Neji's breath grew heavier, his body trembling ever so slightly with the effort. His Byakugan eyes narrowed, veins bulging at the strain as he clashed again and again with Naruto's ceaseless flurry. He could feel Naruto's attacks weren't slowing; they were growing sharper, heavier, and more refined with each passing second.
'Impossible… how can he be… adapting this quickly?'
For the first time in the fight, Neji's calm mask cracked. His teeth clenched hard, and desperation bled into his movements.
"Tch… no choice." He slid back a half-step, searching for the smallest opening. Naruto pressed him like a relentless tide, but Neji's eyes flashed with resolve.
'If I don't end this now… I'll lose everything.'
With a sharp exhale, Neji's palms shot out, redirecting Naruto's hand just enough to create space. His feet skidded against the dust, and in that fleeting instant, he shoved Naruto back with a burst of force.
Naruto staggered a step but didn't break rhythm. His head tilted, a grin curving across his lips, as though he were almost amused. Then, with a light chuckle, he lunged forward again.
"Not bad, Neji. But if that's all you've got—" His hands blurred, flowing like a river. His arms bent and curved with impossible fluidity, his fingers flicking forward, precise and sharp, like blades of water. Each strike was aimed at Neji's chest, straight for his core.
The stands erupted with gasps, and even the jōnin leaned forward.
And then Neji moved. His stance shifted in an instant. Feet planted firmly, his arms spread wide as he dropped into a perfect form. His chakra surged with terrifying force, spilling from his every tenketsu point
"Eight Trigrams Palms: Revolving Heaven!"
The ground cracked beneath him as he spun. His body became a whirling blur, his chakra erupting in all directions. A dome of pure, rotating energy spiraled out from him, shredding the dust in the air and creating a hurricane-like shield. The pressure of the rotation sent pebbles skittering across the arena, the roar of chakra filling every corner of the stadium.
The spectators jolted to their feet.
"That's—!" One shouted.
"The Hyūga clan's ultimate defense!" Another gasped.
Up in the waiting stands, Sasuke's eyes widened, the corners of his mouth tightening. His hands curled around the railing so tightly his knuckles whitened.
"Damn it… What's he going to do…?" He muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Gaara's gaze sharpened, his sand twitching at his feet. Though his expression was unreadable, his body tensed ever so slightly, betraying his interest.
Sasuke could see it clearly now that Naruto wasn't using ninjutsu. He had not used it even once. His every movement, every counter, every attack had been taijutsu.
'He's fighting Neji at his own game. Why…?'
The crowd's roar dimmed into a tense silence as Naruto charged without hesitation, his grin stretching wider, his eyes glinting with exhilaration.
"Come on, Neji!" He shouted, voice booming above the wind. "Show me everything you've got!"
To the spectators, Naruto looked like a fool, charging headfirst into the Hyūga's absolute defense.
Some even flinched, bracing for the inevitable sight of his body flung away.
But then, something changed.
Just a breath before impact, Naruto twisted. His body shifted into a rotation opposite to Neji's, his form smooth, deliberate, and perfectly timed.
"What—?!" Hiashi, watching intently from the stands, leaned forward, his eyes narrowing in shock.
Naruto's hands ignited with raw chakra, his tenketsu flaring bright as threads of blue light seeped from his arms. He guided it, shaped it, releasing it from his palms like streams of cutting energy.
The two rotations collided.
BOOM!
The arena shook as if the earth itself had been struck. A deafening explosion rang out, wind tearing across the grounds. The shockwave rattled the stadium walls, ripping through banners and forcing spectators to shield their faces.
A thick cloud of dust and debris swallowed the battlefield whole. Nothing could be seen, nothing but the echo of that titanic clash.
Hanabi clutched the railing, eyes wide, heart hammering. "Did… did he just… counter it?!"
Hiashi's jaw clenched. He said nothing, but the flicker of disbelief in his gaze was unmistakable.
Sasuke leaned so far forward it was as if he might fall into the arena itself, his eyes unblinking. His chest tightened, his thoughts racing.
'What the hell was that? What are you doing, Naruto? Just… who are you becoming?'
The entire stadium held its breath, waiting for the dust to clear, waiting to see who won.
Every single spectator leaned forward, holding their breath.
Even the jōnin in the stands had tensed, their eyes narrowed in focus.
Slowly, the haze began to clear, and two silhouettes emerged from within.
A series of gasps erupted the moment clarity returned.
Both Naruto and Neji were still standing.
Neji's chest rose and fell in ragged bursts, his white robes torn and his skin covered in angry red welts and dark bruises. His Byakugan still flickered with light, but his pupils were wide, his expression shaken to the core. His lips parted slightly, trembling, as if the thought itself refused to take form.
'He… countered Revolving Heaven…? The Hyūga's ultimate defense… broken by… him?'
Across from him, Naruto looked no better, but his aura told a completely different story. His right sleeve had been shredded to ribbons, strips of fabric fluttering in the faint wind. Blood streaked from his knuckles, dripping down his wrist, and his arms trembled under the weight of the clash.
But despite the pain, his face carried only one thing: excitement. A wild grin stretched across his face, eyes burning with a fierce, unyielding light.
He exhaled once, a harsh breath, before cracking his neck to the side.
"Tch… that was close," Naruto muttered, his voice low but carrying through the silence of the stadium. "Not bad, Neji. Not bad at all."
Neji's lips pressed tight, his pride stinging. He forced his body upright, his gaze hard. But deep within his chest, something wavered. 'Why…? Why won't he break? Even against this much force… he still smiles like that…?'
Naruto flexed his battered hand, winced, then raised his other arm. He grinned wider, tilting his head teasingly.
"Guess I'll just keep going with this one. You okay with that, genius?"
The taunt hit like a slap.
Neji's eyes flared. With a sharp inhale, he threw himself forward, his palms lashing out like lightning, the sharp movements of the Gentle Fist whistling through the air.
But Naruto's movements shifted again. Fluid. Precise. His single arm moved like flowing water, parrying, redirecting, and bending Neji's strikes aside with the smallest flicks of his wrist. His feet glided across the dirt with a dancer's grace, weaving around the onslaught as though he had already read every step.
The audience could hardly follow. Gasps and cries filled the air.
"They're… they're fighting like two Hyūga prodigies!" One ninja exclaimed.
"No… no, it's different. Naruto's style... How do I say it? It feels… freer… sharper," Another murmured.
Neji's breath grew harsher. Every strike he launched was deflected. Every angle he sought was closed. His frustration boiled, his pride screamed, but his body was slowing, growing heavier with every exchange.
Naruto's grin never faltered. His sharp blue eyes gleamed. 'He's giving me everything. Good… don't stop now. Show me your real self, Neji.'
Then, Naruto found a gap, a split-second falter in Neji's defense.
"Got you."
With a sudden burst, Naruto slid inside Neji's guard. His palm shot forward, faster than Neji could react. The strike connected cleanly against Neji's cheek.
Crack!
The sound rang like a whip. Neji's head snapped to the side as his body was lifted off balance. His feet left the ground, and he tumbled backwards, rolling across the dirt before coming to a heavy stop on the arena floor. Dust puffed around him as his body lay sprawled, unmoving, his Byakugan fading back into silence.
The entire stadium erupted in a roar.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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