Chapter 14: What Kind of Technique Is This!? Neji Gets Completely Dominated!
The match between Hyūga Neji and Hyūga Hinata began in earnest.
But after only one single exchange, Neji already sensed something was terribly wrong.
"No…!
Why is my body feeling numb…?"
Neji hurriedly leaped back, putting distance between them.
Meanwhile, Hinata just stood there blankly, not following up with a pursuit at all.
"There's lightning-natured chakra mixed into her chakra…
This numb sensation must be from the lightning attribute.
Every time her chakra strikes me, it paralyzes me a little.
If I get hit too many times…
my reaction speed will drop sharply.
So I absolutely cannot let her land another hit!"
As expected of one of the "Konoha 12 Rookies' strongest," Neji quickly arrived at the correct conclusion.
"But what kind of technique is this!?
The Hyūga clan has never had anything like this!
Did she create it herself?
No way!
There's no chance she could have developed such a refined lightning-style taijutsu on her own.
Someone must have taught her…
But who…?
Byakuya!?"
That name suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Byakuya was the elite of the new generation, and the one who had the most contact with Hinata.
The Hyūga clan had once investigated Byakuya, and Neji had personally read the report.
"It can only be him!
I heard he already gave up being a shinobi…
I never imagined he'd be this strong!
Truly worthy of being an elite among elites!"
Having reached that conclusion, Neji couldn't help but voice the question.
"That lightning-style taijutsu of yours…
You learned it from Byakuya, didn't you?"
"Eh?"
Hinata's face instantly turned bright red. She froze for a second before hurriedly shaking her head.
"N-no! It's not! Absolutely not!"
"So it really is like that."
Neji gave a small, knowing smile and shook his head.
"You're terrible at lying, Hinata-sama.
I never would have guessed he had such talent.
What a shame he stopped being a shinobi.
Since I know about your trump card now…
Hinata-sama, I won't hold back anymore!
Even if a failure learns a move or two from an elite, a failure will always remain a failure.
Fate cannot be changed.
Please be careful, Hinata-sama!"
With those words, Neji's gaze turned deadly serious.
At the same time, his speed increased dramatically compared to before!
...
"Oh…?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke, watching the match with slightly admiring eyes.
"Infusing lightning-natured chakra into the opponent's body during taijutsu to cause paralysis…
Byakuya really is a genius, huh~
What a pity…
that he decided he doesn't want to continue as a shinobi…"
...
"Byakuya?"
Up in the stands, Lee turned to Sakura with a puzzled look.
"Is that the person you were talking about earlier? The one who taught Hinata that technique?"
"Mm!"
Sakura nodded vigorously.
"Byakuya-kun is still as amazing as ever!
Even though he stopped being a shinobi, his legends are everywhere!"
"Oooh!"
Flames suddenly ignited in Lee's eyes.
"So that's how it is! You like him!
If I ever get the chance, I absolutely have to have a proper match with him!
Right?!"
"Neji's getting serious now…"
Lee watched as Neji's speed suddenly exploded in the distance and couldn't help starting his live commentary again.
But he hadn't forgotten the Byakuya topic either.
"This is it—Hinata's done for.
When Neji gets serious, no one can beat him!
No matter how strong Byakuya is,
he can't possibly be a match for Neji."
But the moment Lee finished speaking—
Neji was suddenly sent flying backward!
"Wha—!?"
Lee froze in shock.
"This is impossible!?"
Not just Lee—
almost everyone watching from Konoha was stunned.
This time, it wasn't some "little trick" using lightning chakra to create temporary paralysis.
This was pure, overwhelming dominance in both speed and ocular power!
Just now, when Neji attacked Hinata,
she struck his opening with even greater speed,
used her Byakugan to precisely target his tenketsu, disrupted his chakra flow,
and then sent him flying with raw force.
That meant Hinata's speed and Byakugan were clearly superior to Neji's!
If she hadn't held back at all…
Neji probably wouldn't have lasted even one exchange against her!
"So strong…!"
Neji felt his entire worldview crumbling.
How could a failure suddenly become an elite stronger than him in just a few days!?
"No… impossible!"
Gritting his teeth, Neji charged forward again.
But the result was the same.
He couldn't even last ten moves against Hinata!
No matter how he tried to use Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms,
he couldn't touch her at all.
Her speed and vision were simply too overwhelming!
It even made Neji feel that her strength had surpassed Gai-sensei's!
"How is this happening!?
How is this possible!?"
The more he fought, the more panicked Neji became.
In the end, he was once again sent flying by a single palm strike.
"Neji-niisan… you're not my opponent."
Hinata exhaled deeply and lowered her fists.
At this moment, she felt an overwhelming surge of confidence.
She had done it!
I… I finally managed to change myself…
Thank you, Byakuya-kun…
Silently giving thanks in her heart, she then spoke aloud to Neji.
"Please forfeit."
Looking at Hinata, Neji felt deeply stifled.
To be utterly dominated by someone he had always seen as a failure…
It was an unbearable feeling for an elite like him.
But no matter how unbearable,
it was the truth.
He couldn't change it.
"Hinata-sama…
Why did your speed and ocular power improve so much?"
Neji finally asked the question that burned most in his mind.
"Was it… all because of the special training Byakuya gave you?"
"Eh?"
Hinata's face flushed scarlet again.
She shook her head furiously.
Even though she wasn't sure whether she should hide it or not—
Byakuya hadn't told her to keep it secret—
she still felt that since he had chosen to stop being a shinobi,
she couldn't let him be bothered because of her.
So she decisively lied again.
"N-no! It's not!
You're imagining things!
I got stronger by training myself!"
Everyone: "..."
The way she said it…
If they didn't have eyes, they might have actually believed her.
"Is that so?"
Neji gave a bitter laugh.
"So having a good teacher really can change fate, huh~
…I forfeit!"
With Neji's surrender,
the arena fell quiet for a brief moment.
Everyone was pondering Hinata's sudden growth…
and the true extent of Byakuya's strength.
Everyone except one person, that is…
"Yay! Yayyy!"
Naruto grinned like an idiot and laughed loudly.
"I knew it! As long as you work hard, you can get stronger!
One day, I'll defeat Byakuya first!
Then I'll defeat Sasuke!
And finally become Hokage!
Hahahahaha!"
Beside him, Kakashi's eye twitched.
He silently let out a long sigh.