Naruto: I, Shikotsumyaku, Byakugan Princess

Chapter 233 The Path of Light and Darkness (Part 1)

"What! The Five Nations Joint Chunin Exams!"

Naruto's voice boomed through the sky, startling the sparrows on the treetops into scattering and fleeing.

Leaves fluttered down, and Sasuke, who was practicing Lightning Release, couldn't help but stand up, his surprise momentarily overshadowing his desire for power.

"That's right!"

Kakashi, usually so lazy and easygoing, became serious and solemn when talking about the exam, putting away his latest "Make-Out Paradise" gear and saying earnestly:
"The five-nation joint Chunin Exams being held this time is an unprecedented super joint exam in the ninja world!"
It wasn't just the ninjas from the five great nations; countless smaller ninja villages, including Kusagakure, Otogakure, Amegakure, Takigakure, and Hoshigakure, also announced their participation in this Chunin Exam!

This will be a grand event for the entire ninja world. Countless geniuses, elites, and monsters will appear in this joint exam. Secret technique ninjas will be plentiful, bloodline limit ninjas will be rampant, and it wouldn't be surprising if a freak comparable to Haigiri appeared!

"So...so awesome!"

Flames raged in his azure eyes, and Naruto clenched his fists, his body trembling uncontrollably.

The trembling wasn't due to fear of the enemy's strength, but rather because he was so excited he couldn't control himself; his muscles, bones, and even his scalp felt like they were being electrocuted!
When he was bullied by his classmates, Hui Li said something to him that he still remembers to this day.

He was called a monster because he didn't have enough power!

Just like how Hui Li is obviously superhumanly heavy, no one dares to call her a monster in front of her, let alone show disgust. Everyone only looks at her with admiration and calls her the number one genius of Konoha.

Now, the strongest genin in the entire ninja world will gather for this exam. If he can achieve good results in this exam, or even come out on top, he can also gain the title of genius!

This exam was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

His bleak life, filled with bullying, contempt, and disgust, is about to be saved by the ray of light that is Hui Li, and he will soon usher in true light!

Breathe~
Sasuke was also stirred by Kakashi's words, even more excited than Naruto, and his breathing became heavy.

While he was wallowing in self-pity in the hospital after experiencing the tragedy of his clan's annihilation, Hui Li killed a Cloud Village ninja and became a hero of the Konoha Ninja Academy.

From that moment on, he realized that all tragedies were caused by one’s own weakness, and if he had the same abilities as Hairi, he would surely be able to stop the Uchiha tragedy.

That's why he desperately cultivates and pursues power, but the more he cultivates, the more he realizes the gap in talent.

Over the years, he has been called a genius at the Ninja Academy, but he doesn't dare to accept this title in his heart at all.

There's nothing he can do; the people around him are just too strong!
Naruto Uzumaki, who can train using hundreds of shadow clones and whose chakra is as vast as the ocean; Haiki Chasing the Sun, whose strength is unfathomable and whose limits are nowhere in sight; and Kakashi Hatake, the former number one genius who graduated at five, became a Chunin at six, and a Jonin at twelve…

He even became a Jonin of Konoha with pure taijutsu power, and it is said that Might Guy could obtain power surpassing that of a Kage once the Eight Gates were opened!
Compared to the incredible talent of these people, Sasuke had deep doubts about his own Sharingan.

Is it really possible to surpass those monsters with just those eyes?
This mindset constantly tested his self-confidence, leading to increasing confusion about his own talent.

For a time, when others called him a genius, he could only mock himself with the phrase "a genius among mortals, a mortal among geniuses"!
Now is the time to test our strength.

Whether it's because Hai Li and Naruto are too special, or because I'm really just ordinary, we'll find out in this super exam!

"Ah~ha..."

Having eaten and drunk his fill, and with a big tree to lean against, Hui Li couldn't help but yawn. Compared to Naruto and Sasuke, who seemed to be on fire, he was practically a lazy bum.

She wasn't excited at all; in fact, she was quite sleepy.

They were just taking a joint exam, but Hui Li, as the chief examiner, had much more to consider!
How can we ensure that the ninjas outside the village don't cause trouble and properly settle the thousands of ninjas who might arrive?

How difficult should the written test be? Morino Ibiki might not be able to intimidate those genin. Would the courage test be effective against the ninjas of the five great nations?

The environment of the Death Forest is extremely harsh, and some parts involving experiments need to be sealed off. The number of candidates is too large, so the pass rate must be reduced. The elimination rate of the Heaven and Earth Scroll is still too low.

Anko, Ibiki Morino, and Genma Shiranui haven't come to Root to find her yet. Judging by the time, the written test questions should have been finalized by now...

Suddenly becoming the chief examiner and being entangled in all sorts of trivial matters, Hui Li even regretted agreeing to Sarutobi Hiruzen's request.

The three had different thoughts, and for a moment the scene fell silent.

After delivering the message, Kakashi kept observing the expressions of the three men.

Two were burning and one was salty, but they showed no fear of the Chunin Exams. He nodded to himself and continued:
"In short, that's the situation."

I've already filled out the application forms for the Chunin Exams for you. Just submit them when the ninjas from each village arrive.

Your next task is to work hard and strive for good results in the upcoming exam.

I have something to attend to, so I'll be going now!

Naruto, his eyes gleaming, nodded vigorously, but upon hearing that Kakashi was leaving so soon after arriving, his eyes instantly narrowed into two horizontal lines:
"Kakashi-sensei, the exam is coming up soon, aren't you going to prepare some special training for us?"

Kakashi scattered the silver broom above his head and glanced at the three people in front of him with dead fish eyes: "Hmm... no, I think with your strength, you can train on your own without any problem."

It wasn't really about being lazy; that was what he truly felt.

Naruto and Sasuke were influenced by Hairi and both followed the path of ninjutsu and taijutsu, which was completely different from his path of becoming an all-around ninja. He had already taught them everything he could, and he could no longer prepare special training for his disciples.

Moreover, he had great confidence in the abilities of his disciples, especially the most monstrous Hui Li.

Although he said he might encounter a genius comparable to Hui Li, he knew very well that such a genius might only appear once every few thousand years, and the chance of meeting one was extremely low. As for a genius surpassing her, such a freak simply couldn't exist in this world!

Special training is really no big deal!
the most important is--

The latest model of Icha Icha Paradise, released this morning, is currently only available at Konoha Bookstore. He just bought it and hasn't had a chance to look at it yet.

Although he appeared very calm, his desire was even greater than that of Naruto and Sasuke!
"Announcement over. I wish you all the best in your upcoming exams. Bye-bye!" Kakashi said, ignoring the three's reactions, as he formed hand seals and released a cloud of smoke.

Call ~
A gentle breeze distorted and dispersed the smoke, and Kakashi's figure had disappeared. The empty Third Training Ground was once again left with only Naruto, Sasuke, and Ash.

"Kakashi-sensei is completely the opposite of Guy..."

Naruto pursed his lips, somewhat speechless. He bent down, picked up the orange jacket from the ground, shook it a couple of times, and then used the jacket as a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.

"We are all taijutsu-type ninjas, so Kakashi-sensei can't help us much."

Having trained with Kakashi for five years, Sasuke still spoke up for him, but finding a suitable teacher remained a major problem for the two of them.

Guy's training method is to hone his will and physical limits, which did help Naruto and Sasuke in the past. However, for them, who urgently need to strengthen their physical abilities to prepare for the Chunin Exams, basic physical training cannot produce immediate results.

Crunch!

Boom!

Just then, the giant tree that had been bent by Hui Li finally gave in and broke, the trunk, with bamboo skewers stuck in it, smashing a shallow crater into the ground and stirring up countless clouds of yellow dust. The wind swept away the dust, and Hui Li, untouched by the dust, stood up and waved to Naruto and Sasuke: "I have to go too, you two continue your training."

"Wait, wait a minute!"

Sasuke suddenly called out to Hairi, his fingers gripping the wide sleeves of his kimono tightly, his expression uncertain as if he were about to make a crucial decision.

Just as she was about to leave, Hui Li saw Sasuke's hesitant expression and knew that he needed her help. Even though Sasuke was quite different from the original character, she was still willing to offer some assistance within her power.

"what's up?"

"I……"

Looking at Hui Li's gentle and beautiful face, Sasuke was speechless for a long time.

He knew that the other person's true nature was completely opposite to her appearance. Beneath her gentle, kind, and sunny exterior lay a witch-like heart. The thought of handing over his body to her for her to study at will filled him with dread.

aside.

Naruto, who was packing his clothes to leave, saw a man and a woman staring at each other in the distance. His leg muscles seemed to be filled with lead, and he secretly turned his neck and squinted, looking extremely sneaky.

Although he had given up on his feelings for Hui Li, he still had to see what was going on!
Naruto's clandestine spying naturally did not escape the eyes of the two ocular ninjas.

With a crimson glint in his eyes, Sasuke winked his Sharingan at Haili, then glanced at Naruto.
"I agreed to what you told me last time..."

What was that we talked about last time?
Hui Li was taken aback by Sasuke's riddle, but when she saw the Sharingan that he had deliberately activated, she immediately remembered that she had wanted to study a living Uchiha and hoped that Sasuke would be her test subject, but he had refused in a panic.

Is this agreed?
Seeing Sasuke's somber expression, a faint joy appeared on Hui Li's face.

The three-tomoe jade, catalyzed by interstitial cells, is a miracle of great effort.

She had always wanted to see what the special chakra that was born in the brain of the Uchiha clan when they experienced extreme emotions, as described by the Second Hokage, was like.

Is it possible to find a way to simulate that unique chakra?
However, due to the extreme rarity of living Uchiha, coupled with the rapid generation of extreme emotions, it is difficult to capture them without a quiet laboratory. She missed the time when Sasuke evolved from a single tomoe to a double tomoe.

"Naruto?"

"Ah~?"

Suddenly, Hui Li turned to look at Naruto, whose ears were perked up, startling him so much that he straightened his back and his voice trembled slightly with guilt.

"Sasuke and I have something to discuss, could you..."

"Okay! I won't bother you anymore!"

Upon hearing Hairi's order to leave, even though the training ground was a public place and Naruto felt as bitter as if he had eaten a lemon, he still obediently turned around and left.

He was powerless to resist Gray Glass's request.

This was true five years ago, and it will be true five years from now!
Moreover, he had a deep understanding of these two cultivation fanatics and knew that Sasuke and Hairi could not possibly be in a romantic relationship.

I guess it's some kind of ninjutsu research project again, but they've never avoided me when they're doing ninjutsu research before...

With his coat draped over his left shoulder and his headband fastened to his right, Naruto walked toward the distant Konoha city with his hands in his pockets.

He wants to eat Ichiraku Ramen!

Naruto's figure gradually disappeared into the woods, and Hui Li's eyes followed him until he was far away.

Since the Orochimaru incident, human experimentation has been an absolute taboo in Konoha! Researching the Sharingan and the Uchiha clan undoubtedly falls under the category of human experimentation, and Naruto, with his sunny disposition, is not suited to be exposed to this darkness.

If Naruto knew that Hairi and Sasuke were conducting human experiments, he would definitely be torn:

Should he report to the Third Hokage, or keep the secret for his two close friends? After a heavy internal struggle, he realized that choosing either option would inevitably lead to pain and unease, and Hui Li felt there was no need for it.

Why not just not tell him?

"What do you want?" After dealing with Naruto who was spying on them, Hui Li looked at Sasuke, whose eyes were bloodshot, and asked directly.

"I'll give you a chance to study the Sharingan in exchange for the Lightning Blade Kiba!"

Having made his decision, Sasuke stopped being hesitant.

Whether it's the Chunin Exams a month from now or his future path in ninjutsu and taijutsu, he needs a powerful lightning blade!

Sure enough, he was eyeing those thunder blades.

Hui Li smiled knowingly. For a ninja skilled in swordsmanship, nothing is more attractive than a suitable ninja sword.

“Once? That’s far less valuable than the precious Lightning Blade.” Upon hearing Sasuke’s offer, Hui Li immediately rejected it.

If Sasuke needs help, she can do him a favor for free, but if she wants to make a deal, then the value must be equal.

She had learned this lesson the hard way in her past life.

She felt they were all good friends, and in some financial transactions, she would always secretly let the other person take advantage of her. But when she finally needed their help, she was met with difficulties, and she still clearly remembers one thing they said:
"Didn't you take money when I asked you for favors before?"

When she was young, she felt very wronged. She had given so much to the other person but they didn't appreciate it. Later, she realized that she had been too foolish.

A favor is a favor and shouldn't be paid for; a transaction is a transaction and shouldn't be mixed with emotions. Mixing them together will only result in losses on both sides!
"How can I exchange it for the Thunder Blade?"

Sasuke was anxious because he couldn't even get the Lightning Blade by selling himself. His naive appearance during the transaction made Hai Li feel a little reluctant to make demands.

After thinking for a while, she said:
"How about this! Starting today, you will serve as my experimental subject for studying the Sharingan, and I will hand over the right to use the Lightning Blade to you."

"Right of use?"

Sasuke pondered the somewhat unfamiliar word, and soon understood its meaning.

He only has the right to use the Thunder Blade, which is equivalent to renting the Thunder Blade by using himself as an experimental subject. Once Gray Glass no longer needs him as an experimental subject, the Thunder Blade must be returned.

It was very fair, but Sasuke was not satisfied.

With Hui Li's terrifying ninjutsu talent, he might be able to thoroughly study his Sharingan in just a few days. What if he gets his hands on the Lightning Blade before it's even used properly? Wouldn't that be a complete loss for him?

If Gray Glass doesn't figure anything out and loses interest in him, his Thunder Blade will also be taken back. It seems that no matter how you look at it, the Thunder Blade can't become his usual weapon, which completely goes against his original intention of exchanging for the Thunder Blade.

"I want ownership of this lightning blade. Name your price!" Sasuke took a deep breath, completely relinquishing control.

(End of this chapter)