Rescue! Timely Appearance

"Was that guy just now really from the Anbu?"

Rock Lee handed a canteen to Tenten and asked.

The two had found a spot to rest beside a large tree near a water source.

Tenten took a sip of water and said, "I don't know, but that movement technique was definitely at the level of a Jonin."

"I just don't know why someone that powerful would appear in the Forest of Death. Could something have happened in the forest?"

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard footsteps.

Rock Lee immediately became alert, only to discover it was Hyuga Neji.

Hyuga Neji stood on the opposite side of the small stream and smiled at them, "I thought you two had run into danger. Why did you suddenly stop?"

So, Rock Lee and Tenten explained the sequence of events to Hyuga Neji.

As Tenten spoke, she sighed, "Neji, when will your Byakugan improve? We shouldn't have been that far away; couldn't your Byakugan detect what was happening over there?"

Hyuga Neji gave a bashful smile, "My apologies."

Rock Lee also smiled to smooth things over, "It's fine, Neji-kun has been working very hard on his training. He hasn't held us back even once since the Chunin Exams started!"

"By the way, Tenten, you were poisoned? Just in time..."

Hyuga Neji rummaged through his ninja pouch and pulled out a few rustling medicinal herbs.

He removed the wrinkled outer leaves and said to Tenten, "I saw these on the road and thought they might be antidotes. I didn't expect them to actually come in handy!"

"Neji, you even know about medicinal herbs?" Rock Lee asked in surprise as he took them.

"Yeah, the clan elders had us study the preparation and types of herbs..."

Tenten frowned as she looked at them, "Is this Time-Crow Fern? That's a very rare variety. Does the Forest of Death actually have something like this?"

She looked at Hyuga Neji in disbelief.

Hyuga Neji was also startled, and he quickly explained, "Well, I saw that there was only one plant over there. I was very lucky; I doubt there are any others elsewhere."

Rock Lee handed the herbs to Tenten. Tenten seemed quite knowledgeable; she poured water from her bamboo tube onto the Time-Crow Fern, performed some simple processing, and consumed the herbs.

"Rock Lee, take this part. The poison has lingering effects on mental energy."

Rock Lee let out a breath and said, "Neji really helped a lot this time. Otherwise, we might have run into another ambush."

"...Yeah. Let's rest here for a while tonight, and tomorrow we'll head toward the center!"

"Right!"

The group planned to rest nearby. The three-day-and-three-night exam had now reached its second night, and with tomorrow being the final day, they needed to pick up the pace.

But what Hyuga Neji needed to speed up was not the exam itself.

He went to sleep early, but not long after nightfall, Hyuga Neji woke up.

He had only rested for an hour; although he felt somewhat drowsy, he could not afford to delay any longer.

Taking advantage of the fact that Rock Lee and Tenten were still asleep, he left a note stating that he was heading out to scout ahead and that they shouldn't wait for him.

Naturally, Hyuga Neji's target was Orochimaru.

Since he hadn't succeeded on the first day, Orochimaru would definitely make a move on the second. At this point in time, Orochimaru was likely searching for Sasuke without pause, and he didn't know if Anko and the others would be able to arrive in time.

If he didn't hurry, Orochimaru might leave the Forest of Death.

Ding! Training complete!

Tenketsu proficiency +499! Rotation proficiency +443!

Only now did Hyuga Neji check the gains from his battle with Kabuto and the others.

Congratulations to the host: Taijutsu Gentle Fist - Tenketsu proficiency has reached 30,000, advancing to the Mastery realm! Reward: Explosive Tag x10! Special Crow Fern Herb x10!

Hyuga Neji was overjoyed; there were indeed many benefits to sparring with experts.

Explosive Tags were quite useful, though these Crow Ferns didn't seem as potent as the Time-Crow Fern. These special herbs seemed to be able to boost mental energy?

"What is the use of this Crow Fern?"

The system replied, "Crow Fern can neutralize toxins, and the special herbs can dissipate fatigue and resist drowsiness."

Hyuga Neji was stunned and didn't hesitate to consume two of the herbs.

There was a hint of sweetness, but it was followed by a bitter taste.

However, since it could resist sleepiness, it was exactly what Hyuga Neji needed right now.

Hyuga Neji then opened his attribute panel.

Host: Hyuga Neji
Age: 13
Basic Ninja Skills (including shurikenjutsu and all other fundamentals) proficiency progress: 82.7% (Reach 100% to complete the novice stage and activate the proficiency consumption system!)
Rank: Konoha Genin
Ninjutsu: None

Taijutsu: Gentle Fist: Tenketsu (30001/30000), Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin (23429/30000), Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms (16799/30000), Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm (11043/30000), Eight Trigrams Body Strike (9044/10000)

Genjutsu: None

Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan (25508/30000)

Basic Items: Military Ration Pill*7, Wujue Special Herb*10, Explosive Tag*10

Advanced Items: None

Special Items: None

"Ah, ahhhhh!"

Uchiha Sasuke collapsed to the ground, clutching his neck with a death grip.

Sakura, meanwhile, had her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and fury.

"You bastard, what did you do to Sasuke-kun?"

Orochimaru merely replied in a chilling, sinister voice, "I gave him a gift—a gift he needs more than anything right now..."

"You bastard!"

Sakura could only rage in helplessness, holding Sasuke and unable to do a thing.

On the other side, Naruto, who had been leaking Nine-Tails chakra, was easily seized by Orochimaru and struck with the Five Elements Seal.

In the corner of the thicket, Neji's figure quietly emerged.

Looks like I made it in time! But...

"Don't you run!"

As Naruto hit the ground, Sakura charged headlong toward Orochimaru, heedless of the danger.

What is that brat doing?

Neji sensed trouble. His presence had already disrupted the timeline of this Naruto world; anything could happen now, potentially causing irreversible consequences for the future!

Running in like that—wasn't she just throwing her life away?

"Annoying little girl, if you're so eager to die, then I'll send you to your grave!" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his killing intent surging.

He had originally intended to wait until it was all over, but it seemed he had no choice but to intervene and save the people before him.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Sakura, watching her fallen teammates, was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Driven to the brink by fear, she was nearly hysterical and failed to notice the hideous venomous snakes lunging toward her!

With a sharp slash, a kunai flew past, slicing through the branches above and sending them crashing down.

They struck the snakes dead on, pinning them firmly beneath the wood.

Blocked by the debris and staring at the terrifying, writhing snakes, Sakura finally regained her senses and stumbled back several paces.

Sakura looked to the side and saw a figure standing not far away, walking slowly toward them.

"Anbu?"

But Sakura had never seen an Anbu this young; the person was only a head taller than her. She would have believed it if someone told her they were the same age.

"Hehehe... It's you again, kid? You really are a persistent nuisance!"

Orochimaru's raspy voice made Sakura's scalp crawl.

"Take your partners and leave. Take this!"

Sakura caught the object Neji tossed to her. She glanced at it—a Military Ration Pill, a ninja tool for restoring stamina.

"But you..." Sakura gritted her teeth, unsure of what to do.

Neji said, "Stop talking nonsense. If you don't leave now, your partners will die. This guy is an S-rank wanted criminal; staying here will only be a burden to me."