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Pain wracked his entire body.
But in this moment, it couldn't compare to the confusion and crushing disappointment in his heart.
Unlike in the original story where Neji felt absolutely certain he would beat Naruto, this time, facing Sasuke, Neji had indeed considered the possibility of defeat. But he had mostly believed he would win—and certainly not without a fierce, back-and-forth battle.
But this?
From the very start, he had been on the back foot.
It was a completely one-sided beatdown.
Especially that final Lightning Style jutsu. If Sasuke hadn't held back, Neji would be dead right now.
The massive gap between his expectations and reality made it hard for Neji to accept what had just happened.
Sasuke merely cast a cold glance at Neji lying on the ground, then turned and walked away. He had initially thought Neji would pose a significant threat, but in reality... that was all there was to it.
'My only real opponent is still Menma!'
Walking back towards the waiting area, Sasuke looked up at Menma's figure on the high platform. His eyes, now returned to their natural black, burned with intense fighting spirit.
A so-called genius of the Hyūga clan? Nothing more than a stepping stone.
In front of the Uchiha, the "prestigious" Hyūga had always been a joke.
The proud Uchiha had always held that view. And the current Sasuke was no exception.
Menma could sense Sasuke's "blazing" gaze, but he was used to it by now.
Their eyes met for only a second.
Then, Menma shifted his gaze to Neji, who was being carried away on a stretcher by medical ninja not far away.
'If used correctly in the future, he might be a useful pawn...'
A thoughtful look flickered in Menma's eyes.
However, the "Caged Bird" seal was indeed a troublesome jutsu.
Unless he could find a way to break it, even if Neji could be persuaded to join him, he would be powerless to act against the main house.
"Whoa? Sasuke won already? What was that jutsu just now? It was all sparkly and super loud! That was so cool! That guy!"
Naruto was completely immersed in Sasuke's performance, his eyes wide as saucers. Sakura, right beside him, made no attempt to hide the admiration and adoration on her face.
That was her "Sasuke-kun."
'Neji...'
In contrast, Neji's teammates, Lee and Tenten, wore expressions of shock and concern. especially Lee. Neji was the rival he had always aimed to defeat, yet he had lost so easily to Sasuke.
It wasn't an instant kill, but looking at how it played out, Sasuke had been in complete control. Naturally, Lee felt conflicted.
'Is this the springtime of youth? Guy-sensei, I understand now! I will work even harder!!'
However, that complicated feeling lasted only a second before transforming into motivation, igniting the flames of Lee's fighting spirit once more.
Up in the VIP box, Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, subconsciously suppressed the urge to lick his lips.
'Yes, just like that, Sasuke-kun. Grow... keep growing. Only then will your value continue to rise!!!'
It was a short but spectacular duel. As the first match between Neji and Sasuke concluded, the audience was clearly left wanting more.
The excitement in the air had been thoroughly stoked.
The atmosphere grew even hotter.
"Second Match: Naruto Namikaze vs. Gaara. Will the contestants please enter the arena!"
Down on the field, after Neji was carried away, Genma Shiranui turned his gaze to the preparation area and announced the next fight.
"Hehe! My turn!"
Naruto's eyes lit up immediately, clenching his fists in excitement.
"Do your best, Naruto!" Sakura cheered, raising a small fist in encouragement.
"Haha! Just watch me! I won't lose to Sasuke!"
Naruto laughed, then leaped from the contestant's gallery, landing in the arena amidst the cheers of the crowd.
On the other side...
"Gaara..."
Kankurō instinctively started to say something.
But he was cut off by Gaara's icy stare.
Whatever words he had were stuck in his throat, unable to come out.
Immediately after...
Gaara slapped his hand on the railing and leaped down, landing silently in the arena.
"Oh! Oh! Is it Young Master Naruto's turn?"
"Is his opponent a Sand ninja? He looks pretty tough."
"Don't worry, don't worry. Young Master Naruto will definitely win."
"Exactly! Don't you know whose son he is?"
"Go get 'em, Young Master Naruto!"
Unlike the previous match, where the crowd purely enjoyed the spectacle of Uchiha vs. Hyūga, this was Konoha vs. Sand. And with the participant being Naruto, the son of the Fourth Hokage, the tens of thousands of spectators were overwhelmingly biased in his favor.
The unparalleled support made Naruto's blood boil even hotter as he stepped onto the field.
Almost everyone's eyes were focused on Naruto.
But a select few were fixated on Gaara. Specifically, Baki, Kabuto, Kankurō, Temari, and the rest of the Sand and Sound conspirators—including Menma.
Gaara's entry was the signal that the plan was about to begin.
Shukaku's full transformation was the most crucial step in the "Konoha Crush."
'Now we just wait for the right moment. I hope Gaara doesn't go berserk too early and sticks to the plan...'
Beneath Baki's calm exterior, his nerves were frayed.
Assaulting the strongest ninja village in the world with a force of only around a thousand... Baki knew exactly how risky this gamble was.
The true deciding factors lay with the Kazekage (or rather, Orochimaru) and Gaara.
"Second Match: Begin!"
Naruto and Gaara stood facing each other.
A destined duel born of fate.
Genma Shiranui looked at both of them, then swung his right hand down and shouted.
The moment Genma's voice fell...
Naruto exploded with chakra from the soles of his feet.
Boom!
He blurred forward instantly.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
His hands formed seals rapidly as he molded his chakra.
The sound of rushing wind roared.
Rumble!
A powerful blast of wind erupted, hurtling straight towards Gaara.