Who Beat You Like This

Upon returning home...

"Oh my! Ningxue, who did this to you?"

When Ningxue's mother saw her child return covered in dust with several bruises on her arms, she hurried forward to inspect the injuries while speaking.

"Uh, I fell by accident during training..." Ningxue said, lacking confidence.

"Training?"

Yuki clearly didn't believe her; the way she looked, it was obvious she had been in a fight.

Moreover, as a mother, she was deeply worried about her child being bullied by others in the clan.

At this moment, Hizashi also walked out from the inner room upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Ningxue's state, his brows immediately furrowed.

"What happened?"

His voice was deeper than usual, carrying the authority of a father.

Seeing that her father had come out, she knew she couldn't hide it anymore and had no choice but to tell the truth.

"Uh, Father, I just sparred with someone during training today."

"Sparred? With whom?" This piqued his curiosity. He knew his daughter's strength well; there were very few among her peers who could beat her.

"Neji."

Ningxue had no choice but to be honest.

"Neji?" Hizashi and Yuki exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

They certainly knew Hyuga Neji, and they both felt a great deal of pity regarding his father's situation.

"Did he start it?" Hizashi's tone turned serious. If Neji was deliberately bullying others, even if the boy was Hizashi's son, he would have to teach him a lesson.

Hizashi crouched down to inspect Hyuga Ningxue's injuries, checking the bruises on her arms and feeling her bones and acupoints.

After a general examination, he stood up and said, "These are all superficial injuries; nothing vital was hit. That boy Neji... he knows how to pull his punches."

There was no anger in his tone, only calm. He respected Hizashi, and for the only son left behind by that man, he felt more pity than anything else.

"Not entirely," Ningxue shook her head. "I also said some things about his training methods, and perhaps... it made him unhappy."

She omitted the specific, sharp-tongued details of their conversation.

Hizashi fell silent. He knew his daughter was quite blunt and possessed a certain talent. Even without her finishing, he could guess the rest.

He patted Ningxue's shoulder gently. "Neji... he has great talent, but he carries a heavy burden in his heart. How did it feel to spar with him?"

"He is very strong. His speed, power, and precision are far beyond mine," Ningxue answered honestly. "I was on the defensive the entire time, and it was very taxing."

"Knowing the gap is a good thing." Hizashi sighed, his gaze drifting toward the window as if remembering the man who had passed. "That boy Neji carries a lot on his shoulders. Perhaps it isn't a bad thing that he was willing to spar with you. But be more careful next time, know your limits, and protect yourself."

"Yes, Father."

Ningxue replied.

At this moment, Hyuga Yuki brought over some ointment and carefully applied it to Ningxue's bruises. The cooling salve eased the pain on her skin.

Although her heart ached to see her child beaten like this, after hearing her husband's words, she understood the reason behind it and said nothing more, only gently admonishing her.

"Be more careful when sparring in the future, you hear?"

"I know, Mother."

After letting Ningxue go to the bathroom to clean herself up, Hyuga Yuki spoke to her child again.

"Come here, I'll apply some more ointment and you'll be fine soon. Go change your clothes in a bit; tell me what you want for lunch and I'll make it for you."

Ningxue nodded and walked into her room.

A moment later, after cleaning herself and changing clothes, she sat on the edge of the bed, the scene of the spar with Neji playing over and over in her mind.

Neji's sharp moves and calm eyes made her feel both admiration and a sense of frustration.

"Time to eat, Ningxue." A gentle voice rang out from outside the door.

"Coming, Mother!" Ningxue scurried out to eat, no longer thinking about moves or training.

There was still that universal truth: people are iron, rice is steel, and you'll feel miserable if you skip a meal.

In the afternoon...

Ningxue sat at the training ground, recalling the battle with Hyuga Neji. She could clearly see the way he threw every punch, his excellent chakra control, and the precision of his acupoint strikes.

She couldn't help but complain about this world—what a bunch of damn monsters.

Four years old. Is this really four years old?

He continued to recall the sensation of fighting him—the numbness in his hands upon impact, and that feeling of weightlessness when he was knocked down.

His speed was so fast that I couldn't keep up at all.

With my perception, I could barely see him clearly, but my body's reaction was always a half-beat too slow.

However... the moment his elbow joint lost its strength, he could be instantly countered.

This was a breakthrough, but it couldn't be used every time.

With my current strength and speed, I had no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation.

To bridge the gap, or even... to ensure I wouldn't be completely helpless in a potential rematch one day, I had to find another way.

He made up his mind: he was going to play dirty.

First was acupoint striking; the human body has 361 acupoints.

Acupoint striking could not only block the flow of chakra but also restrict an enemy's movements.

Combined with the Gentle Fist, it could even cause damage to internal organs.

He racked his brain, considering every possibility.

What if I delivered a fierce strike to a specific joint, disrupted his movement, and then struck his acupoints without him even noticing?

That was a good idea.

As he pondered, he thought of traditional Chinese medicine from his past life. Suddenly, he had an incredibly devious idea. It felt like a guiding light from an immortal, instantly clearing his mind and sharpening his thoughts.

Since acupoint striking is so useful, what if I secretly used needles?

Needles are small and stealthy. I could even channel chakra through them to enhance their power.

In close-quarters combat, they would be impossible to defend against.

Furthermore, he had an even greater advantage: the Byakugan.

The Byakugan's x-ray and long-distance vision would allow him to see the enemy's acupoints with extreme clarity.

I could even develop into a marksman in the future; after all, x-ray vision is truly useful.

Once his train of thought opened up, all sorts of devious... oh no, clever tactical concepts came flooding in.

Hide needles in my sleeves, between my fingers, or even in my hair? Use the terrain and my movements to mask the launch?

Create different types of needles, then coat them with poison to cause paralysis, excruciating pain, and chakra disruption.

"Hahahaha..."

Just thinking about it made him excited.

Wait, I also know the Ice Release taught to me by my mother; I can craft needles out of ice as well.

As long as my chakra control is precise enough, I can create needles of any size.

When the time comes, I can buy some poison, infuse it into ice needles, and secretly jab them into the enemy's body.

Thinking of this, his smile gradually shifted from...

Hahaha...

To...

Hehehe...

He recalled a phrase from his past life.

Just wait and see if I don't prick you.