Absolute Dominance and Rule Patches
Tenten Tian slumped into his arms, her face flushed crimson, her lips slightly swollen, and her deep brown eyes filled with a hazy, watery light. Her mind had completely shut down.
"You... you you you--"
"I'll forge you a ninja tool when we get back." Naruto put her down, his strong arm around her waist to prevent her from collapsing, his tone as casual as if he were talking about going out for ramen that night. "Using the Uzumaki Clan's forging method, it'll be ten times better than your piece of junk."
Tenten's eyes reddened again. But this time, she bit her lower lip tightly, refusing to let the tears fall.
This was the first time in fourteen years that she had been truly "held in the palm of someone's hand." Not because of her appearance, not because of her family background, but simply because her ten thousand monotonous swings of the knife had been fully witnessed. The thrill of having her defenses completely stripped away and then being domineeringly cherished shattered all her stubborn pretense like an electric current.
She nodded vigorously, pushed Naruto's hand away, and turned to leave.
He took three steps, then stopped. Without turning around, his voice trembled violently, but his back was ramrod straight. "... I'll wait for you."
After saying that, she fled back to the stands.
Naruto watched that stubborn figure retreat, a satisfied and unrestrained smile curling at the corners of his lips.
Then, he slowly turned around, his azure gaze locking onto Temari was still frozen on the ring.
A show of force.
Temari's face was extremely ugly at this moment. It wasn't because of the tangible pressure of life she had just experienced, but because she had witnessed a Hidden Leaf Genin easily erase the loser's wounds with a kiss after she unleashed her proud S-rank Wind Release attack, and then publicly assert her dominance!
What does this mean? It means you won the game, but in this man's eyes, you're not even a Kakuzu.
Naruto didn't even step onto the arena. He stood below, one hand in his pocket, looking up at the Hidden Sand Village princess high above him.
"The princess of Hidden Sand, right?" This is not a question.
Temari clenched her fist tightly.
"Your broken fan, even with its full-power Wind Release at three stars, couldn't kill Genin with only a short sword." Naruto's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a dagger. "Is your Wind Release too weak, or were you deliberately holding back?"
Temari's breathing suddenly became heavy.
Humiliation! Utter humiliation! She was the eldest daughter of the Fourth Kazekage; who had ever dared to speak to her like that since childhood? She wanted to draw her Iron Fan and slice this arrogant blond bastard into pieces.
But she couldn't move.
Naruto's gaze was like a cold scalpel, peeling away her princess-like exterior layer by layer.
"You--"
"What?" Naruto tilted his head and chuckled. "Your Wind Release Chakra allocation is a disaster. When you're at full three stars, the first two wind blades consume 60% of your Chakra, but only the third blade actually deals damage. This means that in three-star mode, the energy conversion rate of the first two blades of your fan is less than 30%."
To put it simply—you're wasting your Chakra.
Temari's pupils suddenly contracted, and her heart felt as if it had been struck hard by a heavy hammer.
How is that possible? He not only saw through the structure of her Ninjutsu, but also pinpointed her Chakra conversion rate?! This is the fatal weakness she has been trying to hide!
Having her veil of shame ripped off in public by a strange Hidden Leaf Genin, Temari felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation. But deep within this mire of humiliation, a strange, tingling pleasure arose. It was an instinctive admiration for strength. She had always longed for a man who could truly impress her in both strength and vision. And this young man before her, powerful, domineering, and incisive, was like an unstoppable whirlwind, violently shattering her pride.
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Temari's rapidly changing expression.
He had a sudden thought and tried to activate the [Great Evolution Divine Soul Art] to read Temari's current thoughts from a distance, to see to what extent this proud princess had broken down.
However, just as the invisible mental net unfolded and touched the Hidden Sand faction in the stands—
"Roar--!"
A terrifying, violent, bloodthirsty, chaotic, and sand-like intent, like a wall of blood covered in spikes, slammed into Naruto's mental network!
It's the residual energy of Shukaku within Gaara!
Naruto frowned almost imperceptibly and immediately severed the mental link. Only a few blurry emotional fragments returned to his mind: Temari's [shame and trembling], Kankuro's [extreme fear], and Gaara's [violent killing intent].
I see.
Naruto understood. The Great Evolution Divine Soul Art was not an omniscient and omnipotent mind-reading machine. When the distance was too far, or the target's mental energy was extremely chaotic, or even at the level of Jinchūriki, this secret technique could only sense vague emotional fluctuations and could not forcibly break through the barrier to read specific thoughts.
"This is a reasonable limitation. Otherwise, it would be too boring if I knew what my opponents ate for lunch during the Chunin Ninja Exams." Naruto sneered inwardly, firmly memorizing this limit of his ability.
He looked at Temari again and uttered a casual remark.
"Go back and tell your Kazekage, if this is all the Wind Release from Hidden Sand is..." Naruto turned and walked towards the stands, "Next time send someone capable, don't embarrass yourselves."
Temari stood on the ring, trembling all over, her knuckles white. She gritted her teeth, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of the tower.
Hiruzen Sarutobi learned of everything that had happened on the field through the Anbu's emergency hand signals.
The old man's fingers tapped on his pipe, producing a dull, rhythmic sound.
"This child..." The Third Hokage took a deep drag on his cigarette, a cold political glint flashing in his cloudy old eyes.
A genin who can unleash the oppressive aura of an ancient ferocious beast, accurately analyze S-rank ninja tools, and openly recruit female Genin without any scruples—he has already established his own "power" within Hidden Leaf.
In the past, the Third Hokage would have immediately ordered its suppression. But now, with Orochimaru lurking in the shadows, this out-of-control monster has become incredibly useful.
"Notify Hiashi," the Third Hokage said, exhaling a puff of smoke, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Tell him to speed things up with Hinata. Since Naruto Uzumaki likes women, let's use Hidden Leaf's most noble bloodline to bind him. Marriage is always the strongest chain."
The Anbu disappeared. The Third Hokage snorted coldly. Even a demonic beast must become a pawn on the chessboard of the Will of Fire.
On the other side, in a shadowy corner of the stands.
The Kabuto Yakushi up his reflective glasses, and a rare layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
He had only intended to record Sasuke's information, but the instant Naruto unleashed his oppressive aura, Kabuto felt as if death itself had brushed past his scalp. That was no Genin! What kind of monster had Lord Orochimaru provoked in the Forest of Death?!
He flipped open the intelligence book, the tip of his pen trembling slightly.
He crossed out Sasuke's name on the paper and wrote a new line:
[Target priority has been completely changed: Naruto Uzumaki>>> Sasuke Uchiha. Danger level: Unpredictable.]
He closed the notebook, took a deep breath, and knew he had to get this crucial intelligence out as soon as possible.