A period of time passed in a flash. Naruto, who was as resilient as an unkillable cockroach, had completely recovered from his serious injuries in less than a week. This fact truly surprised Asuma and also relieved him greatly.
On this day, with an already impatient Naruto in tow, the three-person squad officially set out.
The first exam was a written test. The location was the Ninja Academy, where they had studied for several years. As they walked up the stairs, they could hear a clamor from inside.
Two chunin with Konoha headbands were guarding the door, preventing everyone from entering. And there were many familiar faces.
"I'm telling you, you can drop this boring genjutsu trick. It's just embarrassing. The place I need to go is on the third floor, not here," Sasuke said with his hands in his pockets, his arrogant words paired with his usual smug expression. A wave of gasps went through the crowd.
"Is that true? Aren't we on the third floor right now? What is this guy talking about?"
"He just mentioned genjutsu. Could it be that we're in a genjutsu barrier?"
"No way! Why didn't I notice anything?"
A chorus of discussions rose and fell. Sasuke, who was pretending to be nonchalant but had actually been listening with his ears perked up, was secretly pleased.
"Hey, if you two don't get out of the way, don't blame me for not being polite!" This sentence was like pouring oil on a fire, completely enraging the two chunin who were already angry about their genjutsu being seen through.
"Where did this brat come from, doesn't he know his place?!"
"Let us teach you a lesson about humility!"
A thought stirred in Sasuke's mind. This was the moment he had been waiting for.
Just as tensions were about to explode, a green shadow flashed past. Before anyone could see clearly, a boy with thick eyebrows, round eyes, and a green jumpsuit with a bowl cut was standing between the two sides.
So fast! Sasuke was shocked, feeling a dull ache in his shin where his kick had been blocked. This strength... he blocked my kick with just the palm of his hand!
While everyone was still shocked and confused, two more people stepped forward. A boy with white clothes and white eyes, Neji Hyuga. And a girl in a pink qipao, Tenten.
"Brother Neji!" Seeing him, Hinata couldn't help but call out excitedly.
Neji turned his head at the sound and saw Hinata standing closely beside a strange man. His brow furrowed, and a look of disgust seemed to flash across his face before he masked it well. "So it is Lady Hinata. I didn't expect you to be participating in this exam as well."
The faint words left his mouth. Although he used a respectful title, his tone was extremely cold.
"This..." Choked by Neji's attitude, Hinata was at a loss for words.
Kusuo watched Neji with interest. In his memory, this should be one of the strongest of the Konoha 12 at this stage. After all, even Rock Lee, the self-proclaimed genius of hard work, had admitted he was no match for him. However, Kusuo had no intention of greeting him.
On the other side, many people were drawn by Kusuo's outstanding temperament and appearance. Everyone could see that the girl beside this handsome young man belonged to the same clan as the other white-eyed boy, but it seemed their relationship was not very good.
"But I would advise you, Lady Hinata, this exam involves completely real combat. People might even die. With your personality, it might be better to..."
"Better to what?" Neji was horrified to find his neck suddenly seized. The powerful pressure made it impossible for him to breathe. Kusuo was staring at him coldly, one hand gripping his neck and applying slight pressure, making a creaking sound.
"In the future, don't use that high-and-mighty attitude to order others around. I don't like it."
BOOM!
With those words, Neji was thrown directly into the crowd. Lee and Tenten hurriedly caught him, looking at Kusuo with nervous expressions.
"What's with that guy?! Attacking just because of a disagreement. And here I was paying more attention to him because he was good-looking," Tenten's delicate eyebrows furrowed as she looked unhappily towards Hinata's side.
Lee saw the bruises on Neji's neck, and his anger flared. He was about to charge forward and demand an explanation.
Neji immediately grabbed him and shook his head. "We are no match for him."
"What!?" Tenten and Lee were shocked.
"The strength that came from his one hand just now was no less than Lee's strength after opening the Eight Gates. And... I didn't sense any chakra from him at all."
Lee and Tenten fell silent. No chakra? That means the boy in red was relying on pure physical strength. Is he a monster?
With the help of his two teammates, Neji struggled to his feet. He gave a deep look in the direction Kusuo and Hinata had left, then led Lee and Tenten upstairs, leaving the other ninja on the scene staring at each other. Those two groups that just clashed... they both seem incredibly strong. Strong to a ridiculous degree. The speed and the gale force winds from their movements were still vivid in their minds. They asked themselves, if it had been them, could they have blocked it?
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
Kusuo had already pulled Hinata and Naruto upstairs. Cradling Hinata in his arms, he said gently, "Remember our promise? I won't allow anyone to disturb my princess."
Hinata's pretty face turned red, and she buried her head even deeper into his chest. In truth, the moment Kusuo had stood up for her, an immense sense of security had washed over her entire body.
After they entered the doorway, they saw Kakashi leaning against a wall, flipping through his little orange book.
"Morning, cousin," Kusuo greeted him casually.
Kakashi didn't even lift his eyelids, his gaze still fixed on the Icha Icha Paradise in his hands. "Morning."
Hm? It wasn't until Kusuo had walked far away that Kakashi reacted. He blinked his eyes. If I wasn't mistaken just now, was that little princess Hinata leaning against that brat Kusuo, with her face all red?
Attaboy! Nodding with approval, Kakashi went back to his book.
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