C15 The Threat! the Strange Anbu!

"Anbu?"

Tenten was astonished, never imagining that their saviors would be the Leaf's Anbu!

Beside her, Copper Armor was equally taken aback, unsure if it had committed some error.

Dou, however, voiced his doubts: "You think I won't strike you just because you're masquerading as Anbu?"

But Neji, masked, had no time for Dou's suspicions.

He had witnessed Tenten's poisoning and knew the priority was to extract them from the battlefield, ideally with Lee in tow.

Otherwise, any additional enemies could leave them vulnerable.

"You've got no business here anymore. Leave, quickly."

Neji leapt down, speaking in a hushed tone, deliberately keeping a distance from Lee and Tenten to avoid revealing his identity.

But his strength was nothing like the Neji they knew; even without the mask, they might struggle to believe that this Anbu was their teammate, Hyuga Neji!

"Why would the Anbu intervene?"

Lee inquired.

"If we don't go now, we'll lose our chance," Neji replied.

He then drew a kunai from the ground, assuming a combat stance he was not accustomed to, all to avert any suspicion.

"You..."

Dou clenched his jaw, frustrated by the man before him who ignored him completely, appearing confident enough to take on two opponents with ease.

"We should go, Tenten!"

"Right!"

"Thank you!" Tenten and Lee departed, expressing their gratitude to the masked youth who had rescued them.

Little did they know, Neji was only trying to prevent his teammates from failing the exam.

He had intended to join the fray and help defeat the enemy, but with Tenten poisoned and enemy traps all around...

Under these circumstances, he had no choice but to conceal his identity for a swift resolution.

"Is there someone else still out there?"

Beneath his mask, Neji's Byakugan had already taken in the surroundings, spotting several more traps. Clearly, their adversaries had meticulously prepared for an ambush.

"How extensive is this trap, and just how many scroll sets are you aiming to gather?"

Confronted with Neji's inquiry, Dou's eyes bulged in disbelief.

This revelation shattered his preconceptions. According to the intelligence he held, there was no one so young within the Anbu ranks!

In this era of peace, the Leaf Village's hierarchical system was rigid. Even a prodigious shinobi like Sasuke couldn't ascend to Anbu status so swiftly.

And yet, with a mere glance, Neji had detected his other teammate perched in the tree, the formidable Kenmei Sumi, and had pinpointed the exact scope of the traps...

"Why would the Anbu get involved in the Chunin Exam?"

Dou had already drawn another scalpel, his chakra honing it into a lethal, blade-like edge.

"That's none of your concern."

No sooner had Neji spoken than he leaped into the sky.

In an instant, the earth where Neji had stood burst open, revealing Kenmei Sumi!

"Armor!"

In mid-air, Neji narrowed his eyes. If his memory served him right, this individual's ability to absorb chakra meant close-quarters combat was off-limits.

Meanwhile, Scarlet Bronze Armor closed in swiftly, his arms stretching out to ensnare Neji's entire body.

This man's power to extend his limbs was nothing more than the residue of Orochimaru's experiments—Neji dismissed him with disdain.

"Return to the heavens!"

Neji channeled his chakra, infusing it with a transformative quality, and controlled it to release just under twenty percent of its potential, instantly creating a swirling chakra barrier around his body.

"Ahhh!"

The wind-attribute chakra tore through the body of the Red Copper Armor, slashing his limbs with over a dozen gashes as blood sprayed in all directions!

Flung aside, Kenmei Sumi, who had been closing in on Neji, was struck squarely in the head by a descending palm and knocked unconscious.

Dou, rooted to the spot, witnessed the entire scene and was now convinced: the person before him was indeed a true Anbu, no pretender.

"Why would the Anbu target us low-ranking shinobi? Did those two bribe you?"

Dou's fists were clenched tightly. His abilities far surpassed that of a Genin, but there was no need to engage in conflict with the Anbu at this moment.

"Why?"

Neji landed safely, while Jian Meicheng and the Red Copper Armor lay unconscious beside him.

"How about you tell me why you're spying in the Leaf Village first?" Neji chuckled lightly. Dou, as a double agent, was a dangerous individual, yet at this point, he didn't pose much of a threat.

"You..."

The words hit Dou like a direct blow to his core.

He had believed his flawless performance was undetected, but now it seemed his cover was blown. Instinctively, he assumed that Neji was an assassin from the Leaf's upper echelons, sent to eliminate him, the spy.

"Tch!"

Dou hung his head and reached out his hand, bracing himself for a tough fight.

But Neji seemed disinterested.

"Hey, hand over the antidote," Neji demanded.

"Antidote?"

Dou blinked in astonishment.

"The antidote for the poison that affected those two. Give it to me, and I'll be on my way."

Impatience crept into Neji's tone. He knew Dou was a competent fighter, and he was only running on the energy from a soldier pill. It was best to avoid a head-on clash.

Meanwhile, Dou's world was crumbling.

He had mentally prepared for a grim end in the Forest of Death under the weight of the psychological pressure, only to find out that Neji was after the antidote?

And that medicine... wasn't even lethal.

Taking a deep breath and seeing Dou still stunned, Neji raised his right hand...

"Wait! I'll give it to you! I'll give it to you!"

Recalling the masked youth's effortless defeat of Jian Meicheng and the Red Copper Armor, Dou recognized the fluidity of his combat skills. This person's strength was definitely on par with the Anbu, if not higher. Dou now suspected that Neji might be posing as Anbu.

Why else would he show no intent to kill despite knowing Dou was a spy?

"Here!"

Dou fished out a packet of herbs from his shinobi bag and hastily tossed it to Neji, who caught it.

Before he could muster any confidence, he didn't dare approach the youth before him.

This individual was not only formidable but shrouded in mystery—a mystery so profound that even a seasoned intelligence expert like him couldn't deduce the slightest clue...

Neji examined the item and recognized it as a type of antidote herb known as "Time Crow."

"May I leave now?"

Dou asked tentatively, to which Neji gave a nod.

In an instant, Neji leaped up, vanishing from Dou's view with fluid, decisive movements.

He then slumped to the ground, his plans in disarray. To encounter such a master in the Forest of Death was unforeseen; a single misstep could have been fatal!

If Neji were aware of Dou's thoughts, he'd likely die of laughter. Truthfully, Neji was just as uncertain about their skirmish, and with no vested interest at stake, he preferred to avoid further entanglement.

Without delay, Neji shed his Anbu garb and mask, hastening towards the location of Tenten and Lee.