Hikaru Hyūga

Lin Ze stood in the arena, listening to the discussion around him. Yet he felt little joy; instead, he was filled with vigilance and self-reflection.

I got careless... I almost capsized in a gutter. Lin Ze watched the Medical Team help Namiashi Raidō up and thought to himself.

Namiashi Raidō's final tactic had been simple but effective, using the environment, ninjutsu, and his own sacrifice to create an opportunity for a killing blow. This was a true battle between ninja-not just a contest of strength and speed, but also of intelligence and decisiveness.

Although Lin Ze possessed strength beyond his peers and knowledge from his previous life, if he underestimated any opponent because of that, he would suffer dearly sooner or later.

This world had never lacked examples of the weak defeating the strong.

I have to be more careful and more measured, Lin Ze warned himself.

Fortunately, people in the ninja world were mostly "high offense, low defense." Below the Six Paths level, no matter how strong someone was, they could not survive a kunai through the heart.

But Lin Ze was different! Once the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon was developed to its later stages, he could truly be called undying and indestructible. Even if he let someone attack him, they would not be able to kill him, just like Kaido in Pirate King, who went around shouting about "killing himself" all day.

The first round ended, and Lin Ze successfully advanced to the quarterfinals.

As Lin Ze stepped down from the arena, he was greeted by Kurenai's admiring gaze and the complicated looks in the eyes of Asuma and the others.

"Lin Ze, you were amazing just now!" Excitement still lingered on Kurenai Yuhi's little face, along with a trace of lingering fear. "That last move scared me to death. I thought you wouldn't be able to dodge it."

"I got a little careless."

"Namiashi Raidō was tougher to deal with than I expected. His tactics were clever," Lin Ze said, shaking his head.

That was how he truly felt.

His identity as a transmigrator and the power of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon had given him a starting point far beyond his peers, but that did not mean he could look down on the natives of this world.

Namiashi Raidō had taught him a lesson through actual combat-in battles between ninja, intelligence was often more important than brute force.

"I think Hikaru Hyūga's match is next."

Asuma had come over at some point, a freshly plucked grass root between his lips. Looking somewhat serious, he said, "Watch out for that guy. I've seen his matches. He fights dirty."

Lin Ze brushed it off and teased him. "Why are you everywhere, Asuma?"

"Hey, hey, hey! We do sit right in front of and behind each other in class, you know. Don't be so heartless!"

Lin Ze was only joking with him. He then nodded and turned his gaze toward the arena.

Sure enough, the referee soon announced the next matchup. "Second match, Hikaru Hyūga versus Fujiwara Yū!"

The boy named Fujiwara Yū was a rather sturdy-looking commoner. Having made it into the round of sixteen, he clearly had some skill.

Hikaru Hyūga, on the other hand, looked delicate, even somewhat frail. His white eyes were pure and flawless, and a slightly bashful smile rested on his face. He politely bowed to Fujiwara Yū. "Hikaru Hyūga. I look forward to our match."

His voice was gentle and his manners proper, showing none of the viciousness Kurenai and Asuma had described.

Fujiwara Yū seemed taken in by Hikaru Hyūga's appearance and relaxed his guard a little, returning the greeting. "Fujiwara Yū. I look forward to our match!"

"Begin!"

The moment the referee finished speaking, Fujiwara Yū gave a loud shout, trying to overwhelm his opponent with his presence. At the same time, he charged forward and drove a heavy straight punch at Hikaru Hyūga's face-a standard taijutsu opening, packed with power.

Yet, faced with this swift, fierce punch, Hikaru Hyūga merely turned slightly and dodged it with ease.

At the same time, he brought his right index and middle fingers together and struck with unerring precision at the inside of Fujiwara Yū's punching wrist!

"Gentle Fist: Acupoint!"

Pfft~

A soft sound rang out.

"Urgh!" Fujiwara Yū's forward charge abruptly stalled. His entire right arm instantly went weak and limp, as though it no longer belonged to him, and the power in his fist vanished in an instant.

A horrified expression appeared on Fujiwara Yū's face. He clearly had not expected Hikaru Hyūga's counterattack to be so strange and swift.

So fast! Such precise acupoint strikes! Lin Ze's gaze sharpened.

Hikaru Hyūga's strike had been perfect in its timing, angle, and force, displaying a level of skill nothing like what a seven- or eight-year-old child should possess. This was undoubtedly the result of long, rigorous training.

Having landed his strike, Hikaru Hyūga's bashful smile seemed to widen a little. His feet slid, and he instantly closed in on Fujiwara Yū, whose injured arm had left him wide open.

"Gentle Fist: Body Strike!"

Hikaru Hyūga's voice remained gentle, but his hands became blurs. Using his palms as blades, he chopped repeatedly at the muscle groups in Fujiwara Yū's chest, arms, shoulder blades, and other areas!

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

A rapid series of crisp impacts rang out.

"Aaagh!" Fujiwara Yū had no ability to resist at all. All he felt was agonizing pain throughout his body, as though his muscles were being torn apart. His chakra surged chaotically through his meridians, and even breathing became extremely difficult.

Fujiwara Yū kept screaming, but Hikaru Hyūga showed no intention of stopping.

After more than a dozen palm strikes, Fujiwara Yū lay limp on the ground, curled up and groaning in pain, unable even to say that he surrendered.

But Hikaru Hyūga seemed to feel that was not enough. He raised his foot and stepped on Fujiwara Yū's right wrist with seemingly casual ease.

Crack!

A faint, teeth-grating sound of cracking bone rang out.

"Aaagh!" Fujiwara Yū let out a heart-rending scream and lost consciousness completely.

The entire arena fell silent.

Many students, and even teachers, looked unable to bear the sight.

This had gone far beyond the bounds of an assessment spar. It was clearly deliberate injury!

The referee immediately rushed forward to stop him, and the Medical Team quickly entered the arena and carried the unconscious Fujiwara Yū away.

Hikaru Hyūga stood where he was and lightly straightened the hem of his clothes, which had not been disturbed at all. The gentle smile on his face never changed, as though he had not been the one dealing those vicious blows.

He even bowed slightly to Fujiwara Yū as he was carried away. His manner was impeccable, yet it sent a bone-chilling cold through those watching.

"The winner, Hikaru Hyūga!" A hint of mixed feelings colored the referee's voice.

In the stands, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly and took a puff from his pipe without speaking. Danzo, beside him, instead had a gleam flash through his eyes, clearly having taken an interest in Hikaru Hyūga.

"See that?"

"That guy's a total freak! He'd already won, but he just had to hurt him badly! I heard he's from the Hyuga Branch Family. He's probably got something wrong with his head."

Asuma spoke quietly to Lin Ze from beside him, his tone filled with disgust.

Lin Ze nodded silently.

No wonder this Hikaru Hyūga had not appeared in the original story. If he acted this way even with the Hokage present, he was thoroughly disgracing the Hyuga Clan!

As a branch family member, it would be a miracle if he managed to stay alive.

The remaining matches continued, and Genma Shiranui, Ibiki Morino, Asuma, and the others all advanced without trouble.

Judging by that, Ryota Uchiha, who had defeated Genma Shiranui, truly was a genius!

Unfortunately, he had run into Lin Ze and been beaten straight out of the tournament...