The two ninjas blocking the door exchanged glances and then smiled. This guy must be the famous Yukigetsu. No wonder he saw through their disguise so easily. Regardless of his true strength, his observational skills were indeed impressive!
They simultaneously removed their disguises, revealing their Chunin uniforms. One of them smiled and said, “He’s right; this is indeed the second floor!”
Everyone was stunned for a moment, then realized why things had felt off—it wasn’t the third floor, they had only come up one level…
One Chunin, carrying two short swords, glanced at Lee and Tenten still sitting on the floor. He smirked, “Just a reminder, these two might actually be hiding their true strength to deceive everyone. Don’t you want to test them?”
Meanwhile, the other Chunin dispelled the illusion, revealing the passage to the third floor.
The examinees exchanged silent looks and then, in unison, seven or eight figures lunged at Lee and Tenten. Tenten yelled angrily, “You shameless seniors!”
Swoosh!
At that moment, a white figure darted into the center of the crowd. They only heard a series of thuds, without seeing the movements clearly. In the next instant, all the attacking examinees were sent flying in all directions!
“Ahhh…”
As screams echoed, everyone saw a white-clad figure standing in the center. Soon, a few couldn’t help but exclaim, “Neji Hyuga!”
Hearing this, the crowd quickly grew agitated. The long-haired boy who had just saved Lee and Tenten caused quite a stir.
For two years, this Hyuga prodigy had become renowned. His exceptional talent and relentless effort had left a deep impression on many. Even the new examinees from outside villages had heard of him, recognizing him as one of the top contenders for the Chunin Exam title…
Just now, he had sent seven or eight Genin flying with movements no one could follow. This alone set him apart from ordinary Genin. Konoha’s strongest Genin truly lived up to his reputation!
Lee and Tenten, who had stood up behind Neji, were now unscathed, further proving that their earlier weakness was just an act, likely to maintain a low profile and surprise everyone later. Unfortunately, their plan was disrupted by two unpredictable proctors.
“We meet again…” Neji didn’t glance at the fallen Genin but instead looked at Yukigetsu with a calm gaze. “Yukigetsu!”
“Yukigetsu? Who is Yukigetsu?”
“I heard he’s Konoha’s top rookie and has some conflict with Neji Hyuga…”
“Top rookie? So he just graduated? How could he possibly compete with a genius like Neji Hyuga? That’s ridiculous…”
…
The crowd whispered, clearly dismissive of the so-called top rookie. Most of them were from outside villages, unaware of recent events in Konoha. Comparing the strongest Genin with a top rookie seemed laughable to them. How could a fresh graduate compare to the strongest Genin?
Yukigetsu ignored the mocking around him. His eyes were sharp as he smiled lightly, “It has been a while.”
The crowd then realized that the boy who had seen through the Chunin proctors’ disguise was Yukigetsu. His earlier performance, at least in terms of observational skills, earned some respect. After all, none of them had immediately recognized the illusion on the second floor, let alone seen through the proctors’ disguise.
Neji nodded, his expression still calm, “Are you confident enough to challenge me now?”
Yukigetsu’s eyes flashed, then he smiled gently, extending a hand, “If you want to fight, I’m always ready!”
The crowd was instantly abuzz. They hadn’t expected the windbreaker-clad boy to be so bold. After seeing Neji’s prowess, most recognized him as the strongest Genin. For someone to stand up without fear naturally drew mixed reactions—many scoffed, but a few admired his courage.
Neji’s mouth twitched, almost smiling, but his voice remained calm, “Then I look forward to it.”
…
As the path to the third floor opened, the examinees surged towards the exam room. The events here quickly spread, making everyone, whether they understood the context or not, eager to see the showdown between the strongest Genin and the top rookie.
“Tch.”
Kiba clicked his tongue, disgruntled, “He’s all talk. That’s Neji Hyuga! Just his name makes Konoha’s Genin step aside!”
Yukigetsu laughed, unbothered. His gaze swept across the hall, his smile fading slightly, and then he turned to Hinata and Kiba, “You guys go ahead. I’ll join you soon.”
Before they could react, his figure vanished…
…
On the other side of the second-floor hall, a small fight was taking place.
Sasuke and Naruto were being thrashed by Lee. Naruto was knocked out with one punch, and Sasuke was kicked away. Even when Sasuke activated his Sharingan, he couldn’t keep up with Lee’s movements.
“Have you heard? There are two types of strong people: geniuses and hard workers. As an Uchiha, you have the Sharingan, making you a genius… My refined taijutsu is entirely due to hard work, making me a hard worker…”
Suspended in the air, Sasuke found Lee closely following him. At the same time, the bandages on Lee’s arms unfurled, his eyes filled with a fierce determination, “I want to show everyone… that hard work can surpass genius!”
Whoosh!
As Sakura gasped in shock, a kunai suddenly flew by, pinning Lee’s left arm bandage to the wall with a thud!
This unexpected move not only pulled Lee down but also destabilized Sasuke.
Bang bang!
Both fell to the ground. Before they could get up, a familiar voice sounded, “Lee, after the Shadow of the Dancing Leaf, you usually follow up with a forbidden jutsu. Are you planning to kill Sasuke here?”
They looked up to see Yukigetsu leaning lazily against the second-floor railing. Initially pleased and puzzled, Sakura asked, “What’s the Shadow of the Dancing Leaf?”
“The Shadow of the Dancing Leaf is a Leaf-style taijutsu technique. It involves tracking the opponent with movements that mirror their shadow, like leaves in the wind.” Yukigetsu explained calmly.
Wiping blood from his mouth, Sasuke, recalling the helplessness he felt, asked, “Is there no way to counter it?”
Yukigetsu smiled, “There’s no technique that can’t be overcome.”
Lee, upon hearing this, raised his fist confidently, “Impossible… at least not for you! This taijutsu is something I specially trained to surpass you, considering your incredible recovery ability. I even trained a forbidden jutsu to defeat you in one move!”
“Tch, why are you always trying to beat me?” Yukigetsu retorted.
Lee’s eyes flared with determination, fists clenched, “Because you are also a hard worker! I need to defeat you to prove I’m the hardest worker!”
Defeating the hardest worker to become the hardest worker… What logic… What kind of thinking…
Yukigetsu sighed, folding his arms, “I’m a genius! A genius! Got it?”
Sasuke and Sakura twitched, thinking even if he were a genius, shouting it out loud seemed arrogant and awkward.
“No! In the Ninja Academy, you trained harder than me because of your recovery ability. You’re definitely a hard worker!” Lee insisted firmly.
Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances. It seemed these two had trained together long ago… Was their conflict due to their desire to spar, not because of Sakura’s instigation back then?
Yukigetsu shrugged. From his years in the Ninja Academy, he knew Lee was clearly in his “youth” phase. The only way to deal with him was…
He extended his hand, “Come, let’s fight!”
—
I’ve always believed that true strength combines natural talent with hard work. Both are indispensable. Success is (effort + talent) × luck. All three are essential!—Yukigetsu—
——
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