Who is the Genius?

A gentle breeze blew by, occasionally carrying the roars of beasts and the calls of birds, which only served to make the surroundings feel even more silent.

Feng Yao wove through the forest.

"Host, your methods for tricking ignorant boys and girls have improved again. I recall someone wasn't too happy about this system's Beauty Pill and Xiaoyao Wise Heart Body earlier."

Listening to the system's cold sarcasm, Feng Yao felt a bit embarrassed; there was no helping it, he had truly fallen for the benefits.

"Oh, come on, System-dada, I was wrong, okay? Can we stop bringing that up? Every time I recruit someone, you say the same thing—I can't handle this pressure!"

Seeing Feng Yao concede, the system gave a haughty huff and fell silent.

Not long after, more and more squads were being hunted down by the Anbu of Konoha.

Feng Yao was currently worried about Zaku and Kin. It wasn't that he truly cared for their safety, but this stage required three people to pass together, so he asked Katsuyu Sage to help track them down.

"No problem, but it seems there are Konoha ninja ahead of you."

Hearing this, Feng Yao stopped in his tracks. Just as he hid in a large tree and prepared to observe the situation, a calm voice drifted over.

"Stop hiding, come out."

Feng Yao's pupils constricted; he hadn't expected to be discovered the moment he arrived. Just as he prepared to step out, another voice spoke.

"Ha, isn't this last year's top rookie, Neji? Can I get an autograph?"

A young girl's voice popped up. It seemed he wasn't the only one nearby, so Feng Yao silently retreated back into the shadows.

At the same time, he realized who it was: it was the encounter between Neji and Shikamaru's squad. He had just happened to stumble upon it.

If possible, Feng Yao would have liked to poach a few people from Konoha to join his organization.

Unfortunately, that was eighty percent impossible; having been nurtured by Konoha since childhood, they were unlikely to betray their village.

"Is there someone else? I didn't notice before."

The veins around Neji's eyes bulged as he activated his Byakugan, immediately spotting Feng Yao in the tree.

As expected of the Byakugan, the reconnaissance ability is truly terrifying. I'm starting to want Kakashi's eye, too, Feng Yao thought to himself as he honestly climbed down from the tree.

The members of Shikamaru's squad were startled; they hadn't sensed anyone at all.

"That guy, he's one of the Sound Ninja from before, right? He seems to be their leader, though his two companions don't seem to be around," Ino whispered to her teammates.

"You aren't thinking of trying to steal his scroll, are you? This guy is the one who instantly took out a genin during the first round," Shikamaru said, sounding troubled.

"So what? Where else are we going to find someone weaker than us? We have the numbers, and he's just a Sound Ninja."

As Shikamaru's squad debated how to steal the scroll, Neji watched Feng Yao with a solemn expression.

Unlike the others, he could see the flow of a person's chakra through his Byakugan. He could tell that the flow and volume of Feng Yao's chakra were by no means that of an ordinary genin.

Meeting a long-awaited powerhouse made him somewhat excited.

"Let's have a spar. Whoever loses hands over their squad's scroll. How about it?"

Feng Yao looked at Neji with interest, though the proposal held no temptation for him.

He already had a scroll, and the opponent couldn't possibly beat him. However, the current Neji still harbored resentment toward the Main Branch; could he use that to recruit him into his own camp?

"I can spar with you, but I want to change the terms. I already have a scroll, so winning against you doesn't benefit me at all."

Feng Yao's low voice came from behind his bandages. Ino went frantic: "Why does that guy already have a scroll when we don't even have one yet!"

Neji frowned: "What do you want, then?"

"I need you to do me a favor in the future. As for what it is, I haven't decided yet, but I can guarantee it won't go against your will. How about that?"

Neji pondered for a moment, then assumed a combat stance, signaling his agreement.

He then launched the first attack. Neji specialized in the Gentle Fist, the strongest taijutsu style in Konoha. It was a fist art that attacked the meridian system directly; because it could damage internal organs, even a glancing blow could be a fatal wound.

Neji threw a punch, but Feng Yao didn't want to block it head-on. The opponent was using Gentle Fist; if it were a Strong Fist style like Rock Lee's that caused physical trauma, he could use Iron Body to tank it, but against this, it was better to engage in a war of attrition.

Seeing Feng Yao retreat, Neji's eyes narrowed; he didn't intend to give his opponent an opening and immediately followed up with quick steps.

"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

A massive Eight Trigrams disk seemed to appear before them. Neji's palms moved with incredible speed, all aimed at the acupuncture points on the body. If struck, one's chakra would be sealed instantly.

But unfortunately for him, he was facing Feng Yao. In an instant, Feng Yao discerned every acupuncture point Neji was targeting and every move he made, deflecting each of Neji's subsequent strikes with perfect precision. The more Neji attacked, the more alarmed he became.

Has this guy sparred with the experts of our Hyuga Clan before? How does he know my taijutsu so well?

Ino, standing to the side, was astonished. She shook Shikamaru next to her.

"No way, even Neji can't beat that guy? Neji was called a genius in the previous school year!"

Shikamaru retorted: "That's not it."

He then pointed a finger at Feng Yao, his eyes filled with a hint of fear: "Neji is no longer considered a genius. The Sound Ninja he's fighting is the real genius."

"Ah! Why do you say that?"

"You might not have noticed just now, but when that Sound Ninja first dealt with Neji, it was clear he hadn't fought Neji before. In other words, he didn't know the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist. Even when Neji used the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, he was initially caught off guard and forced to retreat in a hurry."

"But the moment that guy saw Neji finish the first strike, he immediately seized the initiative and completely analyzed Neji's attack pattern. That means in just a few short seconds during the fight, he cracked the secret ninjutsu passed down through generations of the Hyuga Clan!"

"This guy is simply terrifying; we should leave quickly." After explaining this in a grave tone, Shikamaru pulled Ino along, intending to leave.

Having finished the full Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, Neji was panting slightly. He found it hard to believe that the ninjutsu he had painstakingly practiced for so long couldn't even touch the hem of his opponent's clothes.

Feng Yao punched Neji directly in the stomach, then stood a few meters away and let out a soft sigh.

"You cannot defeat me as you are now. Give up."

Neji clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh. Finally, he slammed a fist into the ground, feeling a profound sense of powerlessness—both regarding his fate and his strength.

"Everything is predetermined. A person's abilities and destiny in life are fated, just like the Main Branch and the branch family. The man before me is the same as I am."

He buried his head deep into the ground, his body trembling with pain.

Feng Yao walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"A person's life can be mastered freely, not controlled by others. Your future will by no means be limited to this, Neji Hyuga."

Upon hearing this, Neji's body stopped trembling. He looked up at the bandaged man, just about to say something, when the man's expression suddenly darkened. His aura became incredibly terrifying, and from his eyes, Neji saw nothing but endless killing intent.

"Sorry, Neji, it seems I have other matters to attend to. Let's call this a draw for now."

Without waiting for Neji to reply, he used the Flying Thunder God technique to leave, leaving Neji alone, stunned in place.

At the perimeter of the exam grounds.

"Mmm~ Dango really is best paired with red bean soup. Once I finish eating... those Anbu guys should be just about done with their business. I really don't know what the Hokage is thinking; this is going to offend all the neighboring countries!"

Anko said with a hint of worry while eating her dango and sipping her red bean soup.

"Something big has happened, Proctor Anko." A bespectacled Konoha ninja suddenly approached to report.

"What happened!"

"Three corpses have been discovered, and the way they died is bizarre. Please come and take a look."

Following the Konoha ninja, she arrived at a place where a Buddha statue was placed.

The personal belongings and exam evidence of the three corpses had all been taken, and their faces had been melted away. This was Orochimaru's Face Copying Technique, a cold-blooded ninjutsu that allows one to claim another's appearance as their own.

"This ninjutsu... it's him! How could he be here? Oh no! The Anbu ninjas who went in to assassinate him have likely already been dealt with." Thinking of this, Anko did not hesitate and immediately turned to the ninja beside her.

"Go quickly and report the situation here to the Hokage. This matter is of great importance."