The flames gradually died down.
For a long moment, the entire arena was shrouded in smoke, heat, and silence.
Then—
As the last embers flickered out, the scene slowly revealed itself.
And what everyone saw…
Made them gasp.
The once-green surroundings of the arena had been completely reduced to charred black ruins. The trees and vegetation were burned into carbon, the stone walls cracked and fractured under the shockwaves, and the ground itself had been scorched into uneven pits.
Even the soil had split apart under the extreme heat.
It looked less like an arena—
And more like the aftermath of a battlefield.
At the center of it all—
One figure stood.
Hyuga Neji.
Calm.
Silent.
Unmoving.
But—
Where was Naruto?
"He… he didn't get burned to ashes, did he?"
The audience erupted into whispers and speculation.
"With flames like that, how could anyone survive?"
"There's no way he dodged it!"
Then—
Someone suddenly shouted.
"Look! Up there!"
All eyes turned skyward.
Floating above the arena—
Was Aoki Yoru.
In his arms—
An unconscious Naruto Uzumaki.
Naruto's clothes were torn and burnt, his exposed skin marked with severe injuries.
Clearly—
He had barely survived.
Aoki Yoru descended slowly.
Then, without hesitation, he announced:
"The winner—Hyuga Neji."
The stadium exploded.
Cheers.
Applause.
Excited shouting.
Regardless of the outcome—
Both fighters had delivered an extraordinary battle.
For many, this match alone made the entire Chunin Exams worth watching.
But unlike the civilians—
The ninjas present wore grave expressions.
Their eyes were fixed not on Neji—
But on Aoki Yoru.
Neji's technique had been terrifying.
Even seasoned Jonin would struggle against such overwhelming power.
Yet—
Aoki Yoru had blocked it.
Casually.
Effortlessly.
Everyone understood what that meant.
Defense was always harder than offense.
And to neutralize such a large-scale attack in an instant…
Was something very few present could achieve.
In the stands—
Hyuga Hiashi closed his eyes, pain flickering across his face.
"Hizashi…"
His voice was low.
"…perhaps I made the wrong choice back then."
As the head of the Hyuga Clan—
He understood better than anyone.
The difficulty of Neji's technique was unimaginable.
Releasing chakra from every tenketsu in the body—
Even elite Jonin could barely manage partial release.
Yet Neji—
Had mastered full-body output.
And even infused it with fire-nature transformation.
Such talent…
Surpassed even himself.
Perhaps—
Even surpassed past clan leaders.
Second only to legends.
Orochimaru's Desire
On the high platform—
A figure trembled slightly.
Orochimaru.
His eyes were locked onto Aoki Yoru.
His tongue slipped out, licking his lips unconsciously.
"Such a body…"
"Such talent…"
"I want it."
His obsession—
Was unmistakable.
The Next Matches
The arena was quickly repaired.
For ninjas, reconstruction required only a few simple jutsu.
Efficiency mattered more than perfection.
Aoki Yoru stepped forward.
"Second match—begin."
From the stands—
Nara Shikamaru sighed.
"Troublesome…"
Facing Temari, he showed little enthusiasm.
After a battle of strategy—
He successfully captured her with his shadow.
But at the final moment—
He raised his hand.
"I forfeit."
The crowd was stunned.
But those who understood—
Recognized his brilliance.
He had demonstrated everything required of a Chunin.
Leadership.
Judgment.
Intelligence.
Aoki Yoru glanced at him.
A loss… but also a win.
The third match ended quickly.
Kankuro forfeited.
Shino Aburame advanced by default.
Though—
He didn't look pleased.
The Real Battle Begins
"The fourth match—"
Before Aoki Yoru could finish—
A gust of wind swept through the arena.
A figure appeared.
Gaara.
He stood silently.
Covered in sand.
His body trembling.
His eyes—
Bloodshot.
Filled with killing intent.
Aoki Yoru didn't react.
Still immature.
Soon… Naruto will fix you.
Meanwhile—
The other contestant had yet to arrive.
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"What's taking so long?"
"Where is he?"
Then—
"Whoosh!"
Two figures appeared.
Kakashi Hatake.
And—
Sasuke Uchiha.
The crowd erupted again.
This was the battle everyone had been waiting for.
Uchiha vs Kazekage's son.
A perfect spectacle.
Sasuke vs Gaara
The fight began instantly.
Sasuke moved with incredible speed—
Mimicking Rock Lee.
A direct counter to Gaara's defense.
The Sharingan—
Was terrifying.
Techniques that took years to master—
Could be copied in moments.
The battle escalated quickly.
Speed vs defense.
Precision vs absolute protection.
Finally—
Sasuke gathered chakra.
Lightning surged.
"Chidori!"
The attack pierced through Gaara's defense.
Blood spilled.
The crowd gasped.
The Plan Unfolds
Then—
Everything changed.
A genjutsu spread silently.
Like a wave.
Spectators began to fall asleep.
One after another.
Chaos.
Confusion.
Fear.
The signal—
Had been given.
The Konoha Crush—
Had begun.
Orders and Pursuit
Aoki Yoru turned to Sasuke.
"Sasuke."
"Sunagakure is no longer an ally."
"They are enemies."
"I'll leave the three Sand siblings to you."
Sasuke's eyes sharpened.
"I don't care what's happening."
"As long as I kill them—"
"That's enough."
Without hesitation—
He chased after Gaara.
A Sand Jonin attempted to intercept him—
But—
Aoki Yoru stepped forward.
Blocking his path.
"Your opponent…"
"…is me."
The Final Duel
The Sand Jonin sneered.
"You?"
"Just a mascot promoted by Konoha?"
"You think you're a real Jonin?"
Aoki Yoru said nothing.
He simply drew his blade—
Yerun.
In the next instant—
He vanished.
"Clang!"
Steel collided.
The Sand Jonin barely blocked the attack.
But—
His arms trembled.
The force—
Was overwhelming.
His pupils shrank.
A notch—
Appeared on his blade.
"Impossible…"
Aoki Yoru didn't stop.
His speed increased.
Faster.
Sharper.
Relentless.
Using the Body Flicker Technique—
He appeared everywhere.
Every direction.
Every angle.
The Sand Jonin couldn't counter.
Couldn't weave signs.
Couldn't breathe.
Then—
"Crack."
His sword broke.
A single slash.
Clean.
Precise.
Aoki Yoru sheathed his blade.
And walked away.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
Pain exploded.
The Sand Jonin's body—
Split in two.
And fell.
The battle—
Had only just begun.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)