"Riding a toad?!"
"Are all the examinees these days so serious?!"
"This toad is really something! He's huge, smoking a pipe, carrying a knife at his waist, and even wearing clothes!"
"The red-haired guy on the toad's head must be Morkel! He looks like he has both good looks and strength!"
Sasuke's eyes lit up. "They didn't disappoint me!"
Kakashi sighed, rubbing his forehead. "These two are really troublesome."
On the highest stand, the Third Hokage let out a breath of relief. Fortunately, these two arrived just in time. Otherwise, the Daimyo and other dignitaries attending today would have been disappointed. Many had come specifically to see Uchiha Sasuke and Morkel, the one who inherited the Flying Thunder God technique.
The Kazekage, standing beside Sarutobi Hiruzen, licked his lips calmly. "He actually summoned a toad, and not just any toad—it's Gamabunta, the one summoned by both the Fourth Hokage and Jiraiya before. For that stubborn old toad to acknowledge him... It was worth the wait."
"Bunta, you should go back now," Morkel said.
After making his grand entrance, Morkel lifted the summoning technique, and Gamabunta disappeared. As he landed, his gaze swept across the arena. Security was noticeably tighter this time, likely due to Orochimaru's presence in the last exam. There were many Anbu stationed around, and Morkel even spotted Yamato near the Hokage.
Nearby, the examiner, Shiranui Genma, let out a relieved sigh. "You two finally made it. Let's continue."
He then pointed at Naruto and announced, "Next match: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuga Neji!"
The confrontation between Naruto and Neji began. It was a match that seemed predictable—Neji, the most outstanding graduate from the previous year, against Naruto, considered the weakest among his peers. No one expected Naruto to win.
Except Morkel.
He alone knew how much Naruto had grown in the past month.
In the ring, Naruto started with his best move—Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. A horde of clones charged at Neji, but the latter remained unfazed. He activated his Byakugan and swiftly located the real Naruto among the fakes.
With precision, he struck—a sequence of sixty-four palms that shut down Naruto's chakra flow.
The Hyuga clan's Byakugan could see through chakra pathways, and Neji's inherited the purest form of it. His attacks were relentless, pressing Naruto's acupoints and restricting his movements.
However, Naruto wasn't the same as before. He had learned from his mistakes and adapted. Instead of blindly rushing in, he used his clones tactically, testing Neji's reactions. But Neji's skills were formidable—his Byakugan granted him nearly 360-degree vision, and he could counter every attack.
Then, Neji executed his self-taught technique—Revolving Heaven. Chakra burst from his body as he spun rapidly, forming an impenetrable barrier that deflected all attacks.
Even the head of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Hiashi, widened his eyes in surprise. "Hizashi's son is incredible. He figured out Revolving Heaven and the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms all on his own."
A branch house member mastering secret clan techniques was unheard of.
Neji turned to Naruto, cold and detached. "Give up. The weakest will always be the weakest. No matter how hard you try, you can't defeat a true genius."
Naruto, panting but determined, retorted, "Morkel was once considered weak, too. Could you beat him?"
Neji stiffened. The truth was, he couldn't. Morkel's skills in both taijutsu and ninjutsu were on another level. He had single-handedly collected multiple scrolls in the Forest of Death. His strength was undeniable.
Naruto smirked. "So, genius isn't absolute. Someone like you will never understand that."
With that, Naruto formed a Rasengan and charged. Neji struck, but his palm only hit a shadow clone. The real Naruto appeared behind him and delivered a solid punch to his face.
"See? Even a so-called genius can be beaten by the weakest."
Naruto then addressed a deeper issue. "Why did you insult Hinata in the preliminaries?"
Neji removed his forehead protector, revealing the Caged Bird Seal. "If you were burdened with this curse, you'd be angrier than I am."
He revealed the dark history of the Hyuga clan—the cruel fate of the branch house, enslaved to serve the main house. He spoke of his father, Hizashi, who was forced to die in place of Hiashi to appease Cloud Village.
Hearing this, Naruto looked up at the Third Hokage, who remained silent. Many in the crowd knew this history but avoided speaking of it. It was a stain on Konoha's legacy.
Morkel muttered under his breath, "Weak."
Though his voice wasn't loud, it was enough for the entire audience to hear. Kakashi moved to cover his mouth, but he was too late.
The stadium fell into silence. In the shadows, an old man with a bandaged arm narrowed his eyes at Morkel before slipping away. The Kazekage, too, smirked. "Interesting."
Morkel turned to the Kazekage and frowned. His chakra signature was identical to Orochimaru's. Could it be that Orochimaru had taken his place?
He quickly reported his suspicion to Kakashi. "I'm sure. That's Orochimaru's chakra."
Kakashi's expression turned grave. "Understood."
Meanwhile, the battle below concluded with Naruto emerging victorious. He and Neji exchanged respectful nods, ending their fight on good terms.
Then, the much-anticipated next round was announced:
Morkel vs. Gaara.
Excitement buzzed through the crowd. Half of the audience bet on Morkel, impressed by his mastery of the Flying Thunder God technique. The other half bet on Gaara, rumored to be the host of the One-Tail.
In the contestant's tunnel, two bodyguards blocked Gaara's path. "The nobles have bet on Morkel. Lose the match, or there will be consequences."
Without a word, Gaara's sand rose and crushed them instantly. Blood seeped onto the floor.
Naruto, passing by, witnessed it and froze. He clutched a kunai, fearing for his life, but Gaara walked past him without a glance. Only after Gaara entered the arena did Naruto exhale, wiping sweat from his brow.
In the arena, Morkel and Gaara faced off. Gaara's lips curled into a mad grin. "I thought you'd run. This time, I will crush you."
Morkel looked at him, unimpressed. "You can't win."
Shiranui Genma sighed. "Begin!"
Gaara raised his hand, and the sand surged. Morkel responded by opening the Sixth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates.
On the stands, Might Guy raised an eyebrow. "To open the sixth gate so easily... This kid's taijutsu talent is monstrous."
Gaara sneered. "Another taijutsu user? That bowl-cut freak couldn't do it, and neither can you."
He referred to Rock Lee, who had given him trouble in the preliminaries. But this time, Gaara vowed not to underestimate his opponent.
Morkel blurred out of sight, dashing through the sand waves at blinding speed. In the next instant, he appeared right in front of Gaara.
And then, with all the force of his enhanced strength, he delivered a devastating punch straight at Gaara's face.
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