White-Hot Battle

Neji Hyuga no longer had to explore the mysteries of the Gentle Fist alone as he had in the Original Work. His father, Hizashi Hyuga, an exceptionally powerful Jonin, had taught him everything he knew, laying an incomparably solid and systematic foundation in Taijutsu and the use of the Byakugan.

Sasuke Uchiha's path of growth, meanwhile, had been entirely different. Not only had he received careful guidance from his genius older brother, Uchiha Itachi, but he had also absorbed the experience and techniques of Body Flicker Shisui.

More importantly, Namikaze Naruto had always been ahead of him, driving him to chase relentlessly and pushing him to train with everything he had, day after day.

With all these factors combined, Sasuke Uchiha, standing in the arena now, possessed a foundation so deep that his counterpart from the Original Work at the same age could only look on in envy.

In the arena, the fierce battle between Neji Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha lived up to every expectation. It was a textbook-level shinobi duel that vividly displayed the essence of ninja combat.

The contest of intelligence, the collision of ninjutsu, the intricate tactical designs, and the split-second adaptations were all fully evident in every exchange of offense and defense.

Their swift, lethal back-and-forth left the entire audience holding its breath, deeply shaken by the breathtaking clash.

At this moment, the battle had entered its most intense stage.

As Minamoto Takuya observed the battle, his objective assessment was that Neji Hyuga held the overall advantage through his steady performance and precise Gentle Fist techniques.

However, one crucial factor prevented Neji Hyuga from securing victory.

He lacked a powerful finishing ninjutsu capable of ending the fight in a single decisive blow.

That made it difficult for him to completely defeat Sasuke Uchiha, whose strength was