Assessment Opponent Confirmed

The Hyuga Clan was divided into the "Main House" and the "Branch House."

To ensure that the Byakugan would not be lost, the Branch House had to protect the Main House with their lives. Members of the Branch House were also branded with a cursed seal on their foreheads from childhood. This was the source of the Hyuga Clan's internal conflict.

Hinata Hyuga and Hanabi Hyuga both belonged to the Main House and were of noble birth. Neji Hyuga, however, belonged to the Branch House. His father had died for the Main House years ago, and ever since then, he had harbored hatred toward them.

"The second young lady of the Main House is actually standing in such an ugly posture. Has the Hyuga Clan truly fallen this far under the Main House's rule?"

Neji Hyuga snorted coldly, his clenched fist creaking from the force.

"Neji, Tenten, thank you both for bringing over the new training equipment!" Iruka's voice rang out just then.

"Iruka-sensei, what are they doing?" Neji Hyuga asked, pointing at Ye Fan and Hanabi.

Iruka looked awkward. "Inuzuka Ye Fan is guiding Hanabi. It's already been half a day."

"Inuzuka Ye Fan?" The girl named Tenten cried out. "Iruka-sensei, do you mean that Inuzuka Ye Fan who hasn't been able to graduate from the Ninja Academy for years?"

"Yes! I don't understand why Hanabi is so fixated on him either. Maybe she was unwilling to accept yesterday's defeat," Iruka said with a sigh.

"What?" Tenten cried out again. "Doesn't that Inuzuka Ye Fan not even have chakra? How did Hanabi lose?"

"Actually, it was Ye Fan's ninja dog that defeated Hanabi. Ye Fan himself did not make a move," Iruka answered truthfully.

Bang!

Furious, Neji Hyuga punched the railing.

He could not tolerate the fact that a member of the Hyuga Clan had actually failed to defeat even a dog!

It was utterly disgraceful!

It brought shame upon the Hyuga Clan!

By the time Ye Fan told Hanabi to take a break, Neji Hyuga and Tenten had already left.

"All right, that's enough for today! When I'm not around, you must not practice on your own. If your stance is not standard, the consequences will be very serious. Remember that!"

After saying this, Ye Fan left with Shadow, his young ninja dog. He had his own things to do and could not stay with Hanabi Hyuga all day.

"Thank you for your guidance!"

Though she was so exhausted that she could barely remain standing, Hanabi Hyuga still bowed to Ye Fan's departing figure.

After school, Hanabi practiced the Thirty-Two Palms of the Eight Trigrams in her family's courtyard.

After one round of practice, she was stunned.

She could clearly feel that the transition between the seventh and eighth palms had become much smoother.

"So amazing!" Hanabi could not help murmuring.

She had never expected Ye Fan-senpai to be so skilled. She had only practiced that strange stance for a while, yet it had already produced results.

If Ye Fan-senpai continued guiding her, wouldn't she soon be able to completely master the Thirty-Two Palms of the Eight Trigrams?

Hanabi suddenly grew excited. Nothing made her happier than feeling herself improve.

She wanted to continue practicing that miraculous stance, but then she suddenly remembered Ye Fan's warning before he left.

I can't make decisions on my own. Ye Fan-senpai will get angry!

With that thought, she gave up practicing the stance and continued practicing her family's taijutsu.

While she was practicing, her older sister Hinata Hyuga entered with a troubled expression.

"Big Sis!" Hanabi Hyuga stopped practicing.

"Hanabi, are you training?" Hinata forced a smile.

"Big Sis, tell me more about Ye Fan-senpai!" Hanabi ran eagerly to her sister's side.

Hinata Hyuga stared blankly at her younger sister. It had been a long time since Hanabi had spoken to her so affectionately.

"Hanabi, Ye Fan might be in trouble. I'm afraid he may not be able to become a ninja," Hinata said with a frown.

"Big Sis, what happened?" Hanabi became nervous as well.

"Isn't Ye Fan going to take a make-up exam? The exam requires him to fight a Genin and hold out for five minutes. This will be Ye Fan's final make-up exam." Hinata told her sister what she had just heard.

Hanabi listened quietly without interrupting.

"Hanabi, do you know who Ye Fan's opponent is?" Hinata's expression became increasingly grave.

"Who is it?" Hanabi instinctively tensed up.

"It's Neji, the one you've always wanted to surpass!" Hinata said.

Hanabi froze upon hearing that.

She knew very well how formidable Neji Hyuga was. He was a once-in-a-generation genius of the Hyuga Clan. He could now skillfully perform the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms and possessed extraordinary insight into the Gentle Fist. Even their father had praised him many times.

"This matter has already been decided. It cannot be changed," Hinata continued.

"Ye Fan-senpai is amazing too!" Hanabi said excitedly.

Hinata said nothing. She had never seen Ye Fan's strength, but she had heard from Kiba Inuzuka that Ye Fan no longer had even a trace of chakra.

"Big Sis, I want to visit Ye Fan-senpai. Will you take me there?" Hanabi looked at her sister pleadingly.

Faced with her younger sister's request, Hinata simply could not refuse.

At the same time, at Hana Inuzuka's home.

"Ye Fan, this is bad, really bad! Your opponent this time is Neji Hyuga! That guy is incredibly strong. Shadow alone won't be able to defeat him," Kiba Inuzuka said as he rushed over to warn Ye Fan as soon as he received the news.

"Neji Hyuga? Another member of the Hyuga Clan? Is he that strong?"

Ye Fan asked casually, without the slightest sign of tension or panic on his face.

Ye Fan found it strange. Over the past two days, he seemed to have some sort of connection with the Hyuga Clan. He ran into them everywhere.

"If we're talking purely about combat strength, Neji Hyuga is already close to the level of a Chunin. He's arrogant and difficult to get along with," Kiba Inuzuka said.

"Oh, so this make-up exam is a little more difficult than the previous ones!"

Ye Fan actually smiled. He did not care whether the opponent was a Hyuga Clan genius. So what if the opponent was a Chunin?

If his opponent could pique his interest, that would be even better. It seemed that among people his age, no one had yet made him take things seriously!

He was no longer the useless failure people had mocked. With his daily training, his strength was advancing by leaps and bounds!

Each day, he surpassed the person he had been the day before.

"Ye Fan, what are we going to do? Why would Neji Hyuga accept this assessment assignment? This isn't like him at all! He clearly doesn't want you to pass!"

Kiba Inuzuka paced anxiously in circles, wishing he could take the exam in Ye Fan's place.

"Don't worry. There are many ways to fight." Ye Fan smiled mysteriously.

Just then, a knock sounded from outside.