With a rare kekkei genkai at his disposal, a promising youngster like him was practically guaranteed to become one of Konoha's elite jōnin, or even a Kage-level powerhouse, provided he survived long enough.
Compared with ordinary genin like them, still struggling to scrape by, he might as well have been an entirely different species!
"That guy isn't even human. He's a monster Konoha created! No wonder they call him the leader of the Konoha Three Monsters!"
"Didn't you see? His two teammates are no pushovers, either. They're all monsters!"
"An Uchiha survivor, a jinchūriki, and a freakishly talented monster like him!"
"Tsk, the Konoha Three Monsters really do live up to their name!"
When they first heard that nickname, plenty of genin had scoffed, dismissing it as attention-seeking nonsense. What could a few little brats possibly accomplish?
But now that they had witnessed everything themselves, the ninja could hardly imagine a more fitting name.
Listening to the whispers of genin and jonin alike, Kakashi could only shrug helplessly.
First the legendary Sannin, and now the Three Monsters?
This must be the show of strength you wanted, Lord Hokage.
With its older generation fading and no one ready to take their place, Konoha desperately needed fresh blood to fill the void left by the Sannin and give the villagers a much-needed boost of confidence.
"The next match: Gaara of the Sandstorm versus Choji Akimichi!"
Choji was crunching potato chips in a corner, still reeling from the shock of Raito defeating Rock Lee in an instant, when he suddenly heard his name announced.
His entire body stiffened, his hand freezing in midair with a chip between his fingers.
Then he stiffly turned his head, his gaze landing on the figure carrying an enormous gourd.
"My opponent... is that creepy guy?"
Though Choji