Chapter-65: Neji’s Team

The Forest of Death seemed alive, its oppressive canopy casting shifting shadows that danced with every faint breeze. Neji Hyūga stood at the edge of a clearing, his Byakugan activated. His pearlescent eyes gleamed faintly in the dim light, effortlessly piercing through layers of trees, rocks, and dense undergrowth. 

His teammates, Tenten and Rock Lee, waited behind him, their trust in Neji's abilities absolute. Tenten rested a hand on her pouch of weapons, her sharp eyes scanning their immediate surroundings. Rock Lee, ever eager, shifted his weight from foot to foot, his energy barely contained as he waited for the signal to act. 

"Neji, do you see anything?" Tenten finally asked, her voice quiet but cutting through the tense silence. 

Neji's gaze focused, his expression remaining unreadable. He traced a disturbance to the north, his enhanced vision catching flashes of movement beyond the natural barriers of the forest. Shapes blurred together, accompanied by bursts of faint light that illuminated the shadowy trees. "There's a battle… about 500 meters ahead," he said, his tone calm and even. 

Rock Lee took a step forward, his fists clenching in anticipation. "Is it our chance to secure a Heaven Scroll?" His voice carried a mix of excitement and determination, his ever-present drive to prove himself shining through. 

Neji nodded, but his tone carried a note of caution. "Yes, but this is no ordinary skirmish. There's something unusual about it." 

The air around them seemed to hum faintly, as if the forest itself was reacting to the distant conflict. Neji's sharp gaze caught fleeting glimpses of figures darting through the trees, their movements impossibly fast. Strange energy lingered in the air, its presence unlike anything he'd encountered in the exams so far. 

"Let's move. Quickly," Neji commanded, his composure unshaken. 

The trio darted into the forest, their movements swift and precise as they weaved through the thick underbrush with practiced ease. Tenten moved with quiet efficiency, her footsteps almost soundless, while Rock Lee's boundless energy was tempered by his focus on their objective. Neji led the way, his Byakugan guiding them unerringly toward the disturbance. 

As they drew closer, the distant sounds of the battle grew sharper, cutting through the natural ambiance of the forest. Metallic clangs rang out intermittently, mingling with guttural snarls that didn't sound entirely human. The faint hum of energy reverberated through the trees, an unnatural vibration that set the hairs on the back of their necks on edge. 

Tenten glanced at Neji, her brow furrowing. "What kind of fight are we walking into?" 

Neji didn't answer immediately, his focus trained on the scene unfolding ahead. "Unusual," he finally said, his voice low. "I can't make sense of it. It looks… chaotic —a summoning beast, perhaps—but the combatants are young. Similar age of us.." 

"Young?" Tenten repeated, her surprise evident. 

Lee's eyes widened in concern. "Are they in danger? We should intervene if they're outmatched!" 

Neji's voice remained steady, though a faint edge of curiosity crept into his tone. "It's not what you think, Lee. These guys… they're holding their ground, but their techniques are unorthodox. I can't tell who they are." 

The trio slowed their approach, coming to a stop within a cluster of dense foliage that concealed them from view. Neji's Byakugan continued to track the fight, his expression betraying a flicker of confusion as he observed. Strange bursts of light, rapid movements, and the sound of roaring metal filled the clearing ahead, but the details refused to add up. 

"Something about this isn't right," Neji murmured, his gaze unwavering. 

Tenten tightened her grip on her weapon pouch. "Do we engage?" 

Neji shook his head. "Not yet. We need to understand what we're dealing with first. For now, we observe." 

The trio remained in their concealed position, the forest around them alive with tension as they waited, watching the enigmatic battle unfold in the distance. 

When they arrive closely which can be view by normal eyes, the scene before them was nothing short of chaos. The air was filled with the screech of tearing metal and the earth-shaking roars of a monstrous, three-headed beast. The creature towered above the clearing, its grotesque body a terrifying fusion of gleaming metal and sinewy organic tissue. Its heads snapped and growled, each one armed with razor-sharp teeth that glinted menacingly in the flickering light of the battle.

Its massive, clawed limbs left deep gouges in the forest floor as it charged at the team from Tsukigakure. One head unleashed a barrage of energy blasts that seared the air, scorching the ground where the team desperately tried to evade. Another head lunged forward with terrifying speed, its jaws snapping shut inches from its target. The third head let out a guttural roar, the sound reverberating through the trees like an unnatural thunderclap.

"What kind of monster is this? Something like this shouldn't be here in the Chūnin Exams," Neji muttered under his breath. His Byakugan traced the intricate inner workings of the creature, its body revealing an advanced network of technology interwoven with living tissue. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and the complexity of its design was baffling.

The Tsukigakure team was struggling against the relentless assault. Their movements had grown sluggish, their energy visibly drained. One of their members lay motionless on the ground, his injuries severe. The remaining two fought valiantly but were barely holding their own, their attempts to counter the beast's attacks growing more desperate with each passing moment.

Neji's focus shifted as his Byakugan picked up another battle playing out just beyond the mechanical beast. His gaze sharpened as he spotted two familiar figures locked in combat: Kuro and Xero.

The Kuro he saw now was not the same person he had faced during the first exam. His movements were fluid and precise, each strike landing with pinpoint accuracy and calculated intent. His combat style had evolved dramatically, blending martial arts with an electrifying use of elemental energy that Neji couldn't identify. Sparks crackled around Kuro's fists as he struck with devastating power, each blow generating a pulse of energy that sent his opponents reeling.

Beside him, Xero fought with unrestrained ferocity. His blade moved in a blur, cleaving through the swarm of mechanical wolves that poured into the clearing from every direction. The wolves, summoned by Saibogu Sangō, were relentless, but Xero's strength and resilience were equally unyielding. He swung his massive weapon with ease, the ground shaking with every powerful strike. His golden eye gleamed with wild determination, and his laughter echoed over the din of the battle, a stark contrast to the life-and-death struggle unfolding around him.

Neji's expression remained composed, but his voice betrayed a hint of disbelief. "This isn't the same Kuro and Xero I fought," he murmured, his eyes narrowing as he continued to observe.

Kuro's focus and precision were unrecognizable from the erratic fighter Neji had faced during the first encounter. Each step, each movement, carried the weight of discipline and purpose. Xero, too, seemed transformed—his raw power was tempered with an instinctive understanding of the battlefield, his every strike designed to dismantle the enemy forces with ruthless efficiency.

Tenten glanced at Neji, her brow furrowing. "Kuro and Xero? Those are the ones from that day, right? The ones you said wouldn't last long?"

Neji nodded slightly, his gaze never leaving the scene. "Yes. But they've changed. Drastically."

The trio remained hidden in the shadows, their presence undetected as they watched the chaos unfold. The monstrous beast roared again, its energy blasts scorching the earth, while Kuro and Xero continued to fight with a level of skill and ferocity that left even Neji momentarily at a loss.