Hokage, no one knows better than me how to cultivate talent.

When Fujino Daikuma first saw Shikamaru's performance, he thought that he had also been trained into a different kind of person.

But what happened next just shows that Shikamaru is still the same Shikamaru he knows.

Sakura Haruno, the victor, was initially stunned, then became so excited she almost jumped for joy.

She only set herself a goal of winning one round, but she unexpectedly won two rounds in a row.

Sakura Haruno felt that today was truly her lucky day.

As Sakura Haruno left the stage, she glanced at Ino Yamanaka.

"What's there to be proud of? It's just good luck. I could do it too." Yamanaka Ino thought resentfully as she looked at Haruno Sakura's smug expression.

"The Aburame clan's insect swarm is truly impenetrable. Kiba Inuzuka is likely to lose," commented Fujino Daikuma.

He couldn't help but recall the times he had carried out missions with the Aburame clan ninjas. Each of them acted the same way, as if everything was within their expectations.

Qiu Shui nodded in agreement.

Kiba Inuzuka's four-legged technique greatly enhanced his speed and explosiveness, but it was still difficult to truly break through the impenetrable swarm of insects that Shino Aburame faced.

Moreover, Akamaru is only one year old and has not yet learned the Inuzuka clan's secret technique of "Fang-to-Fang," so losing the match is only a matter of time.

Kiba Inuzuka fought with increasing frantic speed, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

He came here aiming for first place, so how could he have fallen in the second round?

But there's nothing you can do no matter how anxious you are; some things can't be changed by rushing.

His speed, which he was so proud of, was of no use against Shino's swarm of insects, which he commanded with ease.

Akamaru was immediately burrowed into his fur by several insects, whimpering and shrinking to one side, and soon lost his strength.

In the end, Kiba Inuzuka could only jump around and swat at the bugs on his body, admitting defeat with a face full of resentment.

"Hinata, do your best!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs towards the field.

Ino Yamanaka, Sakura Haruno, and several other girls exchanged glances and fell silent for a moment.

If I cheer for Sasuke, I'm afraid it will embarrass Hinata.

But if you cheer for Hinata, you won't be able to stand up to Sasuke.

The group looked at each other, and finally, in a tacit agreement, chose to remain silent.

Sasuke stood in the center of the field, his expression becoming much more serious.

Although he felt that Hinata was no match for him, he wouldn't be too careless, since Hinata was much stronger than Kenji Shiraishi.

The battle between Sasuke and Hinata was much more exciting than the previous ones.

Hinata used Water Release: Water Wave to catch Sasuke's Great Fireball Technique.

As the white mist rose, the students watching immediately showed expressions of surprise.

"Isn't the Hyuga clan supposed to specialize in taijutsu? How come she can use ninjutsu?" someone muttered under their breath.

Fujino Daikuma was also slightly taken aback. In his memory, he had never seen anyone from the Hyuga clan use ninjutsu against an enemy.

"Could it be... that Hinata can really beat Sasuke?" The same thought popped into the minds of Ino Yamanaka, Sakura Haruno, and the other girls, and their eyes unconsciously tensed up.

It wasn't until Sasuke activated his Sharingan that the situation gradually became clear.

With the Sharingan, Hinata's taijutsu movements were captured one by one, and she gradually lost the upper hand.

In the end, Sasuke delivered a swift kick that sent her out of the arena.

"Sasuke, you went too far!" Naruto rushed over and squatted down next to Hinata. Seeing her frowning, he carefully helped her up while angrily shouting at Sasuke in the arena.

"Naruto-kun, I'm alright." Hinata, with his help, slowly regained her balance and said softly, "Sasuke-kun didn't do it on purpose... It's inevitable to get injured in a real battle."

"But he didn't have to use such force," Naruto muttered.

He knew that Sasuke's actions were not problematic in terms of the rules, but the group trained together every day and could be considered friends, so why did he have to be so harsh?

Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka didn't say anything, but their eyes darted between Sasuke and Hinata, and they vaguely felt that the kick just now was indeed a bit too much.

Naruto secretly made up his mind that he would avenge Hinata when he met Sasuke.

In the next two matches, Naruto faced off against Sakura, and Naruto won decisively.

In the battle between Sasuke and Shino Aburame, after Sasuke used the Great Fireball Technique, Shino watched in great numbers as the swarm of insects he had painstakingly cultivated died. Heartbroken, he decided to engage in close combat and lost the battle.

"Please invite candidates Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto to enter the arena," Akisui announced.

As soon as he finished speaking, the students watching began to whisper among themselves.

"We've finally got to see them face off!" a student said, arms crossed. "I didn't really care about the previous matches. If it weren't for waiting for these two, I would have gone home long ago."

"Who do you think will win?" someone in the back row leaned over and asked in a low voice.

"That goes without saying, it's definitely Naruto. His Shadow Clone Technique summons dozens of clones at once; the sheer number of clones is enough to overwhelm an opponent. Add to that Wind Release: Gale Palm, and that's a student-level ninjutsu! Even if Sasuke is a genius, he only has about a month to learn. What techniques could he possibly develop in such a short time to turn the tide?" one student analyzed.

"Sasuke-kun, do your best to defeat Naruto!" Sakura Haruno shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Yamanaka Ino, standing next to her, was not to be outdone, shouting louder and louder each time.

Other girls also joined the cheerleading squad.

"Shikamaru, who do you think will win?" Akimichi Choji asked.

"It should be Naruto," Shikamaru said after thinking for a moment.

He felt that although the power of Wind Release: Gale Palm was not to be underestimated, it was still within a reasonable range. But how could he fight against a dozen shadow clones releasing this ninjutsu at the same time?

Let alone these students, even some graduated genin would absolutely not be able to withstand such an attack.

"Naruto-kun, do your best..." Hinata whispered.

Fujino Daikuma wore a serious expression as he looked at Uzumaki Naruto, wondering if it was really as exaggerated as Matsumoto Mie had said last time.

"Sasuke, I won't hold back this time," Naruto declared ruthlessly.

Sasuke Uchiha didn't respond. He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was thinking about their last encounter. Although he lost, he felt that Naruto had used his full strength.

But now, hearing him say this...

Did he actually have a backup plan back then?

What trump card is this guy still hiding?

"The exam begins," Qiu Shui said after the two finished forming the opposing hand seals.

As soon as he finished speaking, Naruto immediately created twenty shadow clones, with his real body mixed in among them. They all raised their hands, and a barrage of shuriken shot towards Sasuke, sealing off every inch of his space to dodge.

After a month of intensive training, his accuracy and power in throwing kunai have improved significantly.

Naruto believed that no matter how powerful Sasuke's shuriken throwing was, it was impossible for him to completely block all attacks.