Hinata took a deep breath, spread her feet, and assumed the opening stance of the Hyuga Style Gentle Fist.
Her arms were still trembling slightly, but her pure white eyes held a spark they had never had before.
Neji snorted coldly and took his stance as well. "Since you refuse to see reason, don't blame me for showing mercy."
They moved at the same time.
There was no roar of ninjutsu, only the dull sounds of palms cutting through the air and clothing rustling.
Gentle Fist against Gentle Fist.
Their figures crossed, palms flying.
There was no denying that Neji had earned his reputation as a genius. His movements flowed like water, every strike precise and ruthless, forcing Hinata back step by step.
"Too slow." Neji knocked aside Hinata's attack with one palm, then struck her shoulder with the other. "Your movements are full of hesitation."
Hinata grunted and staggered backward.
Up in the stands, Naruto scratched at his head anxiously. "Come on! You can do it, Hinata! Don't lose to him!"
Son Goten sat on the railing, still holding the half-peeled orange.
Without even looking at the fight, he tossed a segment into his mouth, drew his breath deep into his abdomen, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Hinata! Don't be scared of him! Smash his head in!"
His powerful shout drowned out every other sound in the arena.
Neji, who had been about to press his attack, paused briefly.
Son Goten didn't stop. "Go, wifey! If you win, I'll treat you to an extra-large bowl at Ichiraku Ramen tonight! With two extra servings of pork! No, five!"
The spectators' expressions turned rather strange.
Was this really the time to encourage someone with food?
But he wasn't finished.
Son Goten stood up, waved his arms, and dropped a bombshell without the slightest blush or flutter of his heart.
"There's a special reward, too!"
"If you win, I'll give you a loving hug! Plus half an hour of lap-pillow service! How's that? Feeling motivated yet?"
Pfft-
Kakashi, who had been drinking water beside him, spat it straight out, drenching Might Guy's head in front of him.
Kurenai Yuhi covered her face. She could barely stand to watch.
This wasn't cheering her on. This was blatantly flirting with an innocent girl in public.
Down in the arena, Hinata's pale face instantly flushed scarlet at his words, and steam practically rose from her head.
A loving... hug?
And a lap pillow?
Just imagining that scene made her so embarrassed she wanted to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
And he had said it in front of all these people, in front of Neji.
"G-Goten! Stop saying that."
Hinata wanted to die of embarrassment, but that mortified fury surged wildly through her body and somehow turned into strength.
If there's nowhere to hide, then let it out.
"Yaaah!"
Hinata let out a sharp cry, her speed actually doubling.
She no longer thought about techniques or forms. She simply wanted to knock down the opponent before her so that the rascal shouting nonsense in the stands would shut up.
Neji clearly hadn't expected the ever-timid Hinata to erupt so suddenly.
He had only just moved to block when Hinata's palm slipped through his defenses.
Smack. A crisp palm strike landed squarely on Neji's chest.
Neji stumbled back two steps, astonishment flashing in his eyes.
"She hit him!" Naruto jumped up excitedly. "Did you see that? Hinata hit that stuck-up jerk!"
Son Goten nodded in satisfaction, a mischievous grin on his face. "Looks like my reward works better after all. That's the power of love."
Beside him, Karin gave a sour snort and crushed the orange peel in her hand to pieces.
In the arena, Neji steadied himself, his expression frighteningly dark.
Being hit by the Main Family's dead last was, to him,
an immense humiliation.
"It seems I've been too merciful."
The flow of chakra through Neji's body suddenly changed.
His fingers fell like raindrops, moving too fast to follow.
Gentle Fist Art: Chakra Point Needling.
The offensive Hinata had just built up crumbled in an instant.
Smack, smack, smack, smack!
A series of dull impacts rang out.
Hinata felt as though red-hot iron skewers had pierced the chakra pathways throughout her body, forcibly cutting off her chakra flow.
One final, heavy palm strike slammed into her chest.
"Pfft!"
Hinata spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground in a cloud of dust.
"Hinata!" Naruto's smile froze on his face.
Neji withdrew his hand and coldly watched the girl lying motionless on the ground. "It's over. I've sealed your chakra. You can't even stand."
The referee, Gekko Hayate, stepped forward, ready to announce the result.
But just then, a trembling hand gripped the ground.
Clenching her teeth, her mouth full of blood, Hinata forced herself to rise little by little.
Her legs shook, and her body swayed as though a gust of wind could knock her over.
But she remained standing.
"It's... it's not over yet..." Hinata panted, her eyes stubborn.
Neji frowned, the veins at the corners of his eyes bulging. "Why get up again? At this distance, if I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead."
"Because... someone's watching me."
Hinata glanced toward the stands. The black-haired boy had put away his smile and was watching her quietly.
"I don't want... to be someone who only runs away anymore."
Those words utterly enraged Neji.
To him, this pointless persistence defied the fate of their clan and insulted his understanding as the "Branch Family genius."
If she won't listen no matter what I say, then destroy her.
Only utter destruction can prove that fate cannot be defied.
"Since you want to die, I'll grant your wish!"
Killing intent surged in Neji's eyes, and he held nothing back.
His figure flashed, shooting straight toward Hinata like an arrow loosed from a bow.
The five fingers of his right hand pressed together as he aimed directly at her heart.
This strike truly was meant to take her life.
"Stop!" Kurenai Yuhi paled in alarm and tried to rush down, but she was too far away to make it in time.
Might Guy and Kakashi moved at the same time, trying to intercept him.
But someone else was faster than either of them.
In fact, that person had already moved the instant the killing intent first emerged.
Boom!
A thunderous crash erupted inside the Tower.
The sturdy iron railing shattered on impact, and even a large chunk of its concrete base was ripped free.
An orange afterimage, trailing a violent rush of air, plunged straight from the second-floor stands toward the ground.
The speed was absurd, even drawing a white wake through the air.
Neji's charge came to a forced halt.
Because a figure now stood between him and Hinata.
The dust slowly cleared.
Son Goten knelt on one knee, still in the posture of his descent from above.
Beneath his feet, the ground had caved into a large crater.
He slowly stood and brushed the dust off himself.
Then he turned his head toward Neji, who had yet to react.
Those large eyes, usually so full of smiles, held not a trace of amusement now.
Only a bottomless darkness.
"Just now..."
Son Goten tilted his head, his voice eerily soft.
"Were you trying to kill my wife?"
Before you continue