Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 61 Overtime

The remaining half of the second exam was quite easy. Without Orochimaru as a major problem, and with Naruto's request for cooperation, they arrived at the central tower with Neji's group in no time. With the double protection of their Byakugan and sensory abilities, they encountered no battles, and even wild beasts were practically nowhere to be seen—it couldn't have been smoother. Team 10 declined the team invitation; the competitive spirit typical of young people spurred Shikamaru on. Their team needed a fair and square victory and didn't want to rely on other teams.

Naruto didn't insist, letting them go their own way, and peacefully enjoyed the reward for arriving early. He went back to his rest room and fell asleep immediately, thus recovering from his physical exhaustion.

Of course, the encounter with Orochimaru had to be reported. Naruto deliberately used a rambling description to guide Kakashi's conclusion—that the enemy attacked with snakes, had incredibly long necks, and survived even after being decapitated. He also mentioned borrowing chakra from a fox at a crucial moment. The perverted sage had already arrived in Konoha, and once the higher-ups learned that the Jinchuriki had used the power of a Tailed Beast, they would definitely send someone to closely monitor him. Jiraiya, who wasn't entirely obedient but deeply trusted by the higher-ups, and whose only activities were gathering intelligence and chasing Orochimaru, was undoubtedly the best candidate. Perhaps this time, he wouldn't even have to chase after Orochimaru himself to become his disciple!

Kakashi left, deep in thought, while the three children remained in the central tower, waiting for the five days to pass. The atmosphere among them was somewhat awkward. Sakura was unusually silent, and Sasuke kept avoiding Naruto. He wanted to lighten the mood, but the downside of having three single rooms was that finding a reason to meet, aside from meals, seemed difficult. Moreover, the closer Naruto got, the more anxious they became. Naruto, who could read emotions, was completely unable to fathom their feelings, so he had to abandon his plan to continue searching. Letting them think things through was fine; hopefully, they wouldn't come up with anything strange…

During the few days of rest, teams arrived successfully one after another. They were among the first to arrive and had long since recovered to their best condition, forming a stark contrast to the disheveled teams that arrived later. As soon as the deadline arrived, the examiners immediately announced the assembly, giving them no time to catch their breath. Even the Third Generation himself appeared at the examination venue to announce the start of the competition.

Due to a slight butterfly effect, quite a few teams voluntarily withdrew from the previous exam, leaving only nine teams and one free agent present. Unfortunately, Kabuto withdrew, turning the originally even number of participants into an odd one, giving one lucky player a bye and direct advancement. Considering the balance of skill among the competitors, Gaara unsurprisingly received the bye. The young boy showed little reaction to this result, walking expressionlessly to the stands, though inwardly he was mostly disappointed. Many others, including Naruto himself, breathed a sigh of relief.

That earth-shattering duel completely shattered his young understanding of ninjas, and he was naturally deeply impressed by the severely injured Rock Lee. This time, Rock Lee wouldn't face such an opponent; he wondered if he'd have a chance to advance. Since Naruto woke up, he had already changed too many futures, so naturally he wouldn't believe this exam would be the same. However, unlike the past when he struggled so much, this time he was full of confidence—after all, letting him fight against "peers" was practically bullying a child…

As soon as everyone took their places next to their respective team leaders, the electronic screen displayed the list of participants for the first match. Sasuke, unsurprisingly, won the first match once again, and quite easily, practically treating his opponent like a punching bag.

The following battles were uneventful.

Tenten's loss to Temari was due to elemental advantage, so it was understandable. Sakura's internal Konoha battle with Ino was somewhat unexpected; this time, Sakura avoided the trap and didn't give Ino a chance, winning a pleasing victory. Shino's fight with that guy from Otogakure was unchanged; the insects used for sneak attacks were truly unpredictable. The Byakugan internal battle at least didn't reach the point of life and death; Neji, while still disliking the main branch, seemed less hostile towards Hinata. Shikamaru, as always, won through strategy; only Nara could make such ingenious use of shadow puppets. The only slightly surprising moment was when Kiba entered the fray, but his opponent wasn't him, but Kankuro. With his partner Akamaru's help, Kiba and Kankuro, aided by puppets, managed to create a four-person melee, and unsurprisingly, Kiba lost.

As fewer and fewer people remained who had never participated, Naruto finally began to feel a tiny bit of crisis.

Could his opponent be Li?

"The final match: Rock Lee vs. Naruto Uzumaki!"

When the last person other than them was eliminated, Naruto knew he couldn't escape. Speaking of which, is Lee's luck always this good? In his previous life, he drew Gaara, and this time he drew him… No wonder he's a man who maintains his youthful energy, always challenging the strongest opponents.

"Naruto-kun! I never thought I'd get to fight you in a real match! I'll give it my all! Let the passion of our youth burn brightly on the field!" Lee, tears streaming down his face, issued the challenge, jumping off the stands and immediately starting to untie the weights binding his hands and feet. It was clear he was serious.

Naruto sighed inwardly, but maintained a smile as he gracefully stepped off the stage. He knew this tough battle was inevitable. He'd already rested for three days; using too much chakra wouldn't be against the rules, right? Even running out of chakra was better than taking the damage from the Lotus Flower head-on, wasn't it?

"I'll fight with all my might, Lee!"

As the starting signal sounded, Lee vanished from his spot, probing with a quick straight punch. Naruto, in previous battles, never engaged him in direct combat, instead preferring to use the opponent's force against him to throw him away. To develop a countermeasure, he and Neji practiced for a long time, discovering that Naruto's method of deflecting force resembled a variation of Gentle Fist, and the two actually figured out a way to do it. Half a year has passed since their last battle; will they be able to give Naruto a "surprise"?

However, he was destined to be disappointed. Naruto, surprisingly, lowered his stance slightly and threw an equal punch. Lee's muscle memory was still intact, and he almost immediately raised his other hand to defend, but the heavy force of that punch caused a sharp pain in his well-trained forearm, and he was sent flying.

Naruto, after throwing that punch, didn't press his advantage but instead shook his hand off. Only Rock Lee could train his body to be as hard as stone.

I'm sorry, his physical condition isn't suitable for prolonged combat, so we'll have to resort to a "forceful attack" this time.