NARUTO: GOD LEVEL FORGING SYSTEM

At this moment, Naruto, the impulsive knucklehead, suddenly blurted out,

"Hey, both of you have white eyes. Are you siblings?"

The people present internally sighed in exasperation.

Come on, both of them possess the distinct Byakugan of the Hyūga clan. Was it really that difficult to tell they were related?

It was truly ridiculous to even ask such a thing!

Moreover, Neji and Hinata's relationship was complicated—one shaped by the division between the Hyūga's Main and Branch families. Neji, burdened by the fate of servitude imposed by the clan's cursed seal, clearly resented his connection to Hinata.

Naruto, your awareness is painfully slow!

You seriously lack perception!

"Hmph!" Hyūga Neji scoffed, dismissing the loud blond in the garish orange jumpsuit as a fool.

Hinata, however, was naturally gentle. As Naruto's classmate at the Academy, she was at least familiar with him.

Yet, due to the presence of Kazuki, her mindset had shifted from what it was in the original timeline.

So at this moment, Hinata did not harbor a shy admiration for Naruto as before. Instead, she regarded him as just another classmate.

Thus, with her usual soft-spoken demeanor, she calmly explained,

"Yes, Naruto-kun, Neji-niisan is my cousin. We are both from the Hyūga clan."

"Neji?"

Hearing the name, Naruto suddenly found it oddly familiar.

He rubbed his chin, sifting through his memories.

Suddenly, a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

He clapped his thigh and exclaimed,

"I remember now! He's that so-called genius who got taken down in one move by Brother Kazuki!"

Silence instantly fell over the group.

"Pfft—"

Hyūga Neji nearly choked, his face darkening as though he could drip ink.

It was as if a scar he had desperately tried to ignore had been ripped open anew.

The others exchanged awkward glances, their expressions varied.

Hinata: Naruto-kun… why would you bring that up? Neji-niisan must feel terrible…

Kazuki: Naruto, you are practically dancing on Neji's wounded pride…

Tenten: Brother, this new friend of yours seems… dense.

Lee: I didn't think it was possible, but I've found someone even less perceptive than me! Kazuki, let's invite him into our group so I won't be the biggest idiot!

Finally, Kazuki, rubbing his temples in exasperation, stepped in to break the awkward silence.

He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and addressed the others,

"This is Naruto. He's Hinata's classmate. From now on, we're all friends."

Everyone nodded in greeting.

"I'm Tenten, Kazuki's younger sister. Nice to meet you, Naruto~"

"I'm Rock Lee, Kazuki's teammate. Let's be friends!"

"I'm Hinata. We're classmates, though we haven't spoken much. I look forward to learning from you, Naruto-kun."

"Neji. Hmph."

…

"Alright, alright, now that everyone's acquainted, let's get back to the picnic! We still have a lot to prepare. Let's get to it!" Kazuki said cheerfully.

Everyone nodded and got to work.

The fire crackled, skewers were prepared, vegetables were chopped.

Just as Kazuki was about to join in, Neji suddenly approached him, his voice cold and determined.

"Kazuki, I challenge you."

He clenched his fists.

"Let's fight again. This time, I will defeat you."

"Right now?" Kazuki raised an eyebrow.

If he refused, this stubborn Hyūga wouldn't back down easily, making things more troublesome.

So Kazuki smirked and said, "Fine, but let's make a bet."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "What kind of bet?"

"If you win, I'll acknowledge you as the strongest and relinquish my title as the top student. But if you lose, you do all my chores later."

Neji hesitated briefly before nodding. "Fine. I accept."

He couldn't allow his past defeat to haunt him any longer. If he wanted to move forward, he had to overcome this wall.

He would not fall again.

This time, he would win.

"Let's go." Kazuki walked toward an open clearing.

A battle required space, and he had no intention of ruining their barbecue.

Boom—boom—

The sounds of fierce combat echoed through the distant forest.

"Who do you think will win, my brother or Hyūga Neji?" Tenten asked the group with a confident smirk, her tone filled with anticipation.

Naruto was the first to respond, his voice loud and unwavering: "Kazuki-nii! Kazuki-nii is definitely going to win!"

Hinata nodded slightly, her lavender eyes filled with quiet determination. "Neji-nii's Gentle Fist is incredibly refined, but I still believe Kazuki-kun will prevail."

Lee, his thick brows furrowed in focus, struck a dramatic pose by crossing his index fingers in front of his chest. "Ten minutes! I believe Kazuki will end this battle within ten minutes!"

Naruto and Hinata exchanged wide-eyed glances. "That fast?!"

However, Tenten simply shook her head, raising three fingers as a mysterious smile spread across her face. "Three minutes. That's all my brother needs to end it."

Even Lee was taken aback by her confidence.

Meanwhile, Neji, the Hyūga prodigy, stood in the training field, his stance firm, Byakugan activated. His mastery of the Gentle Fist, based on the Byakugan, allowed him to strike with precise, chakra-infused attacks that could shut down an opponent's Tenketsu points. He had studied Kazuki's movements and weaknesses carefully, ensuring that this time he wouldn't be caught off guard.

Surely, it wouldn't be over in three minutes, right?

Yet, as the dust settled, Kazuki emerged from the treeline, his clothes pristine and untouched. Behind him, Neji staggered forward, his once-composed face now bruised, his stance unsteady.

The outcome was clear.

The group collectively gasped.

"It's just like Tenten said," Naruto muttered in disbelief. "The whole fight lasted less than three minutes…"

"How did you know?" Lee turned to Tenten, his expression filled with awe.

Tenten's smile only deepened. "Simple. My brother was hungry, and he wanted to eat quickly."

Boom!

Everyone nearly fell over.

Was that really the reason for his overwhelming victory?

If it weren't for the fact that this battle had taken place right before dinner, perhaps Kazuki would have prolonged the fight, giving Neji time to adjust. But since Kazuki was eager to eat, he had chosen to end the battle instantly with sheer, undeniable force.

A collective shiver ran down their spines.

Poor Neji.

As they turned to him, their gazes carried a mix of sympathy and respect.

As per their agreement, since Neji had lost, he now had to prepare all the food for Kazuki's barbecue.

Despite his bruised face, Neji stoically fulfilled his duty—lighting the fire, slicing the meat, grilling, and seasoning with the precision of a shinobi trained to perfection. The tantalizing aroma soon filled the air.

Tenten, Lee, Hinata, and Naruto watched eagerly, their stomachs growling in anticipation. Even Neji, who usually maintained a composed demeanor, felt his own hunger rising.

"But… is this enough meat?" Tenten frowned, realizing they hadn't accounted for so many people joining in.

"Don't worry," Kazuki said, cracking a small grin before walking toward the depths of the forest.

"Wait! Kazuki-nii! That part of the forest is dangerous!" Naruto yelped. Even someone as reckless as him wouldn't dare venture too deep—there were rumors of massive beasts lurking in the shadows.

Before anyone could stop him, Kazuki returned, effortlessly dragging a massive wild boar behind him.

It had to be at least 200 pounds!

Everyone froze.

Tenten swallowed. "Brother… did you hunt this?"

"My God! Kazuki-nii, you're insane! You took down a beast this big?!" Naruto shouted in awe.

"K-Kazuki-kun… that's incredible," Hinata whispered, her cheeks slightly flushed in admiration.

Lee clenched his fists, his eyes burning with newfound determination. "This is it! This is the key to strength! Does Kazuki train by battling wild animals to improve his reflexes and real combat experience?! Could this be a new path to power?!"

Neji remained silent, his expression unreadable.

He had barely recovered from his match, yet Kazuki not only defeated him with ease but had enough stamina left to hunt a massive boar immediately after.

Just how powerful had Kazuki become?

A shadow crossed Neji's face as he realized that his understanding of strength had been completely shattered.

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