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"Don't want to say? It doesn't matter. Either way, the one who's going to win is me!"
Seeing the other party remain silent, Hyuga Neji formed a hand seal, focusing his chakra into his eyes. He shouted coldly, "Byakugan!"
Suddenly, his pale, pupil-less eyes became more defined, the veins around his temples bulging in a distinctive, almost menacing pattern.
"I know you're quite familiar with that disgrace, Hyuga Huahuo. These eyes—you should know them well."
"Don't give up too early. Otherwise, this match would be meaningless."
Neji released the seal and dropped his hands, his expression cold and distant.
He held deep resentment toward the Hyuga clan—especially toward the main family and its heirs. His disdain extended even to Huahuo, with whom he had sparred numerous times.
Ye Dou, however, remained silent. His expression didn't change. Calmly and decisively, he raised his fist—and launched another punch forward.
Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
"So strong… Is he really still an academy student?"
In the depths of the forest, the figures of Ye Dou and Hyuga Neji clashed relentlessly, chakra-infused strikes and counters flashing between them in rapid succession. For a moment, it seemed impossible to determine the victor.
It was astonishing.
Who was Neji Hyuga?
It wasn't an exaggeration to call him the most gifted genius of the Hyuga clan's current generation.
As is well known, the Hyuga clan enforces strict rules: those outside the main family are typically not permitted to learn the clan's secret techniques—the Gentle Fist (Jūken) and Eight Trigrams style (Hakke)—which synergize with the Byakugan.
And yet—
Through mere observation, Ye Dou had seemingly replicated aspects of the Gentle Fist and Eight Trigrams Palm techniques, just by watching Hyuga Hiashi and his daughters. His talent was unbelievable. Among their peers, he was regarded as a terrifying prodigy.
Even Neji, who had activated his Byakugan and was fighting in earnest, couldn't decisively overwhelm this younger boy—who wasn't even a genin.
It defied reason.
"I told you," said Might Guy, watching from a nearby tree branch with a smile. "There are many kinds of geniuses."
"Neji is a prodigy. He understands most jutsu just by seeing them once—his comprehension is incredible."
"Lee, on the other hand, isn't gifted in ninjutsu or genjutsu, but his perseverance makes him a genius of hard work."
"And what about Ye Dou?" asked Tenten, her eyes fixed on the fight.
"Ye Dou... he might be both," Guy said seriously. "In terms of taijutsu, even I feel humbled as his teacher."
At that moment, there was a sudden shift in the fight.
Whoosh.
Ye Dou used a burst of speed to flank Neji, attempting to sweep his legs out from the side.
But Neji didn't even glance back—he struck out precisely, hitting a tenketsu on Ye Dou's thigh, halting his movement mid-attack.
It was as if Neji had eyes in the back of his head.
In truth, he practically did.
The Byakugan—one of the Three Great Dōjutsu alongside the Sharingan and Rinnegan—originated from the Otsutsuki clan. Its power was renowned throughout the shinobi world for its unparalleled insight.
Once activated, the Byakugan grants nearly 360-degree vision (with a blind spot at the upper thoracic vertebrae), as well as the ability to see chakra pathways, tenketsu points, and even chakra itself flowing through the body.
With chakra amplification, its range could extend up to a kilometer, making it ideal for reconnaissance, detection, and battlefield dominance.
Because of its overwhelming value, the Hyuga clan developed the Caged Bird Seal—a curse mark placed on branch family members to protect the Byakugan from falling into enemy hands. At any time, the main family could activate the seal to destroy the Byakugan if a branch member were captured or killed.
"Since I first awakened the Byakugan," Neji said coldly, "I've never lost a close-combat match. You'll be no different."
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
With a shout, Neji unleashed a blinding series of strikes, each palm hitting a tenketsu in Ye Dou's body with pinpoint precision.
One strike!
Two strikes!
Four!
Eight!
Sixteen!
Thirty-two!
Sixty-four!
The final palm sent Ye Dou flying through the air—he crashed hard into a nearby tree trunk.
"I won!" Tenten shouted, leaping up with joy. She waved her arms excitedly.
"As expected of Neji—he really is my eternal rival!" Rock Lee cheered proudly.
It would've been embarrassing for Lee if this younger boy, who technically should still call him "senpai," managed to beat Neji—the one opponent Lee had never managed to defeat.
But then—
"No… it's not over yet," said Guy with a serious tone.
"H-how can that be?!" Tenten said, shocked. "After getting hit by the Sixty-Four Palms, all his chakra points should be sealed. How can he still fight Neji?!"
She couldn't believe it. As teammates under Might Guy, they were well aware of the devastating effect of the Gentle Fist. A clean hit from the Sixty-Four Palms should have completely shut down Ye Dou's chakra network.
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