The two ninjas observing the exam whispered quietly.
One of them, a Hyuga branch family member, listened to the next words and his expression darkened.
"Unfortunately, I was born into the branch house…"
He felt a wave of bitterness rise within him.
"Even if he is from the branch house, Neji's talent is unmatched in the Hyuga clan."
"Just watch—he'll prove it."
The man turned to glance at the other ninja seated behind him.
On the field, Neji had already launched himself toward Yuichi at an astonishing speed.
For a Genin to move like this… it was almost unbelievable.
The entire audience of shinobi stirred in surprise.
"So fast! He's far beyond the average Genin. That popular kid doesn't stand a chance of reacting!"
Kankuro slapped the guardrail of the viewing platform with a smirk.
Temari, standing beside him, nodded in agreement.
The Hyuga clan's Byakugan gave them unmatched perception—not only for scouting and detection, but also for tracking the flow of chakra and mapping the opponent's meridians.
With this ability, they could unleash their deadly secret art: Gentle Fist.
By striking specific acupoints, they blocked the opponent's chakra flow entirely.
Gentle Fist combined with the Byakugan was already difficult enough to handle. Now Neji was adding terrifying speed to the mix.
The outcome of the battle seemed certain.
But the next moment, both Kankuro and Temari froze mid-smile.
Yuichi tilted his head ever so slightly and slipped past Neji's first strike—almost as if he had seen through the attack before Neji even launched it.
"Hah!"
Neji's hands blurred, shadows overlapping as he unleashed a storm of blows. Each strike carried chakra, aiming to cut off Yuichi's chakra flow completely.
Yet Yuichi weaved between them like a small boat dancing across stormy waters—buffeted, but never sinking. His movements were minimal, efficient, and precise.
Not once did he raise his hands to block. He simply slipped aside each time, his body flowing naturally with the rhythm of Neji's assault.
Neji's palms lashed out like venomous snakes, but Yuichi's relaxed demeanor made it seem effortless, almost mocking.
"This guy… he's reading Hyuga Neji's attacks?"
"Every dodge is perfect—no wasted motion at all."
"His taijutsu… it's incredible!"
Kankuro's jaw dropped.
Temari clenched her teeth. "No wonder Gaara pays him so much attention. He's not simple at all…"
"Humph."
Gaara's low grunt silenced both siblings instantly. A shiver ran down their spines.
Elsewhere, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were watching intently.
Sakura clasped her hands over her mouth. "He's… he's amazing!"
Naruto stared blankly. This guy is way too strong…
Just imagining himself in Yuichi's place, Naruto knew he'd already have been struck dozens of times.
Even Sasuke remained silent, his fists clenched tightly as his eyes followed Yuichi's every move.
"Drink!"
With a sharp shout, Neji flipped forward and slammed his heel into the ground.
Boom!
Dust and rubble exploded upward, but Yuichi's figure had already vanished.
Neji's eyes widened. He looked around and spotted Yuichi standing a few meters away, calmly rolling his wrist.
'Is this… your true strength?'
Dodging every attack without effort, their taijutsu levels weren't even in the same dimension.
Realizing this, Neji's face grew darker. No matter how hard he trained, the gap remained vast.
Even Orochimaru's expression shifted, his gaze narrowing on Yuichi.
Such talent… I can't let this one slip away.
The Third Hokage tapped a finger on the armrest of his chair.
In such a short time, his taijutsu has advanced this much…
The crowd stirred with excitement at Yuichi's flawless defense.
Then, suddenly, Yuichi raised his hand and began forming hand signs.
"He's preparing a jutsu!"
"What's he going to cast?"
The audience murmured in anticipation.
Yuichi inhaled deeply.
"Water Style: Surging Torrent…"
Whoosh!
The sound of rushing water filled the arena as a stream erupted, swelling into waves that surged toward Neji.
Neji's eyes widened. The instant Yuichi began weaving signs, he leapt backward, retreating rapidly.
But the torrent chased him relentlessly until his back hit the arena wall.
He had no choice but to leap upward.
Crash!
Water slammed into the wall beneath him, spraying in all directions.
Neji landed lightly on the wall, unharmed, but his expression turned grim.
The entire arena floor was now flooded up to shin-level.
A C-rank Water Style jutsu shouldn't have been capable of producing this much water—at least, not in the hands of a Genin.
Whispers spread rapidly through the crowd.
"He filled the whole arena with just one technique…"
"Even many Jōnin couldn't pull that off!"
But the true shock wasn't just the power of the jutsu.
It was the way Yuichi had cast it.
He had simplified the sequence of hand signs to the bare minimum, releasing the technique almost instantly.
Even most Kage couldn't casually perform such a feat. It required a profound understanding of the jutsu's structure.
Yuichi Nagano…
This boy wasn't just strong.
He was terrifying.