Crushing His Wrist Bones! Fusion in Desperation
At 3:15 PM, the Central Tower Hidden Leaf's Training Ground 44 was filled with the smells of sweat, blood, and rising dry cement dust.
In the center of the arena, the veins beside Neji's right eye bulged like tree roots, and the highly compressed Chakra energy in his palm emitted a sharp hiss. He looked at the swaying Hinata opposite him, a cruel sneer curling his lips. "This is the eldest daughter of the Main Family? Useless is useless. The Main Family bloodline is a complete waste in you!"
Neji suddenly stepped forward, his right hand forming a sharp, knife-like shape, aimed Hinata's vital point. "It's over! A weakling like you doesn't deserve to be a ninja!"
Kurenai Yūhi's expression changed drastically in the stands. "Stop!" She was about to rush down when she realized that the distance was too far and there was no time to react.
Hinata closed her eyes. She had no strength left to dodge; it felt like all the air had been sucked out of her chest. But under the extreme pressure of this life-or-death moment, the last thing that flashed through her mind was the wild profile of that blond boy.
If I die here... I'll never be worthy to stand beside Naruto-kun again...
Call--!
A violent shockwave suddenly exploded in the center of the arena, kicking up clouds of dust. There was no sign of Hand Seals, no roar of Chakra bursting forth, only the sonic boom of flesh tearing through the air!
Neji's deadly attack was abruptly halted in mid-air.
It wasn't that he held back; rather, his right wrist was gripped tightly by a long, powerful hand. That hand wasn't wrapped in any Chakra, yet it was like a hydraulic clamp weighing several tons, instantly locking the bones and meridians of his wrist. It was so fast that there wasn't even an afterimage.
Naruto had one hand in his pocket and the other around Neji's arm, his head slightly lowered. His expression was as nonchalant as someone buying ramen on the street, but his azure eyes were utterly devoid of warmth. "I warned you. Don't touch her."
Neji's pupils constricted sharply. How could this be? He had kept his Byakugan active the entire time, yet he hadn't noticed how this guy had appeared out of thin air from over twenty meters away! An extreme sense of absurdity twisted his face. "Don't think that just because you ambushed me a few times, I'll—!"
He frantically channeled his Gentle Fist Chakra, trying to shake off Naruto's hand.
But the next second...
"Snap—Pfft!"
A sickening cracking sound echoed throughout the empty examination hall. It wasn't broken, it was shattered. Naruto exerted a little force with his five fingers, and with a trace of extremely domineering Yang Release energy penetrating his body, Neji's right wrist bone was crushed into dust, and the Chakra meridians of his entire right arm were completely destroyed.
"Aaaaaaahh..."
The Hyuga Branch Family was high and mighty just a moment ago, now let out a miserable howl as Naruto casually tossed him away like a tattered sack, slamming him against the corner of the wall with a "bang." He clutched his strangely twisted right arm tightly with his left hand, his whole body convulsing in pain.
The entire room fell silent.
Hundreds of eyes were fixed on the center of the arena. Kakashi's one eye was wide open, and the "Icha Icha Paradise" book in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. Might Guy crushed the iron railing of the stands, cold sweat trickling down his temples—this kind of pure physical explosive speed completely transcended the cognitive dimensions of ordinary ninjas!
Naruto didn't even glance at Neji, who was slumped against the wall. He turned around and, with a rough yet precise movement, caught Hinata as she was about to fall.
"I... can still fight..." Hinata bit her lower lip, blood seeping from between her teeth, and murmured tremulously, "Let me finish... Naruto-kun..."
Naruto stared at her silently for two seconds. Then, he extended his rough thumb and forcefully wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "You did very well."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable wildness. Naruto immediately wrapped his arms around Hinata's waist, pulling her close to his chest. He raised his head, his casual gaze sweeping across the entire stands: the Hyuga Hiashi Jonin their respective teams from different countries, the Konoha High Command, the Anbu, and the pale-faced Hyuga Hiashi.
Everyone who made eye contact with him felt a jolt in their heart at that moment.
"Hinata concedes defeat in this preliminary round." Naruto's voice echoed in the empty tower, filled with arrogant arrogance. "But listen to me carefully. Anyone who dares to harm a single hair on my wife's head during the competition will have their ashes scattered to the winds. Understand?"
The words "my wife" came crashing down like a thunderbolt in front of the entire village, the foreign ninjas, and even her own father.
Hinata's mind went blank for a second. The overwhelming joy of being protected by his domineering nature made her lips curl into an uncontrollable smile. She leaned limply against him, so happy that she fainted.
In the stands, Hyuga Hiashi, veins bulging. He had watched helplessly as the branch family's most brilliant genius was crippled in public; logically, he should have been furious. But a strange thought popped into his head: a monster who could crush Neji's wrist with one hand, a madman who dared to publicly defend his own... What if he really became Hyuga Clan's son-in-law...?
In the corner, Temari hugged her arms tightly, her fingertips unconsciously digging into her sleeves. The Hidden Sand princess had seen countless powerful figures, but none could give her the same chilling and burning sensation that ran up her spine as this blond boy.
Meanwhile, in the shadows on the other side of the stands.
Sasuke Uchiha leaned heavily against the wall, his body drenched in cold sweat. The Orochimaru "Snake Mark" on the back of his neck was writhing wildly, releasing a chilling and malevolent Chakra; while on his left shoulder, the "Yang Release Mark" left by Naruto earlier was bursting with scalding, extreme Yang life force. The two extreme forces were engaged in a brutal battle, using his meridians as the battlefield!
Excruciating pain! It felt like every single blood vessel was being torn apart!
Sasuke bit his lip until it bled, blood dripping down his chin. I'll die... If I don't suppress them, I'll die here! But under this extreme pressure of life and death, his crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan erupted with unprecedented fervor.
He stared intently at the radiant Naruto below, and the burning resentment deep within him suddenly ignited.
I want to become stronger... I want to surpass that monster... My current strength is simply not enough!
The greater the risk, the greater the reward! Since both of these forces reside within me, they are mine!
Sasuke's mind raced with images of Naruto instructing him in the Wave Country: "Don't treat Chakra as a tool, treat it as your instinct, restrain it, compress it, and have absolute control!"
"Submit to me!!" Sasuke roared like a wild beast in his heart. Ignoring the danger of his meridians breaking, he actually released his Lightning Release Chakra, plunging it into the center of the clash between the Snake Seal and Yang Release like a sharp knife!
Using the Sharingan's microscopic perception, he frantically simulated Naruto's Chakra control method, forcibly constructing a buffer zone between these two extreme energies. Tearing, repairing, tearing again! After enduring hellish torment for over ten seconds, a miracle occurred.
The violent, chilling Cursed Seal and the domineering Yang Release energy, under his forceful suppression and guidance, actually formed a tiny, eerie Tai Chi Spiral, slowly dormant deep within his dantian. Although extremely unstable, he had indeed—initially gained control over this fused power!
Sasuke gasped for breath as he slowly straightened up. He clenched his fist, feeling the explosive, destructive Chakra emanating from his fingertips, and a sneer of arrogance and madness curled at the corner of his mouth.
Just then, Naruto, who was carrying Hinata in his arms and preparing to leave, paused slightly.
Even without activating his Pure Byakugan, Naruto's Perfect Sage Body's keen radar instantly detected the strange yet powerful new energy emanating from the corner of the stands. He turned his head, his azure eyes meeting Sasuke's crimson Sharingan, filled with ambition and a desire for challenge.
Orochimaru's Cursed Seal and Lao Tzu's Yang Release were actually forcibly combined by this kid as nourishment?
Naruto raised an eyebrow, a sudden surge of unexpected interest rising within him.
I only intended to leave a fuse, but this hedgehog turned out to be quite interesting.
Naruto remained silent, only giving Sasuke a playful and cunning smile. Clutching his spoils, he swaggered Earth Flow the tower's exit amidst the awe and apprehension of everyone present. This game was becoming increasingly addictive.