"Is he Uchiha Ye Fan?"
Neji Hyuga and Tenten had arrived behind Might Guy.
Hearing that name, both of them were astonished.
Like everyone else, they had thought Ye Fan was long dead.
"Byakugan!"
Neji Hyuga suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Ye Fan, activating the Kekkei Genkai unique to the Hyuga Clan.
"There isn't even a trace of Chakra in his body?!"
"What?"
Might Guy and Rock Lee were stunned by the news.
They had assumed that even if Ye Fan hadn't inherited the Uchiha Clan's bloodline, and even if he trained in taijutsu, he would still have Chakra in his body.
They had no reason to doubt Neji. They knew something about the abilities of the Hyuga Clan's Kekkei Genkai.
"Rock Lee, is Ye Fan's taijutsu strong?" Neji asked.
"Yeah, strong. Really strong!"
Rock Lee recalled how Ye Fan had sent Sasuke flying with a single move. He hadn't even seen how Ye Fan had struck!
"How does he compare to you?"
"Hmm..." Rock Lee fell silent for a moment before answering, "I'd say we're probably evenly matched!"
He had given that answer only after careful consideration.
"Uchiha Ye Fan is that strong?"
Might Guy sounded surprised.
He knew Rock Lee's abilities very well. Rock Lee had already learned the Eight Gates!
And even so, Rock Lee had only dared to say they were evenly matched, not that either one would win!
Might Guy understood Rock Lee's personality. Deep down, he had his pride. The fact that he'd said this proved that Ye Fan really was extraordinary.
"Looks like you've got another formidable rival in this Chunin Ninja Exams. But I believe in you!"
Might Guy laughed heartily. He had complete faith in the abilities of his three students.
"Thanks, Teacher Guy!" Rock Lee's eyes burned with passion.
Though the Chunin Ninja Exams were filled with powerful competitors, they didn't intimidate him.
Ye Fan's appearance had also led him to make a decision deep down: he would train even harder from now on.
"Strive with all your might, everyone! Let your youthful energy burst forth!"
Might Guy gave Neji and the others a hearty slap on the back. His eyes were brimming with excitement, as if he himself were about to take the Chunin Ninja Exams.
Rock Lee was the only one who looked excited. Neji and Tenten, on the other hand, seemed rather speechless.
The two of them just couldn't understand what had gotten Might Guy and Rock Lee so worked up...
But Neji seemed to see right through Rock Lee's thoughts. "Ye Fan may be strong right now, but he'll never surpass you, Rock Lee."
"You're nothing like him. You may not train in ninjutsu, but you have Chakra in your body, just like the rest of us."
"Someone without Chakra to support them is destined not to get far as a ninja."
Might Guy's expression grew unusually serious. He knew Neji's words were harsh, but they were true.
Throughout history, no one without Chakra in their body had ever become an excellent ninja.
No matter how hard they tried!
Some things simply couldn't be overcome through effort alone.
"Let's go. The Chunin Ninja Exams are about to begin."
Neji headed toward the registration desk first. He hadn't spared Sasuke and the others so much as a glance.
In other people's eyes, Sasuke might have been a genius who'd inherited the Uchiha Clan's abilities.
But!
Neji didn't think there was anything special about him.
At least, the Sasuke of today was nothing in his eyes!
Watching Neji and Rock Lee walk away, Sasuke pounded the ground with his fist.
He was deeply resentful and unwilling to accept it, but the truth was that Rock Lee had beaten him!
Ye Fan and Rock Lee's moves had dealt a serious blow to his pride.
Ye Fan most of all. Sasuke would not allow himself to lose to the Uchiha Clan's "Plague God," to Uchiha Ye Fan, who didn't even have a Kekkei Genkai!
"Ye Fan!" Sasuke's face darkened. Gritting his teeth, he swore silently that he would take Ye Fan's life with his own hands!
At the Chunin Ninja Exams registration desk, Kakashi, holding a copy of Make-Out Paradise, spotted Ye Fan.
Kakashi, who had once served in Anbu, had received news of Ye Fan's return to the village long ago.
He studied Ye Fan from a distance, his expression calm.
Meeting Kakashi's gaze, Ye Fan studied the legendary "Kakashi Hatake."
He neither liked Kakashi nor particularly disliked him.
In his previous life, Ye Fan had been a die-hard Naruto fan. Looking back over the whole series, he thought Kakashi had been rather biased.
Kakashi may have been Naruto's teacher in name, but he hadn't actually taught him anything useful.
Naruto's eventual achievements were due, to a great extent, to Iruka and Jiraiya.
Both Iruka and Jiraiya had played crucial roles in Naruto's growth.
After sizing Ye Fan up, Kakashi lowered his head and went back to reading Make-Out Paradise.
Ye Fan went to the registration desk and began signing up for the Chunin Ninja Exams.
The instructors at the desk saw that Ye Fan had come alone, and their expressions varied.
"Are you here to take the Chunin Ninja Exams?"
"Where are your teammates?" one instructor asked.
"I don't have any teammates yet," Ye Fan answered honestly.
"No teammates? Then I'm afraid you aren't eligible to take the Chunin Ninja Exams."
"The rules are clear: teams must have three members."
"Please leave!"
The instructors at the registration desk rejected Ye Fan outright.
Another instructor spoke up. "Where's your forehead protector? Don't tell me you're not even a Genin yet."
He'd been watching Ye Fan for a long time and hadn't seen a Konoha forehead protector anywhere on him.
"At the moment, I'm not even a Genin."
Ye Fan had spent years traveling around with Jiraiya, sneaking peeks at women everywhere... or rather, training his combat skills. He had never taken the Genin exam.
"Kid, are you serious?"
"You're not even a Genin, so what are you doing here?"
"Get moving! Go on, get out of here! Go find somewhere else to hang out. There are plenty of people waiting to sign up!"
The instructors at the desk spoke with obvious disdain. They thought Ye Fan was just there to make fun of them.
Ye Fan: ...
Was Jiraiya really this unreliable?
So he'd told me to come take the Chunin Ninja Exams without even arranging anything beforehand?
Where was I supposed to go to become a Genin now, and where was I supposed to find two teammates?
Ye Fan felt utterly speechless.
"Fine. If I can't take the exam, I won't."
Ye Fan hadn't really wanted to take the Chunin Ninja Exams anyway. As far as he was concerned, the people taking them were no different from three-year-olds.
He'd agreed to return for the exams at Jiraiya's suggestion only because he wanted to use the opportunity to come back to Konoha and ask the Third Hokage a few questions.
Naruto was the son of the hero who had protected Konoha from destruction, yet his childhood had been so miserable.
Not only had everyone in the village looked down on him, but even the food he ate had been utter garbage.
Ramen, and nothing but ramen!
As far as Ye Fan was concerned, Naruto was the one who should have turned evil!
"Fine, I won't bother you any longer."
With his hands behind his back and whistling, Ye Fan was about to leave.
Just as he was about to go, an Anbu ninja suddenly appeared and blocked his path.
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