Naruto: Zanka No Tachi

"We're all in the same genjutsu. You, Lee, Kurama, even those Iwagakure ninjas—all illusions!" Neji stated gravely.

Tenten, confused, questioned, "But you're explaining it's a genjutsu, and I'm sure I'm myself. How can we be illusions?"

Neji explained, "That's this genjutsu's strength. It traps everyone in the same illusion; we all see the same thing, and we're all illusions!"

Understanding they were under genjutsu, Neji and Tenten, like Haido, tried to dispel it, but to no avail.

"Lee, you've lost. The spar ends here!" Neji shouted, realizing he couldn't dispel the powerful genjutsu; only Yakumo could.

In the center of the training ground, Lee and Yakumo simultaneously delivered powerful roundhouse kicks, creating distance.

Wiping sweat from his brow, Lee laughed, "The fight's just heating up! I feel unstoppable! Why make me forfeit, Neji?!"

Neji sighed, shaking his head, "Didn't you notice? At that intensity, you couldn't have lasted this long. And her taijutsu is identical to yours; it's a perfect illusion!"

Neji's words struck Lee; he'd noticed these inconsistencies but hadn't fully processed them.

Suddenly, the scene blurred, like oil washing from a painting, revealing the true surroundings. Lee remained in his fighting stance, while Yakumo stood calmly opposite him. The destruction from their spar—shattered stones, damaged ground—had vanished, confirming it was an illusion.

Simultaneously, Kurotsuchi and the others outside also saw the illusion dispel, realizing they too had been trapped in Yakumo's genjutsu.

"That was incredible genjutsu! I've never seen anything like it," Hai-do exclaimed, his face a mixture of surprise and admiration. As a fellow genjutsu specialist, he clearly understood the immense gap in their abilities.

He explained the situation to Kurotsuchi and Aka-do, who both lamented that they must avoid Yakumo's team in the Chunin Exams at all costs; otherwise, they might not survive an encounter.

Observing Yakumo, Neji fell into deep thought. A talented and self-assured ninja, he found himself at a loss when facing Yakumo's unique abilities.

Unlike Neji, Lee remained brimming with confidence. "I lost this time, but before the Chunin Exams, I'll find a way to counter your genjutsu!" he declared, his unwavering spirit shining through.

Yakumo nodded, "Then let's settle this in the Chunin Exams." While not believing Lee could break her genjutsu, she respected his unyielding spirit.

"With such a strong opponent, I'll disappoint the old man," Kurotsuchi sighed, her gaze fixed on Yakumo. A sudden thought struck her: since she couldn't beat Yakumo, she might as well befriend her, securing a powerful ally before the individual matches.

Without hesitation, Kurotsuchi, along with Aka-do and Haido, approached Yakumo.

High above in the Konoha Military Police building, two pairs of eyes observed the bustling streets filled with visiting ninjas.

"Kakashi-senpai, have all the villages registered?" Itachi inquired, his voice calm and measured.

While questioning Kakashi about the Chunin Exam participants, Itachi noticed Kurotsuchi, a girl with short black hair and an Iwagakure forehead protector, buying a string of dango and presenting it to his junior sister, Yakumo Kurama. He found the situation rather peculiar.

Kakashi, ever nonchalant, pulled out his copy of "Make-Out Paradise" and replied in his characteristically lazy tone, "They've all registered. Hopefully, these villages will behave themselves and not cause us any trouble."

Due to Yusuke and Minato's leadership style, which emphasized trust in their subordinates, they had delegated significant authority to the Military Police and Anbu. Currently, Itachi and Kakashi were the de facto leaders of these two crucial Konoha security organizations.

"Have those two villages shown up?" Itachi pressed, his gaze still fixed on the street below.

Kakashi, without looking up from his book, responded, "Amegakure ninjas are participating in the joint Chunin Exams and are currently under Anbu surveillance. However, the Otogakure ninjas you mentioned haven't appeared yet."

Amegakure, the base of Akatsuki, was a known fact to both Minato and Kakashi. Regarding Otogakure, Yusuke had only instructed Itachi to keep an eye out for Orochimaru's potential involvement. For now, however, it seemed Orochimaru hadn't dispatched any of his subordinates to participate in the Chunin Exams.

"Kusagakure, however, has sent a considerable number of people, and they don't seem very peaceful. From their movements, it appears they might be targeting the Research Institute," Kakashi added, finally closing his book and turning his attention to Itachi.

Itachi, upon hearing this, responded slowly and deliberately, "Let's hope they don't act rashly. The Research Institute's defense system was personally overseen by the teacher; those barriers are no mere child's play."

Kakashi, showing a renewed interest, asked, "By the way, Itachi, do you have any particular favorites in this Chunin Exam? The intel ninjas have compiled a ranking of individual and team strengths; it's quite interesting."

Chunin Exams in the ninja world were akin to popular sporting events, much like football or basketball matches in the real world. Each village's Chunin Exams attracted numerous spectators, and popular participants garnered significant attention. This joint Chunin Exam, bringing together elite genin from across the ninja world, had generated unprecedented levels of interest.

Itachi, his gaze still on Yakumo below, replied calmly, "I don't have any particular teams I'm focusing on, but I am quite eager to see how my teacher's newest disciple performs."

Kakashi turned another page in his book, commenting, "Your little junior sister is also a top contender; many are predicting she'll take first place in the individual matches."

"However, there are indeed quite a few strong contenders this time around, so the final outcome is still very much up in the air. Kumogakure has sent two elite teams, seemingly aiming to use this Chunin Exam to restore some of their lost prestige in the ninja world."

At that very moment, the Kumogakure team Kakashi had just mentioned was paying a visit to Yusuke at the Uchiha clan compound.

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