"...And now, let everyone enjoy the show!" As the Third Hokage's voice fell, the final showdown of the Chunin Exams finally commenced.
Of the eight candidates in the arena, all were anxiously awaiting the start of the match except for Uchiha Sasuke, who was missing.
Furthermore, the proctor had surprisingly not arrived yet.
Swoosh—
Aoki Yoru appeared in the center of the arena.
"Phew! I finally made it. I can't stay up all night anymore; I almost missed something big."
Aoki Yoru let out a long sigh of relief. Last night, a brilliant idea had suddenly struck him, and he had immediately gotten out of bed to research it, only falling into a daze of sleep toward dawn.
He then looked at the seven people in the arena and said loudly, "I am the chief proctor for this match, Aoki Yoru. The rule for this match is that there are no rules. The winner will only be decided when one side dies or surrenders."
As he spoke, his eyes turned dangerous as he scanned them. "However, if I deem the winner has already been decided, I will terminate the match. No objections allowed."
The candidates in the arena all looked at Aoki Yoru in shock; they hadn't expected him to be the proctor.
Gaara, however, was trembling all over with excitement. He stared at Aoki Yoru with a low, sinister grin, constantly muttering, "Kill him, I must kill him."
With Aoki Yoru's appearance and his identity as the chief proctor revealed, the entire arena suddenly fell silent, as if someone had pressed the pause button.
But a moment later, it became restless. People whispered among themselves, discussing this proctor.
After all, it was extremely rare for a proctor to be roughly the same age as the candidates. Moreover, the proctor was a Jonin; the impact of this contrast was far too intense.
At this time, the Daimyo in the private box looked at his attendant and asked, "Who is he? To be a proctor at such a young age?"
The attendant immediately relayed Aoki Yoru's information to the Daimyo. The Third Hokage had sent over Aoki Yoru's resume the previous night, and he had memorized it thoroughly.
"Oh! The thunder prison kirin! I didn't expect Konoha to produce another talent."
The Daimyo half-covered his mouth with a folding fan and said with a squinting smile, "After spending so much of my money all these years, Konoha has finally cultivated a decent talent again."
"Indeed, it can be considered the fruit of the Third Hokage's painstaking efforts." The attendant subtly praised the Third; after all, having received so much money from him, he had to say a few good words.
At this moment, the Third Hokage on the stands saw the whispering crowd and a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. This was exactly the effect he wanted to achieve, while also serving as a deterrent to restless allies.
He then glanced at the Fourth Kazekage, who was wearing a mask.
Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, also looked at Aoki Yoru with excitement. The shock the boy had given him last time was simply too great.
"It's a pity you aren't of the Uchiha Clan!" Orochimaru lamented more than once. As long as one didn't possess the Uchiha bloodline, they held no attraction for him.
By now, the candidates had retreated from the arena, leaving only Neji and Naruto facing each other.
Aoki Yoru watched with interest, wondering how the plot would develop.
Suddenly, Naruto moved. Using his massive Chakra, he created dozens of clones and rushed toward Neji. However, they were laid bare before Neji's Byakugan and were defeated one by one.
The subsequent development was similar to the original story. Naruto was hit by Rotation and the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms in succession, appearing to be on the verge of certain defeat.
But at this critical moment, he went into a frenzy, using the Nine-Tailed Chakra to break through the blockade of his pressure points.
Looking at Naruto, who was draped in a red Tailed Beast Chakra cloak, Aoki Yoru moved his fingers, drawing a trace of Nine-Tailed Chakra from the air. He planned to study it when he had time later; perhaps it would provide some inspiration.
In the arena, Naruto used two Shadow Clones as bait. At the moment of Neji's greatest complacency, he suddenly burst out from the ground and struck at Neji's chin.
This unexpected move also startled Neji. Just as Naruto's fist was about to hit his chin, Neji smiled.
Zzt—
Neji's figure vanished from the spot and reappeared ten meters away.
"Oh! Not bad." Aoki Yoru gave a rare word of praise. His Lightning Release Body Flicker Technique was used with consummate skill.
Seeing Neji suddenly disappear, Naruto's pupils shrank, and he wore a look of disbelief. "How is that possible?"
"What incredible speed!" The Jonin on the stands also exclaimed. This speed far exceeded that of an ordinary Chunin.
Hyuga Hiashi looked at Neji in the arena with a serious expression. The previous Rotation and Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms had already surprised him enough.
He hadn't expected him to have such a proficient grasp of lightning-attribute nature transformation. Although it contradicted the traditions of the Hyuga Clan, he had to admit that the boy was a genuine genius.
Naruto in the arena also regained his senses at this time. He crossed his fingers in a cross shape and shouted, "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof! Poof! Poof!...
Under the infinite supply of Nine-Tailed Chakra, hundreds of Shadow Clones were densely distributed throughout the arena, and each one was wrapped in a Nine-Tailed Chakra cloak.
There wasn't even a place to set foot in the arena, forcing Aoki Yoru to use Moonwalk, stepping continuously through the air.
Boom—
The audience stands erupted. When had they ever seen such a scene? One person splitting into hundreds of themselves, and the referee actually stepping through the air as if climbing stairs. This scene was a once-in-a-century sight; this trip was truly worth it.
"Faced with this situation, what will you do?"
Aoki Yoru, from above, looked with interest at Neji, who was surrounded. With the Nine-Tailed Chakra's enhancement, the Gentle Fist's point-striking was of little use. If he used Rotation, how many times could his Chakra handle it?
In the arena, Neji looked at the Naruto clones around him without any panic. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled up as he took a starting stance.
"Rotation: Blazing Heaven Incinerating Vortex!"
The Chakra on Neji's body surged. He spun his body rapidly, and the originally pale blue Chakra was infused with the fire attribute, turning into a raging, crimson-red vortex.
It formed a giant fire vortex dozens of meters high, spinning wildly with Neji at the center. Countless wind blades carrying intense flames surged out from the heart of the vortex. Everywhere they passed, the air was instantly ignited, and the ground was scorched and cracked. The heatwave, accompanied by the whistling wind, swept across the entire arena.
"Not good." The Ninjas in the audience stands all changed their expressions.
This technique of Neji's was practically an indiscriminate attack. Given its power, the flaming tornado instantly spread to the edge of the arena and was about to reach the audience stands.
They wouldn't have time to stop it all. If there were casualties, this Chunin Exam would definitely become the laughingstock of the Ninja World and would bring great losses to the Village.
Standing in the air, Aoki Yoru saw the attack coming. He crossed his right middle and index fingers and said calmly:
"Lightning Release: Thunder Guard Shield."
A brilliant flash of lightning suddenly burst forth, transforming into a perfect hemispherical barrier that enveloped the entire competition area.
Boom—!
The sea of fire slammed violently against this domain barrier composed of Lightning Release, producing a deafening roar.
The violent flames were instantly repelled and confined within the shield, forced to flow continuously along the barrier walls.
However, although the flames were blocked, the terrifying high heat could not be completely isolated. Through the barrier of the Thunder Guard Shield, a startling heatwave penetrated the protective shield and lunged toward the audience stands.
The people in the audience stands were instantly blown backward by this scorching wave, and cries of alarm rose everywhere!
Many people instinctively raised their hands to block their faces, only to feel their cheeks stinging from the heat, and even their breath carried a scalding fire.