Sasuke gave a small approving nod, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Your theoretical knowledge is solid. As expected of the top student in Class 7. Sakura, you're amazing."

Sakura's cheeks turned faintly pink at the rare praise from both teammates. She quickly waved her hands, flustered. "N-No, it's not like that, Sasuke-kun. You must have already noticed something was off, right?"

At that moment, the two "examiners" blocking the classroom door clearly noticed the stir in the crowd.

One of them sneered. "So what if you saw through the illusion? Sharp eyes alone won't save you!"

Before he even finished, he lunged forward and lashed out with a sudden kick aimed at Sasuke's waist.

Sasuke's pupils contracted. He was just about to dodge and counterattack when a figure in green came surging from the side like a gust of wind.

Snap!

The newcomer planted himself firmly between Sasuke and the attacker.

With one hand, he blocked the whip kick. With the other, he seized the examiner's calf in mid-air, locking it in place and stopping the strike cold.

The sheer force of the clash sent a blast of wind rushing down the corridor, making the windows rattle in their frames.

The gathered genin gasped, startled by the intensity. Instinctively, they backed away, creating a wide circle of space.

Only then did Sakura clearly see who had stepped in.

It was a young man with striking features, clad in an odd green training suit. Though his body was lean, the muscles beneath were toned and defined. A Konoha forehead protector gleamed on his brow. His hair was cut in a bowl style, and thick black eyebrows framed his determined eyes.

Though his appearance seemed a little comical, his expression was deadly serious.

This was Rock Lee the proud disciple of Konoha's Blue Beast, Might Guy.

At this moment, Lee stood rooted in a perfect horse stance. One hand gripped the examiner's calf tightly, the other remained raised in a solid block. His eyes blazed with unshakable fighting spirit.

"Hmph. That almost turned into a real fight."

A calm voice carried from behind the crowd.

Two more figures stepped into view.

Hyuga Neji walked at the center, arms crossed, his movements steady and composed. "Lee, didn't I tell you not to draw so much attention?"

The speaker was a young man with long, dark hair that framed his pale, almost glowing eyes. The sharpness of his gaze radiated quiet pressure, enough to unsettle those who met it.

It was Hyuga Neji, the Hyuga clan's most gifted genius of that generation.

Beside him stood a slender girl with her dark hair tied into two neat buns. Her face was delicate and striking Tenten, the final member of Team Guy.

When the three of them appeared, the members of Team 7 exchanged odd looks.

Naruto in particular broke into a nervous sweat, goosebumps rising on his arms.

The memory of the last dream surfaced painfully. That version of Neji had slung an arm around his shoulders, called him "brother-in-law," and even mimicked the Fourth Hokage's flashy kunai pose. Just recalling it made Naruto shudder.

Sakura nodded slightly, muttering under her breath, "But… Neji in reality seems serious and reliable. Much more pleasing to look at than the one from my dream."

At that moment, Neji's sharp instincts picked up the weight of someone's gaze.

He paused, then turned his head.

Not far away, three unfamiliar genin were staring at him with awkward, conflicted expressions.

"???"

Neji paused, his heart filled with confusion. What's with these guys? Why are they staring at me like that?

The three members of Team 7 immediately turned their eyes away, guilty expressions on their faces, pretending to look elsewhere as if nothing had happened.

Neji's lips twitched faintly in exasperation.

Their reactions were baffling, but now wasn't the time to worry about it.

On the other side, Rock Lee followed Neji's line of sight and the moment his eyes fell on Sakura in the crowd, his cheeks turned scarlet. Stars seemed to sparkle in his gaze.

In an instant, he rushed forward and stopped right in front of her.

"H-Hello, fair maiden!" Lee blurted, his voice trembling with excitement. "My name is Rock Lee! May I ask… your name?"

Sakura blinked in surprise, caught off guard. "Haruno Sakura."

"Miss Haruno Sakura!"

Lee's eyes blazed with brilliance, his face flushed. Suddenly, he bowed deeply and shouted at the top of his lungs, "From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I have admired you! Please please be my girlfriend! I swear I will protect you with all my strength!"

The sudden confession echoed through the corridor, drawing the attention of every candidate.

The noisy chatter abruptly turned into a stunned uproar. Even the two arrogant examiners at the door froze in shock, forgetting their post for a moment.

"H-Huh?!"

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief before her face erupted in a deep blush. "W-Who would want to be your girlfriend?!"

Lee froze as if struck by lightning. His shoulders slumped, his whole figure drooping like a deflated balloon. "I-I see… Forgive me for bothering you…"

Seeing his crestfallen expression, Sakura couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. But since he wasn't her type at all, she could only turn her head away indifferently, choosing not to look at him again.

Yet Lee's despondence didn't last long.

He straightened suddenly, fire reigniting in his eyes. Turning, he fixed Sasuke with an intense gaze. "You must be Uchiha Sasuke! I've heard of you Konoha's rookie of the year, a genius among genin!"

Sasuke arched a brow, a flicker of fighting spirit sparking in his eyes. "Yes. I am Uchiha Sasuke."

Lee raised his thumb, flashing a radiant, confident grin. "Perfect! I love testing myself against geniuses the most! Uchiha Sasuke, I challenge you!"

Gasps rippled through the crowd. The corridor fell silent as every eye turned to the two boys about to clash.

"Interesting."

Sasuke's lips curled faintly as excitement surged through him.

He had already been curious about the green-clad youth. His speed just now was astonishing enough to stir Sasuke's interest.

Hearing the challenge, there was no reason to refuse. "Fine. I accept."

As the tension mounted, the surrounding candidates quickly backed away, forming a wide ring around the two of them.

The two "examiners" guarding the door exchanged glances and said nothing, secretly pleased. Among so many genin, only a select few had managed to pierce the illusion. Watching these elites face off promised far more entertainment.

Lee took the initiative, sliding into a strong fighting stance. His whole demeanor shifted his comical appearance vanished, replaced with a sharp, unwavering seriousness. "Uchiha Sasuke, please show me your strength!"

Sasuke lifted his hands into position, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Come on."

For a brief moment, the atmosphere froze.

Then two figures shot forward at the same time, like arrows loosed from a bow!

A flurry of muffled bangs echoed through the corridor as, in the blink of an eye, the two exchanged dozens of blows at blistering speed.

The furious collision of fists and kicks stirred the air into rushing gusts, making the clothes of the watching candidates flutter restlessly.

Sasuke grew more unsettled the longer the fight went on.

At first, he had thought his opponent's astonishing speed must have come from some special ninjutsu enhancing his movements.

Determined to uncover the truth, Sasuke suddenly leapt back. His hands shifted into position, and his eyes flared red

The two-tomoe Sharingan whirled into existence.

In those scarlet eyes, two black tomoe spun rapidly, locking onto Rock Lee's every motion.

"Hmph," Sasuke thought coldly. "Let's see what kind of trick you're using."

But only seconds later, his expression darkened.

Lee's figure still darted in front of him like a phantom, his movements impossibly fast, his strikes even more relentless than before!

Even with his Sharingan active, Sasuke found he couldn't clearly follow the boy's movements.

Impossible…!

"How can this be?! Don't tell me… his speed isn't from ninjutsu at all?!"

In that instant, Lee spun with blistering force, sweeping his leg low. Sasuke was forced back step after step. Then, with explosive power, Lee leapt high into the air and came crashing down with a powerful axe kick!

Sasuke barely crossed his arms in time to guard, but the sheer impact blasted him backward. He staggered several paces and nearly slammed into the corridor wall.

"Careful!"

Naruto cried out from the sidelines, unable to hold back.

But Lee gave Sasuke no chance to recover. He darted forward again, closing the distance in an instant.

Whshhh!

His leg snapped out in a whip-like arc, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle as it targeted Sasuke's waist from a vicious angle!

Reacting on instinct, Sasuke twisted into a flip, narrowly evading the strike. He growled in frustration, "What's going on with your speed?!"

Lee landed lightly, then surged forward once more, his eyes blazing.

With a small smile, he declared loudly, "Because what I use isn't ninjutsu it's pure taijutsu!"

Pure taijutsu?!

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.

This is his true power?

His fists tightened as his fighting spirit ignited. So this is the kind of talent hidden in the Chunin Exams… This is getting interesting!

Planting his feet firmly, Sasuke smirked with renewed confidence. "So what if I can't read it perfectly? It's still just taijutsu!"

The tomoe in his Sharingan spun wildly, locking onto Lee as he closed in.

"Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!" Sasuke roared.

For an instant, Lee's vision blurred. His body froze as though invisible bindings had seized him.

In the depths of the illusionary void, black, spectral chains coiled around his limbs, pinning him in place and nailing his body against the darkness.

In less than a breath, Rock Lee trapped within the illusion could no longer endure.

Thud!

He collapsed to his knees, his body trembling.

In reality, Lee's forehead dripped with sweat, his face pale as he slumped against the floor. His chest rose and fell rapidly, each breath ragged. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

"I… I actually… lost?!" Lee muttered in shock.

Sasuke strode forward at a steady pace, his Sharingan fading back to black as he stopped in front of Lee.

Folding his arms across his chest, he gazed down coolly at his opponent, the faintest smirk curling at his lips.

"Hmph. All your movements are useless before my eyes."

"So handsome!!"

At the side, Sakura pressed her hands to her chest, her eyes sparkling like stars as she gazed at Sasuke with open admiration.

Naruto, meanwhile, scrunched his face and muttered under his breath, "Tch, Sasuke's showing off again… but why do I feel like I've seen this scene somewhere before…"

....

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