Sparring

"Uh, well, I came here to train," Ning Xue answered honestly.

"My father told me to practice climbing trees with chakra, to train my control and physical vitality. And I watched your training just now too. You're very strong—stronger than anyone your age."

At that, the corner of Neji's mouth seemed to twitch. He glanced at the wooden post he had just struck, then at the tree Ning Xue had climbed, before making a mocking remark.

"Just knowing how to climb trees is useless."

Ning Xue had no reaction to the faintly sarcastic words.

It was not that he failed to understand them. He simply did not care. Why argue with someone who had just lost his father? Was he looking for trouble? It was better to go along with him.

"I know," Ning Xue replied calmly, seemingly unaffected by the provocation.

Yet that calm demeanor caught Neji off guard. He had thought his words would provoke Ning Xue and make him leave.

After all, he still had training to do. He had no time to chat with a weak member of the Branch Family.

He struggled to his feet, brushed the dust from himself, and prepared to leave. His thinking was simple: if Ning Xue would not leave, then he would.

But just as he turned around, Ning Xue suddenly spoke.

"Your Gentle Fist Tenketsu Striking is precise, but your force seems too rushed."

The moment Neji heard that, he was like gunpowder set ablaze. He turned on Ning Xue and demanded.

"What did you say?!"

He had no intention of letting someone still learning to climb trees question the results of his training.

Seeing Neji bristle, Ning Xue did not back down. Instead, he looked straight into Neji's eyes and spoke word by word.

"I said you're applying your force too hastily."

"And I've watched you for a while. Every strike of your Gentle Fist uses all your strength, and you pursue that instant of penetration. That part isn't wrong, but Gentle Fist emphasizes sustained force. While you can keep going longer than many people, overly fierce force may actually prevent chakra from being driven into the depths of the chakra points as effectively as possible. And... it puts a heavy burden on your body too." He pointed at Neji's still-reddened hands.

"You don't need to keep your entire body tense and exerting force. You should be like an Inch Punch—exploding with force at a single point."

Although that conclusion was not entirely correct, it did point out some of Neji's minor problems.

The anger in Neji's eyes intensified. He stepped forward, nearly pressing up to Ning Xue. Four-year-old Neji was slightly taller than Ning Xue and looked quite imposing.

"You watched for a little while and think you understand? What gives you the right to judge my Gentle Fist?"

Faced with Neji's furious questioning, Ning Xue's expression still did not change. He merely tilted his head up slightly to look at him.

"I don't claim to understand it. I'm only stating my opinion. If you think I'm wrong, pretend I never said anything."

Seeing Ning Xue remain expressionless, Neji felt as though he had punched cotton. The frustration stuck in his chest, and he could not let it go.

So he issued a friendly sparring invitation.

Neji suddenly assumed the opening stance of Gentle Fist and said coldly.

"What's the use of talking? Come on. Let me see how far your Gentle Fist has gotten!"

"I refuse," Ning Xue answered without hesitation.

"You just finished training. You don't have the stamina."

In truth, Ning Xue was somewhat unsure himself. Given his current level, it was hard to say what would happen. If he lost, would that not make all his words empty talk?

But to Neji's ears, that sounded like this.

You can't do it...

That only made him angrier.

He said coldly.

"It's fine."

"Fine." Left with no choice, Ning Xue could only assume a stance as well.

Once Neji had taken his stance too, the battle began.

"Ready... set... go!"

Neji attacked first, driving his palm straight toward Ning Xue's chest.

Ning Xue chose to retreat, trying to seize his opponent's wrist.

But unfortunately, he was too late, so he decided to take the blow head-on.

Ning Xue raised his arm to block. The instant Neji's strike landed, he felt as though something had slammed into him, forcing him to take a step back.

Neji was somewhat surprised to see him block it, but immediately sent a second palm strike at Ning Xue's shoulder, intending to seal the chakra points in his right hand.

But this time, Ning Xue saw it clearly. Just before the other hand touched him, he suddenly exerted force and knocked it away.

"What?"

He had not expected this guy, who was even shorter than him, to deflect that palm strike.

That made him take Ning Xue seriously.

Over the next few exchanges, Neji did not cause him any substantial damage.

Ning Xue's strategy was simple: dodge if he could, and strike back if he could not.

Every collision with Neji's strikes left his hands and feet numb.

Under one of Neji's tricky attacks, Ning Xue failed to dodge this time.

He was knocked to the ground in an instant.

Neji pressed his advantage at once. Facing this strike, Ning Xue truly had no way to evade.

So he took a gamble. After Neji struck Ning Xue, Ning Xue's hand shot out and grabbed Neji's arm.

His other hand struck Neji's elbow joint. He then released his grip and drove that hand into Neji's chest.

Seeing this, Neji's pupils contracted, and he hurriedly pulled back to defend.

But the palm strike still landed, and it was not light.

Neji instantly felt his chest tighten and ache from the blow.

He staggered back several steps, his face filled with disbelief.

Neji had actually been forced into a desperate counterattack by someone who looked weaker than him. But excitement quickly followed, because there were very few people his age in the clan who could exchange blows with him.

"Good! Again!"

After coming back to his senses, Neji shouted at Ning Xue and resumed his fighting stance.

Ning Xue struggled to his feet and exchanged blows with Neji once more.

After clash after clash head-on, Neji said something to Ning Xue.

"You're more troublesome than I imagined."

Then he knocked him to the ground with an even more powerful palm strike.

He moved his still-numb arm and glanced at the spot on his chest that had been struck. The fabric there even bore a slight indentation.

"What you said earlier... about the way of applying force."

Neji suddenly changed the subject. Though his tone remained stiff, it carried a hint of curiosity.

"And that final move... how did you think of it?"

He meant the sequence where Ning Xue struck his elbow to disrupt his balance before following up with a counterattack.

Ning Xue barely propped himself up and sat on the ground as he answered Neji's question.

"Your attacks were too fast. I countered instinctively. If I interrupted the strength in one of your arms, you would briefly lose your balance, and then I could counterattack along with it."

Neji fell silent for a moment but did not deny it. He gave Ning Xue another long look, seeming to reevaluate this white-haired clansman.

"Hmph."

In the end, he merely snorted, which counted as acknowledging Ning Xue as an opponent.

He held out a hand and pulled Ning Xue to his feet, then said.

"Your fundamentals are still terrible." Without looking back, he left him with one final assessment. "But... your eye isn't bad."

After saying that, he returned to his wooden post without another glance and continued training. Yet he occasionally paused at the moment he applied force, as if thinking something over.

"Heh."

Seeing Neji like that, Ning Xue gave a cold chuckle as well, then headed home.