Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 77

Tooth's body, as if its bones had been removed, lay limply in the viscous swamp, face down, completely unconscious.

The mud and water merrily enveloped him, leaving only his upturned, mud-covered buttocks sticking out.

With a "poof," he turned into white smoke and disappeared, while the real Akamaru struggled to emerge from the mud.

Seeing its boss fall to the ground in such an "elegant" manner, it let out a mournful cry of "Awoo..." (Translation: Boss! You died so tragically!).

Naruto, using the recoil, performed a beautiful backflip and landed steadily on the dry ground at the edge of the swamp.

He clapped his hands, put his hands on his hips, looked at the buttocks sticking out in the mud and the groaning mud ball Akamaru beside it, and nodded with satisfaction: "OK! Done!"

An eerie silence fell over the entire room once again.

Sakura: "..."

Ino: "..."

Shikamaru: "..."

Dingci: "..."

Shino: "..."

Sasuke: "..."

"Pfft... Hahahahahaha!!!" The deafening laughter almost lifted the roof off the entire tower!

"Hahaha! Teeth's butt! It's sticking up so high!"

"Face-first! Definitely face-first! Just listen to that sound! Hahaha!"

"Akamaru! Akamaru has turned into a mud dog! And he's still crying! Hahaha!"

"Naruto! That was really ruthless, but... well done! Hahaha!"

The medical team suppressed their laughter and rushed into the field, lifting the man who was face down in the mud onto a stretcher.

Another group carefully picked up Akamaru, who was also covered in mud, looking pitiful and crying, and took him to the veterinarian.

Hayate Gekko struggled to suppress his laughter and coughs, his face flushed red: "Cough cough cough... The... the winner! Naruto Uzumaki! Cough cough cough..."

Naruto waved triumphantly towards the stands, especially towards Team 7, flashing his signature gleaming white teeth: "See that! This is the power of yours truly, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Sakura covered her face, her shoulders trembling, it was hard to tell whether she was laughing or feeling embarrassed.

Sasuke turned his face away, giving him an expression that said, "I don't know him."

Shikamaru watched as Kiba was carried away and Akamaru whimpered, and sighed deeply: "We won... but it feels like... winning has brought even more trouble... It's such a huge hassle!"

He seemed to have already foreseen how he would go on a rampage to seek revenge on Naruto after his teeth recovered.

Inside Naruto's body, a sealed space.

Nine-Tails laughed so hard he could hardly breathe: "Hahaha! A kick to the face! Precise! Ruthless! Well done!! Hahaha!"

Ban was silent for a moment, seemingly stunned by the simple, crude, and highly comical ending, before finally managing to utter, "...Hmph, a reckless act devoid of any skill. However... the angle of the kick to the face was barely passable."

This is probably the highest praise he could give.

Minato wiped away non-existent cold sweat, revealing a tired yet relieved smile: "Naruto... he has indeed grown... his use of sensory abilities is excellent... it's just that his fighting style... hmm... it's becoming more and more distinctive..."

He decided to selectively ignore the final kick to the face, which was driven by personal grudges.

Naruto Uzumaki, with his unique "Groundhog Style" tactics and the decisive "OK" finishing move, once again achieved victory.

Chapter 88 Two People Who Were Once Friends

Naruto returned to the stands triumphantly, his smile so bright it was blinding, making everyone want to punch him.

He darted over to Sasuke and Sakura in a few quick steps, hands on his hips, chin held high.

"Did you see that! Did you see that! Sasuke! Sakura!"

Naruto danced with excitement, spitting almost onto Sasuke's face: "That's what strength is! That's what tactics are! Under my 'Groundhog Style' tactics, Kiba couldn't even touch the hem of my clothes! Hahahaha! Easy advancement!"

Sasuke kept his eyes closed, his brows not even twitching, only letting out a very faint, disdainful "humph" from his nose.

The meaning is obvious: Is winning a fight something to brag about? How naive.

Sakura sighed and looked at Naruto's smug "I'm the best in the world" attitude, feeling that worrying about him earlier was a complete waste of her emotions.

"Yes, yes, Naruto is the best."

She gave a perfunctory reply, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Naruto was completely oblivious to Sakura's perfunctory attitude, and continued to recount his "brilliant and mighty" performance, especially the precise kick to the face at the end, which he described as a divine strike.

Just then, Hayate Gekko's signature cough rang out again, interrupting Naruto's "victory speech".

"Cough cough... Group 5,"

He cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping across the screen, his voice pausing almost imperceptibly: "Sakura Haruno versus—Ino Yamanaka! Please, both players, enter the arena!"

"what?!"

Two distinctly different but equally surprised voices rang out simultaneously.

Sakura suddenly raised her head, her emerald green eyes filled with astonishment, and looked towards the opposite stands.

Ino was looking at her, her face always bright and flamboyant.

At this moment, there was also an element of surprise and a hint of... indescribable complexity.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Naruto stared at Sakura, then at Ino, scratching his head: "Uh...you two fight?"

He was clearly also reminded of the "glorious history" of these two former best friends now bickering whenever they meet.

Sasuke also slightly opened his eyes, his indifferent gaze sweeping across the crowd, seemingly showing a slight interest in this "battle of the best friends."

After a brief silence, Sakura took a deep breath, and the astonishment in her eyes was gradually replaced by a complex determination.

She nodded to Sasuke and Naruto and said softly, "I'm going."

Then he turned around and walked down the steps one by one.

On the other side, Ino also quickly adjusted her expression.

She put on her signature smile again, a smile that was both defiant and defiant, tossed her golden ponytail, and walked down from the stands with her head held high.

But behind that smile, a subtle ripple also flickered deep in his eyes.

The two stood in the center of the area, which was covered with rubble and cracks.

Their eyes met, but the sparks and sharp words that used to ignite upon first meeting were gone. Instead, a subtle silence, heavy with memories, filled the air.

Looking at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar face before her, Sakura's thoughts drifted back to a long time ago.

At that time, she was still ridiculed for having a "wide forehead" and felt as self-conscious as a blade of grass in a corner.

It was Ino who shone like a ray of dazzling sunlight into her gloomy world.

Ino was the first girl to genuinely compliment her, saying "her forehead is cute" and "her pink hair is beautiful."

He was also the first friend to take her hand, help her integrate into the circle, and teach her how to dress and be confident.

They used to be inseparable, like conjoined twins, sharing all the secrets of girls.

They dreamed together about the future of the ninja academy, and even secretly drew handsome guys' profiles in class.

At that time, they were each other's best friends, the closest companions outside of the "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio.

The wild lily hair accessory that Ino gave her is still treasured in the deepest part of her drawer.

However, all the changes stemmed from that name—Uchiha Sasuke.

When they both realized their innocent yet intense feelings for Sasuke, their pure friendship was quietly overshadowed.

Competition, suspicion, petty scheming, and sharp words... all quietly sprout like vines.

The once-common "broad forehead" and "wild boar" have become weapons that harm each other.

The best friend who shared her secrets became a rival vying for the same boy's attention.

Every glance was filled with tension, and every conversation was fraught with hidden barbs.

That pure friendship gradually withered and shattered under the immense pressure of the boulder named "Sasuke".

This has ultimately led to the current awkward situation where they fight whenever they meet.

However, the experience in Class 7.

In particular, the life-or-death ordeal in the Forest of Death and Sasuke's injury and coma subtly changed Sakura's mindset.

She began to think about what was truly important. Strength?

Or are you still clinging to a hopeless unrequited love?

She watched as Naruto and Sasuke were willing to risk their lives to protect their comrades.

She felt that she should also grow up.

She longed to rekindle that precious friendship and wanted to say "I'm sorry" and "thank you" to Ino.

But... things have come to this point, the rift is deep and the cracks are hard to mend.

The words of apology stuck in his throat, but he couldn't say them.

Perhaps, a fair and square duel is the only way they can "communicate" at this moment?

Using fists instead of words, using victory or defeat to... settle the past?

Sakura doesn't know.

All she knew was that, standing here facing Ino, she had to give it her all.

This is not only about passing the exam, but also about proving my growth and giving a belated explanation to this distorted "friendship".

On the other side, Ino, seeing the complex emotions flashing in Sakura's eyes, also felt a mix of emotions.

Of course she remembered those beautiful memories, and how she protected that timid "broad forehead".

But Sasuke's appearance was like a watershed, completely separating them.

She hated Sakura's "betrayal" and hated that Sakura always managed to distract Sasuke.