At that moment, even the howling wind and sand seemed to hold their breath. It felt as though only Moriyue and Hinata could move in the entire world, while Neji, rushing over from afar, was about to turn into a statue. In a daze, it seemed as though something inside him had shattered.
Hinata, whose first kiss had been stolen, froze as well. Her pupils contracted slightly, and her mind went completely blank.
"N-No wonder he's the captain. He easily did something we couldn't..." Ando stammered. He did not understand Moriyue's maneuver, but he was deeply shaken by it.
Moriyue had not forgotten his goal. This had all been to disrupt Neji's state of mind. When he turned around, sure enough, Neji stood there as if struck by lightning.
Clicking his tongue, Moriyue had not expected this move to work so well. He did not hesitate. If he did not strike now, then when would he?
"Ugh, take this—Water Stream Projectile!"
He tried using the ninjutsu whose reverse operation had previously produced a new trait, treating it as practice.
A thin stream of water burst from Moriyue's mouth. Unlike ordinary Water Release ninjutsu, Moriyue's water column was unbelievably small. Neji, who had been petrified in place, naturally snapped out of it. Looking at Hinata's face, which had turned completely red, he nearly ground his back teeth to pieces.
Moriyue, you bastard! Why hadn't I thought of tripping you up during the exams?
It was too late for regrets. Filled with rage, Neji could only use his absolute defense.
"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"
Neji's body spun rapidly, and a pale blue hemisphere appeared around him amid his high-speed rotation. The sandstorm created by Kazeki was canceled out by the rotation of the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven. The wind and