Chapter 73: You're Very Noisy, You Know?"A Honey Trap only works if you play to your own strengths. I think you're most beautiful like this, Ino."Naruto tilted his head and smiled at Ino.His smile was not at all slick or oily; it was filled with genuine sincerity.Ino, who had been fuming with rage, froze for a moment. Then, snapping out of it, she lightly covered her cherry-blossom lips as a blush crept onto her cheeks.Thump!A dull thud rang out.Shikamaru clutched his head and plopped down onto the ground.He looked up helplessly at Ino, who had struck him, feeling his head spin."Idiot, what are you just standing there for? Hurry up and hand over the Scroll!"Ino spoke to Shikamaru in a low, fierce voice.*Damn it, not only did the Honey Trap fail, but I ended up falling for his Handsome Man Trapinstead.*Shikamaru let out a loud sigh, only to receive a threatening glare from Ino.He had no choice but to reach into his Ninja Tool Pouch, pull out the Scroll he had prepared, and turn to look at Naruto with a look of resentment.*We all agreed to be losers together, so what's with this sudden glow-up, you bastard!*At the same time, Shikamaru felt a sense of pity for himself.*If I'd known this would happen, why did I even bother with a plan? I should have just handed over the Scroll. Now I've taken a punch for nothing. What a drag!*Ino roughly snatched the Scroll from Shikamaru's hand and turned to Naruto, her expression softening. Her shimmering eyes curved into crescents. "Naruto-kun, here is your Scroll."Her voice was so sickly sweet it made Shikamaruand Choji shiver.However, seeing Ino's overly eager behavior, Naruto simply shook his head in disappointment.When it came to displaying feminine charm, let alone comparing her to himself—the creator of the Sexy Jutsu—even Konohamaru was better than her.But since discussing that now would probably kill the mood, Naruto didn't say much and stepped forward to take the Scroll.After tucking the Scroll into his Ninja Tool Pouch, he held his palm out toward Ino.Ino's face turned even redder. "Naruto, are... are you inviting me?"In her fantasy, those two eyesores, Shikamaru and Choji, had already been blasted away, and the surrounding green bushes and grass had transformed into a vibrant sea of flowers.Immersed in the wafting fragrance, the two of them ran under the sunset—a pink memory of youthful heart-throbs..."Paper and pen."Naruto's simple answer was like a needle that popped the bubble of Ino's imagination with a pop.But immediately, more bubbles emerged—"Eek!" Ino covered her burning cheeks, her body twisting shyly. "Isn't it a bit too early to exchange home addresses? But if you insist, Naruto, I suppose it's not impossible~~~""Ahem, he's already gone."Shikamaru's voice drifted over like a bucket of cold water.Ino snapped out of it and realized Naruto really had left at some point. Shikamaru was standing nearby, holding a slip of paper."Stupid Shikamaru! Why are you holding the note Naruto gave me!" Ino snatched it away.Looking down, the note didn't contain the contact information she expected, but rather a long list of information about other teams participating in the exam."Huh?"Ino was confused.Shikamaru pulled the note back from her hand and explained, "This is Naruto's compensation to us. It records which Scrolls each team has, as well as information on the various teams."As he spoke, he flicked the paper, his internal surprise at Naruto reaching a new level.Clearly, Naruto had planned ahead and spied on the other teams when they were receiving their Scrolls.*Is this guy really the same dead last who used to skip class with me back at the academy?**Or can a Ninja's career really change a person this much?**But Choji and Ino don't seem to have changed much at all...*"Great!" Ino's excited cheer interrupted Shikamaru's thoughts. "Based on the info Narutoprovided, let's go hunt down the weaklings and steal their Scrolls!"Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Is there really anyone weaker than us?"...Sasuke was awakened by a violent commotion.He stood up unsteadily, feeling light-headed and feverish. His body was exhausted, and his muscles ached—symptoms much like a fever.But Sasuke knew it wasn't that simple.Setting aside a Ninja's powerful constitution, the effects of Hamon alone were enough to make him immune to all illnesses.The only possible reason for this condition was...Heat was radiating from the mark Orochimaru had left on his neck.Sasuke looked down and saw that flame-like black patterns had already spread across half of his body.Accompanying this was the sensation of power flooding his body.Sasuke swung his arm and heard a faint whistling sound. He couldn't help but frown.Even in this state of total discomfort, he was stronger than he had been when healthy.The source of this power was obvious; it undoubtedly came from the mark Orochimaru had left."That guy seemed to know Itachi. What exactly is he after?"Sasuke recalled every detail of the previous battle while breathing rhythmically to generate Hamonwithin his body.Hum!As the strange rhythm spread through his body, the markings that had covered half his body gradually receded.However, the fever-like symptoms did not vanish; they continued to torment Sasuke's body and mind.He took a deep breath, struggling to control his body. Managing to steady his steps, he followed the sounds coming from outside and walked out of the tree hole.The sunlight pouring from above wasn't particularly blinding, but Sasuke, who had been lying in the tree hole for half a day, found it difficult to adjust.His steps were light and floaty. He staggered, leaning against a nearby tree trunk for support, and squinted to look closer.Two battlefields appeared before Sasuke.One was Sakura versus Kin, and the other was Dosu versus Lee.As fellow kunoichi, Sakura was performing much better than Kin, suppressing her to the point where Kin was scurrying around with almost no power to fight back.Lee was in a more pathetic state. Because he was unfamiliar with Dosu's sound-based attacks, he had been injured at the start of the fight.Although he wasn't defeated on the spot, he had lost most of his combat effectiveness and could only barely hold on, struggling to defend himself.Sasuke shook his head, intending to step in and help, when he heard a vicious wind rushing toward the back of his head.He tried to dodge, but his body wouldn't obey. He was a step too slow.An arm locked around Sasuke's neck, and then a palm was pressed against his face."Everyone, stop!"The four people in combat all stopped at once, their eyes turning toward the source of the voice.It was Zaku!After spotting Sasuke coming out, he had rushed over to take him hostage.Sakura couldn't help but frown.She had previously damaged the Air Tubes in Zaku's arms; he shouldn't have been able to release that powerful Decapitating Air Wave.But in this situation, she didn't dare gamble on whether he could attack again.After all, if she lost that gamble, Sasuke's life would be in danger!Bang!Sakura hesitated for less than a second before a heavy punch landed on her cheek.Kin seized the opening and attacked with a twisted expression.She had been beaten quite miserably by Sakurajust now, so she naturally wanted to take this chance to get her revenge!Sakura looked angry and tried to block the attack.However, once Kin gained the upper hand, she was relentless, launching into a smooth series of combos.In an instant, Sakura was hit several times and forced to one knee."Sakura!"Seeing this, Lee grew anxious, but Dosu seized the opportunity to knock him to the ground with a single blow.The situation on the battlefield changed drastically in an instant.A crazed, hideous grin appeared on Zaku's face. "Hahaha, you bunch of stu—"But before he could finish his sentence, he was rudely interrupted."Shut up!"Zaku looked toward the source of the voice, only to see Sasuke looking back at him with a cold, icy stare.And though it might have been an illusion, a crimson light flashed in Sasuke's left eye, and for a split second, his pupil seemed to transform into a Three-Tomoe pattern."You're very noisy, you know?"Sasuke's words were laced with a chilling coldness.
Chapter 74: Did I Return at a Bad Time?"You're very noisy, you know that?"Sasuke turned his head, his gaze icy as he stared at Zaku, who was holding him hostage.That chill, which seemed to freeze one's soul, made Zaku shudder uncontrollably."What did you say? You bastard!"Zaku's face twisted, a surge of rage welling up in his heart.It wasn't just because of Sasuke's attitude, but even more so because of the momentary fear he had just felt.He pressed his palm firmly against Sasuke's face, the tubes in his arms emitting a slight vibration as they built up powerful wind pressure.Zaku was confident that in just one second, he could blast Sasuke's smug face into the sky.Moreover, at this distance, Sasuke had absolutely no room to dodge!The corners of his mouth curled up as he fantasized about taking down this arrogant guy.However, in the next second, the severe pain coming from his arms interrupted Zaku's imagination."Ahhh!!!"Zaku let out a scream.Sasuke, who had been targeted by the wind holes in his palms, had vanished from his spot at some point.And Zaku's two arms, from the elbows down, had been twisted into a strange, curled shape like a rag.Just one glance at the miserable state of his arms was enough to make one feel a chill rise from the soles of their feet.Unlike the injury caused by Sakura earlier, this time Zaku's arms were completely ruined, hanging down like two tattered rags.Hearing Zaku's shrill scream, both Dosu and Kin's expressions changed drastically in unison.They didn't have any feelings for their arrogant and domineering companion Zaku, but they knew this guy wasn't weak.Now that Zaku had been directly crippled, and the two of them hadn't even figured out who had attacked or how, they were naturally filled with shock and fear.However, things were not over yet.Sasuke's figure flashed behind Zaku, his gaze cold and fierce.Immediately, Zaku, who was still screaming, had his voice cut off abruptly, like a duck being strangled by the neck.No one saw how Sasuke attacked; they could only see blood spurting from Zaku's legs, flank, neck, and other areas.With a thud, Zaku collapsed limply to the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath him.Dosu and Kin subconsciously took a step back, feeling a chill in their hearts.But before the two could react, Sasukedisappeared again.This time he appeared in front of Kin and threw a punch.Kin spat out a mouthful of blood, sent flying over ten meters away by the immense force, and only stopped when she hit a thick tree trunk.She coughed up a large mouthful of blood, her head lolled to the side, and she passed out.Subsequently, Sasuke flashed in front of Dosu."Don't even think about it!"Dosu's expression changed drastically as he threw a punch.Sasuke dodged backward, but then frowned.He had clearly avoided the opponent's attack, yet he still felt like he had been punched in the face, his brain feeling slightly dizzy."Careful! The armor on that guy's right arm can control sound waves; the attack range is wider than his fist!"Rock Lee, who had been knocked down by Dosuearlier, struggled to lift his head and loudly warned Sasuke.He had suffered this loss before; he was injured the moment they met, which was why he got dragged into a prolonged fight with Dosu."Hmph! So what if you know now?"Dosu snorted disdainfully.In his opinion, even if Sasuke was currently freakishly strong, after his brain was hit by the sound wave attack, he would definitely be affected, and it was uncertain if he could even exert one-tenth of his strength.He had already locked in his victory!Underneath the bandages, the corners of Dosu's mouth curled up slightly.However, the next instant, Sasuke struck suddenly with a straight punch."What? How is this possible!"Dosu's eyes widened, not expecting that Sasuke, let alone being affected, hadn't even slowed down!In reality, Sasuke was in a dazed state, but empowered by the Cursed Seal, both his speed and strength were far beyond before.Dosu's minor sound wave attack was only a slight nuisance to him, nothing more.However, Dosu's reaction was still fast. Facing Sasuke's sudden punch, he immediately raised his arm horizontally in front of his chest.Bang!After a muffled sound, Dosu was knocked back several meters before he could barely steady himself."Such strong power! No wonder Orochimaruwanted us to test this guy!"Dosu looked at Sasuke in surprise, realizing he had underestimated his opponent earlier.But as the leader of the Otogakure trio, he didn't think he was much weaker than Sasuke, and even if he couldn't win, he could still escape.But this thought was immediately shattered by a slight sound coming from his ear.Crack!Dosu looked over at the sound and saw that the metal armor on his right arm had cracked with fissures.His pupils constricted, and he moved his arm.Just this small movement caused the once indestructible armor to shatter into pieces of metal, which clattered to the ground.Sasuke had shattered Dosu's pride-and-joy armor with just one punch!"This is impossible!"Dosu muttered to himself in disbelief.You have to know that this device used a special alloy, several times stronger than steel.Even using an explosive tag would be difficult to destroy the armor; how could anyone shatter it with one punch?Unfortunately, the facts before him were indisputable.At this moment, Dosu finally realized that Sasuke's strength was extraordinary and that he was far inferior to his opponent.Realizing the gap in strength, Dosu subconsciously turned to run, not even caring about his two companions.However, just as he turned around, he felt an impact behind his knees, causing them to buckle directly, and he fell to his knees with a thud."Wait! I surr..."Dosu raised his hands high, but before he could say the word "surrender," he felt his arm being grabbed, and then immense force came from his arm.Rip!Blood gushed out like a fountain.Sasuke had actually torn Dosu's right arm directly from his shoulder and tossed it aside on the ground.He was drenched in the sprayed blood, and combined with his fierce, violent gaze and Dosu's screams as background noise, he looked like an Asura from hell."Sa... Sasuke..."Sakura was terrified by the scene, looking at Sasuke's bloody appearance in a panic, her voice trembling.Why did it turn out like this... Just waiting for a companion to wake up, and then defeating the opponent in front of them—two happy things combined should have made it even happier... But why did it turn out like this...Sakura felt as if the blood in her body had frozen, and she stood there dazed, unable to speak.It was Rock Lee who struggled to climb up from the ground, frowning as he looked at the bloody scene: "Sasuke, what you did is too much!""What did you say?" Sasuke turned his head to look, his gaze filled with undisguised malice.Facing Sasuke like this, Rock Lee also felt a bit suffocated.But he took a deep breath and insisted: "I said what you did is too much.""Actually, I can do even worse. Do you want to see?"Sasuke sneered."Anytime!"Although his body was trembling from his previous injuries, Rock Lee replied without giving an inch, assuming a combat stance."Don't! You two, don't do this!"Sakura urged them anxiously upon seeing this.But at this moment, neither of them could hear her words, staring at each other as the atmosphere became tense."Did I return at a bad time?"Just then, Naruto's voice came from overhead.Sakura quickly looked up and discovered that he had returned at some point, standing on a tree branch and overlooking the scene below.Seeing Naruto's figure, a pleasant surprise appeared on Sakura's face, as if she had seen a savior.After all, they had been companions for nearly three months and had experienced quite a few battles together; the sense of security Narutobrought needed no explanation.As long as he appeared, any trouble was not a big deal.However, before Sakura could speak, another voice sounded first."No, you came at the perfect time."Sakura quickly turned her head and found that on a large tree on the other side of the battlefield, other Ninja figures had appeared at some point.There were two of them, exuding a powerful aura.The only thing to be thankful for was that the forehead protectors they wore bore the Konohasymbol.Then Sakura narrowed her eyes, recognizing the identities of the two—Rock Lee's teammates, Hyuga Neji, Tenten.Originally, Rock Lee had come to help her, so the relationship between the two sides should have been amicable.But the current atmosphere was somewhat subtle, and no one could say for sure how the other party would act.Thinking of this, Sakura subconsciously became vigilant."Yo, long time no see."Naruto grinned and waved at the two who had suddenly appeared."Hi!"Tenten blushed, likewise raised a smiling face, and waved back.Hyuga Neji, on the other hand, acted as if he hadn't heard, his gaze fixed on Sasuke.
Chapter 75: Strange Fluctuation"Yo, long time no see."Looking at Neji and Tenten who had suddenly appeared, Naruto waved at them with a smile."Long time no see!"Tenten's small face flushed slightly, and she waved back with a smile.Neji, however, acted as if he hadn't heard, lowering his head to focus solely on Uchiha Sasuke."The strength of those two Otogakure wasn't weak, yet that guy effortlessly crushed them. I didn't expect the power of the Uchiha Clan to be this formidable..."Due to the suppression of the Hamon, the cursed seal markings did not appear on Uchiha Sasuke, so Neji did not notice anything abnormal about him, assuming this was Uchiha Sasuke's true strength.Neji narrowed his eyes, curbing the urge to make a move.Although all three members of Kakashi's team were present, the scroll was surely in the possession of one of them.However, Rock Lee was currently injured, trembling all over, and clearly in bad shape, while Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were both experts not inferior to himself.Once a fight broke out, his own team would be the ones to suffer."Hey, let's go, Rock Lee. We still have a mission to complete."Neji said loudly to Rock Lee.Uchiha Sasuke turned his head, coldly scanning Neji: "Did I say you could leave?""Want to fight?"Neji was no pushover either, and he immediately retorted coldly."That's exactly what I intended."Uchiha Sasuke countered sharply."Enough, Uchiha Sasuke."Naruto leaped down from the tree branch and came in front of Uchiha Sasuke."Do you want to stop me too, Naruto?"Uchiha Sasuke shifted his gaze back to Naruto, sneering, his eyes filled with flames of excitement.After waking up, although his body felt terribly uncomfortable, it was filled with an indescribable sense of power.This unprecedented feeling of strength kept Uchiha Sasuke in a constant state of impulse.Especially after being provoked by that arrogant guy Zaku, the malice and desire for battle within Uchiha Sasuke were ignited, forming a strong, violent urge to inflict suffering.Zaku and Dosu were the very victims of this desire to inflict suffering.And now, the appearance of Naruto and Nejiintensified this urge, making Uchiha Sasuke long for a battle with the two of them."Uchiha Sasuke! I beg you, don't be like this. This isn't the real you, is it?"Sakura pleaded earnestly.However, Naruto raised his hand, preventing her from continuing."Sorry, could you please leave first? We might have a friendly match to play."Naruto looked at the three members of Might Guy's team with a smile."Naruto?" Sakura's expression changed.She hadn't expected that not only would Narutonot persuade Uchiha Sasuke, but he would even want to fight him.Naruto didn't speak, responding only with a smile.His sincere gaze and sunny smile ultimately silenced Sakura, causing her to Stand aside silently without saying anything more.Rock Lee wanted to say something, but was stopped by Neji: "Alright, Rock Lee, don't waste time here. There will be opportunities for you to show your stuff in the third exam."Seeing the three members of Might Guy's team leave, Uchiha Sasuke began to stretch his body.Once Naruto expressed the idea of fighting him, he began to get excited.Because ever since graduation, Uchiha Sasuke had been suppressed by Naruto.Whether in strength or performance, he couldn't compare to Naruto, which made him feel incredibly stifled.Uchiha Sasuke didn't like to show off, nor was he jealous of Naruto; he simply couldn't tolerate his own weakness.In his view, defeating and surpassing Narutomarked an improvement in his own strength, taking a step further on the path to revenge against his brother.Therefore, Uchiha Sasuke now craved this battle, so excited he was nearly jumping for joy.However, compared to the impatient Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto was not in a hurry.He even had the leisure to use the Hamon to help stop the bleeding for Dosu and Zaku.When Kin, who had been knocked unconscious, was stimulated to wake up by a tingling sensation, the first thing she saw was Naruto's handsome face."Y-y-you are..." Kin was startled."Yo, I'm Naruto. These two guys are your companions."Naruto pointed at the miserable-looking Dosu and Zaku.Kin's expression changed upon seeing this, and she shrank back, trembling: "What do you want to do?""Take them both and get out of here." Narutosmiled and patted Kin on the shoulder.A flow of Hamon entered her body, and Kin's wildly pounding heart gradually calmed down.She nodded hurriedly, ignoring the lingering soreness in her body, and together with Dosu, who was missing an arm, they helped Zaku and left in a hurry.Of course, before leaving, Dosu handed over the scroll of earth they possessed, which Naruto gave to Sakura for safekeeping."Hey, can we start now?"Once the three figures disappeared, Uchiha Sasukefinally spoke.There was no attempt to hide the impatience and anticipation in his tone."It seems that what Orochimaru left for you isn't entirely a curse."Naruto stretched grandly, getting his body excited.It was said that the third exam would be one-on-one individual battles, so he also needed a satisfying, hearty fight to keep his edge.Sakura stood to the side, hands tightly clenched, picking at her fingers in conflict.She didn't want either Naruto or Uchiha Sasuke to get hurt."So annoying!"Uchiha Sasuke snorted coldly.Seeing that Naruto was ready, he didn't hold back at all, instantly flashing in front of him.Bang!Naruto threw a punch, colliding with Uchiha Sasuke's fist in mid-air, producing a dull thud.The result of the clash was that Naruto didn't budge, while Uchiha Sasuke took a step back.In terms of strength, Uchiha Sasuke was clearly at a disadvantage.But it was Naruto who frowned.Because a familiar fluctuation appeared on Uchiha Sasuke.Naruto couldn't help but widen his eyes, looking at Uchiha Sasuke in disbelief: "You..."But before he could finish, Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward and launched another attack.This time, unlike the earlier probing, Uchiha Sasuke's offensive was like a raging storm.Punches, palm strikes, elbow strikes, flying kicks, knee strikes...Every part of Uchiha Sasuke's body turned into a deadly weapon, attacking Naruto from all directions.At the same time, a crimson light lit up in Uchiha Sasuke's eyes, and the three tomoe in his left eye spun rapidly.Under the powerful insight of the Sharingan, Naruto's openings were quickly seized.Uchiha Sasuke first landed a low hook kick squarely into the back of Naruto's knee, then followed up with a flying knee strike to his side, and finally finished with an elbow strike to Naruto's face.If it were anyone else, this combo would likely have left them unable to get back up on the spot.Sakura, watching from the sidelines, screamed: "Naruto!"Even Uchiha Sasuke himself withdrew his hand, the corners of his mouth curling into a triumphant smile.However, in the next second, something beyond both of their understanding happened—Except for the final elbow strike, which made Naruto tilt his head slightly, the rest of Uchiha Sasuke's attacks were as if they had hit an iron pillar, having absolutely no effect!Naruto straightened his head, twisted his neck, and it seemed the previous blows were just a gentle breeze passing by him.Amidst Uchiha Sasuke's gaze, which was mixed with surprise and fear, Naruto stared straight at him.To be precise, he was staring straight at his left eye.Previously, Uchiha Sasuke's Sharingan had shown a situation with two tomoe on one side and one on the other, so the current state of three tomoe on one side and two on the other wasn't exactly strange.But Naruto could be certain that the fluctuation coming from Uchiha Sasuke's three-tomoe left eye was...Stand!
Chapter 76: There Will Be Such a DayNaruto was no stranger to Stand awakening.Besides awakening his own Stand, [Sun Echo], by cultivating Hamon to the pinnacle, he had witnessed two other cases of Stand awakening.The first was his good friend Joseph, who awakened the Stand [Hermit Purple] after going through quite an ordeal.The second was Joseph's daughter, Jotaro Kujo's mother, Holly Kujo.However, her will could not withstand the mental burden of the Stand awakening, which not only caused symptoms of fever and unconsciousness but also potentially endangered her life.And now, Sasuke's condition was clearly the state of mental runaway that occurs during the Standawakening period.This state could last for a few weeks, or even several months in longer cases.Furthermore, during the Stand runaway phase, the Stand User's personality traits would be correspondingly magnified.Take Jotaro Kujo, for example.Although he would get into fights, he was usually quite restrained, only breaking limbs.But during his Stand runaway phase, he brutally crushed the crotches of several thugs, which led to him being thrown into prison.The same was true for Sasuke right now.In normal circumstances, he would at most give the Otogakure trio a beating.But just now, he displayed a brutal demeanor, tearing Dosu's arm off alive.This clearly exceeded the scope of a normal battle and could be described as torture.It was no wonder that even Rock Lee couldn't bear to watch and stepped out to accuse Sasuke of going too far.Naruto narrowed his eyes, observing Sasukeclosely, his gaze filled with curiosity.As far as he knew, there had never been such a thing as a Stand in the Ninja World.He had awakened his Stand on Earth first, and after returning to the Ninja World, the Stand had followed his spirit.So why would Sasuke awaken a Stand? Could he have been infected by him?Stands were indeed contagious. After Dio obtained his Stand, because his body was stolen from the Joestar ancestor, Jonathan Joestar, Joseph, Holly Kujo, and Jotaro Kujo, as descendants of the Joestar family, all obtained Stands as well.But that was transmitted through bloodline connections. As a descendant of the Uchiha Clan, Sasuke, by any measure, shouldn't have any connection to him, an orphan."Hey, how long are you going to keep staring?"Sasuke spoke up, dissatisfied.His confident attack just now had failed to cause any effective damage to Naruto, which already made him feel incredibly irritable.Now, Naruto wasn't even attacking, but instead was looking him up and down as if inspecting an interesting object, which only intensified the irritation in Sasuke's heart."Do you know? I've heard of a theory."Naruto didn't answer but rubbed his chin, changing the subject."What are you talking about?"Sasuke frowned, his expression growing uglier."Sakura, you listen too," Naruto turned his head. "The theory is that a person can only continue to break through themselves and become stronger by following their true heart."Hearing this, Sakura was a bit confused: "What do you mean? Why are you suddenly talking about this?"Sasuke stepped forward, waving his hand impatiently: "I'm not standing here to listen to your preaching, Naruto!""Relax, relax," Naruto pressed his palm down slightly, telling him to calm down. "I'm just explaining why you are weaker than me.""Weaker than you? Hmph, nonsense!"Sasuke's gaze was sharp as a knife, his voice icy and bone-chilling.Although he said that, even Sakura could hear the wavering in his words.After all, Naruto had already demonstrated his power just now, and even with the boost from the Curse Mark, Sasuke could hardly shake him in the slightest."Sakura said earlier that this isn't the real you. But she was wrong. Impulsive, irritable, ruthless, cruel—this is the real you! It's your true nature, isn't it?"Naruto smiled and continued."Naruto! Sasuke isn't like that. He—he was just bewitched by Orochimaru," Sakura said, looking at Sasuke with hope. "Right, Sasuke?"Facing Sakura's gaze, Sasuke curled his lip, displaying an indifferent attitude: "What? Scared?""We are comrades. Don't act like we would be scared away by the real you, okay?" Naruto shook his head and smiled. "The one who is kind-hearted and values comrades is you; the one who is pained and cruel is also you. Don't always use that cold exterior to push us away.""What exactly are you trying to say?"Sasuke's voice carried irrepressible rage.Naruto stepped forward, staring face-to-face with Sasuke: "The belief in protecting comrades, the belief in taking revenge on someone—this is the true nature that supports your fighting. So do you know now why you are no match for me?""Because..." Naruto whispered in Sasuke's ear, "your hatred isn't enough!""Whoosh—"Sasuke swung his arm with force, whipping it towards Naruto in front of him.But Naruto's figure suddenly vanished, reappearing several meters away."Bastard! I'm going to kill you!"Sasuke roared, drew Kunai with both hands, and charged at Naruto.His body radiated a cold, bone-chilling murderous intent, completely different from the person he was just a moment ago."Very good! Although I don't know who you are hating, treat me as that person right now! Let me see just how deep your hatred goes!"Naruto spread his arms, fearless.Sasuke's eyes widened, his Kunai striking mercilessly, every move aimed at killing Naruto.However, facing his storm-like offensive, Narutododged left and right, as if dancing on the edge of a blade, avoiding every strike by a hair's breadth.In just a few seconds, Sasuke had launched at least thirty attacks, yet he hadn't even touched the hem of Naruto's clothes."Not enough! Still not enough! Is your hatred only at this level?"Naruto's provocations rang out continuously, like knives stabbing into Sasuke's heart.He widened his eyes further, trying to capture the opponent's movements, but the rage caused Sasuke's vision to blur.In a trance, the Naruto before him seemed to transform into Uchiha Itachi, with blood on his face and disdain and contempt in his eyes."I... am going to kill you!"Sasuke's voice was hoarse, and the chill made Sakura, who was watching from the side, tremble involuntarily.Naruto narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at Sasuke's left eye.He realized that something big was coming.Sure enough, the next second, a shadow protruded from that Three-Tomoe Sharingan, heading straight for Naruto's face.Naruto's pupils constricted, and in a flash, he saw what it was.It was a coin-sized humanoid figure, constructed entirely from carving knives, with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan eyeball for a head, looking bizarre and terrifying.Stand: Eye For an Eye ACT 1!Naruto instinctively tilted his head, and Sasuke's Stand grazed past his cheek."Ssh!"Skin tore, and blood flowed.Even though he had dodged the Stand's attack, the resulting wind pressure still cut Naruto's face.Naruto didn't care, instead backhanding a punch."Pop!"His fist hit the Stand directly, and Sasuke was also struck hard, his body jolting to a halt."Ugh!"Sasuke spat out a mouthful of blood, felt his vision go black, and collapsed limply.The battle was over.When he woke up again, he found himself back in the previous tree hollow, lying beside a campfire.Sasuke managed to sit up and found Naruto sitting right beside him.Noticing Sasuke had woken up, Naruto looked over, smiled, and pointed outside: "Sakura went out. It's just the two of us now."Sasuke patted his throbbing head, and the events that had occurred flashed through his mind.He cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly: "That... before..."By now, Sasuke understood that what Naruto had said earlier was to provoke him, and he also knew that his behavior—whether it was the brutal torture of the Otogakure trio or the murderous intent he had directed at Naruto—was highly excessive."I'm sorry."Saying these three words, Sasuke felt much lighter in his heart, and at the same time, he was secretly relieved that Sakura wasn't there."Why say that between comrades?" Naruto waved his hand with a grin. "But I'm glad you were willing to show your true self. Anything you want to say?"Hearing this, Sasuke fell silent.Naruto didn't mind, patting his shoulder. "I don't know, and I don't want to pry into your past, but I hope that one day, you'll be able to sit down and tell me your story from the heart."Sasuke nodded, watching Naruto get up and leave the tree hollow. He sighed and muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear."There will be such a day... I hope..."
Chapter 77: I Advise You to Just Give UpInside the tower at the center of the Forest of Death.By the time the three members of Team 7 arrived, another team was already waiting there.Looking closely, it was the trio from the Hidden Sand Village: Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari.They were clean and neat, looking nothing like they had been through a bitter battle.Seeing Team 7 appear, the three of them looked over, sizing up The Three Little Ones.The most eye-catching one was, of course, Naruto.Much like the Hidden Sand Village trio, his clothes were clean and neat, without even a speck of dust, and he looked quite relaxed and comfortable.In comparison, Sasuke's clothes were splattered with blood, and Sakura's clothes were somewhat tattered; both of them looked rather disheveled.Temari and Kankuro exchanged a glance, understanding each other's thoughts.It was clear that the strongest among The Three Little Ones had to be Naruto.If they encountered him in future battles, they would have to be extra careful.Unlike the other two, Gaara looked at Naruto with a hint of excitement.His eyes widened slightly, and his originally delicate face instantly twisted.For some reason, Gaara could feel a strange attraction coming from Naruto.But mixed within this attraction was a tremendous sense of malice.This made him subconsciously develop a desire to kill whenever he faced Naruto.Gaara did not know why this was, only that if he could kill Naruto, it would be the most delightful thing imaginable!So..."I want to kill him so badly!""I must kill him!""I have to kill him!"Gaara's expression twisted further, and his body trembled slightly, as if he might strike at any moment."Yo! I didn't expect you guys to be this fast."Naruto noticed Gaara's malicious gaze and waved at the Hidden Sand Village trio.He could ignore the scrutiny from Temari and Kankuro earlier, but he couldn't ignore Gaara's.However, Temari and Kankuro didn't pay attention to Naruto's greeting; instead, they hurriedly stepped forward.They had also noticed Gaara's abnormality and felt a sense of fear in their hearts.They knew that Gaara was their secret weapon, and since the plan to destroy Konoha was still in its early stages, they absolutely could not let him break out here!But facing the Shura-like Gaara, even as his sister and brother, their voices were dry and their tones trembling, not daring to say much: "G-Gaara, don't..."Fortunately, Gaara still maintained his sanity.He quickly realized his loss of composure and immediately withdrew his gaze.After taking a few deep breaths, Gaara returned to his usual state of indifference, shot the group a cold glance, and turned to leave.Seeing this, Temari and Kankuro breathed a sigh of relief, not even having time to say goodbye, and hurriedly chased after him."What the heck, those three guys are so rude!"Sakura complained with great dissatisfaction.Earlier, because Naruto had blocked her, she hadn't faced Gaara's twisted, vicious gaze directly, so she had no idea what had actually happened."Hmph, the guys from the Hidden Sand Village are really arrogant."Sasuke snorted coldly; he had seen Gaara's display.However, after obtaining the Cursed Seal and further increasing his strength, he felt no fear toward Gaara at all.Now, in the entire Chunin Exams, the only opponent truly capable of catching Sasuke's attention was Naruto.Naruto shook his head, said nothing more, and turned to look at the tower entrance.He had already sensed the arrival of another team.Sure enough, within ten seconds, three figures pushed the door open and entered.It was the inexplicable trio."Huh? It's you guys?"Naruto raised an eyebrow, his face showing surprise.In fact, before entering the tower, he had already sensed their presence.It was just that at the time, they were ambushing around the tower and had no intention of entering.At the time, Naruto thought these three guys were lying in ambush, preparing to rob other candidates who had collected the scrolls, and he had even felt a bit of vigilance.He just hadn't expected that even after his team had entered the tower, the three of them still hadn't made a move.However, Naruto immediately frowned, seeing the lingering fear on their faces.He immediately realized something was wrong: "Did something happen?"Hearing this, the trio exchanged glances and simultaneously shivered.No one answered Naruto. After scanning the surroundings, Kiba spoke cautiously: "Hey, after you came in, you saw those three people from the Hidden Sand Village, right?""Of course," Sakura nodded, "they were just here, but after seeing us come in, they left immediately."Hinata's little face turned pale, and her eyes widened involuntarily.After hesitating for a moment, she finally mustered the courage and looked at Naruto with concern: "N-Naruto-kun, you didn't provoke those three people, did you?""Of course not." Naruto shook his head, while a guess formed in his mind.The three of them clearly knew about the existence of the Hidden Sand Village trio, and they had been anxiously looking for them as soon as they entered, which meant they had arrived in the vicinity long ago.Judging from the expressions on their faces, the source of their fear was clearly the Hidden Sand Village trio as well.Could it be that some conflict had occurred between them?Thinking this, Naruto took a step forward and gently took Hinata's hand."Ah, N-Naruto-kun?!"Hinata was startled by Naruto's action. Her small face, which had been pale from fear, immediately flushed red like a ripe apple, and steam even rose from her forehead.Her body swayed slightly, as if she might faint at any moment.But soon, Hinata felt a strange, tingling sensation coming from Naruto's hand.This feeling caused her chaotic breathing to quickly calm down; although her face remained flushed, she no longer felt suffocated or like she was about to faint."Hmm? Everything's fine."Naruto frowned, let go of Hinata's hand, and then grabbed Kiba and Shino's hands separately to sense them.When that warm, large hand pulled away, Hinatafelt a little disappointed, but her thoughts were immediately interrupted by Kiba."Naruto, what are you doing?"Kiba looked rather dissatisfied.Naruto hadn't sensed any injuries on the two of them either, so he stroked his chin and said: "It's nothing, I'm just curious about what happened between you and the three people from the Hidden Sand Village to make you so scared that you were hiding outside and only dared to enter the tower after the three of us came in."As soon as these words were spoken, the three of them turned pale, remembering everything they had experienced before."Stop talking nonsense! What do you know!"Kiba hurriedly shook his head to drive that bloody memory out of his mind.Naruto glanced at Hinata and Shino and found that they also had expressions of not wanting to talk about it, so he couldn't help but shake his head: "Are those three from the Hidden Sand Villagereally that scary?""You don't understand them at all—no, you don't understand him!"Kiba swallowed hard and then became serious: "In the upcoming exams, you must be careful of that guy with the dark circles! If you run into him, I advise you to just give up on the spot!"
Chapter 78: I Believe In Him"You don't understand them at all. No, wait, you don't understand *him*! In the upcoming exams, you must be careful of that guy with the dark circles! If you run into him, I advise you to just forfeit on the spot!"Kiba's face lost its usual carefree expression, and he looked at The Three Little Ones seriously.Recalling what had happened earlier, his body trembled slightly without him realizing it.Naruto swept his gaze across the group and found that not only Kiba, but even Hinata and Shino were nodding in agreement."What do you think, Sasuke?" Naruto turned his head.Sasuke leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his face filled with indifference: "Hmph, you're making me look forward to meeting that guy."After speaking, Sasuke turned his head to look at his shoulder.His Stand [Eye for an Eye] was sitting right on his shoulder.Sasuke had previously learned about [Stands] from Naruto.Although he didn't know how he had awakened his Stand, he could feel that after using it, his Sharingan had received a tremendous boost.The current Sasuke even felt he could challenge Kakashi!Therefore, even after hearing about Gaara's terror, he felt no fear at all; instead, he was itching for a fight, craving battle.Sensing Sasuke's excitement, Naruto advised: "Don't be impulsive. Save your energy for the exam.""Do I need you to teach me? Mind your own business." Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto.Sakura sighed helplessly, feeling that after Narutoand Sasuke had fought, their relationship had worsened."Tch, I really don't know what to do with you guys."Seeing Naruto and Sasuke's confident appearance, Kiba shook his head, knowing he couldn't convince The Three Little Ones.It was understandable; after all, even he wouldn't have been so afraid of Gaara if he hadn't witnessed him slaughtering three Rain Ninja with his own eyes.However, now that they had entered the tower and had Team 7, fellow Konoha Ninja, with them, he could finally set his mind at ease."Alright, let's not talk about that anymore," Sakurasaid, breaking the somewhat dull atmosphere. "By the way, isn't it a bit too empty here? Aside from the Hidden Sand Village team that just left, there isn't even a guide."Shino didn't speak, but pointed to the wall nearby.A piece of calligraphy was posted on it, signed by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi."Huh, the Third Hokage's name is Hiruzen Sarutobi?"Sakura successfully diverted the topic.Kiba rubbed his chin: "I remember the Sarutobi clan is a very powerful Ninja clan!"Sasuke: "Sarutobi..."He stared silently at the surname, memories surging like a river in his mind.Sasuke still remembered his mother saying that his name was derived from a respected powerhouse of the Sarutobi clan.Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Naruto noticed the key point in the text: "...When the Heaven and Earth scrolls are opened, the dangerous path leads to the right path..."He took the collected Heaven and Earth scrolls from his Ninja tool pouch and tore open both scrolls simultaneously.Two large characters for [Person] were written in the middle of the two scrolls respectively.Hiss, hiss.Naruto frowned. Before he could figure out the situation, a large cloud of white mist rose from the two scrolls.He threw the scrolls onto the ground while raising his guard, sensing life fluctuations appearing within the mist.But Naruto immediately relaxed, for as the mist dispersed, Iruka's figure appeared before them."Congratulations! You have passed the second exam!"...The tower, main monitoring room."Today is only the first day of the exam, right? There are already three teams that have passed!"Anko sat on the sofa, patting the armrest in dissatisfaction."Is there a problem?" asked a Chunin staff member next to her, puzzled.The Anbu member wearing a bird-face mask chuckled: "Given Anko's personality, she probably wanted to reduce the number of examinees to single digits with this exam, right? I didn't expect it to exceed your expectations on the very first day.""It seems there are still too many trash; they couldn't put any pressure on the experts at all."Anko pouted and retorted.She had been at the tower for a while, and the symptoms caused by the curse mark flare-up had basically subsided, returning her to her usual energetic state.So she reached out a hand: "Do you have the intelligence reports on these three teams? I want to see them."When the proctor made a request, the subordinates naturally fulfilled it immediately.Anko opened the intelligence log and quickly saw Naruto's familiar face, as well as..."Hmm, this kid has quite a sense of art."The bird-faced Anbu leaned over and saw the file photo of Naruto doing a JoJo pose in the report.Anko rolled her eyes at him: "It's clearly just messing around!""Hey, hey, hey, Anko, your tone when mentioning this kid is a bit off," the bird-faced Anbu teased. "It sounds just like you're scolding one of your own."Anko tossed the intelligence log to him, her tone unchanged: "If you could use your passion for gossip on your training, you wouldn't have been defeated by that kid before.""Ahem," the bird-faced Anbu felt the curious gazes of the Chunin nearby and coughed awkwardly. "Why bring up things from the past!"Anko didn't answer; she turned on the surveillance playback.It was the footage inside the tower, and she carefully observed the three teams that had arrived one after another.Among them, the most conspicuous ones were Naruto and Gaara.Both of them were uninjured, and their clothes were clean and tidy, as if they weren't participating in a dangerous Chunin Exams, but rather going on a field trip.And more importantly, one of them was a Konoha Ninja, and the other was a Sunagakure Ninja.Anko turned her head and instructed the Chuninnext to her: "These two are seeded players to be kept for the official matches; remember not to pair them together during the preliminaries."The Chunin gave a thumbs up: "Don't worry, Anko-sama, our system is very stable!""It's exactly because you say that that I'm worried!" Anko snorted.Creak.The door to the monitoring room opened.Upon seeing who it was, everyone in the room, including Anko, stood up."Hokage-sama!"The Third Hokage walked in, puffing on his pipe, and first looked at Anko: "I heard your curse mark flared up? But looking at you now, it doesn't seem to have affected you too much.""Thanks to you, it's no longer a big problem."Anko touched the curse mark on her neck and replied, Naruto's figure flashing through her mind.Normally, the effects of the curse mark would last for several days or more, but that kid, not knowing what power he used, had actually caused the curse mark to stabilize quickly.The Third Hokage was followed by Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, who couldn't help but ask curiously: "By the way, isn't Orochimaruone of the legendary [Legendary Sannin]? I heard that as an S-rank missing-nin, he was already dead. Why would he suddenly appear in the Village?"Anko was silent for a moment and didn't speak.She already had a guess about Orochimaru's purpose for returning, but it wasn't easy to say out loud.But the Third Hokage said it out loud: "His target is probably Uchiha Sasuke.""What?"Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was somewhat surprised, and then someone suggested: "Then should we terminate the exam?""No need. I believe in the children of the Village."The Third Hokage shook his head and looked at Naruto's figure on the monitor."And I believe in him even more!"
Chapter 79: Preliminaries, Start!"By the way, what day is it?""The fifth day.""If I remember correctly, the exam started at 2:30 PM, right?""What time is it now?""Two o'clock.""Hey, you two."Sasuke pushed the door open and walked in, glancing coldly at Naruto and Sakura, who were lounging on the sofa like couch potatoes."It's time to assemble.""Yosh! Finally!"Naruto leaped up from the sofa.Teams that had reached the tower were not allowed to leave.So, ever since they finished the exam four days ago, The Three Little Ones had been stuck in a small, cramped waiting room.After staying for a few days, they felt like they were going to get moldy.Now that the exam was nearing its end, there was finally something to do."By the way, how many teams qualified?"Naruto asked, putting his arm around Sasuke's shoulder.Sasuke swatted his arm away and replied irritably, "So far, it's said that only five teams, fifteen people, have made it.""Huh?" Sakura's jaw nearly dropped. "There were twenty-four teams, seventy-two people, who passed the first exam, right? This elimination rate is terrifying!""There's no helping it. Besides competing with other teams to snatch scrolls, the whole exam requires traversing the perilous Forest of Death. A high elimination rate is normal."Naruto said with a grin.Sakura muttered, "Is it? I didn't feel like the Forest of Death was that dangerous.""Because you're too weak," Sasuke looked back at her. "That's why you didn't notice; Naruto had already taken care of all those dangerous things along the way.""I see..."Sakura's mood dipped.Even though she had already practiced Hamon, when facing Naruto and Sasuke, especially Naruto, she still felt like she couldn't keep up with them at all."That's why you have to work hard. The third exam is a singles match; Sakura, you have to at least defeat one opponent!"Naruto gave Sakura a thumbs up.Meeting Naruto's smile, Sakura regained her energy: "I definitely will!"Meanwhile, as the exam was about to end, two teams, six figures, appeared on the outskirts of the tower."Thanks to you, Senior Kabuto! I didn't expect us to actually pass the second exam!"The red-haired girl looked up at the building in front of her, her face beaming with an excited smile."I should be the one thanking you, Karin. If you hadn't healed my injuries, I wouldn't have made it here."Kabuto pushed up his glasses and replied with a smile.As he spoke, he waved at the girl, Karin: "We need to go in through the side door. You guys keep working hard.""Okay!" Karin nodded heavily.Once Yakushi Kabuto's figure disappeared, Karinsuddenly felt someone give her a hard shove from behind: "Eek!"Karin stumbled and turned to glare at her teammate: "What are you doing, Muso!""Hmph, acting so intimate, you might as well just join Konoha."The black-haired boy behind her, Muso, sneered coldly.The white-haired boy beside Muso mocked, "Hey, hey, hey, how could we let such an important person join Konoha?"As he spoke, he leaned close to Karin's ear and whispered: "You'd better behave yourself, or I'll kill you right here!"Karin shivered; she could tell from the other person's tone that this guy definitely wasn't joking.Feeling a threat to her life, Karin lost her previous toughness and forced a smile: "W-what are you saying, Ransho? H-how could I..."But before she could finish, Karin was roughly interrupted by Ransho: "Then just do your job. It's best if I don't see you having any dealings with Konoha Ninja again!"Karin could only nod in agreement and followed them into the tower.On the other side, the three members of Yakushi Kabuto's team also entered the tower through the side door.Appearing before the three of them was Konoha's current number one wanted criminal—Orochimaru."How was it? Any findings?"Orochimaru didn't try to hide at all, appearing in his true form, leaning against the wall and asking lazily."An interesting child from Kusagakure Village, possessing the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan. More information is on here."Yakushi Kabuto said, pulling a ninja identification card from his waist and handing it to Orochimaru."To be able to earn your appreciation, it seems that child is quite extraordinary."Orochimaru took the card with a smile, but what he said and what he did were completely different; he just casually put the ninja identification card away."I wouldn't dare. Everything is for Lord Orochimaru's plan," Yakushi Kabuto said, showing an incomparably loyal attitude. "After all, I didn't expect Sasuke's speed to be so fast, and those three guys from the Otogakure were too useless; two of them were directly crippled.""Heh heh, that sounds a lot like you're blaming me, the actual controller of the Otogakure."Orochimaru's voice carried a hint of coldness."Is there?" Yakushi Kabuto also smiled. "I'm just reminding Lord Orochimaru that although Konohahas declined, it is not something that can be easily crushed.""Heh heh heh, I just love that clever streak of yours, Kabuto."Orochimaru chuckled, and then his figure vanished from where he stood.Yakushi Kabuto breathed a sigh of relief and signaled his teammates behind him: "Let's go!"The three entered the interior of the tower, and after coordinating with the staff, they were led into a spacious, vast arena.The teams that had arrived earlier were already gathered there."First of all, congratulations to everyone for passing the second exam, so if you want to cheer, do it now while you can!"Anko, holding a microphone, announced loudly and energetically.Many examinees were speechless; they didn't expect that even after passing the exam, they would still be tormented by this proctor of the second exam."Woo-hoo!"What was even more unexpected was that there actually was a cheer among the examinees.Everyone's eyes focused on the source, only to find it was a red-haired girl.After realizing she had become the center of attention, Karin awkwardly shrank her neck."Very good! Very good! The third exam needs exactly this kind of vitality!"Anko remained excited, her gaze sweeping across the crowd.Naruto felt her gaze linger on him; the look was obvious—she wanted him to take the lead and heat up the atmosphere.However, such a silly thing, having that red-haired girl do it is enough; I'm not that stupid!Naruto kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, completely unmoving; in short, he remained unmoved and ignored Anko's request.Seeing this, Anko discontentedly made a throat-slitting gesture at him.Now, everyone's eyes were focused on Narutoagain.Sakura stared at Naruto without even blinking: "I feel like that woman has an unusual relationship with you.""Not as close as your relationship with me." Narutoturned his head and smiled, which instead made Sakura blush.After messing around for a bit, Anko stopped fooling around and handed the microphone to the Third Hokage behind her.The old man rambled on for a while, talking about the origin and significance of the Chunin Exams, as well as his outlook on the future of all the examinees.Perhaps people just become naggy as they get old; in any case, this long speech made people sleepy.Even Orochimaru, who was hidden among the Jonin, had a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes."This old man... how long is he going to ramble on! I really want to just blow him up right now!"Orochimaru blinked and began to seriously consider this idea.As if he had heard his inner thoughts, the Third Hokage finally finished his speech and announced to everyone: "Next, the preliminaries for the third exam, start!"
Chapter 80: You Are Nothing But... A Mortal!"Next, the preliminary round for the third exam, begins!"The Third Hokage finally concluded his sleep-inducing speech and announced the good news to everyone.However, someone immediately reacted: "Wait, a preliminary round?"The one with the biggest reaction was Nara Shikamaru: "Huh? It's not the direct exam? We still need further screening?"The Third Hokage did not answer. From behind him stepped a young man with a pale complexion, heavy dark circles under his eyes, and a slightly hunched posture. He cleared his throat: "Ahem, everyone quiet down. I, Gekkō Hayate, will be the referee to explain things to you from now on.""Is someone like this actually a referee?""What's even more surprising is, is someone like this actually a Ninja?""Looking at him like that... is he really physically okay?"Seeing Gekkō Hayate's sickly appearance, the examinees set aside their previous questions and instead began to worry for the referee.Gekkō Hayate seemed not to hear the discussions. He stood in front of the stage and explained: "As the Hokage-sama just said, the Chunin Exams are a grand event for nations to display their national strength. Many dignitaries and social elites will come to watch, so the time needs to be controlled."As he spoke, his gaze swept over everyone: "The elimination rate for the first two exams was a bit low, and the number of participants for the third exam is too high, so a preliminary round is needed to reduce the number of examinees."Once these words were spoken, the examinees' faces were filled with displeasure.The first exam was one thing, but the second exam was quite cruel and bloody.Even with that, he still says the elimination rate is too low?Are they really trying to mess with us like that?But no matter how much dissatisfaction the examinees had, it was of no use.Gekkō Hayate continued: "The exam rules are simple: one-on-one elimination matches. The winner advances to the main tournament. *Cough cough cough*, if anyone is injured from previous battles or has exhausted too much energy and feels they cannot continue with individual combat, you can choose to raise your hand and withdraw now."The arena was silent.After all, having made it this far, no one wanted their previous efforts to go to waste.Only one person raised their hand."I withdraw."Yakushi Kabuto calmly raised his hand."Kabuto-senpai? Why!"Uzumaki Karin widened her eyes in disbelief.Yakushi Kabuto smiled and explained: "The previous exhaustion was too great, and on top of that, I have internal injuries. I'm afraid I won't be able to handle high-intensity combat."Uzumaki Karin wanted to say something more, but feeling the gazes of the companions beside her, she had to swallow the questions that were already on the tip of her tongue."Very well, are there any others who wish to give up?"After Yakushi Kabuto left, Gekkō Hayate repeated himself and found that no one else among the examinees raised their hand.So he pointed to the electronic screens on both sides of the arena: "Next, the preliminary round officially begins. The two people whose names appear on the screen will become opponents."*Bzzzz~*Accompanied by a burst of electrical noise, the names of the examinees began to scroll across the screen.Everyone widened their eyes in anticipation, watching the scrolling speed of the text on the screen gradually slow down, and finally stop—Uchiha Sasuke VS Hyuga Hinata!As soon as this result appeared, everyone's gazes converged.Uchiha Sasuke was clearly somewhat dissatisfied and gave a cold snort.Hyuga Hinata braced herself to accept everyone's scrutiny, and then read a sense of certainty in their gazes.She was very familiar with this kind of gaze, because ever since her younger sister grew a little older, her father would always show this kind of look whenever the two of them sparred.Yes, she was weak; even her young sister Hyuga Hanabi could easily defeat her...Hyuga Hinata closed her eyes slightly, her breathing trembling a little.Not to mention that this time her opponent was the genius Uchiha Sasuke; the outcome of the battle was already obvious.Since that was the case, she might as well...Hyuga Hinata's body shivered, wanting to raise her hand and surrender directly.Just then, she felt someone pat her shoulder."Eh?" Hyuga Hinata hurriedly opened her eyes and found that Uzumaki Naruto had appeared beside her at some point.Uzumaki Naruto leaned over and comforted her: "Don't be afraid, that guy Uchiha Sasuke is actually very gentle. You just need to show your own style during the battle."He could tell that the young girl was already trembling with fear, so he hurriedly squeezed over to offer comfort."Yes! I understand!" Hyuga Hinata nodded heavily, "I, I will definitely let everyone, let, let Uzumaki Naruto-kun see my style!"Uzumaki Naruto returned a smile, but heard a sneer from beside his ear.He frowned and turned back, finding that Hyuga Neji had approached."Cousin Neji..." Seeing the familiar and strict relative, Hyuga Hinata, who had just gathered her courage, instantly became timid again.Hyuga Neji looked at Hyuga Hinata indifferently: "Just surrender in a moment."Hyuga Hinata was stunned. She never expected that her cousin's arrival before the battle would not be to comfort her, but to say such things.Uzumaki Naruto also couldn't help but be confused: "What did you say?"Hyuga Neji ignored Uzumaki Naruto and looked down at Hyuga Hinata from a superior position: "The Hyuga Clan is a noble family in Konoha. If you are beaten too badly when fighting Uchiha Sasuke, it will be the Hyuga Clan that loses face. It's better to just surrender.""Yes..."Hyuga Hinata lowered her head, her voice so faint it was almost impossible to hear."Hehe, hehe,"A laugh came. Hyuga Neji finally turned his gaze to Uzumaki Naruto and frowned: "What are you laughing at?""Tsk tsk tsk," Uzumaki Naruto didn't answer, but instead supported his chin and looked Hyuga Nejiup and down. That kind of condescending scrutiny made Hyuga Neji very uncomfortable. "Listening to you say that, I suddenly realized that you and Hyuga Hinata have the same eyes. Are you a'superior person' of the Hyuga Clan?"Hearing the word'superior person', veins popped out on Hyuga Neji's forehead, and his expression became ugly: "What exactly are you trying to say?""If you run into me, for the sake of the Hyuga Clan's face, you'd better surrender directly, otherwise I will smash it until it's no longer worthy of the Hyuga Clan's name!" Uzumaki Narutopointed at Hyuga Neji, "I'm talking about that face of yours!"*Whoosh—*Hyuga Neji was burning with rage and struck directly at Uzumaki Naruto's chest with a punch.Uzumaki Naruto didn't move, and even puffed out his chest.In the end, Hyuga Neji's fist stopped less than a centimeter from his chest."What? Not attacking? Superior person of the Hyuga Clan?"Uzumaki Naruto tilted his head and looked at the other person with a smile.Hyuga Neji took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart.He knew very well that there was a circle of Joninstanding around; if he really started fighting, he would only be disqualified from the exam."I hope you have the chance to become my opponent in the upcoming exams. By then, I will let you know who the strongest Genin in Konohareally is. Maybe then you won't be able to run your mouth like this anymore."Hyuga Neji left a harsh threat."There's one thing you shouldn't get wrong, the strongest," Uzumaki Naruto looked him straight in the eye, "You are just someone who only became famous because you didn't graduate in the same class as me...""Mortal!"..."Tsk, this kid's trash talk is really something."Anko Mitarashi stood at the edge of the arena, seeing Hyuga Neji turn and leave with a dark face, a smile appeared on her face.Then she turned her head and instructed the Chunin beside her: "Remember to keep those two apart during the preliminary round. This is a main course that needs to be saved for the official tournament!"
Chapter 81: Please Respect the ExamAs the examinees climbed onto the viewing platform at the edge of the arena, only two people remained on the field.Gekkō Hayate walked between the two: "The combatants for the first round are Uchiha Sasukeand Hyuga Hinata. Do you two have any objections?""None."Sasuke had his hands in his pockets and didn't even glance at Hinata.After all, just looking at her aura, Hinata didn't look like a strong fighter at all.Among all the current examinees, only Naruto, Gaara, and Neji were worth him looking at seriously."P-please take care of me!"Hinata said weakly.Watching her frail appearance, Sasuke snorted with dissatisfaction: "If you don't even have confidence in yourself, then you might as well surrender and admit defeat now."As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward Naruto on the distant balcony.Before the match started, Naruto had urged him to go easy on Hinata.That bastard, what does he think this match is? A dating game?I won't hold back at all just to help him pick up girls!Sasuke's gaze narrowed, and he finally turned his eyes toward Hinata, his powerful aura bearing down on her.Hinata took a panicked step back, feeling her spirit captured by the scarlet light in his eyes.Swish!Under Hinata's watchful gaze, Sasuke instantly vanished from where he stood.She immediately activated her Byakugan, veins bulging around her eyes, to track her opponent's movements."Over there!"Hinata turned and struck out with a palm, but Sasuke dodged it.Seeing Sasuke leap into the air for a side kick, Hinata immediately retreated.The sole of his shoe grazed the tip of her nose, causing Hinata's heart to race instantly.Although they had only exchanged one round, the speed Sasuke displayed far exceeded Hinata's imagination."Still not surrendering? You've already lasted one round against me, so it's not shameful."Sasuke didn't pursue, speaking nonchalantly."No! Since I've decided to stand here, I must keep fighting!"Hinata answered firmly, while subconsciously glancing at Naruto, discovering that he was also watching her.This gave her great encouragement, and Hinata felt an inexplicable power rise from the bottom of her heart."Hah!"Hinata stepped forward and struck continuously at Sasuke with both palms."Not only did you not surrender, but you're actually taking the initiative to attack me? I'm really being underestimated."Sasuke floated backward, his body twisting slightly as he easily dodged Hinata's attacks.Just as he prepared to counterattack, Sasukesuddenly narrowed his eyes slightly.Because at some point, a mass of Chakra had enveloped Hinata's palms."Is this the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist, known as the strongest Taijutsu in Konoha?"As a descendant of the Uchiha Clan, Sasuke's knowledge was naturally incomparable to others, and he recognized Hinata's technique immediately.He curled his lip, making no effort to hide the disdain on his face.Although the Sharingan couldn't see Chakra flow and meridian operations as clearly as the Byakugan.The Sharingan could still see the clumps formed when Chakra gathered.And from Sasuke's perspective, the Chakrawrapped around Hinata's palms was quite thin.With this level of Gentle Fist, let alone defeating him, it would be hard to even hurt someone, right?It was no wonder that the cocky Neji had told Hinata to voluntarily surrender; she was indeed incredibly weak.Forget it, for Naruto's sake, I'll let her lose with some dignity.Having made up his mind, Sasuke's speed increased once again.Hinata's eyes didn't even catch his movement, and by the time she realized his trajectory, Sasuke had already raised his arm to strike at her neck.But as a member of the Hyuga Clan with exceptional Taijutsu, Hinata's reaction was quite fast; she immediately bent down to dodge while lunging forward.She rolled awkwardly on the ground, creating distance between herself and Sasuke."Do you know?" Sasuke watched her get up, one hand on his hip. "According to ancient legends in the Ninja World, the Uchiha Clan originated from the Hyuga Clan, and the Sharingan is closely related to the Byakugan. It's just a pity that you've completely disgraced the name of the Hyuga Clan."However, in response to his mockery, Hinata shook her head: "I cannot represent the Hyuga Clan; I only represent myself.""Then what are you fighting for? The gap in strength between us needs no explanation, does it?"Sasuke was still trying to use his talk-no-jutsu to make Hinata surrender.But he was right; the gap in strength between the two was indeed despairingly large.As the one initiating the attacks, Sasuke wasn't even out of breath, as if he had just been playing around.And Hinata, after only a few strikes, had become short of breath, and her stamina was starting to drop.Whether it was stamina or Chakra, she was near the bottom among all the examinees."I'm doing this for myself, and also for..."Hinata's voice trailed off, and she looked at Narutoagain.The moment she locked eyes with him, she took a deep breath, trying hard to calm her breathing.Now that her stamina was declining, the longer the battle lasted, the lower her chances of winning would be.Fortunately, when she had used the Hyuga style Taijutsu earlier, she hadn't used the 'Gentle Fist' technique.If she could just take advantage of the information gap now, she might actually be able to injure or even defeat Sasuke!Hinata took the initiative to attack again, rushing in front of Sasuke and striking at his body with a series of palm strikes.Her palms remained coated in Chakra, but her movements had slowed down due to her declining stamina.Sasuke dodged as if he were taking a leisurely stroll, then seized the opportunity to punch Hinatain the ribs."Now!"Hinata's eyes lit up; she knew the opportunity she had been waiting for had finally arrived.Sasuke's punch had been precisely calculated and would definitely land before she could hit him.But that was assuming she wasn't using Gentle Fist!One of the techniques of Gentle Fist was to emit Chakra through the acupoints on the hands, thereby extending the attack range to strike the opponent's meridians.And now, Sasuke would pay the price for his misjudgment!A hint of excitement shone in Hinata's eyes as she released Chakra from her palms, aiming directly at Sasuke's heart.Of course, being kind-hearted, she didn't use her full strength; if hit by this burst of Chakra, it would only block the meridians around the heart, making him temporarily unable to use Chakra.But even so, it was enough to secure victory!Pfft!The Chakra was released and hit Sasuke's body.Hinata couldn't hide the smile on her face and couldn't help but blurt out: "Naruto-kun! I did it!"Bang!The next second, Hinata felt a punch to her left ribs.Intense pain surged up, and a feeling of powerlessness invaded her entire body. Cold sweat instantly broke out all over her, and she collapsed to the ground, clutching her abdomen."What?!"Hinata fought through the intense pain and discovered Sasuke standing not far away, hands in his pockets, looking at her coldly.She still remembered that that spot was where Sasuke had been standing when the match first began.Why did her Gentle Fist clearly land, yet have no effect?When did Sasuke go back there? She hadn't seen it at all!Hinata was utterly confused, but the intense pain didn't allow her to continue thinking.Sasuke was kind enough to answer her doubt: "Idiot, go back and practice how to counter Genjutsu. Don't waste your pair of eyes."Genjutsu?Only when she saw the scarlet light in Sasuke's eyes did Hinata suddenly realize.Sasuke hadn't returned to his original spot; he hadn't moved at all. The one she had been fighting from the beginning was just an illusion!In an instant, Hinata's heart plummeted from heaven to the bottom of the valley.In the end, she had still disgraced the Hyuga Clan..."The winner is Sasuke!"Gekkō Hayate stepped forward and announced the match result."Naruto-kun..." On the viewing platform, Sakura's voice carried a hint of sourness. "Hinata was still calling your name until the very end."Naruto smiled at her, then flipped and jumped into the competition arena, leaping to Hinata's side."Na-Naruto..."Hinata's little face flushed red."It's okay, your performance was already excellent. I really admire you for fighting until the end."Naruto crouched down and used Hamon to help alleviate Hinata's pain.Then he frowned slightly, realizing he was shrouded in a shadow.Looking back, he saw Sasuke had come up behind him, looking down with a dissatisfied gaze: "Hey, this isn't the place for you to flirt. Respect the exam rules and get back!"
Chapter 82: In Terms of Numerical Values, You and I Are Worlds Apart"The winner of this match is Uchiha Sasuke!"Gekkō Hayate appeared from some obscure corner to announce the results.The surrounding spectators, including the Jonin, looked at Uchiha Sasuke with unconscious amazement in their eyes.Genjutsu from the Sharingan wasn't rare, but a Genjutsu capable of deceiving the Byakugan was very rare.Even if Hinata's strength wasn't overwhelmingly high, she was still a wielder of the Byakugan.The Byakugan, which can observe the operation and flow of Chakra, naturally possesses an extraordinary resistance to Genjutsu.Looking at it this way, the ocular power of Sasuke's Sharingan has reached at least the Three-Tomoelevel.You have to know that he is only twelve years old now; having possessed this kind of strength less than three months after graduating from the Ninja Academy, he could be considered quite an outstanding existence even within the Uchiha Clan, which was full of geniuses back in the day.The Third Hokage, who was watching the battle, tilted his head: "I remember Sasuke was branded with a Cursed Seal by Orochimaru before, right? How is it now?"Kakashi replied in a low voice: "I dispatched the Anbu a few days ago to apply the Evil Sealing Method on Sasuke."Speaking of this, Kakashi paused for a moment before continuing: "However, based on my observations, Sasuke is different from Anko. Before the Evil Sealing Method was applied, other than having a slight fever, he was basically unaffected by the Cursed Seal.""Oh?" The Third Hokage turned his head in surprise.Because of Anko, he was no stranger to the Cursed Seal.He knew that besides causing pain, the Cursed Seal would also be subject to Orochimaru's mental erosion.The reason Anko felt weak and powerless after the Cursed Seal flared up was because of this factor.If Sasuke could remain unaffected by Orochimaru's mental influence, then there was only one reason—his mental strength was unimaginably powerful!"Very good, you must protect him well." The Third Hokage smiled and gave a simple instruction.Not far away, the Jonin from the Otogakuredisguised as Orochimaru twitched his ear, a look of surprise appearing on his face as well.When looking at Sasuke, the greed in his eyes grew even stronger: "Wonderful!"...The battle between Sasuke and Hinata could be considered a good start for these preliminaries.Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, the next pair of fighters appeared on the big screen—Hyuga Neji VS Inuzuka Kiba!"Roar! Is it finally my turn to shine!" Kiba jumped down from the stands excitedly, his face carrying unconcealable relief.In his view, no matter who the opponent was, as long as it wasn't that bloodthirsty demon Gaara, it was enough."As an appetizer, your taste is truly hard to compliment." Neji leaped down lightly and curled his lips coldly."Ha? You really dare to say that! Don't think that just because you have a pair of Byakugan, you can do whatever you want!" Kiba grinned, engaging in trash talk without giving an inch.Akamaru, crouching on top of his head, also let out a few barks, cheering for its master."Heh, you seem quite confident." Neji shook his head with a sneer."Of course!" Kiba spread his arms and laughed loudly.To be honest, having Neji as an opponent actually made him feel more confident.Because as Hinata's teammate, Kiba was very familiar with the abilities, strengths, and weaknesses of the Byakugan.He had even specifically trained for combat against the Byakugan.Now facing Neji, who also came from the Hyuga Clan, he could make use of his previous training results.Even if Neji was a little stronger than Hinata, he wouldn't be a match for me! Kiba thought, staring fixedly at Neji."Match start!"At Gekkō Hayate's command, Kiba acted instantly, reaching into his clothes and pulling out a pill.Neji stood on the spot, watching his opponent leisurely, seemingly wanting to see what tricks the other party could pull.This undisguised belittling behavior caused anger to rise in Kiba's heart, and he threw the pill into Akamaru's mouth."Awoo!" Akamaru looked up and howled, its snowy white fur instantly turning red, and its bark changed from delicate and crisp to fierce and violent."Stimulant?" Neji raised an eyebrow."It's a Military Ration Pill, you ignorant guy!" Kiba retorted while performing hand signs."Go, Akamaru!"Akamaru: "Woof! Woof! (Ninjutsu: Beast Human Clone!)"Kiba: "Ninjutsu: Beast Mimicry!"Ninjutsu: Beast Human Clone!With a loud bang, Kiba and Akamaru stacked on top of each other, both transforming into a state with all four limbs on the ground and sharp claws and teeth.From their appearance, they looked like humans, but their fierce eyes, glowing claws, fangs, and the aura they exuded were no different from wild beasts."Whoa, what kind of move is this?" Narutomuttered to himself curiously.Hinata explained from the side: "This is the secret Ninjutsu of the Inuzuka Clan."Although she had been defeated by Sasuke, her injuries were not serious, and after resting, she was fine, so she quickly returned to the arena to follow Naruto.On the other side, Neji also recognized Kiba's technique, but remained unhurried: "Is that all?"Kiba was in no mood to bicker, let out a roar, and ran in different directions with Akamaru.The Byakugan's perspective and observation capabilities were extremely strong.Fighting one-on-one with such an opponent was a very unwise act, so at the very beginning of the battle, Kiba brought out his trump card [Beast Human Clone].As long as the speed and number of attacks were increased, even if the Byakugan could observe them, it would be too late to block all the attacks!"I see, is that the idea?" Neji tilted his head, glanced at Kiba and Akamaru who had reached his sides, his face maintaining disdain."Haha! When I defeat you, I'll enjoy your expression!"Kiba and Akamaru, one human and one beast, launched an attack on Neji from both sides simultaneously.Their claws and fangs were sharper than Kunai, pressing toward their opponent with a cold glint.However, Neji's movements were more agile than Kiba imagined; with just a few twists, he avoided the attack."Such fast speed!" Kiba was secretly shocked, then his gaze became serious."Since that's the case! Then take this, Neji! Look at my Beast Human Taijutsu Ultimate Technique—"Fang Passing Fang!Instantly, Kiba and Akamaru began to spin, their speed surging wildly.The human and beast were like a whirlwind, charging toward Neji with tremendous power, sealing his dodging space from two directions.Seeing this, Neji was unhurried, even having the leisure to sigh: "You seem to have misunderstood one thing..."Hah!Under the gaze of everyone, Neji raised his hands, his palms overflowing with Chakra, and actually blocked the incoming Fang Passing Fang with his bare hands!How is this possible?!Kiba widened his eyes in disbelief.You have to know that the power of Fang Passing Fang was extremely terrifying; it could even shatter rocks!Is this guy a monster? He could actually block this blow?"Between Hinata, you, and me, in terms of basic Ninja abilities, we are worlds apart!"Neji's voice came, and at the same time, Kiba felt a palm strike his chest, and he was sent flying directly.Akamaru suffered the same fate as its master; after being knocked away, it landed beside Kiba.Kiba tried to crawl up, but the palm Neji just delivered had sealed his meridians.So after several attempts, Kiba still couldn't get up."Match over, the winner is decided, the winner is Hyuga Neji!"Gekkō Hayate jumped out.Neji looked at Kiba's unwilling expression, sneered, and turned to leave.Next, the competition continued.The next group to appear was Yakushi Kabuto's teammate Misumi Tsurugi, and Kankuro from the Hidden Sand Village.Misumi Tsurugi, who could soften his body, was easily taken care of by Kankuro's puppet, making people cast sideways glances.The next to appear was another of Yakushi Kabuto's teammates, Akado Kai, and his opponent was Akimichi Choji.Akado Kai's ability was to absorb Chakra through contact; Choji didn't have much motivation to begin with, and after being sucked until his stomach shriveled, he lost his will to fight and directly chose to surrender.Because every match ended very quickly, it had only been half an hour since the preliminaries began."It's finally my turn!" Naruto stood on the stands, seeing his name on the electronic screen.And the name following it was—Rock Lee!"Next group, Uzumaki Naruto VS Rock Lee!"