Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece-Chapter 69. What Bad Intentions Could a Blind Man Possibly Have?

Chapter 69 - 69. What Bad Intentions Could a Blind Man Possibly Have?

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The crowd had gathered.

The Third Hokage stood before the surviving Genin and their jōnin instructors, his voice calm but heavy with gravity.

"This Chūnin Exam," he began, "is more than a test; it is war."

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the assembled Genin. But Hiruzen continued.

"A war... minimized, sanitized, and disguised. One where the battlefield is here and you are the weapons."

His pipe smoldered. His eyes, once kind, now bore the weight of many winters.

"You are a shinobi. Tools of your villages. And this exam determines which village earns favor... and which fades into irrelevance."

He spoke of how missions meant money, and how money meant power. Power that sustained nations. Nations that trusted their military to stay strong. And military strength?

It began with them.

This wasn't about friendship. It was about displaying strength. A gladiatorial spectacle for the feudal lords of allied nations to measure the value of their future pawns.

It wasn't peace, it was a managed bloodletting.

---

As the speech faded, the proctor Hayate Gekkō, still coughing through every third word, stepped forward.

The preliminaries would begin.

With Kabuto quietly withdrawing, the number of Genin remaining was now twenty, perfectly balanced for ten one-on-one matches.

The winners... would advance to the final stage of the Chūnin Exams.

---

Match One: Sasuke vs Yoroi Akadō.

A clean win for Sasuke.

Despite the pulsing curse mark burning beneath her skin, she controlled it. Barely.

High above, Orochimaru watched through slitted eyes, concealed behind his human mask.

'Disappointing... she's suppressing it.'

But his smirk never faded.

All the more interesting.

---

Meanwhile...

Far from the coliseum, in a sealed chamber surrounded by pillars etched with barrier runes, two figures stood with a third seated in the center.

Sasuke, trembling with fever, sat cross-legged within a sealing array. Sweat beaded her brow. The curse mark was spreading.

Beside her was Neji Hyuga.

And across from them... stood Kakashi Hatake.

"Sorry to call you out like this," Kakashi said, his tone as calm as ever, but his gaze sharp beneath his slanted headband. "But we need you."

"Your situation is delicate," he continued, turning toward Sasuke. "And with the Curse Mark taking root faster than expected... we can't afford to wait for the sealing squad."

Neji's brow twitched. "You want me to perform the sealing jutsu?"

Kakashi nodded. "It was Sasuke's suggestion. You're the only one available with the necessary chakra control."

"...Because I'm blind," Neji said flatly.

Sasuke, pale and flushed, managed a weak smile. "What bad intentions could a blind man possibly have?"

"...Seriously?"

Neji's lip twitched. 'Is this her idea of trust?'

But it was too late to back out. Sasuke was already struggling to stay conscious. Kakashi, sensing time was short, nodded to Neji.

"Please."

Without another word, Kakashi stepped out of the room.

The door clicked shut.

Inside, Sasuke slowly removed her shirt, revealing the curse mark writhing across her collarbone and shoulder like living ink.

"...Let's get this over with," Neji muttered, biting his thumb and letting a bead of blood rise.

[Sealing Jutsu: Suppression Seal]

His chakra-infused fingers began to draw glowing runes along her skin, each symbol burning with intensity. Sasuke trembled, her jaw clenched against the rising pain.

The markings began to crawl across her back, responding violently.

Her breathing hitched. Then—

"AAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!"

She collapsed forward, catching herself with shaking arms. The pain was excruciating.

But Neji didn't flinch. His chakra pressed harder, forcing the seal into place, ignoring the scream that tore from her throat.

'You can hate me later. Right now, I'm saving your life.'

---

Outside the room, Kakashi stood guard, silent, still.

Until a voice slithered through the darkness.

"Well, well... look what the prodigal Copy Ninja is doing these days. Babysitting?"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. His hand instinctively hovered over his hip pouch.

"...Orochimaru."

From the shadows, the snake man emerged, grinning like a vulture circling prey.

"Don't worry," he crooned. "I'm not here for you. I've come for the girl."

Kakashi's body tensed, placing himself firmly between the door and the intruder.

"You're not getting near her."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Protective, are we? How sweet."

"You already put a Curse Mark on her. Isn't that enough?"

"Hardly," Orochimaru hissed. "She's a Uchiha. Her bloodline is perfect. So much potential..."

His yellow eyes gleamed.

"...Just like yours."

Kakashi blinked. "What?"

"That eye of yours... the Sharingan. So rare. So precious. I'm almost jealous."

Kakashi's jaw clenched. Orochimaru's ambitions weren't just dangerous, they were personal.

"And now," the Sannin whispered, "I need pieces. Strong ones. To build my village."

"You mean your little 'Sound Village' project? Another excuse for conquest?"

"I prefer the term... evolution."

Inside the room, another agonized scream echoed.

Kakashi's gaze darkened.

Not yet, Sasuke. Just a little longer...

Don't come out. Not until you're ready.

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