Suddenly, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood up and began addressing the entire arena.
The Hokage's authority was undeniable, and as soon as he started speaking, the arena fell completely silent.
All eyes turned to Hiruzen, whose face carried a gentle smile.
"Konoha hasn't been this lively in quite some time," he began.
"On the eve of the Chunin Exams, it's a joy for us all to witness a clash between the geniuses of our village."
"Though this match between Uchiha Sasuke and Neji Hyuuga is a private agreement between them..."
"As Hokage, I wholeheartedly support this kind of healthy competition."
"Because only through such rivalry can each generation of Konoha surpass the last."
"One day, these young genin will become the pillars of our village."
"And so, I've taken it upon myself to officiate this match between two of Konoha's brightest talents!"
"The only rule for this duel is simple: you may not take each other's life."
Hiruzen finished his speech with a smile directed at Sasuke.
Truly worthy of being Hokage, Sasuke thought, impressed by how Hiruzen managed to turn this moment into an opportunity to rally the village.
If there were only a few individuals responsible for turning what should have been a private duel between two kids into such a massive spectacle, Hiruzen was certainly at the top of the list.
But what was his true intent? That part still puzzled Sasuke.
As Hiruzen returned to his seat, the crowd erupted in excitement once again.
"Neji Hyuuga! You've got this!"
"Go, Hyuuga kid! I'm rooting for you!"
"The Uchiha are a curse on Konoha! Teach him a lesson, Hyuuga!"
"An Uchihas barely clinging to survival? They might as well disappear entirely why bother showing up and stirring trouble?"
The negative sentiment toward the Uchiha was still deeply rooted in Konoha, not much better than the prejudice directed at Naruto.
If anything, Naruto bore the brunt of the hostility due to the Nine-Tails, shielding Sasuke from the full impact.
But now, with all eyes on him, the village's disdain for the Uchiha was on full display.
Hearing the voices around him, Sasuke slowly closed his eyes.
Neji, on the other hand, didn't rush to attack, though he was taken aback by the crowd's venom.
"The Uchiha name in Konoha is truly..."
Noticing Sasuke's reaction, Hiruzen Sarutobi, observing from the platform, allowed a faint, almost imperceptible smile to form.
Only when one has experienced malice can they truly appreciate kindness, Hiruzen mused.
After this battle, he saw an opportunity to instill the Will of Fire within Sasuke.
The jeers and taunts against the Uchiha were relentless.
Neji could imagine how Sasuke might feel in this moment and found himself hesitant to interrupt. He hadn't expected things to escalate to this extent.
But then Sasuke chuckled.
"So that's your game, isn't it? Hiruzen! Using such petty tactics against a kid like me?"
Still, when Sasuke thought about it, he couldn't deny the obvious: he was just a kid.
Even as a genin, he was only twelve years old a child, really.
It's just trickery meant for children, he thought, smirking at the absurdity.
Seeing Sasuke suddenly laugh, Neji raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Sasuke observed Neji closely, clearly sensing the difference between the Neji standing before him now and the one from a month ago.
His strength had grown considerably, to the point that Neji now exuded the aura of a formidable opponent.
It seemed Neji had diverged significantly from his original trajectory in the story.
"I'll warn you now," Neji said confidently. "I'm not the same as I was before. I've been training specifically for this fight!"
"You'd better not underestimate me this time."
Hearing this, Sasuke nodded slightly. "Oh? Then let me see how much you've improved."
Special training? So what?
Sasuke now believed that even if Kakashi were standing before him, they wouldn't be evenly matched at least not if Kakashi refrained from using the Mangekyō Sharingan.
If dealing with Kakashi wouldn't be much trouble, what challenge could Neji Hyuuga possibly pose?
Raising his hand, Sasuke gestured with a beckoning motion, daring Neji to attack.
Sasuke's trademark arrogance remained unchanged.
The gesture instantly darkened the expressions of the Hyuuga clan members in the audience.
To them, Sasuke's actions were blatant disrespect toward Neji and, by extension, an affront to the entire Hyuuga clan.
"How dare an Uchiha, a member of a clan that's already been wiped out, act with such arrogance!"
····· Requesting Flowers ·····
"Just wait and see! Neji's talent is so exceptional that even the clan leader praises him. That so-called Uchiha genius will soon realize the gap between him and Neji!"
"I just hope the so-called Uchiha prodigy doesn't lose too quickly. Otherwise, this battle won't even be entertaining."
"Exactly! If it ends too fast, what's the point?"
Neji launched forward.
His initial move stunned many ninja.
Speed! It was astonishing!
For a mere Genin, Neji's speed was enough to surprise even some of the Jonin.
Lee couldn't help but smile. "Neji's speed has improved dramatically compared to before!"
Tenten nodded. "That's no surprise. After all, Sasuke's taijutsu had already surpassed yours. If Neji didn't improve his speed, he'd be at a disadvantage against Sasuke."
Faced with Neji's sudden attack, Sasuke stood still, unmoving.
The observing Jonin began to frown.
"Why hasn't he created distance yet? Engaging in close combat with a Hyuuga is asking for trouble!"
"If he's even slightly careless and gets his chakra points sealed by Gentle Fist, it's over!"
"Isn't that Uchiha kid supposed to be the genius of his generation? Doesn't he even know this basic principle?"
Even Asuma turned to Kakashi with the same question.
Kakashi, however, remained calm.
"That principle only applies when the taijutsu skills of both fighters are roughly equal. Right now, Sasuke... I doubt he's at a disadvantage even in taijutsu."
No sooner had Kakashi finished than...
The Hyuuga clan members in the audience widened their eyes in disbelief.
They watched as Sasuke effortlessly dodged Neji's initial strike.
Sasuke didn't even move his left foot; he merely shifted his right foot back slightly to evade the attack.
At the same time, Sasuke countered by throwing a punch directly at Neji's palm.
To everyone's shock, Neji a member of the renowned Hyuuga clan was locked in an intense close-quarters battle with Sasuke.
The sound of Gentle Fist strikes echoed through the arena.
Simultaneously, the whistling noise of Sasuke's punches and kicks slicing through the air was equally fierce.
The two Genin clashed at lightning speed, their rapid movements filling the space with a blur of overlapping strikes and shadows.
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