20The second exam beginsAI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 20: The Second Exam Begins
Hyuga Residence.
Hanabi walked toward her room in a huff, bumping into a youth on crutches.
"Brother Neji? Why are you injured?"
"..."
Because it was so embarrassing, Neji didn't want to say much.
"It's nothing."
He turned to leave.
Suddenly, he remembered something and stopped.
"Hanabi, did you just come back from outside?"
"Yes."
Seeing her usually taciturn brother suddenly strike up a conversation, Hyuga Hanabi was slightly surprised.
"Did you see a yellow-haired guy?"
"I did. He even asked Sister Hinata to borrow money!"
Borrow money?
Neji's expression became even uglier.
"Hmph... This guy has indeed been eyeing Hinatafor a long time."
Trying to climb his way into the Hyuga Clan like this?
Truly a pathetic orphan!
"Brother Neji, who exactly is he?"
"Just a Dead Last... Hanabi, you must stay away from that guy in the future."
Hearing Neji say this, Hanabi nodded repeatedly.
She didn't know what her sister saw in this guy.
Not particularly handsome, doesn't keep his word, tricks children, borrows money from girls, a Dead Last... all sorts of labels stacked together.
At this moment, Hanabi's impression of this Blond-haired Youth was at its absolute lowest.
"By the way, Brother Neji, I heard the second stage of the Chunin Exams was postponed until tomorrow. Good luck!"
"Of course."
Neji had already secretly made up his mind.
As the pride of the Hyuga Clan, carrying the title of Genius.
Even if he only recovered seventy percent of his strength by tomorrow, he would definitely give that blond-haired bastard a harsh lesson.
When the time came, he would use absolute strength to completely crush all of that guy's unrealistic fantasies and hopes!
...The next day.
The second stage of the Chunin Exams.
The entrance to the Forest of Death.
"Neji, is your injury really okay?"
Tenten asked with some concern, seeing that although Neji stood straight, his face was still slightly pale.
"Just a minor injury."
Neji replied indifferently.
After a night of medicinal baths and special treatment from the Hyuga Clan's Medical Ninjas, he was mostly fine.
At this moment, Neji's gaze swept through the crowd, searching for that yellow figure.
"...Not here yet?"
He frowned.
The crowd had mostly gathered; Ninjas from Konoha, Suna, and Otogakure, all sorts of strange-looking Ninjas had arrived one after another, yet Naruto's figure was nowhere to be seen.
Could he have run away at the last minute?
Just as Neji was thinking this, he suddenly noticed a look of undisguised contempt and disdain directed at him.
Turning his head slightly, he met the gaze of a sandy-blonde-haired girl.
A Suna ninja?
This feeling of being despised for no reason made him very unhappy.
So, Neji took a step forward on his own initiative.
"Have we met before?"
"Hmph, for someone like you to be called Konoha's Genius is truly ridiculous."
Temari coldly dropped this remark.
Without waiting for Neji to speak further, she turned to leave.
Yesterday at noon.
When she happened to pass by the Hyuga Clan's residence, she bumped into that guy named Uzumaki Naruto.
Temari hadn't paid it any mind at first.
Until she saw someone come out of the Hyuga Residence's main gate and hand a thick envelope to Uzumaki Naruto, she instantly connected it to her previous suspicion.
The dignified Genius of the Hyuga Clan.
Would actually bribe someone to report other candidates for cheating just to ensure victory and eliminate competitors.
While he himself hid quietly behind the scenes.
What a slimy fellow!
The more she remembered Hyuga Neji's previous arrogant and aloof face, the more intense disgust rose in Temari's heart.
Konoha's young ninjas—not a single one of them is any good!
"Arrogant Suna ninja..."
Neji suppressed the anger in his heart.
Passing the exam and teaching Naruto a lesson was the priority right now.
He decided to ignore such irrelevant provocations.
"She's here!"
Tenten reminded him.
Neji turned to look and saw a figure plummeting down from a height.
—Swoosh!
Anko Mitarashi appeared before everyone with her hands in her pockets.
"Is everyone here?!"
"Next, I will explain the rules!"
On the other side.
In the direction of Team 7.
Sakura stood on her tiptoes and peered around several times.
Finally, she couldn't help but lean in toward Sasukeand whisper:
"Why hasn't Naruto arrived yet? Could it be that those Otogakure Ninjas beat him so badly yesterday that he can't get out of bed?"
"How is that possible?"
Sasuke replied coldly.
Although that idiot had reported him yesterday.
But out of consideration for their friendship as classmates, he had still told Kakashi, who happened to be passing by, about Naruto being surrounded and attacked by the Otogakure Ninjas.
He believed Kakashi had already handled it.
So the only possible reason for that idiot to be late was that he had overslept again.
Thinking of this, Sasuke glanced at the Otogakure trio not far away.
"...Eh?"
Although at first glance, the three's attire, appearance, and posture were exactly the same as yesterday.
But for some reason, an indescribable sense of incongruity slowly rose in his heart.
The most obvious one was the female Otogakure ninja.
Yesterday, her gaze was gloomy and sharp, like a snake ready to bite at any moment.
But now, her head was lowered, her gaze was wandering, her face was pale, and she looked completely soul-shattered.
As for the other two Otogakure Ninjas standing behind her, they seemed like completely different people.
The feeling they gave off seemed to have completely changed.
Something was not right.
Before Sasuke could think further, a clear voice tinged with a hint of annoyance came from the side.
"Sakura! Where is that Dead Last bastard hiding?"
It was Ino Yamanaka.
She walked over with Shikamaru and Choji.
"How should I know!"
"You broad forehead, you didn't hide him, did you?"
"Idiot, you don't have a crush on him, do you? Why do you care so much about that guy?"
"What did you say? You stinking..."
Before Ino could finish her sentence, a "swoosh" was heard, and a sudden sound of breaking wind rang out.
The next second, two hands were unceremoniously pressed onto the tops of Sakura's and Ino's heads respectively.
"What's all this noise about?"
Anko Mitarashi stood between the two, and although she had a smile on her face, she was full of Killing Intent.
The two immediately fell silent sensibly.
"Alright, continuing now."
Anko released her hands and swept her gaze across the field.
"The rules for the second exam are simple: you will enter the Forest of Death in teams of three."
"Before entering, each team will randomly receive either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll."
"Your goal is to collect both Heaven and Earth Scrolls within five days and reach the tower at the center of the Forest of Death."
Anko grinned, her smile a bit terrifying.
"Finally, a word of advice for you all..."
"Make sure you don't die in there~"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene noticeably stagnated.
Just then.
A yellow-haired youth suddenly pushed through the crowd and walked in leisurely.
"Oh, was there someone who hadn't arrived yet?"
Anko frowned. "I'm not going to explain the rules to you individually again."
Naruto shrugged and glanced at the other candidates.
"It doesn't matter. All of you come at me together so I can finish early."