What a Joke! The Hyuga, Number One?

"The Uchiha's pride really is carved into their bones!"

"If that were me, I'd probably have gone mad ages ago. I couldn't take all that torment!"

For a time, the entire shinobi world erupted into heated discussion.

The Sky Screen continued playing.

After Team 7 successfully registered for the Chunin Ninja Exams, their days became filled with intensive training.

Kakashi tailored Sasuke's training to his condition, teaching him to form hand seals and fight with one hand.

But the disadvantage of losing an arm was simply too great.

Accustomed to forming hand seals and fighting with both hands, Sasuke found every attempt painfully awkward. His progress was slow, and every failure dealt another savage blow to his pride.

The more he trained, the more impatient and stifled he became.

His hostility grew with each passing day.

Soon, the Chunin Ninja Exams officially began.

On the day of the written exam, the three members of Team 7 headed to the exam building together.

Along the way, Naruto bounced along with excitement written all over his face, thrilled by the novelty of taking the exam.

Sakura, however, worried the entire way. Her gaze kept straying to the silent, icy Sasuke, her heart churning with unease.

Only Sasuke remained expressionless throughout, his face frighteningly cold.

As they walked, countless participating genin cast subtle glances at his empty sleeve.

Those looks held curiosity, regret, sympathy, and pity.

Every gaze was like a needle stabbing viciously into Sasuke's heart.

What he could least tolerate was being pitied!

Whenever his eyes met someone else's, he immediately returned a fierce, piercing glare, as though he could force every prying gaze away.

The three reached the second floor of the exam building. Just as they were about to enter, they ran into Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee, who had also come for the exam.

The moment Rock Lee saw Sakura Haruno, his eyes lit up. Fired up at once, he hurried over to confess his feelings.

"Please go out with me! I'll do everything I can to protect you!"

Sakura looked thoroughly disgusted. Without a moment's thought, she waved him off. "No! I have absolutely no interest in your bushy eyebrows!"

Rock Lee's face immediately fell, but he soon rallied and perked up again.

He turned toward Sasuke Uchiha, who stood nearby with a dark expression and an icy air. After looking him up and down, he couldn't help showing a trace of regret and spoke frankly.

"I heard Sasuke Uchiha was the top graduate of this year's class. I wanted to have a proper match with a genius."

"Unfortunately... it seems there's no need anymore."

At those words, Sasuke exploded!

He was at an incredibly sensitive point, and what he could least endure was someone expressing regret over his condition.

Because to his ears, that wasn't regret at all!

It was blatant humiliation!

"No need?"

Sasuke's eyes turned bloodshot as he fixed Rock Lee with a furious stare and snapped, "Are you saying I'm not worthy?!"

Rock Lee was straightforward by nature and had no understanding of tact. He nodded honestly.

"In your current state, you're no longer worth fighting."

Boom!

Those words ignited all the anger, humiliation, and resentment Sasuke had bottled up for days!

"Damn you!!"

Sasuke lost control completely. Exam rules, patience, restraint-he cast them all aside and lunged straight at Rock Lee!

Seeing Sasuke attack first, Rock Lee's gaze sharpened.

"You attacked first!"

The instant those words left his mouth, Rock Lee vanished!

His speed was astonishing!

Sasuke couldn't even make out his movements!

In the next instant!

"Bam!!"

An immensely powerful blow slammed into Sasuke!

As though struck by a boulder, Sasuke went flying backward and crashed heavily to the floor!

Agony shot through his entire body!

He hadn't even registered what had happened.

He only heard Rock Lee's calm voice from above. "You lost."

An overwhelming sense of humiliation instantly engulfed Sasuke!

He sprang up from the floor, his eyes savage and his killing intent surging!

"Damn it! Again!!"

He was about to charge in and fight with everything he had.

Just then, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, who stood at the exam room entrance, hurried over to stop him.

"Stop!"

"This is the venue for the Chunin Ninja Exams' written test! Fighting is forbidden!"

"If you want a match, wait until the exam is over!"

Held firmly back by the two men, Sasuke's chest heaved violently, and hostility surged through him.

He stared fixedly at Rock Lee, his eyes filled with a fierce desire to fight and a determination to avenge this humiliation.

I'll remember this humiliation!

Nearby, Neji Hyuga watched the spectacle impassively. With a slight frown, he said coldly to Rock Lee, "Stop doing pointless things. Let's go."

With that, Neji turned away without sparing the furious members of Team 7 so much as a glance and headed straight toward the exam room with Tenten and Rock Lee.

He ignored them completely, showing utter contempt.

Naruto exploded with rage on the spot and shouted, "You're way too arrogant! Just you wait! I'll beat you for sure!"

Sasuke took a deep breath and suppressed the killing intent roiling inside him. A piercing chill shone in his eyes as he murmured coldly.

"We'll see about that."

"In the name of the Uchiha, I'll crush your arrogance with my own hand."

Neji paused briefly at the doorway.

He didn't turn around. With his back to the three, he spoke in a cool, haughty voice filled with absolute confidence.

"Don't waste your effort."

"The moment you face me, your defeat is already decided."

"You will never beat me."

Then came words even more mocking, even more cutting.

"And another thing-the Uchiha are long gone."

"The greatest clan in the shinobi world is the Hyuga."

With that, Neji lingered no longer and walked straight into the exam room.

Those words were like the sharpest blade, viciously piercing every shred of Sasuke's pride!

Sasuke's eyes were bloodshot. He clenched his right fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his killing intent almost tangible.

He nearly broke free of the men holding him back to rush inside and fight!

In the end, under the stern gazes of Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, he forced down his anger and stepped into the exam room, filled with humiliation and icy killing intent.

Outside the Sky Screen, the entire shinobi world went wild with laughter, and comments flew.

Countless ninja watched the scene and began to sympathize with Sasuke.

"That kid Sasuke really has it rough... Even I can't help feeling sorry for him."

"Anyone else would've cracked after being trampled on like that. Sasuke actually managed to hold back. He's tough!"

"I hope Sasuke gets a good ending."

Then everyone seized on Neji's claim that the Hyuga were the greatest clan and unleashed a torrent of mockery.

"What a joke! The Hyuga, number one? Where do they get that confidence?"

"Has anyone in the shinobi world ever heard of some great powerhouse coming from the Hyuga?"

"If I remember correctly, back then, the Cloud ninja forced the head of the Hyuga Branch Family to his death. The Hyuga swallowed it all without daring to make a peep!"

"And they still have the nerve to call themselves the greatest clan in the shinobi world?"

"If that had been the Uchiha, let's see whether Kumogakure would've dared to pressure them."

"If the Uchiha said that, I wouldn't argue at all. But the Hyuga Clan? Give me a break!"

"Looks like we in Kumogakure need to make another move."