On the surface, it looked like Kazama's Karyū Endan was aimed at Sasuke.
But in reality, he'd tweaked its path, sending it straight for the two Root ninja lurking nearby.
Those two Root ninja had no clue Kazama was targeting them on purpose.
They just thought his Karyū Endan had gone off course and happened to come their way.
After all, they were pretty far from Kazama—there's no way they expected him to pick up on their presence.
But with the Karyū Endan roaring toward them, they had no choice but to defend.
"*Suiton: Suijinheki!*"
They hurriedly threw up a water barrier, hoping to block Kazama's Karyū Endan.
Too bad for them. Sure, Suiton can counter Katon in theory, but Kazama's Katon was powered by the otherworldly Genkō En.
This wasn't your average Katon—it was leagues stronger.
In the blink of an eye, the fire dragons tore through their water wall like it was nothing.
"Damn it! There's something seriously weird about this kid's Katon!*"
Realizing their Suiton got shredded in an instant, the two Root ninja knew Kazama's Katon was no joke.
One of them quickly wove more hand seals.
"*Suiton: Suiryūdan!*"
A massive water dragon roared into existence, finally managing to disperse the lingering heat of Kazama's Genkō En-infused Karyū Endan.
But the water dragon didn't last long either—it got vaporized into a cloud of mist by the blazing Genkō En, drifting into the air.
The crowd watching was losing their minds.
These were just ninja academy students—they'd never seen a back-to-back ninjutsu showdown like this!
And the fact that Kazama, the so-called "dead-last," was pulling off a B-rank ninjutsu like Karyū Endan—something only Jōnin could master?
Not only did he crush Sasuke's Gōkakyū no Jutsu, but he also took down those two mystery ninja's Suijinheki and Suiryūdan in one go.
This was way beyond anything they could've imagined.
The same people who'd mocked Kazama as a loser were now kicking themselves. Compared to Kazama's performance, they were the real trash.
There he stood, alone in the sparring ring, cool and composed from start to finish.
The girls in the crowd? Their hearts were practically fluttering.
As for that "genius" Sasuke? They'd already forgotten about him.
Right now, their eyes were glued to the awe-inspiring Sanada Kazama.
"We're Anbu. You're just a ninja academy student, yet you can use a B-rank ninjutsu like Karyū Endan. We suspect you're a spy sent by the enemy, so you're coming with us!"
Hearing these "Anbu" claim they were taking him in, Kazama saw right through their act.
They were Root ninja, probably planning to drag him to Danzō while fooling everyone else.
Perfect. I'll play along, then take you out on the way to avenge my Sanada clan.
So, Kazama didn't resist and let the two escort him away from the Ninja Academy.
"Alright, no one else is around. You can drop the Anbu act now," Kazama said coolly.
The two Root ninja smirked and stopped in their tracks.
"Well, well, you're sharper than we thought, kid. You actually saw through us!"
"Danzō's lapdogs? Seeing through you was child's play."
"Kid, don't get cocky just because you can pull off a B-rank Katon! You think you can act tough in front of Root ninja? I'm gonna teach you a lesson!"
One of the Root ninja stepped back and launched an attack.
"*Suiton: Suiryūdan!*"
"Haha, I was waiting for that Suiton!*"
Seeing the guy foolishly try to hit him with a water jutsu, Kazama didn't dodge—he charged right in.