As expected, Naruto ran straight to Gaara, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Neji left the task of reforming Gaara to Naruto. Without delay, he and Tenten exited the arena to check on Lee.
Despite opening the Eight Gates and suffering torn muscles, Lee was lucky getting his limbs crushed by Gaara would have been far worse.
The hospital doctors reassured them that Lee just needed a few days of rest, though after waking up, Lee remained visibly downcast.
It wasn't Neji he was upset with. Lee knew full well that continuing the fight would've only worsened his injuries, and he would have lost regardless. What disappointed him was simply the fact that he hadn't passed the preliminaries.
Neji didn't have much to say to that. All he could do was admit Lee had been unlucky facing Gaara was like drawing the boss-level opponent at the wrong time.
Honestly, the Chūnin Exams wouldn't normally be that difficult for Lee, but this year's batch was filled with monsters.
Tenten had lost to Temari. Lee had lost to Gaara. Neji was the only one to advance.
Naturally, everyone's hopes now rested on him.
Team Guy was unofficially at odds with Gaara's team now.
"Neji, it's all on you."
Neji didn't want to crush their spirits, but unless he got absurdly lucky, there was no way he'd be matched against Gaara again.
Still, seeing the expectation in their eyes, he nodded silently.
"I've made up my mind," Guy-sensei suddenly stood up.
"Neji, I'm going to teach you the Eight Gates."
"Huh? But, Guy-sensei…" Tenten glanced at Lee worriedly.
Wouldn't this make Lee feel like Guy-sensei had given up on him?
"It's fine," Lee waved her off with a smile. "Having a rival is what fires up my youth!"
"The Eight Gates, huh…" Neji murmured, intrigued.
From that day forward, Neji began intense daily training. The goal was to strengthen his body enough to withstand the physical toll of the Eight Gates.
More importantly, he needed to endure the pain.
Only through self-discipline could the Eight Gates be mastered.
"Huff… huff…"
Neji lay on the training field, gasping for breath.
One hundred laps around the village. One hundred three-finger push-ups. Three hundred sit-ups. And that was just the warm-up.
The further he progressed, the harsher the regimen became.
"So this is how Lee trains every day… It's insane," Neji muttered to himself. The sheer intensity was almost unbearable.
But without sacrifice, there can be no reward.
The matchups for the Chūnin Exam finals were finally released, and they were vastly different from the original timeline.
Gaara vs. Hyūga Neji
Kankurō vs. Nara Shikamaru
Temari vs. Aburame Shino
Uchiha Sasuke vs. Uzumaki Naruto
You didn't need a genius to figure it out these matchups were clearly arranged by Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others. They probably wanted to use Neji as a tool to test Gaara.
Not that Neji minded. At his current level, Gaara was the only opponent who could truly push him. The others simply weren't worth the effort.
After catching his breath, Neji resumed his training.
From a distance, Might Guy watched Neji's relentless effort with a satisfied nod. Even geniuses had to work hard. That was something he appreciated. Neji reminded him of a young Kakashi.
"This… this is the spirit of youth," Guy-sensei said with pride.
"Sensei," Tenten looked concerned, "There's only a month left. Can Neji really learn the Eight Gates by then?"
"No," Guy replied bluntly.
"Huh?" Tenten stared in disbelief.
"The Eight Gates aren't like other taijutsu. They require years of training to master. My father spent over twenty years learning it. Lee is the most gifted taijutsu user I've ever seen, and even he needed six years to reach the fifth gate."
"Then Neji…" Tenten trailed off. Lee hadn't been able to defeat Gaara even after opening five gates. How could Neji possibly win?
"I believe in him," Guy said simply.
As a teacher, it was enough to believe in your student.
Of course, there was another reason: he wanted to pass on the legacy of the Eight Gates.
Meanwhile, deep beneath Konoha, two people were locked in a heated argument.
"Danzo, are you absolutely sure you didn't leak my plans?" Orochimaru demanded.
"Believe what you want. What do I gain by exposing your operation?"
"You? I know you too well to take your word at face value. Do I need to start listing all your dirty secrets?"
"Enough, Orochimaru! I said I didn't do it, and I mean it!"
Orochimaru suspected someone had tipped off the village, and Danzo was the only person who could've done it. His plans were too secretive otherwise.
Danzo's denial wasn't enough to sway him.
"We're in this together, Danzo. Don't push me. If I go down, I'll make sure you fall with me."
"That experiment back then Hiruzen ordered it shut down. If he finds out you not only continued it but made it worse…" Orochimaru grinned ominously. "You're smart enough to imagine the rest."
Danzo's face darkened. Orochimaru knew too much. If those secrets were ever made public, Konoha would never forgive him.
If Orochimaru weren't so slippery, Danzo would have already used Kotoamatsukami to control him.
"I'll look into Hyūga Neji," Danzo finally said, steadying his voice. "I'll get you an answer."
"Hmph. Do that, and do it fast," Orochimaru said, then left with a twisted smile.
Danzo was left fuming. Despite his seniority, he'd just been threatened and talked down to. With his pride, that wasn't something he could tolerate.
"Someone! Get in here!"
Two masked Root operatives entered and knelt before him.
"Investigate Hyūga Neji. Now."
Danzo took Orochimaru's words seriously. The snake wouldn't lie about something this small. And if what he implied was true, then Neji was someone to watch carefully.
"Hiruzen… this is your Konoha, huh? A prodigy like that emerging under your nose, and you don't even notice?"
"Byakugan, abnormal strength, and that overwhelming presence…"
"Heh. Whether it's the Uchiha or the Hyūga, clans with bloodline limits are always dangerous."
"For Konoha's future… they must be eliminated."
Danzo's eyes grew colder, a smirk curling his lips.
"Not that it matters. You won't be Hokage much longer."
"Konoha can only return to glory… under my leadership."
What he didn't know was that Orochimaru hadn't been completely honest either. As soon as he left Danzo, his expression changed.
Cold, amused.
"Danzo, I'm not stupid enough to gamble with my own life. I'm done with this little game."
In a flash, Orochimaru vanished into the shadows.
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