Chapter 12 - The strong! Fear of death

"Boom!"

With a loud explosion, the nearby tent was blown into the air!

"Crack, crack, crack!"

It crashed into three trees, breaking them one after another, flying over ten meters away!

Both Obi and Mengdu were stunned—this guy's unexpected strike had such devastating force!

"Ah... the power is decent, but the range is somewhat limited," Neji remarked, observing the flow of his own chakra. He didn't use much chakra in the attack, but it consumed quickly. This was a high-explosive taijutsu created using chakra.

But that's all. The high chakra consumption didn't translate into equally high damage, and air resistance drained a lot of the force.

"The faster the chakra surges, the longer the recovery time between strikes. This isn't suitable for a feint."

Neji muttered to himself as he quickly closed in on his opponent.

"Mengdu!"

The opponent reacted, retreating just in time, their movements reminiscent of a zombie.

"Water Style—"

Before Mengdu could complete the hand signs, Neji struck with a swift palm, landing several hits in quick succession.

Mengdu's body trembled violently and was pushed back several steps.

Standing beside a shocked Obi, Neji twisted his wrist, frowning slightly. "It wouldn't be easy to kill you right now."

"Dammit!" Obi clenched his teeth. "Are you testing us, kid?"

Neji tilted his head, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Wha—?" Obi took a step back, feeling an unfamiliar fear creeping over him.

This supposedly weak opponent now stood before them, chakra exploding in a formidable display.

"Illusion Technique: Obi Clone Technique!"

In an instant, over a dozen hazy clones appeared, all identical.

"An illusion?" Neji stepped back, scanning his chakra flow. It remained steady, no disruptions.

"Heh, don't waste your energy. My illusion doesn't target you directly—it uses light and shadow to create visual distortions. That's why there are no obvious flaws in this technique!" Obi gloated.

"Damn!" Neji dodged instinctively, but a punch from a hazy clone that seemed to be in front of him actually hit him from the side.

Neji stumbled to the right, barely catching his footing before another clone attacked from behind.

He hit the ground, dust flying up.

"Whoosh!"

Neji rolled and narrowly dodged the next attack, but a kunai grazed his arm, drawing blood.

"Haha, so you're just bluffing. How does it feel, kid? The fear of death closing in?" Obi sneered.

Neji closed his eyes, sensing the situation.

He had trained for this thousands of times in a closed room, honing his instincts. His body could feel pain and respond without relying on sight.

"Whoosh!" Neji detected a kunai behind him and dodged to the left.

Another set of footsteps!

The sound of water dripping was so clear now. Neji stayed still, feeling the rhythm.

He began avoiding every attack, sensing their movements, waiting for the right moment. One by one, he took out the two hidden teammates of the hazy clones.

He hit their pressure points precisely. The two collapsed, unconscious.

"Impossible! You—" Obi's eyes widened as he realized that Neji, with his eyes closed, was fighting better than when he used his Byakugan!

Neji chuckled, "So it's a visual illusion, huh? Opening my eyes would only interfere with my judgment. Don't think the Hyuga clan only relies on the Byakugan to fight!"

Neji approached Obi.

"I've been itching to try this technique on someone!"

Smirking, Neji opened his eyes when he was right in front of Obi.

"Two Palms!"

He struck Obi's shoulders, disabling his movement.

"What is this? My body feels numb!" Obi gritted his teeth, frozen.

"Four Palms! Eight Palms!"

Neji struck his abdomen, and just as he moved to deliver the final blow, Obi collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

"Neji!"

"What happened?"

With the illusion caster knocked out, the technique was dispelled. Tenten and Lee woke up.

Neji sighed, giving up the chase to rescue them.

…

"Perfect, the scrolls are just what we needed!" Tenten beamed, holding up the two scrolls they'd acquired.

Lee added, "Neji's really strong these days! He took down three opponents on his own!"

Neji gave a modest smile. "It's not that impressive. They were just proficient in illusions, but they underestimated how well I could handle taijutsu."

Tenten nodded. "Still, if anyone finds out you beat them all alone, it would be a serious blow to their reputation!"

Neji simply replied, "Indeed."

The group cleaned up, replenished their energy, and discussed their next course of action.

With the scrolls in hand, they had to head for the central tower quickly to finish the exam.

"We've probably passed already, but we should hurry," Neji suggested.

"Let's split up. I'll follow behind you and use my Byakugan to keep an eye on the situation. I'll jump in if you need backup," Neji added.

Lee protested, "What? Neji, why are you being so cautious?"

Tenten interjected, "Don't give him a hard time. He's worked hard. Let's take the scrolls and lead the way while Neji supports us from behind."

Neji chuckled but didn't explain further.

As Lee and Tenten moved ahead, Neji kept his distance, staying within a hundred meters.

As they approached the center of the forest, Neji saw his chance. He turned right, activated his Byakugan, and began scanning the area.

His main objective in the Forest of Death wasn't just passing the exam—it was finding *that person*.

The strong one.

…

"Orochimaru! You're not getting away!"

Anko clutched her abdomen as the Anbu and Orochimaru clashed nearby.

"Are you alright?" A sturdy Anbu member asked.

"Alright? You guys are too slow!" Anko snapped.

With a swift motion, an Anbu mask fell to the ground, revealing Uzuki Yugao's long purple hair and beautiful face.

Orochimaru sneered, evading the attacks effortlessly and biting an Anbu on the neck with a snake-hand technique.

He leaped up into the trees with ease.

"Is this the best Konoha's Anbu and Special Jonin have to offer?" Orochimaru mocked as he forced Anko and the remaining Anbu back.

The overwhelming power made them tremble in fear.

"Now this is a true strong opponent."

Neji emerged from the bushes, his eyes burning with desire.

Finally, he had found his target.

He picked up the Anbu mask Uzuki had dropped and placed it on his own face.

"I've found him." Neji murmured with a smirk.

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