Chapitre 107: Ch.107 How About Trying It?
As Uchiha Shinji's thoughts wandered, they grew more and more scattered.
If the Uchiha clan, representing the Sage's eyes, combined with the Senju or Uzumaki clans, representing the Sage's body, ultimately led to the Rinnegan...
Then, what would the combination of the Hyuga clan, representing the Sage's eyes, and the Kaguya clan, representing the Sage's body, lead to? It was worth pondering.
Logically speaking, tracing the bloodline back to its roots should result in obtaining the powers of the bloodline's ancestor. In this case, it would lead back to the shared ancestor of the Hyuga and Kaguya clans—Otsutsuki Hamura.
But Otsutsuki Hamura had the Byakugan! Although his Byakugan's purity far surpassed that of the Hyuga clan, it was still the Byakugan.
However, among Hamura's descendants on the moon, a mutation occurred that led to a new dojutsu Kekkei Genkai superior to the Byakugan—the Tenseigan.
So, would the fusion of the Hyuga clan's Sage eyes and the Kaguya clan's Sage body result in a pure Byakugan, or a completely new dojutsu like the Tenseigan?
At this point, no one could say for sure.
"How about trying it?"
Suddenly, a bold idea sparked in Shinji's mind.
What if he transplanted Kimimaro's cells into Neji to see what kind of result this fusion of two great bloodlines would produce?
While Shinji was lost in thought, the final exams for each class at the academy came to an end.
Next, it was time for the inter-class matches.
With the pride of each class at stake, the atmosphere on the training field became even more heated than before.
In the first round, Shinji's class faced another class from the same grade. Thanks to having both Shinji's and Neji's teams, they won with ease.
In the second round, however, Shinji's class was matched up against Sasuke's.
"I didn't expect to face them so soon!" Tenten shook her head, a little disappointed.
From her perspective, as long as they didn't run into Sasuke or Kimimaro's team, their class could sweep through the academy, even the upperclassmen.
Rock Lee clenched his fists with enthusiasm, excited at the prospect of fighting against geniuses like Sasuke and Kimimaro.
Tenten glanced at Lee and sighed, covering her face in exasperation.
Neji approached Shinji. "This is a class match, so we have to do our best to win."
Shinji didn't respond. Instead, he looked Neji up and down, pondering the idea of transplanting Kimimaro's cells into him.
Seeing Shinji staring at him, Neji asked curiously, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, nothing." Shinji casually brushed it off, snapping out of his thoughts. He glanced over at the field. "I'll do my best."
This match would provide a perfect opportunity for Shinji to collect some of Kimimaro's cell samples.
After all, Kimimaro's "Dead Bone Physique" was so unique that Shinji wouldn't have many legitimate chances to obtain his cells without drawing suspicion.
...
Not far away.
Upon learning that their opponents were Shinji's class, Sasuke's team tensed up as well.
Shikamaru groaned. "Damn, why'd we have to face them so soon?"
Choji, munching on his snacks, mumbled, "What's there to worry about? We've got Sasuke and Kimimaro, two monsters!"
Ino immediately yanked Choji's ear. "Don't call Sasuke a monster! He's a genius, not a monster!"
Hinata nervously glanced at Neji from afar.
Shino, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "Don't worry. If our squad faces him, we'll just forfeit."
Kiba blinked in confusion. "Who are you talking about? And why would we forfeit?!"
Hinata shook her head, whispering, "I-it's okay. I-I won't drag you down. I can fight."
Still confused, Kiba asked, "What are you guys talking about?"
Akamaru barked in agreement, "Woof!"
Shino ignored Kiba, adjusting his glasses. "I'm just making a judgment based on probability. Whether we face Neji's team or Uchiha Shinji's team, our chances of winning are slim."
Finally understanding, Kiba grinned. "We can't just give up! At the very least, we can wear them down and use up some of their chakra!"
Akamaru barked in agreement again, "Woof!"
Sasuke, having already shaken off the sting of his earlier defeat, was back to his usual self.
The reason he recovered so quickly was simple—he had been beaten by Kimimaro so many times that he was almost used to it.
Gazing at Shinji and Neji from a distance, Sasuke said, "The three of us will settle things today!"
Sakura asked worriedly, "Sasuke, what do we do if we face Shinji and Neji?"
Sasuke advised, "They'll probably target you first, so be careful. Try to stall for as long as you can."
Naruto crossed his arms confidently. "Don't worry! I won't be taken down so easily!"
Naruto had performed decently in the earlier round, so he was brimming with confidence.
He had seen how strong Kimimaro was, but he had mostly only heard about Shinji and Neji, so he wasn't afraid at all.
Led by Iruka and Mizuki, both classes moved to the edge of the training field.
"Shinji! Shinji!" On the other side, Shion was hopping up and down, waving at Shinji.
Shinji sighed and looked away.
Ever since Shion arrived in Hidden Leaf, she had been like a bird freed from a cage, constantly full of energy and excitement.
Soon, the match began.
Both classes started off in small squads, engaging each other in quick skirmishes.
Before long, Shinji's class had already lost several matches.
In reality, apart from Shinji's and Neji's teams, the rest of their class didn't have much combat power. Most of the students were civilians with relatively average skills.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke's class boasted several bloodline limit shinobi, clan-trained shinobi, and Naruto, a jinchuriki. Overall, their class was much stronger than the others.
Boom!
With the last student knocked out of the arena, Iruka announced, "Shikamaru's squad wins!"
Tenten sighed. "Ugh, another loss!"
Neji frowned.
He realized that at this rate, only his and Shinji's squads stood a chance of winning. The rest of their classmates were being eliminated one after another. It wouldn't be long before he would have to face a gauntlet of opponents.
At that moment, Mizuki announced, "Next up: Sasuke's squad versus Shinji's squad!"
"Gasp—they're matched up?"
"The main event is here!"
"Wow, a clash between two Uchiha geniuses!"
Excitement rippled through the students. Everyone knew that while other squads might have an impact on the competition, the real deciding factor lay with the teams that had the four geniuses.
Tenten cheered, "Shinji, good luck!"
Neji nodded at Shinji as well.
Shinji smiled, then led Haku and Karin onto the field.
On the other side, Sasuke motioned with a confident wave. "Naruto, Sakura, let's go!"
...
On the rooftop.
Leaning against a water tower, Kakashi once again tore his eyes away from Icha Icha Paradise and glanced at the field.
Among the two squads entering the field were his sensei's orphaned son, as well as the last two survivors of his best friend's clan.
To him, few people in the village felt like family anymore, but these kids were among them.
So Kakashi paid closer attention, observing the upcoming match carefully.
...
In the academy building.
The village elders also focused on this match.
Despite Sasuke's earlier defeat, his performance had been strong enough to win the council's approval. Even Danzo, typically critical, had no complaints.
...
On the field.
Both teams made the "Opposition Seal" before getting into their respective stances.
Shinji glanced at Naruto and Sakura, noticing how tense they looked as they stared back at him. He couldn't help but smile.
Sasuke, meanwhile, sized up Haku and Karin before saying to Shinji, "This time, Shinji, I'll be the one to win!"
Swoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, Sasuke shot forward like an arrow, aiming directly at Haku and Karin.
His strategy was simple: copy Shinji's earlier tactic—take out Shinji's two teammates first. Then, with Naruto and Sakura's support, he would overwhelm Shinji.
While dashing toward Haku and Karin, Sasuke kept his Sharingan focused on Shinji, preparing for his next move after eliminating the two.
Seeing Sasuke charge at them, both Haku and Karin couldn't help but think about the mission they had received to get close to Sasuke.
"We can't lose too quickly…"
Both of them had the same thought.
They knew Sasuke's pride wouldn't allow him to acknowledge them if they didn't at least show some strength. This was their chance to make a lasting impression on him.
Sasuke closed in, his Sharingan spinning as a confident smile played on his lips.
Seeing the hesitation in Haku and Karin's faces, Sasuke thought, "Hmph, these weaklings!"
Feeling victorious already, Sasuke made a feint with his left arm, hiding his true attack in his right as he aimed for Karin. He then prepared to follow up with a roundhouse kick to Haku after taking down Karin.
Karin hesitated not because she was caught off guard, but because she wasn't sure how far she should take her resistance.
Her Mangekyo Sharingan, although inactive, still provided her with far superior insight compared to a normal eye. She could tell from Sasuke's shoulder movement that his true attack was coming from his right arm, hidden in her blind spot.
She decided to feign ignorance, grab his left arm, take a punch from his right, and then deliver a light counterpunch—just for show.
At the same time, Haku had a similar thought.
He figured he would grab Sasuke's right arm to protect Karin, then deliver a light counterstrike, knowing that Sasuke could easily dodge it.
And so, when Sasuke feinted with his left and attacked with his right...
Haku and Karin both reacted.
Karin grabbed Sasuke's left arm, prepared to take a hit from his right while casually throwing a punch.
Meanwhile, Haku grabbed Sasuke's right arm, also throwing a casual palm strike.
Thud! Thud!
Two dull sounds echoed across the field.
Everyone froze, including Shinji, Naruto, and Sakura. The entire training ground fell silent.
"Did I see that right?"
"Was… was Sasuke just punched?"
Murmurs of disbelief spread among the students as some rubbed their eyes, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
On the field, Sasuke stood in shock.
Karin had grabbed his left arm, Haku his right, and both of them had landed blows on his face—Karin's fist on his left cheek, Haku's palm on his right.
His head buzzed as he struggled to process what had just happened.
Haku and Karin stared at each other, eyes wide with panic. They hadn't meant for things to turn out like this.
"Damn it!"
Shaking off the dizziness, Sasuke finally regained his senses.
To have both his hands restrained and then get hit in the face—especially in front of the entire academy—was beyond humiliating.
And it wasn't as though he had lost to a genius like Kimimaro. No, he had been struck by Haku and Karin, two relatively unknowns in the academy.
Infuriated, Sasuke tore free from their grip, spinning around to kick at Haku with full force. He planned to follow up with a punch to Karin afterward to salvage his pride.
"Oh no!"
Haku, realizing they were in trouble, prepared to block Sasuke's kick and then take a punch before being knocked out of the ring.
Karin had the same thought.
She figured after Sasuke knocked out Haku, he'd shift his weight, and she would pretend to attack his supporting leg, giving him an easy way to defeat her as well.
So both Haku and Karin acted again.
Haku grabbed Sasuke's right leg, ready to take the punch that would follow.
Karin kicked at Sasuke's left leg, expecting him to down Haku first and then finish her off.
Thud.
Another dull sound echoed across the field.
Everyone watched, dumbfounded, as the scene unfolded in silence once more.
Haku held onto Sasuke's right leg with a stunned expression, while Karin stood next to him, having kicked Sasuke's left leg out from under him.
They exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what had just happened.
And on the ground, Sasuke, having landed face-first, was even more confused than before.
"What just happened again?"
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone