"Second Star!"
As Genma Shiranui's arm dropped, Temari half-opened her three-star fan, channeling chakra into Wind Release, conjuring a small tornado that roared toward Hinata.
Unlike her playful bout with Tenten in the Central Tower, Temari, despite saying she hoped Hinata would entertain her, treated her as a true rival.
Unlike her brother Kankuro, Temari, as Roshi's eldest daughter and Suna's high princess, bore the honor of the Kazekage and her village, just like Hinata.
Losing to others was one thing.
But she couldn't lose to a woman from an allied nation—especially a clan heiress.
"Eight Trigrams Air Palm!"
Facing the roaring tornado, Hinata merely raised a hand, unleashing a shockwave rivaling Temari's Wind Release, colliding head-on.
The clash of tornado and shockwave kicked up a storm of dust.
Genma flickered back, distancing himself from Hinata and Temari, signaling that, as promised, he wouldn't intervene even if lives were at stake.
Whoosh—
The dust barely rose before Temari's fan swept it away.
She hadn't forgotten her opponent was the Byakugan princess, capable of seeing through and far.
But she was a fraction too slow.
As the dust cleared, Hinata surged forward, her slender, jade-like fingers—capable of splintering wooden dummies and causing internal bleeding—cloaked in blue chakra flames, striking at Temari.
One hit would lock Temari's body rigid, ending the fight if her resilience faltered.
But Hinata's eyes widened slightly.
As her fingers neared, Temari's lips curled, and her figure blurred, reappearing meters behind.
That movement…
"It's not just your teammate who can infuse nature transformation into Body Flicker," Temari said, as if reading Hinata's mind, her face smug. Fully opening her fan, she shouted, "When it comes to Wind Release, Suna reigns supreme! Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel Technique!"
Wooo—
Winds howled, twisting air into invisible blades, carving gashes in the ground as they surged toward Hinata.
The storm's reach was vast, its speed dizzying—too fast for Body Flicker.
"What incredible Wind Release transformation!"
Even Genma, already distanced, flickered farther back, marveling at the storm slicing the earth.
Seeing chakra ripple through the tempest like ocean waves, Hinata calmly assumed a Gentle Fist stance, declaring, "Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"
In that moment, her vast chakra reserves shone.
Immense chakra erupted from her tenketsu, guided by precise control. Spinning in place, she formed a massive, high-speed rotating dome.
The storm engulfed the dome, a cacophony of clangs ringing out.
Like countless blades striking spinning steel, they were flung back.
In the competitors' stands, Neji Hyuga gripped the railings, his eyes trembling.
Once again, defeat gnawed at him.
Though he could perform Revolving Heaven, his dome paled in size and strength compared to Hinata's.
"Is that the clan's secret Revolving Heaven? It's huge—Nee-san's amazing!" Hanabi gaped from the audience.
"Your Gentle Fist talent rivals Hinata's. With diligence, you'll achieve it too," Hiashi encouraged, his pride masking shock no less than Neji's.
He felt like he'd saved the world in a past life.
How did both daughters possess such immense chakra and Gentle Fist prowess?
Hinata's transformation began only years ago—she hadn't always been this exceptional.
Was love's power truly so great?
Or was the Hyuga's training flawed, and Izayoi's method correct?
Unbeknownst to him, Izayoi was a potent elixir, effective only for Hyuga.
Whoosh—
The spinning blue dome didn't last long.
As the storm faded, the dome dissolved into blue chakra flames.
Hinata, who'd spun countless times, showed no dizziness, vanishing in a blur to reappear before a stunned Temari, fingers striking again.
Temari hadn't expected her ultimate move to be countered so easily.
Facing Hinata again, she had no time to flicker away, raising her fan to block.
Hinata shifted from fingers to palm, striking the fan's open face.
Boom—
A terrifying shockwave pierced the fan, slamming into Temari.
Her feet left the ground, flung back by Hinata's palm strike.
The shock ravaged her insides, blood trickling from her mouth. Gritting through the pain, she prepared to use the blood for her strongest technique.
But she forgot—she was airborne.
"Thank you for the lesson."
As Temari looked up, Hinata was gone from her sight.
A gentle voice sounded behind her.
Roar…
Faintly, Temari heard the bellow of a king of beasts.
A palm struck her back, and her chakra vanished, as if every tenketsu were sealed by Gentle Fist. Her eyes glazed, and she sank to her knees, on the verge of collapse.
A kunai pressed to her neck, its cold edge jolting her chakra back to life, restoring some clarity.
"The match is over. The winner is Hinata Hyuga."
Hearing Genma's verdict, Temari felt a pang of frustration, then glanced at the kunai withdrawn from her neck, giving a wry smile. "I lost."
As Suna's princess, Temari was proud.
And she had the skill to back it up.
But pride made defeat—especially to a peer—sting deeply.
It could drive relentless training or break one's spirit.
For a proud princess, it was clearly the former.
Victorious, Hinata offered no comfort to a rival village's ninja. Storing her kunai in her wristband scroll, she headed for the competitors' tunnel.
Nearing the stands, cheers washed over her, and she glanced at Hiashi and Hanabi.
Seeing Hanabi waving wildly, unmindful of decorum, and Hiashi's stern face breaking into a rare smile, Hinata's lips curved, her heart swelling with pride.
Entering the dim tunnel, she quickened her pace, eager to share her joy with Izayoi.
But before reaching the stands, she heard the crowd's jeers, frowning in confusion.
What happened?
Moments ago, they'd cheered—why the curses now?
Was it her lack of a bow, or anger at Suna's kunoichi?
Reaching Izayoi's side, she understood.
Kankuro, Number 6, had forfeited.
Like Naruto, Shikamaru Nara advanced without fighting.
Unlike Naruto's automatic bye, the crowd didn't know this was the second round.
After a thrilling match, a forfeit was like savoring fine food only to bite into filth. Spectators, who'd traveled far and paid dearly, were livid.
But no matter their outrage, Kankuro, preserving his strength for a plan, remained unfazed, even smirking.
Genma ignored the crowd, announcing, "Competitor 6 forfeits. Number 5 advances. Numbers 7 and 8, enter the field now."
As he spoke, sand materialized to his left, coalescing into a figure.
The crowd, still jeering and missing Genma's call—unaware they'd see two fewer matches—fell silent, fixating on Gaara.
Such an entrance screamed power.
"When did he slip away?"
In the competitors' stands, Shikamaru and Naruto started.
They glanced at Gaara's spot—he was gone.
"Hmph, making a fuss," Kankuro scoffed. "With Gaara's strength, he could kill you before you knew how you died."
"What's that, puppet-face?" Naruto jabbed, pointing. "You didn't even dare fight Shikamaru. How strong can your teammate be?"
One sentence, two enemies.
Shikamaru brushed it off, turning to Izayoi. "That gourd guy's no joke. Be careful, Izayoi."
Hinata, noting Izayoi's lack of a camera, sensed something but smiled softly. "Good luck, Izayoi-kun."
"Yeah."
Izayoi didn't smile, only nodding. Under the wide-eyed stares of Sasuke, Shikamaru, Naruto, Kankuro, and Temari, who'd just returned, he lifted off the ground, floating slowly toward the field.
The sight stunned not just the Genin.
The audience fell utterly silent.
---
Every 200 power stones 1 bonus chapter will be uploaded faster.
And if you want to read 30 chapters early, you can visit: Patre on . com / KangTL (REMOVE SPACE)