"What are you doing?! Let me go—why are you tying me up?!" Gan Jui thrashed wildly, but against Zabuza—a Jonin—he didn't stand a chance. Within seconds, Zabuza had him tied up like a caterpillar.
"Look at this—he's inhaled too much smoke and dust, it's already messing with his mind. Bandage, once you finish cleaning his lungs, send him directly to the psychiatric ward. Also, notify Ibiki, the senior expert there. Have him come personally and give this kid a full treatment!"
Haku's eyes showed obvious concern, as if he truly cared for his patient. But his words only made Gan Jui struggle even harder.
"Let me go! I don't have any mental illness—I refuse to go to the hospital!" Fear was clearly visible on Gan Jui's face. He didn't want to end up in the psychiatric ward—it was full of lunatics. He was completely sane; being locked up in there would make him go nuts for sure! Plus, hadn't these two just mentioned Ibiki? Wasn't that the examiner from their first round? Rumors said he was a violent sadist who loved torture. If they let someone like him treat him—there's no doubt they were trying to kill him on purpose!
"Stuff his mouth—he might bite someone if he becomes unstable!" Haku pulled out a roll of gauze and handed it to Zabuza while still smiling. To Gan Jui, however, that smile looked straight out of hell.
"I won't! Mmmph—"
Gan Jui only managed to shout two words before Zabuza shoved the cloth into his mouth. He could only flail helplessly on the ground, completely silenced.
"Take him away."
With a wave from Haku, Zabuza gave a cold chuckle, grabbed the rope, and tossed Gan Jui over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, carrying him head-down. As he walked, he intentionally jerked around, shaking Gan Jui violently until he became dizzy and stopped resisting entirely.
"Put down my student!" Shinyu's team leader—a Jonin—rushed forward to stop them, but the next second, two Anbu ninjas leapt out and blocked his path.
"Please go back. Don't worry, our Konoha doctors won't harm him," they said calmly, yet their voices carried an unmistakable tone of finality.
Though the Jonin wanted to chase after them, he knew he was still on Konoha territory. The village wouldn't dare seriously hurt Gan Jui here. Grudgingly, he turned back.
Once the arena was completely empty, The Third dispatched a group of Ninjas skilled in Earth Release to begin repairing the severely damaged battlefield.
Meanwhile, Gan Jui—who had been taken away by two seemingly gentle doctors—had already been drugged unconscious and sent to the psychiatric ward. The doctor in charge? None other than Ibiki—the infamous interrogator known for loving pain just as much as he dished it out.
When Gan Jui opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a scar-covered face looming close. Around him lay patients mumbling nonsense and raving wildly. His face instantly paled with terror, and he nearly fainted again.
Chapter Two Hundred and Sixteen: Neji's Magic-Sealing Domain [Part One]
Encouraged by The Third Hokage's urgency, the workers responsible for repairing the arena worked extremely fast. In just a short while, the battlefield was restored to its original condition.
Hayate Gekko steadied his breath, stepped into the center of the arena, glanced at the electronic screen, and called out, "Please have Neji Hyuga from Konoha and Yingqiao from the Cloud Village enter the arena to prepare for the match."
"The Cloud Village? What a coincidence!"
A faint smirk played on Neji's face, but his eyes flickered with killing intent. He hadn't forgotten how, years ago, his father had been forced to commit suicide because of the Cloud Village. Now, facing someone from the Cloud Village in the arena, he certainly wouldn't make it easy for them—even if he didn't plan to kill them outright.
"Neji-nii-san, if you really want to do it, then just go ahead! I'll take responsibility!"
Sakura could tell from the way Neji quietly clenched his fists that this was exactly what he was thinking. Even though the death of a Cloud shinobi during the competition might bring trouble from the Fourth Raikage to Konoha, she was ready to deal with it—by dropping a meteor on the Cloud Village if necessary. As someone deeply loyal to her friends, she would never let her companions be treated unfairly.
"As someone directly affected back then, I won't let such a matter pass so easily!" Hinata crossed her arms over her chest, her expression icy. She would never forget the hatred she bore toward the Cloud Village—not only had she nearly died back then, but it had also led to her uncle Hizashi's suicide. Her grudge against the Cloud Village was not something time could erase.
"If you need help, just say the word! The Uchiha clan has been hiding away and training hard these past few years—we've been waiting for an opportunity like this!" Sasuke leaned casually against a pillar. Hearing Sakura's words, he opened his eyes, revealing a brief flicker of a six-pointed star within them. Though his tone was calm, deep concern lay beneath.
"Just let me know if you need any strategies!"
Even the usually lazy Shikamaru spoke up this time. Though Ino and Choji remained silent, everyone knew that Ino–Shika–Cho always acted as one unit. The Yamanaka and Akimichi clans generally followed the Nara family's lead, so Shikamaru's words effectively represented all three.
"Don't forget to count me in! I'd really like to challenge the Fourth Raikage!" Kiba rubbed his nose with his thumb while Akamaru, who had been napping inside his hood, opened his eyes and barked in agreement.
"I wonder how many interesting insects there are in the Cloud Village worth collecting?" Shino sat quietly in a corner. His natural aura made it easy to overlook him, but now his voice carried an inexplicable pressure.
"My father once told me about a promise he made with the Fourth Raikage—that one day they would spar as Kage. Unfortunately, circumstances didn't allow them to fulfill that promise. I've already mastered the [Flying Thunder God Technique] long ago. If possible, I'd like to fulfill that promise in his place."
Naruto flashed a bright smile, placing a hand on his stomach. "Besides, Kurama is really looking forward to seeing Gyūki again!"
"A teacher can't just stand idly by when his students are being harassed!" Kakashi said with a helpless expression. "If Kushina found out I wasn't properly protecting Naruto, I'd probably end up dead!"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>