The Second Round Concludes

Hinata Hyuga was sent flying once again, her body slamming heavily into the ground. Before long, she struggled back to her feet.

"Why are you humiliating me?" Neji Hyuga clenched his fists tightly. He could not understand why this girl insisted on stepping forward.

"I never meant to humiliate you, Brother Neji. I only wanted you to acknowledge me." Hinata Hyuga wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and charged straight at him.

Neji Hyuga instantly activated his Byakugan, seeing through Hinata Hyuga's attacks completely. With relaxed footwork, he easily evaded wave after wave of her strikes.

"As a member of the main family, all you need to do is stand above everyone else! Why? Why do you have to humiliate me?" Neji Hyuga thrust out a palm, interrupting Hinata Hyuga's assault. In the next instant, his elbow slammed into her lower abdomen, followed by a kick.

The gap in strength between them was simply too great!

"Hinata! You bastard, what kind of brother are you? Why can't you go easier on her?" Naruto Uzumaki shouted indignantly.

At such a young age, Neji Hyuga had already mastered the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist and Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms to this extent. His talent far surpassed that of his peers in the main family.

Just as everyone began to feel sorry for Hinata Hyuga, Tianming stepped forward and said something that stunned those around him. "Hinata, have you already reached your limit? Don't leave yourself with any regrets!"

"Not even close." Hinata Hyuga climbed back to her feet, her body covered in wounds of every size.

"Qingchuan Tianming! Why are you egging Hinata on?" Kiba Inuzuka, with his fiery temper, immediately rushed over and grabbed Tianming by the collar.

"Because Hinata needs a battle like this!" Tianming said calmly. "This fight will be the beginning of Hinata and Neji's growth! Hinata, all you need to do is fight without regrets!"

"Without regrets." Light blazed once more in Hinata Hyuga's eyes. Though Tianming's words made people furious, Hinata knew that Tianming understood her and supported her.

The trust of the person she liked! That was enough.

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms." Regaining her resolve, Hinata Hyuga thrust out a palm. The Hyuga Clan's unique Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms began to display its might, while Neji Hyuga assumed the same opening stance.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Their palms clashed in a furious exchange. By the thirty-fourth palm, Hinata Hyuga's chakra and movements had begun to falter.

By the forty-second palm, Neji Hyuga had already sealed many of her chakra points.

Bang!

The forty-eighth palm! Neji Hyuga chopped down with his palm, avoiding her head and striking Hinata Hyuga squarely in the chest.

This time, Hinata Hyuga could not get back up.

"Hinata!!"

Hayate Gekko swiftly summoned medical ninja and had Hinata sent to Konoha Hospital.

At the same time, Hiashi Hyuga, the head of the Hyuga Clan, tapped off from the spectator stands and dove down, landing beside Neji Hyuga.

"Here to hold me accountable? You came quickly enough," Neji Hyuga said mockingly.

"No." Hiashi Hyuga shook his head. "I only wanted to say that you are outstanding. Your victory over Hinata was well deserved. I wonder if we could speak privately?"

"Tch, you say it as if I have a choice. Hypocrite!" Neji Hyuga walked toward the edge of the arena without even looking back.

As he passed Tianming, Neji Hyuga stopped and suddenly said, "You saw it, didn't you? Even if you encouraged Hinata to fight me, even if I defeated her, the outcome still could not be changed. Sometimes, fate has already been decided."

"Neji Hyuga, perhaps the Hyuga Clan is not as absolutely dark as you believe. Hinata merely wanted to prove herself. She clearly could not defeat you, and she could have advanced to the Chunin Exams without fighting, yet she still stepped forward."

"What the other members of the Hyuga Clan, including you, think about is the rule that the main family and branch family can never cross—the fate you speak of. But Hinata is the same. She is changing your fate too."

Tianming did not know whether Neji Hyuga understood, but after saying that, he immediately followed the medical ninja.

With that!

The preliminary matches of the second round of the Chunin Exams officially came to an end. The remaining battles in Area S, along with those who had won their preliminary matches, would all compete together one month later.

Once the results were announced, the three from the Sand Village departed without lingering.

The Konoha jonin were somewhat relieved as well. At least Orochimaru had not caused any trouble during the preliminaries.

Everyone left the Central Tower, led by their respective teachers through the Forest of Death and back to Konoha.

On Team 7's way back, Sasuke Uchiha fell unconscious again when his Cursed Seal acted up and was sent to Konoha Hospital.

Konoha Hospital was likely busiest during the Chunin Exams all year round, as it had to treat a great many ninja.

After watching Hinata Hyuga being wheeled into a hospital room, Tianming turned and saw Team 7 emerging from the room next door. Anko Mitarashi was with them as well.

"Sensei, Qingchuan Tianming was bitten by that guy too," Naruto Uzumaki suddenly said.

Tianming could only walk over and show everyone his wound.

"How is that possible?" After confirming that it was indeed a Cursed Seal, Anko Mitarashi was instead left stunned.

Only she understood well enough just how terrifying Orochimaru's Cursed Seal was.

The Cursed Seal not only devoured chakra, but also continuously damaged the body!

Yet Qingchuan Tianming looked perfectly normal.