radicalducati Chapter 222 is here! Naruto VS Neji
Chapter 222 is here! Naruto VS Neji
"Distinguished guests, first of all, welcome to Konoha for this Joint Chunin Selection Exam. Now, the ten outstanding genin selected from among us will present a wonderful match for you..." The Third Hokage, sitting in the highest seat of the building, looked at the bustling crowd and delivered his opening remarks.
Instantly, as the third generation finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room rose sharply, and enthusiastic applause and excited shouts resounded throughout the entire venue...
"It seems everyone is quite excited, Hokage-sama. But thinking about it, it makes sense. After all, a descendant of the Uchiha clan will be appearing this time, and many people, including myself, are looking forward to his battles." Orochimaru, playing the role of the Kazekage, sighed softly from behind the Third Hokage.
His gaze, however, inadvertently swept over Sasuke and Ishikawa Karin below the field. These three little ones would soon be his people, and he suddenly felt a little impatient!
"Hahaha, I didn't expect even the Kazekage to be looking forward to the Uchiha clan. That's quite a surprise! But your Sunagakure genin are also very capable, so let's wait and see." The Third Hokage said with a smile, then sat back down in his chair and exchanged pleasantries with the Kazekage.
Meanwhile, in the audience seats.
[Is that the Third Hokage of this era? I didn't expect him to have aged so much!] Nohara Rin sat next to Hana, her right eye, hidden behind sunglasses, began to scan the entire room with a red glint in her eye.
Almost instantly, he not only saw Genma Raido, a contemporary of the Third Hokage, behind him, but also saw familiar faces such as Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, Kurenai, Aoba, and Ebisu in other audience seats.
However, compared to her generation, everyone has grown a lot, both in appearance and other aspects...
This feeling of time and space intersecting instantly overwhelmed Nohara Rin with mixed emotions, leaving her stunned and lost in thought.
While Nohara Rin was distracted, the other audience members watched with burning eyes and engaged in lively discussions...
"I heard that the first match is going to be a genius from the Hyuga clan. This Chunin Exams is truly a rare visual feast, and I can't wait!"
"Hehehe, there's not much to see in the Hyuga Genius match. I heard his opponent is a loser. But I'm looking forward to the third match against the Uchiha. His opponent is also a very strong Sand Village genin."
"Really? This exam is quite interesting. Out of ten people, only two are from Sunagakure, while the other eight are from Konoha. Is it because the Konoha ninjas are too outstanding, or are they pulling strings in the dark?"
"How could they possibly pull any tricks in a situation like this? It just goes to show how strong Konoha is. Think about the three major wars before, when has Konoha ever lacked genius ninjas?"
"Hey? Speaking of geniuses, have you noticed that the Jonin examiner seems to be about the same age as those examinees? Such a young Jonin is a true genius, whether in times of war or peace!"
"Hiss... I hadn't noticed until you pointed it out. That Jonin is way too young. Is this the strength of Konoha?"
"Hehe! I can already foresee Konoha's resurgence after this Chunin Exam. Not to mention how many of those eight Konoha genin will become chunin, just that young jonin alone is enough to give us a glimpse into the whole picture."
"Indeed, Konoha has just too many geniuses! One generation after another, it seems there is never a break in their talent pool."
"In comparison, the Sand Village seems much more vulnerable..."
Leaving aside the complex feelings of the many spectators, in the center of the audience...
"Due to some unforeseen circumstances, candidate Tos from the fourth round is unable to continue the competition. Karin Uzumaki will now take his place, and the opponents for the others remain the same."
"Okay, Neji Hyuga and Naruto Uzumaki will stay for the first round. The rest of you, return to the rest area and wait..."
Ishikawa glanced around at everyone and calmly announced, leaving Karin and Jiro both surprised and astonished. Karin would replace Tos, meaning the fourth match would be a battle between the two of them.
Only Gaara's eyes flashed with a strange light, then he turned around expressionlessly and walked towards the waiting area with Temari.
Sasuke, Shikamaru, Karin, and the others followed suit immediately, leaving only Neji and Naruto on the sidelines.
"Hmph, today I'm going to teach you a lesson on behalf of Hinata. What do you mean a loser can't beat a genius? I'll prove you wrong with my actions." Naruto stared straight at Neji, his face full of confidence and determination.
With that ultimate move, he'll definitely be able to defeat this arrogant guy!
"Is that so? I don't know what gave you the courage, but I hope you're not just talking. One last reminder: even if you're Ishikawa's junior, I won't show any mercy! Rather than letting you indulge in the foolish lie that hard work can defeat geniuses, I, as your senior, will make you see the cruel reality of this world." Neji sneered indifferently, showing great disdain for Naruto's self-righteous personality.
Today, the main family is present, so he not only needs to defeat his opponent to become a Chunin and catch up with Ishikawa, but also to prove himself in front of everyone and show that the branch family has surpassed the so-called main family.
"The rules are the same as the previous qualifiers, so I won't repeat them! Now, let the battle begin." Ishikawa didn't waste any more words and immediately gave the order to leave the field in an instant.
The next instant, "They're on!!"
Naruto shouted, throwing several shuriken at the same time as he quickly retreated, forming hand seals, "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique..."
His opponent had severely injured Hinata with a single move; if it came down to a contest of taijutsu, he definitely wouldn't stand a chance.
"Is it this boring tactic again? If that's all you've got, then your confidence has run its course!" Neji remained unmoved and indifferent as he stared at the dozen or so shadow clones that appeared on the other side.
He had already seen through this tactic when Naruto fought Kiba Inuzuka.
"Hmph, how will we know if we don't try?" Naruto shouted angrily, and more than a dozen shadow clones simultaneously threw kunai and shuriken, attacking from all directions.
"Naruto, it seems you still don't know why these eyes are called Byakugan. Well then, let me tell you the cruel answer now!" Neji sneered again, his eyes bulging with veins as he activated his Byakugan.
In an instant, his almost unobstructed view allowed him to easily discern the trajectories of all ninja tools and the attack routes of the shadow clones.
The next instant, as a kunai slashed past Neji, he suddenly thrust his finger into the kunai ring, quickly circling it once before deflecting all the kunai and shuriken at various incredible angles.
To Naruto's astonishment, Neji moved with lightning speed, quickly dispersing all the dozen or so shadow clones. In an instant, blue chakra energy ignited in his right hand and rushed straight towards Naruto's chest.
"It's over, Naruto."
With a loud thud, before Naruto could even react, he felt as if a wild beast had struck his chest, the immense force sending him flying backward with a scream.
"As it turns out, you're not even qualified to make me use Baguazhang. That's the difference between us, and the cruel reality of this world."
"No matter how much resentment and dreams you have, it can't change the gap between you. You can't match Lee in effort, you can't match Ishikawa in talent, and you can't match Sasuke in bloodline limit. What makes you think you can defeat a genius?"
"You see me as a target, but to me you're just a boastful loser. My opponents have always been geniuses like Ishikawa or Sasuke..."
"Being at the bottom is being at the bottom; this is your destiny, one you cannot change!"