"Uchiha Sasuke, I will definitely defeat you and prove my worth."
Just as Uchiha Sasuke stepped down, he heard Sakuto Kazu from the Sound Village say this to him.
"Huh?"
Sasuke didn't understand why, but seeing such arrogance from a minor ninja village guy, he couldn't help but sneer, "Save your dreams for when you're actually dreaming."
"Hmph, you'll see."
Recalling the information Lord Orochimaru had given him, Sakuto Kazu smiled confidently.
"Ready? Then let's begin." Moonlight Gale took a step back and announced the start of the second-round match.
Swish swish swish...
Sasuke immediately took out three shuriken from his ninja pouch and threw them at Sakuto Kazu, trying to test this guy's skills.
"Zankūha!"
Facing the incoming shuriken, Sakuto Kazu neither dodged nor threw shuriken back. Instead, he opened his right hand, revealing a hollow palm, formed a unique hand seal, and channeled chakra through a special device to convert it into compressed air. The air blasted out from his wind gate like a wind release, instantly reflecting the shuriken back with undiminished force, roaring toward Sasuke.
Seeing this different sound wave attack—not like Tosu Tsu's—Sasuke's disdain vanished. His black pupils turned into the crimson, double-tomoe Sharingan, and his body vanished from sight.
"So fast!"
Many examinees watching from the stands gasped.
Some jonin's eyes flickered, sensing something was off.
Sakuto Kazu, however, was excited and shouted, "Just waiting for you!"
Afterwards, he crouched down, slapped the ground with both hands: "Zankū Kyokuha!"
All his chakra transformed into sound waves bursting out from his wind gate, creating an invisible distorted wave that instantly engulfed the entire hall.
Inside the domain, even the special jonin Moonlight Gale felt uncomfortable and quickly teleported to the second-floor stands, body tensed, ready to intervene.
Sasuke's figure suddenly appeared behind Sakuto Kazu, not far away, holding his ears with a pained expression.
Sensing Sasuke's chakra, Sakuto Kazu immediately turned around and sprayed a blast of compressed air at him, knocking him flying.
Fortunately, most of the force hit the ground. If Sasuke had taken this blow head-on, it would have been quite severe.
Even so, Sasuke felt a surge inside his body, his head spinning.
Just like Tosu Tsu instantly killing Akiyama Chōji, the sound waves were attacking him internally through the water in his body.
Sakuto Kazu's smug smile grew wider.
Sasuke focused his chakra in his feet and pressed against the wall to withstand the last bit of pressure.
After the pressure faded, Sasuke formed hand signs: "Shadow Clone Technique!"
With two pops, two clones appeared on each side of Sasuke.
The next moment, all three Sasuke figures vanished.
Seeing this, Sakuto Kazu panicked and prepared to repeat his previous tactic—slamming his hands on the ground to unleash Zankū Kyokuha again and trap Sasuke in a sound wave domain.
But he forgot one thing: ninja battles are battles of information.
Because he failed to kill Sasuke while having the advantage, he lost all hope of winning.
"Zankū Kyokuha!"
Sakuto Kazu repeated his attack, fully releasing pressure and sound waves from the ground.
The invisible waves engulfed the hall once again.
Sasuke's two high-speed moving clones suddenly revealed themselves, holding their ears in pain.
With two pops, they turned to white smoke and vanished.
Seeing only two Sasuke left, Sakuto Kazu's expression changed drastically.
At that moment, a shout echoed from above.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A hot current poured down, and Sakuto Kazu looked up to see a huge fireball occupying his vision.
He didn't have time to raise his hand to block; the fireball engulfed him.
No one helped him—not even Orochimaru, who had encouraged him before.
Moonlight Gale, ready to intervene for Sasuke, held back since the danger wasn't to a Konoha ninja.
"Ahhh…"
The fireball exploded on the ground, creating a small crater and forcing Sakuto Kazu to scream in pain.
Just as he was about to burn to death, a stream of water extinguished the flames.
"Medical team, please come here."
Moonlight Gale used Water Release to save Sakuto Kazu, then took out his radio.
Soon, two medical ninja in white uniforms arrived with a stretcher and carried Sakuto Kazu away.
From start to finish, Orochimaru, Tosu Tsu, and Koto Tsuchi showed no emotional reaction, as if the lives of their comrades didn't matter.
This scene chilled many of the examinees.
The jonin understood: the Sound Village was a ruthless place where only the strong survived.
Meanwhile, on the screen, new names flickered again.
Soon the third-round match was fixed: Hyūga Hinata VS Koto Tsuchi.
"Hinata, good luck." Yakushi Kurenai cheered, "If you win, I'll treat you to a feast."
Izayoi said nothing but rolled up her sleeve, revealing a wrist-sized storage scroll, formed hand signs, and pulled out a camera, smiling at Hinata: "Hinata, look cool—I want to take pictures for Hanabi."
Hinata smiled and nodded, then slowly walked toward the stairs.
The other young ninjas cheered for her.
Sasuke, heading upstairs, reminded her, "Watch their weapons and devices—they all use those to make sound waves."
"Mm."
Hinata nodded again, her smile full of confidence.
Jumping down from the stands, Koto Tsuchi was already waiting beside Moonlight Gale's left side.
Looking at Hinata, Koto Tsuchi felt inferior, just like Koori in the past.
But unlike Koori's admiration, Koto Tsuchi's eyes were full of jealousy.
Both had long black hair, but Hinata's was shinier. She wore expensive fabric kimono Koto Tsuchi could never afford in this life, with an age-appropriate yet incredibly enviable figure, and the aura of a highborn heiress simply by standing there.
In every way—appearance, personality, and family background—Koto Tsuchi was completely crushed.
In fact, they weren't even in the same league.
This was why Koto Tsuchi's jealousy burned so fiercely.
Why was she just an orphan while Hinata was born with a kekkei genkai in a noble family?
Why did she fight tooth and nail just to get this spot in the Chunin exams, while Hinata so effortlessly stood here?
She wanted to cut Hinata's hair, slash her face, to make her feel inferior too.
Thinking this, a sinister smile crept onto Koto Tsuchi's face.
No one knew what she was thinking.
But seeing such a disturbing smile on her opponent's face, Hinata's eyes gradually changed from gentle to fierce, veins bulging on both temples.