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Whether in ninjutsu or taijutsu, there had been a marked evolution from the original.
Uchiha Itachi's plan had succeeded—he forged an invincible target in himself for his younger brother and shattered Sasuke's pride in the process.
He remained ever-present in Sasuke's mind, pushing him to grow stronger with every step.
Back at his training grounds, Ye Dou did nothing at first. He simply sat cross-legged on the ground and shut his eyes.
A moment later, his Kenbunshoku Haki—Observation Haki—began to unfold silently.
Gradually, the Naka River, the Uchiha district, the Hyuga compound, the Ninja Academy, and other parts of the Hidden Leaf Village entered his perception range. In the end, his Haki encompassed nearly all of Konohagakure.
But this heightened state did not last long—it dispersed quickly.
This was due to the immense chakra drain caused by using Observation Haki on such a massive scale. Though Ye Dou's chakra capacity exceeded that of ordinary genin by far, it was still insufficient for prolonged usage at that level.
Indeed, just like the Gravity Fruit he had awakened, his Haki also required chakra to function.
This limitation wasn't insignificant. Yet it also bypassed the traditional "awakening" process of Devil Fruits.
As long as his chakra output increased, his mastery over Haki—including Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki)—would rise rapidly.
> "It won't be long before I gain the power to shake the world."
He raised his head to the sky, eyes gleaming with an ethereal light, as if he could pierce through the heavens and gaze upon the universe itself.
After a long pause, he lowered his gaze, his desire to reach Loulan growing stronger.
The pirate world's Haki system was shrouded in mystery, with no set path of cultivation.
Take Kenbunshoku Haki, for example—its effect varied depending on the direction of one's training. At its core, it heightened the five senses, enabling perception of life force, emotional intent, and incoming attacks.
But when refined to the extreme, these traits produced vastly different results.
Take Katakuri, for example. He trained his Observation Haki to such an extent that he could glimpse a few seconds into the future.
Or Fujitora, the blind admiral. He had refined his Haki to sense life forces across entire islands—an awareness so great, he could detect meteors in space and manipulate their descent with his gravity-based powers, causing devastating impact.
The third possible form, speculated to be the Voice of All Things—as possessed by the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—may be an evolved branch of Observation Haki capable of perceiving the "emotions" or "wills" of all beings.
However, this remains unconfirmed.
It's incredibly difficult to master all three variants of Kenbunshoku Haki. Even prodigies like Katakuri and Fujitora specialized in only one domain.
But Ye Dou was different.
With sufficient chakra, he held the potential to simultaneously access all three high-level forms of Observation Haki.
> "With my current chakra reserves, I can't yet lock onto celestial objects or glimpse the future. But if I open the Sixth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates, my chakra will explode exponentially. That alone could propel me into the league of jōnin."
The burst would be brief, but it was enough for Ye Dou to feel deeply satisfied.
After all, he was only twelve years old—just barely—and yet he had already reached heights most shinobi would never attain in a lifetime.
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[Orochimaru Looms]
> "Before the exam begins, sign this waiver."
On the second day of the Chūnin Exams, all genin who passed the written test assembled at Training Ground 44.
Although officially called a training ground, what lay before them was a vast, eerie forest known as the Forest of Death.
Within lurked countless dangerous creatures—some bred by Konoha, others native and feral. For young genin, it was a true life-or-death zone.
Because of its inherent danger, Mitarashi Anko, proctor of the second stage, insisted they sign consent forms acknowledging the exam's risks.
Even in a straight line, the distance from the entrance to the central tower was ten kilometers. The entire testing zone covered over 20 kilometers in diameter—far too vast for any proctor to fully monitor.
> "Now, let me explain the second phase," Anko said, a sly smile on her lips as she addressed the teams.
> "It's a survival challenge. Before entering the forest, each team receives either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll."
> "What are we supposed to do with them?" someone asked.
> "Simple. To pass the exam, your team must acquire both scrolls and reach the central tower within five days."
That was why she'd told them yesterday that only half of the teams would make it through.
Of the 26 remaining genin teams, 13 would receive a Heaven Scroll, and the other 13 an Earth Scroll.
This meant that to succeed, they had to steal—or win—a scroll from another team. Combat was inevitable.
> "Are there any rules?" another genin asked, brows furrowed.
> "No rules," Anko said with a dangerous grin.
Then, with a shift in tone, she added, "Oh, and don't open the scrolls casually. I'm not responsible for what happens if you do."
> "What happens if we do open it?" someone asked nervously.
> "Why don't you take a guess?"
Naruto Uzumaki gulped. Judging by Anko's expression, he wasn't eager to test her warning.
> "You've got 20 minutes to prepare. After that, the gates open. Now—disperse!"
With a dramatic wave of her hand, the gathered teams broke off to find space and strategize.
From now on, everyone outside your team was an enemy.
Only the Rookie Nine—Konoha's new generation—briefly huddled to exchange thoughts before vanishing into the depths of the Forest of Death.
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