"Surprisingly easy."
Utaha tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her face calm.
Across from her, her fellow long-black-haired beauty Yukino had a different expression.
Silence filled the arena.
Naruto, Sasuke, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and the other players… these former classmates looked at the scene with shock.
At the Ninja Academy, these two long-black-haired girls had always been neck and neck in overall grades.
After Makoto left, Sasuke held the top spot, while positions second through fifth constantly shifted among Utaha, Yukino, Haruno, and the Aizono sisters.
No one expected that just half a year after graduation, the gap had already become so wide.
"How could this happen..."
Yui watched Yukino walk back with her head down, momentarily at a loss for words of comfort.
Her teammate, Aizono Airi, however, looked proud: "Isn't it obvious? That girl is Makoto's student after all."
Normally, these two would have already started bickering.
But Yukino just wasn't in the mood right now.
Yui felt exhausted, feeling that being teammates with these two was too hard.
Not to mention Yui, even Haruno wasn't sure how to comfort her sister. She knew Yukino's goal had always been Makoto… but now, she couldn't even catch up to his disciple.
"Good job, Utaha."
Ran said to Utaha as she returned.
Utaha nodded, then looked at Makoto with a smile: "I heard you don't get along with that girl? I've avenged you."
Makoto couldn't help but laugh: "Avenged me? When was I angry?"
He wasn't a particularly magnanimous person, but he certainly wouldn't get angry over something like this.
Someone like Yukino, in his eyes, was like a yappy chihuahua.
This made Yukino even more upset.
It was like when Makoto came to her house for dinner.
She would have preferred that Makoto humiliate her.
Being ignored was what hurt more.
The screen flashed again, and the second round of drawing began.
Uchiha Sasuke VS Akado Yoroi
The same draw result as the original work, and the same battle outcome.
Despite the pain of the Cursed Seal eroding him, Sasuke finished his opponent with the Lion Combo.
But because of this, his body had reached its limit. Kakashi took him away early to help suppress the Cursed Seal.
Third Match… Aizono Airi VS Haruno Sakura
Against Sakura, who had neither learned Medical Ninjutsu nor the Monstrous Strength Technique, Airi used continuous Great Fireballs to corner her.
From the second floor, Naruto kept encouraging her… but unfortunately, the young lord's Talk-no-Jutsu didn't work this time.
When Airi cornered Sakura and prepared to form hand seals again, Sakura finally raised her hand to surrender.
After Sakura came back, Kakashi comforted her: "You did well enough."
Makoto couldn't help but interject: "What exactly have you taught her in these six months?"
He had wanted to criticize this in the original work.
Among Team 7, Kakashi's favoritism toward Sasuke was clear… but it was also possible that it had been arranged beforehand that Jiraiya would teach Naruto.
What about Sakura, then?
He had only taught her tree climbing, not even water walking, and still let her take the Chunin Exam?
Was he sending her to die on purpose?
Kakashi broke out in a cold sweat and laughed it off, barely covering the matter.
Fourth Match… Mouri Ran VS Hayama Hayato
Another player-versus-player match.
"Can you avenge my sister, Hayato-kun?" Haruno smiled at Hayato.
"I-I'll do my best..." Hayato smiled bitterly.
Of course, he wanted to perform well in front of the girl he liked, but facing Makoto's student, he wasn't confident at all.
Moreover, Ran had been the karate club's ace at school… he'd heard about that. Who knew how strong she was now?
When they faced off, Ran took the initiative to greet him: "Long time no see, Hayama-kun."
Hayato was momentarily stunned, then quickly nodded: "Yeah, long time no see..."
Both were the polite type.
Only one was genuine, while the other's seemed more like a facade.
As Hayate announced the start of the match—
Ran shot forward instantly, unleashing a speed that was completely unlike a Genin's.
Hayato instinctively crossed his arms to protect himself.
But Ran bent low, propping herself on one hand, and in an almost handstand position, swung her foot up from below his crossed arms, kicking him hard on the chin—
Sending him flying ten meters into the air!
Under everyone's stunned gaze, Ran leaped up and caught Hayato in mid-air.
The two bodies were one above the other, gliding horizontally through the air.
"Is that!?"
Yumiko and Yui, both part of the popular group, changed expressions drastically.
Naruto also shouted: "Isn't that Sasuke's just now..."
The next moment, Ran used her hands and feet in a series of blows all over Hayato's body.
Exactly… the Lion Combo!
Kakashi looked at Makoto in shock: "Can that child copy techniques too?"
Makoto smiled: "No, she's just naturally talented in Taijutsu."
Watching Hayato, unconscious with eyes rolled back, the other players drew in sharp breaths.
'Makoto's students... were all incredibly fierce.'
"I'm sorry, I think I used too much force... Please help him quickly!"
Ran looked at the unconscious Hayato, calling out urgently.
Yui then said to Yumiko beside her: "Yumiko, you don't seem very worried."
She knew Yumiko had always been interested in Hayato.
"Huh?"
Yumiko snapped back to reality, stammering, "N-No, I'm not."
With that, she also went to check on Hayato's injuries.
She didn't know why herself.
Seeing Hayato beaten unconscious, she wasn't as worried as she'd expected.
Was it because they'd had less contact after graduation?
As Hayato was carried off for treatment, the matches continued.
Compared to the original characters, Makoto was more interested in the fights between players.
But most performed poorly… many were new players, even counting their time at the Ninja Academy, they'd only been Ninjas for less than five years.
Their performance was even worse than the original characters who had mastered clan secret techniques.
Getting through the second exam really was thanks to player plot armor.
When Lee appeared, even the three members of Makoto's squad, and the Aizono sisters who had trained with him, watched with mouths agape.
They no longer dared to underestimate the NPCs of this other world.
Finally, the second round of additional testing officially ended.
Among the players, the Team Makoto trio, the Aizono sisters who had received extra training from Makoto, passed smoothly.
The only other player who passed was:
Yukinoshita Haruno.