Neji gripped the cold gun body, the lingering scent of the laser beam still hadn't dissipated, and he blurted out, "Who is the next target?"
Naruto glanced at him. "There's no need to be so eager," he said indifferently. "Your next target is yourself."
Before Neji could ask further, Naruto turned to another matter: "From today on, you will be a member of 'Root.' Any questions?"
"None." Neji's answer was without hesitation.
"Very good."
Naruto didn't waste any more words and turned to leave. Neji immediately followed, and the two walked through the quiet streets, eventually arriving at a seemingly unremarkable warehouse.
As Naruto formed a hand seal, the ground silently split open, revealing a bottomless metal staircase.
The air underground was cold and dry. This was a vast underground space, with a dome so high it was out of sight, and cold steel walls all around, extending to the end of the visible range.
Countless pipes and lines snaked along the walls like the veins of a giant beast. The entire space was so quiet that only their footsteps could be heard.
"This is 'Root's' Training Ground Three," Naruto led Neji to a control panel in the center of the field, "and it will be your home for the next month."
He lit up the control panel, and a light screen projected in front of Neji, densely listing a training plan.
Neji's pupils suddenly constricted after just one glance.
[05:00-06:00: Extreme Load Physical Training.]
[06:00-09:00: Moving Target Shooting.]
[09:00-12:00: Simulated Extreme Environment Training: Maintain absolutely stable shooting under heavy rain, sandstorms, strong light, and noise interference.]
[13:00-22:00:...]
[22:00-23:00: Weapon Disassembly, Maintenance, Calibration.]
[23:00-05:00: Rest.]
Except for six hours of rest, all other time was filled with inhuman training, day after day, until the one-month period ended.
"This..." Neji felt a suffocating pressure. His willpower was tested the moment he saw this plan.
"Excellent warriors are forged under extreme pressure." Naruto's voice had no emotional fluctuations. "Your talent is good, but your pride and fragility must be eliminated. Begin execution tomorrow."
On the first day of training, Neji encountered unprecedented frustration.
On the training ground, dozens of metal discs flew at high speed in erratic trajectories. He activated his Byakugan and could clearly capture the movement trajectory of each disc, even seeing the subtle scratches on them.
But the moment he pulled the trigger, the laser beam always grazed past the target.
His proud control seemed inadequate when wielding this precise killing tool. The rhythm of his breathing, the frequency of his heartbeat, and the slightest tremor of his muscles would all lead to vastly different results.
"Round one, one hundred shots, three hits. Evaluation: Fail." Naruto's cold voice came through the broadcast, without any encouragement or reprimand, merely stating a fact.
"Excessive deviation, incorrect breathing rhythm. Your accelerated heartbeat due to nervousness affected your judgment. Next."
Cold sweat seeped from Neji's forehead. He gritted his teeth and started the second round. The results were not much better.
"Arm muscles too tense, causing the muzzle to rise 1 centimeter. Next."
"Attention scattered. Your eyeballs had a 0.5-second delay after locking onto the target. Next."
The cold data broadcast, like steel needles, pierced Neji's proud self-esteem. He had never imagined he would be so thoroughly negated. The unwillingness and obsession suppressed under the Caged Bird curse mark were completely ignited.
"You make me sound like a good-for-nothing."
From that day on, Neji threw himself completely into frenzied training. He stopped thinking, stopped complaining, and simply mechanically repeated the actions of raising the gun, aiming, and shooting.
He began to practice tirelessly, treating himself as part of the weapon, calibrating every movement with physical fatigue and muscle soreness.
Sweat soaked his training uniform, then evaporated by his body temperature, leaving a layer of white salt frost. His eyes were bloodshot from prolonged use of the Byakugan, and his gun-holding arm was sore and swollen from repeated shooting.
The training reached its midpoint.
Zero's figure silently appeared behind Naruto. He looked at the monitor screen, at the young man whose gaze grew increasingly cold and whose movements became more like a precise machine, and reported in a low voice: "Political Commissar, the target's mental state is at a critical point; all physiological indicators show he could collapse at any moment. Do we need to intervene psychologically?"
On the screen, Neji was lying motionless on a simulated hillside, holding a sniper rifle. A strong wind picked up a leaf, which tumbled and danced in the air. A kilometer away, a silent beam of light flashed, and the leaf instantly turned to ashes.
Naruto's gaze did not leave the screen. He rejected Zero's suggestion.
"It's a critical point, but also a growth point." His voice held an undeniable calmness. "He's not collapsing; he's completing a transformation. Do not disturb him."
The last day of training.
In the empty training ground, hundreds of humanoid puppets painted black were released. They moved at high speed in erratic patterns, far exceeding that of ordinary Ninjas.
Naruto's voice echoed throughout the entire venue: "Final test. Within ten minutes, precisely hit the mark on the forehead of every puppet. Begin."
Neji lay on a high platform a hundred meters away, slowly exhaling. He activated his Byakugan, and his vision instantly became incomparably clear. On the foreheads of those fast-moving puppets, a clear mark was engraved—the Caged Bird curse mark.
At this moment, he felt as if his entire being had merged with the sniper rifle in his hands. All external noise disappeared; his world contained only the crosshairs, his breathing, and the target. He entered a state of absolute calm, a 'no-self' state.
A faint electronic hum sounded, replacing the real gunshots.
A beam of light flashed, and a charred hole instantly burst open on the forehead of a puppet.
Neji's finger didn't even leave the trigger. With a slight movement of his wrist, the muzzle had already locked onto the next target.
The humming continued, forming a cold and precise rhythm. Each sound represented a Caged Bird being shattered. His movements were so fluid that they seemed inhuman, more like a killing machine programmed to perform.
Time ticked by, second by second.
When the countdown reached its last second, the curse mark on the last puppet was precisely shattered in Neji's crosshairs.
"Test complete."
The broadcast sounded, and all of Neji's strength seemed to drain away instantly. He dropped his gun weakly, collapsing to the ground, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for air. Fatigue overwhelmed him like a tide, but in his eyes, an unprecedented light shone.
"I'm not a good-for-nothing," Neji murmured.
Footsteps approached from a distance. Naruto walked up to him, looking down at him.
"Training complete," Naruto announced calmly. "From today on, your Root codename is 'Utsusemi.'"
Neji struggled to sit up, sweat dripping down his cheeks, but he didn't wipe it away. He looked at Naruto, awaiting further orders.
Naruto handed him a scroll.
"This is your first mission."
"Go take a shower, change into clean clothes, and then, go hunt."
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