The highest value of Naruto's Talk No Jutsu was on Gaara, followed by Sasuke and Nagato.
The least effective targets were Obito and Neji.
For the last two, it wasn't so much that Naruto convinced them with logic, but rather that they convinced themselves because they wanted to be wrong.
Just like now.
When Hanabi shouted Makoto's words—exposing Neji's hypocrisy—Neji became flustered.
How could he refute this? It was a logical double bind!
If he truly wanted to prove that fate was predetermined, he shouldn't be resisting the Main House.
He should just accept his role as a slave!
But if he refuted her, that would mean he believed fate could be changed.
"What should we do now?"
Hanabi watched Hinata and Neji standing motionless below like two scarecrows in a staring contest.
She turned to Makoto for help.
"Tell him the truth," Makoto whispered. "Tell him you're now feeling the same way as his father did. Tell him it's not the Branch House sacrificing for the Main House... but a sibling sacrificing for a sibling. And it's your own willing choice."
"Oh!"
With this guidance, Hanabi ran back to the railing, ready to shout again.
"Wai... wait!"
Hiashi Hyuga lunged forward, grabbing her shoulder. He looked at Makoto in astonishment.
How did he know the contents of Hizashi's suicide note?!
Could there be a spy in the Hyuga clan?
But that didn't make sense either. The suicide note had always been in his possession, and only he had read it.
He couldn't be the spy himself, could he?
"Father," Hanabi looked up at him with teary eyes. "Nee-san has already done her part. You're not going back on your word, are you?"
By announcing this in such a public setting, Hanabi understood the consequences. There would be no turning back.
If Hiashi stopped her now, he would be a liar and a coward.
"I..." Hiashi hesitated.
"Hiashi," an elderly voice rasped from the shadows of the VIP box. "Let Hanabi speak."
"Elder?"
Hiashi turned around, surprised.
The Great Elder, who usually rotted in the clan compound, had actually come to the arena.
"Hehe, thank you, Elder Grandpa!"
With this permission, Hanabi broke free and ran back to the edge.
"Neji-nii!" she screamed. "Soon I'll be like Uncle Hizashi! I'm leaving the village, and I'll be branded a Caged Bird shield!"
"But I don't regret it at all! This is my own choice!"
"I'm not doing this for the Main House or the Branch House! I'm doing this for my beloved sister!"
"I believe Uncle Hizashi felt the same way back then! He didn't die for the clan! He died for his brother!"
"What?!" Neji snapped back to reality.
He looked up at the balcony with shock written all over his face.
Hiashi remained silent and he met Neji's gaze and nodded solemnly.
"Hanabi, you..." Neji's psychological defenses finally crumbled. The hatred that had sustained him for years evaporated.
"Hanabi..." Hinata clenched her fists tightly, tears streaming down her face.
"Hah," Neji exhaled a long breath. He looked at his cousin.
"Come then, Lady Hinata. Let's have an honorable battle. Give it your all."
Neji took a deep breath and assumed his fighting stance once more.
But this time, there was no trace of resentment or anger in his Byakugan.
Just clarity.
"Yes!" Hinata wiped her tears and nodded firmly.
...
In the Hokage's Box.
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned deeply.
He had planned to delay this diplomatic disaster until after the exams. He never expected the Hyuga clan to air their dirty laundry in front of the entire world.
However, since the Hyuga had agreed to it... he couldn't interfere.
Fortunately, this situation was different from the Cloud Village incident. Amegakure wasn't demanding a corpse. They just wanted an exchange student and Hanabi could return in a few years.
...
"Elder," Hiashi whispered, keeping his voice low as the match began below. "Do you truly wish for Hanabi to go? She is a prodigy."
"Why the change of heart?"
Back when Hiashi chose to abandon Hinata, the Elders had agreed.
They had witnessed Hanabi's efforts and excellence over the years. Why had they suddenly changed their minds now?
"How would you compare Hanabi's talent to Neji's?" The Elder asked quietly.
"Neji?" Hiashi blinked. "Well, no matter how talented he is, he's still just from the Branch House..."
As Hiashi was answering, Neji spin in the arena below.
"Kaiten!"
A sphere of chakra repelled Hinata's attack.
Then, Neji assumed a familiar stance and a green diagram appeared beneath his feet.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"
Neji moved and he struck Hinata's tenketsu points with terrifying precision.
He avoided lethal damage, but he completely dismantled her chakra network in seconds.
Now it was Hiashi's turn to be shocked.
"E-Elder," Hiashi stammered. "I didn't teach him that... That's a Main House secret!"
"I know," the Elder said calmly. "He comprehended it on his own. Just by watching."
"What?!"
"Then... then Neji is the true genius of the Hyuga clan," Hiashi realized, stunned. "Hanabi can't compare to him at all."
"Exactly," the Elder nodded. "Hinata lost, but she showed spirit. The gap between her and Hanabi isn't insurmountable."
"With Neji here to protect the clan, the heir's individual strength matters less. What matters is safety."
The Elder leaned closer, his milky eyes narrowing.
"Hiashi, think about it. Hinata is twelve. She is entering puberty. If she goes to Amegakure with that... man... for five years?"
"Would she be reduced to a breeding tool for the Byakugan?"
"The Caged Bird seal protects the eyes," the Elder rasped. "But it is not a chastity belt."
"In contrast, Hanabi is seven. In five years, she will be twelve and we can brand her with the seal before she leaves to protect the eyes."
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I-I understand!" Hiashi realized the horrifying logic.
They were swapping the girls not because of talent, but because Hanabi was less likely to get pregnant.
...
Neji won.
But he didn't hospitalize Hinata this time and he even helped her up.
"Neji-nii is amazing," Hanabi leaned against the railing, her eyes sparkling.
"Amazing?" Makoto curled his lip disdainfully. "What a waste of that Eight Trigrams diagram beneath his feet."
"Huh?" Hanabi looked at him, confused. "Wasn't that impressive?"
"Someone called 'Wudang King' once told me that Tai Chi isn't just about softness," Makoto lectured casually.
"The harmony of hard and soft, the convergence of Yin and Yang—that's true mastery. He's just spinning."
"Hard and soft together?" Hanabi tilted her head, thoughtful.
"Hanabi, stop!" Hiashi interrupted, horrified. "Don't listen to his nonsense! An outsider has no right to critique our Gentle Fist! No one in the Shinobi World has that right!"
"You'll understand whether I have the right or not after you've been beaten by the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack," Makoto muttered.
He patted Hanabi's head.
"Since we've announced it publicly today, Hanabi will belong to Amegakure for the next five years. Pack your bags, kid."
"As for after five years..." Makoto smiled. "If she wishes to return to Konoha, she may."
"Hmph."
Hiashi didn't refute this, but he found the notion laughable.
As if a Hyuga wouldn't want to return to Konoha? To a true civilization? She'll come running back the moment the five years are up.
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