"Chakra...?"
It was only now that Dosu truly felt it—the sluggishness in the flow of chakra through his right arm. His expression twisted in disbelief as he stared at Neji Hyuga, unable to comprehend what had just been done to him.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
Neji had already moved again. After sealing Dosu's chakra flow with a precise strike, he stepped to the side, circling behind him. The memory of how quickly Zaku had been taken down flashed through Dosu's mind. Panic surged, and he attempted to retreat—but it was futile.
Neji's talent, his mastery over the Byakugan and Gentle Fist, put him well above the typical Chūnin. Were it not for his still-developing physique, he would've already surpassed that level. Once someone fell into close combat with Neji, especially someone from a lesser village, they had no chance.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Though Dosu tried to back away, Neji's speed was overwhelming. In rapid succession, three palm strikes landed squarely on his torso. Chakra surged from Neji's palms directly into Dosu's body, bypassing the exterior and wreaking havoc on his internal organs.
"Arghh!"
The pain that followed was blinding—like fire scorching him from the inside out. Dosu's body convulsed as he staggered backward. Blood surged up his throat and burst from his mouth, staining the bandages on his face a vivid red.
Neji stepped back, arms crossed, staring coldly at Dosu, who glared at him with wide, furious eyes—yet his body could no longer obey him.
"This is the difference between us," Neji said coolly. "Small shinobi villages will always be small. No matter how much you struggle, fate brought you here—brought you to me—and that means only one thing: defeat. Or death."
Dosu tried to speak. His throat rattled with effort, but his body was already failing him. His exposed eye slowly lost its luster, the light fading into emptiness.
Neji didn't flinch. He had no doubt about his strike. The moment his palm landed, he had already known Dosu wouldn't survive.
His gaze shifted to Zaku, lying nearby. Chakra: gone. Though it had seemed like a single light strike earlier, Neji had aimed it precisely at the heart. The damage was irreversible. Zaku had died without even realizing how or when.
—
Not far away, the battle between Tenten and Kin had already concluded.
While Kin was crafty with her senbon and used sound-based illusions to distract her opponents, it wasn't enough. Her skill couldn't compensate for the gap in raw talent and experience.
As soon as the fight began, Tenten had unleashed a flurry of shuriken and kunai like a storm—cutting off Kin's movement and pinning her in from all directions. Within moments, Kin was dead, overwhelmed before she even had time to react.
—
"Th-they're so strong..."
Sakura Haruno stared with wide eyes and parted lips. She could hardly believe it.
Just a few moments ago, the Sound Village trio had seemed utterly unstoppable. Facing them had felt like an inevitable loss. But then Neji and Tenten had appeared—and in less than a minute, the fight was over. Not one enemy remained standing.
"That Neji guy... he really is as strong as they say," Sakura thought, stunned. "Is this the strength of last year's top rookie? I wonder... between him and Shikamaru, who would win?"
It was an honest question. Neji and Shikamaru had both earned reputations as prodigies, often compared by others. Even though she wasn't especially close to Shikamaru, they had graduated together from the Academy, and Sakura couldn't help but feel invested.
Neji didn't seem to care about being stared at. His Byakugan still active, his eyes turned briefly toward Dosu's corpse. He noted the ninja pouch at Dosu's waist—identical to their own. Another Earth Scroll. Useless.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Neji's expression shifted. His Byakugan detected something strange—a chakra surge, ominous and unnatural, flaring up just a few meters away.
It wasn't the typical blue hue of normal chakra.
This chakra... was dark. Tainted. Almost violet.
He turned sharply to the source—Uchiha Sasuke.
—
Sasuke was no longer unconscious.
His body trembled slightly, power coursing through him. His fists clenched, and an audible crack rang out from his knuckles.
The strength surging through him felt... alien.
He stared at his hands. Black flame-like markings slithered across his skin like living ink.
"So this is it…" he muttered. "This... this is the power that man gave me?"
The man—Orochimaru.
Sasuke's confusion quickly gave way to exhilaration. He could feel his body boiling with strength—strength far beyond what he'd ever felt before.
"Sasuke?"
Sakura's heart lifted for a moment as she turned and saw him standing again. But then she saw the markings—the strange patterns staining his body—and the look on his face. Not calm. Not proud. But twisted. Cruel.
"Your body—what happened!?"
"Don't worry, Sakura." Sasuke chuckled darkly. "I've never felt stronger. It's like a power welling up inside me… infinite." He grinned. "Orochimaru gave me this. Now I understand... I'm a man with a mission—a legacy of blood to fulfill. And even if it costs me my soul, I'll take any power that helps me reach that goal."
Sasuke's eyes flicked toward Sakura—and the bruises, the blood on her cheeks.
His voice turned sharp. "Who did this to you?"
His gaze swept the area. He saw Neji standing calmly with arms crossed, and Tenten crouched beside the unconscious Rock Lee.
"You?" he growled, pointing directly at Neji. "Was it you!?"
"No—Sasuke, wait!" Sakura shouted, panicked. "It wasn't them! It was those three from the Sound Village! Neji-senpai and Tenten saved us!"
"Rock Lee…" Sasuke's expression shifted slightly. He narrowed his eyes at Neji. "You're his teammate. You're Neji Hyuga."
Neji raised an eyebrow. "And if I am?"
"I've heard about you," Sasuke said, his voice hard. "You're the one they call a prodigy, just like Shikamaru Nara. That's perfect."
He raised his hand and pointed. "I challenge you. Right here. Right now."
Neji didn't move. His gaze sharpened. "And what? You think you're strong enough?"
"I'm going to defeat you," Sasuke said flatly. "Then I'll defeat Shikamaru in the next round—and I'll restore the Uchiha name as Konoha's strongest."
Neji narrowed his eyes. "How arrogant."
Sasuke only smirked. The curse mark's power surged within him, and for the first time, he felt invincible.
Behind them, Tenten frowned in concern. "Neji…"
She wasn't worried for Neji. She was worried for Sasuke.
Because she knew—better than anyone—just how terrifying Neji Hyuga truly was.
"Don't interfere, Tenten," Neji said calmly, cutting her off. "Just protect Lee. This is between me and him."
His Byakugan flared once more.
"Let's see what the Sharingan is really made of."