Evaluation

Konoha, June 21, Year 57

Ninja Academy, Playground

Kuro and Sasuke stood face to face, separated by only a few meters. The tension in the air was palpable.

Around them, the students had gathered to witness the confrontation. It wasn't just their classmates; children from other classes and even some from the upper years had come to watch.

"Go, Kuro! Beat that emo!" Naruto shouted from the sidelines, waving his arms.

Ino, more reserved, stood to the side, watching with anticipation, though slightly uncomfortable with the crowd. In front of her, a group of fans cheered passionately for Sasuke.

The shouts filled the playground.

It seemed that before the battle began, both contestants had to go through a cheerleader contest.

Shikamaru, sitting under the shade of a nearby tree, watched the scene with boredom.

At the center of the playground

Kuro adjusted the frame of his glasses, maintaining his characteristic calm smile.

In contrast, Sasuke had already drawn a kunai and held it firmly, staring at him with an intensity that revealed his absolute focus.

For Sasuke, this wasn't just a simple sparring match. It was an opportunity to surpass Kuro, his greatest rival.

In countless previous battles, he had been defeated time and again. But this time was different.

It had been three months since their last encounter, and Sasuke had trained relentlessly.

"I've gotten stronger," he thought, clenching his teeth.

But a part of him knew that Kuro must have done the same.

As a member of the Uchiha clan, he trusted in the teachings of his elders. He believed that with enough dedication, he could surpass anyone.

"Sasuke, you don't need to be so tense. It's just an evaluation," Kuro said with a smile.

"Tense?" Sasuke snorted, feigning indifference. "I just take things seriously."

"Well, if you say so…"

At that moment, Mizuki, with his silver hair and handsome face resembling a protagonist—but one who didn't survive even a single episode—stepped forward.

"Are you ready?" he asked, looking at both of them.

"Yes!" they both nodded.

"Alright," Mizuki raised a hand and waved it, signaling the start of the match. "The match for first place in the graduation exam begins now!"

With that, he stepped back, leaving the two boys alone in the center of the playground.

But neither Kuro nor Sasuke moved.

Kuro stood still, relaxed and showing no signs of tension.

Sasuke, on the other hand, held his kunai, his body leaning forward, ready to attack at any moment. His muscles were tense, like those of a predator ready to pounce on its prey.

The wind blew, carrying a warm breeze that stirred the dust in the playground.

The heat of early summer made the atmosphere heavier, more oppressive.

The dust and heat distorted the spectators' vision, adding an air of uncertainty to the fight.

Suddenly, a small speck of sand passed in front of Kuro's eyes.

It was the signal Sasuke had been waiting for.

Now!

Sasuke's eyes sparkled. With a precise movement, he launched himself at Kuro, using all his strength. Without stopping, he propelled himself forward with a powerful leap, quickly closing the distance between them.

In midair, he drew three more kunai from his ninja pouch and threw two consecutively toward the first.

Kuro, for his part, didn't move.

He remained motionless, watching with narrowed eyes as the first kunai approached him.

Suddenly, the second kunai struck the tail of the first, altering its trajectory. The initial kunai abruptly changed direction, veering toward the sky.

The third kunai struck the second, causing another deviation, and so on, until the kunai formed an intricate pattern in the air.

The result was a deadly trap.

The kunai, which originally aimed straight, now fell from above while Sasuke advanced directly toward Kuro with another kunai in hand.

A simultaneous attack from three directions.

It was the Uchiha clan's special hidden weapon technique, designed to trap an opponent in close combat.

The spectators were left speechless by Sasuke's skill.

Even the instructors, Mizuki and Iruka, watched with approval.

But among the students, there was no doubt about the final outcome.

Because, in the last three years, Kuro had never fought seriously and had never shown his full strength.

There was no way he would lose.

And indeed.

As the kunai fell and Sasuke quickly approached, Kuro showed no signs of panic.

With a calm expression, he slightly adjusted the frame of his glasses.

When the kunai were about to strike, Kuro first deflected the one coming from above and extended his hands to the sides.

With impeccable precision, he caught the kunai with his fingers, stopping them cold.

Having done that, he looked up at Sasuke, who was about to reach him. Without changing his calm expression, he slightly rotated his wrists and threw the caught kunai back at Sasuke with greater speed and precision.

"What?!"

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.

How did he know the trajectory without even looking?

For a brief moment, Sasuke was stunned, but his training took over.

With a fluid motion, he deflected one of the kunai with his weapon and dodged the other.

"I've been waiting for this."

Sasuke smiled confidently as he continued his advance.

But before he could launch his attack, Kuro was already one step ahead.

Bang

Kuro's leg struck Sasuke's crossed arms, sending him flying backward with force.

Sasuke barely had time to regain his balance when Kuro was already upon him, launching another kick with the same speed.

Sasuke had no choice but to dodge.

He twisted his body to avoid the blow and rolled across the ground, quickly rising and forming hand seals with both hands.

"Is that…?!"

Both Iruka and Mizuki, observing the battle from the sidelines, changed their expressions upon recognizing the order of seals—it wasn't an academy ninjutsu.

Iruka was about to step forward to stop the match, but Mizuki stopped him, shaking his head with a confident smile.

"Don't worry. Look at Kuro."

Iruka focused his attention on the field and noticed Kuro's calm expression.

Despite the ninjutsu Sasuke was about to use, Kuro didn't seem concerned at all.

Sasuke inhaled deeply, concentrating his chakra in his throat, and exhaled forcefully.

'Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu'

A large, bright, burning fireball emerged in front of him.

The heat emanating from it was so intense that the already hot playground felt like a furnace.

The students watched in awe as the one-meter-diameter fireball moved toward Kuro, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake.

Kuro observed the fireball approaching but briefly glanced at the lucky bracelet on his right wrist.

The chain glowed faintly.

But Kuro had no intention of revealing that card just yet.

It wasn't necessary to expose it here.

He quickly began forming seals with both hands.

"Impossible!" Sasuke exclaimed upon recognizing Kuro's movements.

It was the same sequence of seals he had just performed.

'Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu'

Kuro gathered enough chakra in his throat and then released it suddenly.

Kuro launched a fireball even larger, more intense, and more solid than Sasuke's

The two fireballs collided at the center of the playground, freezing time for an instant.

The impact created a vortex of fire that quickly grew before exploding.

Boom

The ground trembled under the force of the explosion. A wave of hot air swept across the area, lifting dust and sand.

The spectators covered their eyes as they tried to keep their gaze on the battlefield.

When the dust cloud finally began to settle, everyone looked for the two contestants.

And what they saw was…

Sasuke's body flying backward.

________

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