Water Matchup

Ning Xue stood quietly at a crossroads along the only route to the Hyuga Clan Compound.

At that moment, he was a little bored, so he took out his notebook and leaned against the wall to read.

Before long, another familiar figure came walking over from the direction of the Ninja Academy. It was Hyuga Neji. His steps were steady, and when he saw Ning Xue waiting for him, he quickened his pace.

"Have you been waiting long?" Neji asked in his usual calm tone, though he was already gentler with Ning Xue than with anyone else at school.

"I just got here." Ning Xue kept his answer brief. The two fell into step beside each other and headed for the Hyuga Clan Compound.

The compound was as quiet as ever, almost oppressive, a stark contrast to the bustle of the Ninja Academy.

They went straight to the secluded training ground they often visited, on the outskirts of the compound.

The area was thick with trees and had level ground, making it a good place to spar freely, away from the Main Branch's eyes.

"Same as yesterday?"

Neji took off his rather heavy coat, revealing the lightweight training clothes underneath. Then he assumed the classic opening stance of the Hyuga Gentle Fist, his gaze sharpening as his entire presence changed.

"Yeah."

Ning Xue took up a stance as well. Nothing like the clumsy, sluggish act he put on at school, he now held himself with calm restraint.

Without wasting words, they clashed. Their figures blurred past each other, palms cutting through the air. Unlike their performative spar at school, every attack and defense here was swift, precise, and dangerous.

As the Hyuga Clan's acknowledged prodigy, Neji had a solid foundation in Gentle Fist. His Byakugan was already active, allowing him to clearly see the flow of Ning Xue's chakra. His attacks came in a relentless, fluid torrent, dense and fierce.

Ning Xue relied on taijutsu skills that were every bit as good, along with an almost instinctive ability to anticipate his opponent, to dodge and block.

His movements were utterly plain and highly efficient. Even his occasional counterattacks came from tricky angles, aimed straight at the tiny openings in Neji's offense.

"Your movements are getting harder to defend against."

After a fierce close-range exchange, Neji paused to catch his breath and offered his assessment. But there was no irritation in his eyes—only the excitement of facing a worthy opponent.

He had long since learned that sparring with Ning Xue was never easy.

"You have to keep improving, or you'll leave me behind." Ning Xue was breathing a little hard, but his tone remained calm.

As he spoke, what seemed like an ordinary straight punch was deflected by Neji. But just as the punch was about to end, Ning Xue gave his wrist an almost imperceptible flick. A faint glimmer shot silently toward Neji's lower leg: one of his trademark Ice Needles.

But after years of sparring, Neji was already on guard against Ning Xue's underhanded tricks.

The instant the Ice Needle appeared, Neji shifted his footing and turned slightly. The needle grazed his trouser leg and sank into the ground, leaving behind only a tiny wet mark.

"Same old trick."

Neji commented coolly, but his attacks grew even more fierce, clearly spurred on by Ning Xue's little move.

They traded blows, their figures darting across the training ground. The dull thuds of fists and feet colliding mingled with the sound of clothes slicing through the air.

They didn't stop until night had fallen and the first stars had appeared. Both were drenched in sweat and nearly out of strength. They finally came to a halt at the same time and collapsed onto the grass at the edge of the training ground, gasping for breath.

"Whew... That feint at the end was convincing." Neji wiped the sweat from his face and offered a rare compliment. He meant the strike Ning Xue had nearly landed after a feint.

"I learned it from you."

Ning Xue panted and looked up at the evening sky. The intense sparring had temporarily driven the gloom surrounding the Byakugan from his mind, leaving him with nothing but pure exhaustion and calm.

After a brief silence, Neji suddenly spoke. His voice rang especially clear in the dusk.

"You held back during your spar with the Uchiha this afternoon." It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact.

He knew Ning Xue's true ability too well. That level of taijutsu had been less than half of what Ning Xue usually showed during their spars.

Ning Xue didn't deny it. He simply gave a faint—

"Mm."

"Why?" Neji turned his head. His pale eyes looked puzzled in the fading light.

"With your abilities, it wouldn't have been hard to beat him." He wasn't sticking up for Ning Xue; he was simply curious.

In Neji's eyes, pursuing strength and displaying it were necessary steps toward becoming stronger—especially for someone from the Branch Family.

Ning Xue fell silent for a moment, then plucked a blade of grass and wound it around his finger.

"It wouldn't mean anything," he said at last, his voice soft.

"So what if I won? It would only draw more unnecessary attention and trouble. I don't need that right now."

Neji watched him, as if trying to find something in his calm expression, but eventually he turned back toward the sunset.

"Suit yourself. But while hiding your strength can help you avoid trouble, hiding too much might also make you miss out on things."

Ning Xue didn't respond. He just kept watching the sunset. Miss out? What mattered most to him right now was the lock keeping him from the Byakugan.

Until he found the key, nothing else seemed important. After all, the boost the Byakugan gave you was really nice.

Once they had rested enough, the two stood and brushed the grass and dust from their clothes.

"Same time tomorrow?" Neji asked.

"Yeah." Ning Xue nodded.

"Then I'll see you." Neji walked away without looking back.