"This... this is impossible! Rotation... was pierced?!"
Neji Hyuga's pure white eyes, once filled with arrogance and confidence, were now filled with extreme terror and disbelief. Through his Byakugan, he clearly saw the absolute defense he took such pride in, formed from high-density chakra, crumble instantly before that dark red pillar of demon fire, like thin paper pierced by a red-hot iron rod!
Boom!!!
The instant the pillar of demon fire shattered Rotation, it slammed into Neji's chest without losing any of its force! With an utterly agonized scream, Neji flew as though struck head-on by a speeding heavy train, his body tracing a parabola through the air before crashing into the arena wall dozens of meters away!
The impact blasted a huge, deep crater into the solid stone wall, and spiderweb cracks spread wildly in every direction. Flying rubble and dust completely obscured Neji's figure.
At that moment, the entire Konoha Arena fell into a deathly silence.
There were no cheers, no shouts, only heavy breathing and the rustle of wind over sand and stone. The tens of thousands of spectators in the stands, whether commoners, nobles, or battle-hardened ninja, all stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed, as though immobilized by a jutsu, their gazes fixed on the black-haired youth standing in the center of the arena with his hands in his pockets and an utterly nonchalant expression.
"You... you've got to be kidding..." In one corner of the stands, Naruto Uzumaki rubbed his eyes, his voice trembling. "That Neji Hyuga, that genius who beat Rock Lee so badly he couldn't fight back, just... just got taken out in one move?!"
"No hand seals, no chakra fluctuations, he didn't even call out the name of a ninjutsu..." Kakashi's one exposed, normally dull eye was now wide open, and a sheen of