Hokage: You Call This Guy the Savior?!

Among the SSR characters, this Shikamaru was the only one whose bottom line he couldn't quite fathom; he clearly didn't look like anything special.

"Whether Shikamaru can win depends entirely on whether he wants to win; it has nothing to do with his strength," Keiichi said simply.

"Is there anyone who wouldn't want to win?" Sasuke couldn't understand.

"He's a man who, first, fears trouble, and second, fears fighting women. Perhaps if his brain short-circuits, he'll just lose to his opponent on purpose. Right now, both conditions are met."

This remark amused those listening nearby. How could a ninja be afraid of women?

"Hey! You guy, I don't need you to go easy on me!" Kin heard Keiichi's words as well. Feeling insulted, she spoke sharply.

"How does he know everything? What a drag..." Shikamaru shot a resentful look at Keiichi and began to take things slightly more seriously.

The battle began quickly. Due to the proliferation of the Ninja Star Scroll, both sides knew each other's methods, so there was no need for probing; they launched into an intense exchange right from the start.

Shikamaru's Shadow Technique failed to capture Kin, and Kin's sound-based confusion method was easily neutralized by Shikamaru.

Just when everyone thought the two would be fighting for a long time, something unexpected happened—

"Sorry, I win." Shikamaru had just dodged a sneak attack from Kin and retreated several steps. The moment he stood upright, he declared his victory.

"How is that possible..." Kin tried to move, only to find she couldn't budge an inch. She was instantly shocked.

When did this happen?

"He utilized the terrain," Keiichi explained. "The floor is made of square stones pieced together, which inevitably creates gaps. Shadows exist within those gaps. In other words, as long as Kin stepped on a gap in the floor, the conditions for the Shadow Control Technique were met."

Naruto gasped, "It's that simple?"

"What else?" Keiichi spread his hands.

This is the secret technique of a clan. If they didn't have some real skills, how could the Nara Clan have survived for a thousand years?

Therefore, to protect the exclusive patent of their secret techniques, they would stop at nothing.

Even during Naruto's administration, the shadow secret techniques remained the exclusive specialty of the Nara Clan, with outsiders finding it difficult to catch even a glimpse.

Shikamaru forced Kin to mimic his movements, compelling her to slam her head into the wall until she passed out, securing his ticket to the third round.

"You're the one who told me not to hold back," Shikamaru muttered as he stepped off the stage.

The crowd whispered among themselves. Shikamaru winning was expected, but everyone had hoped to see him win through wit. Instead, he had simply taken advantage of his clan's secret technique, which was quite disappointing.

The key was that the Leaf Village had won again. How did they compare to them? It felt as if they were the useless ones!

"[The Brainless] Naruto Uzumaki VS [The Gluttonous Fool] Choji Akimichi!"

"Finally, it's my turn!" Naruto became excited instantly and rushed onto the stage, unable to wait a second longer.

"Damn it, why isn't it me facing Naruto?" Inuzuka Kiba let out a wail. Among the remaining contestants, Naruto was the one he was most confident he could beat.

Chapter 46: The Battle of Fools

Keiichi felt quite surprised, as he vaguely remembered that Naruto had never fought Choji before. This match should have been against Inuzuka Kiba; why had it changed?

Then there was only one explanation: the butterfly effect had begun to take hold. The impact of his own existence on the Chunin Exams was manifesting at this very moment.

"Keiichi, can Naruto win this time?" Sakura, having regained her senses, walked over and asked with a worried expression.

"It's easy to guess the thoughts of a smart person, but how could I guess what an idiot is thinking?" Keiichi waved his hand. This time, he truly didn't know.

No sooner had he spoken than Choji began rampaging across the stage in his Human Bullet Tank, carving jagged furrows into the floor—a testament to his immense power.

Naruto instinctively unleashed his Multiple Shadow Clones, but as soon as they appeared, they were so terrified that they scattered across the entire arena. Some clones even ran right off the stage, refusing to follow Naruto's commands at all.

"If you've got the guts, stop running!"

"If you've got the guts, stop chasing me!"

The two bickered back and forth, yet their movements remained swift; one rolled with vigor, the other fled with ease.

There was no strategy to speak of here; it was purely a matter of bringing their best skills to the fight and slugging it out to determine a winner.

At this point, the onlookers couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration. Keiichi's nicknames were truly on point; there are no wrong nicknames, only names that are called incorrectly.

There was absolutely no technical substance to this!

Just like that, the farce continued for a full half-hour before both of them collapsed on the stage, panting heavily.

Keiichi shook his head helplessly. This was truly a case of two evenly matched opponents. One had to remember that the Akimichi Clan specialized in body-control secret techniques, which fell under the category of Yang Release ninjutsu, thus requiring the consumption of food to replenish their physical energy.

Naruto, meanwhile, hailed from the Uzumaki Clan and possessed equally vast physical energy.

Both were the type to wear down their opponents through sheer stamina, so it was no surprise that when they met, the battle would unfold in this manner.

"Naruto, if you're willing to admit defeat, I'll share my snacks with you!" Choji made a concession through gritted teeth.

"No way! If I treat you to ramen, will you admit defeat?" Naruto remained unmoved.

Deep down, he held a firm obsession: he had to break into the third round and have a fair, square fight with Sasuke.

Only then could he prove his strength in front of everyone and gain their recognition. He, Naruto, was definitely not a dead last!

"Alright, if you treat me to ramen, I'll admit defeat."

"Really?"

"Really, but do you have that much money? I'm afraid I'll eat you into bankruptcy," Choji said skeptically.

"Don't worry, I may be broke, but my big brother has money! He'll treat us!"

As he spoke, Naruto winked at Keiichi repeatedly.

This guy...

Keiichi nodded helplessly. Since he had swindled so much money out of Naruto, how could he bear not to?

Besides, how much could a bowl of ramen possibly cost?

"Naruto wins!" As Choji happily walked off the arena, Gekko Hayate had no choice but to announce the result with a wry smile.

This was probably the least tense battle in the history of the exams, wasn't it?

"Yeah! Yeah!" Naruto made a V-sign, hopped off the stage, and immediately turned to show off to the others.

Having been in the same class as Choji and Shikamaru since they were kids, they were among his few friends, so naturally, they were easy to talk to.

"Is this the standard of the Leaf Village?" After watching this duel, everyone suddenly began to doubt their previous judgments, because this battle, which felt like a child's game, was just too jarring.

Zaku Abumi, whose hands were crippled, was crying off-stage—did you guys hear him?

"[The Young Miss] Hinata Hyuga VS [The Rationalist] Neji Hyuga!"

Seeing the next round's matchups, Keiichi sighed helplessly. It seemed the butterfly effect only went so far; the deviation wasn't that significant.

"Although this is an internal duel for the Hyuga Clan, there is no doubt that Neji will win. The reason is simple: it is not just a disparity in strength, but more importantly, a massive gap in their will to fight. Until Hinata finds her own ninja way, she is not suited to be a ninja." Keiichi offered his critique without reservation.

His words were harsh, putting immense pressure on Hinata. Her already anxious heart felt like it was on the verge of collapse.

Neji walked onto the stage with an expressionless face. Facing Hinata was exactly what he wanted. Usually, the difference in their status meant there were things he couldn't say, but standing on this 'fair' stage, he wanted to voice the words he had buried in his heart for years.

He just hadn't expected someone to understand Hinata better than he did, and even take the initiative to speak for her.

Was he not afraid of offending the Hyuga Main House?

In truth, he didn't need anyone's validation. No matter who he faced, he had a reason he had to win.

Because he had made a bold decision: he was gambling his entire life's fate to reach that final stage, to offer up his final dance in front of everyone.

No one could stop him!

Both sides stood their ground, waiting for Gekko Hayate to give the signal to begin, but before that, Neji had something to say.

"Young Miss, I have a question I've always wanted to ask you. Do you think people are born with differences?"

Hearing this, Hinata shook her head in a panic, but quickly nodded, then immediately denied her own answer. Now, even she didn't know how to respond.

"What is Neji talking about?" Naruto was completely bewildered.

"Sigh, isn't it just that messy business about the Branch and Main Houses? The Hyuga Clan is a strictly hierarchical family. Long ago, they established a rule that offspring are divided into the Main House and the Branch House. Those who become part of the Branch House must serve the Main House for their entire lives," Sakura explained.

"Neji's question to Hinata is actually quite simple: Why am I born into the Branch House, while you are born into the Main House? Hinata is exactly why she doesn't know how to answer—she hears the implication. If there is no difference between people, then why is he, Neji, the one serving her? If he answers that there is a difference, that would be too arrogant, and that is not something the kind-hearted Hinata could ever say," Keiichi added, a trace of mockery on his lips.

"Furthermore, everyone knows that Neji is far stronger than Hinata. If we were comparing by talent alone, Hinata should be the one in the Branch House."

"So, by what right is the Main House superior to the Branch House from the moment of birth?"

Naruto listened, only half-understanding. He only knew that Hinata's cousin didn't seem like a good person; he was being far too aggressive. Look at how pitiful Hinata looked.

"Neji-niisan, it's not like that..."

"Not like what? Are you trying to say that even if I am in the Branch House, I can change my fate through hard work? End this ridiculous talk. Let me tell you the truth: everyone's fate is determined the moment they are born. You spend your whole life struggling and shifting within a space as narrow as a birdcage. That is the predetermined future."

Neji's words struck a chord with Keiichi. In his previous life, without the cheat of a system, even with the advantage of being a prophet, he had been trapped in a cage woven by the Leaf Village and bloodlines. His fate had been entirely out of his control.

With his prophetic vision, the future Neji would reach was exactly as he described: a predetermined fate designed for the Branch House.

This caged bird—if no one unlatched the lock for him, he would never fly out of this cage in his lifetime.

Chapter 47: The Rationalist

"Hinata, give up. In truth, you aren't suited to be a ninja at all. As a member of the Main House, you should just stay home honestly, waiting for us in the Branch House to fight and bleed on the front lines, and then enjoy the fruits of victory we offer up with our own hands. This place is not where you belong," Neji said, pointing at the arena floor with an expressionless face.

"Neji-niisan, I am a ninja too..."

Hinata remembered the image in her memory: her teacher, Kurenai Yuhi, taking the initiative to find her father and tactfully telling him that she might not be able to teach this Young Miss.

And what had her father said? Teach her whatever; with her cowardly personality, she would be a waste of space no matter who taught her.

She didn't want to be treated as a waste, especially not by Naruto.

"I know what you want to say, but a person's personality cannot be changed. Stop persisting. Isn't it better to just be an ordinary person? You're from the Main House anyway; in the future, once you're married, you just need to stay home and raise children."

"Hey, you bastard, what are you saying!" Naruto jumped up, annoyed.

Keiichi watched from the sidelines with cold eyes. In fact, isn't the person who makes Hinata stay home to raise children in the future... you?

What right do you have to be angry here?

Was Neji wrong? Hinata wasn't suited to be a ninja; her personality was too prone to being swayed by emotions. She was a pure liability to her teammates.

It would be one thing if she only dragged herself down, but the key was that, given her status, she easily implicated others—especially the Branch House members tasked with protecting her life.

Do you think Neji is saying this out of concern for your future, Hinata?

No, you're wrong!

He's worried about his own life, for heaven's sake!

In fact, his worry was not misplaced; in the end, didn't he die precisely to protect Hinata?

Did I misname him "the voice of reason"?

As it turns out, none of you understood the meaning behind his words—it was truly like playing the lute to a cow.

Gekko Hayate seemed unable to watch any longer. If Hinata continued to be shaken by Neji's verbal barrage, this match would be impossible to continue, so he immediately announced the start of the duel.

Both sides were Hyuga ninjas possessing the Byakugan, and their fighting styles were like mirror images, parrying and countering each other. However, Neji was clearly faster, his techniques more refined and decisive, and he soon forced Hinata into a continuous retreat.

Anyone could see that the two were simply not on the same level of strength.

Naruto watched from the sidelines, anxious and helpless, able only to cheer desperately for Hinata while his gaze toward Neji grew increasingly hostile.

In truth, this duel was quite spectacular, and the crowd watched with rapt attention. After all, the Hyuga clan was the largest in the Leaf Village, and naturally, the more information gathered about them, the better.

Keiichi, however, kept yawning; this was a total beatdown of a child, what was there to see?

Soon, Neji used a flashy combo to send Hinata flying, leaving her collapsed on the ground, unable to move for a long time.

"Are you still refusing to give up? You should be able to feel the gap between a genius and a mediocrity by now, right? A mediocrity like you on the battlefield will only hold others back."

Neji thought he had been blunt enough; who else could "others" refer to here but himself?

Please, my lady, could you stop dragging me down?

Our branch family has it miserable enough as it is, so stop causing trouble on the battlefield—this isn't your family's backyard!

"Stand up!" suddenly, Naruto let out a shout.

"Stand up, Hinata! Don't lose to this guy!" Naruto cheered for Hinata so desperately that the stands fell silent for a moment, leaving only his voice echoing.

Hinata heard Naruto's words. Whether it was her love-struck brain acting up or she was pretending not to understand Neji's implication, she trembled as she rose, raised her hands once more, and assumed a stance to fight to the end.

"To say what I mean, that is my ninja way!" This was Hinata's response.