Chapter 42 - Chuunin Exam(13)
.
.
.
"I never thought I'd be facing you… Hinata-sama…"
"... Brother Neji…"
"Cough! Now, Begin match!"
Neji stepped inside the area of fighting a bit and said "Before we begin the fight, I'd like to say something, Hinata-sama."
"...?"
"You don't make a good ninja, forfeit now. You are too kind, you wish for harmony and avoid conflict… you agree with others, never resisting."
"You have no confidence in yourself, I always feel your sense of inferiority, that's why… I thought it would be best for you to remain a genin but the chuunin exam can only be taken by a team of three."
"You couldn't turn down your teammates' request and unwillingly entered. This is reality. Am I wrong?"
Hinata who was nervously listening to Neji spoke "No… I just wanted to change… myself…"
"Hinata-sama… As I thought, you are a spoiled brat in the main family. People cannot change themselves!"
Naruto who was watching upstairs chuckled "Really?"
Neji continued "Losers are losers. Their personality and strength will not change because people cannot change, differences are born. Expressions like elite and loser are created. Looks, brains, abilities, size, and personality, all people judge and judge in these values. Just like the fact that I am from the branch family and you are from the main family cannot be changed."
Naruto interrupted with his calm voice yet loud enough for everyone to hear. "You can."
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata commented as she looked at Naruto
Neji looked his way and with an annoyed face replied "You can't. You cannot change your fate."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Neji-kun is too narrow minded."
"What?"
Naruto smiled and said "Let me give you an example, neji-kun. A person goes on from their small size, then a bigger size, then bigger as they grow up. How can you say that people cannot change?"
"That's a different example! It's not applicable!"
Naruto chuckled and continued "That's why you're narrow minded. People change based on what they learn in their life.
A person who has lived in a cage ever since he was born and taught can change with a single time that he has gone out.
Seeing the beautiful outside world, can he be satisfied being caged?"
"And you said people cannot change that's why differences are born? That's wrong again. Differences are born because people can change."
"Whatever! Losers and outsiders cannot understand the position I am in." Neji snorted and stared at Hinata.
"Loser? Hahahah! You're weaker than me, Neji-kun. You're just being obnoxious."
Hinata with a determined gaze thought 'Thank you… Naruto-kun…'
Neji looked at Hinata's determined gaze and said "So you won't forfeit… I'm not responsible for what happens next."
And activated his [Byakugan]. In turn, Hinata also activated her [Byakugan].
They both went into the same 'Gentle Fist' Stance.
With a step, Hinata pushed forward her right palm to strike Neji's face. With the same technique, Neji redirected Hinata's palm away from his face with his left hand and attacked with his right.
Hinata redirected it again.
As they attacked each other in taijutsu that looked like they were dancing. Hinata's attack hit one of Neji's arm.
Hinata tried to take this as an opportunity to strike but caught off guard by Neji by a strike in her chest
"Blergh!" Hinata coughed out blood and ignored the pain 'not yet!'
"Ha!" with her left palm she tried to strike Neji the same way. And Neji caught her arm and poked a pressure point in Hinata's arm rendering it useless.
"Hm… Looks like Hinata will lose badly. But they're pressing acupuncture points, right?" Naruto asked
Kakashi, who was beside them watching, nodded and replied "That's right. With their unique, bloodline limit, they can see the acupuncture points in the human body clearly."
"Oh… that seems useful. It can turn off the pain if the acupuncture points correctly right?"
"That's right. But why the pain?"
Chuckling, Naruto replied "I thought of something to do to an enemy, after defeating him I'll turn his mouth accupoint off and their pain acupoint off then proceed to torture them then turn their pain acupoint on and off.
They'll try to scream to try and reduce the pain but they can't do anything about it but cry and hold on to the pain."
The jounins who were watching the match heard Naruto's comment and their faces twitched thinking 'Are you the devil?'
No way… so from the beginning…" Hinata mouthed in disbelief
Neji replied "Exactly, my eyes can even see the opening points."
"Opening points?" Naruto asked
Kakashi replied "Above the inner coils system are 361 pressure points called chakra holes. They are the size of the tip of a needle though.
They are called the 'opening points' if you press these pressure points accurately, you can stop or increase your opponent's chakra flow.
You can control however you want. Even my sharingan can't see them."
Naruto sighed
"What's wrong? Naruto?" Kakashi asked
Naruto mocked "What's wrong with you Kakashi-sensei? If that's all the [Byakugan] can do then it's useless.
And the [Byakugan] can see nearly 360 degrees? A seasoned ninja can do the same without seeing the back. In the end, their bloodline limit is nothing but a beginner's help.
The 361 pressure points are fixed, you don't need to see them, just memorize them instead and you can achieve the same feat. it's just 361."
Kakashi and the other jounin were in disbelief of what Naruto said but he's not wrong so they didn't say anything.
Neji pushed Hinata away "Kyah!"
"Hinata-sama… this is the difference in talent that can never change. The difference that divides an elite from a loser."
"This is a reality that cannot be changed. At the point you said 'I do not want to run' you were setting yourself up for regret. You should be overcome with desperation right now."
Hinata slowly stood up from the ground "Huff… huff… huff…"
"Forfeit."
With a smile, Hinata replied "I will not forfeit… I will regret it more if I don't take the chance to be able to change myself."
Naruto's lips curled up and murmured "It is not that change cannot happen. It's just that people can only change when they want it themselves. But Hinata… you should be at your limits right now."
"Gah!" Hinata coughed out more blood due to the injury she got from Neji.
Kakashi commented "Neji's 'opening point' attacks have completely shut down her chakra flow. So basically… she can no longer do her 'gentle fist' attacks. This match is over."
Kakashi thought with a smile 'A pretty good opponent for Sasuke. But he'll probably be akin to a punching bag in front of Naruto.'
Naruto nodded in agreement.
Neji with his [Byakugan] activated clicked his tongue as he saw the strength in her eyes and dashed forward with a palm strike prepared.
Hinata assumed a 'Gentle Fist' Taijutsu stance and fought back.
Swish! Shiu! Swish!
They attacked, redirected, attacked, and redirected it until Hinata lost the exchange as Neji sent a palm strike in Hinata's chin "Guah!"
Hinata was sent 5 steps backwards but still didn't go down despite the fatigue and damage the body has sustained.
Cough! Cough! Cough! Hinata stares at Neji if he will attack. He didn't so she initiated the attack.
Neji dodged by a hair's breadth and sent a palm strike to Hinata's stomach.
Thud!
"Gaah!"
Gai said as he watched the strike "A decisive blow through the heart. I feel bad for her but she will not get up again."
Hayate announced "Continuing is impossible and thus…"
Under the comment of Gai, in contrary to everyone's opinion, Hinata stood up.
"Impossible." Gai sweated as he saw Hinata stand up again.
Neji said seeing Hinata stand up again before him with a glare "Why do you stand… If you keep pushing yourself, you'll die."
"It's not over yet…" Hinata replied with a smile but was surprised at the kunai that arrived before her.
Naruto with a smile, stood before Hinata and gave her a head pat "It's over, Hinata. You showed your resolve."
Hinata smiled bashfully as she lost strength in her body only a bit away from losing her consciousness.
Naruto caught her back and laid her down gently.
Neji commented "That's right, acting tough is useless. You were barely able to stand. From the time of your birth, the responsibility of the Main Family has been forced upon you.
You have always hated yourself for your own weakness but people cannot change. That is destiny. There's no need to suffer anymore, let it go."
Hinata who was laying down on the ground turned her face in Neji's direction and with the gentle smile she could muster, she replied "That's not true… brother Neji. Because… I can see it… the person lost and suffering within the destiny of the Main and Branch family is you…"
Neji refuses to acknowledge anything other people say and rushes at the laid down Hinata.
"!!!" "Neji-kun! The match is over!"
Bang!
Crash!
No one even saw it coming, they only reacted when Neji was sent flying. They saw Naruto in a kicking position. And Neji who crashed on the side of the wall.
Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai, and Hayate who reacted let out a dry laugh 'looks like we didn't have to worry about Hinata, we'd have to be more worried about Neji.'
.
.
.
(A/N: Leave a power stone if you like the story. Thanks!)