Early that morning, Neji met up with Tenten.
"Training Ground 21... Here?"
Tenten held a map of Konoha and scratched her head.
Neji nodded. "Yeah, it's just ahead."
The two of them walked over together.
The thick morning fog was already beginning to lift, and dew slid off the grass along the path.
Puddles from last night's light rain dotted the cobblestone path, while the air carried a refreshing dampness.
"But why is this training ground so quiet?"
Tenten walked inside. Like the Intelligence Division in the center of the Forest of Death, this training ground seemed to have gone unused for a long time. It was small but had everything it needed.
They could hear running water nearby, along with the faint sound of a waterfall. The Konoha River didn't seem to be far away.
"Yeah, you hear the water? This training ground has been here for twenty years. After the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha grew stronger and closer to the Land of Fire, and signed a ceasefire agreement with Sunagakure. There haven't been many wars since then. People call it the era of peace."
As Neji spoke, he jumped onto a wooden post. "In an era of peace, naturally, shinobi trained less. All the training grounds after number twenty-one were abandoned. The last time this place was used was probably for a large-scale exercise at least three years ago."
"Oh—"
Tenten nodded leisurely.
"The air feels so nice."
"Neji, you spend all your time cooped up in your clan compound. How do you know so much?" Tenten asked curiously. Lately, she'd suddenly begun to feel that Neji could do anything.
Neji grinned. "There's nothing else to do most days, so I'm always training. I come to these training grounds pretty often, too. Sometimes I run into a Jonin or an Anbu who came here for the same reason. I hear them chatting, and that's how I find out."
"Jonin..."
Tenten was even more impressed.
While she'd thought advancing to Chunin was an impossible challenge, Neji's sights had already gone beyond being a Genin.
The Third Shinobi World War he'd mentioned had happened before Tenten was born. She knew absolutely nothing about it.
"But what about you, Neji? Why did you ask me to come so early? This isn't when we usually meet!"
"Is it? I usually start waiting around this time."
"Uh..." Tenten swallowed. She saw that Neji had already found a wooden post and begun practicing intently.
"You're here!"
Sarutobi Asuma's voice rang across the training ground.
"I could hear Neji practicing as soon as I walked in. He really is hardworking!"
Behind Asuma were the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
Ino said, "Sensei! You're being too loud!"
Choji said, "You promised that after we finished training them, you'd take me out for barbecue."
Shikamaru said, "What a drag."
Tenten looked over hesitantly and murmured, "I see. The new teacher Guy-sensei found is Asuma-sensei?"
"Hey, Neji. Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."
Asuma walked over. Neji paused, and the two looked at each other.
Then Neji stopped training and bowed politely.
With Asuma there, the practice finally had someone taking charge. He gathered everyone together, and they all sat down on the grass.
"So, as I just explained, this will last two weeks. I'll decide your schedules for the next two weeks. It's not just those of you taking the Chunin Exams. Tenten and Choji should use this chance to improve, too. There'll be another Chunin Exam, so don't let everyone else leave you behind!"
"Okay..." Tenten and Choji answered listlessly. They exchanged a glance and sighed.
"To start, I want to personally watch you fight so I can tailor your training better. We'll spar one-on-one. The person here I know the least about is..."
Asuma looked around and spotted Neji, who hadn't said a word.
"How about you, Hyuga Neji?"
"Me?"
Neji paused, pointed at himself, then obediently stood up.
"Ino, you'll be Neji's opponent. Let's see how much you've improved!"
"Huh?"
Ino stood up. She wore a short purple skirt, and her skin was delicate and fair. Neji furrowed his brow slightly.
He had to fight a girl so delicate? He couldn't even imagine himself seriously attacking her.
"Why am I up first?"
Ino pouted, her eyes looking so pitifully adorable.
Asuma chuckled. "All right, let's begin. Everyone, spread out and give them some room. I'll watch your movements and how you attack. Remember, this is just a spar. Don't go too far."
"Got it!" everyone answered in unison.
The others stepped back to clear some space.
As Choji ate potato chips, he said, "Ino should be able to beat Neji pretty easily. She's already learned that thing from Sensei."
Shikamaru frowned and glared at Neji. "You idiot. You got beaten by Sasuke last time and missed the matches afterward. Neji beat Gaara! It won't be that easy!"
"Really?" Choji replied absentmindedly, continuing to chew.
"Ha!"
Ino charged forward as soon as they started, startling Neji.
Should I activate the Byakugan? Maybe not...
Neji hesitated as he sparred with Ino using Taijutsu.
They exchanged blows, and Neji handled her with ease.
But Ino clearly wasn't good at Taijutsu. Her attacks came to nothing, and Neji dodged them all.
"Neji, remember to attack!" Asuma said when he saw Neji only defending.
Neji immediately gathered his strength. He found an opening as he dodged and thrust his palm forward!
"Ah!" Ino felt the wind from his palm and screamed.
"Smack"...
Neji gently placed his palm against her, as if he'd merely set his hand down.
Whew, good thing I held back my chakra. Neji let out a relieved breath.
But the next moment, he felt something soft beneath his hand.
Ino's face turned red with embarrassment. Beneath Neji's soft palm, she felt her heart pounding!
"Pervert!"
Ino gritted her teeth and backed away.
"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Neji felt helpless, though the sensation just now had been pretty nice.
"Damn it! Pervert, pervert, pervert!" Ino blushed, but she didn't seem to want to show any weakness. She immediately attacked Neji again with all her might.
Neji activated the Byakugan and dodged swiftly.
The two continued their increasingly intense close-quarters battle.
"Ino's attacking so fast, and it's still not working at all?" Choji asked, puzzled.
Asuma laughed. "Of course not. The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan has incredible perception. It can catch every movement, so you can't even launch a surprise attack. The Byakugan can see through things, too. Even a hidden weapon concealed beneath someone's clothes can be seen clearly, right down to its size and shape..."
At Asuma's words, Tenten froze and curled in on herself even more.
The two sparring stopped. Ino stopped attacking, and Neji stopped defending.
"S-see through..."
Tenten swallowed and blinked, trying her hardest to hide her flushed face.
Ino's mouth fell open as she remembered Neji activating his Byakugan without hesitation just moments ago.
And now Neji was staring at her, the veins around his eyes bulging!
Ino quickly backed away and covered her chest.
"Don't look!"
Neji broke into a cold sweat and gave an awkward smile. "It's a misunderstanding. I-I really am not that kind of person."
As he spoke, he walked over with an awkward grin to explain. Ino only grew more frightened and kept backing away.
"Oh dear, oh dear. Looks like I explained that a little poorly. Ha ha, ha ha!" Seeing the scene, Asuma laughed awkwardly.
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