Bang! Bang! Bang!
Hinata Hyuga closed the gap between herself and Neji Hyuga, and in an instant, the two had exchanged several blows.
After undergoing special training with Shinho Aburame and gaining strength from the White Boar Gu, she was able to hold her own against Neji, at least for the time being, appearing evenly matched to the spectators.
The surrounding students watching the fight were all in disbelief.
Neji Hyuga was widely regarded as the genius of the Hyuga clan and the top student at the Ninja Academy. But Hinata? She was practically unknown. If not for her Byakugan, most wouldn't have even known she belonged to the Hyuga clan.
"This can't be possible," Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno exchanged glances, equally shocked.
They never would have expected the usually soft-spoken and gentle Hinata to suddenly display such overwhelming strength. Ino, especially, felt a deep sense of crisis.
If things keep progressing like this, I fear that Shinho would slip out of my reach and end up with Hinata instead.
How could she possibly compete with Hinata now?
Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha subconsciously clenched his fists, his eyes burning with a torrent of emotions.
He couldn't defeat Shinho, nor could he defeat Naruto. Now, there were two more rivals—Neji and Hinata.
"Shinho, Shikamaru," Kiba Inuzuka called out as he watched the battle unfold, "who do you think is going to win?"
"Neji Hyuga," Shinho answered honestly.
"But how?" Kiba asked, confused. "Neji's clearly being pushed back."
With her superior strength, Hinata forced Neji back two steps each time they clashed palms.
"Neji has already adapted to Hinata's strength," Shikamaru Nara interjected, observing the fight with a sharp gaze, unlike his usual self.
Neji's battle instincts and ability to adjust mid-fight were exceptional, far surpassing Hinata's more straightforward approach.
"So, what now?" Ino couldn't help but ask, worried for Hinata.
"There's nothing to be done," Shinho replied calmly, having predicted the outcome long ago.
In the early stages, Neji was truly worthy of his title as a genius, with an overwhelming aura of dominance. Among the twelve ninja graduates of Konoha, he was undoubtedly the strongest.
If Naruto hadn't resorted to using his special powers, he wouldn't have stood a chance. As for Hinata, the White Boar Gu was only a minor boost—it wasn't enough to close the gap.
[Achievement unlocked: Hinata Hyuga's "If you were a radish, that'd be okay." You've earned the reward: Water Arrow Gu.]
[Water Arrow Gu: A Rank-1 Gu insect that condenses water into arrows for attacking.]
Shinho raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected an achievement from that. He had only mentioned the "radish" comment to ease Hinata's nerves.
Still, a reward was a reward. The Water Arrow Gu could effectively serve as a Water Release jutsu.
Suddenly, Shinho's attention returned to the fight as it shifted dramatically.
"This is the end, Lady Hinata," Neji said, pulling back and creating some distance. "No matter how strong you have become, you can't change the fact that you're a weakling."
He spread his hands, and in an instant, it seemed as though an Eight Trigrams diagram had formed around him.
"This... is this... the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms?" Hinata stood frozen in place.
The Gentle Fist technique, Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, was a secret Hyuga technique taught only to the main branch of the family. It could strike sixty-four of the body's chakra points, rendering an opponent helpless.
Hinata had yet to learn this technique herself.
How had Neji mastered it? Could he have learned it just by watching their father practice? What kind of genius was he?
With a cold, emotionless expression, Neji unleashed the technique. He hadn't mastered the full Sixty-Four Palms—he could only execute four—but that was more than enough.
The four strikes landed so quickly that the naked eye could barely follow. Hinata's shoulders and wrists went numb as her chakra flow stopped, and she collapsed backwards.
Before she could hit the ground though, a pair of hands caught her. It was Shinho Aburame.
"So powerful!" Iruka Umino arrived a moment too late, but it gave him a chance to observe more closely.
He doubted even he could block Neji's final four strikes.
No wonder the Gentle Fist technique of the Hyuga clan was considered the top taijutsu style.
"Is there anyone who can actually beat Neji?" Sakura asked nervously, swallowing hard.
Everyone fell silent—even Sasuke. He pictured himself in Hinata's place and realized that no matter what, he couldn't defeat Neji. Not unless he awakened his Sharingan.
Only Shino Aburame glanced at Shinho.
Now that Hinata had been struck down, his brother would definitely go all out. For some reason, he felt an unshakable confidence in Shinho, even though Neji appeared unbeatable.
Shinho gently placed his hand on Hinata's chest, and a soft green glow surrounded them. He quickly assessed her condition.
"Shinho... I..." Hinata stammered, her face filled with shame.
It wasn't that she was ashamed of losing to Neji. What bothered her most was that she felt she had let Shinho down.
"Don't talk," Shinho said gently, shaking his head.
Hinata obediently nodded, feeling the warmth of his chakra flowing through her. To her surprise, she quickly realized that her shoulders and wrists had already recovered.
"People's destinies are determined from birth," Neji said as he stepped forward. "It was always inevitable that I would defeat you."
Before Hinata could respond, he turned his back to her, preparing to leave.
"Only the weak blame destiny for their shortcomings," Shinho said calmly, shaking his head. "The strong don't need excuses."
"What did you say?" Neji stopped in his tracks, turning to glare at Shinho with his Byakugan activated. "Are you calling me weak?"
"That's right," Shinho nodded without hesitation.
Hinata looked at Shinho's determined face, instinctively clutching his shirt.
"Damn it," Neji sneered and instantly launched into his attack, his palms moving so fast that they sliced through the air with a loud crack.
Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!
Shinho's response was simple: a single punch.
The moment his fist connected with Neji's palm, there was a sharp crack—the sound of bone breaking.
Neji's face instantly turned pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead. In the next second, an overwhelming force sent him flying through the air.
Iruka stared in shock for a moment before quickly moving, using the Body Flicker Technique to catch Neji.
After all, he was their teacher.
But the moment he caught Neji, a burning pain shot through Iruka's arms. What the hell? he thought, quickly channelling chakra through his body to protect himself.
Even with that, the force still knocked Iruka onto the ground, his eyes momentarily dazed from the impact.
"..." Hinata stared in a daze, her heart pounding as if it had stopped.
Now she realized: when Shinho had sparred with her before, he hadn't just held back a little—he had held back a lot.
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