose to surrender outright. Unlike the students from other classes, he knew how strong Lin Ze was.
As for the other two opponents from other classes, Lin Ze held back a little for a while before finishing each with a single move.
He did not need to unleash much strength at all. He practically steamrolled them.
With just one more win, Lin Ze would qualify for tomorrow's finals.
This prompted a chorus of amazement.
"He's so strong."
"Yeah, Lin Ze's taijutsu is ridiculous. Could he already be as strong as a chunin?"
The other students at the first arena all wore shocked expressions.
Even the examiner and the few ANBU stationed there looked struck by the strength Lin Ze displayed, a hint of approval in their expressions.
Kurenai Yuhi watched with sparkling eyes, utterly excited and happy.
Before long, Lin Ze's last match arrived.
"Lin Ze of Class B versus Ryota Uchiha of Class B!"
Hearing the referee announce his opponent's name, Lin Ze's lips curled into a faint, teasing smile.
Finally... I've been waiting for this. Lin Ze brushed both hands over his head, murmuring inwardly. The searing pain from the assessment arena three months ago seemed to sweep across his arm once more.
He was no saint who repaid malice with kindness. He had long wanted an opportunity to have a "nice chat" with someone who had nearly killed him with a Great Fireball and shown no remorse whatsoever.
He simply had not found a suitable opportunity before, and he had needed to hide his strength. Now, though... collecting a little interest within reasonable limits while testing a new "skill" was an opportunity straight from heaven.
Across from him, Ryota Uchiha's heart sank, and his face instantly paled a little.
His brother Ghost Fire's words still echoed in his ears: "That Lin Ze is no ordinary kid. His taijutsu could very well be close to chunin level. If you face him in the assessment, you'd best surrender outright rather than suffer for it..."
Watching Lin Ze breeze through several consecutive victories, making it all look effortless, had already left Ryota Uchiha's Uchiha pride teetering on the brink.
Only now, when he actually had to face him, did he truly understand that his brother's warning was not unfounded.
Especially with the way Lin Ze looked at him, cold yet mocking, like a cat watching a mouse beneath its claws. It sent a chill rising from the depths of his heart.
Damn it... how did I actually end up facing him?! Ryota Uchiha screamed inwardly.
Standing at the edge of the ring, his expression kept shifting. Fortunately, Uchiha honor ultimately overcame his fear, and he steeled himself and stepped into the ring.
The two took their places in the center of the arena.
"Let's have a good match." Lin Ze's tone was flat, betraying no emotion.
"Hmph! Cut the chatter!" Ryota Uchiha replied with a show of bravado, then flicked both hands first. Several shuriken whistled through the air toward Lin Ze as he tried to seize the initiative.
It was the same precise Uchiha Style shurikenjutsu, cutting off Lin Ze's room to dodge to either side.
Yet no matter how Lin Ze looked at it, it did not seem up to the standard Ryota had shown against Genma Shiranui earlier.
After all, Ryota Uchiha was someone who could use the C-rank ninjutsu Great Fireball at just six years old.
Though he could not compare to Uchiha Itachi, who could use the Great Fireball at four, he was definitely a genius among his peers. As long as he developed steadily, he was sure to become an Uchiha jōnin later on.
Ryota Uchiha had already won three matches in a row today, including his tough fight against Genma Shiranui that morning. Getting this far was certainly no fluke.
Yet Lin Ze kept sensing a helpless sort of panic in this volley of shuriken.
Without giving it any more thought, Lin Ze swayed his upper body slightly, like willow branches stirring in the wind, easily avoiding every attack by a hair's breadth.
"Is that all?" Lin Ze chuckled. "It's been three months, and you haven't improved at all? Looks like the Uchiha Clan's shurikenjutsu isn't as amazing as the stories say."
"Y-you!" At those words, Ryota Uchiha's face instantly flushed red, and he even began to stammer.
Then, as though he had completely forgotten his fear amid his shame and anger, Ryota Uchiha roared and charged, driving his fist straight at Lin Ze's face.
Lin Ze neither dodged nor evaded, throwing a punch of his own.
Bam!
Their fists collided, with exactly the same result as three months ago-only worse.
Ryota Uchiha felt an irresistible force surge from the opposing fist. His finger bones felt ready to crack, and his entire arm went numb. Crying out in pain, he staggered backward repeatedly, nearly landing on his backside.
"Your taijutsu is still just as lousy." Lin Ze shook his head, his tone full of disappointment.
Some spectators at the edge of the arena were already unable to hold back their cries of surprise.
"Whoa! He knocked the Uchiha back with one punch!"
"Lin Ze's strength is terrifying!"
"That Ryota Uchiha is no match for him at all..."
Kurenai Yuhi clenched her fists, her little face full of excitement. Seeing Ryōta's sorry state, she felt a faint twinge of pity, but it quickly vanished when she remembered how viciously he had attacked Lin Ze back then.
With a senbon between his lips, Genma Shiranui narrowed his eyes slightly. "Tsk, the gap's too big. That Uchiha kid's in for a world of trouble." Beside him, Ibiki Morino silently nodded.
Asuma had a grass root between his lips that he had pulled from who knew where. He snorted. Though he disliked Lin Ze, he disliked Ryota Uchiha's arrogance even more and was happy to watch him suffer.
Over several consecutive taijutsu exchanges, Ryota Uchiha could not even touch the hem of Lin Ze's clothes. Instead, seemingly casual slaps, trips, and shoves sent him tumbling into the dirt, drawing waves of snickers from the spectators.
Ryota Uchiha felt like a child being toyed with by an adult. Every move he made was laughably slow and riddled with openings in his opponent's eyes.
"Damn it! You asked for this!"
Ryota Uchiha retreated several steps and rapidly formed hand seals again.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
An enormous fireball appeared once more, hurtling toward Lin Ze with scorching heat. This fireball was considerably stronger than the one during the class combat assessment, both in size and density. Clearly, he had practiced plenty over these three months, too.
"Ryōta's using that move again!"
"Isn't that against the rules?! That kind of ninjutsu is banned in the assessment!"
"Isn't the teacher going to stop him?"
The referee frowned deeply and was just about to intervene.
But Lin Ze smiled. He had been waiting a long time for this moment.
"Oh? A Great Fireball?" Lin Ze's voice reached everyone's ears clearly. "What a coincidence. Someone happened to teach me a little of that, too... Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Under everyone's astonished gazes, Lin Ze formed hand seals as well, his movements even smoother and more precise than Ryota Uchiha's.
The next moment, flames even fiercer and hotter, their color even faintly tinged with blue-green, erupted from his mouth!
Before you continue