"Alright, let's have a serious match!"
After everyone had finished joking and bickering, Asuma reorganized the match.
"Even though this is just a spar, and you should stop once you've made your point, you still need to show your true ability. That's how you show respect for your opponent."
Asuma spoke as Neji and Ino returned to their positions.
Ino's eyes grew serious, too.
"A few days ago, our village's Special Jōnin, Gekko Hayate—the proctor for your third exam—was murdered near the Hokage's office. You've probably all heard about it. Even in peacetime, you still need to work hard to strengthen yourselves!"
"Take every battle seriously."
Asuma spoke, and everyone in the field grew solemn.
Gekko Hayate had left a deep impression on them as an examiner during the previous exam. They had never expected to hear of his death so soon.
For children who had grown up in peacetime, the news was a heavy blow.
"Go ahead, Ino. Show us the results of your latest training! And Neji... I've heard all the teachers praising your performance in your last match. Let me see what you can do, too."
Ino nodded firmly.
Her eyes fixed intently on Neji. It was at that moment that she began to take this opponent seriously.
The "useless" ninja of the rumors. The "dead last."
Neji Hyuga, a figure she'd known only through rumors. After their first clash, Ino suddenly realized that things didn't seem to be as they'd been told.
His familiar evasive footwork, even before he activated his Byakugan, showed a level of skill that could only have come from countless hours of practice.
And after activating his Byakugan, he attacked with decisive precision. Even his defense was sharp and clean. This guy had to have plenty of real combat experience.
"I'm going to get serious, too!"
Ino began forming Hand Seals.
"The last seal was... Wind?"
Tenten sat watching from a short distance away and murmured the question.
"Oh? You could tell that, too? Tenten, you're amazing," Choji said as he munched on chips.
Shikamaru lightly tapped him on the head. "Idiot. I keep telling you to read more."
Neji's expression shifted slightly, and chakra began to surge within Ino.
It gathered in a swirling shape, slowly circling her hands and feet.
At the same time, Shikamaru began to explain.
"Ninjutsu relies on chakra more than any other kind of technique, and chakra has different natures. Aside from ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, chakra can also be used on its own to enhance your physical abilities. The hardest part is that chakra itself has very little power."
"By concentrating chakra in the soles of your feet, you can walk on water. There are lots of similar techniques. Chakra itself is just a source of energy that supports you."
"I know about that," Choji said. "We learned it at the Ninja Academy."
"That lesson was about chakra control. Chakra control requires an incredible amount of talent. There are many things ordinary people can't do no matter how hard they try," Tenten explained.
Shikamaru nodded and continued. "Right. But chakra with an elemental nature is different. The five basic natures—Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning—produce different effects when chakra of those natures gathers within the body. Whether you use it on its own or channel it into a technique to enhance its effects, it takes exceptional talent. And Ino happens to be a genius at this! Of all the people I've seen, no one controls chakra better than Ino..."
"That's how he managed to learn this!"
Asuma stood nearby, smiling as he nodded, a half-smoked cigarette between his lips.
"Wind Style!"
Wind Style chakra swirled around Ino's hands and feet.
Ino swiftly charged at Neji, her movements lighter than before!
Neji met her attack and kept his guard up. Each of Ino's strikes came faster and landed more accurately.
A punch!
Thud!
It struck Neji's arm squarely.
But Neji couldn't withstand it and staggered backward.
"Ugh..."
Neji gritted his teeth and dropped to one knee.
He clutched his left arm tightly. On the sidelines, Tenten sprang to her feet in surprise.
"How could that be?"
Based on yesterday's assessment, Tenten had thought Neji was better than this. Asuma frowned slightly, too. "Is that all he can do?"
Ino was also a little surprised. Neji seemed different from before.
"Take this seriously! I'm not a taijutsu specialist. Are you really okay with losing to me like this?" Ino tried to provoke him.
Neji struggled to his feet, a bead of cold sweat on his forehead.
If he got serious, he could defeat Ino in an instant.
But it was difficult to gauge how much force to use.
The wound on the inside of his left arm—the one Wind Blade had left during his fight with Kazuma the other night—wasn't as simple as he'd thought.
It resonated with Ino's Wind Style chakra, making the pain almost unbearable.
Neji seemed to understand a little more about the principles behind Chakra Nature Transformation. He also realized why Hinata's chakra had been able to fully activate the Lightning Style Gentle Fist lingering in Zaku's body.
"Eight Trigrams Palm: Gentle Fist!"
Neji got serious, moving with incredible speed!
"Is he starting?" Asuma watched from the sidelines, his eyes lighting up.
Even with Wind Style chakra coursing through her, Ino couldn't keep up with Neji's movements at all.
Ino's defense was never in place against his feints.
If even one of his attacks had been serious, Ino would have fallen.
"This..." Asuma's eyes widened in admiration.
At last, he understood why Kurenai Yuhi had spent so long praising Neji after watching the match. The boy really had a hidden strength.
"Ah!"
Ino felt something knock her down. The force was too much to resist, but before she hit the ground, a gentle embrace caught her.
She looked at Neji's cool, handsome face and froze.
Then she hurriedly stood up. "Mm!"
Neji broke into a cold sweat. "I... I really didn't mean anything by it!"
"Alright, you two take a break. Next pair..."
Asuma's simple assessment continued, but Ino quietly slipped away while watching.
Neji followed her and spotted her sitting alone beneath a tree at the other end of the practice field.
"Can't accept losing?" Neji's lips curled up. He'd held back plenty.
As far as strength went, Ino didn't even register to him.
"It's not that. I just didn't expect you to be this strong." Ino glanced at Neji, then looked away.
Neji moved closer, and Ino suddenly blushed.
"Hey, I'm warning you. I really don't mean anything like that!"
Neji felt helpless. If Asuma's words got out, every man in the Hyuga Clan would probably suffer for it.
Ino only blushed and said nothing.
She turned toward him and sighed.
As she tried to compose herself, she couldn't understand why, but their clash just now had made her realize something.
She'd actually developed feelings for the boy in front of her, and they were so intense that they were hard to resist!
"I really don't understand you girls. If you can't accept losing, then work hard and get stronger until you catch up with me," Neji said bluntly. He wasn't good at giving advice.
He didn't want one thoughtless action of his to destroy a girl's dream of becoming a ninja.
"Sakura's class has a genius like Sasuke, and Naruto's been doing great lately, right? Look at your teammates, too. Are you really okay with losing to Sakura completely?"
He'd thought that would make Ino angry.
Ino was supposed to like Sasuke, but the result was beyond his expectations.
Ino only stared at Neji, dumbfounded, and said nothing.
The breeze passed, and everything was peaceful.
"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Neji frowned.
"Nothing!" Ino lowered her head and swallowed.
Just now, she thought she'd seen the light!
Before you continue