Neji: You gave it your all, yet you couldn't hurt me in the slightest

Looking at Yozuki Rei's stocky build and cold gaze, Neji recalled the Scroll of Information Dodai had handed him last Sunday.

"Yozuki Rei, jōnin. Two months ago, Lord Raikage awarded her the Six Paths Ninja Tool, the Red Gourd. She specializes in Lightning Release, Nintaijutsu, and swordsmanship. In battle, she likes to take unconventional risks."

She was an elite jōnin of the Yozuki clan, utterly unlike the elite jōnin from Kusagakure.

The Shinobi World's resources were monopolized by the great clans and noble families. Small countries didn't even have proper ninjutsu traditions.

Children from the great clans received elite training from a young age, putting them far beyond the reach of ninja from small countries.

The gap between them could be even greater than the gap between a Genin and a Chunin.

Yozuki Rei had been awarded the Red Gourd by the Fourth Raikage. Though the Fourth Raikage might have done it to placate the Yozuki clan, it still showed that Rei's talent was not to be underestimated.

Though Neji was confident he could beat Rei, he had no idea how much of his strength he would need to show to win.

Judging by the information Dodai had given him, Rei was well-rounded and had few weaknesses.

As for her habit of taking unconventional risks, it was hard to say whether it was an advantage or a weakness in battle.

But Neji could put it to use.

He had just provoked Rei with his words, hoping to affect her state of mind and defeat her quickly.

"How arrogant. No wonder you look down on the Yozuki clan."

Rei sneered. "Let's get this straight: even though this is only a spar, I won't hold back."

"Sure."

Neji replied listlessly.

Rei raised an eyebrow. "I'm talking to you. Are you even listening? I mean I'll treat you as a real enemy. If you let your guard down, you could get hurt—or even die."

Neji spread his hands. "I told you I'm in a hurry. Please hurry up."

"Brat!"

Rei glared at Neji and snapped, "You don't know your place. Today, I'll show you the true power of the Yozuki!"

As she spoke, Rei drew the katana from her back.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves and shone on the gleaming blade, reflecting a dazzling brilliance.

Neji stood with his legs slightly apart, his palms shrouded in pale blue chakra as he assumed a defensive stance.

Whoosh!

A cool breeze swept past, and a few withered leaves drifted down.

The leaves spun into the long blade in Rei's hand and were sliced cleanly in two.

Neji's gaze narrowed. A Chakra Blade?!

Rei was already skilled in swordsmanship, and the Chakra Blade in her hand greatly increased her combat strength.

The sheer presence she exuded while holding it made Neji uneasy.

Neji was no match for Rei in swordsmanship.

He had once combined the Eight Trigrams Palm with swordsmanship and developed the Eight Trigrams Sword Style.

But progress had been slow, so he hadn't pursued it further.

Whoosh.

Rei sprang into action, moving like a phantom as a sharp whistle of wind followed her straight toward Neji.

Neji keenly sensed the Lightning Release chakra inside Rei surge in an instant. Electricity stimulated her cells, making them vibrate rapidly.

She used Lightning Release to stimulate the cells throughout her body, enhancing her physical abilities across the board.

The principle was the same as the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

This alone showed how precisely Rei could control Lightning Release chakra.

Rei moved swiftly, her swordsmanship sharp, but under the gaze of Neji's Tenseigan, every move she made was easy to read.

Neji kept a blank expression as he launched himself at her with the Eight Trigrams Palm.

In the blink of an eye,

their palm techniques and sword strikes clashed in a rapid flurry.

A person's fighting style indirectly reflected their inner world.

Rei's tendency to take unconventional risks in battle meant she was overly confident in her own abilities and the fine blade in her hand.

That confidence made her unconsciously take dangerous chances in a fight.

She might not even have been aware of the habit herself.

In a duel between experts, even an seemingly insignificant habit could decide the outcome.

Whoosh!

With a piercing whistle of wind, Rei cleaved a tree thick enough for two people to wrap their arms around straight down the middle.

Nearby, more than a dozen trees had already been split vertically or cut into several pieces horizontally.

Standing just beyond the maximum range of Rei's blade, Neji spoke at an unhurried pace. "Your swordsmanship is sharp, and it packs a punch. But if you can't hit anyone, it's worthless."

"..."

Electricity crackled along the long blade in Rei's hand, and killing intent poured from her.

Neji's words infuriated her, but for the moment, she couldn't refute them.

So her sword strikes grew more and more ferocious.

Neji didn't meet them head-on. Relying on his agility, he dodged each one by the narrowest of margins.

Her attacks kept failing to land.

Rei grew increasingly unsettled, and much of the chakra in her body was spent.

Moreover, with Neji deliberately leading her on, the two of them fought deeper into the woods until Samui and the others were no longer visible to the naked eye.

Neji began to take the offensive.

When Rei saw Neji rush at her, she was delighted and swung her blade swiftly.

Compared to before, Rei's swordsmanship carried more killing intent, but it had also become far more chaotic.

Neji's Tenseigan caught the openings in her movements, but he didn't rush to attack. He was waiting for the perfect chance to shatter Rei's confidence completely.

A few seconds later, his chance came.

Neji slid sideways, appearing in front of Rei, and abruptly slapped a palm toward her chest.

Rei's best choice at that moment was to retreat and put some distance between herself and Neji. Once his attack had passed, she could strike back with her blade.

But she chose to take an unconventional risk. Instead of retreating, she swung her sword at Neji.

Neji had expected as much.

In the next instant, his left hand shifted sideways from Rei's chest, and his fingertips struck the wrist holding her sword.

Neji hit an acupoint on Rei's wrist, and the long blade slipped from her grasp.

Neji caught the blade and held it against Rei's neck.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye.

Only after Neji pressed the blade to her neck did Rei realize what had happened.

Neji lowered the blade, turned it around, and planted it in the ground. He looked at her expressionlessly.

"I... I lost."

Rei slumped onto the ground, devastated.

She had never imagined she would lose, let alone lose so thoroughly.

Since she'd started learning swordsmanship, only her swordsmanship instructor had ever taken the blade from her.

But soon, Rei looked up at Neji, determination in her eyes. "Before long, I'll challenge you again."

Neji shook his head and replied calmly, "The gap between us is like heaven and earth. You'll never beat me in this lifetime."

"That's not true. In this fight, I... I had a chance to win." Rei shook her head, her expression stubborn.

Neji sighed. "You gave it your all, yet you couldn't hurt me in the slightest, while I only used... one-tenth of my strength."

"One-tenth of your strength?"

Rei's eyes widened in disbelief. "Bullshit!"