Naruto: Eating A Devil Fruit In The World Of Shinobi

After leaving the central tower, Kaito left with the girls, bidding farewell to Shikamaru and the others. As for Sasuke, Kaito had no intention of paying attention to him and didn't care whether he lived or died.

A few days later, the second round of the Chunin Exams concluded.

Just as in the original story, but this time, there was an additional figure — Ayanami Kaito.

In a large enclosed room the size of a stadium, Kaito and the others, along with Genin from other villages who had passed the second exam, stood in a line.

High above, the Third Hokage and several jonin watched them intently.

The sickly Hayate stepped in front of everyone and relayed the Third Hokage's decision.

Because too many candidates passed this round, a qualifying round would be held to narrow the numbers.

Just like in the original, Yakushi Kabuto left the venue claiming he wasn't feeling well.

The number of candidates dropped from 22 to 21.

This unexpected change seemed to disrupt the Third Hokage's initial arrangements, so he decided on an alternative plan.

Hayate coughed and took out a box. "There are 21 of you here. Since the numbers are uneven, one person will receive a bye."

"There are 21 wax balls in this box. Inside one of them is a slip of paper with a blank space written on it. The one who draws it will automatically advance to the finals in a month."

"Line up one by one and draw your lot."

Whether by coincidence or some hidden will of the universe, the person who drew the blank slip was none other than Kaito.

The moment Kaito drew his slip, Kiba, Choji, and the others who knew his strength secretly breathed sighs of relief. It was a blessing this monster wouldn't be part of the preliminaries.

At the same time, a trace of envy flashed in their eyes. "Lucky bastard…"

"Alright!" Hayate announced. "Congratulations to Genin Ayanami Kaito for receiving the bye and advancing directly to the finals in a month!"

After a brief pause, he continued, "Now, the Chunin Exam preliminaries officially begin! The first match!"

The electronic board above spun rapidly before two names flashed across the screen:

Uchiha Sasuke VS Akado Yoroi

Hayate glanced over them. "Will the two Genin remain, while the others head to the second-floor observation platform. Genin Ayanami Kaito, you may leave if you wish. You have no business here until the finals. Just remember to report then."

Kaito shook his head. Ino and Hinata were both here. There was no point leaving alone.

Soon, only Sasuke and Yoroi remained in the arena.

As Gekkō Hayate called out, "The first match of the Chunin Exam preliminaries — Uchiha Sasuke versus Akado Yoroi — begins!" the preliminaries officially commenced.

After several days of treatment in the hospital, Sasuke's injuries had mostly healed. Other than the curse mark on his neck, his body was back to normal.

Predictably, Sasuke emerged victorious in the opening bout.

Everything proceeded as it did in the original storyline:

Second match: Aburame Shino vs. Zaku Abumi — Shino won.

Third match: Misumi Tsurugi vs. Kankuro — Kankuro won.

Fourth match: Yamanaka Ino vs. Haruno Sakura.

Kaito reached out, ruffling Ino's hair with a faint smile. "Your turn."

"Ino, do your best!" Hinata cheered softly.

"Got it! Watch me crush Sakura!" Ino grinned, clenching her fists before leaping from the second floor, radiating confidence.

Kaito chuckled, glancing at Sakura on the field. He knew how this match originally ended in a draw.

But now? The outcome was obvious.

Ino was not only highly skilled in her clan's secret techniques but had also mastered several powerful techniques Kaito had passed down to her, including the Six Styles and Super Strength. Compared to Ino, Sakura wasn't in the same league.

As expected, the match was over in mere moments, with Ino emerging victorious.

Fifth match: Tenten vs. Temari — Temari won.

Sixth match: Nara Shikamaru vs. Kin Tsuchi — Shikamaru won.

Seventh match: Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kiba Inuzuka. In a heated and unexpectedly fierce battle, Naruto pulled off an upset victory.

Eighth match: Hinata Hyuga vs. Neji Hyuga.

Before the match, Kaito patted Hinata on the shoulder. "It's your turn, Hinata. Go show him."

"Hinata, smash that smug face for me!" Ino shouted, waving her fists excitedly.

She hadn't forgotten Neji's condescending attitude in the Forest of Death, where he'd looked down on her and Shikamaru.

She had wanted to fight him herself, but fate had handed this opportunity to Hinata.

In the arena, Hinata and Neji faced each other.

Neji's cold eyes gleamed with a sneer. "I never thought I'd have to fight you, Hinata-sama."

"I've said it before," Neji continued darkly, "you're too weak. You don't belong in the clan, much less as the heir."

"Admit defeat. I don't want to hit you too hard."

Hinata raised her head. Her voice was calm and resolute. "Neji-san, I'm not the person you used to know. For the people I care about, I won't hold back."

"Heh." Neji grinned with a feral glint. "Then let's see how much you've improved."

His veins bulged as his Byakugan activated, and he dashed toward her like a panther.

Hinata remained composed. Closing her eyes for a second, she then snapped them open — Byakugan activated.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. A faint yin-yang symbol formed around her, the Gentle Fist's chakra field spreading out visibly.

Neji, mid-charge, narrowed his eyes in surprise. Such a broad field of chakra — even he, the Hyuga clan's proclaimed prodigy, couldn't expand his Gentle Fist field this far.

He recognized the depth of Hinata's technique at a glance.

'So the timid heiress has some talent after all,' Neji thought coldly.

But his hatred for the main family — especially Hyuga Hiashi — couldn't be so easily erased.

"I take back what I said, Hinata-sama," Neji sneered. "You have potential. But if you think this alone will be enough to defeat me… you're a fool."

Even as he spoke, Neji had already arrived in front of her, his palms raised in a classic Gentle Fist stance, mirroring hers.

---

Would y'all have preferred 'Lady' or 'Sama'?

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