Chapter 70: Konoha's Hero, Akiyama Makoto
[Your appearance has replaced the original Kankurō, and your opponent, due to the principle of avoiding an internal conflict, has been changed to Neji Hyūga.]
Seeing this, Akiyama Makoto thought to himself, So, it's all in chaos now.
Because of his participation, Hinata had withdrawn from the exam. This meant she hadn't been nearly beaten to death by Neji in the preliminaries, and Naruto therefore had no pent-up desire for revenge against him.
As for fighting Neji, Makoto was confident he could win. He just wasn't sure if Naruto, in his match against Shino, would have a way to deal with his insects now.
[Your match begins. You and Neji stand in the arena. Although you haven't interacted much, your relationship is amicable because of Tenten. To your surprise, Neji speaks first to thank you.]
[Neji tells you that Hinata is not suited to be a ninja. He doesn't know how you did it, but since you made her realize this, he can go easy on you in this match.]
One second Makoto was thinking that Neji wasn't so unreasonable after all, and the next, he could practically see the arrogant brat's smug face. Alright, at least before being defeated by Naruto, Neji's temper really wasn't very likable.
[In response to his words, you state directly that if you become Hokage in the future, you will have the Hyūga clan abolish the Caged Bird Seal. This is not a taunt, but a promise. However, Neji takes it as a provocation, and the two of you engage in a fierce battle.]
[Unfortunately for Neji, while his Gentle Fist can take down most enemies in a single blow, it is ineffective against you, a master of medical ninjutsu. You don't even need to activate the Yin Seal; the passive healing effect alone is enough to nullify his strikes to your tenketsu.]
[Neji is gradually forced onto the defensive, relying on his Rotation to counter your Chakra Enhanced Strength. You then use Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld to completely neutralize his ability to fight back, becoming the first victor and enjoying the cheers of the crowd.]
This result did not surprise him. As excellent as Neji was, he was at best at the level of a Special Jōnin. There was no way he could touch the simulated Makoto. What did surprise him was what happened next. The chronically late Kakashi and Sasuke actually weren't late this time. It seemed Naruto wouldn't even have a chance to appear.
[The battle between Gaara and Sasuke begins. The process is basically the same as in your memory. Sasuke finally breaks Gaara's Absolute Defense with his Chidori, sending Gaara into a rampage. The Konoha Crush plot officially begins.]
Makoto's spirits lifted. It was finally here. If he was going to be a ninja, then the Konoha Crush was an unavoidable part of the job. This was a good opportunity to understand how shinobi faced such a sudden war.
[Yakushi Kabuto, hidden in the shadows and disguised as an Anbu member, casts the Temple of Nirvana Technique, putting the audience and VIPs to sleep. Orochimaru and his subordinates drag the Third Hokage into the Four Violet Flames Formation, and the tender story of master and student begins.]
[Orochimaru's summon, a three-headed giant snake, smashes through the walls and rampages through Konoha. Gaara, who was supposed to release Shukaku in the center of the village, enters a state of mental instability and can only be evacuated by Temari and Kankurō.]
[Sasuke and the others are ordered to pursue Gaara. You, who should have been among them, choose to stop and observe. Kakashi questions your choice, but you tell him that you will now be responsible for reducing the number of enemies.]
[Kakashi is initially skeptical of your strength, but after seeing you fully release your Yin Seal, your chakra almost materializing into a physical flame, he chooses to let you be.]
[Although your rank is only Genin, and you should normally obey the orders of a Jōnin, you have another identity: the disciple of one of the Sannin, Tsunade. If you don't listen to Kakashi's orders, there is nothing he can do about it right now.]
Seeing this, Makoto's expression became focused. How resounding of a battle record he could achieve during the Konoha Crush would largely determine his future status in the village. And to achieve such a record, racking up kills was one of the best strategies. The heavy lifting could be left to Jōnin like Guy.
And how would he rack up kills? Naturally, with his trinity of violence!
[Following your memory, you head directly to the eastern part of Konoha, where Orochimaru's three-headed snake and a hundred Sand Village ninja are located. You are among the first Konoha ninja to arrive here; most are still busy evacuating civilians and organizing their forces.]
The heavy casualties among Konoha's low- and mid-rank ninja in this war were largely caused by this Sand ninja unit led by the three-headed snake. Later, it was Jiraiya who defeated the snake, and the elite of Konoha's various clans came out in full force to almost completely annihilate the invading Sand-nin.
And what you are going to do is snatch that entire achievement for yourself.
[Morino Ibiki sees you. He orders you to join the other Genin in assisting with the civilian evacuation. In his eyes, you are still just a brat. But this brat's next actions will shock him and everyone else present.]
[You leap high into the air, the sleeves of your white robes fluttering. Facing the thrown ninja tools and long-range ninjutsu of the Suna-nin, you, with your Strength of a Hundred Technique activated, simply ignore them. Then, under everyone's gaze, you slam your fist down on the giant snake's head.]
[A sound like a landslide rings out. The flesh-and-blood head of the giant snake explodes. The remaining two heads let out agonized howls and madly snap at you. You are swallowed whole by one of the snakes, causing everyone's hearts to leap into their throats.]
[But the next second, you punch your way through the snake's teeth, then upward through the top of its skull. You then perform a backflip and use the Heavenly Foot of Pain on the last snake head. Another massive explosion rings out. In a single exchange, the three-headed giant snake is killed instantly.]
[The massive serpentine body falls, crushing a large number of houses, but it greatly boosts the morale of all the Konoha ninja. The furious Suna-nin launch their attacks on you—long-range ninjutsu, thrown tools, and puppets.]
[However, with your two simulated lifetimes of experience in the Sand Village, you are more familiar with these techniques than the Suna-nin present. You can even recognize some of them by their body shape alone, and you know their weaknesses clearly.]
[You continuously dodge and block their attacks. The moment you land, you cast the Demonic Illusion: Slow Blossom Technique. Pink cherry blossoms flutter around you. To all the Suna-nin who see this, your speed seems to have tripled.]
[You transform into an ancient beast. Every strike shatters a large piece of the ground. The Suna-nin hit by your attacks are almost all obliterated without a trace. Cherry blossoms drift around your white-robed figure, surrounded by the flying limbs of your enemies. Countless people deeply engrave this image of you in their minds, a sense of awe welling up within them.]
[In just one minute, you have single-handedly eliminated more than half of the entire Sand unit. In the end, it takes the combined efforts of the unit's Jōnin leaders, Yūra and Satetsu, to halt your steps of slaughter.]
[You take the opportunity to retreat, handing the battlefield back to the now-organized forces of Morino Ibiki. You then perform the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating fifty clones that spread across the battlefield, providing support and healing.]
[At this moment, many of the older citizens of Konoha even think that their Princess Tsunade has returned.]
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