Rumble!
At the same time Sasuke was fighting the Test Subject, Neji was locked in combat with a half-human, half-tiger monster in the Capital of the Land of Rice Fields.
"Have you figured anything out?"
While Neji fought the monster, Shisui and Hayato had already cleared out the several Sound Ninja nearby. With their own work done, the two guardians watched Neji struggle against the test subject and began analyzing the fight.
"This monster is fundamentally a ninja. He probably ended up like this because of the experiments Orochimaru performed on him."
Shisui offered his assessment in response to Hayato's question.
"That's what I think, too. Those markings on his body must be some kind of power invading him. If he could control that power, perhaps he wouldn't look like this."
Seeing that Shisui agreed with him, Hayato readily shared his own conjecture.
"Anything Orochimaru creates won't be so easy to control."
After Shisui spoke, Neji, who was still fighting the monster, raised his chakra to its limit.
Although this monster had originally been human, the power of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal had altered even the structure of his body.
Neji could barely make out any Tenketsu on the monster. Even when he struck the few he could see, the monster's powerful surges of chakra instantly forced them open again.
At this point in the fight, ordinary Gentle Fist attacks were no longer useful.
Going all out, Neji took kunai from his Ninja Tool Pouch. As he circled the monster, his shuriken kept sinking into the monster's body. Before long, Neji had driven five kunai into him with his palms.
"Aaaaargh!"
The monster roared in pain. In his fury, he grew a Lizard-like tail, and one sweeping lash immediately forced Neji back.
After driving Neji away, the monster pulled the kunai