Chapter 18: Hyuga Fuji VS Uchiha Yakumaru (Part 1)
"I understand, Hokage-sama," Hyuga Fuji replied with a nod.
Judging by their familiar interaction, was Yakumaru the Uchiha clan's gesture of support for Namikaze Minato?
Shisui was still young, his talents not yet revealed, and Itachi was even further off. This Uchiha Tokubetsu Jōnin, who was about Fuji's age, seemed to be the most capable of the Uchiha left in Konoha.
Aside from his rather inauspicious name.
The other shinobi in the area had also noticed Namikaze Minato's presence, some looking excited, others tense.
Seeing this, Minato refrained from further idle talk with the two and instead smiled as he announced the rules.
As Yakumaru had said, this exam was a practical test. Through a series of random draws, each participant would face three different opponents to showcase their strengths and abilities.
After Minato briefly explained the rules, a jōnin proctor appeared on the field.
"The first match begins now: Nakayama Ryohisa vs. Shiranui Genma."
As the announcement fell, two figures stayed on the field while the others quickly withdrew to the edges to observe.
Uchiha Yakumaru watched the uneventful match for a while, his face cold as he approached Hyuga Fuji. "Let's suggest to Hokage-sama that the two of us fight directly."
Hyuga Fuji looked at Yakumaru, whose eyes gleamed with battle intent.
"There are only four Tokubetsu Jōnin in this exam. Compared to the other two, you're more worth fighting."
And it'd let me vent some frustration!
Fuji raised an eyebrow and glanced toward the Fourth Hokage, who was also smiling as he looked at them. A realization dawned in Fuji's mind.
"No need. We'll face each other eventually."
With that, Fuji turned away, perfectly embodying the reserved demeanor typical of the Hyuga Branch Family.
Yakumaru followed his gaze and spotted the Fourth Hokage. His expression instantly turned serious as he composed himself.
After all, his goal today wasn't just to pass the jōnin exam—it was to catch the Fourth Hokage's attention and secure a place in his Shadow Guard.
A Hokage who was close to the Uchiha was a rare opportunity, and they had to seize it at all costs!
Soon, both of them were called up for their respective matches.
Against chūnin opponents, neither faced much threat and won easily.
Then, as the names of the other two Tokubetsu Jōnin were called for their match, Yakumaru immediately understood what Fuji had meant earlier:
Sure enough, after that match concluded, the proctor announced:
"The next match—Uchiha Yakumaru versus Hyuga Fuji."
Yakumaru and Fuji simultaneously used the Body Flicker Technique to appear on the field.
Whether they were participants who had performed poorly or those confident in their success, all the gathered shinobi were now intrigued.
Hyuga versus Uchiha.
Two of Konoha's famed dojutsu clans facing off. Even among comrades in the same village, curiosity about the outcome was inevitable.
According to protocol, Fuji and Yakumaru formed the Seal of Confrontation toward each other.
The proctor confirmed this, then shouted, "Begin!" before vanishing from the field.
Three tomoe spun in Yakumaru's Sharingan as he stared at Fuji, feeling the power of his Uchiha bloodline.
"You've seen the power of the Uchiha on the Mist battlefield, haven't you? Now, experience it firsthand—"
Before he could finish, he stopped.
Opposite him, Hyuga Fuji had already closed his eyes. The bulging veins around them were the only sign that his Byakugan was active.
Yakumaru froze, and so did the surrounding Konoha shinobi.
Even Minato couldn't help but show a helpless smile.
He hadn't expected this tactic.
While his opponent stood stunned, Hyuga Fuji wasted no time. In a flash, he closed the distance between them, his swift and precise Gentle Fist landing a strike squarely on Yakumaru's chest.
With a puff of smoke, Yakumaru vanished—it was a shadow clone!
Clang, clang, clang…
Several shuriken collided mid-air, changing their trajectories to form a net that closed in on Fuji from all directions.
Behind the shuriken, a massive fireball roared toward him.
Prepared, Fuji spun and released an Air Palm in one direction, destroying the shuriken net and evading both the projectiles and the Great Fireball.
In an instant, he was once again charging toward Yakumaru's real body.
Seeing his shuriken tactics fail to create distance, Yakumaru clicked his tongue in annoyance, forced to engage Fuji in close combat.
While Yakumaru had been momentarily thrown off by Fuji's tactics, his instincts and physical abilities were more than enough to keep him from freezing entirely in battle.
However, his initial hesitation had prevented him from pulling away in time.
Now, he had to stay vigilant.
Glancing at the steel wire between his fingers, Yakumaru focused intently on avoiding Fuji's Gentle Fist strikes.
"So, the Byakugan can be used like this… I've never seen it before," Shiranui Genma remarked from the edge of the training field.
"Isn't it obvious?" replied his teammate, Ibiki Raido, leaning against a wall with a sigh.
"The Hyuga clan has always been reserved. They neither compete nor seek conflict. Although they, along with the Uchiha, are considered Konoha's two great noble clans, the two have had little direct conflict.
Without a situation requiring it, there's been no need for a Hyuga to fight entirely with their eyes closed."
"And we should worry about whether we'll pass the jōnin exam," Raido added with a grimace. "With reaction speeds like theirs, if we were up there, we'd lose in no time."
"What's there to worry about? Becoming a Tokubetsu Jōnin and improving gradually is perfectly fine," Genma replied lazily. "But based on what we're seeing, Sharingan versus Byakugan doesn't seem to give the Uchiha much of an edge."
The Byakugan's primary strength lay in reconnaissance. Its ability to observe chakra flows was more of a supplementary tool for the Gentle Fist.
Its direct combat applications weren't as prominent, but now it seemed to be a natural counter to the Uchiha.
The Sharingan's greatest strength was its genjutsu. If an enemy locked eyes with it, they would fall into powerful illusions.
But with Fuji keeping his eyes closed and relying on the Byakugan's vision, that advantage was nullified.
As for the Sharingan's ability to copy ninjutsu and taijutsu…
Do the Hyuga even use ninjutsu?
Genma couldn't recall seeing much beyond their Gentle Fist style.
And copying Gentle Fist? Impossible.
For Yakumaru, the Sharingan's taijutsu benefits were limited to heightened reflexes and enhanced perception.
"There's still one advantage left… intel," their third teammate, Yamashiro Aoba, interjected, adjusting his glasses under their curious stares.
"Intel?"
---
"Don't underestimate me! So what if the Sharingan's useless?"
Yakumaru narrowly avoided a Gentle Fist strike, his body tilting as he dodged. A smirk crept onto his lips.
With a subtle flick of his fingers, several shuriken that had unknowingly entered Fuji's blind spot were pulled by the steel wires in Yakumaru's hand, aiming for Fuji's head.
The Branch Family's Byakugan had a blind spot.
Yakumaru might be prideful, but he wouldn't ignore his enemy's weaknesses during a fight.
Just as Fuji had used an unexpected tactic to counter the Sharingan's genjutsu, Yakumaru was exploiting his knowledge of the Byakugan's flaw.
A shinobi must use all available intel to secure victory.
At this range, there was no way Fuji could dodge!
(End of Chapter)
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