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Added 2024-10-11 16:33:32 +0000 UTCChapter 191: Hinata Beats Neji!
Hinata?
Is this really Hinata?
Everyone present was dumbfounded.
This was not the Hinata they knew.
The one they knew spoke like a whisper, timid and barely audible unless you strained to listen.
But this...?
Wild and aggressive!
A complete delinquent!
Girl, what happened to you?
Neji was equally shocked.
As a member of the branch family, and the most talented of his generation in the Hyuga clan, he knew Hinata very well.
His duty was to protect her.
But now...
This isn’t Hinata!
He was certain that the girl with the mocking grin and pale eyes in front of him was not Hinata.
"My father died, and even I didn’t get this shaken up! Who are you?" Neji asked gravely.
The jonin also started examining Hinata with seriousness.
"Hehehe!" Hinata chuckled and assumed a fighting stance. "Why don’t you figure that out with your Gentle Fist?"
Seeing her perfect Gentle Fist stance, Neji’s eyes widened in disbelief.
He also slowly assumed a fighting stance.
Although he was sure this wasn’t the real Hinata, the jonin overseeing the match hadn’t said a word, meaning the preliminaries were still on. He had no choice but to fight.
“What’s going on?”
“What’s happening?”
Naruto was shouting again.
“Is this really Hinata?”
“Shut up!” Sakura couldn’t help but snap at him.
Everyone else also looked at Naruto with exasperation.
If it weren’t for the important people present, they might have already put a stop to his antics.
Kakashi’s hand rested gently on Naruto’s head, and he whispered, “Be quiet. No matter what’s going on, there are jonin and the Hokage here. This is not something a lowly genin like you should interfere with.”
“And also, calm down!”
“But—”
“Naruto!”
Kakashi’s expression darkened, becoming almost terrifying. “Do you want to die? Look around you.”
Naruto looked around.
All the genin nearby were glaring at him coldly, and the atmosphere around them was extremely tense.
Immediately, Naruto shrunk back, too afraid to speak.
One or two he could handle, but with this many, he knew he’d get beaten senseless.
He was stubborn, not stupid!
…
“Here I come!”
Hinata grinned and charged forward suddenly.
Neji wasted no time meeting her head-on.
Smack! Smack!
The two gentle fists collided repeatedly.
Neji smirked. “Lady Hinata, stop this nonsense. Your Gentle Fist isn’t—AH!”
Before he could finish, Hinata’s fist landed squarely on his face, launching Neji backward.
He hit the ground like a rag doll, bouncing twice before landing in a crumpled heap.
Even after he hit the ground, his body twitched slightly.
“…”
Everyone was stunned.
Especially Guy!
He had just been explaining to Naruto and the others the difference between Gentle Fist and Strong Fist.
And he had emphasized that the Hyuga clan was known for their expertise in Gentle Fist, almost never using Strong Fist.
But now...
Hinata had just delivered a Strong Fist punch right to Neji’s face.
It was too fast!
Too brutal!
Too decisive!
Not even some of the jonin saw it coming.
A delicate girl, a master of Gentle Fist, suddenly using Strong Fist to send a male ninja flying?
This was Hinata!?
No, this can’t be her!
“Haha!”
At that moment, Hinata did something even more shocking.
She placed her hands on her hips and burst into wild laughter, exuding full queenly confidence.
“Neji, is that all you’ve got? Kneel down and admit defeat!”
Neji, clutching his face, struggled to his feet and gritted his teeth. “You... you’re definitely not Hinata.”
Hinata glanced at him, scoffing. “I’m not Hinata? Who else would I be? No matter what you say, I’m still Hinata.”
“Then why are you...?”
“I just wanted to change!” Hinata said lazily. “Being the same all the time is boring. Whether it’s people or villages, change is necessary. If you want to grow, you need to change!”
Her words caused many of the ninjas present to change their expressions.
Several of them glanced at Itsuki.
Change!
Wasn’t that exactly what Itsuki had been working towards?
That’s it!
Genjutsu?
Kakashi was the first to remove his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan, and stared intensely at Hinata.
After a while, his expression turned suspicious.
He could sense something different about Hinata’s chakra.
But!
It wasn’t enough to suggest genjutsu.
Was she really under a genjutsu or not?
Seeing Kakashi’s expression, the Third Hokage furrowed his brow.
He, too, suspected Itsuki had something to do with this.
But!
If you can’t find evidence, you can’t say anything.
Just like the first exam, where the genin were supposed to cheat.
If you get caught, you lose points!
If you don’t get caught, you pass!
Itsuki silently sneered.
So what if you guessed right?
I’m using the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan’s genjutsu. Does Kakashi think he can spot that with just his three-tomoe Sharingan?
Know your limits!
The difference in level is insurmountable.
A jonin’s movements can be invisible to a genin.
The gap between the Eternal Mangekyō and a regular three-tomoe Sharingan is even greater.
However…
Itsuki glanced at Kakashi.
Wait!
That eye isn’t just any Sharingan.
It’s the Mangekyō Sharingan, specifically Kamui!
Once Obito reclaims that eye, his power will grow immensely.
Taking him down will become even harder.
Destroy the eye, or take it for himself!
Itsuki made his decision.
Kakashi suddenly felt a cold shiver down his spine, as if a monster had just set its sights on him.
“Even if you’ve changed, the result will remain the same,” Neji said coldly. “The gap between our abilities is too vast, Lady Hinata. It’s in our blood. No amount of effort or change will alter that.”
He assumed a battle stance again. “I’ll prove it with facts. Your change is meaningless!”
“Heh!”
Hinata smiled and said, “Neji, your father is dead.”
Neji’s face darkened, and a hint of killing intent appeared in his eyes.
Hinata seemed oblivious, continuing, “Do you know what your actions represent?”
“Heh!”
Neji chuckled, his tone becoming softer. “And what’s that?”
“They represent that you think his death was justified.”
“Bam!”
With a snap, Neji’s Byakugan activated, veins bulging around his eyes.
“You’re asking for death!” Neji growled through gritted teeth as he charged at Hinata.
His killing intent was so intense that even the jonin felt it, and even Naruto noticed it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two clashed once again.
But!
Hinata was clearly overpowering Neji.
Her movements were simple, yet brutally effective, hitting critical points each time.
Neji’s carefully built momentum was shattered in just two moves, and he was soon on the defensive.
(End of chapter)
*Chapter 192: Doubting Life (1)*
"Hey, Neji, what's wrong with you?"
Hinata said with a playful smile, "Weren't you just standing tall and proud? Now you're losing your cool in three seconds. That's not good, not good at all!"
"Come on, come on, keep going!"
"Go, Neji, go! Keep it up!"
Hearing Hinata’s cheering, the veins around Neji’s Byakugan bulged even more.
His expression grew increasingly fierce.
Argh!
This is too much!
“Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!”
Neji couldn't hold back anymore, unleashing his ultimate move.
Two palms, four palms, eight palms…
He chased after Hinata relentlessly.
But Hinata just giggled, lightly stepping back to easily dodge his attacks.
She’s completely seen through him!
The Third Hokage’s heart sank.
As expected, it’s Uchiha Itsuki!
Only the Sharingan could completely see through the opponent’s attacks!
Even though it was Hinata’s body, the one in control was Uchiha Itsuki.
With his skill level, even with the simplest taijutsu, he could easily defeat Neji.
But why?
Could it be that he's set his sights on the heir of the Hyuga clan?
Is he really that much of a pervert?
Damn.
Does he lose control every time he sees a woman?
The Third Hokage’s face filled with suspicion.
Could someone this lecherous still be so powerful?
Though…
If that’s the case, he’d be easy to handle.
Even though there aren’t many people in Konoha, finding a few exceptional women wouldn’t be too hard.
And besides…
He could find hundreds or even thousands of women.
That would wear him out.
The Third Hokage’s expression twisted grimly.
Indeed!
Itsuki, controlling Hinata’s body, could easily see through Neji’s attacks, achieving maximum results with minimal effort.
It was complete domination.
"Are you done attacking?"
Hinata stood at a distance, her posture tall and proud. Despite a hint of arrogance, her aura commanded attention, even from the jonin.
"Then it’s my turn!"
With a soft laugh, Hinata lunged toward the slightly panting Neji.
Seeing Hinata leaping toward him, Neji suddenly smirked, confident in his plan.
Hinata, this is the end for you!
Whoosh, whoosh!
At that moment…
Hinata swiftly flicked her hand, throwing several kunai.
"How is this possible?"
Neji’s pupils contracted to the extreme.
The distance at which she threw the kunai was precisely the maximum range of his strongest defense—Rotation.
It’s as if she’d calculated the exact boundary of his Rotation.
That’s impossible.
The size of Rotation is determined by how much chakra the user releases.
How could Hinata possibly know how much chakra he was using?
Maybe only Guy-sensei could guess it based on their training.
But no matter…
Neji still used his Rotation.
At this distance, there was no way to dodge.
"Heh heh."
Hinata watched Neji, her smile mischievous.
"Neji, your Rotation is strong, no doubt. It’s not only a powerful defense but can also be used offensively."
"Too bad."
"As long as I stay outside your attack range, you’ll just be wasting a ton of chakra."
"How many times can you use Rotation, Neji?"
Neji’s face changed dramatically.
"So what if I can’t use it many times? You won’t last long either. All I need is one hit, just one, and it’ll be over for you."
"Great! Let’s see!"
Hinata threw more kunai.
Neji grabbed one kunai, spinning it to deflect all the attacks.
"I’m coming!"
With a light laugh, Hinata appeared in front of Neji.
"Perfect!"
Neji’s eyes gleamed with determination.
He was about to use Rotation again.
This time, he would definitely send Hinata flying.
“Pfft.”
But at that moment…
Hinata spat out a black needle, aiming straight for Neji’s eyes.
Neji wanted to curse.
She was too close!
He could only dig his feet in, leaping backward to avoid the attack.
His Rotation was interrupted.
"How’s it going, Neji?"
Hinata stood proudly, her expression cocky.
"You, the famous genius, are nothing special after all."
Itsuki, controlling her from the shadows, sighed softly.
To be honest…
He really wanted Hinata to spit in Neji’s face.
The look on everyone’s faces would be unforgettable.
But…
He didn’t know Neji well enough. If Neji got mad and took the hit, using Rotation afterward, it would be Hinata crying.
Better to play it safe!
Then, Hinata began to toy with Neji.
Shuriken and kunai flew at Neji continuously.
Hinata herself charged forward several times, engaging Neji in close combat.
Each attack was tricky and unpredictable, leaving Neji scrambling.
Clearly, Neji was the Hyuga clan’s strongest genius.
Clearly, he had the Eight Trigrams Palm and Rotation.
Clearly, his Byakugan was powerful enough for precise strikes.
And yet!
Hinata had him completely suppressed.
All his skills were useless.
Neji was furious.
This fight was beyond humiliating.
By now…
Even the jonin could see it.
Hinata’s abilities were far inferior to Neji’s, but with Itsuki controlling her from the shadows, she had been turned into a champion.
Neji was in danger!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Hinata twirled a shuriken in her hand, taunting Neji, “Neji, I think it’s about time to end this. In the next round, I’ll finish you off.”
"Indeed!"
Neji panted slightly.
He had more chakra than Hinata.
But…
His consumption was much higher too.
If she kept dragging this out, he really wouldn’t last.
Luckily…
Hinata wanted to settle things.
Even though he knew that Hinata, with the upper hand, must have a plan, Neji had no choice.
This was his last chance.
It was do or die.
"Here I come!"
Hinata yelled, throwing several kunai as she rushed at Neji.
"A multi-layered attack?"
Neji threw a flurry of kunai and shuriken in response, trying to force Hinata back.
Hinata caught all his attacks with two kunai, deflecting them as she closed in on Neji.
"Hmph!"
Neji grunted and charged at Hinata.
"You’ve lost!"
Hinata shouted, pulling out several explosive tags and throwing them at Neji.
At this point, Neji had no room to retreat.
And!
If he backed down now, he’d face an endless barrage of attacks from Hinata.
So…
"Rotation!"
Neji shouted, activating his Rotation the moment he got close to Hinata, ignoring the explosive tags.
This was his final Rotation!
He knew he’d get hurt.
There were too many explosive tags.
And!
She was too close!
But!
Hinata would also get hit by his Rotation.
The outcome was uncertain!
Facing this situation, Hinata suddenly smiled.
Like a sly fox, she grinned in triumph.
Then, to Neji’s shock, Hinata flew.
She shot straight up, rising into the air.
“Bye-bye, Neji!”
Hinata even waved at Neji, tossing down more explosive tags to make sure the attack would hit hard.
And then…
Boom, boom, boom!
(End of the chapter)
---
*Chapter 193: Doubting Life (2)*
Flying ninjas?
Are there any?
Yes!
Dust Release!
Second Tsuchikage Mu and Third Tsuchikage Onoki can both fly.
Additionally, the full-body Susanoo unleashed by the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan can grow wings and soar into the sky.
And beyond that, Angel Konan can also fly.
But!
The Hyuga clan’s Byakugan doesn’t include flight.
So how exactly is Hinata flying?
The Jonin narrowed their eyes as they looked at Hinata’s hand.
There was a faint string attached to her delicate hand.
“I see!”
Kakashi immediately held Naruto back from shouting and said in a low voice, “Look at her hand.”
The Genin followed his gaze, shocked. “A string?”
“Yes!”
Kakashi explained, “When Hinata threw her kunai earlier, some of them had strings attached. After Neji deflected them, one of them got lodged in the rooftop. Hinata used this small trick to pull off the flight.”
“I see!”
Naruto crossed his arms, nodding heavily, as if he fully understood.
The people around him shot him strange looks.
Do you really understand?
And why are you acting like this is so obvious?
You’d never use a trick like this in your whole life.
Hard-headed Naruto!
All you do is charge ahead!
“Boom!”
Below!
Neji was still being bombarded by explosions.
Although he had Rotation, it couldn’t last forever.
Neji’s chakra wasn’t enough to keep it going for long.
Finally, the explosions stopped.
His Rotation technique ended as well.
Neji, battered and bruised, emerged.
He staggered forward, his gaze stubborn.
Hinata held onto the string, looking down at Neji from above.
Kneel down and call me Queen!
“Neji brother, are you alright? Come on, as a man, shout it out loud.”
Many people twitched at the corners of their mouths.
This Hinata had really turned into a little gangster now, a female thug.
Uchiha Itsuki, stop corrupting her, will you?
She used to be such a sweet, obedient girl!
Neji glared coldly at Hinata and said, “I haven’t lost.”
“Really?”
Hinata giggled and casually threw a few more kunai.
At this point.
Even dodging regular kunai was difficult for Neji.
The explosive tags had indeed injured him.
Although there were no visible wounds, his entire body felt like it was in pain.
Even simple movements felt like they were tearing his muscles.
“Neji brother, you’re done.”
Hinata sighed softly and said, “You probably want me to think that, right?”
“And then, you want me to come closer and defeat you with my own hands, right?”
“Because you still have one final attack left.”
“This is your last hope!”
Neji’s face remained cold, silent.
“Well, alright, I’ll grant you that.”
Hinata stepped forward, taking a stance for the Eight Trigrams technique.
This sight made Neji’s eye twitch.
Hinata knows the Eight Trigrams too?
“Neji brother, do you know?”
Hinata looked at him and suddenly said, “I represent change, and you represent the old ways. That’s why I said you accepted your father’s death.”
“Shut up!”
Neji was furious.
When it came to his father, he could no longer stay calm.
“Shut up?”
Hinata chuckled softly. “Then tell me, your father died because of the Hyuga clan’s rules. You’re angry, but what have you done to change that?”
Neji grew even angrier but couldn’t respond.
Could he say he wanted to kill Hinata to defy the clan’s rules?
But!
He couldn’t beat her!
Saying it out loud would be even more embarrassing.
How pathetic!
As for his father, Hizashi, dying to protect his brother, that was something told to Neji by Hiashi after Neji’s defeat by Naruto in the original story.
Who knows why Hiashi waited until then to say it?
There must’ve been deeper meaning!
Besides!
If Hizashi hadn’t sacrificed himself, would he really not have died?
Nonsense!
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, might’ve taken action himself to send him on his way.
As long as it didn’t spark a war, losing a few people was an acceptable price to pay.
“As for me!” Hinata laughed. “I used to only be a good daughter to my father, my every action restricted. Now, I want to change.”
“Huh?”
Many people were confused.
Hinata, isn’t she being controlled?
This sounds a lot like her real self.
“Don’t stick to the rules, Neji brother!”
Hinata clenched her fists and shouted, “What we need is the unexpected. In this world, we shouldn’t operate like we’re following a fixed program.”
...To hell with your unexpected! Get over here already! I’m barely holding on, and I’ve got one last move to give you for free.
Neji’s face was stern, but in his mind, he was cursing like crazy.
“I’m coming, Neji brother!”
Hinata locked her gaze on Neji.
Come on!
A glimmer of hope appeared in Neji’s eyes.
And then...
“Damn you!”
Neji let out one final, agonized scream.
Because Hinata didn’t charge at him. Instead, she started throwing explosive tags at him like crazy.
“Boom!”
Another round of explosions engulfed Neji.
This scene left everyone dumbfounded.
Because they could all see that Neji had one last attack left.
Hinata’s posture made it seem like she was about to give him one final, dignified defeat.
She had even taken the stance.
It looked like she was going to defeat him head-on!
But in the end!
This?
Why did you bother talking so much if you were just going to use explosive tags?
Don’t you realize this is way too anticlimactic?
Shiranui Genma intervened.
If he hadn’t stepped in, Neji would’ve gone to join his father.
With so many explosive tags, the fact that he’d have anything left of him would already be impressive.
Genma, a former Hokage bodyguard with Jonin-level skills, swiftly nullified all the explosive tags with ease.
“Winner: Hyuga Hinata!”
Silence.
There was no cheering!
Only silence.
Even Naruto didn’t know what to say.
If Hinata had defeated Neji with her own strength at the end, everyone would’ve cheered without hesitation.
But now it just felt ridiculous.
You gave him hope, then stomped him into the dirt, and spat on him for good measure.
“Ah!!”
Suddenly!
A scream rang out.
The screamer was none other than Hinata!
She looked at her hands in panic, then at Neji, who was being carried away, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Then.
She covered her face and ran off, disappearing from everyone’s sight in an instant.
...Has the genjutsu worn off?
Everyone thought silently to themselves.
Indeed!
What had just happened was far too shocking for a lady like Hinata.
That queen-like attitude—Hinata wouldn’t even dare dream of doing something like that!
A single fight had left both combatants doubting their very existence.
Hyuga Neji!
Hyuga Hinata!
Let’s hope they won’t have any lasting psychological damage!
“Hehe!”
Itsuki chuckled softly.
Sweet, obedient girls—what kind of change will this event bring about in you?
I’m looking forward to it.
He looked around, and no one dared to meet his gaze. Except for the Third Hokage, their eyes locking once again.
And then...
Itsuki stuck his tongue out again, causing veins to pop out on the Third Hokage’s forehead.
I have to act fast and take this guy down!
Round three!
It’s coming soon!
Uchiha Itsuki, your death is near!
The Third Hokage roared internally in fury.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 194: Individual Training
The preliminary matches.
The general process didn’t differ much from the original story.
Except…
Hinata defeated Neji, which undoubtedly shocked many people.
Tenten and Rock Lee were angrily complaining in front of Guy, their expressions full of frustration.
Even Guy was helpless about it.
Although everyone knew that Hinata wasn’t supposed to be able to defeat Neji.
Neji was one of the strongest Genin this time around.
Even many Chunin wouldn’t be a match for him.
But!
If you didn’t catch the opponent cheating, you couldn’t accuse them of anything.
This was already proven during the first round of the exam.
If you start questioning it now, what does that make the first exam?
Wouldn’t that be Konoha slapping its own face?
Especially since Konoha was preparing to deal with Itsuki, they definitely didn’t want to provoke him right now.
So...
Neji just had to accept it.
The following matches went similarly.
Especially the battle between Temari and Tenten.
It was different from the original story.
In the original, Temari had humiliated Tenten after decisively defeating her.
Now, Temari just wanted to end the fight quickly.
She unleashed a powerful move right from the start, blowing Tenten away.
As for Rock Lee's battle with Gaara, Gaara was furious, fighting even more ruthlessly, almost killing Rock Lee on the spot.
Guy barely made it in time to stop him.
As for Itsuki…
He was thinking of just forfeiting the match; he couldn’t really fight against a Genin.
But unexpectedly, his opponent was Sai.
Sai didn’t even show up.
Itsuki advanced to the next round!
And his next opponent was confirmed to be Dosu!
Itsuki was speechless.
If he remembered correctly, this guy was going to die before the third round started, killed by Gaara.
“Doesn’t that mean I’ll advance again?”
Itsuki chuckled lightly and walked away.
After walking for a while, Itsuki paused as a thought struck him.
“Oh, right!”
Itsuki rubbed his chin and said, “How much time is left until the third round? I remember there was some time in between, and Naruto went to train in summoning techniques.”
Forget it!
When the time comes, someone will notify him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi must be getting anxious too.
Itsuki walked up to Temari, who was standing with Gaara and Kankuro, and put his arm around her as they left together.
As for Gaara and Kankuro’s expressions, they were hard to describe.
“I… Gaara, you need to stay calm!”
Kankuro cautiously said, “Temari has her own mission. That man is her target. You can’t make a move on him, or Master Baki and the others will be furious.”
Gaara’s eyes were fixed on Itsuki’s back.
He could sense it—this person was strong!
Very strong!
It made him crave his blood.
Kill him!
Tear him apart!
Drink his blood!
As for Kankuro’s words, they only made Gaara feel more irritated.
He completely ignored Temari.
“Shut up, or I’ll kill you!”
Gaara shot a cold look at Kankuro before walking away.
Kankuro let out a long sigh of relief.
As long as Gaara didn’t make a move, it was fine. As for the threats, in the Sand Village, which day didn’t Gaara threaten him?
You just had to get used to it!
He turned to look at Temari’s back, feeling utterly helpless.
Did she still remember this was a mission?
Why did it seem like she was really happy when Uchiha Itsuki took her away?
As if she were a little girl getting her favorite candy.
Could she really be serious about him?
As for where Itsuki and Temari went…
The Forest of Death!
Yes!
They had returned.
“Where’s Anko?”
Temari casually asked.
“She’ll be here soon. She has some personal matters to handle.”
Itsuki smiled and said, “This is also kind of like a farewell to Konoha. After this, she’ll come with me to the Fire Village.”
Temari raised her eyebrows in surprise, “You’re that confident? You’re not worried Konoha might hurt her?”
“Would Konoha dare?”
Itsuki laughed and said, “Little girl, you still don’t understand, do you? To Konoha, the most important thing is to eliminate me. As long as I’m alive, they won’t be at peace. So, they’ll do everything they can to kill me.”
“But!”
“As long as I’m not dead, they won’t dare provoke me. They’ll just try every possible way to kill me.”
Temari raised an eyebrow and asked, “Aren’t you afraid they’ll use Anko to threaten you?”
Itsuki countered, “If it were you, would you allow yourself to be threatened?”
Temari fell silent.
Shadows are rarely threatened.
Because everything they say and do revolves around their village.
It’s their responsibility!
Even if it were Itsuki’s entire group of women, he wouldn’t be swayed. That was his responsibility.
Though she understood this, as a woman, Temari still felt uncomfortable.
Her man wasn’t willing to sacrifice everything for her…
“Alright!”
Itsuki stepped forward, wrapping his arm around Temari, “You’ve been making great progress recently.”
Temari gave him a seductive look, “Which kind of progress are you talking about?”
“Haha, interesting!”
Itsuki laughed heartily, pulling out a scroll. He opened it, and a small, temporary wooden house appeared.
He picked Temari up and carried her inside.
Before the third round officially started, he and Temari would stay here.
…
Sasuke was confused!
He’d heard that the preliminaries were over and that he had advanced.
So!
What was he supposed to do now?
Itsuki!
Uchiha Itsuki, you’re something else!
He heard you left with a woman from the Sand Village.
And me?
What about me?
Although I’m strong and handsome, I’m still just a twelve-year-old kid.
The Fire Village has a grudge against Konoha!
You just left me here alone, completely ignoring me?
Do you know what kind of life I’ve had in the hospital?
Sasuke almost laughed in disbelief.
This was the first time he had ever seen such an irresponsible leader.
“Hey!”
A lazy voice called out.
Kakashi was sitting on the window ledge, casually reading a book, “You seem pretty angry?”
Sasuke looked at him with a blank expression, “Kakashi? What are you doing here?”
“Teaching you a few jutsu.”
“You? Teach me jutsu?”
Sasuke was dumbfounded.
Konoha didn’t want to wipe out the Uchiha, and I’m supposed to be grateful.
And now you’re going to teach me jutsu?
After thinking for a moment, Sasuke quietly said, “Actually, I didn’t see anything.”
“See anything?”
Kakashi was stunned.
“Right!” Sasuke’s face turned awkward, his eyes darting around, “After you applied the seal on me, both Orochimaru and Itsuki showed up, and at that time…”
“Shut up!”
Kakashi was furious.
This brat hadn’t fainted back then?
So he saw how pathetic I looked?
I’ll kill him!
I have to kill him!
Kakashi stared at Sasuke, his eyes full of danger.
But!
Remembering the Hokage’s orders, Kakashi swallowed his anger and said through gritted teeth, “Just tell me, do you want me to teach you or not? If not, I’m leaving.”
“Yes! I do!”
Sasuke immediately shouted, “Kakashi, right? Copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi, I’ve heard of your reputation. If you’re willing to teach me, that’s great!”
(End of the chapter)
*Chapter 195: Jiraiya*
Sasuke eventually followed Kakashi.
He vaguely remembered that Itsuki had once said something: "Sasuke and Kakashi are a good match. If Kakashi can mentor Sasuke, his growth will be much faster."
And now, Kakashi had arrived! This made Sasuke suspect that Itsuki might have some arrangements within Konoha.
Is it really just a coincidence? First, someone says Sasuke would benefit from Kakashi's guidance, and then Kakashi shows up. It’s almost too convenient, isn’t it?
In reality, Kakashi had come on orders from the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage had achieved some success in matters related to Itachi, but things had unexpectedly gone wrong at the last minute—or so the Third believed.
So, now he wanted to try using Sasuke as a new avenue for breakthroughs. Even if he failed, nothing would be lost.
The jutsu Kakashi would teach Sasuke was up to him. After all, Sasuke was still just a genin, albeit a strong one at the level of a chunin. He posed no real threat to the bigger picture.
Whether Kakashi taught him or even if there were another Kakashi, it wouldn't impact the grand scheme of things.
The only ones who could truly change the course of a battle on their own were the Kage-level shinobi! Kakashi himself was slightly below that level—let alone a twelve-year-old kid like Sasuke.
The Third Hokage and Danzo, who thought this way, clearly forgot about Itsuki.
At the age of twelve, that guy had already been able to carve through an entire battlefield.
But still, if Kakashi could truly influence Sasuke, it would be a huge win for Konoha.
Sasuke might not be much now in terms of strength, but his status was incredibly sensitive.
Uchiha Fugaku, the previous leader of the Uchiha clan, had his position usurped by Itsuki.
This was the Third Hokage's perspective.
Itachi Uchiha, another impressive ninja of the Uchiha, was Sasuke’s older brother and had adored him since childhood.
If Sasuke could really be brought to their side...
The Third Hokage couldn't help but get excited at the thought!
If Itsuki knew what he was thinking, he’d probably laugh.
Excited just thinking about it? Then think a little more.
Better yet, think until you're thrilled! Forget about just Sasuke—bind up Sasuke, Fugaku, and Itachi together, and see how many punches Itsuki needs to knock them all down.
Instead of trying to manipulate others, they should be focusing on getting stronger.
As for the other protagonist, Naruto—at this moment, he was facing off with an old man with white hair.
Both of their expressions were serious, like two masters in a heated duel.
Anko, passing by, twitched at the sight of this.
She suddenly recalled something Itsuki had said: "Jiraiya is Minato's teacher. There's no way he'd really ignore Naruto."
Alright then! Jiraiya had shown up in Konoha once again.
Things were getting lively.
Anko felt a headache coming on and quickly headed toward the Forest of Death.
She wanted nothing to do with it! Forget clothes or anything else—she wasn’t even going to bother with the money she had saved up in Konoha.
She would go to the Hidden Fire Village and ask Itsuki for it instead.
After all, she was already his woman, so there was no way he wouldn’t give her at least a little bit of money, right?
Right now, Konoha was experiencing beautiful, sunny weather, with not a cloud in the sky.
Yet, a chill was settling in people's hearts.
A slight misstep could easily cost someone their life.
The only place Anko felt safe was by Itsuki’s side.
For Anko, aside from Orochimaru, it seemed like everything else was the same.
So she wasn’t too conflicted.
But!
When she arrived at the Forest of Death and found the small cabin using the signs Itsuki had left, she immediately broke out in cold sweat as soon as she stepped inside.
"You have a grudge against Temari, huh? Are you trying to kill her?"
Seeing Temari twitching on the floor with a blank look on her face, Anko was terrified.
Itsuki just chuckled. "You showed up at the right time. Come here, Anko."
"No!"
Anko screamed and bolted out of the cabin.
She had never seen a ninja like Uchiha Itsuki before.
He was more tyrannical than the aristocrats!
But unfortunately, trying to escape from a Flying Thunder God user was nothing short of a dream.
Before long, strange sounds echoed through the forest.
…
Meanwhile, back in Konoha!
The Third Hokage and the others were still preparing vigorously.
To deal with Uchiha Itsuki, they had put everything on the line this time.
Not only had they invited jonin from other villages, but they had also made sure that Konoha had all the resources they needed.
They were practically draining Konoha's potential to its limit.
Itsuki, meanwhile, was still fooling around in the Forest of Death.
From time to time, he would leave the woods to buy some daily necessities in Konoha.
He really seemed like just a genin participating in the chunin exams—but a rather lazy one.
This behavior, naturally, raised suspicion from Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others.
They couldn’t believe that Itsuki Uchiha hadn’t caught wind of their plans at all.
Even if he hadn’t, was he really not concerned, despite being in Konoha? Was he that confident in himself?
The Third Hokage and Danzo were both starting to feel uneasy.
But at this point, there was no turning back.
They had no choice but to see things through.
Fortunately, the Third Hokage found some comfort in the fact that Jiraiya had returned.
Although Jiraiya didn’t want to see him, at least he was back. That was enough to give the Third Hokage some confidence.
Danzo, on the other hand, was furious.
With Jiraiya back, if they succeeded, who would take the Hokage’s seat?
Danzo and the Third Hokage argued for several days, until the Third finally relented.
However!
Danzo, being naturally distrustful, didn’t believe the Third Hokage’s verbal promise. So, in his usual paranoid fashion, he created a backup plan within the Third's original scheme.
…
Late at night.
After Naruto had fallen asleep, Jiraiya walked into a small inn.
Inside, a dark-haired boy was eating fried radishes and drinking some sake.
Jiraiya frowned and let out a mocking laugh. "Hey, kid, are you even old enough to drink?"
Itsuki responded casually, "You remember not to let kids drink, but when children under ten go to war, you don’t stop them?"
Jiraiya’s face changed.
The First Hokage had established Konoha largely to prevent children from being sent to war.
With the creation of the one village, one country system, this goal was largely achieved.
That’s why the First Hokage was often called “The Senju Who Brought Peace to the Chaos.”
Then came the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, who further refined the village's regulations.
Though war resumed after the First’s death, the Second maintained the policy of keeping children off the battlefield.
Until...
Sarutobi Hiruzen became the Third Hokage!
At first, the Third Hokage did a great job.
But!
As time went on and the pressure increased, children were sent to war again.
Jiraiya’s fists slowly clenched, his face twisted with emotion.
Itsuki watched with great interest until Jiraiya calmed down again, before speaking:
"Jiraiya-sensei, would you say the Third Hokage betrayed the legacy of the First and Second Hokage?"
"By the way, you probably didn’t meet the First Hokage, but you should have met the Second. What impression did he leave on you?"
Jiraiya’s face, which had just regained its composure, twisted once again.
Itsuki Uchiha, you bastard.
You're doing this on purpose.
(End of chapter)
