Feb. 7th: Hyuga Clan Compound.
It was only an hour after dawn but there was already a Hyuga training in the compound and improving his taijutsu style. He began his training early and already completed a vigorous warm-up to prepare his body for the intense training that laid ahead. Currently the sounds of flesh hitting wooden dummies could be heard throughout the small training area.
Sweat was slowly forming on Neji's face as he practiced basic stance and strikes on the wooden targets. He focused on precision and fluidity of his movements rather than brute force.
Even though he was training and going through the motions, his mind was elsewhere. He recalled the mission in the Land of the Sea and the events that occurred. Neji's mind was focused on one particular memory. Daichi stopping the cannon fired from the warship.
'He took such an attack head on. His speed to reach that weapon before it struck its target, his physical strength and chakra control needed to stop it… It's beyond even some Jonin. I'm sure of it.'
Neji looked at the scene with his Byakugan and saw Daichi's higher than normal chakra volume and the precise control he had over it.
'He was able to change his chakra to water and lightning nature in the span of a second and even control every ounce of his chakra throughout his whole body to protect himself in such a situation.'
Thunk.
Another strike landed on the wooden dummy. At that moment another memory popped up in his mind. A conversation that happened between his teacher and Daichi's. Neji was going to update his sensei and Kakashi on the progress of their journey when he accidentally happened upon their conversation.
Flashback.
It was shortly after the defeat of the Gladiator pirates. The two ships were making their way to Mother Island. Kakashi and Guy were in the captain's cabin on Ishido's ship going over their supplies. Daichi healed their injuries from the battle but the two were mentally tired after fighting such strong ninjas. But they wanted to be prepared in case any more unexpected problems arose.
"How's your student Kakashi? He looked fine but… After taking a powerful attack like that head-on…" Guy asked in a serious tone.
Kakashi smiled at his friend's concern. "Don't worry. He's an excellent medic and he knows to take care of himself. He's currently sleeping and he'll be fine in a day or two. He said so himself and I trust his judgment."
"That's good." Might Guy smiled and nodded his head. But a few moments later that smile dimmed and then disappeared.
"Did you see it… Kakashi? I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." The green spandex wearing Jonin asked in an unusually serious tone.
The copycat ninja was silent as heard his friend's question. A few seconds later he nodded his head. "Yeah… Daichi's talent and growth… It's beyond belief."
"His physical strength is no doubt extraordinary and the concentration and stamina to take that attack directly… Only someone with a large chakra pool with precision control could have survived… What did your Sharingan see?" The Jonin of Team Guy asked.
"You're right but there is much more to it." Kakashi replied and his fellow Jonin narrowed his eyes.
The copycat ninja continued. "He strengthened his entire body with chakra and kept it evenly balanced and just before the cannon's impact he concentrated a portion of his chakra to his hands and changed their nature to sticky water. It was to make sure he had a hold of that flaming ball at all times."
"To keep that jutsu active while being engulfed in flames and with half his body almost burning… I can't imagine doing something like that with such concentration at his age." Guy crossed his arms and said with a sigh.
"Yes. If his techniques had any flaws then it would have been the end for him. But the fact that he was able to hold it steady is a credit to his skills with Ninjutsu."
"But that wasn't all, was it Kakashi?"
Kakashi looked down and closed his eyes as he thought about what his Sharingan had shown him. He crossed his arms and spoke. "No. With my Sharingan I saw the chakra flow in his body and it was incredible. I've never seen anyone with such perfect chakra control. He was spreading his energy through his whole body to strengthen himself and to counter the power of that weapon. A balance between aggressively increasing the power of his muscles and shielding against the massive momentum of that attack. He had to perfectly stabilize his chakra throughout his body and because of the turbulent ocean surface, change the flow of chakra at the soles of his feet at every moment so he didn't sink or get blown away."
The Sharingan ninja looked up at his friend with a serious gaze and continued. "If my Sharingan wasn't playing tricks on me then I saw him balance his chakra within 0.1 percent accuracy. Something that's almost unachievable for most people even with experience and immense training…. But he managed to do it and it shows his immeasurable potential and genius talent."
Guy nodded his head with his friend's assessment. "His growth rate is unbelievable, it's almost frightening. Even for you it took years of combat and training for your chakra flow to reach anywhere near that stage."
Kakashi slightly smiled and turned to the window in the cabin. He looked at the partially visible moon and sighed. "It's not that surprising when you see it from my point of view. He is someone who completely mastered the Rasengan when he was just in the third year of the academy."
Guy's eyes widened as he heard that. "You're kidding me. He mastered that jutsu so early?"
The copycat ninja just nodded his head. "I had a feeling about him when we fought in the Genin exam but now after what happened… I'm even more sure…"
Might Guy crossed his arms and listened to his friend as he looked out to the sea.
"There is no one in this generation that can come close to his potential and talent. Not Sasuke Uchiha, not Neji… No one… I don't think there's a Genin out there that can defeat Daichi…"
Guy was silent as he heard that assessment. He wanted to argue but he was someone who wasn't afraid of the truth. 'As much as I don't want to agree with that statement, I have to acknowledge that it is the truth. Based on what I saw tonight, Daichi is probably the strongest Genin in the Five Great nations.'
The two Jonin stood silent as they looked out through the window at the waves passing by and the calm atmosphere.
What they didn't know was that there was someone who was listening to their conversation. Neji's fist clenched as he heard Kakashi's assessment of his student. For a second Neji hoped his sensei would argue and tell the man that he was only saying that because he was Daichi's teacher but the Hyuga Genin didn't hear a single word from his teacher.
Even though he didn't want to acknowledge it, his sensei's silence had slightly hurt him and the young Hyuga quietly walked away.
Flashback End.
Thunk! Crack!
The sound of the wooden dummy breaking and falling to the ground rang through the area. Neji shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts.
'I shouldn't be angry at sensei. Looking at it objectively he's right. Daichi defeated my team with ease and he wasn't even serious. I suppose it is fate that he was born with such great talent.'
The Hyuga genin clenched his fists at that thought. 'So then why am I angry? Why do I want to challenge him and fight him so badly? Why do I want to prove myself? Damn it. It's just like Lee…'
"You're distracted. Training like that won't help you." A voice suddenly came from the entrance of the small training area.
Neji looked up and saw another member of the clan. The newcomer was an older man with long brown hair and a bandanna style forehead protector. He was wearing the standard Leaf Shinobi attire complete with the flak jacket. He had a serious expression on his face as he looked at Neji.
The Genin quickly recognized the Hyuga clan member. 'Iroha Hyuga. A Jonin from the branch family.'
"Master Iroha. I didn't know you were back." Neji straightened and gave a small bow.
"Just got back from a mission. I'll be here for a few days… I didn't expect to see you here so early, Neji. Don't you have to get ready for missions today?" Iroha asked.
"No. Guy sensei gave us a few days off."
"I see… You're training and not wasting time. That's good. But you're distracted and that won't help you in making progress."
Neji sighed and looked down.
Wanting to help a rising star from the branch family, Iroha decided to help the Genin. "What's on your mind Neji?"
The Genin stood silent for a few moments before he answered. "When I entered the academy I thought that me being part of the Hyuga clan and the talent I was born with would give me the advantage I needed over my peers. But now… There is someone in my generation that's far beyond my reach…"
Iroha had an inkling of what Neji was getting at. "Are you talking about Daichi Hekima?"
The Genin Hyuga nodded his head. He then looked at the man and spoke. "Master Iroha, what do you know about Daichi?"
Iroha crossed his arms and thought about the information he knew. "Hmm… Saying he's talented is an understatement. From what I know, before he became a Genin, he trained in the Fire Capital under Lady Tsunade Senju to become a medic ninja. And during the Genin exam he demonstrated such exceptional skills that he was already deemed to be at chunin level in strength and strategy by his teacher. It's the reason he was assigned to Kakashi Hatake and was made part of a special two man team…"
Neji looked down as he heard that. 'So he was already so strong huh.'
Seeing the Genin dispirited, Iroha decided to help the boy. "Daichi is talented and strong. But that doesn't mean he's undefeatable."
"How do I go up against someone like him? With my current strength, I'd lose."
The Jonin nodded. "Yes. Right now if you two fought you'd lose but that won't be the case in the future. If you want to have a chance at defeating him, you need to first focus on yourself. Remove all other distractions. Whatever thoughts that's keeping you from completely focusing on your training… Get rid of them. You need to center your mind."
"How do I do that?" Neji asked the man.
"Meditation. You need self reflection. Look deep within yourself and remove all the things that's stopping you from reaching your goal."
Neji nodded and looked at the nearby oak tree in the corner. He sat under the tree and began his breathing exercises. It took some time but slowly Neji entered a meditative state.
Having recently become a Genin, the pressures of his new rank, the expectations of his family, weigh heavily on his shoulders. The sounds of leaves rustling in the wind was the only sound in the peaceful compound.
Neji let out a small breath and thought about his fate as a Caged Bird. The hatred he felt for the main branch and his cousin Hinata. The anger he felt when he saw his teammate Lee's determination and defiance. And then finally his biggest obstacle of all. Daichi Hekima.
Neji became distracted and came out of his meditation multiple times but he persevered. He closed his eyes, controlled his breathing and focused on himself. He looked deep within himself and slowly began to break the chains mentally holding him back.
'Just because fate has made me the servant of the main family doesn't mean I can't defy their rules… There is one thing they can't control… My death… I will become strong and I will choose how I die... I will choose my path.'
Neji's heart felt lighter as he found a new way forward. He didn't truly understand it yet, but Neji was slowly letting go of the hatred in his heart. He let out a small breath and focused on his breathing.
'So this is how Lee feels after our fights. He wants to prove himself and thus trains every second he can… I understand now… Lee, if you want to prove to me that you can defy your fate then show me in the coming Chunin exams. I'll be waiting. I won't belittle you anymore… Because I'll be doing the same… If you're determined to defy your destiny, then I will do the same.'
Neji realized that just as he wanted to prove himself to Daichi, his teammate wanted to do the same with him. His anger towards his teammate diminished. Neji began to respect Lee's will and accepted his teammate's challenge in his heart. When he did, Neji felt his heart becoming lighter and his mind becoming more clear.
The Hyuga Genin felt his chakra becoming stronger. He didn't hesitate and dwelled deeper into his meditation and focused on his chakra. He visualized his chakra flow and the pressure points throughout his body. Neji felt the strength and potential within himself.
'Fate may have placed me here. But it's my talent, strength and will that will determine my future. I am born with the strength and potential to reshape my own destiny.'
The Genin slowly let out another breath and continued with his deep meditation.
Iroha had decided to stay and watch the boy's progress. He was keeping an eye on everything from a short distance. He saw Neji's breathing pattern and realized that his advice had worked. He used his Byakugan out of curiosity but was shocked at what he saw.
'His spiritual energy is increasing. His chakra flow is becoming more stable and less restrictive. He's just at the very beginning stage but…'
Iroha knew what was happening. He had only seen very few Hyuga in their late 40's in the main branch family achieve this state.
'Neji is at the beginning stages of achieving inner peace. If he can reach that state, there is no doubt that he'd be able to easily learn and use the secret jutsu of the main family… Unbelievable.'
As Iroha watched Neji a small smile slowly formed on his face.
'Daichi may be a talented genius… But so are you Neji. To even reach such a state on your own and in just a day... You are the best prodigy of this clan... I'll make sure to help you grow.'
As Iroha wowed to help Neji, the Genin was deep in his mind facing his biggest obstacle. 'Daichi, I know you're going to participate in the coming Chunin exam. I will become stronger. I will see for myself what our destiny is… when I battle you.'
Time went by and when Neji finally opened his eyes he saw that the sun had already gone down and the moonlight was shining through the dark sky.
'A whole day had gone by. I didn't even realize it.' Neji let out a breath and stood from his spot. He felt much calmer, lighter and far more focused than he had ever been.
He looked around and saw Iroha nodding his head in approval.
"How do you feel, Neji?"
"Good. I feel… better. Thank you master Iroha." Neji replied with a bow.
"Your chakra has become stronger. It's proof that your spiritual energy has gotten stronger. Neji, I know it's late but do you want to continue training?"
The Genin straightened his posture and nodded. The two Hyuga branch members made their way to the middle of the small training area and entered their stance. The Jonin could already see the small improvement in Neji's stance. Seconds went by and at an unspoken signal, both of them rushed forward and began engaging in combat.
—-
Feb. 7th. Training Ground 9. Early morning.
"1496…1497…1498..…1499…Arrgh 1500!."
Lee struggled and slowly stood up. There was a giant boulder several times larger than the boy strapped to his back and after Lee completed his pushups he cut off the straps holding the giant piece of rock to his back. It hit the ground with a small boom and dust rose in the air.
Lee took several deep breaths of air and reached into his pouch. He took a small pill and quickly swallowed it. A few moments later the Genin let out a breath of air as he felt his energy rising and the aches slowly vanishing.
"Well done Lee. That was much better than the last time." Guy gave his student a big smile and a thumbs up.
"Thank you Guy sensei. Now it's time I start the next set." Lee was about to walk over and pick up the big rock when Guy spoke.
"Err… Maybe you should rest for a few minutes, Lee. Rest is an important part of becoming stronger. It heals the body and rejuvenates the mind."
Lee shook his head at that. "I'm sorry Guy sensei but I can't waste even a second. Daichi's probably training even harder than I am right now and if I want to have a chance against him in the coming battle, I need to become much stronger."
Guy was perplexed as he heard that. 'The coming battle?'
"What are you talking about Lee?" The Jonin asked his favorite student.
"The next Chunin exam is here in the village, isn't it sensei? Daichi hasn't participated till now but I'm sure he'll be there in the upcoming exam. I know you're looking forward to nominating our team too."
Guy sighed as he realized what Lee was getting at. "Yes. These exams are dangerous and I wanted you all to be prepared before I sent you off. And it's true. My rival Kakashi will be nominating his student as well… So yes. You're right Lee. There is a good chance that you'll be battling Daichi."
Lee nodded and looked at his sensei with a determined gaze. "Yes. Exactly. I want to show him just how far I have come. Last time he defeated our entire team so easily. It didn't bother me much because I thought if I kept training like I have I'll eventually be strong enough to challenge him on equal terms. And I've been training so hard for that but after seeing him fight in the Land of Sea… After seeing what he's capable of… It's as if the gap has only widened. It feels as if I'm standing still."
Guy's face softened as he listened to his student. He came near Lee and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Lee… Why do you want to battle Daichi so much?" He asked his student in a soft tone.
Hearing his teacher's question Lee looked down and he thought about the memories he had with his friend. A small smile appeared as he remembered the words Daichi said to him before he left the village to train in the Capital.
"When I first met Daichi I thought he was just a genius who didn't care about anybody else. I wasn't any good and I thought he would just belittle me. I was wrong. Contrary to what I thought, he became my friend. He encouraged me to train harder… No one except Daichi cared about me when I was in the academy. No one believed in me. But he did. Even when I didn't believe in myself… He did."
Lee looked up at his sensei and Guy was surprised to see tears falling down his face. "I have to show him that his faith in me isn't misplaced. That he didn't waste his time with me. That with training, I can stand shoulder to shoulder with him… My dream is to be a splendid ninja but more than that… I want to earn Daichi's respect as a strong shinobi."
Guy's eyes widened as he heard that. He immediately knew what his student was feeling because they were feelings he himself had. The Jonin quickly hugged his student and patted his head. At that moment the Jonin thought about what Kakashi said on the boat during their return trip to Mother Island.
"There is no one in this generation that can come close to his potential and talent. Not Sasuke Uchiha, not Neji… No one… I don't think there's a Genin out there that can defeat Daichi…"
The second Guy recalled Kakashi's words, he regretted not arguing with his rival. At that moment Guy became determined to prove Kakashi wrong. He wanted to make his student's dream come true.
"You are already a great ninja Lee. But if your goal is to defeat Daichi and make him acknowledge you then let's make it happen. We're going to train harder than ever and get you ready for the exams!" Guy said with a big smile.
"Yes Guy sensei!" Lee replied with a big smile.
"Lee, pick up that boulder. We're going to run 500 laps around the village. This time I'll be joining you." With that Guy looked around the training ground and soon picked up another boulder of similar size to the one on Lee's back and soon they resumed their training.
—-
It was night time with Guy and Lee sweating like pigs and struggling to take another breath of air.
"Okay… N-now… we should.. probably rest." Guy said as he sat under a tree.
Lee was panting and could only nod to his sensei's words.
Several minutes later they regained a bit of energy and sat cross legged on the ground facing each other. The two ninjas were brainstorming on how to improve their Taijutsu strength and the power of their forbidden jutsu.
Lee asked a question that's been on his mind. "Sensei. How do I use the Eight gates technique more efficiently?"
Guy became serious as he heard that. "Lee, that technique is forbidden and you remember the rules don't you?"
"I know sensei. I won't use it unless in the most dire of circumstances." Lee's reply satisfied the bowl cut Jonin.
"Good. Now back to your question. How to use it more efficiently huh…?" Guy rubbed his chin as he thought about the answer.
"Should I try to learn how to open more gates or…?" Lee asked, looking at his teacher.
The Taijutsu master shook his head. "No. I don't think that's such a good idea. You just learned how to open the fourth gate and by the time of the Chunin exams you might be able to open five. But that won't help you in a long drawn out fight. The Eight gates will drain your energy and stamina quickly. It will put tremendous strain on your body. This forbidden jutsu will help against people who are physically weak but…"
Guy didn't say further but Lee knew what he was talking about. The young Genin remembered the scene of Daichi stopping the fiery cannonball in its tracks. 'Daichi isn't someone who would go down so easily. He has a strong body and his stamina is incredible.'
Lee looked at his teacher and spoke. "So then sensei, how do I keep the drawbacks of the eight gates to a minimum and fight for longer periods of time?"
"If you're planning on using it in a prolonged battle then you would need to focus on several key areas…"
Guy imparted his wisdom and Lee eagerly listened. Guy told Lee the 5 main ways he could improve the fighting style with the eight gates. The teacher and student spend hours going over the details. They were going to modify their schedule and increase Lee's growth speed.
Just as Daichi was becoming stronger, everyone around him was also becoming stronger.
—----------------
Author's Note.
A few things. I didn't want to split this chapter up so that's why it took a little longer. Enjoy the 4k word chap.
Next, it might seem like I'm stalling from starting canon with these chapters but I'm not. These are important events that will have great significance in the future. (Spoiler: The chunin exams)
Now the last thing is, I wanted to have a realistic and acceptable reason for Neji and Lee's growth. In Canon Neji and Sasuke were at the top and believed themselves to be the best(till they got knocked down on their ass).
In Neji's case, since he was the best, his focus was on the main family of his clan and he hated that he was being held back by them. But here Neji has a new goal to strive towards so he trains much harder.
Sasuke is similar. He was the best in canon and he felt like being held back when he saw Naruto's growth.
But here Daichi has established himself as the strongest long ago and thus it gave all these guys the motivation needed to become even stronger.
I hope you guys find these changes and events logical or believable… in any way, did you enjoy the chapter? Hit me up with your comments.
Just one more chapter like this and then Daichi's new mission starts and thus canon will get underway…