Meanwhile.
Satoru leaned lazily against the wall, his gaze briefly shifting to the departing Kabuto Yakushi.
Leaving already?
Not bad. Having fewer people watching him was always less of a headache. Still, even without Kabuto, Orochimaru would undoubtedly keep a close eye on things.
What a pain.
Thankfully, Orochimaru didn't seem interested in him personally. Cold-blooded types like Orochimaru were the worst—Satoru avoided them whenever possible.
Let Sasuke handle it alone, he thought with no small amount of amusement.
Shortly after, the next stage of the Chūnin Exam was about to begin. The contestants who had failed the previous stage were ushered out, and the preliminaries commenced.
Hayate Gekkō stepped forward, his voice slow and deliberate as he addressed the remaining participants.
"The preliminaries will now begin. These will be one-on-one battles conducted in the format of actual combat. There are 26 contestants left, meaning we'll have 13 matches. The winner of each match will advance to the third exam."
"There are no rules. The match continues until one side either dies, is knocked unconscious, or forfeits. If you don't want to die, surrender."
"If I determine the outcome, I'll intervene to avoid unnecessary deaths."
Hayate gestured toward an electronic bulletin board behind him.
"The match-ups will be decided randomly by this board. Let's reveal the first match now."
The screen buzzed to life, displaying two names:
Inuzuka Kiba vs. Uchiha Sasuke.
"Would the two competitors step forward?" Hayate requested.
As the names were called, the two participants calmly walked to the center of the room. Hayate glanced between them.
"Any objections?"
Both Inuzuka and Sasuke shook their heads.
Satoru leaned against the wall, his face neutral as he watched.
This match is already decided. If Sasuke could win against Inuzuka in the original timeline while weakened, then there's no way he'd lose now, given his improved state.
The battle began with Hayate's signal.
Inuzuka stood motionless, sizing up Sasuke. His expression was unreadable as he muttered to himself.
So this is the one Orochimaru wanted me to test? He doesn't seem that special. Still, if the boss is interested, there must be something to him. Why didn't he just place the curse mark on him, though? Why make me fight him?
On the other side of the arena, Orochimaru observed the match from the shadows, a serpentine smile playing on his lips.
Inuzuka is my pawn in Konoha, specialized in chakra absorption. He's perfect for testing Sasuke's potential. Let's see how this Uchiha handles having his energy drained.
Sasuke immediately noticed Inuzuka's unique ability as the fight progressed. With every exchange, Inuzuka absorbed a portion of his chakra through physical contact. Sasuke stepped back, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he evaluated the situation.
This isn't good. Most of my chakra has already been drained without me realizing it. Even maintaining the Sharingan is becoming difficult.
He realized he couldn't rely on ninjutsu or genjutsu in this fight. His opponent's ability made them ineffective. Sasuke frowned, his thoughts racing.
Physical attacks are my only option, but close combat against someone who can absorb chakra is risky.
As he pondered, his eyes drifted toward Satoru, who was watching lazily from the sidelines. A memory of Satoru's tactics suddenly surfaced, and a sly smile tugged at Sasuke's lips.
That's it. I'll give it a try.
Inuzuka noticed Sasuke's momentary distraction and sneered.
"Still have time to let your mind wander, huh?" he taunted before launching an aggressive attack. Sasuke dodged swiftly, retaliating by hurling kunai in all directions.
Outside the arena, Naruto scratched his head.
"Why does that look so familiar?" he muttered.
Leaning against the wall, Satoru smirked knowingly.
Smart kid. Learned my lightning trap that quickly? Not bad.
Temari and Kankuro, watching from the sidelines, also recognized the technique.
"Wait, isn't that what the white-haired guy used against us?" Temari asked, her voice tinged with surprise.
Gaara nodded slightly. "It's similar, but not as precise. This version lacks the power and finesse of the original."
Orochimaru, observing from the shadows, narrowed his eyes.
Interesting. Is that the lightning grid Satoru used before? Did Sasuke replicate it with the Sharingan? What an impressive ability. Still, this connection between them might prove useful.
His golden eyes gleamed with cunning as he watched the battle unfold.
Inuzuka grew increasingly frustrated as Sasuke continued to evade him, laying out his trap.
"Stop hiding and fight me!" Inuzuka snarled.
Sasuke smirked. "If you insist."
Leaping into the air, he threw several shuriken infused with lightning chakra. The projectiles formed an intricate web of electricity, trapping Inuzuka within. Inuzuka froze as the lightning coursed through him, immobilizing him completely.
Got him.
Sasuke didn't waste a second. "Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
A torrent of flames engulfed Inuzuka, leaving him collapsed on the ground, unable to continue. Sasuke landed gracefully, breathing heavily.
It worked.
The spectators erupted into chatter.
"What a clever tactic," one examiner remarked.
"Such a talented young ninja," another agreed.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded approvingly.
Sasuke reminds me of his older brother—talented, but that same brilliance could lead to hardship.
Meanwhile, Mitarashi Anko's expression darkened as the fight triggered a memory.
This technique… it's similar to the trap that caught Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. Could Sasuke have done that? No, the power isn't the same. That was someone else.
Kakashi, observing nearby, rubbed his forehead.
Sasuke's execution was good, but this isn't his style. The cunning and creativity feel more like Satoru. That kid…
Shaking his head, Kakashi sighed.
"The next generation never fails to surprise me."
>>>>>
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