Showdown (Two-in-One)

Sasuke Uchiha let out a cold snort and took the initiative to step forward, staring coldly at Shinnosuke.

As the battle began, Shinnosuke repeated his old tactics, attempting to suppress Sasuke with speed and tricky taijutsu.

However, Sasuke's taijutsu was far beyond what Naruto could compare to; his movements were swift and fluid, easily parrying Shinnosuke's attacks before unleashing a tempestuous counterattack using Uchiha Style Taijutsu.

Cold sweat broke out on Shinnosuke's face as he gradually found himself unable to keep up.

After a few exchanges, Sasuke seized a moment when his opponent was off-balance and landed a fierce, lightning-fast roundhouse kick precisely on Shinnosuke's side, the force of the blow sending him flying.

Sasuke retracted his leg and stood tall, his posture cold and arrogant.

Hearts appeared in Haruno Sakura's eyes: "Sasuke-kun is so cool."

Uzumaki Naruto muttered, "He's actually pretty strong."

Mizuki looked toward the arena and said to Hyuga Neji, "You go fight him."

Hyuga Neji walked calmly into the arena.

The crowd erupted in exclamations.

Seeing those Byakugan eyes, everyone realized who he was, and whispers rippled through the crowd.

"It's the second-year genius—Hyuga Neji."

"I heard his Gentle Fist is incredible."

"Isn't Hyuga Hinata from the same family? Hinata is from the main house and ranks above Neji, so why do I feel like Hinata's Gentle Fist is just average?"

Both sides formed seals and stood opposite each other, waiting for the signal to begin.

Neji shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, his movements concise and efficient.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he met the charge without fear. The two clashed instantly! Their fists and feet collided, their speed so fast it left afterimages.

Sasuke's taijutsu was sharp, direct, and full of explosive power.

Neji's style, however, was like flowing water; though it appeared gentle, he was always able to precisely parry, strike, deflect, and redirect.

Hyuga Hinata's pure white eyes were fixed intently on Hyuga Neji's figure in the arena.

Neji's movements were fluid, and through his fluttering palms and fingertips, Hinata clearly saw the shadow of authentic and profound Gentle Fist.

An indescribable, complex emotion welled up in Hyuga Hinata's heart.

"So amazing..." she whispered silently in her heart, only for that admiration to be swallowed by a deeper sense of loss.

The gap between her and Hyuga Neji felt particularly glaring at this moment.

Sasuke Uchiha grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed; all of his attack intentions were being seen through in advance!

In a flash of lightning, Sasuke made a decision.

He gritted his teeth hard, using the recoil from parrying one of Neji's palms to leap backward, creating a distance of several meters!

He suddenly raised his head, and deep within his eyes, a scarlet light erupted!

A pitch-black tomoe seemed to be born from blood, spinning rapidly within his crimson pupils before solidifying!

One-Tomoe Sharingan, activate!

His vision became incredibly clear, and Neji's movements seemed to slow down!

Without a moment's hesitation, Sasuke's hands moved like phantoms into his ninja tool pouch, his fingers already gripping shuriken!

He took a sudden step back, his hands moving with lightning speed to fling several shuriken from his pouch!

The shuriken shot straight out, and Hyuga Neji narrowly dodged them.

But after passing Neji, the shuriken traced eerie arcs in the air, as if imbued with life, closing in on Neji from multiple devious angles behind his back with a sharp, piercing whistle!

This was the secret technique he had painstakingly practiced after awakening his Sharingan—the Manipulated Shuriken Technique!

He had not yet learned ninjutsu, but with the aid of the Sharingan, the Manipulated Shuriken Technique was easier to master.

As the surprise attack came from behind, the crowd gasped.

Haruno Sakura covered her mouth.

Uzumaki Naruto exclaimed, "What is this? Why can these shuriken turn corners after being thrown!"

Nara Shikamaru explained, "It's the Uchiha clan's Manipulated Shuriken Technique."

A faint smile appeared on Sasuke Uchiha's face.

Hyuga Neji heard the abnormal sound of the shuriken, and veins bulged on his smooth forehead.

Byakugan, activate!

The Byakugan of the Caged Bird had a blind spot, but he could still see Sasuke's returning shuriken.

Facing the cold light coming from behind, Hyuga Neji's Byakugan had long since perceived their trajectory.

He tapped his feet lightly, dodging a few shuriken and deflecting the rest with his Gentle Fist.

He charged straight toward Sasuke Uchiha.

How is this possible!

A flash of shock flickered in the eyes of Uchiha Sasuke.

But the wires in his hands left him no room to dodge.

Hyuga Neji struck Uchiha Sasuke down with a single punch.

The outcome was decided, and Umino Iruka announced the end of the match!

"I actually lost."

Uchiha Sasuke covered his face, intense emotions surging into his eyes, and then, nothing happened.

Haruno Sakura hurried forward to help Uchiha Sasuke up.

Hyuga Hinata was not surprised at all.

She was well aware of Hyuga Neji's strength; he was a genius of the branch family.

Although he had not yet mastered the Eight Trigrams Palms, he was already beginning to show his edge.

Hyuga Neji stood in the arena, his white eyes sweeping across the crowd, his indifferent expression seemingly stating, "My victory was inevitable."

"Is there anyone else who can fight?"

Mizuki said with a beaming smile.

Since even the Uchiha who had activated the Sharingan could not defeat Hyuga Neji, he believed Hyuga Neji was already invincible.

"What's he so smug about?" Inuzuka Kiba gritted his teeth, wanting to go up and fight him right then and there.

Nara Shikamaru held him back; Inuzuka Kiba still couldn't beat Hyuga Neji.

Akimichi Denji's eyes widened, his short red hair burning like a raging flame. He stared at Hyuga Neji as if he had discovered a fun new toy, a smile curling the corners of his mouth.

"I'll go."

Akimichi Denji stepped out to face Hyuga Neji.

The Gentle Fist of the Hyuga clan was famous throughout the ninja world, one of the few schools renowned for its taijutsu, and he wanted to see it for himself. It would be of great help to his own taijutsu.

Yamanaka Ino cast a look of concern at him.

"Will you be okay? This guy looks extraordinary."

"Don't..." Hyuga Hinata gripped the hem of her clothes in worry.

"It's fine, I'll win." Leaving Ino and Hinata with a reassuring look, Akimichi Denji walked onto the training ground.

Hyuga Neji stood in the arena, his gaze colliding with Akimichi Denji's opposite him. For some reason, those eyes made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

It was as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast; he felt like he was on pins and needles, a chill quietly creeping up his spine.

"The duel begins."

BOOM!

The hard training ground tiles beneath Akimichi Denji's feet shattered instantly! Spiderweb-like cracks spread wildly!

He transformed into a red bolt of lightning that tore through the air, closing the distance between them and charging toward Hyuga Neji.

So fast!

Hyuga Neji felt a jolt in his heart, his pupils constricting, his heart sinking.

Almost by instinct, he planted his feet, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and assumed a defensive stance.

Akimichi Denji was already upon him!

His fist, carrying a shrill, piercing whistle, slammed straight toward him!

Onefold Strength of a Hundred!

Hyuga Neji dared not be careless and blocked.

BANG—!!!

The collision of their fists erupted with a thunderous roar! A terrifying force slammed violently into Neji's arms!

"Urgh!"

Neji let out a muffled groan, feeling his arms go instantly numb and stinging, as if he had been struck head-on by a high-speed carriage!

He realized his opponent was no simple matter.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and his Byakugan activated!

His vision became perfectly clear; he needed to find a flaw and use chakra to strike the pressure points to subdue his enemy!

Akimichi Denji curled his lips, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth in a wild grin.

Chakra surged like a rushing sea, driven toward his fist.

Twofold Strength of a Hundred.

Threefold Strength of a Hundred.

Fourfold Strength of a Hundred!

Fivefold Strength of a Hundred!!

Power, pure to the extreme, surged like a tsunami, wave after wave crashing violently against the defensive line Neji was struggling to maintain!

Neji could no longer steady his stance, pushed back repeatedly by this tyrannical force.

Forget finding an opening to strike the chakra points; even maintaining his guard had become exceptionally difficult!

No! A head-on clash won't work!

Hyuga Neji paused, exhaling a long breath; he realized that relying on the Gentle Fist, he could not compete in raw power against the monster before him.

He used the momentum of the opponent's next massive wave of force to leap backward, retreating several meters to create distance.

He exhaled again, staring fixedly at Akimichi Denji.

Within the vision of his Byakugan, the flow of chakra inside Akimichi Denji was clearly visible. A terrifyingly vast amount of chakra was being exquisitely condensed into that tightly clenched fist!

"The destructive power is truly shocking..." Neji analyzed rapidly, "but it is merely power; the speed has not increased..."

"As long as I strike the chakra points on his arm once! I can dismantle this brute force."

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, he slowly lowered his center of gravity, assuming a more rounded and profound starting stance.

Seeing Neji change his posture, Akimichi Denji felt no caution; instead, a more intense fighting spirit erupted in his eyes, and the wild grin on his lips grew even more ferocious.

He gave his opponent no chance to breathe, transforming into a crimson flash once more and closing the distance in an instant!

Tenfold Strength of a Hundred!

The earth-shattering collision he had anticipated did not occur!

Denji only felt as if his fist had smashed into a deep, bottomless mire; the moment of contact neutralized his power, leaving less than one-tenth of its original force.

On the sidelines, Hyuga Hinata couldn't help but let out a low gasp, covering her mouth with her small hand, her eyes filled with an expression of disbelief.

"This is... the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms."

Although it was only the first four palms of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, she would never mistake this technique!

Even so, the suddenly increased Tenfold Strength of a Hundred still made Hyuga Neji call it terrifying.

Akimichi Denji seemed to have been provoked into a frenzy, the red glow in his eyes intensifying!

Fifteenfold Strength of a Hundred!

Hyuga Neji could not parry it, his fist struck by the monstrous force.

He felt as if his arm had been crushed by a heavy truck; he had intended to channel the Eight Trigrams Palms, but even after dissipating a portion of the force, the residual power left him overwhelmed.

The remaining immense force sent him stumbling backward, leaving his defenses wide open!

His pure Byakugan looked toward the red-haired youth before him; the boy's eyes were burning, and he actually wanted to pounce again!

From the unbridled smile on his face, it was clear he was in the heat of the moment.

He raised his right hand.

"I concede," Hyuga Neji said calmly.

His arm was already seeping blood, trembling slightly from the intense pain. He couldn't even handle the force he had managed to dissipate; if he kept fighting, Hyuga Neji doubted he would keep his life.

Hearing Hyuga Neji's concession, Akimichi Denji pursed his lips in dissatisfaction, looking somewhat regretful.

You guy, what are you regretting?!

"I need treatment," Hyuga Neji said, raising his hand; his palm was already bright red and bleeding.

Hyuga Neji's mechanical tone made Akimichi Denji think he was in Overwatch, a sniper calling for a healer.

He wasn't a healer, but Tsunade was.

She had plenty of healing to go around.

However, Hyuga Neji's arm was bleeding, and Tsunade had hemophobia.

It was fine; there was still Shizune.

Akimichi Denji said, "I'll take you there."

The main reason was to see if there were any Wish Points to harvest, and there was one other thing Akimichi Denji cared about.

In Akimichi Denji's eyes, Hyuga Neji was different from others; only he had a deep red Long-cherished Wish hovering above his head.

The current Sasuke had not yet experienced the Night of the Uchiha Massacre and had no Long-cherished Wish; he was just a carefree little brat.

Hyuga Neji cast a look of distrust at Akimichi Denji.

"My master is Tsunade."

The suspicion in Hyuga Neji's eyes diminished significantly.

Everyone knew that Lady Tsunade was a world-renowned medical ninja; since that was the case, taking him to Lady Tsunade for an examination was perfectly reasonable.

The strength of the Hyuga clan was mostly manifested in the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist; he felt he had suffered internal injuries from the shock of Akimichi Denji's monstrous strength earlier.

Having Lady Tsunade check him over would be for the best.

Akimichi Denji took Hyuga Neji toward the Senju Ancestral Home.

Hyuga Hinata stepped forward, wanting to say something.

"Are you alright?"

But he was rebuffed by Hyuga Neji's cold expression.

"Thank you for your concern, Lady Hinata."

His words were filled with frost.

Akimichi Denji watched the two of them but did not speak.

He knew that the relationship between them was not something that could be resolved with a few simple words.

The Caged Bird was a threshold that could not be crossed.

Neither of them was the talkative type, so they traveled in silence until they reached the Senju Ancestral Home.

Tsunade was not there, only Shizune.

That was just as well; even Tsunade could not heal the wounds Hyuga Neji had sustained.

"What happened?"

Shizune was wearing a kimono.

"Sister Shizune, I injured a classmate." Akimichi Denji's expression was indifferent, as casual as if he were saying he had eaten a slice of bread.

"This is Sister Shizune," Akimichi Denji explained to Hyuga Neji.

"Is this a wound caused by Strength of a Hundred?"

After gesturing for Hyuga Neji to sit, Shizune examined the injury and asked Akimichi Denji.

Akimichi Denji nodded calmly.

"You should hold back during sparring!"

Shizune said with dissatisfaction, channeling the Mystical Palm Technique as her palms emitted a green glow.

This was an A-rank medical ninjutsu capable of healing wounds and promoting cellular activity.

It was the most suitable treatment for internal injuries caused by such brute strength.

"I already held back," Akimichi Denji said tepidly.

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Neji's mind tightened. He shifted his gaze toward Akimichi Denji and asked, "Are you saying that the power you used wasn't your full strength?"

"Mm." Akimichi Denji gave him a calm look and said faintly.

"Arrogant talk." Hyuga Neji did not believe him.

Akimichi Denji curled his lip and ignored him; he couldn't be bothered to prove anything.

In Akimichi Denji's eyes, the red Long-cherished Wish above Hyuga Neji's head was too eye-catching, making it difficult for him not to focus on it.

[Caged Bird, when will you fly?]

Therefore, Akimichi Denji chose to look away, but unfortunately, Shizune was as flat as a board, so he could only look at the scenery outside the window.

Shizune spoke up on Akimichi Denji's behalf: "Denji-kun is not the kind of child who lies."

"Although he has only been learning Strength of a Hundred for less than a week, Denji is very talented; he is capable of using that level of strength."

Although Shizune did not know Strength of a Hundred, having been by Tsunade's side for many years, she had seen enough to have a general understanding of the ninjutsu.

Looking at Hyuga Neji's wound, she estimated it to be about two or three times the strength, which prompted her remark.

However, what she did not know was that the power Hyuga Neji had faced was already the Fifteenfold Strength of a Hundred.

If not for his use of the Eight Trigrams Palm's deflection techniques, his arm would likely have been crippled by now.