"It's useless." As the windmill shuriken flew towards him, Neji simply shook his head, showing no intention of dodging. He stood ready, facing the direction of the incoming shuriken. "It looks intimidating, but to the Byakugan, the chakra used for the transformation is too obvious. All this fanfare is just a visual effect created by your chakra."
Naruto's face looked even worse from a distance.
At the moment the windmill shuriken reached Neji, he spread his hands, his right palm charged with powerful chakra, meeting the shuriken: "Anything created by a shadow clone will vanish upon being hit. No matter how strong your shuriken is, once it's attacked, it will... What!"
Neji's words were filled with disbelief.
As the windmill shuriken collided with his palm, a puff of smoke suddenly rose. According to Neji's understanding, this should have been the smoke produced by the dispersal of a shadow clone, but that wasn't the case.
In the moment he let his guard down, a pair of hands emerged from the smoke, grabbing his hands entirely, accompanied by Naruto's smug face and the crimson blood at the corner of his mouth.
Staring at Naruto, who was holding his hands, Neji's eyes widened in shock. But before he could counterattack, he heard the sound of three shurikens whizzing through the air, already in front of him.
Shurikens! When?
Neji looked incredulously at the distant Naruto. At that moment, Naruto showed a hint of exhaustion, but within that weariness was an unexpected smile. The next second, that Naruto turned into smoke and disappeared.
"I see!" Hanabi exclaimed with surprise from the stands. "He used the shadow clone and transformation jutsu at the moment he was hit, making Neji think all the clones were dispersed and that the real body was thrown out. But actually, the real body had turned into the windmill shuriken, hiding behind the clone, just so it could be thrown out to control Neji."
That's impressive; no one would have thought he'd control Neji in such a way.
At this, Hanabi frowned again: "But how could he be sure Neji wouldn't use Rotation to defend? And how did he manage to use the shadow clone without being spotted by Neji's Byakugan?"
Hiashi explained with a hint of admiration: "Rotation is different from the other ninjutsu of the Hyuga clan...
Rotation is one of the few taijutsu that requires a significant amount of chakra to activate. Naruto gambled that Neji wouldn't waste a large amount of chakra to defend against a transformation jutsu that could be seen through at a glance."
"As for Neji not seeing the shadow clone..." Hiashi paused, then said with some emotion, "The smoke produced by the dispersal of a shadow clone is itself the dispersal of the clone's chakra. So that smoke will be mixed with a large amount of chakra. Even if it's just for a moment, as long as you seize the opportunity, you can exploit the visual blind spot created by the Byakugan being overwhelmed with chakra, even if only momentarily."
Hanabi covered her mouth in astonishment: "He thought of all that?"
"It's not as simple as just thinking of it," Hiashi said, looking down at the two fighters. "To catch that momentary blind spot, you need a thorough understanding of your own ninjutsu, and your reaction speed must be faster than average. It can't be too fast or too slow. If there's a problem at any stage, the whole tactic falls apart."
"And most importantly, the real body must withstand a hit from the opponent." Bold, yet meticulous, Hiashi couldn't help but make such an assessment.
"Unpredictability No.1, you truly live up to Kakashi's assessment," Sarutobi Hiruzen mused from above, puffing on his pipe, his eyes filled with satisfaction and relief. Naruto had grown so much. "Jiraiya, your teachings weren't in vain."
"Using shadow clones to create blind spots, then disguising the real body as a shuriken for deception. The goal was to control the Hyuga kid's hands, forcing him to be unable to use his powerful taijutsu. And hidden in the shadow of the windmill shuriken, the real body used a shuriken for a decisive strike." The Kazekage chuckled beside Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Third Hokage-sama, this kid's tactical talent is not weak."
Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed along but remained silent.
Below, Neji's eyes widened in shock as the shuriken neared.
He wasn't a fool. The moment he saw Naruto grab his hand and the shuriken flying from behind, he understood everything.
What could he do at such a time?
As one of Konohagakure's strongest of the new generation, Neji had his exceptional qualities.
The instant he spotted the shuriken, Neji reflexively grabbed Naruto and almost instinctively used Heavenly Spin.
The powerful force spun them both, a massive chakra barrier excluding the shuriken, but... not all of them.
Heavenly Spin stopped... Neji's left hand was in front, with two shuriken embedded in it, blood slowly trickling down their grooves. He lifted his head, a bloodstain appearing on his forehead. As the forehead protector clinked to the ground, the 'caged bird' seal, hidden beneath, emerged sinisterly, like a demon's mark etched on Neji's forehead.
Neji's expression cooled, but within the coldness, there was a hint of an inexplicable smile. He looked at Naruto, who was close at hand, gripping his own: "Tactics are also a part of a ninja's strength. Just a brief exchange, and you've pinpointed the Byakugan's weakness, and... my weakness."
Naruto, dizzy from the spin, regained his senses, blood still flowing from his mouth: "I don't know the Byakugan's weakness, nor do I know yours, but my tactics have even earned Kakashi-sensei's praise."
"Everything relies on instinct and awareness, not calculated attacks. To execute this strategy, I have to give it my all. Failure, uselessness, they're not in my consideration. I will win, so this strategy will definitely not fail."
"This is my ninja way, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Indeed impressive," Neji nodded in agreement, his coldness fading into a full smile. "Naruto, I take back what I said."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked in surprise.
"That 'weakest' comment," Neji said with unprecedented seriousness. "Indeed, your strength is weak, probably the weakest among this year's Genin. But your awareness, your tactics, and your earnestness, all of it has made you who you are now."
"Everyone thought you'd lose, yet you defeated Inuzuka Kiba. Everyone believed you couldn't stand against me, yet you turned the tables with your own tactics." Neji took a deep breath. "And now, when no one thinks you can beat me, you've managed to restrain me from counterattacking."
"You're not the weakest." Neji concluded, looking at the astonishment on Naruto's face.
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