I'm in Konoha, and I started with Ashura Chakra.

Chapter 61: A Glorious Defeat, Hiashi Hyuga's Expectations

"Cough cough... vomit..."

Naruto, who had rolled on the ground more than a dozen times, kept coughing and gagging.

Fortunately, he only ate a little ramen today, and it's almost digested now, otherwise Naruto would have almost thrown up his breakfast.

If it weren't for his Sage Body and being the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, which grants him immense resilience, Naruto would have been knocked unconscious by Choji Akimichi's palm strike.

The turmoil within his body was still churning, preventing Naruto from getting up immediately.

However, seeing Choji Akimichi walking towards him, radiating an oppressive aura unlike anything he'd ever felt before, Naruto, enduring the pain within him, quickly stood up, formed hand seals, closed his eyes, and mentally shouted, "You stinky fox, it's time to pay the rent!"

Swah——

As if hearing Naruto's voice, Kurama, who was lying in a cage in the spiritual space where the Jinchuriki and the Tailed Beast communicated, suddenly opened his red vertical pupils.

Red chakra immediately surged from Naruto's body, swaying around him like a fox's tail.

This scene surprised many ninjas in the audience.

"This is……"

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, also widened their eyes.

The former was surprised that Naruto was able to gain a basic grasp of the Nine-Tails' chakra, while the latter was surprised that the Five Elements Seal he had placed on Naruto had actually been broken.

Judging from Hiruzen Sarutobi's reaction, this was clearly not the work of his teacher.

Could it be... that idiot has come back?

Orochimaru's heart sank at the thought of the guy who had been pursuing him all these years.

But thinking about the stage he had prepared for Sarutobi-sensei, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The battle continues on the field.

Although it wasn't the Nine-Tails' cloak, the Nine-Tails' chakra still caused Naruto's strength to surge, just like when Choji Akimichi took the first pill.

Naruto felt the pain in his body vanish instantly, replaced by an overwhelming power.

Naruto charged toward Choji Akimichi, his body instantly turning into a red afterimage—a speed Naruto had never possessed before.

Choji Akimichi also charged towards Naruto at an extremely fast speed.

Two afterimages, one red and one blue, collided, and then Naruto and Choji Akimichi engaged in a skillful, yet flawed, taijutsu duel.

If these two were replaced with other top students with equal abilities, they could easily suppress or even subdue the other.

If this were set in a ninja academy, it would be a duel between two bad students, a battle of wits.

However, both of them exuded the aura of chakra, and their speed and strength were greatly enhanced, so their clash of weaklings was not only not unsightly, but also gave people a sense of intense, visceral excitement.

Unfortunately, not long after, the chakra aura emanating from Akimichi Choji slowly disappeared.

The side effects of the first pill began to take effect, causing him to expose an opening, which Naruto then kicked away.

Choji Akimichi slid back several meters, covered in sweat and panting heavily, before taking out a transparent rectangular box from his ninja tool pouch once more.

Looking at the two pills in the box, Choji Akimichi suddenly hesitated.

Although I don't know what's going on with Naruto's chakra, after our recent fight, his improvement is second only to mine after taking the first pill, only his speed is greater than mine.

Once he takes the second pill, Choji Akimichi is confident he can defeat Naruto in one move.

Because after taking the second pill, not only did his strength increase dramatically, but he could also grow to enormous size, becoming a human mountain that crushed Naruto.

But thinking of his father's teachings and the significance of those three pills...

Choji Akimichi suddenly took a deep breath, put the box back into his ninja tool pouch, and said to Genma Shiranui, "Examiner, I concede!"

"Huh?"

Before Genma Shiranui could announce the result, Naruto, who was full of enthusiasm, was as if he had been doused with a bucket of water. The Nine-Tails' chakra on his body vanished instantly, and he asked in astonishment, "Choji, why did you admit defeat?"

"I am no match for you... and I cannot kill my own people."

The last sentence echoed in his mind, and Choji Akimichi dragged his tired body toward the passage to the contestant area.

"The winner of the first test is—Naruto Uzumaki!"

Genma Shiranui took a deep look at Choji Akimichi's back, a slight smile playing on his lips, before announcing the result in a loud voice.

The audience erupted in cheers and thunderous applause.

The audience members who came from other parts of the Land of Fire or neighboring countries cheered for the two outstanding genin.

The first match was so intense and exciting, this trip was totally worth it.

Those nobles also remembered Naruto, who could create so many clones, and Choji Akimichi, who was even stronger than a wild beast. They might think of these two when they were given missions in the future.

"Ding Zuo, you have an excellent son."

Although Choji Akimichi lost, Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka were full of admiration for their close friend's son.

Like them were Hiruzen Sarutobi in the VIP seats, and a large number of Konoha ninjas, like Genma Shiranui, who knew what the three pills of the Akimichi clan represented.

Just like the original manga's assessment of Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji's surrender allowed the Konoha leadership to see the Akimichi clan's traditional gentleness, as well as the Will of Fire within him.

This generation's successor to the Butterfly lineage is exceptionally outstanding.

Naruto, of course, had no idea that Choji Akimichi was holding back against him.

Overjoyed at receiving applause for the first time, he waved to the audience as he ran toward the players' area.

"Yagyu, do your best! Beat Shikamaru to a pulp!"

"Hey... I'm right next to you, we're teammates."

"Go for it, Yagyu-kun!"

Amidst the cheers of Ino and Hinata, Yagyu and Nara Shikamaru emerged from the players' tunnel and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, stood facing each other next to Genma Shiranui.

"Father, is he my sister's teammate?"

In the audience, Hanabi, sitting next to Hiashi Hyuga, asked curiously, "Was it him who defeated Neji?"

"Um."

Hiashi Hyuga nodded expressionlessly, but his heart was filled with complex emotions.

Just like Yamanaka Inoichi and Sarutobi Hiruzen, Hyuga Hiashi had noticed Yagyu many years ago.

At first, Hiashi Hyuga didn't pay much attention to Ino's frequent visits and invitations to Hinata to go out.

However, as Hinata returned each time and went to the dojo to train, practicing basic skills that only genin were qualified to learn and that the ninja academy didn't teach, Hiashi Hyuga began to have doubts.

One of his attempts to follow him led him to discover Yagyu.

As an adult, Hiashi Hyuga immediately noticed Hinata's budding feelings for Yagyu.

However, he did not stop Hinata from associating with them, because Hiashi Hyuga discovered that Yagyu's existence could provide Hinata with strong motivation for training.

Moreover, Yagyu is a commoner genius of this era. The fact that he was able to retain the top student position in such a special generation of new students shows that his talent and potential are both outstanding.

If Yagyu can maintain his excellence, and Hinata truly likes him, Hiashi Hyuga wouldn't mind having Yagyu marry into the Hyuga clan.

As Hanabi grew up, Hiashi Hyuga discovered that her talent and personality made her more suitable than Hinata to inherit the Hyuga clan's main branch.

When the time came to make a decision, he was willing to let Yagyu marry into the Hyuga clan as compensation to Hinata, his eldest daughter.

But unexpectedly, Yagyu turned out to be a descendant of the Senju clan.

At such a young age, he has mastered powerful genjutsu and the secrets of water release. Such talent is like a miniature version of the Second Hokage.

This is...fantastic!

With this lineage and talent, he's practically the future Hokage successor.

If Yagyu becomes the future Hokage, then he will have a reason to marry Hinata off to another family, so that both of his daughters can avoid the fate of being branded with the Caged Bird Seal!

Therefore, Hiashi Hyuga now has high expectations and regards Yagyu highly.

He brought Hanabi to watch the official match this time not for Hinata, but for Yagyu!

[Picture of the sister-in-law]

(End of this chapter)