Ch.72 Genius!

On the training ground.

Sasuke smirked, "Challenging me as soon as you enter the academy? Looks like you've heard of my reputation."

Kimimaro, showing little interest in conversation, replied calmly, "Can we start?"

"Then let's begin. I don't want to waste too much time on you," Sasuke's expression turned cold as his dark eyes transformed into the crimson red of the Sharingan, with two spinning tomoe in each eye.

Around the field:

"Who do you think will win?"

"Obviously Sasuke! Do you even have to ask?"

"But Kimimaro looks strong too, and he's so tall!"

"Does height even matter? Don't you remember those upper-class students from before? A lot of them are still at home recovering!"

The students were all eagerly watching.

No one had expected that the first thing the new student would do was challenge the class's top genius, Uchiha Sasuke.

Not only Sasuke's classmates, but even students from other years gathered after hearing the news.

Gradually, even the instructors at the ninja school began to pay attention to the challenge.

Iruka flipped through Kimimaro's admission files while muttering, "The last survivor of the Kaguya clan? Another bloodline family from Hidden Mist?"

Mizuki chuckled, "Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to challenge Sasuke right away."

Iruka seemed concerned, "This won't get out of hand, will it?"

Mizuki shrugged, "It's just a sparring match between students. What could happen? Look, they've started!"

In the field.

Boom.

Sasuke kicked off the ground, his body turning into a blur as he rushed towards Kimimaro with complete confidence.

This move was something he copied from Shinji.

Because Shinji had trained in the Breathing Technique, short bursts of speed were his specialty, so he often used the force from kicking off the ground to enhance his bursts of speed.

Seeing that the technique worked well for Shinji, Sasuke had adopted it.

In an instant, Sasuke's full-speed charge kicked up a whirlwind, causing the onlookers to gasp, even catching the attention of several instructors.

From a distance, Neji, who had quietly activated his Byakugan, looked on with a serious expression. Sasuke's sudden improvement in speed had exceeded his expectations.

Bang!

But just when everyone anticipated a fierce battle, a dull thud echoed through the field as Sasuke was kicked and sent flying by Kimimaro.

The once noisy training ground fell silent.

Many of the students' expressions froze in place, their mouths agape, eyes wide with shock.

Lying on the ground, Sasuke looked bewildered, "Wh-what just happened?"

Kimimaro slowly approached Sasuke, his voice cold and indifferent, "I heard your brother wiped out the entire Uchiha clan overnight. You're lucky to have survived such a disaster."

At the mention of Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's expression twisted in rage, and he roared, "Don't mention that person!"

Kimimaro continued calmly, "Shouldn't you thank him? After all, he spared your life."

"You bastard!"

Sasuke struggled to his feet, panting heavily, his anger fully ignited. The two tomoe in his Sharingan spun rapidly as his chakra began to flare.

"This is bad, Sasuke's getting serious!" Seeing the situation escalate, Iruka exclaimed, "We have to stop this fight!"

Mizuki stopped him, "That new kid, Kimimaro, went too far. Let Sasuke, our genius, teach him a lesson. Otherwise, he'll think our Hidden Leaf's bloodline shinobi are weaker than those from Hidden Mist."

On the sidelines.

Sensing Sasuke's rising anger, the surrounding students backed away, giving the two combatants more space.

Shikamaru muttered, "Sasuke seems really mad."

"Why's he so angry?" Even Naruto, normally loud and carefree, felt uneasy. He had never seen Sasuke this furious.

Shikamaru didn't answer, only shaking his head.

In the field.

Blinded by rage, Sasuke raised his hands, forming a sequence of seals as everyone stared in shock. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

Boom!

A massive fireball erupted from Sasuke's mouth, hurtling toward Kimimaro.

No one had expected Sasuke to use Fire Release during a sparring match, and the students panicked, scattering in all directions. The instructors rushed forward to intervene.

Swish!

But just as they moved, Kimimaro disappeared from where he stood.

Sasuke's Sharingan darted around, trying to locate him, but before he could react, a voice came from behind him, "What are you looking at?"

"!?"

Sasuke was stunned, and just as he was about to turn, he was hit by a powerful punch that sent him flying again.

The scattered students and rushing instructors froze in their tracks, all staring in disbelief.

Even Neji, watching from afar, was astonished, "Was that the Body Flicker Technique?"

...

At the Hidden Leaf Hospital.

After butchering several fish, Shinji finally started to get the hang of it, speeding up his healing process.

Kusadō Kaoru nodded silently, impressed.

Medical ninjutsu was like that—either you could learn it or you couldn't. The difference between geniuses and ordinary people was particularly stark in this field.

By this point, she had to admit that Shinji was indeed a genius in the realm of medical ninjutsu.

After treating another fish, Shinji looked up at her, "Kusadō-sensei, what's next for me to learn?"

Kusadō Kaoru felt a little frustrated.

Normally, it would take months of rigorous training for a medical shinobi to reach this level, yet Shinji had done it in just a week. She wasn't sure how to proceed with his instruction.

After a moment of thought, she said, "I didn't expect your chakra control to be this good. Even many chunin probably don't have your level of control. You really are a genius."

"Yeah, I know," Shinji nodded confidently, without any hint of modesty.

In this field, he saw no reason to hide his abilities—he needed to master advanced medical ninjutsu as quickly as possible.

His chakra control was indeed exceptional.

Unlocking the Mangekyou Sharingan itself was a significant leap in yin-based chakra quality, and Uchiha with the Mangekyou rarely had poor chakra control.

Moreover, controlling the second pair of eyes with Susanoo Tomoshibi was also fundamentally an exercise in chakra control.

Throughout the process of mastering Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyou Sharingan, Shinji had continuously refined his chakra control.

Finally, the Breathing Technique also contributed to his enhanced control over the minute workings of his body and chakra.

With all these factors combined, Shinji's chakra control had far surpassed that of his peers.

This was why he had been able to master techniques like the Great Fireball Jutsu and Shadow Clone Jutsu so easily before.

Seeing how confident Shinji was, Kusadō Kaoru said, "Starting tomorrow, you'll assist me in surgeries. You'll learn organ transplants and repairs."

Shinji's eyes lit up—this was exactly what he needed.

After Shinji left, Kakashi appeared in the lab. Greeting Kusadō Kaoru lazily, he asked, "How's the kid?"

Kusadō Kaoru sighed, resigned, "He's a genius!"