Boom.
Another dull thud rang out as Yakumo was once again sent flying by Sasuke.
Sasuke frowned slightly: "You're no match for me. Give up!"
Yakumo forced herself back to her feet, wiping the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth: "Want me to give up? That's impossible!"
"Staking your clan's honor on this?" Shaking his head, Sasuke said slowly: "Too bad your body's too weak!"
Whoosh.
With that, Sasuke launched the "Body Flicker Jutsu" and lunged at Yakumo again, attacking fiercely while declaring: "I respect your determination, but you're not the only one betting your clan's honor! The Uchiha won't lose!"
Under Sasuke's relentless assault, Yakumo couldn't hold her own.
It was like the chunin exams in the original timeline—Sasuke versus Lee. It wasn't that the eyes couldn't track the opponent's movements; the body simply couldn't keep up.
But to everyone's surprise, despite Sasuke's barrage, Yakumo—known for her frail health—managed to hold on. Unlike the other classmates instantly knocked out, she kept going.
The students on the sidelines were stunned. Moved by Yakumo's persistence and awed by Sasuke's sharp taijutsu, they fell silent, and the field grew quiet once more.
In the distance.
"Hm?"
Kakashi's gaze sharpened.
The other students only saw Yakumo's tenacity, but Kakashi, having lifted his headband, noticed something more. For someone chronically weak like Yakumo to endure this long, it wasn't just her incredible willpower—it was mainly because she subtly avoided Sasuke's 'lethal' strikes.
Though far inferior in taijutsu, Yakumo always managed minute shifts in her stance to dodge attacks aimed at her vitals.
So, despite being on the receiving end of a beating, she hadn't been taken down as easily as the others with Sasuke's casual three or four moves.
More than that, Kakashi observed that under Sasuke's storm of blows, Yakumo's body wasn't slowing down—it was becoming more agile.
"Something's off!" Asuma furrowed his brow, muttering: "Wasn't the Kurama clan's main family daughter supposed to be frail and sickly?"
On the field.
Neji, with his Byakugan activated, frowned deeply: "Strange. Why is the blood in Yakumo's body flowing so fast?"
Tenten, beside him, asked: "Neji, did you notice something?"
Neji said gravely: "It seems Yakumo's using some kind of taijutsu secret technique to speed up her blood flow, boosting her physical vitality."
Lee looked envious: "There's a taijutsu technique like that?"
"I've never heard of it. Maybe it's a Kurama clan secret," Neji shook his head, his expression growing heavier: "This isn't good. Her blood flow's still accelerating. If this keeps up, her body won't hold out!"
On the other side, though Karin had lost her sight, it didn't stop her from perceiving Sasuke and Yakumo's clash with her "Mind's Eye of Kagura."
As the fight dragged on, she too sensed something amiss: "Yakumo's chakra feels so strange!"
Shiro asked: "What's wrong?"
Karin shook her head: "I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm sensing a Yin Release chakra from her that I've never felt before. And…"
Shiro pressed: "And what?"
"And it's incredibly strong," Karin lowered her voice to a whisper only Shiro could hear: "Almost on par with the Leader!"
"That's impossible!"
Shiro shook his head quickly. He believed Yakumo, as a noble clan descendant, had talent, but he couldn't accept her chakra rivaling the leader's.
The battle on the field pressed on.
Catching the astonished looks of his classmates out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke felt a surge of frustration.
He couldn't figure out why Yakumo was so hard to shake off.
Her taijutsu was clearly far below his, yet she kept tangling with him, preventing a swift victory.
And as the one fighting her, he knew better than anyone—Yakumo was improving fast. Her speed and strength were rising at an unbelievable pace.
"Damn it, what's with this girl! How can she see through my moves? Why's she so resilient?"
A sense of crisis welled up in Sasuke's chest.
He felt that if he didn't finish Yakumo off soon, he might actually lose.
Without holding back, he activated his Sharingan, hands flashing through seals as he shouted: "Fire Release, Great Fireball—"
Swoosh!
Just as Sasuke was about to unleash his Fire Release, a figure appeared between him and Yakumo.
That figure grabbed Sasuke's hands with one arm, halting his ninjutsu mid-cast, and with the other, gently choked Yakumo into unconsciousness.
"You—"
Sasuke looked up, realizing it was none other than Shinji.
Shinji said: "That's enough!"
"Hmph!"
Seeing Yakumo already subdued by Shinji, Sasuke let out a light scoff, then turned and walked off, visibly annoyed.
Shinji carefully laid Yakumo on the ground, using medical ninjutsu to treat her.
The crowd gathered around, chattering: "Shinji, is Yakumo okay?"
Shinji waved a hand: "She's fine, just some minor scrapes!"
Knowing Shinji was skilled in medical ninjutsu, they relaxed at his words.
Shinji, meanwhile, quietly sighed in relief.
Yakumo had passed this test. Even at the end, she hadn't actively activated the Koryugan or let Ido run wild.
That said, the Koryugan's power was immense. Even in its dormant state, it affected Yakumo's body.
The others, unaware of the Koryugan, mistook it for some taijutsu secret technique.
But Shinji, privy to the truth, knew Yakumo hadn't used any secret technique. Her boosts in speed and strength came purely from the Koryugan manipulating her blood, unlocking her body's potential.
For an average person, as long as they controlled it well, this Koryugan ability rivaled any taijutsu secret technique.
But Yakumo's naturally frail body couldn't withstand the intense blood circulation.
So Sasuke's judgment had been off. If the fight had continued, Yakumo would've lost—her body was already on the verge of collapse.
That's why Shinji had no choice but to step in and end the match.
The students and instructors present didn't grasp Yakumo's perilous state, so they wouldn't intervene lightly. By the time something truly went wrong, it could've been a shattered heart—beyond saving.
Just as Shinji was about to come up with an excuse for his interference, Shion piped up: "Shinji, you've got class! Unlike Sasuke, who just loves showing off!"
Tenten nodded repeatedly: "Yeah, seriously! Sasuke knew Yakumo's not in great health, yet he still went all out!"
"Shinji's a true noble clan heir!"
"There are gentle guys like Shinji in the Uchiha after all!"
The crowd buzzed with comments.
"Uh…"
Shinji opened his mouth, intending to explain, but ultimately decided to let it slide.