'Bowl cut, thick eyebrows, green jumpsuit... it really is Guy!' Chiba mused. 'At first glance, he resembles Rock Lee. No, I should say that Rock Lee takes after him.'
'I've truly reincarnated in the Naruto world.'
Chiba entered the arena, securing Hirohiko's ninja pouch behind his waist. A wave of emotion washed over him again, reinforcing the reality of his situation.
On the other side, Guy was muttering, barely audible: "If I fail the Chunin exam, I'll run a thousand laps around the village and do a thousand push-ups..." The list continued, but Chiba couldn't discern the rest.
'Nine-year-old Guy... he should still be unable to use ninjutsu, right? Dai should still be alive, shouldn't he?' Chiba pondered.
He scanned the second floor but saw no one wearing a green jumpsuit.
'Not here?'
Chiba refocused on Guy, hesitated momentarily, and decided against removing his weighted training gear.
'With the current Guy, I should be fine without removing the weights,' he reasoned.
"Begin the match!" the proctor announced.
"Konoha Whirlwind!" Guy shouted, launching a spinning kick from above, aiming directly at Chiba's side.
Chiba's pupils constricted, surprise etched on his face.
'When? When did he get here?!'
Startled, Chiba barely managed to block Guy's *Konoha Whirlwind* with his hand.
"Boom!" A muffled sound echoed.
'Such force! The power of this kick!'
Chiba gritted his teeth, his hand tingling with numbness.
'Guy's *Konoha Whirlwind* is formidable, completely different from mine, and far more potent!'
Guy, seeing his kick blocked head-on, was astonished. 'He's two years my junior, yet he blocked my *Konoha Whirlwind*! This is the taijutsu user who defeated Kakashi. Perhaps his physical skills surpass mine.'
'I can't lose! I must pass the Chunin exam!'
Guy, still airborne, his *Konoha Whirlwind* halting, the wind ruffling Chiba's hair, swung his other foot from below, targeting Chiba's chin.
Chiba frowned, blocking with his free hand.
"Snap!"
Their limbs collided with a sharp sound.
Guy flipped, planting his hands on the ground. The strength of his legs, aided by his core strength and hands, broke through Chiba's guard. He kicked swiftly, aiming straight for Chiba's chin.
'I underestimated him.' Chiba lamented inwardly.
As Guy's foot breached his defense, Chiba leaped backward, evading the kick and creating distance. Guy also backflipped several times, maintaining the gap.
After establishing some distance, Chiba moved his hand toward his weighted gear.
'I must remove the weights, or I'll be defeated.'
In this initial exchange, Chiba realized his error. Guy's strength was formidable. Even without ninjutsu, his taijutsu remained potent. After all, even before mastering the Eight Gates, he was already an exceptional ninja specializing in taijutsu.
However, just as Chiba reached for his weights, Guy's offensive resumed.
"Ah!"
With a shout, Guy surged forward, the sound of wind in his wake.
'Too late.'
Chiba swiftly assessed the situation, abandoning his attempt to remove the weights and instead crossing his arms to block.
"Boom!"
Guy's powerful kick slammed into Chiba's arms. Simultaneously, Guy twisted in the air, following up with a hard spinning back kick.
"Snap!"
Chiba barely managed to block the swift back kick.
'This strength!'
Chiba was astounded once more, his hands numb and sore. Even with his block, the kick's force still reached his face.
The impact sent Chiba flying. He slammed into the arena wall and slid down slowly.
"What incredible taijutsu!" Kushina exclaimed, astonished. This Guy far exceeded her expectations. Chiba was originally proficient in taijutsu, and she had heard of this Guy – a ninja school graduate who wasn't adept at ninjutsu or genjutsu but excelled in taijutsu.
She had been surprised initially. After all, ninjas who only had taijutsu skills were rare, their scarcity comparable to some rare kekkei genkai. Minato had also mentioned this to her, saying that this kid was very powerful, even calling him Kakashi's rival.
However, she hadn't anticipated that this child could pose any threat to Chiba, but after a single exchange, Chiba couldn't even retaliate.
This was truly beyond her expectation.
Minato watched Guy land gracefully on the arena floor, shouting "Youth!" He thought to himself, 'Well, if Guy can win, Chiba won't have to face Kayami... Although I feel a bit sorry for Kushina, in this match, I genuinely hope Guy can emerge victorious.'
"This Chiba... appears rather ordinary. Did he truly defeat Kakashi?" Tsunade observed Chiba's actions with her keen Sannin gaze. Although Chiba's reactions were timely and his blocks well-executed, his speed and strength were clearly inferior. He was entirely on the defensive. In terms of strength, he lagged far behind Guy.
Moreover, for someone supposedly specializing in taijutsu, this performance was quite good by normal standards. However, among those labeled "geniuses," it seemed mediocre and disappointing. It simply wasn't what a "genius" should display.
Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade but remained silent.
'Alas, it's not even worth contemplating. Compared to the other two prodigies, this Chiba is too unremarkable. Except... well, his eating is definitely at genius level, but other than that...'
On the other hand, Orochimaru frowned slightly, pondering: 'This Chiba... his movements seem somewhat uncoordinated, with a sense of disharmony.'
'It appears his reaction is superior to his action. The reaction is present, but the action can't keep pace... Is it merely an illusion?'
On the opposite side of the second floor, Yukina watched the fallen Chiba with uncharacteristic concern etched on her face.
Evidently, she was deeply invested in this match.
"Don't worry, Chiba hasn't unleashed his full potential yet. No, he hasn't even tapped into 50% of his power. He hasn't activated his *Eight Gates* mode yet," Hirohiko reassured her, patting her shoulder.
After Chiba's first battle with Kakashi, he had confided in Hirohiko and Yukina about his secret technique. Hirohiko had promised to keep it confidential, and since then, the three of them seemed to have grown closer, sharing this secret.
'Indeed, he hasn't opened the *Eight Gates* mode yet. Chiba hasn't utilized all his strength.'
The worry on Yukina's face suddenly dissipated.
Yukina's eyes regained their resolve as she watched Chiba slowly rising in the arena.
'Chiba... he is still wearing his weights...'
Hirohiko silently facepalmed.
'This guy must be a masochist.'