Berserk

Neji's Byakugan showed bulging veins at the edges of his eye sockets, revealing the extreme shock within him.

Through the Byakugan, he clearly captured the terrifying power contained in Naruto's Rasengan—a strength so immense it drove him to despair.

Even more startling, he could sense a natural chakra surrounding Naruto's body, as if it had merged with him.

And most unbelievably, Naruto's earth-shattering attack just now had shown no sign of chakra consumption at all—this defied all logic.

Neji's throat went dry, and he swallowed involuntarily, a never-before-felt sense of crisis surging in his heart.

Just as he gritted his teeth, ready to give his all in a final struggle, Naruto casually extended two fingers. Behind his lowered sunglasses, those azure-blue eyes gleamed with a teasing light.

In an instant, an even larger Rasengan took shape at Naruto's fingertips. Its power was so great that even the match referee, Hayate Gekko, broke out in a sweat, his hands clenched tight, ready to call off this potentially uncontrollable battle at any moment. He knew that even he would struggle to withstand such an attack.

In the stands, Neji's teacher, Might Guy, and Kakashi wore grave expressions, their eyes fixed on the arena, ready to intervene at any moment. Sakura, Ino, and Hinata had forgotten to cheer for Naruto; they hoped he would win, yet didn't want to see Neji get hurt.

Sasuke furrowed his brow, his gaze complex as he watched Naruto in the arena. He muttered to himself, "I thought I could get closer to him, so why does it feel like the distance is only growing?" Kiba was completely awed by Naruto's strength, while Gaara remained expressionless, though unknown thoughts churned within him. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, as if analyzing the fight.

Hiruzen Sarutobi also wore a serious look, and beside him sat Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, his expression equally stern. Each had their own calculations.

In the center of the arena, Neji's expression gradually shifted from initial reluctance to resignation. He let out a deep sigh, his voice tinged with helplessness: "I give up." Take an attack like that? No way.

Hearing this, a smile curled at the corner of Naruto's mouth. He found that teasing the kid was actually pretty fun—though he had no intention of releasing this Rasengan; he was just scaring Neji.

When he saw the smile on Naruto's face, a satisfied curve appeared at the corner of Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth.

Hayate Gekko, Kakashi, and Might Guy all let out a sigh of relief at almost the same time, their tense nerves finally relaxing.

A faint smile tugged at Sasuke's lips, a complex light flickering in his eyes. He murmured softly, "That guy, he really is..."

Sakura, Ino, and Hinata first breathed a sigh of relief, then burst into excited cheers. They were happy for Naruto's victory, and even more delighted that he had ended the fight this way.

The atmosphere in the venue instantly ignited. The stands erupted in a wave of noise—applause and cheers intertwined, ringing throughout the entire arena.

The horn for the second match sounded, and Shikamaru and Temari slowly stepped into the center of the arena.

Temari's gaze inadvertently swept across the handsome figure in the stands—Naruto—and her cheeks unconsciously flushed, a hint of inexplicable shyness welling up in her heart.

But the moment the referee announced the start of the battle, all stray thoughts were instantly cast aside, replaced by a state of complete focus on the fight.

Temari took a deep breath, both hands gripping her giant iron fan. As chakra surged within her, a powerful Wind Release force exploded forth.

A fierce gale howled, laced with sharp cutting power, bearing straight down on Shikamaru.

The spectators, witnessing this astonishing assault, broke out in a cold sweat for Shikamaru. Many had already foreseen his defeat.

Yet Shikamaru remained calm and analytical.

He knew full well that directly confronting Temari's Wind Release head-on was far from wise. So he quickly activated his signature technique—the Shadow Imitation Technique.

Amid the raging storm of Wind Release, Shikamaru used every available object in the arena to cleverly dodge each attack while searching for an opening to counter.

Finally, in a brief gap between Temari's assaults, Shikamaru seized his chance.

His shadow, like a flexible tentacle, silently snaked around and entangled Temari's shadow.

In that moment, Temari's movements were completely restricted. Using the Shadow Imitation Technique, he made her crash into the stands, rendering her unable to fight.

Shikamaru's intelligence was on full display in that instant. When the referee announced Shikamaru's victory, the audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, won over by his cleverness. Naruto also developed a keen interest in Shikamaru.

The curtain for the third match slowly rose amid the eager anticipation of the crowd. Hayate Gekko's steady, powerful voice cut through the noise, announcing the official start of the battle.