"What..."
Tenten and Rock Lee were both stunned.
Was this really Hyuga Neji, the "failure" said to come along only once in a hundred years in the Hyuga Clan?
When did he train?
Guy silently wondered as he looked at Neji, who stood before him with a serious expression. After that strike, Neji hadn't even broken a sweat.
Had Neji's strength somehow surpassed his expectations by this much?
"As expected of a jonin, Teacher Guy. You reacted quickly!"
Neji didn't hold back on the praise, but his eyes were fixed on the bell in Guy's hand.
Guy forced a smile and said, "Don't be so hasty. I haven't even said to begin yet!"
Neji ignored him, stepped forward, and formed Hand Seals.
"Byakugan!"
Guy noticed and immediately retreated a step. In that instant, Neji had been able to see everything around him.
"His Byakugan has improved so much all of a sudden!"
"Ha!"
Neji struck forward with his palm, moving at a speed that was worlds apart from before.
Guy couldn't dodge in time and blocked with his hand. The force sent him flying back several meters.
"Neji, even the Chunin Exams have rules." Guy could easily withstand the surprise attack, but he still wanted to do his duty and teach Neji a lesson.
Neji replied, "Teacher, you're talking about a match. There are no rules in a real battle between ninja!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, he was already stepping forward again.
At almost the same moment, Guy retreated.
"Smack!"
"Thud!"
"Wham!"
Neji's palm strikes, punches, elbow strikes, and sweeping kicks flowed seamlessly into one another. He gave Guy no chance to react, forcing him to endure one attack after another.
The Gentle Fist used the Byakugan to attack by spreading chakra. Guy seemed to be holding his own, but he was being driven back step by step!
"Looks like Gentle Fist isn't just pure taijutsu!"
As he spoke, Guy quickly looked for a chance to break away.
He leaped back several meters, putting some distance between them.
"Those chakra-infused strikes are especially dangerous for someone like me, who isn't good at controlling chakra!"
Guy looked relaxed at that moment, but he no longer dared to underestimate the "failure" before him as he had before.
"That's exactly why I think I have a chance... to defeat you, a jonin!"
A wild look appeared in Neji's eyes.
He looked almost bloodthirsty, but it wasn't malice. He simply longed to grow stronger!
As he spoke, he had already taken his stance, his hands moving like coiling dragons.
He pressed down with one leg and swept around in a half-circle. An Eight Trigrams pattern immediately appeared on the ground!
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"
"What? Neji, you..."
Guy's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Two Palms!"
"Four Palms!"
Still stunned, he braced himself to defend. The pressure was far beyond anything he had expected, and he even felt the urge to open the Eight Inner Gates against his own student!
"Eight Palms!"
"Sixteen Palms!"
"Thirty-Two Palms!"
Each strike landed on Guy. On the Eight Trigrams pattern, Neji's steps and palm strikes were visible to the naked eye, yet impossible to follow!
"Sixty-Four Palms!"
The final strike landed squarely in Guy's abdomen, sending him flying straight back!
With a loud "bang," the force of the collision was tremendous. The battle was fierce, and clouds of dust filled the air!
"How did it go?"
Before the dust had even settled, Tenten asked in astonishment.
Rock Lee, meanwhile, was too stunned to speak.
"When did Neji get so strong!?"
"Just as I thought..." Tenten narrowed her eyes as the dust cleared.
"Teacher Guy is still the stronger one!"
In the middle of the training ground, Might Guy stood with his arms crossed, determination in his eyes. He slowly rose from a crouch.
Neji, meanwhile, had fallen to the ground, covered in dust and looking a little disheveled.
"Neji, I didn't expect you to reach this level!"
Guy slowly let out a breath. Unlike Tenten and Rock Lee, he hadn't been so confident of his victory. He had only managed to withstand that attack by opening the second gate, the Gate of Healing.
Otherwise, he really would have suffered some internal injuries.
By then, seeing that the test was over, Rock Lee and Tenten had hurried back.
"Neji, I can't believe you're this strong!"
Rock Lee was thoroughly impressed. After all, Neji had been so weak before!
"What did you do to get stronger? Can you teach me?" Rock Lee's eyes lit up.
Tenten also breathed a sigh of relief. "Your strength really has improved, but what were you thinking? How could you possibly beat Teacher Guy on your own?"
"We should've just gone together..."
As the two of them talked over each other, Neji slowly lifted his head and pushed himself to his feet.
"I... can take the Chunin Exams now, right?"
With that, he held out his hand. A bell jingled in the air.
Everyone looked at the bell dangling between Neji's fingers.
Guy was also taken aback. He checked the bells in his own hand and saw that only one remained.
"I-I won? Neji won!?"
Rock Lee's eyes went wide.
Tenten was speechless too, her jaw nearly hitting the ground.
A moment later, Guy finally understood and couldn't help laughing. "Well, I'll be! That last strike, an incomplete Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, was a feint!"
Neji let out a breath. Fighting a jonin for real had put him under immense pressure.
"Can I take the Chunin Exams now?"
"Of course! Congratulations on passing the test!"
Guy laughed heartily. He had never expected the weakest student on his team to be able to stand against him. His heart swelled with pride.
Before you continue