Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 266 Joint Chunin Exam 8

Hyuga Kanan also felt sorry for Hatake Sakumo, a cultivator with endless potential who died because of the schemes of a good-for-nothing like Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Seeing that Hyuga Kanan was ignoring them, Hatake Kakashi lost interest in gathering further information. From their earlier conversation, he had a rough idea of ​​the person before him. His teacher, Namikaze Minato, had investigated a great deal of Konoha's secret information after becoming the Fourth Hokage. There were records of a top-tier shinobi from the Hyuga clan, though not detailed accounts of their exact strength; the use of the term "top-tier" revealed a great deal.

Kakashi Hatake wondered to himself, "Could this be the legendary strongest member of the Hyuga clan?"

Before Kakashi Hatake could continue pondering, a figure appeared beside him. The other's muscular physique, dark green tunic uniform, and gleaming teeth all identified him as Mike Kai. This was the only close friend he had in recent years, and the only person in Konoha to have become an elite Jonin solely through taijutsu.

Mike Kay patted Kakashi Hatake on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Yo, Kakashi, you're here too?"

Kakashi Hatake looked at Mike Guy and smiled helplessly: "I'm a Jonin leading a team now, and some of my students are going to participate in the preliminaries."

McKay, however, was completely focused on the others and continued, "Oh? You've become a team leader? Congratulations!"

Kakashi Hatake patted his forehead and said somewhat helplessly, "Uh! I became a Jonin instructor a long time ago. I think I've told you that many times already! Never mind, those behind you are your students, right? They look pretty good."

Upon hearing Kakashi mention his student, Mike Kai immediately perked up. He said to Kakashi, "Then let's have a competition to see which of our students advances to the finals! What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Naruto immediately jumped in, urging Kakashi-sensei to agree quickly, so everyone could see his current strength and performance. Sasuke Uchiha kept his eyes fixed on Kanan Hyuga, his mind racing with thoughts of how to get her to teach him. Sakura Haruno was extremely nervous; she had a very clear understanding of her current strength, recognizing herself as one of the weakest participants in the preliminaries.

Hyuga Kanan looked at the newcomer, sensed him briefly, and then a look of understanding appeared on his face. He pointed at Mike Kay and said to Hyuga Neji, "This guy who just arrived is not simple. His physical strength is very good, even a notch stronger than yours! If we're talking about pure taijutsu, he's very suitable as your next opponent, and can greatly help you develop your body's potential."

Upon hearing his teacher's words, Hyuga Neji's expression changed slightly, revealing a hint of surprise. As a genius of the Hyuga clan, he had cultivated the Daoist Demon-Subduing Fist since childhood, his body constantly refined by natural energy. After breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm, every cell in his body had evolved, far exceeding the capabilities of an ordinary ninja. Yet, now someone could surpass his physical strength—this was truly unbelievable.

However, Hyuga Neji firmly believed his teacher's words. Hyuga Kanan was an experienced and insightful ninja whose judgments of strength were almost never wrong. Since his teacher spoke so highly of Mike Kai, this man must possess extraordinary strength and potential. Thinking of this, Hyuga Neji couldn't help but develop a strong interest in Mike Kai, wanting to know just how powerful he was. At the same time, he began to consider how to accelerate his own strength improvement to prepare for potential future challenges.

Because Hyuga Kanan spoke softly, everyone around him heard him clearly and turned their gazes to Hyuga Neji. These people recognized Mike Kai; he was an elite Jonin of Konoha, proficient in taijutsu, and possessed immense physical strength. However, hearing what Hyuga Kanan said now, they couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt and curiosity.

"What? That Mike Kay?" a ninja couldn't help but ask, his eyes filled with surprise.

“That’s Mike Kai! He’s one of the best taijutsu masters in Konoha!” another ninja chimed in, his face showing admiration.

"Does that mean Hyuga Neji is also very powerful?" someone asked, turning their gaze to Hyuga Neji, trying to glean some clues from him.

"Hmph, just a brat, how strong can he be?" another ninja said disdainfully, clearly not believing the claim.

The crowd buzzed with discussion, but their eyes remained fixed on Hyuga Neji, as if trying to discern what made him so special that he could be compared to McKay. Neji, however, remained expressionless, as if the world around him had nothing to do with him.

Especially Uchiha Sasuke, whose entire focus is now on how to quickly improve his strength, is extremely sensitive to anything related to power. He was quite surprised to hear Hyuga Kanan's assessment. He never imagined that this guy, roughly his age, could already be compared to an elite Jonin. He knew that Hatake Kakashi was only an elite Jonin. And himself? Back when he sparred with Kakashi in the training grounds, he was completely outmaneuvered and had no chance to fight back!

Kakashi Hatake stood beside Sasuke Uchiha, quietly observing the changes in the latter's expression, as if he could read his mind. He saw the light in Sasuke's eyes gradually dim, revealing a hint of frustration and helplessness. Kakashi sighed softly, slowly walked to Sasuke's side, extended a hand, gently placed it on the other's shoulder, and patted it tenderly.

"Sasuke, you've made tremendous progress. Don't worry too much about the gap between you and that kid. Everyone has their own unique path to growth, and your environments and experiences are all different. As long as you persevere and keep improving yourself, you will definitely become an outstanding ninja." Kakashi said earnestly, his gaze firm and warm, trying to give Uchiha Sasuke some encouragement and confidence.

However, Sasuke Uchiha did not feel relieved by Kakashi's words; instead, a look of resentment appeared on his face. He clenched his teeth, his brows furrowed slightly, and he pondered Kakashi's words. He understood from Kakashi's words that even if he tried his best to catch up, he probably wouldn't be able to reach the other's level. These words of comfort only made him feel more powerless and frustrated, and his mood grew increasingly heavy.

Kakashi Hatake looked at Sasuke Uchiha's face, so dark it seemed it could drip water, and couldn't help but sigh. He knew that deep down, Sasuke was still filled with resentment and unwillingness to accept defeat. However, Kakashi understood that only by making Sasuke truly realize the vast difference between them could he truly face reality and understand himself, thus achieving greater growth in the future. Therefore, Kakashi decided to give Sasuke another blow to completely wake him up.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke with a solemn expression and slowly said, "Remember? I told you in the Land of Waves that some of your peers were already far stronger than me at your age. This wasn't just to comfort you; it was a stark reality. Take Hyuga Neji, for example. I fought him before, and despite my best efforts, I was ultimately defeated. That's the harsh reality. Therefore, what you need to do now isn't blindly chase after others, but clearly recognize the gap between yourselves and the stronger ones, and use that as motivation to train even harder and constantly strive for improvement."

The surrounding crowd looked on in shock. They never imagined that Kakashi Hatake, an elite Jonin of Konoha, would lose to Neji Hyuga. It was something they couldn't accept. Neji Hyuga, who was about their age, had already reached a level where he could defeat Kakashi-sensei, which was beyond their comprehension.

Sasuke Uchiha's resentment intensified. He recalled how he had been utterly humiliated by Kakashi, like a child, while Neji Hyuga had managed to defeat him. This was a devastating blow to his usually self-confident self. Although Sasuke's face remained expressionless, his clenched fists betrayed his inner turmoil.

How could Uchiha Sasuke accept this? He had always been a genius in the clan, possessing exceptional talent and ability. Yet, facing Kakashi-sensei, he felt utterly powerless, like a helpless child. This feeling was unbearable for him; his pride and self-esteem had been severely challenged.

At the same time, Sasuke Uchiha's eyes were filled with a burning flame as he looked at Kanan Hyuga. He had just heard Neji Hyuga call Kanan Hyuga "teacher," and the aura Kanan Hyuga had just unleashed proved that the other party was extremely powerful.

Sasuke Uchiha knew that if he wanted to become stronger, he needed to constantly learn and grow. And Hyuga Kanan before him seemed to be the one who could help him improve. He longed to learn more from Kanan to bridge the gap between himself and Kakashi.

Despite his resentment and disappointment, Uchiha Sasuke did not give up, nor did he dare to. Instead, he transformed these emotions into motivation. He believed that if he could be accepted as a disciple by Hyuga Kanan and receive his guidance, he would one day surpass Kakashi-sensei and even kill that man.