"Is this the number one of Konoha's rookies this year?"
The Kazekage looked at Jokichi, who was walking towards the exit, his eyes flashing with interest.
"That Neji is absolutely not weak, yet he was defeated with the swiftness of the wind and thunder. It can only be said that Jokichi is too strong. Konoha's rookies are truly daunting!"
"Lord Kazekage overpraises him. Jokichi is still a Genin, and has much experience to learn from his seniors," Hiruzen said modestly.
However, despite speaking modestly, the wrinkles on his aged face were almost bunched together.
Clearly, Jokichi's performance made him very happy.
"Lord Hokage is too modest."
The Kazekage replied and turned his gaze back to the arena.
The competitors for the second round had already entered the arena; a new match was about to begin.
However, the discussions in the spectator stands were still about Jokichi.
Even the Police Force responsible for maintaining order and the Anbu secretly preventing accidents were recalling the events of the previous match.
Jokichi's extreme speed made them couldn't help but wonder: If I were his opponent, could I react in time?
But the more they thought about it, the more chilling the conclusion became.
Outside the arena, on a classic building.
Kakashi, wearing a fox mask, leaned against a pillar. His gaze remained fixed on the entrance and exit tunnel of the arena, as if he could see the back of the person who had just left through the darkness.
"Jokichi..."
Kakashi murmured to himself, his thoughts returning to a rainy day a few years ago.
Every year on October 10th, the two would meet at the cemetery, yet pass each other like strangers.
Until that rainy day. He returned injured from a mission and didn't go to the hospital first, but went to the cemetery to pay his respects to Obito and Rin.
At that time, his bandaged wounds burst open, and he collapsed into a mud puddle.
It was Jokichi who helped him and carried him on his back to the hospital.
Since then, the two had become more familiar with each other.
Although it was just a greeting when they met, a faint connection had formed between them.
Their relationship wasn't expressed in words.
"I thought it was too early before, but now, I can consider it!"
A month ago, the Third Hokage approached him.
He hoped he could teach his original ninjutsu, Chidori, to Jokichi.
Kakashi felt Jokichi was too young and his chakra was insufficient to use a jutsu of this level, so he refused.
However, after seeing Jokichi's performance, Kakashi felt he was wrong.
Jokichi was a genius, an even more formidable genius than himself.
He already possessed the conditions to learn and master the Chidori.
...
There was a lot of discussion outside, but Jokichi couldn't hear it.
The moment he secured victory, he automatically blocked out the sounds of the outside world.
Praise, boasting...
He didn't care about these kinds of benefits without substance.
He was covered in blood; it was Neji's blood.
Of course, this was also because Jokichi deliberately didn't dodge.
Otherwise, this blood wouldn't have gotten on him.
Suddenly, the tunnel darkened.
Jokichi looked up and saw a figure standing at the exit, blocking all the light.
Because of the backlight, he couldn't see the face clearly.
But from the silhouette of carrying a large gourd, it was easy to determine the other's identity.
— Gaara.
Looking at the figure in front of him, Jokichi asked casually, "Is there something you need?"
"I will definitely kill you, right in this exam!"
Gaara replied indifferently, as if talking about a trivial matter.
"Heh!" The corners of Jokichi's mouth curled up slightly, chuckling, "You should win against your first-round opponent before saying that!"
"Among the people taking this exam, besides you, no one is my match."
"Don't speak so absolutely!" Jokichi said meaningfully.
"Naruto is the same as you, and he's stronger than you."
"The same as me?"
Gaara's bloodshot eyes showed a bit of confusion. Then, as if thinking of something, he hurriedly pressed, "He..."
Jokichi didn't listen. He squeezed past him and left.
Gaara turned around, wanting to ask more, but seeing that Jokichi was heading toward the restroom, he temporarily dropped the idea.
However—
"The same as me, huh!"
Gaara clenched his fists against his chest, his facial features contorted, and a fierce glint shone in his eyes.
"He's not the same kind of guy at all!"
...
In the restroom, Jokichi squatted on the toilet to check the message prompt the system sent earlier.
[Ding! Detected special material "Diluted Otsutsuki Blood", can forge special items "Diluted Otsutsuki Crystal", "Mangekyo", "Cage of Fate", "Unyielding Heart", "Soul of Genius". Do you wish to forge?]
"Five items..."
Jokichi was slightly surprised.
He originally thought two or three items would be about it. After all, there were very few memes about Neji. Although his experiences were commendable, there wasn't much to say.
There are too many tragedies in this ninja world; Neji's truly aren't much.
"It seems Neji's own will caused his fate to manifest!"
Jokichi sighed with emotion and chose to forge.
Instantly, five items appeared in his hands.
Needless to say about the Diluted Otsutsuki Crystal and the Mangekyo, he directly fused them with Hinata's to upgrade them.
The other three items were: a palm-sized exquisite birdcage; a fist-sized heart seemingly made of steel; and a fist-sized ball of light emitting a soft glow.
"Cage of Fate: The cage can grow or shrink according to the master's will, with a maximum height not exceeding ten meters and a minimum height not less than five centimeters. Creatures locked in the cage will be imprisoned by the River of Fate. Only by finding the fate to escape the cage among countless fates can they leave."
"River of Fate?" Jokichi tilted his head slightly, looking at the birdcage in his hand.
"What the hell is this?"
In his past life, Jokichi often saw the term "River of Fate" in many fantasy novels.
However, most of them didn't give a specific explanation, just making it sound very badass and lofty.
Therefore, Jokichi didn't know much about the River of Fate either.
He wanted to lock himself inside to test the effect, but was afraid he wouldn't be able to get out once inside.
In the end, he put the item into the system space, deciding to find an enemy to test it on later.
Next, Jokichi looked at the heart that seemed to be made of steel.
"Unyielding Heart: This is a heart with magical power. Once given to a person, it will grant them an unyielding heart."
An item from the series that grants personality traits.
However, an unyielding heart and a spirit of never giving up seem to be about the same!
The effect of this item overlapped somewhat with the Little Sun.
Jokichi had already used the Little Sun, so he could save this one.
Putting the item away, he looked at the last ball of light.
As expected, like the Soul of Genius forged from Kakashi and Minato, it was an item that increased a person's talent.
As the number one of the previous batch of rookies, Neji's talent was extraordinary.
As a branch family member, just by watching others train, he mastered Rotation and Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, which even the main family found difficult to master. He was also the first among the Konoha 11 to become a Jonin.
If he hadn't died young in the Fourth Shinobi World War, becoming a Kage-level ninja before age 20 wouldn't be impossible.
Mhm!
This can be used for Ino.