Putting aside Hiruzen Sarutobi's extremely complicated feelings for the moment, let's turn our attention back to the two who have now arrived at the training ground reserved by Sasuke Uchiha, where they are staring at each other, their fighting spirits blazing.

To be honest, Lin Nian had been looking forward to this kind of battle for a long time, after all, the level of life and actual combat power are two completely different things.

Take Feng Baobao for example! When it comes to the amount of Qi in her body, it's simply inexhaustible and can never be used up.

But when it came to a real fight, she could only show off her power among the younger generation. Not to mention the older generation of the Ten Elders, there were plenty of temporary workers in the company who could take her down. Of course, they could only injure them, not kill them.

And now, Lin Nian is very similar to Feng Baobao in some ways.

In terms of the amount of Qi in his body, he has the life force provided by the Blue Silver Grass of almost half of the Land of Fire. Although his body can only withstand about ten years of innate Qi now, in terms of recovery ability, he can exhaust the tailed beasts below the six-tailed level to death!

But what about the others?

Aside from his ability to transform into golden light and then into objects, his only other attack method is the weapon control technique he has practiced for a period of time. All he has left is his brute strength.

As for his Wood Release, which was formed from the Blue Silver King Martial Soul? Although it had some effect on the plant-people of the ninja world due to the Kira Tulip, and his own Martial Soul's ability to devour and absorb energy, coupled with its extremely strong strength and resilience, although it was not as good as Hashirama Senju's Wood Release, it could still surpass Yamato's.

But what happens after that?

He hasn't fully mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique and Lightning Release ninjutsu yet, and he's only just skimmed through the various sealing techniques. For now, the only thing he has that's somewhat useful is the monstrous strength he developed almost through self-harm.

But looking at this skill panel, compared to the other two overpowered characters, it's simply pathetic!

Although I'm not good at attacking on my own, I have strong recovery ability! I wouldn't say I can fight Jonin or Chunin, but I should be able to put up a fight against Hyuga Neji, right?

So when Neji revealed his fighting spirit to him that day, he himself felt the urge to fight.

Lin Nian, having restrained her immense strength and speed amplified by her physical attributes, clashed with Hyuga Neji. The moment they made contact, Lin Nian utterly crushed Hyuga Neji, who was still a mere genin at the time.

At this moment, lying on the ground, his eyes vacant, he felt the pain in his fingertips, recalling the strange power that had bounced back and injured him when he threw a soft punch, and the experience of being knocked down by a single punch and still unable to get up.

Hyuga Neji was completely bewildered by his own Gentle Fist.

"As expected, Gentle Fist couldn't save the Hyuga clan!"

As Hyuga Neji silently lamented his own weakness and helplessness, and hated the injustice of fate, another fragment suddenly flashed through his mind.

It was a slender man who looked menacing, with lightning accompanying every move he made, a figure who suppressed all enemies.

"Lightning Release?"

A longing he had never felt before rose from the depths of his heart. For the first time, Hyuga Neji so desperately wanted to improve his ninjutsu. Although their Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist was a type of ninjutsu, and a very advanced one at that, but…

Feeling the excruciating pain in his fingers, Hyuga Neji silently abandoned the so-called glory of the Hyuga clan.

At this moment, Lin Nian had already arrived beside him, lowered her head, and looked at Hyuga Neji, who was lying silently on the grass with lifeless eyes, until he softly uttered that lightning release that was filled with some sigh and longing.

Lin Niancai revealed a triumphant smile, a few sparks of electricity appearing in his smiling palm, and whispered something.

"You want to learn Lightning Release ninjutsu? As long as you don't tell anyone, I'll teach you! As long as you can learn it!"

The words, though seemingly casual, pierced his heart like a sharp sword. For some reason, Hyuga Neji saw in Lin Nian the shadows of his uncle and his deceased father.

When Yamanaka Ino and Tenten ran all the way here, what came into view was this strange scene of Hyuga Neji staring at Lin Nian intently.

—————The dividing line for starting practice.

At night, after seeing off the somewhat shy Ino who had received the memories of the shadow clone, Lin Nian, who was marveling at how her seemingly emotionless clone, who only knew how to cultivate, was progressing faster than her, silently returned to the grove. She also saw that Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Neji Hyuga had gathered together.

"Have you thought it through? You really want to learn Lightning Release ninjutsu? Practicing that thing is no easier than the Eight Gates. And if you run into the Hidden Cloud Village before you've mastered it, they'll kill you no matter the cost. Besides, after spending so much time with those two, you should have noticed something by now, right?"

Walking to the middle of the three, Lin Nian found a place to sit down, took out a stove from his system space, lit a fire, and then looked at Hyuga Neji, who was already deep in thought.

I've done everything I can to help. If they still can't be helped, then I'm out of options. After all, the Caged Bird Seal not only ruined the future of the Hyuga branch family, but also completely broke their backbone. Of course, compared to the branch family, which is almost completely enslaved, the main family, as slave owners, has been broken even more thoroughly.

"I want freedom, I want to break free from the cage, I want to control my own destiny, and I am willing to give everything for this goal."

A deep and serious voice came from the mouth of eight-year-old Hyuga Neji, but his eyes, which should have been pure white and devoid of any emotion, revealed a firmness that everyone could feel.

"Alright, then prepare to face hell. Only demons who crawl out of hell can become the strongest to dominate the human world!"

Suddenly, a massive Blue Silver King sprouted from the ground, and as a strange rhythm rippled through it, dark clouds instantly gathered.

Listening to the thunder in the sky and feeling the divine power that instantly enveloped them, all four of them, except for Lin Nian whose self-healing ability was frighteningly strong, swallowed hard.

"Well, although I heard that to complete the Thunder God Armor in Kumogakure, one really has to be struck by lightning, is our place still too small?"

Amidst Jiu'er's frantic cursing and shouting inside his body, Naruto Uzumaki also sincerely expressed his opinion.

After all, although he has a strong self-healing ability under the nourishment of the Nine-Tails' chakra, he is still a normal person!

In response, Uchiha Sasuke, who felt that his small arms and legs were no match for these two beasts, and that his Chidori could hold them off for now, silently got up and took half a step back.

Only Lin Nian, full of confidence, and Hyuga Neji, resolute and determined, remained where they were.