Naruto: Choosing from Birth 5

But wasn't this taking pride too far?

The Hyuga Clan and the Senju Clan were both Konoha's great clans!

The Hyuga Clan was a family with a thousand-year legacy.

And although the Senju had gradually declined, no one could deny the glory of the Senju Clan, which had once stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world.

Of course, the Sage of Six Paths belonged to legend and could not be counted among them.

"Mikoto-nee, I suddenly have the urge to go up there and beat Cheng-nii too," Kushina whispered to Mikoto Uchiha.

"That guy... sigh, you'll get used to it."

Mikoto rolled her eyes, her face full of helplessness.

"Wow, Cheng is so badass! Go, Cheng!"

"Hmph! Pride comes before a fall. He's too arrogant."

"Cheng will win for sure! Big Bear, Bear Two, and Bear Three will always support you."

"Haha, it'd be more entertaining if they beat each other to a draw."

PS: My heartfelt thanks to Kazuto Kirigaya for the reward, and thank you to all the big shots who sent flowers and ratings. Your support is what motivates me to keep writing.*

The voices from the training ground continuously reached Hyuga Hiashi's ears.

It was no longer a matter of ganging up on one person. It was a matter of whether they dared accept the challenge.

As a member of Konoha's great clans and the Hyuga main family, others might be able to find an excuse to back down.

But he!

Could not!

Heh, one hand? Since you were asking to be humiliated, then don't blame me.

"Uchiha, you've gone too far! I'll make you understand that great clans cannot be insulted!"

Hyuga Hiashi shouted and leaped into the field.

He put on an utterly furious expression, the veins on his forehead throbbing.

That way, even if they defeated Uchiha Cheng by ganging up on him, everyone would only blame the Uchiha. His blind arrogance had enraged the powerful Hyuga into using their true strength.

"Look, Hyuga Hiashi has activated his Byakugan!"

A sharp-eyed classmate shouted loudly, afraid the scene was not chaotic enough.

Hiashi staggered, nearly falling to the ground mid-leap.

Damn it, that was an angry expression! Couldn't they even tell that apart?! For the first time, Hiashi felt exhausted by the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.

"Ahhh! Die, Uchiha!"

The enraged Nawaki Senju was the first to fling out over a dozen shuriken. Unfortunately, he really was just throwing them wildly, and his aim was terrible.

A few even flew toward Hyuga Hiashi.

"This idiot!"

While dodging the shuriken, Hyuga Hiashi charged toward Uchiha Cheng as well.

Gentle Fist!

One hand thrust forward and the other raised behind him, he alternated them as he rapidly sealed off Uchiha Cheng, who was using a kunai to deflect two shuriken.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Their limbs collided several times in an instant, yet Hyuga Hiashi's entire combo was easily blocked by one-handed Uchiha Cheng.

And he even looked completely at ease.

Hyuga Hiashi, meanwhile, turned red in the face as numbness spread through his clashing arms.

This...

Just how strong was he?

Who was the taijutsu specialist here?!

"Hiashi, move aside! Watch me seal his movements! Water Release—Starch Syrup Capture Field!"

Nawaki Senju, who had formed a pincer attack with Hyuga Hiashi, spewed a sticky, syrup-like liquid from his mouth toward Uchiha Cheng, intending to lock down his movements.

This was the ninjutsu Nawaki had just learned, the only C-rank ninjutsu he knew besides the Three Basic Techniques. He had wanted to use it to escape the embarrassment of being at the bottom of the class.

But getting to use it on the top student for the first time and knocking the Uchiha off his "pedestal" was undoubtedly an unexpected delight!

Yet Uchiha Cheng swept away Hiashi, who was trying to pull back, with one kick. At the same time, his right hand began forming seals.

"Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger!"

"Fire Release—Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball directly burned away the Water Release that had nearly reached him before surging toward Nawaki Senju.

"What? Was that a Single Hand Seal? Am I seeing things?"

"Single Hand Seal is a technique many Chunin and Jonin can't even use. How could it appear on a ninja academy student who isn't even a Genin?"

"So strong! Is this the foundation of Konoha's great clans? They actually know ninjutsu beyond the Three Basic Techniques."

Boom!!!

The explosive power of the Single Hand Seal combined with the Great Fireball Technique stunned the entire field. The spectators could not help retreating.

The scorching, searing heat waves nearly curled their hair. Many students with little Chakra who did not know how to circulate it to protect themselves were not much different from ordinary people.

Hyuga Hiashi, standing to the side, was shocked as well. But the discipline forged through years of training since childhood quickly brought him back to his senses!

He looked at Uchiha Cheng, who was spewing flames.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime...

Opportunity!

This was the advantage of two against one!

Byakugan!

Eight Trigrams Palm!

The veins on Hyuga Hiashi's forehead bulged as he activated his true Byakugan.

No longer probing with Gentle Fist, he went straight for the big move!

Uchiha Cheng, who had been happily spewing fireballs, suddenly felt an inexplicable aura envelop him as a figure rapidly dived toward him.

"One palm!"

Uchiha Cheng swiftly stopped releasing his ninjutsu and backhandedly blocked Hiashi's first strike.

"Two palms! Four palms!"

The imposing calls accompanied Hyuga Hiashi's palm strikes, roaring from his throat and swiftly drawing the stunned students' attention back.

Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms! A secret Hyuga style passed down orally. It attacked the pressure points to seal the opponent's Chakra release. It was a Pressure Point Strike technique—one that damaged the opponent's Meridians.

Derived from Gentle Fist, it was an enhanced version of ordinary Gentle Fist. But it was faster, more precise, and more fluid!

It sought to strike in one uninterrupted flow, exhausting the enemy's defenses until they were left wide open!

The tricky angles, fluid movements, and increasingly rapid speed forced Uchiha Cheng to raise his leg to block.

"Six palms! Eight... urgh!"

Hiashi moved like a swimming dragon, circling Uchiha Cheng and landing six strikes, forcing him to lift his leg in defense and expose an opening.

He leaped into the air and chopped down with the seventh and eighth palms—powerful strikes Cheng could not evade! Then—

There was no then...

Uchiha Cheng casually deflected the seventh palm with his elbow, then, like a cloud dragon reaching for its prey, seized Hiashi by the throat.

Hyuga Hiashi was now like a dead duck, held by the neck and suspended in midair by Uchiha Cheng.

"Impossible to dodge? I never intended to dodge!"

Uchiha Cheng chuckled, then slammed Hiashi into the ground with a backhanded throw.

Boom!!!

The battle was over!*