New Stronghold and Weighing Sasuke

About an hour later, Neji, riding the Thunder Roc, returned to the outskirts of Konohagakure. After dismissing the Thunder Roc, Neji didn't rush back into the village. Instead, he found a hidden spot on the outskirts to establish a base for researching methods to use Natural Energy.

This experiment was very important, and also very dangerous, with much of it being unknown!

It was a pity he didn't know any Earth Style ninjutsu; otherwise, establishing a base would be a trivial matter, completed in minutes with a few Earth Style jutsu!

He couldn't ask for help, nor could he post a mission in the village. It seemed he'd have to rely on his own diligent hands. He'd just treat it as taijutsu training.

He went to a nearby town and found a blacksmith, ordering some oversized tools. The blacksmith was startled, but after realizing Neji was a ninja, he relaxed. Normal people couldn't use such tools; after all, a hammer weighing over 300 jin, a shovel over 200 jin, and a basket that could hold over 1000 jin of soil were not for ordinary people!

With Neji's active assistance, the tools were finished in just one day. Leaving the workers marveling at Neji's strength, Neji silently carried all the tools to the chosen base location.

With the right tools, the base was built quickly. In just three days, Neji had constructed a laboratory twenty meters deep with a space of about two hundred square meters. He also added some camouflage on the outside to prevent villagers from accidentally entering.

Neji planned to return to Konoha to purchase some experimental equipment. His main focus during this period would be to fully research Natural Energy and strive to master "Sage Mode" as soon as possible. At that time, Neji's combat power would experience another breakthrough.

Returning to his residence in Konohagakure, he saw Sasuke training as usual.

Neji couldn't help but sigh; the drive for revenge was indeed powerful!

Moreover, Neji could feel that Sasuke's aura was different. He was slightly stronger than the last time they met, but that wasn't the main point. The main point was that Sasuke was emitting a faint, chilling aura.

Neji cautiously asked, "Sasuke, did you awaken the Sharingan?"

Sasuke didn't answer. Instead, he closed his eyes and slowly opened them again, revealing a pair of scarlet eyes before Neji, exuding a slight pressure and illusionary effect. "They really are quite good eyes!"

Neji couldn't help but praise, "But before Mangekyo, they're still a bit inferior to the Byakugan."

Sasuke frowned, grasping the key point: "Mangekyo!" He completely ignored the comparison with the Byakugan and, without thinking for too long, directly asked, "What is Mangekyo? Tell me everything you know."

Neji disliked Sasuke's overly self-centered tone and didn't want to indulge him. He directly provoked, "Yo, got a bit arrogant after awakening the Sharingan? Think you're all that again?"

Neji beckoned with his finger, "Come on, let's spar."

Sasuke also wanted to test his recent growth, so he didn't refuse. He temporarily set aside his questions about "Mangekyo" and directly assumed a fighting stance.

Neji didn't let his guard down either. While Sasuke, with over two hundred cards of Chakra, didn't pose much of a threat to him, Sasuke was currently his biggest "backer." Many experiments required Sasuke's financial power, so he had to be fully focused, letting Sasuke know that he still had much to learn and needed to continue paying tuition fees!

With these thoughts in mind, Neji also assumed a fighting stance. Regardless of whether there was a threat, he had to show the right attitude.

Seeing Neji ready, Sasuke immediately activated his Sharingan. After firing a few shuriken, he rapidly closed in on Neji, launching a taijutsu attack.

Neji didn't slack either. He deflected the incoming shuriken and directly used the Gentle Fist style, clashing with the approaching Sasuke. At this stage, Sasuke's taijutsu could only be described as mediocre; both his speed and strength needed improvement. Of course, this was in comparison to Neji himself. If placed among his peers, even in the graduating class, he would be considered a deserving top student.

Seeing that taijutsu was ineffective, Sasuke executed a side kick, creating distance from Neji. He then rapidly formed hand seals, and a large fireball rapidly enveloped Neji.

Neji wasn't flustered. He directly unleashed an enhanced version of the Gentle Fist – the Eight Trigrams Empty Palm – smashing the fireball apart. With undiminished momentum, he also deflected the shuriken that followed the fireball.

Because he hadn't activated his Byakugan, Neji, whose vision had been obscured by the fireball for a moment, had lost sight of Sasuke. Neji inwardly became vigilant, thinking, Don't mess this up, or it'll be embarrassing!

The next second, the ground shifted slightly, and a hand rapidly emerged from the earth, grabbing for Neji.

However, for Neji, who was now on guard, this speed was too slow. He easily dodged the grab and unleashed an Empty Palm towards it. After a puff of smoke, it was revealed to be a Shadow Clone.

Just then, a series of whistling sounds came from behind Neji. Without looking back, Neji spun his body and activated the Gentle Fist – Rotation – deflecting all the ninja tools.

But as more ninja tools were sent flying, Neji realized something was wrong. Each ninja tool had a metal wire attached to it, causing Neji's Rotation to become entangled by countless metal wires, making it increasingly difficult to use.

At this moment, Sasuke seized the opportunity while the defensive power of Rotation was weakened. He rapidly formed hand seals, gathered all his Chakra, and unleashed his strongest ninjutsu to date: "Fire Style – Dragon Fire Technique." A surging fire dragon instantly formed and charged relentlessly towards Neji, exuding an aura of breaking through all obstacles and burning everything.

Looking at the fire dragon charging towards him, Neji found it a bit strange. Wasn't this the technique Sasuke used against Orochimaru during the Chunin Exams? However, Neji wouldn't follow Orochimaru's example and let the fire dragon burn him. He even playfully pretended to be dead to tease Sasuke!

Neji directly increased his Chakra output and infused it with lightning nature. The ordinary Gentle Fist – Eight Trigrams – Rotation transformed into the Gentle Fist – Eight Trigrams – Lightning Great Rotation!

A rotating sphere of lightning, nearly twenty meters in diameter, instantly formed. It easily severed the metal wires and collided with the oncoming fire dragon. The once imposing fire dragon was instantly shattered by the Gentle Fist – Eight Trigrams – Lightning Great Rotation, which was close to S-rank, and dissipated into the air.

Neji retracted the Lightning Great Rotation, not intending to let Sasuke, who was already struggling to stand due to the massive Chakra expenditure, off the hook so easily.

Instead, he lowered his body, condensed a large amount of lightning-natured Chakra in his right hand, and instantly completed its nature and shape transformation, forming a dagger-like Lightning Blade. He then activated his Byakugan, staring directly at Sasuke, who couldn't even open his Sharingan.

A great sense of mortal danger appeared in his heart, causing Sasuke's long-untrembling heart to tremble once more!

Neji thrust the Lightning Blade into the ground and moved at high speed towards Sasuke, leaving long gouges carved by the Lightning Blade in his wake.

The distance was extremely short, the time extremely brief, but for Sasuke, who was locked on, it felt like an eternity, long and arduous!

When the Lightning Blade was embedded in the wall next to his left cheek, Sasuke's heart even stopped beating. He forgot to breathe. Everything seemed to freeze, and he was so stunned he didn't know how his heart should beat or his nose should breathe.

It wasn't until a while later that Sasuke, on the verge of suffocation, regained his senses, gasping violently!

He still couldn't believe that someone only a year older than him could possess such power!

The gap between them was like heaven and earth, a deep sense of frustration lingering in his heart, leaving Sasuke unable to recover for a long time.