Reincarnated in Naruto World with a System

The second challenger had fallen, leaving only one opponent standing between Tatsumi and a clean sweep of the first-years. She was a girl, a rarity amongst aspiring ninja. While kunoichi were becoming more prevalent, they were still outnumbered, often relegated to support roles like medical-nin. This girl, however, exuded a quiet determination. She observed Tatsumi with sharp, intelligent eyes, a hint of apprehension flickering within them. Her dark hair was pulled back into the distinctive topknot favoured by the Nara clan – a style Tatsumi associated with his friend, Nara Shikaku. He knew Shikaku well, his laid-back, almost lazy demeanour masking a sharp intellect. But this Nara, Akiu, while sharing the familiar hairstyle, possessed a different air altogether. Her seriousness was palpable. A Nara with focus, Tatsumi thought. Interesting.

"Nara Akiu," Tatsumi announced, adopting a formal tone. "Please… be gentle, senpai." He couldn't help the slight smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips. He'd shown a similar "leniency" to her teammates, dispatching them with swift, decisive strikes.

Akiu drew a kunai from the pouch strapped to her thigh, her movements precise and economical. She lowered her stance, her gaze fixed on Tatsumi.

Tatsumi nodded, subtly weaving the hand seals for a sound-based genjutsu.

…Nothing.

The genjutsu failed. Smart little demon, he thought. It seemed she'd anticipated his tactics, perhaps observing his earlier fight with Minato. She's learned quickly. Tatsumi noted that Akiu's ears were plugged with what looked like cotton, a clever countermeasure against auditory genjutsu. She's prepared for me.

Genjutsu, the most difficult art to defend against, demanded respect. Overconfidence was a ninja's greatest weakness.

Since his sound-based genjutsu had failed, Tatsumi switched to a visual illusion. Akiu's taijutsu, while competent, was no match for his superior speed and skill. He could see her movements telegraphing from a mile away.

The distance between them closed rapidly as Akiu launched her attack. Tatsumi easily sidestepped her punch, then gracefully evaded a sweeping kick. He smoothly drew his own kunai, the blades clashing in a shower of sparks.

A single feather drifted down from the branches above.

"Genjutsu: Dreamland," Tatsumi whispered, his eyes locking with Akiu's.

Akiu's eyes fluttered closed, and she slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

"When did he even do the hand seals?" Minato whispered from the sidelines, his brow furrowed. He hadn't seen Tatsumi perform a single hand seal. Just moments before, Tatsumi had been parrying with his kunai. How…?

Orochimaru watched Tatsumi with an unnervingly intense gaze. "Interesting," he murmured. "One-handed hand seals… That child…"

Tatsumi's genjutsu was, without a doubt, the most potent in the Academy. His "Dreamland" illusion, relying on sight rather than sound, was particularly effective. Moreover, after studying countless scrolls and honing his skill to Level 3, Tatsumi had mastered one-handed seals for this particular technique.

As Tatsumi stepped off the platform, Akiu lay peacefully asleep, her kunai clattering to the floor.

"Troublesome," Shikaku sighed, emerging from the crowd. "I have to carry her home again…" He trudged onto the stage and hoisted his unconscious clanswoman onto his back. "She's heavy. I'll get Choza to help me later."

Choza, currently occupied with a mountain of snacks in the classroom, shivered involuntarily.

With three swift victories, Tatsumi had dispatched the first-year challengers without causing a single injury. His genjutsu had proven decisive.

"Well, that Uchiha brat isn't half bad," Tsunade drawled, watching from her vantage point. "He's saving us a lot of hassle. Are all the youngsters this talented these days?"

"He's saving you the hassle," Orochimaru corrected, his gaze still fixed on Tatsumi. "And you were the one who called him a 'little demon' earlier. Now he's your 'talented junior'?"

"Hmph. Don't remind me of that Jiraiya scoundrel," Tsunade grumbled. "And you were reluctant to come here yourself."

"I came out of respect for the Third Hokage, yes," Orochimaru replied smoothly. "But also to assess the Academy for promising talent. The ninja world may seem peaceful, but undercurrents are swirling. My motives are… different from your casual approach."

"Alright, alright," Tsunade interrupted with a yawn. "Spare me the lecture. It's not 'talent scouting,' it's 'creepy child-ogling.'"

"…Jiraiya would do that, not me," Orochimaru retorted, a hint of annoyance in his voice. He turned away from Tsunade and walked to the centre of the platform.

"The first and second-year competition is over," he announced. "Next up: the third and fourth-year match. Contestants, please come forward." He then retreated to the shadows, his eyes still occasionally flicking towards Tatsumi.

Tatsumi observed the scene. The Academy's strength was concentrated in his year group, the second-years, and the fifth and sixth years. The future Konoha 11 were his contemporaries, while the Uchiha prodigy, Fugaku, had already graduated. The fifth years boasted a promising Hyuga kunoichi. The graduating class had the rising stars of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi and Hizashi. The third years, while containing several Uchiha and other clan children, were generally unremarkable. Their most notable member was Aburame Shibi, father of the future Konoha 11 member, Shino. Shibi was already showing considerable skill.

The third and fourth-year competition concluded swiftly. As Tatsumi had predicted, the third-year student easily defeated the top-ranked fourth-years.