Naruto puckered his little lips high, shut his eyes, spread his arms, and flew through the air toward Hinata.
"Naruto, that was truly an incredible battle between you and Neji. Even I couldn't match Neji in taijutsu like you did."
Naruto opened his eyes, only to see a watermelon-headed boy with thick eyebrows. He nearly coughed up blood.
"Naruto!" Rock Lee accurately caught the charging Naruto and pulled him into his arms. He gave Naruto a thumbs-up and flashed a sunny smile, his white teeth seemingly sparkling.
Naruto looked as though his soul had left his body. All color drained from him, and he went limp like a deflated sheet of paper.
"Naruto, are you all right? I didn't expect you to be so badly injured after taking one of Neji's palms." Rock Lee asked with concern, still carrying Naruto in a princess hold.
In truth, Neji's palm strike could not have hurt Naruto at all. Being held so strangely by Lee was the real injury.
"Naruto, are you hurt?" Hinata's gentle, concerned voice sounded beside him.
The moment Naruto heard Hinata's voice, he instantly revived at full strength. He leaped out of Rock Lee's arms at lightning speed and rushed over to Hinata.
"That was so dangerous. I nearly died. Good thing you were here." Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and pressed his cheek against it, seemingly wanting her soft, fair little hand to comfort his fragile heart.
"Naruto, it's wonderful to see that you're all right." Hinata seemed to be comforting him, because she knew better than anyone how dangerous the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist was. Every palm strike hit the chakra pathways and internal organs directly; ordinary people would suffer terribly from it.
Gentle Fist had the gentlest name, yet it was an exceptionally lethal form of martial