Foolish Bird Flies First!

"Th-This... is for me?" Hinata Hyuga's little face instantly flushed red, and she did not know where to put her hands.

"Don't like it? Then I'll take it back." Tianming made as if to retrieve the pouch.

"I like it! This is a gift from you. It's also the first gift I've ever received..." Hinata Hyuga hurriedly grabbed Tianming's hand.

"Ahem! What are you two doing?" Kiba Inuzuka rudely intruded on the moment.

"Ah!" Hinata Hyuga realized she was holding Tianming's hand and withdrew it like lightning.

"If you like it, keep it safe." Tianming placed the pouch in Hinata Hyuga's palm, then rose and left.

"Tianming! Please do your best later too!" Hinata Hyuga clenched her small fists and cheered him on.

"Then I'll win for you."

In the arena, the battle between Rock Lee and Neji Hyuga had already reached a fever pitch.

The two traded blows back and forth, with neither able to gain the upper hand!

Rock Lee had not put his weights back on after removing them during his match against Kiba Inuzuka a month ago!

According to Might Guy, Rock Lee had already grown accustomed to training under heavy weights. Continuing to bear that weight blindly no longer had any meaning.

He needed to reach the realm of controlling lightness!

"Light." Rock Lee softly uttered a single word before turning into an afterimage and launching another assault!

Neji Hyuga's White Eye was not particularly effective, because Rock Lee did not use tactics—he came straight at him head-on!

"This move!" Neji Hyuga's eyes flickered as he instantly caught a subtle difference!

He could actually see Rock Lee drawing upon the chakra within his body? Rock Lee did not lack the ability to learn ninjutsu; he had simply learned it too slowly, so he had taken the path of taijutsu!

Had that guy who only ever trained under weights awakened? Neji Hyuga's blood began to burn as well!

"Roar! Go, boys! The time to burn with youth has arrived!" Might Guy shouted especially loudly from the stands.

But Might Guy suddenly fell silent, his expression shifting from ecstatic joy to shock!

The taijutsu Rock Lee seemed to be using was not something he had taught him!

He still remembered what Rock Lee had said to him after the second round ended a month ago!

"Guy-sensei! I want to train by myself this month!"

"Roar! Rock Lee! Is this how you display your youth? Well done!!"

Amid Might Guy's impassioned cries, Rock Lee finally closed in on Neji Hyuga.

"Neji, I prepared this especially for you!"

As soon as he spoke, Rock Lee dashed before Neji Hyuga and launched an upward kick at his chin!

"Rock Lee, don't underestimate me!" At the same moment Rock Lee attacked, Neji Hyuga tapped the ground with his toes and crossed his hands in front of his chin!

Boom!

Rock Lee's kick struck Neji Hyuga's arms, sending them both flying into the air!

A succession of attacks and defenses rained down like a violent storm!

Rock Lee repeatedly used front kicks in midair, but Neji Hyuga neutralized every one with the Gentle Fist.

At last, the two reached the critical point.

"Rock Lee, let me see the Front Lotus?"

Rock Lee answered Neji Hyuga with a spinning side kick. As Neji Hyuga blocked it, Rock Lee moved behind him, level with him, and the red bandages on his arms loosened!

Now!!

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms! Revolving Heaven!" Neji Hyuga was no pushover either. He spread his hands, and chakra erupted from within his body, forming an absolute defense!

"Guy, are all your students this monstrous?" Asuma Sarutobi could no longer laugh from the stands.

One Rock Lee had created his own taijutsu? The other, Neji Hyuga, had directly used Revolving Heaven?

As a Konoha jonin, Asuma Sarutobi had dealt with the Hyuga Clan during missions before!

He knew that Revolving Heaven was a secret technique of the Hyuga Clan! At the instant of an attack, chakra burst from the body's chakra points to form an absolute defense! Yet this technique was so difficult that even among the Hyuga Clan's jonin, only a few could use it...

Were kids these days already this monstrously gifted?

In the sky! Neji Hyuga, who had unleashed Revolving Heaven first, discovered that the bandages on Rock Lee's arms had retracted?

Hm? Was it not the Front Lotus?

"Neji, this move of mine is called Foolish Bird! Please advise!"

As Rock Lee's voice rang out, the long-prepared stomping kick crashed into Revolving Heaven.

A torrential barrage of kicks struck Revolving Heaven and was all rebounded! Yet Neji Hyuga felt an ominous premonition!

Rock Lee's Foolish Bird had not arrived yet!

Whoosh!

Amid leg shadows so fast they were almost invisible, a chirp like that of a newborn bird suddenly rang out!

It was here!

This kick of Rock Lee's carried all of his chakra. He launched one kick, immediately followed by a second!

When Neji Hyuga endured the first strike, his expression changed drastically!

Rock Lee's second kick reached Revolving Heaven with lightning speed, yet it strangely paused for a second!

The next instant! Neji Hyuga's absolute defense shattered, and his entire body plummeted like a cannonball.

"Bandages!" The red bandages on Rock Lee's arms landed first, forming a bird's-nest shape on the ground!

Boom!

The ground instantly cracked apart!

Rock Lee, having lost consciousness, fell to the ground. Neji Hyuga, inside the bird's nest, coughed up blood and suddenly caught a strong scent of blood!

It was not his blood. The smell came from the bandages beneath him.