Chapter 19 - supply! Only consumes energy

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"Damn it!"

Anko immediately rushed over to support the two Anbu who had been attacked by the giant snake.

"Good boy, you've finally arrived. I'm sorry I can't stay to play with you anymore. Let this boy keep you company!"

Orochimaru leapt onto the serpent's head, then disappeared without a trace.

Roar!

The snake let out a low growl, forcing Anko and the two Anbu to abandon their pursuit.

Several people were startled by a sudden sound—a figure shot away like lightning and disappeared.

With a deafening roar, the giant snake collapsed to the ground, sending clouds of dust billowing and toppling dozens of ancient trees.

But the snake didn't struggle; it was nearly killed instantly. A single palm, as precise as a needle, had struck its vital point.

Neji landed nearby, exhausted.

But he had just confirmed one thing—that he had completed the final strike of the Sixty-Four Palms technique.

"It's so powerful," Neji murmured, surprised by how much stronger the move was than he had expected.

"Hey!" Neji was still reflecting on the battle when the three behind him closed in.

"Wait!" Neji raised his hand, signaling them to stop.

Anko and the others obeyed immediately. Who wouldn't? Facing someone who could challenge Orochimaru, they knew better than to act recklessly.

Anko was about to speak, but Neji waved her off.

"He won't be here anymore. You can leave safely now."

Neji sighed. Orochimaru had already cast his spell, so it was unlikely he'd stir up more trouble for now. Still, Neji was worried about Anko and the others lingering in the Forest of Death—it wouldn't take long for their identities to be revealed, and that could lead to complications, especially with the Hyuga Clan.

In any case, there was no need to rush things.

"Uh…" Anko still seemed to have questions, but Neji, anxious that they might stay longer, firmly said, "Listen to me, leave the Forest of Death now. It's too dangerous for the candidates if you stay."

"...Understood!" They complied without further protest.

"Go inform Hokage to tighten the village's security measures soon!" Neji added before swiftly disappearing into the forest.

After leaving them behind, Neji found a secluded spot in the woods and sat down to rest.

Before doing anything else, he removed his Anbu uniform, drenched in sweat.

"Even after three grain pills, this is my limit?" Neji sighed. Although he had mastered nature transformation, the toll on his body was significant.

"Ding! Training complete!"

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms proficiency +5999! Gentle Fist proficiency +3434! Byakugan proficiency +1979!"

The results barely registered in Neji's exhausted mind. After confirming with his Byakugan that there were no threats nearby, he lay down and immediately fell asleep.

Though the grain pills could stave off fatigue temporarily, overusing them had its side effects. Neji hadn't slept all night, and now exhaustion overtook him.

By the time he woke, it was mid-morning, the sun already high, and birds chirped in the forest.

Feeling somewhat refreshed, Neji resumed his journey—it was time to catch up with Lee and Tenten.

As he walked, he asked the system, "Why is Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, infused with Chakra nature transformation, so much more powerful than Revolving Heaven?"

Neji had been pondering this since the previous night, especially since he had trained more intensely for Revolving Heaven.

"The difference lies in the frequency of use," the system replied.

"Frequency?"

"Yes, the number of times a technique is used. The Chakra the host possesses isn't provided by the system. Instead, it's drawn from the host, increasing with repeated use. However, it also consumes the host's physical strength."

"So it's not unlimited?"

The system's explanation surprised Neji. That's why he hadn't completely exhausted his Chakra despite how much he had used.

"So, Sixty-Four Palms injects Chakra with thunder attribute nature transformation for all sixty-four strikes!?"

"Correct."

Neji couldn't help but smile at this revelation.

"If that's the case, what's stopping me from creating Seventy-Four Palms?" he mused aloud.

The system didn't respond.

Suddenly, Neji sensed someone approaching. He activated his Byakugan and recognized the figure—it was his teammate, Tenten.

He hurried to meet her.

"Neji?! Where have you been?" Tenten was already panting heavily when she saw him.

"What's wrong, Tenten?"

"It seems someone is targeting Sasuke and his team. Lee stayed behind to protect Sakura. He handed me the scroll…"

Tenten held out a scroll.

Neji narrowed his eyes, guessing that Orochimaru's subordinates had been sent to test Sasuke.

He was about to suggest they help Lee escape when Tenten suddenly tossed both the "Heaven" and "Earth" scrolls to him.

Neji caught them reflexively.

"Take the scrolls and stay away! Those enemies seem strong. We promised not to get involved, but we can't just abandon them!"

With that, Tenten rushed ahead, determined.

Neji stood in shock for a moment before sighing and tucking the scrolls into his clothes.

Looks like there was more work to do.

He donned his Anbu mask and suit, moving steadily in the direction Tenten had gone.

---

Not far ahead, in a clearing, Sasuke and Naruto lay unconscious, while a weary Sakura, after a long night, collapsed. Her hair, cut by her own hands, lay scattered around her.

Lee had been knocked out at some point.

The remaining members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio stood cautiously against three sound ninja.

"Don't overestimate yourselves. You're no match for us. All we want is Uchiha Sasuke's life," Sak said, holding out his hand, the power of his shockwave evident to all present.

The overwhelming strength of their enemies heightened the pressure on the group.

Even though Tenten had arrived, it was clear that she alone couldn't handle the situation.

"Sak, just finish it. We need to deal with Uchiha Sasuke."

Jin sneered, threatening Tenten. If she didn't back down, Lee would die.

On the Ino-Shika-Cho side, Chōji, Shikamaru, and Ino were struggling against just one of the sound ninja, Tos. The gap in strength was obvious.

As Sakura tried to hold Sak's leg to stop him from advancing, he cruelly stomped on her head.

"Is this girl getting desperate?" he mocked.

Ino's eyes widened as she watched helplessly.

"Stop!" she cried.

Suddenly, a blade sliced through the air silently. Sak reacted quickly, drawing a kunai to block it, but a figure materialized behind him, landing a sharp blow.

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