Chapter 29 - After the game! Gaara's invitation

"Admit defeat!? Gaara!"

Kankuro was the first to shout out upon hearing the news.

But Gaara appeared defeated—not in a physical sense, but spiritually lost. Neji's attack had only injured him; he could still fight. However, Neji's final words had planted seeds of doubt in his heart: "The last resort is a matter of victory or defeat..."

Gaara chuckled bitterly, turning away in disgust and leaving the field. That statement made it clear that Neji hadn't taken their fight seriously; he simply wanted to end it quickly, leaving Gaara feeling sidelined.

Neji, on the other hand, smiled with ease as he exhaled, the battle over. The audience, after five seconds of stunned silence, erupted into scattered applause.

"Great game! This has to be the most exciting contest so far."

"Is that guy really the 'crane tail' of the Hyuga clan? He's so strong..."

The spectators buzzed, and Kankuro could hardly believe what he was witnessing.

"Gaara lost!" He stepped back, realizing that, despite his own level, he hadn't fully grasped Neji's power. After watching Gaara get beaten for the first time, he felt shaken.

"Nice job, Neji!" Tenten finally released her pent-up emotions with a shout.

Turning to the puppet master who had ridiculed her before, she stuck her tongue out playfully. "Ha! No Chūnin can beat him. He just lost to an ordinary Genin from our village!"

Ya glared at Kankuro, saying, "Tenten's right. Neji is just an ordinary Genin from Konoha. Is this really the strongest Genin from your village? How pathetic!"

"Y-you guys!" Kankuro felt the anger rising within him, wanting to tell them about Gaara's true strength—the monster within him.

Suddenly, he spotted Gaara returning to the spectator stand and quickly turned to flee.

Tenten and Ya breathed a sigh of relief. They never expected that the face they had lost to Konoha would be redeemed by Hyuga Neji, whom they usually looked down upon! And Neji's opponent had been the formidable Gaara, who had passed through the Forest of Death unscathed in the last Chūnin exam.

As the sound of ninja boots echoed, Neji walked back with an air of ease.

"Neji..." Xiao Li regarded him with a solemn expression.

While Tenten and Ya remained quiet, a sense of seriousness enveloped them.

They could only think, "How strong is this guy?"

"Yeah, Neji, you did great! Everyone thought you'd lose, but you won!" Guy was the first to greet him, patting him on the shoulder.

"Uh... just a bit of luck," Neji replied, scratching his head and smiling awkwardly. "I don't think I could have beaten that guy if the fight continued."

Guy smiled and leaned closer, his expression turning mysterious. "Hey, Neji, you're incredible! How do you train normally?"

Neji squinted slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Haha! It's okay if you don't want to share. In any case, you're the only one from our class who passed the exam this time. Next is the formal selection meeting!"

"There's a formal selection meeting?" Xiao Li asked hesitantly.

"Yes, it's a month from now..."

"Then, next match! Nara Shikamaru vs. Ken Meisumi! The last two players, Aburame Shino and Aburame Shino, will automatically return to one group! Please be ready for the players!" Guy announced, the wind swirling around the venue.

As everyone watched the new game unfold, many still pondered Neji's remarkable performance against Gaara. To them, the result felt almost unscientific.

"Nara Shikamaru wins!"

"Aburame Shino wins!"

With the competition wrapped up, a total of ten players advanced:

Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura, Kankuro, Temari, Hyuga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, and Aburame Shino.

Everyone was instructed to follow their teacher for training. A month later, both the Kazekage and Hokage would attend the official Chūnin examination meeting together.

...

In a quiet corner of the spacious hall, the four friends gathered.

"It's said that a high-ranking official from the Land of Fire will be watching. If you perform well, the border defense rights assigned to the Land of Fire will most likely be awarded. So even if you don't want to win, you must strengthen yourselves and put on a great show in the Chūnin exam!" Guy urged Neji.

Neji nodded. "I will do my best."

"The last two matches were perfect counters. This year, Konoha is really lucky!" Xiao Li remarked with a sigh.

"Oh, am I the only one who's unlucky?" Tenten shot a look at Xiao Li.

Xiao Li laughed, "Ahahaha, so was I; I was perfectly countered by Sakura..."

As they continued to chat and laugh, a figure approached quietly.

Guy noticed first, and Neji felt it almost simultaneously. The man did not attempt to hide but strode confidently toward them.

His striking red hair caught attention.

"Are you... the kid from Sand Shinobi?" Guy's frown deepened; he sensed the extraordinary power emanating from the figure. He guessed that Gaara harbored some resentment over Neji's victory.

Gaara's gaze fixed on Neji, filled with a mixture of allure, arrogance, and burning anticipation.

Neji felt it instinctively; Gaara had come alone.

"What do you want?" Tenten asked contemptuously.

"I came to see you," Neji said, stepping forward to meet Gaara's gaze.

In that moment, their souls seemed to collide—one was a fragile child, indifferent and terrifying on the surface but hiding bitterness and unknown pain within, while the other had a gentle demeanor but an unshakeable determination to pursue strength.

"Hyuga Neji, you are a worthy opponent, but..." Gaara's expression shifted, and both Tenten and Xiao Li became wary.

"I'm not satisfied with today's outcome. You can come to me tomorrow night." A twisted smile crept across his face, his eyes dark and brooding.

Neji remained silent, and Gaara glanced at the others before turning away, leaving with a leisurely pace.

"Huh, that guy is really strange. Neji, don't let him provoke you; he's been eliminated by you!" Tenten complained, rolling her eyes.

Neji nodded slowly. "I'm sure I won't be fooled."

With that, Neji's expression turned serious, a flicker of determination glinting in his eyes.

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