GENIUS VS GENIUS

Lee continued, his gaze unwavering from Sasuke. "I mean, if by the least possibility, we have reached a different place... or..." His voice dropped slightly, filled with a hint of gravity. "...at a different time..."

Before Lee could finish, Naruto quickly jumped up from the ground, his eyes wide with excitement. "You have also figured that out, Bushy Brows!" he exclaimed, pointing at Lee. "We also think that we have reached...!"

Sasuke, reacting with lightning speed, shot up from the floor. He swiftly reached out and clapped his injured palm over Naruto's mouth, cutting off his words mid-sentence. It was a clear, firm gesture to stop him from speaking any further.

Sasuke leaned in close to Naruto's ear, whispering fiercely. "You Usuratonkachi! Why are you revealing everything to them?! I told you we can't trust them!"

Ino and Hinata stared at Sasuke and Naruto, then exchanged bewildered glances. They couldn't understand what Sasuke was aiming at, or why he was whispering so intently to Naruto.

Naruto, muffled by Sasuke's hand, tried to speak. "No, Sasuke! You are wrong! They are good! You can—"

Understanding that Naruto was about to reveal his true thoughts to all three of them, Sasuke quickly cut him off. He knew he had to divert the conversation. Still covering Naruto's mouth, Sasuke spoke directly to Lee, his voice frustrated and strained. "What did you just say... Lee?"

Hinata, seeing Lee's earlier blunder and Sasuke's sharp reaction, quickly gave a subtle, yet firm, push to Lee's shoulder from behind.

Lee looked back at Hinata, and a quick, understanding nod passed between them. He straightened, gathering his resolve.

'A signal,' Sasuke thought, his eyes narrowing as he watched the brief exchange between Hinata and Lee, even as he held Naruto. 'She's stopping him to speak further. What are they hiding?'

Lee cleared his throat, his expression now serious and focused. "What I said was, Sasuke-kun... I am asking that from which time are you?"

Sasuke's mind raced, a barrage of questions striking him. 'This is a trick. I'm sure this Lee didn't ask this question before... Or did he? Am I mishearing it? Why would he ask that now?' His grip on Naruto's mouth loosened slightly in his surprise.

Naruto, sensing the momentary distraction and a chance to speak, finally broke free from Sasuke's grasp. He rubbed his mouth, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. "See, Sasuke! I told you! You can trust them, dattebayo! See? They also figured it all out!"

Naruto was about to launch into another explanation, his enthusiasm bubbling over, when Sasuke's patience snapped. He glared at Naruto, then his gaze snapped to Lee, his voice loud, sharp, and laced with pure annoyance.

"Rock Lee!" Sasuke practically snarled, unable to stand Naruto's clumsy behavior a second longer. "First, you tell me, from which time are you?" He then let out a low, sarcastic chuckle. "Heh... Rock Lee, since when did you become so clever? It must be this Hyuga girl's doing, that's why she gave the signal, didn't she?"

Sasuke's dark eyes bore directly into Hinata's. Hinata, caught completely off guard and realizing her subtle role in their plan had been exposed, immediately looked down at the ground, a faint blush creeping up her neck.

Lee, however, remained firm. "No, Sasuke-kun! You please tell it first! In fact, I was the one who questioned you first!"

Sasuke scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "No, you tell it first, or I won't tell you anything. And neither will Naruto."

"Sasuke-kun!" Lee protested, his voice rising in frustration. "Why are you turning my own question against me? You just tell me from which time you are!"

"I told you!" Sasuke retorted, his voice edged with anger. "You tell us, or neither me nor Naruto will!"

Ino, fed up with the childish back-and-forth, stepped forward, throwing her hands up. "Seriously! Stop fighting like babies, both of you!"

She then turned directly to Sasuke and Naruto, speaking clearly and quickly. "Fine! We're from the time of the Chunin Exams' Second Round, when all the genin were assembled outside the Forest of Death!"

Hinata, relieved that Ino had taken the lead, quickly continued, her voice gaining a bit more confidence. "Yeah! And we were about to enter the forest only, but then we just... disappeared!"

Lee, seizing the opportunity, quickly spoke up again. "Now tell me, Sasuke-kun, from which time are you?!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, a look of disbelief on his face. "You guys already went to the Chunin Exams?" he stated, rather than asked, his voice laced with suspicion. He looked at Naruto, a clear demand for confirmation in his gaze. "We just received the forms for it, right, Naruto?"

"Yeah, dattebayo!" Naruto chimed in, nodding vigorously.

All three — Lee, Ino, and Hinata — exchanged confused glances. Their carefully constructed lie was already hitting a snag.

"I, Sasuke, and Sakura-chan were training with Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto continued, oblivious to their discomfort, "but then we just disappeared, dattebayo!"

Sasuke's eyes were growing wide as he listened to Naruto. 'Unbelievable,' he thought, a flicker of surprise in his expression. 'The Dobe can actually lie this well? I almost believe him myself.'

Naruto then put a hand to his chin, his brow furrowed in thought. "I see! This explains why you all are from the Second Round, huh? And why Bushy Brow's legs are okay, and Ino has short hair, dattebayo!" He pointed at Ino's neatly trimmed blonde hair.

Ino's hand flew up to her short hair, and she tugged at a strand uncomfortably. "Yeah," she mumbled, avoiding eye contact. "You can say that."

Sasuke, sensing the situation spiraling out of his control and noticing the subtle signs of discomfort from the other three, quickly grabbed Naruto's arm. He pulled his teammate closer, leaning in and starting to whisper fiercely into Naruto's ear, his voice low and urgent.

Meanwhile, Hinata looked at Ino, her face a mask of worry. Ino just shrugged helplessly, her hands splayed out in a silent gesture that clearly said, 'Don't look at me! I didn't know what to say!'

Naruto was listening intently to Sasuke's frantic whispering, nodding along, his eyes wide. But then, as Sasuke continued, something clicked in Naruto's mind. His eyes suddenly blazed with anger. He burst out, pulling away from Sasuke's grip with a furious shout.

"YOU LIARS!" Naruto roared, his voice echoing in the cavern.

Hinata, startled by Naruto's outburst, stepped forward a little, her voice barely a whisper. "What's the matter, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto spun to face her, his anger plain. "Hinata! At least you could have not fooled me, dattebayo! I thought you were so sweet and sincere!"

Hinata flinched, her shoulders slumping. She looked down at the ground, guilt washing over her. 'He's right... I feel so bad for lying from Naruto-kun.'

Sasuke, witnessing the dramatic fallout, couldn't help but let out a deep, drawn-out sigh. He'd had enough. 'Sweet and sincere, huh?' he thought, glancing at Hinata with a knowing smirk. 'Heh. She was the only one who seemed to be the mastermind behind this whole pathetic charade.'

Naruto then turned his blazing gaze to Ino, pointing an accusing finger right at her. "Tell me, Ino!" he demanded. "If you all were about to enter the Forest of Death, then how come you have short hair, dattebayo?! You didn't even enter yet!"

All three — Lee, Hinata, and Ino — froze. Their eyes went wide as they suddenly realized Naruto had a perfectly valid point.

Ino's mind raced. 'My hair... Oh, no! How could I be so useless?! Everything was going so well, but my stupid hair became a problem!'

She felt a wave of panic. 'But who could notice something like that so well?!' She stared at Naruto, then a thought struck her, sending a jolt through her. 'No way! He can't simply be that observant... that means...'

Her head snapped towards Sasuke, her eyes wide as they met his. A smooth, faint pink blush immediately crept onto Ino's cheeks. 'Heh! Sasuke-kun notices girls' hair! What a bad habit...!' She quickly looked down at the ground, hoping no one could see her reddening face.

Naruto, however, was not finished with his line of questioning. He repeated his point, pointing at Ino again. "Tell me, Bushy Brows, how does this explain the time from which you came, dattebayo?"

Lee opened his mouth to try and explain, but before he could even utter a sound, a new voice cut through the air, clear and calm.

"Then how does Sasuke's attire explain the time from which he came?"

Ino, Hinata, and Lee all spun around, startled, their heads snapping towards the direction of the voice, which had come from directly behind them.

Naruto's and Sasuke's eyes widened in unison.

The figure approaching was none other than Hyuga Neji himself, moving slowly. Tenten was right beside him, supporting him, as he was still quite injured.

Neji's one hand rested on Tenten's shoulder, and Tenten held his back with her hand, helping him walk properly.

Sasuke's eyes swept over Neji, a glint of recognition in his gaze. 'Heh... Hyuga Neji. As expected from a true genius like him.'

"Neji!" Naruto exclaimed, confused. "What do you mean, dattebayo?"

Hinata, watching her cousin, thought, 'Neji nii-san is right to point out Sasuke-kun's clothes! They're definitely from the time of the 'Chunin Exams' final round!'

Neji paused, his eyes calm and piercing. "Sasuke's clothing style," he began, his voice steady. "His outfit clearly shows he is from the time of the 'Chunin Exams' final round."

Sasuke's smirk grew, sensing an advantage. "If you know what I wore in the Chunin Exams, then that means you are from a time more ahead than that, aren't you?"

"Of course," Neji replied, without hesitation.

"Of course, I am from a time ahead of the Chunin Exams.I never denied it"

Ino's face fell. 'Oh no!' she thought, her eyes widening in horror. 'Neji-san has ruined everything! Now everyone will think we're from the future, and we'll have to be super careful about what to say and what not to!'

Neji then paused, his gaze shifting to Ino. "But..." he continued, his voice now carrying a subtle challenge, "this doesn't explain that you know at which time Ino cut her hair short—whether it was specifically at the time of the 'Chunin Exams' 'Second Round'."

Ino's jaw dropped. She stared at Neji, completely shocked, unable to understand what he was trying to do. 'What is he even talking about?!'

Neji, seeing their confusion, clarified his point, his voice precise. "That means that you both are from a time more ahead than the Chunin Exams 'Second Round'."

'Shoot! We're caught really badly, dattebayo!' Naruto thought, his triumphant grin from earlier completely gone.

Sasuke, however, gave a slight smirk. 'As clever as ever, you are, Hyuga Neji,' he thought, a hint of grudging respect in his eyes.

Lee's face hardened as he looked at Naruto and Sasuke. "That means that you both were lying!" he accused directly.

Sasuke scoffed instantly, his retort sharp and quick. "Don't forget, Rock Lee, you played the game of lying first! We only lied because you all weren't trusting us from the start!"

Neji's eyes flashed, his tone cutting. "Who said that Lee was lying, huh?"

Hinata looked at Neji, a flicker of confusion crossing her face as their eyes met. Neji's gaze was firm.

Neji continued, addressing Sasuke directly. "Lee is surely saying it correctly. He is indeed from the time of the Chunin Exams Second Round."

Sasuke quickly challenged him, a smirk on his face. "And how come you know it, huh? It's not like you or he had a conversation about it. How are you so sure?"

Lee was about to speak, opening his mouth to say, "Because..." but Ino cut him off, stepping forward with newfound determination.

"Because his leg is alright!" Ino declared, looking at Sasuke. "And I know it because I am from the same time as Neji-san. The Chunin Exams have already finished for us!"

Tenten, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but inwardly cheer. 'Truly clever, Neji! I knew we could count on your brilliant mind!'

Naruto's eyes widened. "That means Ino and Neji are from a time more ahead, dattebayo!" He looked at Tenten, Lee, and Hinata. "And what about you all?"

But before they could answer, Sasuke's voice, cold and stern, cut in. He looked directly at Neji. "Hyuga Neji, since you are from the future, don't try to spill anything which we don't know, or which can harm the present timeline."

His eyes dared Neji to defy him.

Neji's gaze met Sasuke's, equally unyielding. "You think that only you know the rules of Space-Time Travel Jutsu?" Neji retorted, his voice calm but sharp. "And I don't intend to tell anything to the likes of you either."

"Just as a warning..." Sasuke's voice dropped, a hint of menace in it. "I warned you."

Neji's eyes narrowed. "You need not warn me about anything. And don't treat me as a fool."

Seeing the serious argument escalating between two of the most level-headed people, Hinata quickly jumped in, answering Naruto's question to distract them both.

"Naruto-kun," she said softly, "I am from a time when all the genin were gathered for the Chunin Exams' Second Round. When everyone was just about to enter the Forest of Death."

Lee quickly followed, nodding. "Me too! I don't understand what you guys were talking about my leg, but... I'll try not to know it!" He gave a quick, awkward bow.

Naruto gave a nod to Lee, then turned his gaze to Tenten.

Tenten spoke, a slightly exasperated sigh escaping her lips. "I am also from the same time as Hinata and Lee."

Naruto nodded, piecing it all together. "So, Neji and Ino are from the time when the Chunin Exams are finished, dattebayo. Me and Sasuke are from the time of the Chunin Exams' final round. And Hinata, Tenten, and Bushy Brows are from the time of the Chunin Exams 'Second Round!"

Everyone gave a slow nod, confirming his summary.

"But..." Naruto's voice softened, almost a whisper. "About Sakura-chan... we don't know, dattebayo." He looked towards Sakura who was still laying unconscious.

Before he could finish, Lee cut him off. "And what about the child?" Neji turned to Lee, his brow furrowed. "What child?"

"There's a young boy over here," Tenten explained, gesturing towards Mini Sasuke's unconscious form. "And it appears that Sasuke did something to him."

Ino winced. 'This Tenten! Why does she have to talk so much?! If Sasuke-kun gets angry again, there'll be another argument. And Neji-san, he had to speak up too!'

Lee then addressed Sasuke, his tone firm. "Sasuke-kun, would you mind telling us what you did with the child? And in the first place, why did you do it? You should have asked from us before doing something to him. It's not like he is related to you or something."

Sasuke's anger began to rise. He couldn't understand why everyone was so worried about his younger self. His voice was sharp, a hint of fury in his eyes. "Whatever I do, I don't need permission from anyone! Not from you, not from a child, and not even from Naruto!" He shot a glance at Naruto.

Naruto understood the signal. Sasuke wanted him to take over. "Well, you guys," Naruto began, putting his hands on his hips. "This boy... Sasuke knows him! And he didn't do anything bad to him, dattebayo!"

Ino's eyes widened. 'Sasuke-kun knows this young boy? But... how?'

"How?" Neji asked directly.

"This boy, he's from the future itself!" Naruto explained confidently. "Sasuke had a talk with him, and he told him that he was an Uchiha, dattebayo!"

"But that's impossible!" Tenten exclaimed. "How is that possible?! Isn't Sasuke.... THE LAST UCHIHA?"

"Look!" Naruto insisted, pointing towards the unconscious Mini Sasuke. "He has an Uchiha crest on his back, dattebayo!"

Sasuke glared at Naruto, his eyes burning with fury. 'You Dobe!' he thought. 'I didn't tell you to lie like this! This sounds like a completely unbelievable lie!'

"But how?" Ino pressed, still struggling to understand.

Naruto continued, unfazed. "Maybe in the future, Sasuke... did this, and this boy is his... uh... this!" Naruto trailed off, gesturing vaguely, not wanting to say 'son' out loud.

Ino looked down, a deep blush creeping up her face in embarrassment as she realized what Naruto was hinting at.

Hinata took a moment to process Naruto's 'explanation'. When she finally understood, her face also flushed, and she looked down, embarrassed by the implication.

Naruto, still on a roll, turned to Neji. "Neji, since this boy is from the future, Sasuke couldn't question him much as..."

Lee, picking up on the subtle cue, quickly finished Naruto's sentence. "As the information from the future is not to be shared with people from the present, as it has some tremendous effect!"

"Right, dattebayo!" Naruto confirmed, grinning. He looked at Sasuke and gave him a quick, exaggerated wink, as if to say, 'See? I got it! I handled it perfectly!'

---

QUIZ QUESTION

What is the most prominent reason for the intense argument between Neji and Sasuke in this chapter?

A) Neji doesn't trust Sasuke because he left the village in his future, and Sasuke doesn't trust Neji due to their past limited interactions.

B) Neji is challenging Sasuke, thinking he's acting too clever, while Sasuke is fiercely trying to prove his superior intelligence and control of the situation.

C) Sasuke is already angry about his younger self's presence and lets all his frustration out on Neji.

D) Neji is upset with Sasuke for thinking negatively about Hinata.

Share your answers in the comments down below!

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter, 'Genius vs. Genius,' was a real battle of wits, wasn't it? 🤯 It perfectly captured how Sasuke and Neji, two of the most clever and logical minds among the genin, clashed. Their argument wasn't just about who was smarter, but about their deep-seated suspicions and the tricky business of knowing (or not knowing) about different timelines. 🕰️

It showed how even the most composed characters can get into heated debates when big secrets are on the line! 🔥🤫

In this chapter, things got even more complicated! 😵 Naruto, in his typical enthusiastic way, accidentally let slip that he and Sasuke were from a time after Hinata's group's supposed timeline. 🤦‍♂️

This led to Neji's sharp entrance, where he quickly picked apart everyone's stories based on details like Ino's hair and Sasuke's clothes. 💇‍♀️👕 This kicked off a fierce verbal sparring match between Neji and Sasuke, as they argued about revealing future information. ⚔️

Meanwhile, Hinata, Lee, and Tenten tried their best to keep their 'white lie' going, with varying degrees of success. 🤥 It was a chaotic but fun mix of uncovering truths and trying to hide them! 😅😂

As our confused genin find themselves deeper in this time-space mess, the next chapter will take us inside the minds of the Uchiha! 🌌

Get ready for a crucial conversation between Older Sasuke and his younger self. 🗣️ What will Older Sasuke tell Mini Sasuke about their past and future? How will he prepare him for the shocking truths that lie ahead? 💔

And with everyone still stuck in this mysterious hole, we'll see our young shinobi try all sorts of different methods to escape. 💪 Will their combined efforts finally get them out, or will they remain trapped? ❓ Keep tuning in to find out if they succeed or not! 🌟