Mangetsu was terrifying; the chakra inside the Twin Flounder Blades felt bottomless. All five natures flowed at his command. Even if he didn't hold every nature himself, the blades filled the gaps.
In the world Kaede remembered, knowledge about Mangetsu and the Twin Flounder Blades was scarce—mostly secondhand lines from other characters. Even Mangetsu's death was a mystery.
People had tried to build full theories about it. First: the "didn't die" theory. Mangetsu, strongest of the Seven Swordsmen, a prodigy bent on collecting all seven blades, wouldn't fall easily.
Second: the "evaporated" theory. Because the Ghost Lantern clan liquefies, Mangetsu might have died in battle with the Land of Lightning. With two minor nations between Water and Lightning, clashes were frequent. Lightning techniques countered his liquefaction, and numbers sealed his fate.
Third: the "illness" theory. With the author's habits, the too-strong rarely die by defeat; they waste away, "heaven envious of genius." Mangetsu might have been marked for a terminal end.
Another rumor said he died for Suigetsu. In the original thread, Orochimaru captured Suigetsu; Mangetsu went to settle accounts, lost, and died. Others guessed Obito killed him—after Mangetsu fought Guy's father, Might Duy, he was grievously hurt and Obito struck from the shadows. The motive? Mangetsu had realized the Fourth Mizukage was being controlled by Akatsuki.
But in this changed timeline under Kaede, Mangetsu fit the first theory best. He was simply too strong to die easily.
Neji's eyes now cast a faint blue glow—the hollow White Eye tinted by an eerie azure that clearly surpassed the usual Byakugan.
Perhaps because Neji came from the branch family, his evolving eye wasn't the same as the Tenseigan Kaede knew.
Blue chakra wrapped Neji's body. He lifted from the ground, drifting against gravity. In his palm, blue-green chakra gathered—one sphere becoming two, two becoming four—then, before anyone could react, the orbs vanished and reappeared on several Grass shinobi who had yet to be eliminated.
Those Grass nin were planning to stay hidden, let the Land of Gods' genin clash with the Ghost Lantern brothers, and swoop in to net everyone after a double knockout.
By this point, no one cared about top-ten pass tokens anymore.
Especially after Mangetsu seized everyone's cards except those held by the Land of Gods' genin, the fight had condensed into two poles: the brothers versus the Twelve.
The gulf in power shoved the exam into a boil. Spectators watched, eyes blazing, waiting for Neji versus Mangetsu.
The Land of Gods' jōnin proctors had already reported—more than once—that some combatants didn't meet the age limits. If Kaede gave the word, they'd rush in and drive Mangetsu out.
Kaede told them to stand down.
On the sand-torn floor, Gaara steadied his breath; the Twin Flounder Blades pulsed with another cool flare. Above it all, Neji's gray Wedge and blue gaze turned, weighing futures only he could see.
(End of Chapter)
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