After chatting for a few moments in the hallway, Team 8 and Team 7 headed to the third floor together to submit their applications, collect their seat numbers, and prepare to go downstairs to the teaching building.
In the stairwell, Uchiha Sasuke asked Izayoi, "Izayoi, have you noticed those guys these past few days?"
"Yeah."
Izayoi nodded. He knew Sasuke was referring to the foreign village ninjas who had been secretly investigating them.
As the top student of this year and the last survivor of the Uchiha Clan, both Izayoi and Sasuke were key targets of attention.
Indeed, over the past few days, quite a few people had been loitering outside Izayoi's house.
However, since they hadn't crossed any lines, Izayoi hadn't paid them much mind.
"Have you encountered a guy carrying a gourd?" Sasuke continued.
"No, is he strong?"
"Yeah... a formidable opponent."
As if recalling something, Sasuke's lips curled slightly. "This year's Chunin Exams are truly a gathering of monsters. I can't wait to face them."
"Well, you might get your wish soon," Izayoi said with a chuckle, as if he had noticed something.
Just as they arrived at the lobby of the back entrance of the main building, a voice called out from behind.
"Wait a moment."
Hearing this voice, Haruno Sakura from Team 7 immediately stiffened.
"It's you again, bushy brows! What do you want?" Uzumaki Naruto shouted, pointing at Rock Lee, who was standing on the second-floor balcony.
Rock Lee leaped down from above, landing steadily, and then assumed a Body Techniques stance. He looked at Izayoi with a serious expression and said, "My name is Rock Lee. I want to challenge the top rookie of this year. Please face me in a duel, Izayoi!"
"Challenge Izayoi?" Team 7 was slightly taken aback.
"He... seems to be Neji-nii's teammate," Hinata murmured, her brows furrowing slightly as her gaze sharpened, as if she had misunderstood something.
"Insects tell me he has a faint scent of blood," Aburame Shino said calmly. "His strength is no joke."
Izayoi was also a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Rock Lee to challenge him instead of Sasuke.
Thinking of the Eight Gates Formation, a divine technique on par with the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Edo Tensei Technique, Izayoi felt a flicker of interest.
However, after glancing in a certain direction, that interest quickly faded.
If it were an unrestricted, all-out battle, Izayoi would have loved to experience the power of the Eight Gates Formation.
But for now, Izayoi turned to Sasuke and said, "Sasuke, you go."
"Me?"
Sasuke was momentarily stunned, but then he recalled the scene where Rock Lee had blocked his and the gatekeeper Chuunin's kicks. Instantly, his fighting spirit ignited, and he nodded. "Alright, I'll take him on."
Seeing Sasuke step forward, Rock Lee frowned and asked Izayoi, "What do you mean by this?"
Before Izayoi could respond, Sasuke made a taunting gesture, pointing his thumb at himself. "Beat me first, and then you can challenge Izayoi. If you can't even defeat me, there's no point in humiliating yourself."
Rock Lee nodded in understanding. "I see. You're Izayoi's underling."
"Who's his underling?!" Sasuke retorted.
Uchiha Sasuke roared loudly, his eyes turning into the crimson Two-Tomoe Sharingan, and he said coldly, "Enough talk, let's begin."
"Those eyes..."
Staring at Sasuke's eyes, Rock Lee was momentarily stunned, but then his fighting spirit surged as he said, "So you're the last descendant of the Uchiha Clan. Good, let me experience the Sharingan of the genius clan for myself!"
After speaking, Rock Lee introduced himself seriously, "My name is Rock Lee, pleased to meet you."
"Enough talk, let's finish this quickly," Sasuke said as he charged straight at Rock Lee.
Meanwhile, Team 7 and Team 8 leaned against the pillars in the hall, watching the battle unfold.
As Sasuke's figure loomed larger in his vision, Rock Lee's body tensed up.
The moment Sasuke threw a punch, Rock Lee's figure suddenly vanished into thin air.
"The Body Flicker Technique? No, it's different from the Body Flicker Technique..."
Sasuke, who had missed his punch, was slightly taken aback.
Immediately, he released his sensory perception.
In the next second, Sasuke seemed to sense something and turned his head to the side, raising his right arm to successfully block the incoming kick.
Then, Sasuke's expression twisted, his eyes filled with shock.
Such immense strength, could this guy be...
Just as he was distracted for those two seconds, Rock Lee had already retracted his leg and, with incredible flexibility, flipped in the air to land in front of Sasuke. With his hands on the ground like a breakdancer, he executed a full Thomas spin, kicking upward from below toward Sasuke's face.
Sasuke blocked with both arms, but the force of the kick still sent him flying into the air.
After landing, his arms were slightly numb.
Looking at Rock Lee, who had straightened up and assumed a fighting stance, Sasuke said, "That was high-speed movement, and with such strength, you're a taijutsu ninja."
"That's right, I'm a taijutsu ninja."
Rock Lee nodded honestly, while also praising, "It's said that the Sharingan can see through all ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. It truly lives up to its reputation."
"However, what surprised me even more is that you could see through my movements and still barely keep up with my speed. As expected of the genius clan."
"Barely? Heh..."
The Two-Tomoe Sharingan in Sasuke's eyes spun once as he sneered, "I'll return those words to you."
After speaking, Sasuke's figure vanished into thin air.
Seeing this, Rock Lee's eyes widened.
The sound of air being sliced rang in his ears, and Rock Lee turned his head to see a kick coming toward him. Instinctively, he raised his arm to block.
With a loud thud, the kick and his arm collided, and a figure flipped in the air, landing with hands on the ground and executing a full Thomas spin, kicking upward from below toward Rock Lee's face.
Instinctively blocking with both arms, Rock Lee was kicked into the air, flying two meters before landing.
Looking at Sasuke, who had straightened up and mimicked his earlier stance, Rock Lee's eyes trembled, "You..."
Over by the pillars, Team 7 was completely stunned.
"Am I seeing things?" Uzumaki Naruto rubbed his eyes in disbelief, "Did that arrogant Sasuke just use the same move as Bushy Brows?"
"Wow… that's amazing, as expected of Sasuke-kun!" Haruno Sakura clasped her hands together, her face filled with admiration.
"Is that the legendary Sharingan replication?" Aburame Shino also exclaimed in awe. "With just a glance, he copied the enemy's movements. No wonder the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan is hailed as an invincible Kekkei Genkai in one-on-one combat."
Only Izayoi and Hinata remained unfazed, smiling as they watched the scene.
No one understood Uchiha Sasuke's s
trength better than they did.
If Sasuke, after being traine
d by Izayoi for so many years, were still so weak, Izayoi, as his 'teacher,' would have long since committed seppuku.
(End of Chapter)