In a jungle, Might Guy was leading Rock Lee, Tenten, and Hinata, leaping and bounding through the tree branches.
"Kai-sensei, this time we must bring Neji back no matter what, even if it costs me my entire youth."
"Hey, Rock Lee, your youthful spirit will surely deeply move Neji, but the enemy is powerful, don't be impulsive."
Might Guy gave a thumbs up; his gleaming front teeth were striking even in the dark jungle.
"I'm here for you."
"I'm telling you... what time is it for you two? Neji doesn't need his youth right now," Tenten shouted.
What is that?
"It's power, just like when Sasuke Uchiha Orochimaru, he wanted power strong enough to break free from constraints."
Even if we found him, it wouldn't mean much, since we can't give him what he wants...
This child speaks the absolute truth, even in front of the eldest daughter of the Main Family.
Might Guy quickly said, " Tenten, don't be so pessimistic. Neji might just be confused for a moment and have taken the wrong path. We are his companions."
We must stand up and help him get onto the right path.
"The right path? Hmph..." Tenten curled her lip and didn't reply.
Hinata at the back of the group, listened to the conversation of Might Team Guy's team and fell into deep thought. The mission was being carried out in secret, and the Hyuga Clan had not been officially notified.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have been her who came, but rather a member of the Main Family who possessed the Cursed Seal.
" Neji has been trapped in the system of the Main Family and the Branch Family for many years. If he can really break free from the shackles of the Cursed Seal, it may be a kind of liberation."
But can he really do it?
She had witnessed the terrifying power of the Caged Bird Seal more than once, and had even benefited from it, nearly being killed by Neji during his practice sessions several times.
The group fell silent, each carrying complex emotions as they continued their journey.
Three days later, they quietly arrived at the island nation of Land of Hot Water.
"According to intelligence, Neji is hiding in the headquarters of the Jashin Cult. Hinata, it's up to you now."
Byakugan!
Hinata activated her Byakugan, avoiding patrols along the way, and successfully infiltrated the Jashin Cult.
"Most of the people inside aren't ninjas; they don't even have Chakra in their bodies."
Might Guy cautioned, "Don't underestimate the Jashin Cult. The members of that religion are all lunatics. They've attacked Konoha twice, causing the village considerable trouble."
"I see."
Hinata nodded and began to search carefully; her Byakugan could see up to 10 kilometers away.
On a training field, a figure was frantically tapping a wooden stake – a familiar motion.
"Found it."
Snap!
Rock Lee clapped his fist and exclaimed excitedly, "Yosh, let's get started, Mr. Kai!"
"Li, have you forgotten what I said? Don't be impulsive. It will be troublesome if we attract the enemy's attention. You and Tenten should go and contact Neji first, and see what he thinks."
Hinata and I will be lying in wait nearby to deal with any emergencies. Don't worry, I'll step in when necessary.
Might Guy gave Rock Lee and Tenten a thumbs-up again, cheering them on.
"Hi." Rock Lee and Tenten vanished in a flash.
"This teacher with the thick eyebrows doesn't seem as careless as he looks," Hinata thought to herself.
Given Neji's hatred for the Main Family, it's not convenient for her to show herself for the time being.
The training ground.
Even while training, Neji remained highly vigilant. The intelligence had been leaked, and the people of Konoha could come knocking on his door at any moment.
At one point, Neji stopped. No matter which direction the opponent approached from, they couldn't escape the Byakugan's gaze.
"Since you're here, show yourself, Rock Lee, Tenten."
Rock Lee and Tenten appeared in front of Neji in a flash. He wasn't imprisoned, so it seemed he really had defected voluntarily.
A shadow fell over both of them; things were going to get complicated!
Neji, you...
Rock Lee opened his mouth, a bellyful of words welling up inside, but faced with Neji's calm gaze, he couldn't utter a single one.
Instead, Tenten noticed the bandage on Neji's forehead, which meant that the Caged Bird Seal was still in effect.
" Neji, we were sent by the village to persuade you to go back. What exactly are you thinking?"
"I thought it would be someone from the Main Family, but I didn't expect it to be the two of you. As you can see, I'm doing quite well here, without any constraints."
I will go back to the village sooner or later, but not now.
Rock Lee asked, puzzled, "Your actions are tantamount to being a rogue ninja. Neither the village nor the Main Family will let you off the hook. Is it worth it?"
How could you, who haven't been branded Caged Bird Seal, understand my pain?
Rock Lee gazed at his former partner with whom he had shared sweat and toil, sensing that something had changed about him.
"You're right, I can't understand how you feel. I heard you left the village and came here in pursuit of power."
I want to see if you've changed.
Neji smiled upon hearing this. "Li, I'm not the same person I used to be."
Rock Lee didn't care; he just wanted to punch his lost companion awake and then forcibly take him away.
" Neji, my eternal rival, let's have a battle of youth! Third Gate - Gate of Life, open!"
boom...
A surge of violent Chakra erupted from Rock Lee, stirring up the surrounding air and creating a gust of wind.
" Rock Lee, this will alert the enemy," Tenten hurriedly reminded him.
At this point, Rock Lee was no longer listening to Tenten's words. After training hard for many days, he was itching to see how strong Neji had become.
As the "King of Scrolls," he cares a lot about his teammates' progress.
Buzz...
Chakra surged from his hands, transforming into the shape of two lion heads.
Facing Rock Lee in his Eight Gates Released Formation state, the meridian valves that restricted Chakra flow were opened, Chakra to flow at high speed.
Ordinary acupressure points simply cannot stop such an intense impact.
"Come on." Neji assumed the Bagua stance, gesturing for Rock Lee to proceed.
Leaf Great Whirlwind
With the power gained from the third gate, Neji attacked his opponent at supersonic speed. Faced with such a violent attack, Neji dared not be careless and launched a double punch.
" Twin Lion Fists "
Roar... Roar...
Both lions opened their mouths at the same time and bit into Rock Lee's violent whip leg.
boom!!
The force of the impact traveled along his body to the ground beneath his feet, spreading out dense cracks like a spider web.
"What?! He actually caught it!" Tenten exclaimed in surprise.
As a teammate, she was quite familiar with all of Neji's moves. In the past, she had always relied on dodging or using the "Rotation" technique to deflect the attack. This was the first time she had faced it head-on.
At this moment, Hinata, Hinata was watching from a distance, was even more shocked. "This is from the Main Family..."
Neji was able to learn the Rotation, and it's also possible that he figured out other techniques on his own. We can't be sure for now that the other party stole the Main Family's secret techniques.
"Wow, Neji really has gotten stronger. It seems his youth hasn't been wasted."
Might Guy clenched his fist in delight, but a worry rose in his heart at the same time. "But this means that Rock Lee might not be a match for him."
Since Rock Lee forced open the Five Gates Chunin Ninja Exams, his body suffered severe damage, including a comminuted fracture of his left leg and left hand. Even with repairs, he could never return to his former self.
Youth is not something you can gain by shouting; on the contrary, only great strength can keep you young forever.
"Li, your strength doesn't seem to have improved much."
After blocking Rock Lee's powerful attack, Neji quickly compressed the air with Chakra in both hands and Teuchi.
"Eight Trigrams - Vacuum Palm "
With Byakugan, aim at the opponent's vital points and unleash a ferocious palm strike at supersonic speed, a vacuum cannonball containing Gentle Fist piercing through the enemy's vitals.
Rock Lee was no stranger to this move, and with a series of backflips, he dodged it using supersonic speed.
"Fourth Gate of Pain - Open, ah..."
Rock Lee's hair stood on end, his eyes were bloodshot, and his body began to show signs of damage from the extreme pressure he was under. Only then could he truly be considered to have entered the Eight Gates Released Formation state.
"Li! Is it really necessary to go this far?"
Tenten, he was forced back by the blast waves, and sighed helplessly, "Whatever, neither of you will listen to me anyway."
Whoosh!!
At this moment, Rock Lee's speed was further enhanced, and his leg shadows filled the sky.
In this state, even a simple whip kick can easily tear apart the enemy's body.
" Rotation "
Neji transformed into a rapidly spinning top, releasing Chakra through his acupoints to envelop himself and achieve absolute physical defense.
Furthermore, the rotating spherical surface also serves to dissipate force.
bang bang bang...
Rock Lee tried his best but couldn't break through the defense. After attacking with all his might for half a minute, his stamina dropped and he had to stop.
"Huff... huff..."
Sweat turned into blue steam under the high temperature. Rock Lee was still too young, and his body had not yet developed enough to withstand the Eight Gates.
"That's true, your speed is indeed very fast when you open the Eight Gates Released Formation, so..."
First Gate of Opening
Remove the limitations of the brain to achieve 100% physical capability.
Second Gate of Healing - Open
Relieve physical fatigue limitations and push the body to its limits to restore energy.
Neji can only open two gates at present. Although the flow of Chakra is faster at this time, it is still under control and does not affect his ability to exert his strength.
"Can you dodge this move?"
A massive amount of Chakra surged from his hands once more, compressing the air as he aimed at Rock Lee's body and unleashed the attack.
"Eight Trigrams - Vacuum Cleaving Palm "
A large-area vacuum shockwave swept out, knocking Rock Lee to the ground before he was completely out of range.
"Ah... how... how did you do that?"
Rock Lee was utterly shocked; Neji had also mastered the Eight Gates Released Formation.
"Of course, I'll sever all ties. Hmph, a loser is a loser. You've already lost your only advantage over me."
From now on, they will be far behind me, and next time they won't even be worthy of being my opponent.
"How so..."
Rock Lee was so shocked that he staggered backward, almost losing his footing. Might Guy said that he was a genius who worked hard and firmly believed that he could surpass other geniuses through hard work.
But even geniuses work hard, so what can be done? Are ordinary people even allowed to live?
"No way, Neji has also mastered the Eight Gates Released Formation! What happened to him?"
Tenten was shocked but also confused. Neji's change was too great; his strength had increased so rapidly in such a short time, it was very unreasonable.
"If this continues, perhaps he really can... break free from his constraints."
Before meeting Neji, Tenten was worried that Neji had been tricked out of desperation, and now it seems that there might be such a possibility.
Taya noticed Neji's change and reported what she saw to Might Guy.
"Strange, Neji's Chakra and physical strength shouldn't be enough to master the Eight Gates Released Formation."
Might Guy was completely baffled; his mind was buzzing, and he couldn't process what he was seeing.
You'll be pleasantly surprised if someone you know changes a little, but you'll be scared if they change a lot—that's pretty much the feeling.
Just then, a man's voice suddenly came from behind them. "Eh? Isn't this the wife of the Ōtsutsuki Clan! You didn't even tell me you were coming here, so I could have prepared a safe haven for you."
"It's you...!" Might Guy was on high alert, not even noticing that he had been touched from behind.
Taya startled. The newcomer's gaze was strange, and her words just now left her completely bewildered.
'Madam? Why are you saying that to me?'
Aoki Tsuki turned to look at Tenten and Rock Lee in the training field, and then said:
"You're here to persuade Neji to go back, right? You can have a good talk with him. If he really wants to go back, I won't stop him."
"You're definitely up to something wicked, aren't you? I, the Blue Beast of the Hidden Leaf of Konoha, will not let you succeed. Let's have a battle of youth!"
Might Guy immediately assumed an attack stance, ready for battle.
"I have no interest in fighting you, nor do I want to hear your theories about youth. Under normal circumstances, you can't beat me, but if it comes down to a fight, I can't beat you."
And what about your students? Are their youth about to wither before it even blossoms? Think about it carefully.
As I said before, if Neji is willing to go with you, I won't stop him; if he's not, then please leave.
After finishing his Aoki Tsuki turned and left, unwilling to linger with the two of them any longer.
Might Guy and Hinata looked at each other, unsure of what to do. The newcomer seemed quite polite.
It made them look like thieves.
"That person didn't seem to be lying," Hinata asked softly.
"Hmm..." Might Guy's thick eyebrows twitched, revealing his inner turmoil. "Li, Tenten, it's all up to you two."
Click...
Footsteps approached, and looking up, I saw Tenten and Li walking over dejectedly.
"Teacher Kai, let's go back. Neji doesn't want to go back to the village for the time being," Tenten said.
Might Guy's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "So that means..."
"Yes, he said he would go back on his own someday; now he wants to pursue his dreams."
"I see. It seems that even if we force him to go back, we will encounter strong resistance. Let's report the situation to the Fifth Hokage first, and then make a plan."
Might Guy made a decision immediately, decisively turning around and leading his team away.
Aoki Tsuki is right. He's willing to risk his life and isn't afraid of dying, but the problem is that none of these students will be able to leave.
When facing life, knowing when to bow your head is not cowardice, but the wisdom of survival.
On the way back, no one wanted to speak, and the atmosphere was very oppressive, especially Rock Lee, who seemed to have lost all his energy.
"Are you giving up already?"
"Teacher Kai, I..." Rock Lee's eyes were brimming with tears, and he was about to cry.
Indeed, it can be disheartening to see one's hard-earned progress easily surpassed by a genius.
If you choose to give up now, you will never catch up with him. A passionate battle is never about winning or losing.
"What was the purpose of that?"
"In order to recognize the gap, every all-out battle is not only a challenge to the opponent, but also a way to confirm one's own progress, however small."
This is the true meaning of youth, Li!
"Does Teacher Kai mean we should constantly adjust our effort level based on the gap between ourselves and our opponents?"
Rock Lee's eyes lit up again.
"Haha... that's how I defeated Kakashi."
"I see, I understand now!"
In an instant, Rock Lee was fully revived, overtaking the leader, Tenten, with a single acceleration. Without a doubt, he was in a hurry to get back and formulate a training plan.
" Rock Lee, you're always so easy to fool," Tenten thought to herself.
Hinata, however, felt a pang of envy. "Having a teacher like that is truly enviable. Naruto, your teacher must be very interesting too."
Anyone who can hang out with a goofball like Might Guy is definitely not a decent person.