The Byakugan Princess of Konoha

The mere aftershocks of the run shattered the hall floor, and the crowd in the stands were forced to raise their hands to shield themselves from the strong wind.

However, in order to obtain this amazing power, Xiao Li also paid an extremely heavy price.

All the capillaries on Xiao Li's skin surface were ruptured, his muscles were torn, and his whole body was bright red, like a steamed lobster!

Gaara was moved by Lee for the first time, but before he could even prepare himself, he was kicked hard in the chin and sent flying into the air like a cannonball.

The sand, capable of self-defense, could no longer keep up with Xiao Li's speed.

'bang bang bang-'

Gaara was kicked around like a ball by Lee, and his supposedly absolute defense Sand Armor was shattered by Lee's brutal punches and kicks.

Hinata had already activated her Byakugan, and her expression was now solemn.

Even Hinata, facing Rock Lee at this moment, would probably only be able to rely on her rotation defense.

They could only parry, but had no power to retaliate.

The final blow!

As Li opened the fifth gate of the Eight Gates Formation, the Gate of Blockage, his muscles were strained again, and the intense pain caused his movements to stiffen for a moment.

Gaara's actions couldn't escape Hinata's notice, who had activated her Byakugan; however, at this moment, no one could warn Lee.

Li's final blow... was very strong!

But ultimately, a mistake still occurred.

Li, who has only opened five gates, is incredibly fast, but his attack power is still lacking.

Even though Gaara's Sand Armor was broken, Rock Lee's two consecutive punches failed to seriously injure him.

The gourd turned into sand, which held Gaara back and counteracted the force of his fall.

Xiao Li fell to the ground, his face pale, and he could barely move.

Hinata exclaimed, "Guy-sensei!"

Before Lee admits defeat himself, only his Jonin counterpart, Guy, is qualified to admit defeat on his behalf.

This is a battle between Konoha and Sunagakure. Unless one side concedes defeat or the examiners intervene, no one can interfere.

Gaara was clearly exhausted; in his haste, he no longer had time to control the sand to cover Lee's entire body.

The sand got tangled in Xiao Li's left hand and left foot, but was then dispersed by a force.

In the first round of the match, Gaara had already demonstrated his signature move, "Sand Coffin," and Guy was prepared even without Hinata's reminder.

"Whoo~"

Hinata also breathed a sigh of relief, her heart, which had been in her throat, calmed down.

Hinata still admires Rock Lee.

In the second exam, Hinata didn't want Gaara to pass, partly because she didn't want to see Rock Lee seriously injured.

I've been so worried about you!

Thankfully, I'm alright now.

Hinata sighed, murmuring in a barely audible voice, "Fate is the complaint of the weak, luck is the humble word of the strong. Rock Lee just lacks a little luck."

Yes, Xiao Li has the power to change his fate; he's just a little unlucky.

Hinata will not sympathize with Lee's failure this time, just as Lee himself said: In front of a man with a sense of responsibility, any sympathy or pity is an insult to him.

Looking at her friends around her, Hinata felt a warmth in her heart; everyone was getting stronger little by little.

Kakashi heard this and was somewhat surprised, but also relieved. His Hinata's thought process had finally returned to normal.

Thinking about the past, Kakashi felt a little tired.

I'm too hard!

It seems that having Hinata watch Rock Lee's fight closely did have some effect.

Kakashi put his hand on Hinata's shoulder, about to say something to encourage her.

Hinata glanced at Kakashi and sneered, "Stop getting physical, or I'll yell..."

Emmm...

It was finally Choji's turn to fight.

"Go Choji! You're the best!"

Hinata acted as the cheerleader captain, and also pulled Ino, Sakura, Tenten and the others into the cheer, shouting encouragement to her little sister.

It also allows them to vent the pent-up frustration from the previous match.

Seeing Xiao Li work so hard, betting his life on the field, only to ultimately lose, it's hard for anyone to feel good.

Hinata is still cheerful; being depressed or melancholic is simply not suitable for her.

Some say that behind every smiling face lies untold hardship.

Hinata didn't want to be that kind of person.

Having been given a second chance at life, Hinata only wants to live a happy life.

Proving yourself is for others to see, but true happiness belongs only to yourself.

The fight between Choji and Tosu was hilarious.

Tos tried to get close several times, but Choji always ran away and kept throwing kunai bombs at Tos.

'Boom boom boom—'

Explosions were heard continuously from the sidelines.

Tos rolled around the field, looking utterly disheveled.

Although the protective gear on his hands was also a sonic weapon, it was infrasound and could not withstand long-range weapons like kunai bombs.

"Choji! Do your best!"

"Choji! You're the strongest!"

"Choji! You're the best!"

Choji had never felt so handsome before, with a group of cute girls cheering him on from the sidelines, their enthusiasm no less than Sasuke's.

Without realizing it, Choji struck a pose...

"Behold my ultimate move..."

Chapter 78 Sasuke's Beginning on the Road to the Abyss

The preliminary rounds have officially ended.

The eight who passed the competition were Hinata, Naruto, Neji, Temari, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Gaara, and Choji.

Hinata was very satisfied.

Naruto and Sasuke are teammates, Neji is a follower, and Choji and Shikamaru are underlings...

I, Hinata Otsutsuki, wield immense power!

Hayate Gekko looked at the eight people in front of him and said calmly, "Congratulations on successfully passing the preliminary rounds and advancing to the third round of the Chunin Exams..."

The Third Hokage slowly walked to Hayate Gekko's side.

Hayate Moonlight looked puzzled, his expression troubled: "Uh... Lord Hokage, you mean..."

The three agents ignored Moonlight Gale and looked at the eight people who had passed the test, smiling slightly: "Now I will explain the content of the official competition..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

Hinata pouted. This Hayate Gekko... really has no future.

The third generation leader, with a serious expression, explained, "As I mentioned before, you will be competing in front of all the distinguished guests. You represent your respective countries, and I hope you can perform at your best."

"Therefore, the official competition will be held in one month!"

……

In a secluded corner of Konoha, Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi meet again.

"Speaking of which, it is indeed peaceful here! No... it's just that this country is too tranquil and peaceful, while other countries are actively engaged in an arms race."

Kabuto glanced at Orochimaru and said calmly, "Doesn't this give us a perfect opportunity?"

"Yeah!" Orochimaru said in a sinister voice, "I wonder if it's fun to cut off that old guy's head."

Kabuto Yakushi said calmly, "It seems to me that you haven't made up your mind yet!"

Orochimaru remained silent, and even Kabuto Yakushi couldn't discern what Orochimaru was thinking.

At this time, Kabuto Yakushi was still a spy moving between various forces. Orochimaru did not trust him enough, and Kabuto Yakushi was not wholeheartedly loyal to Orochimaru.

Kabuto glanced at Orochimaru and said with a hint of amusement, "It seems you don't trust me that much!"

Orochimaru joked, "As my future right-hand man, you don't need to worry about these trivial matters at all, which just shows how much I trust you."

"Therefore... I'm leaving Sasuke in your care."

"Although there was a slight accident before, even though it's nothing serious, you'd better take this opportunity to stir up the darkness in his heart."

"Bring him here immediately!"

Despite not having much contact with Sasuke, Orochimaru knew Sasuke extremely well.

Sasuke is determined to take revenge on Itachi Uchiha, but this Chunin Exam will undoubtedly be a huge blow to him.

Of those few people who passed the preliminary rounds, how many does Sasuke have the confidence to defeat?

In the Forest of Death, Shino Aburame, who fought Sasuke to a draw, was also defeated by Neji Hyuga.

Rock Lee, whose power was outrageous, also fell at Gaara's feet?

Even those who didn't make it through the preliminaries, Sasuke might not be a match for them, let alone in the upcoming matches.

Kabuto said cryptically, "You're acting a bit strange. Are you in a hurry?"