"Hey, you trash, this is no place for you to play. Get lost before you die."
The arrogant voice echoed through the crowded hallway. Rock Lee lay on the floor, the marks of the blows still fresh on his body. Calmly, he stood up, the determination in his eyes unwavering.
Li Shang watched from the side, his expression calm, but his thoughts were alert.
'Strange... everything seems normal, but I feel like something is off.'
The blood vessels around his eyes dilated, and the Byakugan silently activated. The distortion in the air appeared before his sharp vision, a subtle flicker in the energy of the surroundings.
'Isso... genjutsu?'
It was then that he realized. The plaque on the wall marked the room301, but the energy flow betrayed the hoax. In fact, it was just the room201.
Before he could warn his companion, someone charged through the crowd, pushing his way through with heavy footsteps.
"Get out of the way or I'll run over you."
A black-haired boy with a serious expression and piercing gaze entered the hallway accompanied by Naruto and a pink-haired girl.
'So these are his companions...' thought Li Shang, recognizing them from Naruto's description.
The atmosphere became heavier when one of the bullies, who had been teasing the gennins for some time, gave a mocking smile.
"It seems the newbies don't know what's good... so let me teach them a lesson."
He suddenly advanced, aiming a kick directly at Sasuke Uchiha. The Uchiha clan boy didn't hesitate to respond, nimbly raising his leg, attempting to strike his attacker's head with a high kick.
Fwish!
A sound cut through the air. The speed was so great that few could keep up. In an instant, Rock Lee was between them, his hands raised, catching both kicks with impressive ease.
"What?!" Sasuke recoiled in surprise. 'He caught my kick so easily... I thought he was injured.'
"You?" The attacker was also stunned, unable to believe that he had been restrained without effort.
"Neji, you were already here, so what?" Naruto's excited voice echoed, breaking the tension. The blond smiled broadly upon seeing his friend.
"Good morning, Naruto." Li Shang replied calmly, looking away from the confusion.
Time was running out. The deadline for Chuunin Exam registration was approaching, and the hallways were buzzing with the eager anticipation of the young ninjas.
But before he could gather Tenten and Lee to move forward, another voice filled with contempt came from behind them.
"Acting so carefree in front of me... I don't think those gennins know how terrifying the Chuunin exam is."
A second assailant, the first's partner, rushed Li Shang without hesitation. His fist rose, aiming directly at the young Hyuuga's face.
BAM!
The impact was so abrupt that many held their breath.
"What?!"
In a single movement, almost imperceptible to most, Li Shang raised his fist. The sharp sound of the collision reverberated through the hallway, followed by a stifled groan.
"Ouuuugh!!"
The attacker was thrown backward, rolling across the ground. His body contorted, spitting blood as he coughed violently. Silence fell like a weight on everyone present.
'He... he took him down in a single blow?' thought those watching in disbelief.
Some gennins gulped, their faces paling. The one many had believed would be defeated without resistance had, in an instant, proved ruthless.
Li Shang withdrew his hand naturally, as if nothing had happened. Then, his firm voice cut through the silence:
"Lee, Tenten. Let's go. This isn't the place."
All eyes followed him as he walked through the crowd, ignoring the shocked reactions. His steps were firm, confident, and none of the bullies dared raise their voices again.
As he advanced, he added:
"This floor is under genjutsu. The real room 301 is on the next floor."
The revelation left the gennin even more disconcerted. Many looked at each other, realizing they had been tricked and that, if not for that Hyuuga, they would be wasting precious time.
Leading his companions, Li Shang left the corridor behind. The shock lingered, and everyone watched in silence as the trio walked away.
Naruto's eyes widened in astonishment, while Sasuke narrowed his gaze, analyzing every detail.
'He realized the genjutsu... and defeated that guy with one blow. Neji Hyuuga!'
Meanwhile, Tenten exchanged glances with Lee, both equally impressed by their companion's calm demeanor and commanding presence.
The corridor returned to the hubbub of voices, but the image of Li Shang defeating the assailant in one move still lingered in everyone's minds.
"Hey you, wait."
The firm voice made the group stop in the middle of the hallway. Li Shang turned, surprised to see Sasuke Uchiha standing in front of him, staring at him seriously.
"What's your name?" Sasuke asked bluntly, his obsidian-black eyes conveying a mixture of arrogance and curiosity.
"Neji Hyuuga."
Li Shang replied without hesitation, his tone neutral and his gaze calm, and then resumed his steps as if the meeting was of no importance.
As he walked, his thoughts wouldn't leave him alone.
'Those eyes... remind me of my own. Hatred and revenge burning in silence.'
The memory of old accounts of the Uchiha clan massacre surfaced in his mind.
'That must be it.'
Naruto, eager as ever, pulled his team behind him, dragging Sakura and Sasuke to the room where everyone was supposed to register.
As soon as they entered the realroom 301, Sakura's high-pitched voice echoed in surprise:
"So many people..."
The atmosphere was stifling. Several gennin were gathered together, each bearing the unique traits of their villages. Their headbands displayed diverse origins: Sand, Mist, Sound… A hostile atmosphere hung in the air, judgmental gazes immediately turning to the newcomers from Konoha.
"Sasuke, you've finally arrived!"
A female voice broke the silence. A blonde girl stepped forward, throwing herself into the young Uchiha's arms with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"What?!" Sakura screamed in fury, creating a noisy scene that attracted even more attention.
Li Shang, however, didn't care. He walked past them as if they didn't exist, followed by Tenten and Rock Lee, until he sat at the back of the room. His calm demeanor contrasted with the growing chaos in front.
The small gathering of Konoha's new gennins had attracted too many eyes, and Li Shang knew it.
'Showing weaknesses early on is a mistake. Every hostile look here is someone trying to gauge who will be the easiest prey.'
But then something caught her attention. A peculiar energy, unlike any other, came from a boy wearing round-framed glasses. He smiled with a friendly expression, chatting as if he were just a helpful veteran.
Li Shang narrowed his eyes.
'This Kabuto guy… sixth exam, is what he said? Hmph. This energy… is similar to the demonic path from my old world.'
He recognized it easily. Cultivators of the demonic path disguised their true nature behind false smiles, always waiting for the right opportunity to sink their fangs in. Kabuto's false warmth didn't fool his instincts.
Before he could think further, a small "demonstration" began. Kabuto ended up in a simple but ridiculous confrontation. To Li Shang, it was obvious he'd deliberately let himself lose, as if to appear vulnerable.
'How convenient… to show weakness to hide true power. Typical.'
Then the atmosphere suddenly changed.
Clack.
The door opened, and footsteps echoed through the room. A tall man entered, wearing a black overcoat and a cap that partially obscured his face. His presence was enough to silence every whisper in the room.
"Silence."
His voice was sharp, authoritative. He strode through the center of the room, carrying a stack of papers. His cold gaze swept over everyone present, as if seeking to eliminate any hesitation before it even arose.
"I will be in charge of the first phase of the Chuunin exam."
The murmurs ceased completely. Even Naruto, who always seemed unable to sit still, swallowed hard.
"This is a written test."
A shock ran through the gennin. Some frowned, others widened their eyes. The tension exploded in exchanged glances.
'A written test? This is the first phase?' Li Shang mused, a slight smile appearing on his lips.
'What an interesting surprise. It seems the real battle will not just be of strength, but of mind.'
[Author's Note:This story was originally written in Portuguese, so there may be some translation errors. If you notice any, please let me know so I can fix them. Thank you for reading!]