Land of Fire,
Multi-level marketing organization · Konohagakure.
The arena.
A Hyūga clan genius vs a dead last.
Complaints echoed throughout the stands.
There was nothing worth watching.
And the outcome held no suspense whatsoever.
Hyūga Neji completely overwhelmed Uzumaki Naruto.
Just as the match was about to be brought to an end,
Neji suddenly stopped his movements.
He looked at Naruto, who spoke without a shred of logic—
yet somehow always replied like an overconfident "alpha male," reading messages and responding at will.
Neji smiled and quietly removed the forehead protector from his brow.
The Caged Bird Seal was revealed on his forehead.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
Hyūga Hiashi broke into a cold sweat.
Of all times, why now?
Why choose this exact moment—before so many nobles and foreign shinobi in the arena—to expose the Hyūga clan's disgrace?
Clearly, Neji had a very specific goal in mind.
At the highest tier of the stands—
Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage,
cast a sideways glance at the Third Hokage, whose expression darkened for a moment before he quickly masked it.
Orochimaru smiled.
His former teacher was still as patient as ever.
Worthy of the title "The Professor."
"So… you're saying that as long as one works hard, anyone can become Hokage?"
"Wake up and face reality!"
"Those who can become Hokage are born with that destiny!"
With that, Neji put his forehead protector back on.
Across from him, Naruto—his chakra sealed by tenketsu strikes—fell silent.
He lowered his head, teeth clenched, shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
At last, he tightened his fists and shouted at Neji:
"Hmph!"
"So what?!"
"I won't give up so easily!"
At that moment—
The outcome was already decided.
Whether in strength or in words, Neji had completely crushed Naruto at this stage.
Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
As expected.
Naruto was sent flying once again.
"The idea that hard work alone can make dreams come true…"
"That's nothing but a fantasy."
Neji spoke calmly.
A match that should have ended long ago had been deliberately dragged out by him.
And then—
'Stupid fox! You've lived here for so long—time to pay rent. Lend me your power!'
The Nine-Tails' chakra erupted.
Naruto regained his mobility and, in an extremely disheveled manner, slammed Neji to the ground.
Neji lost.
Not to Naruto—but to the Nine-Tails.
Lying on the ground, he stared at Naruto shouting wildly above him.
For a brief moment, he fell into deep self-doubt.
Before the fight: a mere dead last.
After the fight: turns out he's a major landlord.
"Hmph… a bird trapped in a cage—if it's smart enough—will use its own beak to open the cage door, because it hasn't given up on the hope of freely soaring through the sky."
Shiranui Genma stood with his hands in his pockets, glancing calmly at Neji.
Neji froze.
At the same time—
Thunderous applause erupted from the stands.
Suddenly, Neji felt… relieved.
When a bird is imprisoned, people don't blame the cage.
They don't blame the one who locked it up.
They blame the bird—for not being smart enough.
'Uzumaki Naruto… your sophistry wins.'
Just as Neji closed his eyes and resigned himself—
[Ding~!]
[Comparison Live Broadcast Room Activated!]
[This broadcast will display the lives of the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—Uzumaki Naruto—from this world and a parallel world.]
[The screen with the golden border on the right shows the Uzumaki Naruto of this world.]
[The screen with the black border on the left shows the Uzumaki Naruto of a parallel world…]
A massive, mechanical-sounding voice echoed through the sky.
Everyone froze.
They looked up.
Two enormous screens had appeared in the heavens.
"An… illusion technique?"
"Heh, Lord Hokage, you're joking, right?"
"With all of us here, who could possibly cast a genjutsu right under our noses?"
The old man really is afraid of death.
Despite saying that, the chakra within his body remained stable, not the slightest bit chaotic—his hands continued forming seals for Release.
Soon, the mechanical voice rang out again.
[Ding~!]
[Relevant personnel successfully linked.]
[All participants may speak freely in the comparison broadcast room.]
[All aggressive actions are prohibited during the viewing!]
[A reward-based Q&A session will occur during the broadcast. Rewards include ninjutsu, taijutsu, forbidden techniques, and more—including resurrection-type rewards!]
What?!
What is this?!
Rewards?
Resurrection?!
Just as everyone was still stunned—
A message suddenly appeared in the chat.
Fourth Kazekage · Rasa: 1?
Rasa: I'm dead, and I can still talk?
Rasa: Hey! Orochimaru, get your ass out here! You dared stab me in the back?!
Rasa? The Fourth Kazekage?
Dead—and still talking?!
The arena fell into complete confusion.
Everyone looked up.
Wasn't the Fourth Kazekage sitting right beside the Third Hokage?
Why was he calling himself dead…?
Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly.
Recalling Orochimaru's appearance during the second exam,
he looked warily at the "Fourth Kazekage."
"Orochimaru?"
Hiruzen asked uncertainly.
At the same time, Orochimaru himself was stunned.
The dead could speak…?
He tested his chakra, preparing to ambush Hiruzen—
But his chakra was perfectly calm.
"Any aggressive action is prohibited…"
Orochimaru sighed helplessly.
He removed the Kazekage robes, revealing his true appearance.
"Well, that settles it."
"Sensei, you should thank this comparison broadcast."
"Without it, I wouldn't be able to restrain myself."
"Orochimaru!" Hiruzen glared at his former student.
Anger surged through him—along with lingering fear.
He hadn't realized the Fourth Kazekage had already been killed…
and replaced right at his side.
"What exactly do you want?!"
"To send you off on your final journey, of course."
Since he was exposed, Orochimaru no longer bothered hiding.
He looked up at the massive screens in the sky.
"To make this old, rusted windmill called Konoha start turning again."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Is this technology… or ninjutsu?
Many others shared the same thought.
Then—
Another message appeared in the chat.
First Hokage · Senju Hashirama: Eh? Dead people can really talk? What is this thing?
Second Hokage · Senju Tobirama: Seems so, big brother. Uzumaki Naruto… is he related to Mito?
Hashirama: Probably. Mito, are you there?
Uzumaki Mito: I am.
Hashirama: Hahaha~ You're dead too?
Mito: Not long after Tobirama died, the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed. Every village participated—including Konoha. Tsunade later brought back Kushina as a suitable jinchūriki. After that, I died as well.
Uzumaki Kushina: Eh?! Grandma Mito! Wait—Naruto… my child!
Tobirama: Damn those inherently evil Uchiha!
Hashirama: Tobirama, not again!
Tobirama: Hmph!
Uchiha Madara: Konoha participated? Do you really think the Uchiha—whom you deliberately isolated—had any chance to get involved? Why don't you ask your beloved subordinates instead?
F4: DANGER!!!
Hashirama: Hahaha, I knew you'd be here too, Madara~
Tobirama: Big brother, shut up for now!
Kushina: Everyone shut up! Naruto, can you see the messages? All dead people—are there any living ones? If you're alive, say something!
Might Guy: Something!
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