Wanting to Prove Herself

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound of sonic booms rang out as powerful gusts swept through the arena, nearly blowing people off their feet. The ground was carved with vicious trenches, and layers of dust rose into the air.

The next instant, Akamaru, having withdrawn from his feral state, flew out of the smoke and slammed heavily onto the ground.

As the smoke gradually dispersed, Kiba Inuzuka was lying on the ground, gasping for breath, while Rock Lee's leg had been driven deep into the earth.

The result was obvious. Rock Lee was the winner.

Rock Lee pulled his leg out of the dirt and held out a hand to Kiba Inuzuka, who raised his own hand and let Rock Lee pull him up.

Kiba Inuzuka grabbed Rock Lee's hand, raised it overhead, and shouted, "Rock Lee wins!"

After saying that, Kiba Inuzuka hurried to the edge of the arena and picked up Akamaru.

"You won!!" Might Guy vaulted over the railing and came to Rock Lee's side. "Rock Lee, you did it."

"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Rock Lee said, then collapsed into Might Guy's arms from exhaustion.

"Sensei, I'm sorry." Kiba Inuzuka placed Akamaru on the medical ninja's stretcher, then looked up to see Kurenai Yuhi.

"You only lost for now." Kurenai Yuhi reached out and ruffled Kiba Inuzuka's hair. "Don't slack off in your training from now on."

"Yes, Sensei!"

With Rock Lee and Kiba Inuzuka's battle concluded, the preliminaries were nearing their end.

Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka stepped into the arena at the same time.

"Sakura Haruno versus Ino Yamanaka!" Hayate Gekko announced without delay.

The second female ninja versus female ninja match of the Chunin Exams was about to begin.

To be honest, neither Sakura Haruno nor Ino Yamanaka was a combat ninja. Although Sakura Haruno was a monstrously strong girl, she would later mainly study medical ninjutsu under Tsunade, with taijutsu only as a secondary focus.

And Ino Yamanaka? A genjutsu-support type.

"Tianming, there's a girl over there who keeps looking at you." As Tianming was watching the battle in the arena intently, Karin Uzumaki reminded him.

"Hm?" Tianming turned around and saw Hinata Hyuga standing not far behind him, looking awkward.

Damn! I was so focused on the match that I forgot about Hinata.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" Tianming walked over to Hinata Hyuga.

"Tianming... um... that girl... what is her relationship with you?" Hinata Hyuga stammered, her face flushed red.

"Karin?" Tianming immediately told her in full about how he had met Karin.

"Is she really that pitiful? Then I misunderstood." Hinata Hyuga's tone became confident again. "There's something else. In a moment, I'm going to challenge my brother."

One of the most unforgettable fights of the Chunin Exams: the Hyuga siblings.

In fact, Hinata Hyuga had already spoken to Kurenai Yuhi about it just now, but Kurenai had opposed her.

Kurenai Yuhi believed that Hinata should choose Shikamaru Nara, allowing Neji Hyuga to receive a bye and advance directly to the S zone.

First, Neji Hyuga was absurdly strong in this year's exams. Second, as a member of the Hyuga branch family, Neji Hyuga had always detested Hinata, who had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

"Do you want to hear my opinion?" Tianming asked calmly.

"Yes." Hinata Hyuga nodded.

"My opinion is to fight Neji! Follow your heart." Tianming answered.

"I understand!" Hinata Hyuga was delighted to hear that answer, because Tianming understood what she meant.

At the same time, Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka's battle had also reached a conclusion. Sakura Haruno had broken free from Ino Yamanaka's genjutsu control and knocked her unconscious!

With that match over, only three people remained. One of them would receive a bye.

After a brief pause, Team 10's Neji Hyuga slowly walked into the center of the arena.

Just as Shikamaru Nara was about to enter the arena—

Hinata Hyuga stepped in as well. "I challenge Neji Hyuga!"

The moment those words came out, Shikamaru Nara nearly fell from above.

Everyone else was dumbfounded as well.

The arrangement for Hinata Hyuga to receive a bye had been overturned by these two men and one woman?

"Are you joking?" Neji Hyuga said coldly. "I won't fight you."

"Sensei, do the rules allow a challenge to be refused?" Hinata Hyuga asked.

"Ahem, the rules don't allow challenges to be refused, but one may forfeit."

Neji Hyuga's expression turned ugly. Fight Hinata? He refused!

But forfeit? Impossible!

He wanted to change the fate of the branch family.

"I'll say it one last time. Move aside!" Neji Hyuga was angry.

"If Brother won't forfeit, then neither will Hinata!" Hinata Hyuga smiled and assumed her starting stance.

"Tch!" Neji Hyuga did not even use the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. He closed in on Hinata and sent her flying with a Gentle Fist strike. "You're this weak. How are you going to fight?"

"Hinata, why did you challenge Neji Hyuga?" At the edge of the arena, Kurenai Yuhi glared at Tianming.

No one understood! Hinata Hyuga could clearly have received a bye and become a Chunin directly.

Why would she do this?

"Because..." Hinata Hyuga climbed to her feet and smiled. "Because Hinata doesn't want to gain something without earning it, and I want to prove myself to Brother."

Shikamaru Nara at the edge of the arena felt as though an arrow had struck his knee. What, does Shikamaru not have any pride?

"Don't say those two words! I'm not your brother!" Neji Hyuga struck again, sending her flying with another palm.