This Naruto is too easily persuaded.

[First Place: Naruto Uzumaki, 100 points]

Second place: Uchiha Sasuke, 98 points

Third place: Sakura Haruno, 97 points

……

Looking at the name on it, it felt as if an invisible slap had landed hard on Sasuke's face.

"Naruto? Number one?"

Kiba Inuzuka rubbed his eyes, asking incredulously, "Sensei, is there some mistake?"

"Yeah, teacher, how could Naruto possibly get a perfect score?"

Doubts arose from all around.

"That's enough!"

Iruka's angry shout silenced the classroom.

His expression was serious, and his voice carried a hint of shock that even he couldn't comprehend:

"Everyone has seen Naruto's hard work during this period."

"His answer...was even more perfect than the standard answer."

"And don't forget, he was the first to hand in his paper!"

Iruka's resolute words shattered any remaining hope among the crowd.

Sasuke stared intently at that name.

He can accept someone occasionally surpassing him, but why that one name of all!

His disdain for Naruto yesterday felt like a boomerang hitting him in the face, making him blush.

We lost?

How could a genius of the Uchiha clan lose to a former underachiever in a theory class?

He turned his head sharply and looked at the empty seat in the back corner of the classroom.

That guy hasn't arrived yet.

This disregard, this "taken-for-granted" attitude, angered Sasuke even more than direct mockery.

"In the end, ninjas... still have to settle things with their fists."

Sasuke comforted himself, while at the same time looking forward to the practical exam that was about to begin.

……

When Naruto walked steadily into the training ground to the sound of the bell, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.

He could clearly sense the doubt, curiosity, and even a hint of hidden expectation in those eyes.

Naruto seemed oblivious, nodded to Iruka, and then quietly joined the queue.

"The practical test shall now begin."

Iruka's voice broke the silence, "Next, we will conduct a graduation simulation test."

"The rules remain the same, we'll stop here and focus on showcasing the overall results of our training..."

Before he could finish speaking, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Wait, Iruka-sensei."

Uchiha Sasuke walked straight out, pointing his finger unhesitatingly to the back of the crowd.

"I want to challenge him—Naruto Uzumaki!"

The crowd erupted in uproar.

Although everyone had expected it, Sasuke's direct, even somewhat rude, public challenge still ignited everyone's emotions.

Iruka was in a bit of a dilemma.

Logically, the information should be sorted by student ID number.

But changing the order isn't a big deal; after all, this is just a preliminary test.

Most importantly... he really wanted to see it too.

Naruto slowly walked out under everyone's gaze. "Sensei, I can accept it."

Then he pushed up his glasses, his tone calm and even:

"Sasuke-kun, nice to meet you."

The atmosphere on the field was instantly ignited.

After the two completed their opposing hand seals, the duel began at Iruka's command.

Without uttering a single word, Sasuke shot out like an arrow.

He harbored a burning desire to avenge the humiliation he suffered in the theory exam tenfold, even though no one considered him to have been humiliated.

Naruto remained calm and composed, adopting a defensive stance.

However, his movements were noticeably sluggish due to the burden of the [Turtle Hermit Style Weighted Bracers].

Every block felt heavy, and every dodge felt a beat too slow.

"What's wrong, you bottom-of-the-barrel? Is this all you've got?"

Sasuke sneered, his attacks becoming increasingly fierce and relentless.

A side kick struck Naruto's blocking arm, causing him to stagger back several steps.

"Go Sasuke-kun!"

"Sasuke is still strong."

Others were also whispering among themselves.

"Naruto-kun..."

Hinata Hyuga couldn't help but clench the hem of her clothes tightly.

Naruto appeared to be teetering on the brink of collapse, but he never actually showed any weakness.

Sasuke's frustration grew as he struggled to break through the defenses.

He keenly noticed that Naruto's arm always felt unnatural when he was blocking.

Considering his unusual behavior during previous running and practical lessons...

After another exchange, Sasuke suddenly jumped back to create distance and shouted at Naruto:

"Naruto Uzumaki! Still bringing that boring stuff? Are you insulting this match?"

He pointed his finger at Naruto's wrist, his voice distorted with anger:

"Take off those ridiculous burdens you're carrying! Face me with your full strength!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

"Carrying weight?"

"What? He wasn't serious at all?"

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "I see."

He had noticed Naruto's unusual behavior earlier and thought it was because Naruto was doing extra training in private. He never expected that Naruto had been wearing weights all the time.

Naruto stopped what he was doing, tilted his head slightly, and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Sasuke felt humiliated. "You think I'm afraid of you?"

【Ding! 】

[Suggestion already included: Remove weight-bearing equipment]

[Mission Requirements: Remove the weighted bracers and engage in combat in full health/defense]

[Mission Reward: Rank E Treasure Chest]

Naruto's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

Since that's the case, we have no choice but to pick them.

"As you wish, Sasuke."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Naruto slowly removed the orange wristband from his wrist.

Boom!Boom!

The two muffled thuds made my heart pound.

"What?"

Kiba Inuzuka exclaimed in surprise, "That sound isn't from the weight of the fabric at all!"

Most importantly, when Naruto defeated him before, was he wearing weights?

After Naruto removed his weights, his entire demeanor seemed to change.

The moment the wristband was removed from the body, it was as if an invisible shackle had been broken free.

The initial sense of stagnation vanished instantly, replaced by an indescribable feeling of lightness and harmony.

Naruto flexed his wrists slightly, producing a crisp cracking sound.

He didn't attack immediately, but instead took a deep breath.

hiss - huh -

A long, powerful breath rang out as [Water Breathing - Full Concentration] was activated at full power!

"Come on, Sasuke."

A strange sense of crisis arose, causing Sasuke's pupils to shrink and alarm bells to ring in his mind.

"Hmph, playing tricks!"

He roared and charged forward at an even faster pace than before.

This time, he gave it his all.

However, in Naruto's perception at that moment, Sasuke's movements were too slow.

But actually, it wasn't that Sasuke was slow, but that Naruto was too fast.

It's even much faster.

Naruto's figure seemed to blur for a moment before he easily dodged Sasuke's full-force attack.

At the same time, his right hand struck Sasuke's exposed ribs as he threw the punch, as if by lightning.

"Well!"

Unable to catch his breath, Sasuke staggered as he lost his balance.

Before he could adjust, Naruto was already close.

There are no fancy moves, just the simplest taijutsu taught at the ninja academy.

Straight punch, side kick, elbow strike...

But his control over speed, power, and timing is completely different from before.

Sasuke could only parry and dodge in a disheveled manner.

But each collision left his arm numb, putting him completely on the defensive.

The entire arena was deathly silent, save for the muffled thuds of fists colliding and Sasuke's heavy breathing.