Six days flashed by in the blink of an eye.
The first stage of the Chunin Exams was held in Room 301, third floor of the Ninja Academy.
When Tejima Shinichi strolled up to the teaching building with Kobayashi Ken and Satō Yū, there were fewer than sixty minutes left before the exam began.
"Shinichi, aren't we way too late?" Kobayashi Ken glanced at the nearly deserted entrance and anxiously ruffled his hair. "I see lots of people have already gone up —let's hurry!"
Tejima Shinichi shot a glance at the building, his pace still unruffled.
"No need to rush. Arriving within the allotted time is enough. Getting here early doesn't guarantee passing —relax."
Satō Yū stayed calmer, but added, "Shinichi-kun's right, Ken. A steady mindset matters more. Still… we really should head up now."
Shinichi nodded, and the trio finally stepped inside.
Just as they reached the turn of the stairs to the second floor, they spotted figures gathered in the corridor ahead.
It was Team 7—Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Sakura Haruno—plus Team 3's Hyuga Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee. The six had apparently just met, and the atmosphere was a little tense.
As Shinichi's group prepared to approach, a breeze carrying the fresh scent of green leaves swept through, swirling mist that blurred their sight for an instant.
In that hazy moment, the bushy-browed boy in green spandex —Rock Lee —was already standing in front of Sakura Haruno!
His eyes blazed as he stared at the stunned girl. "My name is Rock Lee! You're Sakura, right?"
Sakura, caught off guard by the sudden approach, blinked in bewilderment. "Y-yes… what is it?"
Behind Lee, Tenten pressed a hand to her forehead in despair, while Neji simply shut his eyes, unable to watch.
Naruto's eyes went wide; Sasuke's brows drew together, his gaze icy.
The next instant, Lee's face blossomed into a radiant grin, twin spots of red lighting his cheeks as he shouted with everything he had:
"Please go out with me! I'll protect you until death!"
"…"
The air seemed to freeze.
Sakura's eyes shrank to tiny dots, her mouth half-open, paralyzed as if lightning had struck her brain and short-circuited every thought.
After a brief, deathly silence…
"Absolutely NOT—!!!"
Sakura's decisive rejection doused Lee's blazing ardor in an instant.
The sunny smile and blush on the boy's face froze, then crumbled like toppling blocks. He dimmed visibly, voice quavering:
"W-why?!"
Still stunned, Sakura snapped when he dared ask. Pointing at his eyebrows, she blurted:
"B-because your brows are way too thick!!!"
"…"
The pinpoint "critical hit" struck Lee like a thunderbolt. He gingerly touched his signature thick brows, petrified, while a soundtrack of falling snow seemed to drift behind him.
At that moment Shinichi arrived with Kobayashi and Satō. Ignoring the awkward confession, he walked straight to Neji, who had his eyes closed and fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, and greeted him calmly:
"Long time no see, Neji."
At the familiar voice Neji's eyes snapped open, head turning instantly.
When he recognized Shinichi, the corner of his mouth lifted in a smile.
"Ah, long time no see, Shinichi."
Their easy rapport immediately drew Tenten's attention.
She studied the dark-haired boy, mind flashing to the name Neji had mentioned countless times —Tejima Shinichi!
The monster top student who'd never lost to Neji, never even let him enjoy a real fight —apprentice to the Hokage!
Across the way, Uchiha Sasuke —momentarily distracted by Lee and Naruto—also turned at the commotion.
Seeing Shinichi's apparent familiarity with the white-eyed boy, Sasuke stepped over and asked,
"You two know each other?"
Shinichi nodded and casually moved half a step, making a brief introduction:
"Yeah. This is Hyuga Neji, a year above us and last year's top student at the Ninja Academy."
The words "top student" flipped a switch in Sasuke's eyes.
His gaze sharpened like a predator spotting worthy prey, locking onto Neji.
Neji felt the unwavering stare; tilting his head slightly, his Byakugan eyes carried innate pride as he returned the look.
Two prodigies —Uchiha and Hyuga —met each other's gaze, sparks seeming to crackle in the air.
Sasuke spoke first: "Uchiha Sasuke."
Neji answered, tone flat yet weighty: "Hyuga Neji."
A simple exchange, yet it set the stage for the rivalry sure to unfold in the Chunin Exams.
Shinichi watched without interfering, simply telling Neji, "Looks like this exam will be interesting."
Neji broke off his staring contest with Sasuke and looked at Shinichi, eyes deep. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to… your performance, Shinichi."
Shinichi said no more to Neji; instead he turned to Sasuke, sizing him up.
"Seems you really did take my advice to heart this past week."
He could sense Sasuke's aura was now more condensed —marked improvement. Clearly the Uchiha had drilled fundamentals relentlessly: steadier footwork, better body coordination.
Hearing Shinichi, Sasuke curved a faint smile —less cold than usual, carrying real satisfaction.
"Yeah—thanks for the guidance."
Shinichi pressed his lips, saying nothing more. Tangible progress was the best answer.
Suddenly a green figure barged between them, brimming with fighting spirit.
"Hold on a second!"
Rock Lee —mood already reset —fixed his round eyes on Shinichi.
"You… you're the one Neji spoke of —the guy he's never beaten, the one who's never even had to get serious: Tejima Shinichi, right?"
Lee's voice trembled —not from fear, but excitement.
Tejima Shinichi's eyes flickered slightly.
'Instead of going after Uchiha Sasuke, he's set his sights on me? And… from what he just said, Neji's clearly been bad-mouthing me behind my back!'
"It's me."
Rock Lee's fighting spirit flared up like a tangible flame; he clenched both fists, his voice unshakable.
"My name is Rock Lee! I want to prove that even without Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, a superb Ninja can be forged through Taijutsu alone!"
He stared straight at Tejima Shinichi, eyes blazing, and issued his challenge.
"So please, duel me! I want to feel firsthand how strong someone must be to earn Neji's praise. I want to see how many moves I can last against you!"
Every word rang out like a hammer blow, tightening the already fragile air of the corridor.
All eyes locked onto Tejima Shinichi, waiting for his answer.
Hyuga Neji's Byakugan had opened unnoticed, fixed on Shinichi; he wanted to know how wide the gap between them had grown after these months. Tenten held her breath, equally curious about this legendary figure.
Uchiha Sasuke's gaze was even sharper.
Moments ago, when he'd tried to force his way into the classroom, he'd kicked at one of the two Ninja blocking him —only for this bushy-browed newcomer to intercept it effortlessly.
Although he hadn't used his full power or the Sharingan, the ease with which his strike had been stopped proved the opponent's Taijutsu foundation was rock-solid.
How much of Tejima Shinichi's true ability this fight might draw out—that was what Sasuke was burning to see.
Shinichi's teammates, Kobayashi Takeshi and Satō Yū, exchanged glances of surprise and quiet pride.
Kobayashi muttered to Satō, "Those thick eyebrows have guts, challenging Shinichi head-on."
Satō, more interested in Shinichi's reaction, whispered back, "Let's see how Shinichi-kun handles it."
Nearby, Uzumaki Naruto laced his fingers behind his head, wearing a this-is-gonna-be-good grin as he shouted,
"Ooh, it's about to go down! That Brow-Bro actually dares to take on Shinichi?"
For some reason, whereas seeing Uchiha Sasuke in the spotlight always stirred a competitive itch in him, watching Tejima Shinichi get challenged left him purely entertained, nothing more.
Haruno Sakura, temporarily forgetting her earlier embarrassment at being confessed to, frowned at the scene. She had no fondness for Lee, yet she wondered how this person who'd casually blocked Sasuke would fare against the far stronger Tejima Shinichi.
Under the converging stares and the blunt challenge, Tejima Shinichi showed no ripple of emotion, merely regarding the fired-up Rock Lee calmly.
"Proof doesn't come from words —it comes from strength. Still… your challenge, I accept!"
He lifted a hand, pointing toward the training ground ahead of the corridor.
"Let's move there. Quick and done."
Such ready agreement snapped the onlookers' attention higher; they were startled by his directness and even more intrigued by the coming clash.
Hearing that, brilliance exploded in Lee's eyes.
"Thank you for the guidance!"
With a shout his figure vanished from sight, reappearing an instant later on the empty training ground at the corridor's end. Snapping into a textbook Taijutsu stance, he called excitedly,
"I'm ready!"
Tejima Shinichi arched a brow, said nothing, and walked over. The rest followed at once, forming a tight ring at the edge of the field, holding their breath.
In the center the two stood facing each other.
Rock Lee drew a deep breath, his gaze sharpening.
"Here I come!"
The words hadn't faded before he dropped low, sprang forward, and shot toward Tejima Shinichi so fast that to ordinary eyes he left a faint green after-image.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
A vicious spinning heel kick whipped straight at Shinichi's head, the wind of it ruffling the boy's hair.
At the sidelines, Hyuga Neji's Byakugan and Uchiha Sasuke's Sharingan were already active, locking onto Lee's every motion.
'Fast!'
The same thought flashed through both their minds.
Even seen through their dōjutsu, Rock Lee's speed was outstanding.
Yet against a strike that would leave an average Genin no time to react, Tejima Shinichi simply tilted his body slightly.
At the same instant his right hand reached out casually.
Smack!
A soft sound.
The ankle powering that fierce kick was caught in Shinichi's grip as easily as if he'd plucked a falling leaf.
Lee's forward momentum died; he hung frozen in mid-air, shock written across his face.
"Wh—what!?"
His speed, his strength, the Taijutsu he'd honed for years… nullified in an instant?!
A collective gasp swept through the sidelines.
Tenten and Sakura clapped hands over their mouths; Kobayashi and Satō stared wide-eyed.
'Impossible!' In Neji's Byakugan vision, Shinichi's movement had held zero excess, as though he'd foreseen everything. 'He's… this relaxed?'
Sasuke's Sharingan whirred, analyzing frantically, yet the conclusion weighed on him: it wasn't any dōjutsu or technique —just raw reaction speed and bodily control, a gap so vast it was crushing.
"Not over yet!"
Startled but unshaken, Lee's battle instincts kicked in.
With one ankle trapped, he snapped his waist and, using Shinichi's grip as a pivot, whipped his other heel at the boy's temple.
The follow-up was lightning-quick and brutal.
"Still don't get it?"
Shinichi spoke flatly.
Even as the words left his mouth, the arm holding Lee's ankle surged with power.
A titanic force slammed through Lee; he felt as light as a stalk of straw, his body utterly helpless.
"It's finished."
With a casual sweep of his arm, Shinichi flung Lee clean off the ground.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three heavy, ruthless slams against the hard earth.
Raw, efficient, a display of absolute power.
Dust plumed upward.
Shinichi released his hold.
"Ngh…"
Lee groaned, crumpled on the ground, the world spinning, vision blackening; pain flared everywhere, the violent impacts leaving him gasping, able only to let out a low, anguished moan.