[ A/N: Hey everyone!
This chapter covered the next four fights—kept them short and snappy to highlight the differences in strength, personality, and strategy. I wanted each battle to feel unique, even with less screen time.
Let me know if you feel they were too quick or if you wanted more depth in any fight. Your comments seriously motivate me more than five cups of chakra-laced coffee ☕💥
Also, about the chapter frequency—unless I hear otherwise, I'll stick to 1 chapter per day. So if you have a preference, don't ghost me! Drop a comment. 😤
Thanks for sticking with me on this ninja rollercoaster! Your support means a ton. ❤️ ]
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Fifth Match — Sasuke Uchiha vs. Zaku Abumi
The air was still as both fighters stepped onto the battlefield.
On one side stood Sasuke—quiet, collected, cold. His gaze was sharp, unreadable.
Opposite him, Zaku grinned cockily. He cracked his knuckles, both arms bandaged from earlier injuries. But his pride? Still loud. Still burning.
Above them, Hayate spoke—his voice soft but decisive.
"Begin."
Zaku moved first—reckless, confident. "I'll blow you away!" he shouted, raising his arms.
The air trembled as he unleashed a shockwave from his palms. Sonic air bullets screamed through the air.
But Sasuke was already gone.
A blur of black. A flicker of motion. Zaku blinked—and Sasuke was behind him.
The crowd gasped.
A single strike to the ribs—precise, painful. Zaku stumbled, coughing.
Sasuke didn't stop.
Another hit. Then another.
He didn't say a word. His fists spoke for him.
Zaku tried to push back, unleashing a blast again—but this time, Sasuke leapt into the air, flipping behind him. His Sharingan spun to life—blood-red, deadly.
Sasuke landed.
Then, silence.
He dropped into a stance that sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Shishi Rendan."
Lion's Barrage.
He struck upward with a kick to Zaku's chin—lifting him into the air.
In an instant, Sasuke appeared behind him, spinning like a storm.
A fury of kicks, elbows, and brutal strikes slammed into Zaku's body midair.
Then came the final blow—an earth-shattering heel drop straight to the chest.
Zaku crashed to the ground like a broken puppet.
Dust rose.
Silence followed.
The crowd was frozen.
Zaku didn't get up.
Hayate hesitated—then checked his condition.
"Zaku is unable to continue. Sasuke advanced to next round"
But Sasuke didn't move. His eyes lingered on Zaku for a long moment. Not pity. Not mercy.
Just silence.
Then he turned and walked away.
Naruto called out, "Sasuke, maybe try not to break every bone. Show a little mercy, will ya?"
Sasuke didn't reply—just shot him a cold glance that said everything.
Zaku lay motionless, bruised and broken, though still breathing. He had fought with everything he had, but Sasuke was simply on another level.
Iryo-nin rushed in, lifting his battered body onto a stretcher.
The match was over.
And the next one was already beginning.
Sixth Match — Shikamaru Nara vs. Kankuro
The arena shifted.
One side: Kankuro. Cloaked in dark cloth, his puppet Karasu strapped to his back like a shadowy omen. His face painted with war. His stance? Ready.
Other side: Shikamaru. Slouching. Hands in pockets. He stared at the ceiling like it was more interesting than the fight.
Kankuro's brows twitched. "You mocking me?"
Shikamaru shrugged, yawning. "I just didn't sleep well. Troublesome day."
Hayate raised his hand. "Begin!"
Kankuro wasted no time. He leapt back, yanked the bandages off his puppet.
Karasu sprang to life—limbs clacking, blades gleaming. It skittered across the battlefield like a monster born from nightmares.
But Shikamaru?
He didn't move.
Just kept staring.
Watching.
Calculating.
Waiting.
Karasu lunged—poison claws aimed at Shikamaru's throat.
Then it stopped.
Not by force.
By shadow.
Shikamaru's fingers clicked together.
"Kagemane no Jutsu—Shadow Possession Technique."
The puppet froze. Kankuro blinked. "What?!"
Shikamaru tilted his head lazily. "Gotcha."
Karasu's movements echoed Shikamaru's, just slightly delayed.
Kankuro tried to retreat—too late.
Shikamaru shifted his shadow—just enough to catch Kankuro's foot in its edge.
Kankuro's own body jolted—he was caught too.
Two captures. One move.
The crowd gasped.
"Man, this is such a pain," Shikamaru sighed. "But you forced me."
He made a hand sign, his eyes finally serious.
The puppet and master were bound in perfect sync.
"Sorry, but I've already figured this whole fight out... three moves ago."
He forced Kankuro to walk forward. Karasu moved with him.
Then—slam!
Kankuro's own puppet crashed into him—its limbs striking like wild blades—but harmless, since Shikamaru controlled the force. Enough to knock him down. Not enough to kill.
The crowd blinked.
Hayate blinked.
Kankuro couldn't move.
"Kankuro is immobilized and unable to continue. Shikamaru advances to next round"
Shikamaru dropped the jutsu, stretched his arms, and started walking back.
"Man, I just wanted a nap."
Shikamaru had just outplayed a top-tier genin like it was nothing. If it had been someone else, the fight might've gone very differently.
The last two matches finished really quick.
The next match.
Seventh Match – Sakura Haruno vs. Misumi Tsurugi
Both stood in the center.
Sakura cracked her knuckles.
"You're not gonna lay a finger on me," she said confidently.
Misumi didn't respond. He simply stood in his usual calm, almost eerie silence.
Hayate gave a nod. "Begin!"
In a blink, Misumi dashed forward.
His body twisted unnaturally—his arms stretching like snakes as they aimed for Sakura's neck.
But Sakura was already prepared.
She jumped back, avoided the first strike, then slammed a palm onto the ground.
Poof. Smoke.
A substitution.
Misumi grabbed a log.
He blinked, only to see Sakura right in front of him.
"Too slow," she muttered.
BAM!
A solid punch landed across Misumi's jaw.
He flew back, hit the ground hard.
He tried to twist his body again, his arms aiming to wrap around her legs now.
Sakura waited this time, then grabbed his arms mid-air.
With a grunt, she twisted and slammed him into the ground.
CRACK.
He tried to stand, but his limbs wouldn't listen.
Sakura stood over him.
"You picked the wrong girl today."
Hayate stepped in, checked Misumi.
He was unconscious.
"Misumi can't continue. Sakura advanced to next round!"
The crowd was surprised—Sakura had barely been known for combat until now.
Naruto clapped, whistled. "That's my girl!.
Karin nodded silently.
Ino, watching beside Naruto, clicked her tongue but smiled. "Guess she's not just forehead after all."
Eighth Match — Shino Aburame vs. Hinata Hyuga
The crowd hushed as the next match was announced.
Two figures stepped into the arena—both calm, composed, and unshaken. Teammates from Team 8, now standing on opposite sides.
Hinata offered a gentle smile to Shino, eyes full of calm and kindness. Then, like a quiet river turning to storm, she turned her gaze toward Naruto in the stands.
Naruto raised a proud thumbs-up.
That was all she needed.
The shift was instant—her serene presence darkened into something intense, deadly. The very air around her began to hum. This was not the Hinata of yesterday. This was a girl forged in silent flame, sharpened by desire.
Her sisters—Ino, Sakura, Karin—all had secured their wins with strength and strategy. But Hinata? She was Naruto's first. The one who'd stood with him before the others even dared to look his way. This was personal.
Shino felt it.
Just seconds ago, her aura was angelic.
Now? She was the eye of a silent storm.
Even he, calm and calculative, felt unease.
Hayate cleared his throat, already bracing himself."Begin."
Hinata dashed forward in a blur, her movements crisp, refined. Her taijutsu was beyond textbook—elegant yet brutal, fluid yet precise. Her Byakugan blazed, no longer held back by its infamous blind spot—thanks to relentless training with Naruto, she had overcome it.
Shino's mind raced. He knew her. She was not to be underestimated. A close-range fight was suicide. His only chance lay in keeping distance.
He leapt back, his sleeves opening as a cloud of insects swarmed forward—an attempt to distract, to disable, to stall.
Hinata didn't flinch.
Her hand glowed—not with blue chakra, but with a faint, flickering orange-red.
Fire chakra.
A small amount, expertly focused. Just enough.
She struck forward, sweeping her hand through the air.
The insects burned to ash on impact.
Shino's heart skipped. Those insects were more than weapons. They were partners. Family. And she just—torched them.
But Hinata didn't stop.
She closed the gap in a blink, her fingers glowing with chakra.
"Hakke Rokujūyon Shō—Sixty-Four Palms!"
Shino tried to retreat—but she was already in motion.
One by one, she struck his tenketsu—closing his chakra points with flawless precision. A barrage of graceful destruction. Shino stumbled back, his chakra flow disrupted, limbs heavy.
He pushed off the ground, barely managing to distance himself again. His body screamed in pain. He could still feel his insects responding—but only faintly.
And then, a thought dawned on him.
She has fire chakra.
His Kikaichū couldn't protect him anymore.
His trump card… meant nothing.
The calculation was done. He ran the variables. No victory path.
He lifted his hand.
"I concede."
Gasps echoed. Hayate looked surprised, but saw the honesty in Shino's face. The steadiness in his voice.
"Shino Aburame forfeits. Hinata Hyuga advances to the next round."
Cheers followed—but they faded behind Naruto's loud, unshakable praise:
"That's my girl!"
Heads turned.
More than a few whispered—"How many girls does he have?"
But Hinata didn't care.
The battle ended. The storm inside her calmed.
She walked over to Shino first, bowing politely. "I'm sorry… about your insects."
Shino nodded. "You fought well."
Then, she turned—softness returning to her face, warmth to her steps.
She walked right up to Naruto and tilted her head forward.
Naruto smiled and gave her what she wanted.
A gentle head pat.
Hinata melted like a kitten in sunshine.
"You did great," he said.
And for a moment, the battlefield felt like spring.