Difficulty! Neji's Devilish Training

After imparting some more knowledge on taijutsu to the genin and promising to provide personal guidance following their physical conditioning, Asuma checked the darkening sky and decided it was time to wrap things up.

"Alright, it's settled. Starting tomorrow, for the next week, everyone will follow Neji and perform his basic training routine!"

Asuma seemed eager to save himself the trouble of planning anything more elaborate.

Since Neji's methods were what allowed him to become so strong in such a short time, Asuma naturally wasn't about to pass up such an effective prescription.

"Starting tomorrow?"

"Training just like Neji... what kind of training is it?"

"No way, right? Neji's training is just too..."

"What a drag!"

As soon as Asuma delivered the news, everyone began to groan in protest.

"Rest assured, I'll be joining you all as well. It's just training, after all; as genin, you aren't allowed to be this lazy!"

Asuma was becoming increasingly proficient at lecturing them.

Neji only offered a faint smile. "It's fine. I'll reduce my usual training volume by half. After all, if you end up injuring your bodies, the losses will outweigh the gains."

Hearing Neji put it that way, Ino suddenly interjected, "Who are you looking down on? I don't care! If I'm going to do this, I'm doing your full, one-hundred-percent daily routine!"

Having experienced Neji's strength firsthand during this session, Ino understood that despite her outward complaints, following his training was the greatest way for her to improve.

Tenten was also brimming with fighting spirit. "Yes! I want to participate in the advanced lessons with Asuma-sensei later, so I'll work hard!"

Shikamaru remained as unmotivated as ever, while Choji seemed to possess an endless supply of energy as long as he had some barbecue.

Watching their naive expressions, Neji couldn't help but shake his head. If they really tried to follow his training volume, it would probably cost them their lives...

The next day, after completing his own morning workout, Neji hurried to meet up with Asuma and the others.

One teacher, six students, and a collective special training session.

"If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. If not, we'll leave the physical conditioning schedule to Neji."

Neji took on the task and began his career as a special training instructor.

"The first item for today is the ninja run..."

"Huh?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ino looked slightly dissatisfied. "Just a ninja run? What kind of training is that?"

Shikamaru chimed in to support her. "Yeah, yeah. We might as well just sit here and meditate..."

Neji only offered a slight smile. "Is that so? I was actually worried you wouldn't be able to handle the volume!"

"How is that possible!"

"It's just a ninja run, it shouldn't be that hard, right? Don't tell me you only do these basic things in your daily training, Neji?"

The group went back and forth, but they were eventually silenced by Asuma's imposing presence.

"Well then... let's begin. First, run ten laps around Konoha!"

"T-ten laps?"

Shikamaru and Ino exchanged glances, wondering if they had misheard.

Tenten wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, thinking to herself, I knew it would be like this...

The first lap was completed by everyone with ease.

"Keep it up, keep it up!" Neji encouraged.

By the second and third laps, they were already panting, while Asuma remained completely effortless.

"Ugh... I can't do it anymore..." After the third lap, Choji collapsed to the ground, unable to get back up.

Following that came the fourth, fifth, and sixth laps.

Ino stopped in her tracks, too exhausted to even speak.

"The interior of Konoha is a fan-shaped semicircle, and the diameter is at least one kilometer... Ten laps is at least thirty kilometers, right? Neji, are you trying to kill us?"

By the seventh lap, Tenten could no longer hold back her complaints.

"I can't go on!"

Eighth lap.

Asuma glanced at Shikamaru, who was still persisting, and asked, "Shikamaru, I didn't realize you had this much perseverance?"

No sooner had he asked than Shikamaru rolled his eyes back and collapsed, losing consciousness.

Neji and Asuma exchanged a look and shrugged helplessly.

By the time the full distance was covered, Neji's own vision was blurring, though for him, this was merely a habitual pursuit of his physical limits.

"It took half the day just for the first item, Neji!" Asuma was also exhausted, and everyone's training shirts were soaked through with sweat.

At the assembly point, after replenishing his fluids, Neji walked over to a nearby wooden post.

"After your physical stamina is exhausted, engaging in the most critical close-quarters combat training allows you to push your body to its absolute limits. Even your brain will enter a protective mode when your body reaches a state of fatigue, forcing you to execute extreme reactions that would be impossible under normal circumstances!"

Neji said this, then began to strike the wooden stake rapidly; whether it was his punches or his palm strikes, the speed remained incredibly fierce.

Asuma was stunned for only a moment before following suit, joining the training!

Ino also got up to join the training camp.

After resting for a while, Tenten joined in as well.

Once Shikamaru woke up, he also began to join the ranks.

Only Choji, after replenishing his fluids, snuck off to take a nap.

"Today's goal is three thousand punches! Three thousand palm strikes! Three thousand leg sweeps! Three thousand elbow strikes! Three thousand side-body slams!"

After Neji stated these goals, the pressure on everyone's hearts increased tenfold.

But there was no helping it; how could Asuma allow himself to be outdone by a Genin? Shikamaru also wanted to use this opportunity to strengthen his taijutsu, and as for Tenten, she was even more competitive.

By the end of the day, everyone except Asuma and Neji was exhausted beyond recognition, unable to even speak clearly.

"I, I am already... about to collapse." Shikamaru stared at Neji with wide, incredulous eyes, his mind filled with only two words.

"Monster."

Ino and Tenten held hands, looking like comrades who had just survived a desperate situation...

The second day, continue!

Neji: "Today's goal is one thousand side-to-side jumps! One thousand sit-ups! One thousand push-ups!"

The group felt their inner resolve nearly collapse.

The third day, continue!

"Two thousand shuriken throws! Two thousand kunai throws! Two thousand senbon throws!"

The fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day!

Until the seventh day!

"Is it finally the last day?" Shikamaru was tanned dark from the sun, but his body had developed a lean, toned shape, and he no longer possessed his usual lazy demeanor.

"We must go eat barbecue tonight!" Choji had also shed at least ten pounds from his large frame, though he still looked somewhat chubby, his overall temperament had improved significantly.

Ino had developed defined abs, while Tenten, practicing against the wooden stake, was surprised to discover her own results.

"As expected of Neji's training method, I feel much more confident in actual combat now!"

Neji looked at them, each having achieved their own results, and smiled with satisfaction: "Take a break; we won't be training today."

"Re, really?"

Asuma also let out a sigh of relief, his expression showing his exhaustion.

"Honestly, if this had continued any longer, even I, as a teacher, might have been dragged down by you! Neji, your devilish training camp is truly life-threatening!"

Although Asuma felt a bit ashamed, the students were very understanding.

Aside from Might Guy and Rock Lee, it was unlikely that any normal person could handle Neji's level of training.

Facing their laments, Neji only smiled sheepishly.

How could he tell them that what he displayed during this training camp was only his usual daily practice volume... his true training for taijutsu and ability proficiency was all reserved for his morning and evening sessions.

"Well then, the match schedule for this Chunin Exam has been released, and you are in the very first match, Neji." Asuma took out a scroll.

Everyone's attention was drawn to it, and Neji leaned in as well, curious to see who his opponent would be.

But upon seeing the first line on the scroll, everyone was stunned.

"Hyuga Neji VS Hinata Hyuga!"