Haku, dressed in a kimono and wearing geta sandals, with long, flowing hair and a gentle smile on his face, looked every bit like a girl accompanying her 'boyfriend' on a spring outing to admire the flowers and water.
But in reality, this 'girly boy' was wielding a kunai and gracefully charging at Neji!
'He's coming!'
Neji's eyelids lifted slightly as he met Haku's attack head-on, using his bare hands to block and counter it.
The spectators in the stands roared with excitement, but the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Within a few minutes, the cheers turned into murmurs of discontent.
"This is no different from the previous matches."
"Isn't this too lame?"
"Aren't the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist techniques supposed to be famous in the whole Shinobi World? Why isn't he showing any of that?"
"And that member of the Yuki Clan, is she really an Ice Release Kekkei Genkai user?"
But regardless of the audience's skepticism, Neji and Haku continued their close-quarters combat without revealing their true abilities.
After testing each other for a few minutes, Neji felt he had gauged his opponent's level, and could not help but coldly declared: "If this is all you've got, it's over."
Haku remained silent, only continuing to swing his kunai.
"Byakugan!"
Neji shouted clearly, and Chakra quickly surged into his eyes, causing veins to bulge around his eyes as his vision turned monochromatic.
'I see it!'
At this moment, Haku's Tenketsu Points and Chakra Flow were exposed under his Byakugan's vision.
Neji predicted Haku's next step based on his Chakra Flow, and preemptively stepped to the side to avoid other party's attacks, and then launched a relentless offensive.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams, Two Palms!"
"Four Palms!"
"Eight Palms!"
"Sixteen Palms!"
...
Pak pak pak!
Plak plak plak!
With the sound of dull impacts, Haku seemed like a human puppet being battered by Neji's rapid strikes, and his Tenketsu and Chakra Pathway System are struck by Neji's Chakra!
However, the more Neji struck, the more he frowned.
'This was too easy, too simple!'
'Is this guy really that weak?'
Boom!
As the last palm of Sixty-Four Palms fell, Haku's body shattered like glass, scattering ice shards into the air!
The ice shards glimmered in the sunlight, creating a beautiful yet fleeting display like fireworks.
Neji's heart tightened, and he quickly halted his assault and retreated. At the same time, with the 360-degree Byakugan vision, he scanned his surroundings.
"This is the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist? It truly deserved its fame." Haku's voice echoed from behind Neji.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" Neji loudly shouted, turning and thrusting a palm forward.
Boom!
An invisible Chakra shot out from his palm, transforming into a powerful shockwave aimed at Haku, who is five meters away.
Haku smiled gently, then formed hand seals with the grace of a butterfly: "Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!"
With the completion of his hand signs, swirling ice crystals gathered around Haku, quickly forming a sturdy wall of ice in front of him!
Boom!
In the next moment, Neji's Chakra shockwave crashed violently into the ice wall!
Crack, crack…
With the sound of cracking ice, the ice wall instantly developed spiderweb-like fissures.
'Again!'
Neji calmly thrust out his palm again.
Boom!
Crack, crack, crack...
The crisp sound of ice cracking continued to emanate from the ice wall as ugly fissures spread wildly in all directions, and then…
Bang!
The ice wall shattered completely!
Without hesitation, Neji turned into an afterimage as he rushed over.
However…
"Ice Release: Thousand Flying Ice Needles of Death!" With a smile, Haku formed hand seals, and countless ice senbon to instantly materialize and shoot towards Neji.
"Amazing!"
"This is what an Ice Release Shinobi should be like!"
"It looks like that Hyuga Clan's Shinobi is going to lose!"
When the audience in the stands saw the long-awaited 'special effects' appear, they suddenly became restless, and the cheers echoed like thunder in the audience.
"Big brother Neji…" In one corner of the stands, Hanabi held Hiashi's hand nervously.
"Don't worry, your big brother Neji will be fine." Hiashi reassured her with a calm smile.
He knew from his brother Hizashi that his nephew was a genuine prodigy. At a young age, Neji had not only mastered the Gentle Fist technique up to the Sixty-Four Palms, but had also learned the secret techniques passed down only within the main family!
In another section of the stands, Hizashi watched the scene below with clenched fists and a look of anticipation, 'Neji, it's time to use that move…'
"Gentle Fist Art Secret Technique..."
In the arena, facing hundreds of thousands of ice crystals senbon shooting towards him, Neji stomped with his right foot, and drew a semicircle on the ground with his left foot. His whole body was suddenly like a spinning top, rotating in place, and at the same time, his hands striking out as phantom-like afterimages, "Revolving Heaven!!!"
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding…
The countless ice senbon turned into a torrent aimed at Neji, but as they reached within a meter of him, they seemed to collide with an invisible barrier. The crisp sounds of impact echoed as the senbon were deflected in all directions!
Revolving Heaven is the Main House's Secret Technique, which is known as Absolute Defense, capable of deflecting all physical attacks!
Unluckily for Haku, he is an Ice Release Shinobi. If he had used Lava Release or Boil Release instead, Neji's Revolving Heaven wouldn't have been able to withstand his attack!
Haku remained calm, maintaining his hand seal and continuing to create ice senbon to attack Neji.
"Wow! Amazing!!"
Below the main stands, Naruto's eyes sparkled as he watched the scene unfold.
Haku stood still, but countless ice senbon materialized around him, forming a torrent that shot towards Neji. Neji spun in place, creating an invisible barrier that deflected the ice senbon torrent.
'The special effects were simply perfect!'
Naruto jumped up and down excitedly, wishing to rush up and fight with them!
Sasuke crossed his arms near his chest, watching the battle with a cool eye of a bystander, 'The strength of these two guys is not simple. If I face them…'
Next to him, Suigetsu scoffed disdainfully, 'That guy Haku is really weak. If it were me, I would have already cut that Hyuga Shinobi in half long ago!'
Meanwhile, on the main stands, the two VIPs were exchanging polite comments.
Gonbee, who represents Elder Genji, praised: "The Gentle Fist of Konoha's Hyuga Clan is indeed amazing!"
Minato shook his head with a smile, "It's the Ice Release that is impressive. Congratulations on reclaiming the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai for Kirigakure."
Since Haku can appear here, it means that the pressure on the Yuki Clan in Kirigakure has ceased. Given time, the Yuki Clan might flourish in Kirigakure once more.
"Hokage-dono, you flatter us. Even at its peak, the Yuki Clan couldn't compare to the Hyuga Clan." Gonbee said with a smile.
'What hypocrisy…' Kanpū thought as he listened to their insincere exchange and refocused his attention on the match.
In the arena, faced with Neji's seemingly invincible Revolving Heaven, Haku's eyes glinted. Then, he announced loudly, "Hyuga-san, I'm going to get serious now."
Ice Release Secret Technique: Deadly Ice Needles!
Haku changed his hand seals, and the Chakra inside his body suddenly spurted out like a spring. He instantly condensed thousands of ice senbon that shot towards Neji from all directions like a rainstorm pear blossom.
The upgraded 'special effects' excited the audience even more, their cheers deafening!
Neji was unaffected by the cheers and Haku's declaration. He continued using Revolving Heaven, believing his absolute defense could defend against Haku's Ice Release.
Ding, ding, ding, ding…
The clear sounds of impact continued as countless ice senbon were deflected by Neji's Revolving Heaven, but the deflected senbon were pushed back by the incoming ones, creating a cycle. Soon, the area within a meter of Neji was filled with a growing pile of ice senbon!
Neji quickly noticed this and his expression finally changed.