"...Believe it!"
Hearing that familiar catchphrase, full of vigor, Hansen, at the highest point of the viewing stand, smiled knowingly, a hint of playfulness in the curve of his lips.
As the other contestants exited, only two remained in the vast center of the arena.
This time, Naruto Uzumaki, who wasn't late, was energetically stretching his limbs, his golden short hair particularly dazzling in the sunlight.
He suddenly pointed a finger directly at Neji, who was slowly walking towards him, and declared with all his might:
"I will definitely defeat you, for Hinata's sake! I never go back on my word, that's my ninja way, believe it!"
The boy's voice echoed throughout the venue, filled with undeniable determination.
In the audience, Hinata Hyūga's face instantly flushed crimson upon hearing his words. She nervously twisted her fingers, feeling both worried and touched.
In contrast to his opponent's passionate declaration, Hyuga Neji remained silent.
He was still dressed in his simple white attire, his steps steady, each stride precisely measured as if with a ruler.
His expression was calm and stern, and in his pure white eyes, the past resentment and unwillingness had long vanished, replaced by a stillness like a lake frozen for millennia.
The Jonin of Konoha present, such as Kakashi and Might Guy, all had their pupils contract slightly, keenly sensing the profound changes in him.
He was no longer the boy with sharp thorns in his eyes, ready to wound others and himself at any moment.
Now, he was composed and reserved, making him inscrutable.
Not a trace of Chakra leaked from him, yet he exuded a peculiar rhythm that seemed to merge with the surrounding nature.
It wasn't the malicious killing intent that the Jonin were familiar with, but rather the imposing aura of a strong individual born from absolute confidence!
"Neji… he seems to have completely changed."
Might Guy looked at his once most cherished disciple, and beneath his iconic green jumpsuit was unconcealed confusion and pride.
He felt that Neji had embarked on a path entirely different from his own.
"No matter, this is his youth! Wuwuwu—" The sensitive Blue Beast of Konoha wiped away tears vigorously!
"Guy-sensei!!"
Rock Lee, with his small bowl cut, was infected by the emotion. The master and disciple immediately hugged and cried bitterly, with strange illusions of reefs, waves, and sunsets even appearing behind them, causing many ninja from other villages to look on curiously.
What powerful genjutsu!
The genjutsu masters of Konoha are truly terrifying!
Below the viewing stand, Hiashi Hyūga, the head of the Hyuga Clan, looked at his branch family nephew in the arena, his brows tightly furrowed, his dignified face a mix of solemnity and relief.
He felt that the boy, once bound by the 'Caged Bird,' seemed to have broken free from that seemingly inescapable shackles, and was about to spread his wings and soar into the boundless sky.
"Match, begin!"
The chief examiner, Genma Shiranui, sharply swung down the arm holding his senbon.
Before his words even finished, he instantly shunshined, retreating cleanly to the edge of the arena, leaving the stage entirely to the two contestants.
"Take this!"
Naruto didn't hesitate for a moment; his battle instincts made him launch an attack immediately!
Three kunai, glinting with cold light, whistled out in a 'V' formation, blocking Neji's left, right, and above, while he himself followed closely, charging like a cheetah!
Facing this fierce assault, Hyuga Neji stood his ground, not even activating his Byakugan's combat form.
He merely raised his hand casually, his palm lightly brushing in front of him like a dancing butterfly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With three crisp sounds of metal clashing, the three powerful kunai seemed to hit an invisible wall, precisely deflected one by one by the edge of his palm, weakly embedding themselves in the ground nearby.
However, Naruto's attack wasn't over; the kunai were just a feint!
His body suddenly squatted down during his high-speed charge, lowering his center of gravity. A fiercely powerful sweep kick, accompanied by a tearing whoosh through the air, swept like lightning towards Neji's lower body!
This combination attack flowed smoothly, far beyond what the 'dead last' was capable of before.
In his previous experiences, with the help of the Toad Sage Jiraiya, he had broken the Five Elements Seal placed by Orochimaru, further refining his strength.
The talent of the Fourth Hokage's son and the reincarnation of Asura's Chakra began to emerge. This strength was already considered outstanding among his peers.
But in front of Neji, whose strength had already advanced by leaps and bounds under Hansen's hellish training, all of this was completely insufficient.
Indeed, just as Naruto's leg was about to connect with his ankle!
The ground beneath Neji's foot let out a dull 'thud,' as he forcibly stomped a shallow pit with his toes, and a visible ring of white Chakra burst open!
He, himself, ghost-like, dodged Naruto's assault at a speed almost impossible to perceive, appearing behind him as if by teleportation!
At the same time, he lowered his waist and bent his arm, his spine like a fully drawn bow, gathering and tightening all the power in his body along his central axis!
A palm strike, named 'Gentle Fist,' but in reality, soft yet firm, containing terrifying penetrative power, heavily slammed into Naruto's wide-open abdomen, exposed from his sweep kick!
Bang—!!!
A dull, thunderous sound, like a heavy hammer striking a cowhide drum, erupted, and the explosive air current even lifted a layer of dust from the ground!
A yellow figure instantly folded into a 'C' shape, his eyes bulging. The cry of surprise he was about to make turned into a painful grunt.
He was sent flying backward like a cannonball, as if hit by a high-speed truck, tracing a sharp arc through the air, and crashing heavily against the wall a dozen meters away!
"Ugh—!"
Rumble! The hard wall cracked like a spiderweb from the impact. Naruto slid softly to the ground, letting out a painful groan.
The entire venue instantly fell silent.
The arena, which had been roaring with cheers and thunderous noise just a second ago, was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop, all in just one second.
Everyone stared dumbfounded at the white-clad youth in the arena, who slowly withdrew his hand, returned to a standing posture, his expression completely unchanged.
Too fast!
From Naruto's attack to being sent flying in one move, the entire process was so quick that most people didn't even see it clearly!
This was the genius of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Neji!
The aura of a strong individual, fully displayed!
Hyuga Neji's single move shocked the entire arena, but the future Seventh Hokage was also famously known for his high stamina and defense.
Naruto Uzumaki spat out a mouthful of clotted blood mixed with internal organ fragments and grimaced as he struggled to his feet.
Though his dusty appearance was quite disheveled, and the excruciating pain in his lower abdomen made it almost impossible for him to straighten up.
But in his clear blue eyes, his fighting spirit had not diminished in the slightest; instead, it burned even more fiercely!
"So... so strong..." Naruto panted heavily, feeling his stomach churning, "But, I won't give up easily, believe it!!"
No sooner had he spoken than Naruto shakily formed hand signs.
"Ninja Art—"
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...!!
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