Was that a shadow clone? But Neji and Hinata both said before that the fine chakra control required for the Hyuga Gentle Fist couldn't be achieved through clones...
The moment Sasuke realized what had happened, he changed tactics midway through his hand seals, trying to strike down the Neji behind him and escape.
But Neji's shadow clone had appeared at the perfect time and angle. Sasuke had barely noticed him before the clone's attack landed.
"You noticed too late. Four Palms!"
Almost the instant those two palms landed, Neji's Original Body struck the chakra points on Sasuke's body as well.
Sasuke immediately felt the flow of chakra inside him stall.
With the Byakugan supporting Neji's Gentle Fist, once the first strike landed, evading the follow-up attacks was almost impossible, let alone while being pincered from front and back.
Both the execution speed and the strikes had doubled!
Having fought Neji several times already, Sasuke knew all too well that he could only break through the Gentle Fist's chakra-point strikes at the outset. In their previous fights, even a single hit had spelled defeat.
"Eight Palms!"
"Sixteen Palms!"
Another nearly simultaneous barrage struck his chakra points. Sasuke seemed to have given up, letting the attacks land without making any move to respond. He merely crossed his arms in front of himself, even covering his face and eyes.
It was as though he had completely abandoned any thought of counterattacking.
Neji noticed that something was wrong with Sasuke, too, but suppressed his doubts. He still intended to finish the technique!
"Thirty-Two Palms!"
"Sixty-Four... ugh!"
The final attack never arrived. Amid the rapid punches, the shadow clone responsible for the last palm suddenly dispersed.
Under the combined strain of the Gentle Fist and the Byakugan, Neji's shadow clone could not sustain that final