These were all bewildering feats—when he arrived, all that remained was blood and an unconscious child.
The confusion settled deep within his heart.
As for others, many didn't even know Shiki Uzumaki had once mastered the Scalpel ninjutsu.
They didn't know that this boy, Shiki Uzumaki, had actually reshaped the Scalpel and condensed it into a solid blade-like weapon right in his hands.
Now Shiki stood there, blue chakra flickering faintly in his palm, as if it might vanish at any moment.
Yet Neji Hyuga, standing directly before him, wore an extremely serious expression, because according to his Byakugan's perception...
That chakra blade in Shiki's hand gave off an intense danger signal.
"A secret technique? But why prefix it with 'Scalpel'?" Neji thought with confusion. As an outstanding student, he naturally knew what the Scalpel was—it was a method employed by Medical Ninja, where chakra blades were formed on the hands for performing surgeries on patients.
But what Shiki Uzumaki had created was a solid blade made entirely of condensed chakra!
Though that pale blue chakra blade looked sleek and delicate, even Neji himself wouldn't dare treat it lightly.
And the watching ninjas from afar grew increasingly astonished as well.
Even Hatake Kakashi, usually so carefree, now stared wide-eyed: "When?! When did Shiki start using ninjutsu again?! Does this mean his injuries have healed?"
Hayate Gekko was also surprised, but he shook his head and said, "No, yesterday I still checked Shiki's chakra pathways—they were still the same, like the withered branches of a dead tree."
Still the same condition?
A slight shiver ran through the assembled jonin. Perhaps because Shiki Uzumaki, this child bearing the Uzumaki name, had gained recognition from many elite ninja masters.
Therefore, seeing him break past his limits and actually perform a jutsu brought waves of disbelief. The deeper their concern, the more easily they were moved emotionally.
Take Kurenai Yuhi, for instance—although she'd heard about Shiki multiple times through her own student, she'd never really interacted with him much personally.
So among the supervising jonin, Kurenai Yuhi remained the most composed outwardly, yet even her beautiful eyes betrayed a flicker of curiosity.
"That boy just said Scalpel, right? But the Scalpel isn't supposed to look like that..."
Asuma Sarutobi sucked deeply on his cigarette before exclaiming in shock, "He's completed shape transformation on the Scalpel! Though based upon predecessors' work, this practically counts as creating his own original jutsu!"
"But wasn't the Scalpel something that required massive amounts of chakra...and wasn't that boy already..." Kurenai suddenly stopped speaking, because everyone understood her meaning without further words.
Many elite jonin watched this miracle child known as Shiki Uzumaki closely precisely because they cared so much—but none wished to publicly reveal the painful truth about the fall of the Uzumaki Clan—the last remaining heir still walked among them.
Hayate Gekko, his face pale, coughed twice before lifting his head and speaking in a low voice. "That's what surprised all of us too, Shiki Uzumaki. Just how did he do it? Could it be that the chakra reserves amount within his [Chakra Scalpel] is really that low? Is this exactly why it's called the 'Streamlined Blade'?"
The jonin instructors from Konoha were passionately discussing the incredible technique this child had demonstrated.
How rare was this situation?
Even the nearby Konoha genin became caught up in the excitement, since they originally believed the [Chakra Scalpel] in Shiki Uzumaki's hand appeared to contain very little chakra.
Considering Shiki's physical condition, they assumed it must have been a D-Rank Jutsu, or even an E-Rank Jutsu.
Yet the intense debate among the jonin had indeed slapped their assumptions right back in their faces.
Yuuma Akimoto proudly raised her head, revealing her delicate fair neck, while a hint of pride surfaced on her cute face.
Then she skipped over to Ito Makoto's side and said with a smile, "Hey wooden man, isn't my brother amazing? No matter what difficult circumstances he faces, he always shines so brightly."
Makoto finally shifted his gaze away from Shiki Uzumaki. When he met Yuuma's eyes, his expression softened considerably.
"Yeah, Shiki truly is brilliant," he replied softly and calmly, as if none of this concerned him at all.
Yuuma couldn't help but pout before turning her back toward him. "Just as wooden as ever!"
But the moment she turned around, Makoto's gaze became fixated.
Ever since 'Team 9' had formed, Yuuma had begun smiling much more frequently.
In truth, he felt genuinely happy. He really enjoyed seeing that girl who once remained constantly guarded against outsiders now displaying such sunny expressions.
Her small and lovely figure seemed to naturally invite protection.
Actually, there was something else lingering on Makoto's mind when Yuuma had addressed him earlier—he hadn't quite found the courage to say it yet.
He wanted to tell her, if you want someone dazzling like that, I could shine for you just as you wish.
"Does he actually possess such power?" Neji Hyuga furrowed his brow but felt a flicker of excitement deep inside. "So this is the trump card you're relying upon? Then come!"
With that, Neji assumed the starting stance of the Gentle Fist again.
Shiki hesitated no longer and charged straight forward.
You've gotta be kidding. If his younger sister got bullied by others, then as her older brother, he'd give everything he had to defeat whoever stood in front of him.
The [Chakra Scalpel] in his hand sliced through air itself, tearing into everything before him.
Neji Hyuga also grew increasingly serious. Originally, he already sensed the threat posed by Shiki's [Chakra Scalpel].
Yet he hadn't expected that once Shiki started moving, the pressure intensifying would become even more terrifying.
Chapter 163: Preliminary Matches Conclude
Almost nobody expected that someone outside the Hyuga clan could actually compete head-to-head against a Hyuga when attacking the chakra network.
Yet this astonishing scene was unfolding right in front of everyone's eyes.
The [Chakra Scalpel] in Shiki's hand seemed as though it might dissipate at any moment—so fragile and delicate.
However, each time, it managed to unleash the fiercest attacks.
Neji responded just as quickly, a result of years of relentless training.
That had given him a battle-hardened instinct, far beyond ordinary humans.
Wounds began piling up fast on both of them—faster than anyone could fathom.
BOOM!!
Another shockwave exploded outward!
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