Naruto: I'll Save Hinata from the Dark Hyuga Clan!!

"Tch, so it failed after all..."

On the arena, Neji watched as Naruto easily dodged the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven Naruto, and his heart sank even further.

He wasn't unaware of his own limitations; there was a huge gap between the strength of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha and that of everyone else, including himself.

His only chance of winning was to take advantage of Naruto's potential underestimation of him and use his Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven's Rotation, at close range to deliver a devastating blow that could change the course of the battle before Naruto could even react!

But clearly, his plan... failed.

The vast gap in strength cannot be bridged by tactical cleverness alone.

Now that he has lost his greatest asset, the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven, he has no chance of winning against Naruto.

Thinking of this, Neji couldn't help but feel a pang of resentment, but he still reluctantly accepted this cruel reality.

He readjusted his posture, his pure white eyes meeting Naruto's clear blue pupils, his gaze filled with determination and resolve.

No matter the outcome, he is determined to give it his all.

At the very least, this hopelessly dense idiot needs to know that Hinata is not someone he can easily betray!

"I'm... Onii-chan!!"

Just as Neji was preparing to launch another attack on Naruto with such a tragic resolve in his heart, a sudden gust of wind came from Naruto in front of him.

Naruto calmly gazed at Neji ahead, and in the palm of his right hand, a rapidly spinning ball of Chakra silently coalesced.

The Rasengan spun rapidly in his palm, stirring up the surrounding air and creating a miniature vortex around him.

Neji looked at the Chakra ball that had suddenly appeared in Naruto's hand, a deep look of doubt flashing across his Byakugan.

"What... kind of Ninjutsu is that?"

Did he just use Hand Seals?

Neji used his Byakugan to observe the terrifying Chakra density inside the Rasengan, and a fine layer of cold sweat involuntarily seeped from his forehead.

On the platform, Rasa's expression froze as he looked at the Rasengan spinning rapidly in Naruto's hand.

"No-seal Ninjutsu? That's... the Rasengan?!"

"Blonde hair, blue eyes, no hand Ninjutsu... Could this child be—"

On the arena, Naruto instantly appeared beside Neji, the Rasengan in his hand leaving a pale blue arc in the air.

Neji, seeing Naruto rapidly approaching him, tensed up and, almost instinctively, channeled his Chakra, shouting urgently:

"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!!"

A pale blue hemispherical barrier burst open around him once more, spinning rapidly in an attempt to withstand the Rasengan's attack!

"Rasengan!!"

Naruto's Rasengan collided head-on with the rapidly spinning Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!

The two forces collided, producing a tremendous roar that caused the entire arena to tremble slightly.

Under the shocked gazes of everyone, the stalemate lasted only a moment before Naruto's Rasengan forcefully shattered the Hyuga Clan's strongest defense, the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven, from the front!

The Chakra gradually dissipated in the air, and the blue hemispherical barrier crumbled under the crushing force of the Rasengan.

Neji was thrown back several steps by the residual impact and fell awkwardly onto the ring.

Naruto's hand stopped steadily in front of Neji's abdomen, and the Rasengan in his hand had already dissipated.

He looked clearly at Neji, who was glaring at him with a face full of resentment, and said with a smile:

"The outcome is decided, right?"

"... snort."

Neji gave a cold snort of resentment, ignoring Naruto, and raised his hand to Gekko Hayate, who had already walked to the center of the arena, and said in a deep voice:

"I lost."

Gekko Hayate nodded and loudly announced to the entire arena:

"The winner of the third match Naruto Uzumaki from Konoha!!"

A series of wails and sighs immediately erupted from the audience.

Neji glanced at his father in the audience, who was nodding at him expressionlessly, lowered his head in shame, then stood up and prepared to walk towards the contestants' preparation area.

Just before he was about to step off the ring, a questioning voice suddenly came from behind him:

"Hey, wait a minute! I have something to ask you."

Neji turned around and looked at Naruto behind him with an unfriendly expression.

Naruto blinked in confusion, pointed to himself, and said:

"The wicked guy you were talking about who toyed with Hinata, you mean me, right?"

Let me explain: I've never bullied her! In fact, I've helped her quite a few times over the years...

Well, she did give me gifts in return, like bringing me homemade bento boxes or something.

"In short, Hinata and I are very good friends, there's absolutely no question of me bullying her!"

"Have you misunderstood something...?"

"Shut up!!"

Neji pointed at Naruto looked completely bewildered, and shouted angrily:

"Even now, you're still pretending to be an idiot. Who are you trying to fool?!"

Don't tell me that all these years you've never realized Hinata's feelings for you!

How could there possibly be someone so stupid in this world?!

Hinata -sama, Hinata- sama, she...

Under Naruto's bewildered gaze, and with Minato and Kushina's eyes gleaming with gossip-like light within him, Neji pointed at Naruto and roared angrily in front of everyone:

"She's a fan of... ugh!!"

Before Neji could finish speaking, a swift figure silently swept down from the audience seats and appeared behind him in an instant!

Hizashi Hyuga raised his hand and struck Neji on the back of the neck with just the right amount of force. Neji's eyes rolled back, and he slumped forward.

Hizashi steadily held his son in his arms, letting out a sigh of relief, and then bowed deeply to the bewildered Naruto.

"I'm so sorry, my son was extremely rude. I'll definitely give him a good scolding when we get back."

"Ah... it's okay."

Naruto first waved his hand and said, then his expression turned serious:

"However, I still have a little bit of reservations about what he just said."

Seeing Naruto seem to have realized something, Hizashi Hyuga's heart, which had just settled down, instantly jumped into his throat again.

Naruto frowned slightly as he looked at Hizashi Hyuga's suddenly tense face and asked in a deep voice:

"Hinata... could she be starving at the Hyuga Clan?"

"... ah?"

Naruto pointed to Neji in Hizashi Hyuga's arms and explained earnestly:

"Because that guy just said Hinata was hungry, didn't he?"

He must be blaming me, his friend, for not realizing all these years that Hinata had actually been starving in the Hyuga Clan!

As he spoke, Naruto lowered his head in self-reproach:

"Damn it! As Hinata's friend, I've been completely oblivious to the dark Hyuga Clan behind her all these years... I... I'm such a failure!!"

Naruto, beat his chest and stamped his feet in earnest reflection, then raised his head and shouted loudly towards Hinata in the audience:

Don't worry, Hinata!!

I will definitely rescue you from that dark Hyuga Clan! Just you wait, I'll get you!

In the stands, Hyuga Hiashi glanced at Hinata beside him, whose little face was flushed red, her neck even tinged with a Hinata pink, and then at Naruto on the ring, still swinging his fists at him with all his might. His face instantly darkened.

"Hizashi... you, what exactly did you say to that kid?!"

On the contestant's platform, Sasuke coldly looked down at Naruto, who was making a fool of himself, a hint of helplessness flashing across his delicate and handsome face.

"... This utterly idiotic person."

Just as he was about to go down and drag that shameful guy back, he suddenly stopped.

On the arena, Gekko Hayate announced the matchups for the fourth round.

"The fourth match: Konoha's Sasuke Uchiha versus Sand Village 'Gaara!!"

Sasuke slowly shifted his gaze from the arena, coldly staring at the red-haired boy from the Sand Village camp opposite him.

Gaara was also looking at him, a bloodthirsty smile slowly spreading across his pale face.