"Huh? Neji, why is your face so red?"
"You're not… blushing, are you?"
Noticing the rosy color on the boy in his arms, Jin raised an eyebrow in surprise.
In the original story, early Neji was a cold, aloof, and prideful young Man.
Even if he was sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, he shouldn't be this easily flustered.
The next second, Jin understood.
This wasn't shyness—
it was pure rage.
"Shut. Your. Mouth!"
Neji roared, his small face completely flushed crimson.
He didn't like Hinata.
And he definitely didn't like men who got handsy!
The words fell—his palm followed!
Gentle Fist!
Smack!
A single strike landed, and Neji immediately withdrew.
"Oh? So it's embarrassment turning into anger."
Jin brushed off his clothes casually, not the least bit concerned.
That Gentle Fist strike hadn't even broken his defense.
"N-n-nothing happened?!"
Seeing Jin completely unaffected, Neji froze.
That palm strike had been aimed precisely at a joint along the chakra pathway!
Even an adult would feel uncomfortable after taking that hit, let alone a child.
His expression shifted instantly.
Veins bulged at the corners of his eyes, spreading like a web across his temples.
Byakugan!
In the next moment, two beams of piercing vision locked onto Jin like flames.
And then—Neji's raised hand stopped midair.
"H-h-h-how is this possible?!"
In his vision, Jin—five meters away—was enveloped in perfectly harmonized chakra, smooth and complete, circulating as one.
This was a state only seasoned jōnin could possibly achieve!
"No… did I see it wrong?"
Confused, Neji subconsciously turned his head to glance at the clan head.
"No, that's not it—the clan head's chakra looks exactly the same…"
"How could Uchiha Arata possibly have cultivated himself to the same level as the clan head?!"
He was stunned.
Both hands hovered in midair, still in a Gentle Fist stance, yet he no longer knew how to attack.
Perfectly unified chakra—
his current Gentle Fist simply couldn't penetrate it.
Let alone disrupt its flow.
So… was there only that technique left?
After hesitating for a moment, Hyūga Neji closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The small bundles tying his brown hair on either side of his head swayed gently.
Between his palms, chakra began to surge more and more intensely.
"This is…"
"It looks like Gentle Fist Art—Eight Trigrams Palm…"
Not far away, Hyūga Hiashi and the clan elder both widened their eyes at the iconic starting stance.
They exchanged a glance, utterly astonished.
This was a technique only the main family was supposed to possess—
since when could a branch family member use it?
"No one taught him… could it be that this child comprehended it on his own?"
Hiashi's eyes flickered.
There was no anger over a branch family member learning a main family technique.
Only surprise—and joy.
He looked at the small Neji, whose brows and features faintly resembled Hizashi.
Then he glanced at his own timid, soft-spoken eldest daughter.
In that moment, Hiashi fell silent.
"Perhaps… Hinata truly isn't suited to inherit the main family after all?"
"If Hanabi takes over, then Hinata…"
Slowly, his gaze returned to Jin.
A sharp light shimmered in his eyes.
No one knew what he was thinking.
In the courtyard—
Neji's body gradually changed.
Chakra surged wildly from his palms!
His Byakugan fully activated, veins bulging thickly around his eyes!
His vision seemed to pierce straight through Jin's body, locking precisely onto all sixty-four of Jin's chakra points.
"Perfect or not, it doesn't matter. As long as I keep striking the same tenketsu, it'll work eventually!"
He muttered, then shouted lowly:
"Gentle Fist Art—Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
In the next instant, both palms turned into afterimages as they struck.
Smack! Smack!
Palm strikes fell like raindrops.
The first two strikes slammed into Jin's collarbones, aiming to cut off chakra flow to his arms!
Smack smack smack!
The next four strikes hammered into his chest!
With the lung meridians assaulted, ordinary people wouldn't even be able to breathe.
And that was only the beginning.
As Neji's spinning body accelerated, the speed of his strikes increased sharply!
Eight palms!
Sixteen palms!
Thirty-two palms!
Small palms poured down like a torrential storm, repeatedly striking the same spot on Jin's back!
If one strike wasn't enough, then two!
If two weren't enough, then four!
He believed that under continuous, high-frequency attacks, even an adult ninja wouldn't be able to withstand it!
Finally—
the sixty-fourth palm landed.
The chakra concentrated at his fingertips exploded outward as a shockwave!
Boom!
The courtyard ground cracked like a spiderweb under the palm force.
Dust and debris were blasted into the air, completely obscuring everyone's view.
"D-d-did it… work?"
Neji panted lightly, eyes locked on the swirling dust at the center.
Unlike his seriousness, the other fallen youths were brimming with excitement.
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms! Neji secretly mastered it!"
"Great! Every strike hit!"
"Hmph! I've been sick of this Uchiha for a while now!"
"Jin…" Only Hinata looked worried, staring into the dust.
She wanted to step forward, but didn't know what to say…
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
After several seconds, the dust finally settled, revealing a handsome, youthful face.
"Hiss—Neji, it's really a shame you didn't become a massage therapist."
Jin rolled his neck and shoulders, his whole body crackling with pop pop sounds.
So comfortable!
After that full set, not to mention stiff joints—even chronic shoulder pain from sleeping on one side would've been cured!
Comfortable. Way too comfortable.
Jin stretched lazily.
Seeing the notification that the conversation attempt had failed, he didn't waste any more time.
He raised a palm toward Neji and smiled faintly.
"Eight Trigrams—Air Palm."
Boom!
A compressed blast of air shot out like a cannonball.
With his Byakugan active, Neji saw the air projectile clearly.
He even tried to dodge.
But the moment he moved, a massive force slammed into his abdomen.
The next instant, his body was sent flying.
High into the air.
Then smashed down hard.
Boom!
Dust rose again in the courtyard.
But this time, all the Hyūga youths fell silent.
Completely silent.
Even the dullest among them could understand what had just happened.
Gulp.
Gulp.
The only sounds left were the youths swallowing nervously.
"Hm? You guys… want to try again?"
Jin smiled, turning to sweep his gaze across the courtyard.
He wasn't tall, and his voice wasn't loud—
yet after those words, not a single youth dared to meet his eyes.
They all lowered their heads.
Their faces flushed slightly.
This time, it wasn't rage—
but humiliation.
Seeing this, Jin nodded, then waved at Hinata.
"Come here."
"Ah…"
Still lost in her daze, Hinata startled.
Before the joy on her face could fade, Jin grabbed her and pulled her over.
Tap tap tap.
He led her to Neji's side, bent down slightly, and met his gaze.
In his eyes, the three tomoe spun, radiating an eerie red glow.
"Neji—she is your little sister."
With that, he patted Hinata's small hand and turned to leave.
His steps were calm and carefree.
He didn't spare a second glance at the courtyard full of defeated Hyūga youths behind him.
Only when he reached the gate, and saw the final notification—
could he no longer hold back.
He ran his right hand through his hair, bent forward, and burst into wild laughter!
"Hahahahaha!"
Amid the laughter, he looked back at the red-faced Hyūga youths and murmured,
"Next week—
I'll be back."
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