"Swish!" Naruto used Shunpo to appear before Neji, his right leg lashing out in a side kick.
"It's useless! Having cultivated my sixth sense, I've already seen through your Kyoka Suigetsu! You think you've deceived me, but in reality, I know…"
"You're over here!" Neji spun, raising his arms towards a different spot.
"Bang!" Amidst gasps of surprise, a huge force struck him. He stumbled back several steps but managed to block Naruto's attack.
"It worked! My sixth sense training was successful?!" Neji's expression lit up with joy, but in the next instant, the hairs on his neck stood on end. A strong gust of wind assaulted him from the right. Neji hastily blocked, immense force traveling up his arms, followed by a numbing sensation.
"Bang!" With a sickening thud, Naruto's right fist smashed into Neji's face, sending him flying.
"The cultivation of a sixth sense involves more than just abandoning your eyes." His tone was calm, without a ripple. "Only through countless life-and-death battles can a sixth sense be honed. You are too naive, Neji."
"Hado Number One: Sho."
Naruto appeared behind Neji again, his right hand firing a shockwave that slammed Neji's body directly into the wall. Rubble scattered everywhere, causing the spectators above to scream.
Neji climbed out wretchedly, blood trickling from his mouth. He opened his eyes; the Naruto in his vision still wore a gentle expression, his demeanor refined. Yet it was precisely this warm person who had toyed with his vision, making him afraid to believe anything he saw. No one could be sure if the 'him' they saw was really him, or if the place they were in was where they thought it was. Even closing his eyes and abandoning his vision was useless. This sense of the unknown pressed down on his heart, bringing despair and, deep down, a rising fear.
"He is unbeatable. Whether it's his Kekkei Genkai or Taijutsu, I am far inferior. If this continues, I will die."
Neji's lips couldn't help but tremble. At this moment, he finally understood how desperate those manipulated by Kyoka Suigetsu must have felt. They didn't even know when Naruto's attack would land. What a terrifying Kekkei Genkai.
No! I can't be afraid! I mustn't be afraid! There's still a chance! I can still fight!
Neji bit his lip hard and once again assumed a fighting stance, though even his hands had begun to tremble slightly.
"Passable talent, but his willpower is still a bit lacking." Watching Neji's somewhat pathetic display, Naruto felt a little regretful. His tone subsequently grew cold:
"Letting go of that pitiful self-esteem must be very difficult for you, right? It's fine. You can just stand there and be a bird in an iron cage."
Naruto's words struck Neji to the core, causing his eyes to instantly turn red. A bird in an iron cage, the Caged Bird Seal… These were the painful restraints that weighed him down, tormenting him daily!
In this instant, anger swallowed his fear.
"Naruto!" he roared in uncontrollable fury, attacking Naruto with all his might. This time, he didn't spare an ounce of energy for defense. No matter how many times Naruto struck him, he would retaliate even more fiercely. Fists, feet, elbows, knees, even his head—Neji used every part of his body he could.
"I trained day and night precisely to develop a sixth sense capable of breaking Kyoka Suigetsu!"
"I will surpass everyone, so I can prove that I have the power to control my own destiny!"
"For this goal, I must defeat you!" Neji roared.
In the past, he considered himself the most talented ninja of his generation. But then, he encountered one of the greatest setbacks of his life. He was defeated, without a shadow of a doubt, by Rock Lee, whom he had always considered a dead-last. For him, a genius, this was the greatest humiliation of his life. And what followed was even more painful. He learned from Rock Lee about Naruto, the man even stronger than Lee. Even more ironically, the young mistress he had decided to protect was infatuated with Naruto! So, he challenged Naruto!
However, the result was unforgettable. He was completely crushed. The words Naruto left him with even became a nightmare that haunted his thoughts: "It seems our understanding of 'genius' has long been worlds apart."
To him, he wasn't a genius; he was even mediocre. That blow had made him hold a deep grudge. Every time he trained, he would remember… he was just mediocre. Because of this, his progress had slowed, almost to a standstill. He understood that if he didn't eliminate the fear Naruto had instilled in him, he wouldn't be able to improve one bit. So, he wanted to change all of this.
"Naruto!" he shrieked, abandoning the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, attacking without any form, with all his strength.
"Bang, bang, bang!" All his attacks landed on Naruto, but strangely, Naruto's body didn't move an inch. A smile even played on his lips.
"It seems you've made some progress. Unfortunately, it's still not enough."
"Let's end it like this; I'm getting a bit tired of it."
As he finished speaking, a bloody gash suddenly appeared from Neji's shoulder down to his abdomen, blood spraying out.
"Kgh… Na-Naruto…" Neji's eyes widened in disbelief, blood overflowing from his mouth. His body, due to inertia, stumbled forward a few steps before collapsing heavily, his eyes gradually losing focus. As he lost consciousness, he heard Naruto's gentle voice:
"I'm glad to see you as you are now. You've already broken free from fate's manipulation. Continue to grow stronger; I look forward to your future."
"Broken free… have I?" A faint smile touched Neji's lips, a feeling of joy unexpectedly filling his heart. Have I… been acknowledged?
As Neji fell, Naruto leisurely walked towards the stands, not forgetting to remind the medical ninja team as he passed: "Don't worry, his injuries aren't severe. I held back."
The audience in the stands was silent for a few seconds, then erupted into fervent discussion.
"Is that demon… Uzumaki Naruto really that strong?"
"I remember Hyuga Neji is a genius of the Hyuga clan."
"Wasn't that win… a bit too easy?"
Those villagers who had once harmed Naruto couldn't help but shrink back, their faces filled with terror. The current Naruto could easily kill them. They hoped Lord Naruto wouldn't hold their past petty offenses against them.
Listening to these discussions, the smile on Naruto's face remained, but his heart was cold. Indeed, no matter where, strength reigned supreme. With strength, others wouldn't even dare to hate you. It was just that realistic.
He subtly glanced at the Third Hokage, who was smiling, clearly very satisfied with Naruto's performance.
"Naruto, he saved a Hyuga genius. From this day forth, Neji will possess the potential to become a Kage-level ninja." The Third Hokage looked gratified. How could he not see Naruto's "well-meaning efforts"? Neji had good talent but was constrained by the branch family, somewhat squandering his talent, and his temperament hadn't been sufficiently honed. He believed that after this battle, Neji would be completely transformed. For the Hyuga clan, Naruto was a benefactor!
The next few battles were also commendable, and the atmosphere in the entire venue reached a crescendo.
Naruto leaned against the railing, his consciousness also entering the seal space.
A biting cold wind howled, buffeting him head-on. Through the fierce gale, Naruto could barely make out a figure sitting atop a mountain. He ran up, his tone respectful, "Long time no see, Mr. Aizen."
Due to some special plans, Aizen had rarely come to the seal space recently.
"Indeed, it has been a long time, Naruto. Your progress is even faster than I anticipated," Aizen's face was as gentle as jade.
Hearing the praise, Naruto felt a little pleased and sat down beside Aizen.
At the edge of the cliff was a giant light screen, two meters long, broadcasting the Chunin Exams live. Watching a live broadcast through his own eyes from within his own body was quite a novel experience.
The next battle was Gaara versus Uchiha Sasuke. Gaara had arrived in the arena early, waiting quietly with his arms crossed for Uchiha Sasuke to appear. The arena was silent, save for the sound of the wind whistling past. Sasuke had not yet arrived.
Naruto chuckled softly. "Sasuke always steals the spotlight so quickly." It was predictable that Sasuke would appear in a dramatic fashion in the final few seconds.
"This Uchiha… is not bad," Aizen commented.
"The upper limit of the Sharingan is very high, and with his ninjutsu talent, he can definitely reach Kage-level," Naruto nodded.
"But it's not enough to surpass Kage-level," Aizen shook his head, his tone calm. "Konoha has already affected your growth. What are your plans?" he changed the subject, asking.
In the past, Aizen had always tried not to interfere with Naruto's judgment and plans. He hoped Naruto wouldn't grow according to his expectations but would forge his own path. This was the first time Aizen had so formally asked Naruto about his future plans.
Hearing Aizen's question, Naruto pondered for a moment before answering: "I've already reached an agreement with Orochimaru. If the Third is seriously injured this time, the power structure in Konoha will change." Naruto's eyes were cold. "Danzo will definitely be eager to make a move; he'll want to become the Fifth Hokage. Jiraiya has no interest in the Hokage position, so that seat will become a hot potato."
"But no matter what, after this Konoha Crush plan, the surveillance on me will certainly not be as strict as before."
"I will find a way to temporarily leave Konoha. After I find the Pure Land and gain power, I'll leave for good." Naruto's brow furrowed. "I've also considered becoming Danzo's disciple to access more secrets about Root. After all, Root is hidden too well; my understanding of it is far from sufficient."
"Quite thorough thinking," Aizen nodded, his eyes filled with admiration.
The light screen in the sky was already showing Sasuke's arrival. The once clear sky suddenly became overcast, thunderclouds roiling. After flashes of lightning and several peals of thunder, a bolt of lightning struck the center of the arena. After the dazzling light subsided, Sasuke's figure appeared. The crowd gasped in unison, clearly shocked by Sasuke's entrance.
"That guy… he's really such a show-off," Naruto chuckled softly. Naruto was looking forward to seeing what surprises Sasuke, now under Jiraiya's guidance, would bring.
Gaara attacked first, a veritable ocean of sand surging towards Sasuke, enveloping him.
"There are quite a few promising talents in the ninja world," Aizen said, quietly watching the light screen. He couldn't help but secretly shake his head when comparing ninja to the modern world's humans who lacked even the strength to truss a chicken. Through countless studies, he had gained a new understanding of chakra. The chakra in the modern world and that of the ninja world were slightly different. The ninja world's chakra seemed to have more elements, to be somewhat richer. Conversely, the modern world's chakra energy was closer to natural energy. Perhaps Senjutsu was the most suitable cultivation method for modern humans.
The sand writhed for a moment, then a faint light suddenly appeared from within. Subsequently, the tightly packed sand became riddled with thousands of holes. The lightning within spread, quickly becoming dazzling. With a deafening explosion, the sand scattered, revealing Sasuke inside, his entire body wreathed in lightning.
"Boom!" In the next moment, the piercing sound of a thousand birds chirping erupted from Sasuke's right hand. Thunder rumbled in the sky; Sasuke, bathed in lightning, looked like a god descended to earth.
"Is this the Uchiha genius?"
"Too terrifying!" The audience members all covered their eyes, their hearts profoundly shaken.
"Begin!" Just then, the entire audience suddenly slumped over, asleep, while Gaara in the arena let out a furious roar.
"Boom!" The sand around him instantly seethed and surged, forming giant hands that faced off against Sasuke.
"Swish!" Countless Sand-nin moved out, engaging Konoha ninja. The Kazekage, meanwhile, confronted the Third Hokage, calmly forming hand seals. Subsequently, several giant snakes appeared in Konoha, wreaking havoc.
"Four Violet Flames Formation!" Then, several of Orochimaru's subordinates used a rare barrier ninjutsu to trap the Kazekage and the Third Hokage.
Outside, chaos reigned as Sand-nin and Konoha ninja clashed. Because they needed to protect civilians, the Konoha ninja were somewhat hampered.
"Engage! Prioritize civilian evacuation!" Kakashi, Guy, and other jonin immediately organized the genin to respond to the sudden turn of events.
"Teacher, this gift… do you like it?" The Kazekage spread his arms, laughing hoarsely. Behind him, the chaotic Konoha served as the most perfect backdrop. His face began to writhe strangely. In the next moment, it reverted to its original appearance: a pale, effeminate face, a pair of cold, serpentine eyes, and a perverted, bloodthirsty smile.
"Teacher, long time no see."
"Orochimaru!!" The Third Hokage stared in shock at the scene before him, unable to believe he would see his disciple here again. "What is your objective, Orochimaru?!" he roared in uncontrollable fury.
"Objective?" Orochimaru smiled, his eyes gradually turning ice-cold. "To crush Konoha… and then kill you."
"Snap!" The Third Hokage immediately formed hand seals. A great battle was about to erupt.
"It seems the upcoming scenes will be very interesting. It's just a pity I won't be able to see them," Aizen chuckled softly and stood up. "It's time for me to leave as well. I won't be coming here again anytime soon." Aizen looked up at the blue sky, his voice full of magnetic charm. "I hope that when we meet again, you will no longer be bound by anything."
Naruto didn't ask why Aizen wouldn't be coming again soon. He knew. Aizen had always been preparing for a grand plan. He believed the plan Aizen spoke of was about to begin.
Watching Aizen gradually disappear before him, Naruto smiled. His own plans were also progressively being set into motion. The Konoha Crush plan had finally begun.
He left the seal space and returned to reality. The clang of weapons clashing instantly filled his ears. Although the Konoha ninja were numerous, having to protect the villagers meant they were actually being pushed back by the Sand-nin. Gaara had already reached the Konoha streets, causing widespread destruction. Sasuke had returned to this side, fighting alongside Naruto and Sakura against the Sand-nin.
"Interesting." Kyoka Suigetsu twitched slightly in Naruto's hand. He left a shadow clone, then quietly departed.