C8 The Goal! the Thing He Wanted the Most!

That look in his eyes, that unwavering intensity!

Ibiki bit down on his teeth, struggling to maintain his cool, yet his heart refused to settle.

Neji's sharp gaze had revealed his true nature to Ibiki: a man with ambition, not merely here to scrape by in the exams.

"Heh, heh! Quite remarkable... from the Hyuga Clan..."

"Ha! Congratulations on passing the written test's first round. I'll be taking over for the next part!"

With a hearty laugh, a spry figure bounded through the window.

Behind him, he brandished an ostentatious banner proclaiming "The Chunin Exam's Second Round Begins."

"Hello, everyone. I'm your examiner for the Chunin Exam's second round, the special jonin from Konoha Village—Mitarashi Anko!"

Anko's smile widened, her gaze sweeping across the room with the precision of a hawk.

Neji took this opportunity to sit back down, grateful that Anko's exuberance had eclipsed his own moment in the spotlight. He certainly didn't want to stand out more than necessary.

The room was abuzz with a mix of joy for passing and curiosity about the peculiar second examiner.

"Oh my, oh my! Ibiki, your exam was too easy, leaving twenty teams! Let's aim to cut that down by more than half in the next phase!"

The room erupted in murmurs as the candidates reveled in their success while steeling themselves for what was to come.

Behind the banner, Ibiki could only exhale a silent sigh and mutter, "This guy... couldn't he let me finish what I was saying?"

Yet, it was undeniable—Neji had left a profound impression on him.

"Now, take a break, everyone. After dinner, gather at the Forest of Death for the draw!"

Before dinner, Neji took the opportunity to get in some training.

When he arrived at the Forest of Death's meeting point, the draw had already been completed.

"Sixty competitors across twenty teams, each entering through a different gate... We've got Gate 18. Without knowing which gates the others have, targeted strategies are out of the question, and as for our scrolls... Goodness, there's no telling if we'll manage to secure the 'Earth' scrolls."

Tenten murmured to herself with a sigh. As the team's only long-range shinobi, she was naturally the strategist.

Lee also added, "And I've heard that the locations of these entrances are spread out across different regions. The varying terrains mean there are advantages and disadvantages to each survival environment..."

Neji listened to their discussion, lost in thought.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Dumb Sakura, why are you so excited?"

"Dumb Ino, Sasuke isn't even part of your team. What are you doing here?"

The two female Genin began their usual squabble upon meeting, a sight everyone was used to by now.

"Sakura!"

Lee stopped in his tracks at the sight of Sakura.

"Hey, bushy brows, what are you up to?"

Naruto jumped in, as the Konoha Village Genin all mingled together.

Neji, naturally, had no interest in their idle banter. He looked around and noticed Hinata was missing.

"Shizune, where's Hinata from your team?"

Neji walked over to the subdued Shizune and asked.

Shizune replied, "She was here a moment ago. Kiba sent her to get some supplies."

Hinata's teammates seemed reliable enough for Neji to feel reassured.

"Neji?! Shizune? Come over here!"

"From what I can see, our Team 7 is probably the most likely to pass the exams with ease, right?" Sakura said with a grin.

Ino snorted, "Hmph, that's only because you've got Sasuke on your team!"

Naruto cut in, "Hey, what about me? I'm pretty great too, aren't I?"

Sakura glared at Naruto. "Move aside!"

"Ah? Sakura..." Naruto's mood deflated as he drooped his head and slowly drifted away from the group.

"If you ask me, Neji might just be the only one here who's weaker than Naruto," Tenten suddenly chimed in, looking at Neji.

Lee interjected, "But remember, it's a team exam. I'm sure our team will pass. I have faith in us!"

Tenten shrugged, "Lee, you can't always baby him. We all have our reasons for being here. And Neji? He's not even close to having the skills of a Chunin yet!"

Kiba added with a laugh, "Yeah, Neji does seem to be on the weaker side. Isn't he still working on basic sparring techniques with the training posts?"

At that moment, Shizune chimed in, "Why not let Neji share his own thoughts?"

All eyes, including those of the seemingly weakest trio, Zhu Lu Die, who looked at Neji with a hint of disdain, turned to him.

Feeling slightly awkward, Neji flashed a smile.

"The goal? Of course, the aim of the Chunin Exam is to pass. But..."

His expression turned grave. Ino, unable to bear the heavy mood, interjected, "Hey, Neji's got to have something he's after, right?"

Sakura laughed, "For sure, like there's something I really want..."

She blushed, stealing a glance at Sasuke. Ino balled her fist, "Sakura, what in the world are you thinking?"

Laughter broke out among the group, and the focus shifted away from Neji.

Yet, Neji did indeed have something he coveted.

The bet with the elder was one aspect, but what he truly yearned for was the thrill of actual combat!

And not just any battle, but one against a strong adversary, even if it meant risking it all, he was ready to put himself to the test.

His thoughts preoccupied him as he looked over at Naruto, alone in the corner.

...

"Naruto."

Naruto turned to see Neji behind him.

"Your eyes—they're just like Hinata's!"

Neji let out a chuckle, engaging Naruto in conversation...

"Oh? Is that so? The draw was unfair?"

Neji grimaced with a rueful smile, "Yeah, plots 1-5 are probably close to a water source, 6-10 are thick with trees, offering better concealment and safety. Areas 11-15 are crawling with all sorts of predators, and 16-20 are open fields where you're more likely to run into enemies, but they're abundant with wild mushrooms and food."

"That makes sense!" Naruto gasped, then scowled, "But doesn't that favor Shinobi who can wield Fire Style in the woods?"

He muttered, sounding almost envious, "Sasuke's skilled with Fire Style!"

Neji grinned, quirking an eyebrow, "So you got a number between 6-10?"

Naruto hesitated, a lightbulb going off in his head.

He silently berated himself, 'Darn it, Sakura told me to keep the lottery results to myself! But this guy's supposed to be a pushover, so it's probably okay!'

"Hey, hey, Neji, I've got to run—got something else to handle! Give my regards to Hinata, okay?"

Watching Naruto beat a hasty retreat, Neji's face broke into an amused smile.

"Hiss!"

The air was heavy with desolation and menace.

At the Forest of Death's various entrances, all the teams had gathered.

The chorus of cicadas and hisses of snakes intertwined, their origins a mystery hidden deep within the forest.

"Let's split up here! Be sure to reconvene at this location before it gets dark!"

Lee tossed aside his shuriken, and in an instant, the three shinobi disappeared like fleeting shadows.

"Byakugan!"

The sound of rapid footsteps tapped across the terrain at breakneck speed.

Neji halted abruptly, his brow furrowing slightly.

A few seconds passed, and a sly grin curled the edges of his lips.

"Gates 6 to 10, eh? That direction it is..."

He took off without hesitation, heading confidently toward his chosen path.

Above all, Neji, a member of the esteemed Hyuga Clan, yearned to challenge the mightiest opponent and prove his strength!