Enlightenment · Rotation

Neji Hyuga's veins bulged; this was the first time anyone had dared to be so arrogant in front of him.

He was known as a genius within the Hyuga Clan, and despite being from the branch family, his talent and strength had long since surpassed many of the older generation of ninja.

Though only seven years old, Neji Hyuga had already mastered the Gentle Fist to perfection and could even barely execute the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms.

Through his own effort and talent, he was even capable of performing a partial version of the Hyuga clan's secret technique, Rotation.

As a genius, being called a child for the first time was a humiliation—a profound disgrace!

Hyuga Hiashi's mouth twitched; Uchiha Izuna truly had no filter! With that remark, Neji was bound to explode, yet he didn't want Neji to face Uchiha Izuna.

The massive fire Uchiha Izuna had just unleashed made it clear that if he wanted to, a single casual ninjutsu could easily annihilate the Hyuga Clan.

If that Majestic Destroyer Flame were used within the Hyuga compound, half the people would likely die, as most of the Hyuga Clan practiced taijutsu.

Even Hyuga Hiashi couldn't guarantee he would be able to escape unscathed.

Seemingly seeing through Hyuga Hiashi's concerns, Uchiha Izuna smiled and said, "For this bout, I will only use taijutsu. Please rest assured, Clan Leader Hiashi, it will be a friendly spar."

Neji Hyuga looked toward his uncle, his gaze heavy and resolute. He had to fight this battle, not just for himself, but for the Hyuga!

As two families possessing ocular bloodline limits, neither would ever admit to being inferior to the other. However, in objective reality, the current Uchiha Clan's Sharingan was more powerful than the Hyuga Byakugan.

This was because the Sharingan could be continuously upgraded and strengthened, whereas the Byakugan was different—or rather, the path of evolution for the Byakugan had been sealed off by the Caged Bird Seal.

Talented individuals might exist, but they were all branded with the mark, while the main family members were always those who reaped the rewards without sowing; they had whatever resources they wanted and did whatever they pleased—how carefree!

Yet even so, the ninja of the Hyuga house remained arrogant, looking down upon the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.

In Neji Hyuga's eyes, this was no ordinary spar, but a battle wagering the thousand-year reputation of the Hyuga house. Therefore, he had to make this man named Uchiha Izuna pay the price!

Hyuga Hiashi looked helplessly at the determination in Neji Hyuga's eyes and had no choice but to say, "Go outside. The courtyard is spacious enough; it's usually used for Hinata Hyuga and Neji to spar."

At the mention of this, Neji Hyuga's expression darkened. He couldn't help but recall scenes of the branch family being bullied by the main family. He took a deep breath, knowing he absolutely could not show any weakness in front of Hyuga Hiashi.

Otherwise, he would be the one to die! He had to endure, he had to restrain himself, and so he shifted all his hatred onto Uchiha Izuna.

"Neji Hyuga. Please advise." After speaking, Neji Hyuga placed his left hand forward and his right hand back, palms staggered. His left foot rested on its toes, while his right foot gripped the ground.

"Hmph, come then. Let me see if this little Hyuga genius is truly as gifted as the rumors say." With that, Uchiha Izuna looked at the Neji Hyuga opposite him.

Neji Hyuga's eyes hardened. He stomped his right foot, his body launching forward like an arrow from a bow. He immediately extended two fingers on his left hand, tucked his right thumb, and held his four fingers upright!

"Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, first palm!" With that, Neji Hyuga charged at Uchiha Izuna.

Uchiha Izuna's expression grew stern. He dodged the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms by turning sideways and took a step back to create distance. However, Neji Hyuga was like a plaster, sticking to Uchiha Izuna.

Uchiha Izuna had no choice; he stepped out with his right foot, rotated his body 360° in mid-air, and finding the right moment, kicked Neji Hyuga in the shoulder!

Puff!

Neji Hyuga spat out blood. He wore a grave expression, not expecting Uchiha Izuna's force to be so immense! This single kick caused him immense pain!

Neji Hyuga retreated ten steps before finally coming to a halt.

Hyuga Hiashi watched Neji being beaten in the courtyard but didn't step in to help immediately, as he wanted Neji to lose once. Sometimes, for certain geniuses, the earlier they lose, the better.

Only by losing could Neji understand the principle that there is always someone better, which would be beneficial for his future.

"How about it? Are we still fighting? If not, I'm leaving." Uchiha Izuna looked at Neji Hyuga with a smile. Neji Hyuga shook his head: "Fight, of course I'm fighting. However, from here on out, I will be giving it my all!"

"Oh? So you still have the strength to fight me?" Uchiha Izuna looked at Neji Hyuga, his tone tinged with excitement.

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw a green Eight Trigrams diagram appear beneath his feet, enclosing both him and Neji Hyuga.

Within this Eight Trigrams diagram, chakra surged, rich with profound mysteries. Uchiha Izuna savored it carefully, the corners of his mouth lifting. "A containment formation?"

This would indeed be difficult for a ninja of the same level to break through, but Uchiha Izuna was an existence who had integrated the Uchiha Madara [Konoha Founder] template.

"Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms! Seal!" Neji Hyuga pushed off with his calves, his body closing in on Uchiha Izuna rapidly. Uchiha Izuna said nothing; he coiled power into his right hand and bent his knees slightly.

He dodged sideways and threw a punch toward his abdomen.

Neji Hyuga had been prepared; he shifted his right-hand stance and followed up with his left. "Rotation!" Perhaps because this battle with Uchiha Izuna filled Neji Hyuga with pressure, he executed a perfect 360° hemispherical Rotation. The special mechanism of the Rotation deflected Uchiha Izuna's hand, causing a flicker of surprise to cross Uchiha Izuna's eyes.

As expected of the Konoha 12; faced with pressure, he had actually learned the Hyuga secret technique, Rotation, ahead of schedule!

The wine cup in Hyuga Hiashi's hand suddenly fell to the ground with a clack. The crowd's attention was drawn by the sound, and they all looked toward the source.

They saw Hyuga Hiashi's face filled with emotion, his pupils constricted: "The Hyuga's unique secret technique, Rotation? How did Neji learn it? Could it be that he mastered the essentials just by watching the clan elders perform it while on a mission!"

His voice was not loud, but it reached the ears of Hinata Hyuga standing beside him. Hinata Hyuga pursed her lips, then looked up at Neji Hyuga, who had just finished using Rotation and was standing on one leg. Her eyes held envy, admiration, and a sense of loss.

Compared to Neji Hyuga, she, Hinata Hyuga, was indeed too dull-witted.

Uchiha Izuna did not attack, instead watching Neji Hyuga as he reflected on the sensation he had just experienced. He was not a man of great evil.

The current Hyuga Clan was a target he intended to win over, and Neji Hyuga was Hyuga Hiashi's only nephew; naturally, he would not interrupt Neji Hyuga's epiphany.