Duel (Two-Part Chapter)

Sasuke Uchiha snorted and stepped forward, fixing Shinnosuke with a cold stare.

The fight began. Shinnosuke tried the same trick again, hoping to use his speed and tricky taijutsu to overwhelm Sasuke.

But Sasuke's taijutsu was far beyond Naruto's. His movements were swift and fluid, and he easily blocked several of Shinnosuke's attacks before launching a fierce counterattack with Uchiha Style Taijutsu.

Cold sweat appeared on Shinnosuke's face. He was gradually struggling to keep up.

After a few exchanges, Sasuke seized the moment when his opponent lost his balance and landed a sharp, powerful spinning kick squarely on Shinnosuke's side, sending him flying.

Sasuke lowered his leg and stood upright, his posture aloof.

Little hearts appeared in Haruno Sakura's eyes. "Sasuke-kun is so cool."

Uzumaki Naruto pouted. "He's pretty good."

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

Hyuga Neji calmly walked onto the field.

The crowd cried out in surprise.

They recognized those white eyes, and murmurs spread through the crowd.

"That's the second-year genius, Hyuga Neji."

"I heard his Gentle Fist is amazing."

"Isn't Hyuga Hinata from the same family? She's even from the Main House, a step above Hyuga Neji. So why does her Gentle Fist seem so average?"

The two formed hand seals and took their positions. The command to begin the duel rang out.

Neji shot forward like an arrow loosed from its string, his movements clean and efficient.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but he met him without hesitation. They clashed in an instant! Fists and feet collided, moving so fast they seemed to leave afterimages.

Sasuke's taijutsu was fierce and direct, full of explosive power;

Neji's fists, by contrast, flowed like water, seemingly gentle yet always precise as they struck, tapped, deflected, and redirected.

Hyuga Hinata's clear Byakugan stayed fixed on Hyuga Neji's figure in the field.

Neji's movements flowed seamlessly. In his sweeping palms and fingertips, Hinata clearly saw the pure, profound techniques of the Gentle Fist.

A complicated emotion surged within her, one she could hardly put into words.

Amazing... she silently praised him, but the admiration was soon overshadowed by a deeper sense of loss.

The gap between her and Hyuga Neji seemed especially glaring now.

The longer Sasuke fought, the more alarmed he became. Neji saw through every one of his attacks before he could make them!

In the blink of an eye, Sasuke made his decision.

He gritted his teeth and used the recoil from deflecting one of Neji's palms to retreat swiftly, putting several meters between them!

He abruptly raised his head. Deep in his eyes, a crimson light suddenly burst into view!

A black Tomoe appeared as if born from blood, spinning rapidly and taking shape in his scarlet pupil!

One-Tomoe Sharingan, activated!

His vision instantly sharpened. Neji's movements seemed to slow!

Without hesitation, Sasuke's hands darted into his ninja pouch like phantoms. Shuriken were already wedged between his fingers!

He took a sharp step back, then flung several shuriken from his pouch, his hands moving like lightning!

The shuriken shot straight at Neji, who narrowly dodged them.

But once they passed him, the shuriken traced bizarre arcs through the air. As if they were alive, they came at Neji from several extremely tricky angles behind him, blanketing him with sharp whistles!

This was the secret technique Sasuke had painstakingly trained in after awakening his Sharingan: the Manipulated Shuriken Technique!

He still hadn't learned any ninjutsu, but the Sharingan made the Manipulated Shuriken Technique easier to master.

The attack from behind drew gasps from the crowd.

Haruno Sakura covered her mouth.

Uzumaki Naruto cried out, "What's that? Why are the shuriken curving after he throws them?"

Nara Shikamaru explained, "The Uchiha Clan's Manipulated Shuriken Technique."

A faint smile appeared on Sasuke's face.

Neji heard the shuriken's strange whistling. Veins bulged on his smooth forehead.

Byakugan, activated!

The Byakugan granted by the Caged Bird had blind spots, but he could still see Sasuke's shuriken as they doubled back.

Facing the glinting blades behind him, Neji's Byakugan had already seen their trajectories.

He lightly shifted his steps to dodge several shuriken and knocked away others with the Gentle Fist.

Then he charged straight at Sasuke.

How?!

Shock flashed through Sasuke's eyes.

But the strings in his hands left him no time to dodge.

Neji struck Sasuke down with a powerful punch.

The victor had been decided. Umino Iruka declared the match over!

"So I lost."

Sasuke covered his face. Intense emotion welled in his eyes, but then nothing happened.

Haruno Sakura hurried forward to help him up.

Hyuga Hinata wasn't surprised.

She knew how strong Neji was. He was a genius of the Branch House.

He hadn't learned the Eight Trigrams Palms yet, but he was already showing the first signs of its brilliance.

Neji stood in the field, his pale eyes sweeping over the crowd. His calm expression seemed to say, My victory was inevitable.

"Does anyone else want to fight him?" Mizuki asked with a smile.

Even Sasuke, who had awakened his Sharingan, hadn't been able to defeat Neji. Mizuki thought Neji was already invincible.

"What's he so smug about?" Inuzuka Kiba gritted his teeth, ready to jump into the ring and fight him.

Nara Shikamaru stopped him. Kiba still couldn't beat Neji.

Akimichi Denji's eyes widened. His short red hair blazed like fire as he stared at Neji, as if he'd found an amusing new toy. The corners of his mouth curled into a smile.

"I'll go."

Akimichi Denji stepped forward and challenged Neji.

The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist was famous throughout the Shinobi World. It was one of the few fighting styles known for taijutsu alone, and Denji wanted to see it for himself. It could help him improve his own taijutsu.

Yamanaka Ino looked at him with concern.

"Are you sure? That guy looks like no ordinary opponent."

"Don't..." Hinata worriedly clenched the hem of her shirt.

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

Neji stood in the field, his gaze meeting Denji's. For some reason, those eyes made him deeply uncomfortable.

It was as if a ferocious beast had its sights on him. The sensation prickled down his back, and a chill crept up his spine.

"Begin!"

BOOM!

The hard training-ground tiles beneath Denji's feet shattered! Webs of cracks spread wildly!

He became a red bolt of lightning that tore through the air, crossing the distance between them and charging straight at Neji.

So fast!

Neji's heart tightened, his pupils contracting as his stomach sank.

Almost by instinct, he rooted his feet to the ground and crossed his arms in front of his chest, taking a defensive stance.

Denji was already on him!

His fist came hurtling forward with a piercing whistle!

Strength of a Hundred, onefold!

Neji didn't dare take it lightly. He blocked.

BANG—!!!

Their fists collided with a thunderous impact! A terrifying force slammed into Neji's arms!

"Ugh!"

Neji grunted. His arms went numb and began to throb, as if he'd been hit head-on by a speeding carriage!

He realized his opponent was no ordinary fighter.

Veins bulged on his forehead. Byakugan, activated!

With his vision clear, he searched for an opening so he could strike Neji's chakra points and bring him down!

Denji grinned, baring a mouthful of sharp teeth. His smile was wild.

His chakra surged like a vast ocean, gathering in his fist.

Strength of a Hundred, twofold.

Strength of a Hundred, threefold.

Strength of a Hundred, fourfold!

Strength of a Hundred, fivefold!!

Pure, overwhelming force crashed against Neji's faltering defense like a rising tsunami, each wave stronger than the last!

Neji could no longer hold his ground. The violent force drove him backward again and again.

He had no chance to find an opening for a chakra-point strike. Even maintaining his guard was becoming extremely difficult!

This won't work! I can't beat him head-on!

Neji paused and let out a long breath. He realized that with the Gentle Fist, he couldn't possibly match the monster in front of him in a contest of strength.

As another wave of force surged toward him, he sprang backward, skidding several meters to open up some distance.

He exhaled slowly and fixed his gaze on Denji.

Through his Byakugan, Neji could clearly see the flow of chakra in Denji's body. His horrifyingly vast reserves of chakra were being precisely concentrated in his clenched fist!

"His destructive power really is astounding..." Neji analyzed quickly. "But it's just strength. His speed hasn't increased..."

If I can strike a chakra point on his arm just once, I can neutralize that brute force.

His thoughts raced. He slowly lowered his stance and assumed a more fluid, profound opening posture.

Seeing Neji change his stance, Denji showed no fear. Instead, his fighting spirit burned even brighter, and his wild grin grew more savage.

He gave Neji no chance to catch his breath. Once again, he became a bolt of red lightning and closed in instantly!

Strength of a Hundred, tenfold!

The crushing collision Neji expected never came!

Denji felt as if his fist had plunged into a deep mire. The moment it made contact, his power was neutralized, leaving less than a tenth of its original force.

Hinata couldn't help letting out a quiet gasp from the sidelines. She covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes full of disbelief.

"That's the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms."

Although Neji had only used the first four palms of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, she could never mistake that technique!

Even so, the sudden tenfold increase in strength made Neji gasp at how terrifying it was.

Denji seemed to have awakened his ferocity. The red gleam in his eyes intensified!

Strength of a Hundred, fifteenfold!

Neji couldn't hold out. The blow struck his fist.

His hand felt as if a truck had run over it. He tried to use the Eight Trigrams Palms to redirect the force, but even after diverting some of it, he couldn't handle the force that remained.

The immense power left in the blow sent him stumbling backward, his guard wide open!

His clear Byakugan turned toward the red-haired boy in front of him. The boy's eyes burned with excitement, and he still looked ready to charge again!

The reckless grin on his face made it clear that he was having the time of his life.

Denji raised his right hand.

"I surrender," Neji said calmly.

His arm was already bleeding, and it trembled slightly from the pain. He couldn't even handle the force he'd redirected. If the fight continued, Neji suspected he might not make it out alive.

Hearing Neji surrender, Denji pursed his lips in displeasure, looking a little disappointed.

What are you disappointed about?!

"I need treatment." Neji raised his hand. His palm was already bright red and bleeding.

Neji's robotic tone made Denji think he was playing Overwatch and calling for a healer from his position.

He wasn't a healer, but Tsunade was.

And she had plenty of healing power.

But Neji's arm was bleeding, and Tsunade had Hemophobia.

No problem. There was still Shizune.

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

Mainly, he wanted to see if he could get a Wish Point out of it. There was also something else about Neji that bothered Denji.

In Denji's eyes, Neji was different from everyone else. Only he had a deep crimson Long-cherished Wish hanging over his head.

Sasuke hadn't experienced the Night of the Clan Massacre, so he didn't have a Long-cherished Wish either. He was just a carefree little kid.

Neji shot Denji a distrustful look.

"My teacher is Tsunade."

The suspicion in Neji's eyes eased considerably.

Everyone knew Lady Tsunade was a renowned Medical Ninja. In that case, taking Neji to have her examine him was the right thing to do.

Most of the Hyuga Clan's strength came from the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist. Neji felt that Denji's brute strength had injured him internally.

It would be best to have Lady Tsunade examine him.

Denji took Neji to the Senju Ancestral Home.

Hinata came over, wanting to say something.

"Are you all right?"

But Hyuga Neji's cold expression stopped her.

"Thank you for your concern, Lady Hinata."

His words were icy.

Akimichi Denji watched the two of them but said nothing.

He knew the relationship between them wasn't something that could be explained in a few words.

The Caged Bird was a barrier they couldn't cross.

Neither of them was much for conversation, so they traveled in silence until they reached the Senju Ancestral Home.

Tsunade wasn't there. Only Shizune was.

That was probably for the best. Neji was bleeding, and even Tsunade couldn't heal him.

"What happened?"

Shizune was wearing a kimono.

"Shizune, I hurt a classmate." Denji's expression was calm, as if he were saying he'd eaten a slice of bread.

"This is Shizune," Denji explained to Neji.

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

After inviting Neji to sit down, Shizune examined his injuries and asked Denji.

Denji nodded calmly.

"Show a little restraint when you spar!"

Shizune said disapprovingly, then channeled the Mystical Palm Technique. A green glow appeared in her palm.

This was an A-rank Medical Ninjutsu that could heal wounds and stimulate cell activity.

It was ideal for treating internal injuries caused by Strength of a Hundred.

"I was already holding back," Denji said evenly.

Hearing this, Neji's heart tightened. He turned his gaze to Denji and asked, "You mean that wasn't even your full strength?"

"Mm." Denji gave him a calm look and answered flatly.

"Don't make such absurd claims." Neji didn't believe him.

Denji pursed his lips and ignored him. He couldn't be bothered to prove anything.

In Denji's eyes, the red Long-cherished Wish above Neji's head was so conspicuous that it was hard not to look at it.

[Caged Bird, when will you fly?]

So Denji looked away. Unfortunately, Shizune was as flat as a board, leaving him with nothing to do but gaze out the window.

Shizune spoke up for Denji. "Denji isn't the kind of child who would lie."

"Although he's only been learning Strength of a Hundred for less than a week, Denji is very talented. He can still use it to this degree."

Shizune didn't know Strength of a Hundred herself, but after spending years around Tsunade, she'd picked up plenty about the technique.

Looking at Neji's injury, she could tell it had probably been caused by two or three times Strength of a Hundred, which was why she'd said that.

What she didn't know was that Neji had faced fifteen times Strength of a Hundred.

If he hadn't used the force-deflecting techniques of the Eight Trigrams Palms, his arm would probably have been ruined by now.