"Match 2, Sakura Haruno vs. Kanpō!"
"Oh, this Kanpō is from Sunagakure. I heard that Sunagakure has been performing quite well since the first exam. But this Sakura Haruno is the first time I've heard of her. Is she powerful?"
The onlookers in the stands saw the names on the match list and curiously asked their companions.
"I haven't heard of her either... She probably isn't very powerful. This kind of situation happens every year. Some ninjas of average strength become Chunin by luck. It's quite common."
"Wow, listening to you, I feel so sorry for this girl. Even if such a ninja becomes a Chunin, won't she just be a burden in future missions..."
...............
Sakura nervously stood in the players' passage, her hands and feet numb. This was the first time she had faced such a big occasion. It was a lie to say she could handle it calmly.
Listening to the deafening cheers outside, she mechanically took steps forward and met Naruto, who was being dragged by Neji.
"Is... Is it your turn, Sakura?"
"Yeah!"
Sakura's stiff expression and heavy steps revealed her inner uneasiness at the moment. Even when Naruto was lying on his back, he immediately cheered her up.
"Come on, Sakura! I'll wait for you in the second round!"
"Naruto..."
There's nothing more inspiring than the recognition of a companion. Thanks to Naruto's confident smile, all her previous nervousness, panic, and uneasiness vanished.
Infinite fighting spirit erupted within her. Yes, the one she had been chasing was right ahead. Naruto had already won his match. She definitely couldn't lose easily.
She also had to go all out to prove to everyone that she wasn't just a lucky girl who was grouped with two geniuses by luck, but the perseverant ninja girl, Sakura Haruno!
"Thank you, Naruto. I'll definitely win this match!"
"Go, Sakura. Teach that guy with the strange paint on his face a lesson. Let them stop showing off that super - cocky look at the beginning! It's time to kick their asses!"
"Right! Naruto, let me show you the results of my special training this month!"
She took big steps and strode forward with her head held high towards the battlefield.
....
"You've really got the nerve to say such crappy words to a girl."
Neji stood aside without interrupting the spiritual exchange between the two. Having teammates himself, he understood this was a realm he couldn't enter.
"A girl? On the competition field, there's no distinction between men and women. We all have a common name, Konoha ninjas!"
Naruto smiled confidently and pointed at his forehead protector, which was polished to a shine, with his thumb.
"Humph! Big talker!"
"Ah!"
"What's wrong again?"
Naruto curiously inched closer to Neji's cheek and stared at him fixedly.
"Guys like you, handsome guys, always use the same tone when judging others!"
Looking at Neji's tone, [specific character's name] couldn't help but wonder what Sasuke was doing now. Why hadn't he shown up yet? Did he know that a large group of people were worried about him...
...............
Kankurō squinted one eye and looked at Sakura in front of him with disdain. This woman didn't have much talent, and she only won the preliminary round because her rival was equally weak, which was just a fight between two inexperienced fighters, really uninteresting.
However, he wasn't here to win the match anyway. A rival like Sakura was just right. It would allow him to win the match without revealing too much of his real strength.
Since that was the case, he'd play around with her.
"Both sides step forward. The match begins!"
As Shisui announced the start of the match, Sakura, who had previously concentrated her Chakra in her hand, didn't hesitate at all and threw a straight punch directly at Kankurō's face as soon as she heard Shisui's order.
Seize the initiative from the start!
Kankurō wasn't panicked either. After all, just one month wasn't enough to bring about a huge change in someone. It was obvious from the preliminary round that Sakura's proficiency in [Taijutsu] wasn't high. Although she had [Chakra Enhanced Strength], as long as he could see the direction of her punch, he could easily dodge it.
Just like now, he dodged that seemingly powerful straight punch with a quick sidestep. However, before he could celebrate, Sakura's fist slammed hard into the ground behind him.
Gigantic cracks instantly spread across the entire match field. The [Chakra Enhanced Strength] kicked up gravel and dirt, which were thrown randomly in all directions. Even the spectator stands were affected.
Kankurō was so shocked by her powerful explosive force that his jaw dropped. He had to concentrate and focus on dodging.
...............
"Hey! You just said she wasn't that strong. She's obviously super strong, okay! Just this one attack is as powerful as what Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyūga showed in the last match!"
A spectator sitting in the stands was also a bit embarrassed. He was slapped in the face by his own words and now his face was burning red.
"Pipe down! You were just feeling sorry for her. Now, just because she lifted a finger, you're acting like you're out of your mind!"
...............
Looking at Kankurō's embarrassed appearance as he had to dodge and retreat desperately, a provocative smile appeared on Sakura's face.
"Is it really okay for you to keep pretending to be low - key? Do you believe I'll punch out what you ate yesterday?"
Right from the start of the match, she knew that her rival didn't take her seriously. So what? She would use her strength to make him take her seriously.
Kankurō smacked his lips hard. Looking at the multiple abrasions on his body caused by the stones, he was quite dissatisfied. He originally planned to admit defeat, but seeing that provocative look in her eyes, the fire of anger in his heart flared up.
As a well - known Puppeteer from Sunagakure this year, when had he ever been looked down upon by a woman like this?
"Since you're so eager to fight with me, I'll show you a bit of my real strength!"
He reached behind his back, grabbed the Puppet, and slammed it onto the ground. As the Bandages gradually unraveled, the strange-looking Puppet inside was revealed.
Standing on the platform, Temari couldn't help but heave a silent sigh when she saw Kanohime acting on impulse. This guy must have been affected by Naruto's earlier duel, which is why he got so fired up and couldn't hold himself back.
However...
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