Chapter 39: Crushing Defeat

Sato was unaware of the evaluations by the Jōnin and high-level officials in Konoha. Even if he had known, he would have simply laughed it off.

At that moment, Sato, along with his clones, had dispelled all of Naruto's Shadow Clones. Standing before the sluggish Naruto, Sato ceased his attacks and said, "Besides this Forbidden Technique, do you possess any other moves? If not, I suggest you admit defeat."

"Of course, I do. Do not underestimate me!" Naruto responded, his voice bringing him back to his senses as he realized he had been taken aback. Naruto, witnessing his own embarrassing state, immediately retorted with a flushed face.

In an attempt to save face, Naruto raised his thumbs and overlapped them, forming a "not" symbol with his left thumb on top. He inwardly shouted to the Nine-Tails, "Hey, you smelly fox, it's time to pay the rent!"

Boom!

In the next instant, a powerful surge of Chakra erupted from Naruto's body. The orange Chakra encircled him like a cyclone, and faintly, several orange tails swayed and swung behind him. Many people in the auditorium and VIP seats widened their eyes at this sight, including the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, who was disguised as the Fourth Kazekage.

The Third Hokage was surprised, as he had not expected Naruto to tap into the power of the Nine-Tails Chakra. Though it was only a small amount of Chakra and not the complete-tailed beast form, it was enough to astonish him. On the other hand, Orochimaru's surprise did not stem from Naruto's ability to use the Nine-Tails Chakra, but rather from wondering who had helped Naruto break the seal of the Five Elements. Was it the old man next to him, or someone else? If it were the former, it would be fine, but if it were the latter...

Could it be that the fool was back too? Orochimaru pondered to himself.

"... Sato, our battle has just begun," Naruto declared, as he felt an overwhelming sense of empowerment from utilizing the Nine-Tails Chakra for the first time since waking up.

This transformation filled Naruto with newfound confidence, making him eager to explore the power of the tailed beast, just as Kurama had anticipated. With a grin, Naruto exclaimed to Sato, "I'm ready! I won't lose to you this time!"

Swish— After uttering those words, Naruto employed the Body Flicker Technique, disappearing before Sato's eyes, only to reappear behind him and launch an attack. However, in the next moment, Sato swiftly thwarted Naruto's arrogance.

Boom!

Naruto's kick landed successfully, but instead of striking Sato, it was Sato who struck Naruto. Naruto had kicked nothing but an illusion, while Sato had materialized behind him out of thin air and sent him flying with a kick.

"It's not just about speed; it's about being instantaneous... Bang!" Sato's voice reached Naruto's ears before he even landed from the initial kick. Sato had instantaneously appeared in front of Naruto after moving behind him.

Without giving Naruto a chance to utilize the Shadow Clone Technique mid-air, Sato kicked him once again. Naruto endured the pain and finally resorted to the Shadow Clone Technique, creating two clones to help soften his landing.

Unfortunately, before the Shadow Clones could assist Naruto, two blue streaks penetrated their bodies, dispersing them into white mist.

Boom—

"Wow..."

Before Naruto could comprehend what had destroyed his Shadow Clones, he found himself hurtling through the air, face up toward the sky. A heavy weight struck his chest, and he crashed heavily onto the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

As the dust settled, Sato pressed his knees against Naruto's chest, holding a kunai at his neck. Observing Naruto with a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, Sato declared, "You've lost!"

"The victor has been decided! The winner is... Sato!" Shiranui Genma announced the outcome of the battle, knowing that Sato had shown mercy and denying Naruto the chance to display any further prowess.

"Accepted," Sato acknowledged, retracting the kunai and extending a hand toward Naruto.

"It hurts..." Naruto didn't decline Sato's gesture of goodwill. He grasped the offered hand and stood up, vigorously rubbing his chest while wiping away the blood from the corner of his mouth. Helplessly, he admitted, "Even though I still have a trick up my sleeve, I still couldn't defeat you, Sato."

Had he lost to anyone else, Naruto would have undoubtedly displayed his unwillingness or put up a brave front, claiming he hadn't given it his all. But losing to Sato, the adversary who had subjected him to countless defeats over the past six years, Naruto felt it was only natural.

Understanding Naruto's sentiments, Sato nodded in agreement. He knew precisely what Naruto meant. The reason Sato had swiftly incapacitated Naruto was to prevent him from utilizing the Summoning technique from Mount Myōboku. With the enhancement provided by the Nine-Tails Chakra, Naruto could have potentially summoned a colossal toad. In that scenario, unless Sato employed advanced Fire Style Nature Transformation ninjutsu or relied on advanced Sharingan illusions, he wouldn't stand a chance against those gigantic toads while suppressing his strength.

Thus, the two rivals performed the symbolic seal of reconciliation, reminiscent of their time at the ninja school. They then made their way toward the entrance of the contestant area, where they were greeted by the cheering of the audience.

"Yellow-haired guy, great job!"

"White-haired dude, you're so cool!"

"..."

On their way, many spectators who had come from outside specifically to watch the tournament shouted praises and encouragement to Naruto and Sato. Naruto, experiencing popularity for the first time, suddenly felt flustered but managed to blow kisses to the admiring audience.

If one didn't know any better, they would assume Naruto was the victor rather than the loser.

"I forfeit!" Just as Sato was about to enter the entrance of the contestant area, a voice resounded in his ear. Following the sound, he saw Kankuro standing in the stands of the player area, raising his hand and shouting toward Genma Shiranui.

Kankuro's actions sparked public outrage, as the audience had paid for tickets to witness the ninja battles. Missing out on one match meant losing out on part of their investment. Kankuro paid no mind to the anger of the audience and sneered inwardly. He had no intention of wasting unnecessary chakra or revealing his tactics until their village attacked Konoha.

As Kankuro abstained, Shino won the match by default. The next battle was between Temari and Shikamaru.

As Sato walked through the passage, he encountered Shikamaru approaching him. They exchanged a high-five as they passed each other. "Good luck," Sato encouraged.

Scratching his head, Shikamaru replied with a helpless expression, "Another troublesome woman as my opponent."

"That means women find you appealing," Sato patted Nara Shikamaru on the shoulder, implying something meaningful.

"Thanks, but I'd rather not deal with these kinds of troubles," Nara Shikamaru retorted, rolling his eyes, before making his way to the exit.

Sato regretted the absence of a recorder in this world. Otherwise, he would have documented Shikamaru's words and cherished this moment for the rest of his life.

"Shadow Clone Technique." After Shikamaru exited the passage, Sato didn't immediately return to the player area. In the dark corridor, he employed the Shadow Clone Technique, creating several shadow clones. The clones transformed into small animals like wild cats, intending to leave the square through different exits.

Once Konoha's plan for chaos commenced, Sato's long-prepared plans would also be set in motion. Sato then returned to the player area, standing between Ino and Hinata, observing the imminent battle about to unfold below.

This battle would serve as Shikamaru's moment of glory, displaying the strategic prowess of the Nara clan. It would earn him the respect of all the special Jōnin and high-ranking officials in Konoha known for their leadership abilities. Tsunade, upon assuming leadership of Konoha, would review the Chūnin exam report and promote Shikamaru to the rank of Chūnin. In other words, among the Konoha Genin who participated in this Chūnin exam, Shikamaru was the only one to achieve Chūnin status, as per the original storyline.