"W-winner! Shengu Xuan!"
Gekko Hayate's voice, heavy with ragged breathing and disbelief, finally broke the deathly silence in the arena. That announcement was like a massive bomb dropped into a tranquil lake, instantly detonating the crowd's emotions!
"He won? Just like that?!"
"You're kidding! That Sound Ninja got punched away before we could even see the move!"
"A monster! This guy is definitely a monster! Did you feel that? When he threw that punch, even the air was compressed into a sonic boom!"
The Genin in the stands erupted. Those who had mocked Shengu Xuan, believing he was a dead last who had only survived this long by relying on Sasuke Uchiha, now looked as though an invisible hand had clamped around their throats. Their faces flushed crimson, and they couldn't squeeze out a word.
Fear.
A fear born of biological instinct spread wildly through these young ninja's hearts. Battles between ninja were usually complex affairs filled with probing, gathering intelligence, forming hand seals, and exchanges of ninjutsu. Yet this black-haired boy had taken the word "violence" to its absolute extreme in the most primitive, savage, and unreasonable way!
There had been no chakra fluctuations, no hand seals, not even an unnecessary movement.
He had merely stood there, taken ultrasound powerful enough to shatter internal organs head-on, then casually thrown a punch.
"Great job, Xuan! I knew you'd be fine!" Naruto gripped the railing with both hands, jumping up and down in excitement. His whisker-marked face brimmed with pride, as though he had thrown that punch himself.
But Sasuke Uchiha, standing beside Naruto, gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into the flesh of his palms. His scarlet Sharingan spun furiously as he stared fixedly at the figure below, who was strolling back with his hands in his pockets.
Damn it... this power... what kind of power is this?! Sasuke roared inwardly. He had only just endured the torment of the cursed seal and believed he had gained tremendous power beyond the reach of ordinary people. He had even used the Lion Combo in his match. But now, compared with the terrifying destruction caused by Shengu Xuan's punch, the taijutsu he took such pride in seemed as ridiculous as children playing house!
If... if I had power like his... that man, Uchiha Itachi, I could definitely kill him with my own hands! Sasuke's breathing grew terribly heavy. The cursed seal on his neck, which Kakashi had sealed, seemed to begin aching faintly again, giving off a sinister chill that craved power.
In the stands on the other side of the arena.
Veins bulged around Neji Hyuga's pure white eyes. He had activated his Byakugan, his gaze piercing Shengu Xuan's skin as he tried to see what secrets this monster was hiding.
Yet what he saw left this eldest son of the Hyuga Clan, who had always considered himself a genius, utterly stunned.
"How could this be..." Even Neji's voice trembled slightly. "His chakra pathway system... there's no sign of chakra flowing at all! Inside his body, it's like a lifeless desert. There isn't even the slightest trace of chakra! He's not a ninja at all! No... this even defies basic biology! Without chakra, how could he unleash power on that level?!"
Rock Lee, standing beside Neji, also had his eyes wide open, a fervent light flashing in those large eyes beneath his thick brows. "Guy-sensei! Did you see that?! That's pure physical strength! Such youth! Such passion! I feel like my blood is boiling!"
Might Guy rubbed his chin. A trace of gravity had appeared on the face that always wore a confident smile. "Lee, don't let appearances fool you. That boy's strength has already surpassed the limits of what training can achieve. Even if I opened the Sixth Gate, I'm afraid I'd struggle to withstand that punch head-on. When did Konoha produce such a terrifying little monster?"
By now, Shengu Xuan had leisurely climbed the stairs back to the second-floor stands.
The moment he arrived, he felt countless gazes converge on him like searchlights. Some were probing, some fearful, some wary, and some openly hostile.
Shengu Xuan shrugged indifferently. His favorite sight was the ridiculous way these ants trembled, their entire worldview collapsing when confronted with absolute power they couldn't comprehend.
"Hey, you! What kind of trick did you pull?!"
Just then, a voice full of venom and fury rang out from behind Shengu Xuan to one side.
It was Zaku from Otogakure!
Zaku watched the medical team carry Dosu away on a stretcher, his fate unknown. His eyes were bloodshot, and rage had completely consumed his reason. He refused to believe that an elite of Otogakure, a pawn personally selected by Lord Orochimaru, could be defeated in one punch by a Konoha Genin without chakra!
It had to be some kind of deception! A genjutsu!
Zaku abruptly raised both arms, aiming the air holes in his palms at Shengu Xuan's back as chakra surged wildly through his body.
"Die! Air Cutter Extreme Wave!"
Outside the match, Zaku had actually launched a sneak attack on Shengu Xuan in plain sight!
Violent wind pressure mixed with high-frequency sound waves formed a terrifying, visible column of wind. With the force to tear everything apart, it blasted straight toward the back of Shengu Xuan's head!
"Look out!" Naruto cried.
The Jonin in the stands also showed slight changes in expression. Kakashi had even placed a hand on his forehead protector, ready to uncover his Sharingan and intervene.
Yet faced with this sudden, lethal attack from behind, Shengu Xuan didn't even turn his head.
Just as the violent column of wind was about to touch his hair.
Deep within Shengu Xuan's eyes, an archaic totem of the character for "rabbit" suddenly flashed!
The Rabbit Talisman, Speed Divine Authority!
Whoosh!
To everyone's eyes, Shengu Xuan's figure suddenly blurred for an instant. Immediately afterward, the raging Air Cutter Extreme Wave passed straight through his "body" and slammed into the distant wall, blasting a huge crater into it!
"An afterimage?!" Kakashi's pupils abruptly contracted.
"Where is he?!" Zaku paled in shock, his gaze darting frantically around as he searched for Shengu Xuan.
"Looking for me, trash?"
A cold, mocking voice, seemingly from the depths of hell, suddenly rang out beside Zaku's ear!
Every hair on Zaku's body stood on end. He whipped his head around, only to find that Shengu Xuan had appeared at his side like a phantom without him knowing when!
They were less than half a meter apart!
Wearing that same nonchalant smile, Shengu Xuan slowly reached out with his right hand and grabbed Zaku's right arm, which had just fired the Air Cutter Extreme Wave.
"You were trying to ambush me with this hand just now, weren't you?" Shengu Xuan's voice was soft, yet carried an unquestionable pressure.
"Let go of me! You monster!" Zaku desperately tried to break free, but discovered to his horror that Shengu Xuan's seemingly fair, slender hand was like a pair of iron pincers forged from primordial divine iron, welded firmly to his arm. No matter how he mobilized his chakra, he couldn't budge it at all!
"Don't rush. Since you enjoy playing with wind so much..." Shengu Xuan's smile widened, the malicious amusement in his eyes undisguised. "I'll let you hear whether the 'whistling wind' of breaking bones sounds sweeter than your Air Cutter."
Before he finished speaking, Shengu Xuan tightened his right hand slightly around Zaku's arm.
Crack!
A bone-breaking sound, so crisp it made everyone's skin crawl, echoed clearly through the silent stands!
"Aaaaaah!"
Zaku let out an agonized scream! Before his own eyes, his right arm twisted into an extremely unnatural angle beneath Shengu Xuan's effortless squeeze! The bones inside had been forcibly crushed to pieces!
"Stop!"
Seeing this, Kin, the female Sound Ninja beside them, immediately drew two senbon and thrust them toward Shengu Xuan's throat!
"Get lost."
Without even looking at her, Shengu Xuan swung his left hand back.
Smack!
A sharp slap rang out. Like a kite with its string cut, Kin spun seven or eight hundred degrees through the air before crashing heavily into a wall more than ten meters away. Her eyes rolled back, and she passed out on the spot. Half her face had swollen badly, and several bloodstained teeth flew from her mouth, scattering across the floor.
The entire thing took less than two seconds.
Of the three Sound Ninja, one had been embedded in a pillar, one had his arm crushed, and one had been slapped unconscious.
A complete wipeout!
Shengu Xuan released Zaku's arm as though discarding trash. Zaku curled up on the floor in agony, clutching his right arm, which had become limp as a noodle. His entire body convulsed violently, and nothing remained in his gaze toward Shengu Xuan but endless terror, as though he were looking at a demon in human skin.
"What a boring farce." Shengu Xuan took a spotless white handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped the fingers that had gripped Zaku, then casually tossed it onto Zaku's face.
He turned around, sweeping his gaze over everyone in the stands.
Whether they were Konoha's Genin or Gaara's team from Sunagakure, the instant they met Shengu Xuan's gaze, they involuntarily looked away, not daring to meet his eyes.
Even Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was frowning deeply now, puffing away pensively on his pipe.
This boy is far too dangerous. Not only does he possess physical strength beyond all reason, but his speed is astonishing too. Most importantly, he strikes ruthlessly and without restraint. If he really is a spy sent by Orochimaru, he'll be an enormous disaster for Konoha. The Third Hokage silently weighed his options. He had to find an opportunity to thoroughly investigate Shengu Xuan's background.
Just then, the electronic screen in the center of the arena began scrolling again with a series of dings.
Everyone's attention was forcibly drawn back to the matches.
Names flashed wildly across the screen before finally settling.
"Next match, Rock Lee versus Gaara!"
Gekko Hayate coughed twice and announced the next matchup.
"All right! It's finally my turn!" Rock Lee shouted excitedly. With a somersault, he landed steadily in the center of the arena. He assumed a standard opening stance, his eyes burning as he stared at the Sunagakure team in the stands.
On the other side, Gaara, carrying an enormous sand gourd and sporting heavy dark circles around his eyes, turned into a swirl of yellow sand and slowly took shape in the center of the arena. His eyes were cold and empty, as though he were looking at a corpse.
"Xuan, do you think Bushy Brows can win? That guy with the gourd looks creepy. He doesn't seem easy to deal with." Naruto leaned toward Shengu Xuan and asked quietly.
Shengu Xuan found a railing to lean against and slipped both hands back into his pockets. Looking down at the two poised to fight, he curled his lips into an interested smile.
"Who knows? Still, this clash between 'flesh' and 'sand' should be a little more entertaining than that monkey show just now," Shengu Xuan said mildly.
"You always have to be so irritating when you talk." Naruto pursed his lips.
"Just watch quietly, dead last. Next, you might see something... beyond your understanding." Shengu Xuan's gaze locked onto Rock Lee's bandage-wrapped legs.
"Begin!"
At Gekko Hayate's command, Rock Lee instantly became a green afterimage and charged at Gaara!
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Before you continue