To investigate the various abilities of the Mangekyō Sharingan, Allen and Vaelastrasz sequestered themselves within a Dungeon for over twenty hours, only emerging around two or three in the morning to catch a brief bit of sleep.
Early the next morning, the final selection of the Chunin Exams arrived as scheduled, as did the imminent launch of the "Konoha Crush" plan.
Glancing at the bustling crowds in the spectator stands, Allen said meaningfully, "It's quite lively! But it's going to get even livelier in a moment. I hope these spectators don't get too frightened."
"Frightened? What do you mean by that?" Shikamaru, standing nearby, frowned and questioned him.
"Nothing much. I'm just worried that excessively powerful Ninjutsu might cause panic among ordinary people," Allen replied with a faint, knowing smile.
"You're acting a bit strange today. You aren't up to some kind of mischief, are you?" Shikamaru stared at him warily. For some reason, he felt a sense of unease, as if something was off, though he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Under the watch of so many Jonin and Anbu, what kind of trouble do you think Genin like us could possibly cause? Sorry, it's my turn to compete. See you later."
With that, Allen used a Body Flicker to appear in the center of the arena.
However, he didn't look at his opponent. Instead, he cast his gaze toward Orochimaru, who was disguised as the Fourth Kazekage. The man, standing with his back to his teacher, made a very subtle "stay calm" gesture.
Clearly, Kabuto's preparations weren't yet complete, so he wanted to stall for a bit more time.
'Fine, then. I'll take this opportunity to test Neji's progress during this period.'
Realizing it wasn't yet the optimal moment to strike, Allen immediately turned his head to look at Neji Hyuga standing before him. Evidently, due to his actions during the second exam, the match list had deviated significantly from the original timeline.
The moment the proctor raised both hands and shouted for the match to begin, the first round of the final stage of the Chunin Selection finally commenced.
Yet, neither of the two in the center of the arena was in a hurry to move.
Neji, in particular, stepped forward and probed in a low whisper, "Is it time for our promised moment?"
"Oh? You've already recognized me? Excellent powers of observation. That's right! The time for our agreement has come. But before that, I want to use this match to test your progress lately. Any objections?" Allen looked up, meeting Neji's eyes.
"A test?" Neji looked confused. He couldn't understand why, when they were about to defect from the village, they would waste precious stamina and Chakra here.
Allen nodded slightly. "Exactly. It will take a little more time for the plan to launch, so let's provide the audience with a spectacular performance first. Besides... you've been wanting to fight me, haven't you?"
Hearing this, a trace of a smile finally broke through Neji's calm expression. "Yes! I've always wanted to know just how large the gap is between us."
"Then what are you waiting for! Come! I'm giving you that chance today. No need to hold back, give it your all. Treat this as a farewell to the past. From now on, your life will tread a completely different path," Allen encouraged him with a smile of his own.
"In that case, I won't be polite. Byakugan! Body Hardening Technique!"
Without another word, Neji immediately adopted his most proficient combat stance. He lunged forward, opening with the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
In the stands, the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi, saw this and immediately alerted his younger daughter beside him: "Don't blink! Watch closely! Neji is the most outstanding genius the Hyuga clan has seen in decades. His aptitude and talent even surpass mine. Combined with that Body Hardening Ninjutsu, he possesses the dual characteristics of both the Gentle Fist and the Strong Fist."
"Yes, Father!" little Hanabi nodded vigorously.
In the time it took for the father and daughter to speak, the two in the arena had already exchanged dozens of blows. The sound of fists colliding with palms echoed like thunder, each impact generating powerful gusts of wind that swept sand and stones into the air.
Regrettably, even after the full Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms was completed, Neji hadn't managed to touch so much as a corner of Allen's clothes. Instead, he took a punch to the abdomen, his blood and chakra churning as he was forced backward uncontrollably.
Had it not been for the Body Hardening defense, an improvement based on the Earthen Spear technique, that single punch would likely have ruptured his internal organs and left him coughing up blood.
"Damn it! You really are a monster!"
Rather than looking dejected after the failed assault, Neji laughed, his eyes shining with spirit. To him, the stronger Allen was, the better. After all, only a powerful shinobi can live comfortably after defecting, rather than spending a lifetime hiding from Anbu pursuers.
"A monster? You aren't the first to use that word to describe me, and I doubt you'll be the last. Stepping onto the path of the strong was the goal I set for myself from the beginning, and it's the only thing I'm obsessed with. But it seems you didn't follow my advice to give up the Gentle Fist," Allen responded, stroking his chin with interest.
Admittedly, using Ninjutsu to reinforce Taijutsu to enhance the power and lethality of the Gentle Fist was something he hadn't fully anticipated. If Neji's Chakra nature had included Lightning, Allen definitely would have tried to see what kind of results could be achieved by combining a Lightning Release Armor with the Gentle Fist.
"You once said that what fits is best. And I happen to feel that the Gentle Fist suits me perfectly."
As Neji spoke, his hands blurred through hand seals. In the blink of an eye, two large hands made of fire manifested over his black, hardened arms.
Undoubtedly, this was another Fire Release Ninjutsu Allen had created in his spare time. Its prototype was a C-Rank Ninjutsu that Grass Ninja had stolen from somewhere. Its original effect was to create two palm-shaped flames that struck an enemy within five meters from both sides simultaneously, like two giant hands clapping to crush a mosquito.
After Allen's modification, these two palms could cling to the caster's hands and persist. Simply put, a pure Ninjutsu had been transformed into Nintaijutsu.
Through this technique, Neji successfully amplified the power of his Gentle Fist. The flames and heat generated by his movements posed a massive threat to his opponent and even interfered with their vision. Without the X-ray vision of a Byakugan, an ordinary ninja wouldn't be able to see what was happening behind the flames.
"Strengthening the Gentle Fist through Ninjutsu? You've given me a nice little surprise! Let's see just how far you can take this."
As the last word left his mouth, a staggering amount of Chakra erupted from Allen's entire body. That pure energy, devoid of any elemental attribute, instantly shattered the ground beneath his feet.
Before the audience could recover from the shock, he vanished from his spot.
The next second...
BOOM!!!!
A deafening roar echoed over the arena!