Confronting Hyuga Hiashi

After finishing his meal with Naruto, Neji checked the time and realized it was still early, so he headed towards the Hyuga Clan's compound.

It had been a while since Neji returned to the Hyuga Clan's compound after purchasing his new residence on the outskirts of the village. He had even declined participation in some clan events, citing other commitments.

Neji's actions naturally drew considerable criticism from many clan members, but most of it was limited to verbal complaints, with no real action taken against him. He suspected his uncle, Hyuga Hiashi, had helped mediate quite a bit.

Now that he was out of seclusion, Neji planned to speak with Hyuga Hiashi. He wanted to try and negotiate for peaceful coexistence with the Hyuga Clan and Konoha after his Caged Bird curse mark was removed.

In the past, Neji wouldn't have had such naive thoughts. It was like stripping the Main Family of their "underwear," then flicking the other person's second brother and saying, "So small," while demanding they remain calm and not get angry!

Just thinking about it felt a bit devilish!

However, if you added a prerequisite – holding a sharp knife to the Main Family's heart before stripping them, flicking their second brother, and then demanding they calm down and not get angry!

Neji didn't know if this "physical method of calming down" would work on others, but it might have some effect on those clan members who hadn't experienced war in years and lacked much bloodshed.

If it failed, the impact wouldn't be significant. At most, he'd activate his backup plan. Zabuza was almost done renovating his palace. A beachfront property, a detached one at that – just the thought of it was exhilarating!

Walking and thinking, he soon arrived at the Clan Head's doorstep.

After knocking and announcing himself, he was soon met by the Clan Head, Hyuga Hiashi. The Clan Head hadn't changed much over the years, but seeing his face involuntarily reminded Neji of his father, bringing a touch of sadness.

Hyuga Hiashi was also quite surprised. Neji had always been reclusive, and even more so after his father Hizashi's death, rarely leaving his home unless absolutely necessary. This was the first time Neji had actively sought him out in years.

Neji didn't beat around the bush. Staring at Hyuga Hiashi, he said solemnly, "Clan Head, Neji feels he has achieved some proficiency recently and wishes to spar with you to identify his shortcomings and seek improvement!"

For a twelve-year-old child, not yet graduated from the Ninja Academy, to request a spar with the Clan Head was an extremely unreasonable demand.

Hyuga Hiashi didn't get angry, but he found it strange. What gave Neji the courage to challenge him? Hyuga Hiashi was very curious about this and nodded in agreement, then gestured for Neji to follow him.

The two walked, one after the other, to the Hyuga Clan's exclusive training ground for the Clan Head. The training ground was quite large, about the size of two basketball courts, which was more than enough for basic training.

Hyuga Hiashi didn't believe he would need a larger area to deal with a junior.

Without further ado, after both parties took their positions, formed the hand seals, and adopted the Gentle Fist starting stance, the spar officially began.

Neji didn't dare to be careless. He immediately activated his Byakugan, taking in Hyuga Hiashi's condition. With approximately 4,500 units of chakra, he possessed strength close to that of a Kage.

Hyuga Hiashi also activated his Byakugan, but what made him frown was that he couldn't see Neji's chakra levels. Hiashi could sense a strong flow of chakra within Neji, but it was shrouded by some energy, preventing him from seeing Neji's internal condition clearly.

However, with the battle imminent, even against a junior, Hiashi couldn't afford to be distracted.

Since he couldn't see clearly, Hiashi raised his hand and launched an Empty Palm strike towards Neji, intending to test Neji's strength.

Neji's purpose in sparring with Hyuga Hiashi was to display his strength, so he wouldn't engage in pointless evasiveness.

Neji directly channeled his chakra and charged towards Hyuga Hiashi and the Empty Palm strike without dodging.

As the Empty Palm was about to hit Neji, he still didn't dodge. However, a chakra shield materialized in front of him, easily blocking the Empty Palm strike without affecting Neji's speed in the slightest.

The distance between them wasn't great to begin with, and this closing gap brought Neji within ten meters of Hiashi, an extremely dangerous distance.

Both stopped simultaneously, stood their ground, and assumed the Gentle Fist stance. They simultaneously activated the Eight Trigrams Formation, and an invisible force field collided and tore between them, vying for control!

Neither stopped their movements. With the same starting stance, they both unleashed the "Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms," and the space between them was instantly covered by dense, invisible palm strikes.

Before the old palm strikes dissipated, new ones formed rapidly. In just a few breaths, the invisible palm strikes they unleashed had surpassed the limits of the "Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms," heading towards the "Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams: One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms." And clearly, the One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms were not their limit either.

By the time Hyuga Hiashi began to feel strained, they had exchanged nearly five hundred aerial palm strikes. This put Hyuga Hiashi in an awkward position; he was actually at a disadvantage!

Hiashi decided to stop holding back. He channeled all his chakra and concentrated it in his right palm. Seizing an opportunity, he unleashed the "Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher Empty Palm."

A highly condensed and massive chakra palm print rapidly suppressed towards Neji. The giant palm instantly shattered the ordinary palm strikes Neji had unleashed and continued to press down on Neji with undiminished force.

Neji, without fear, directly mobilized his chakra, rotated his body, and used the "Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams: Lightning Great Rotation" he had used against Sasuke.

In the training ground, a giant, condensed palm strike rushed towards a rotating hemisphere about twenty meters in diameter, emitting the aura of lightning.

The two clashed for only a moment before exploding violently, creating a massive chakra storm that swept across the entire training ground!

Neither retreated, charging at each other at high speed through the chakra storm!

Neji bent his knees, sprang up, and leaped into the air. Simultaneously, his right hand rapidly condensed a Great Ball Rasengan, which he pressed down towards Hyuga Hiashi.

Hyuga Hiashi was stunned by Neji's strength, but he was still in the middle of the fight and couldn't afford to be distracted, or he risked losing.

Hyuga Hiashi adjusted his footwork, channeled all his chakra again, pushed his hands forward, and softly uttered, "Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams: Great Mountain Crusher Empty Palm."

A pair of chakra palms, stronger than the ones Hiashi had unleashed earlier, met the Great Ball Rasengan.

With a "Boom!!" a violent explosion quickly engulfed the entire area. The center of the explosion directly formed a pit twenty meters in diameter and six to seven meters deep.

When the two stood firm, Hyuga Hiashi gasped for breath. The continuous high-intensity use of chakra had made him feel like he could barely hold on, and he could only stand up with great effort.

Although his body's overload made Hyuga Hiashi uncomfortable, Neji's strength repeatedly shattered his expectations. His Gentle Fist palm techniques were not inferior to his own, his Lightning Great Rotation was monstrously powerful, and the Great Ball Rasengan, the Fourth Hokage's signature ninjutsu, what was that? How could Neji use it too?

Just then, when he thought Neji would also be at his limit, Neji's voice calmly echoed.

"Clan Head, have you ever heard of 'Sage Art'?"

Hyuga Hiashi's pupils contracted, and his heart skipped a beat. As the Clan Head of a prominent Konoha clan, he was certainly aware of "Sage Mode." In fact, a predecessor in his clan had attempted to cultivate it, though without success.

However, Konoha's First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had relied on his incredibly powerful Sage Art to overcome countless enemies and earn the title "God of Shinobi." This was not obscure information.

Hyuga Hiashi harbored a bad premonition, and this premonition was confirmed as fact by Neji's next action!

"Sage Art: Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms." Unlike the initial Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms, this version incorporated natural energy into the channeled chakra, forming Sage Chakra!

And the Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms activated by Sage Chakra was: "Sage Art: Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms."

As the target of the attack, Hyuga Hiashi felt immense pressure. Even before the attack landed, the aura emanating from the Sage Art was already suffocating him!

However, as the Clan Head and an experienced Jonin, Hyuga Hiashi wasn't just boasting.

Forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart, he quickly squeezed out all his Chakra and activated the Enhanced Gentle Fist Art: Rotation, making his defense impenetrable.

But when the first palm of Sage Art: Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms struck his Enhanced Rotation, Hyuga Hiashi knew it was over. They were not on the same level at all. With just one blow from the opponent, his fully activated Rotation showed signs of cracking.

The reality was exactly as Hiashi had estimated. After only seven strikes, his fully activated Rotation shattered, and the eighth strike grazed past his hair.

Feeling the threat of death, Hyuga Hiashi noticed the ninth strike didn't come. The heart that had been hanging in suspense finally relaxed. It was then that he realized his entire back was drenched in sweat.

"Is this Sage Art?" Hyuga Hiashi muttered to himself, still in disbelief that he had lost. He was even more incredulous that Neji, only twelve years old, had mastered the Sage Art of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. He couldn't believe Neji had become so strong!!

New book being written, please recommend, please collect!