"Who's there?"
Hyuga Choryū was momentarily surprised, then his expression darkened as he saw the visitor.
"Uchiha Genya... Are you here to interfere with the Hyuga clan's affairs?"
Genya Uchiha's eyes were too striking, impossible to ignore.
Choryū hadn't expected Genya to personally get involved in the Hyuga clan's matters—let alone come here himself.
How laughable.
If a Jonin of the Uchiha clan had come with Genya, Choryū might have felt some fear. But Genya came alone to save Hyuga Neji. Wasn't that a bit arrogant?
"A respected member of the Hyuga family attacking a younger generation— isn't that a bit too much?" Genya's cold voice echoed, heavy with seriousness.
"Too much? For a branch family member to dare attack the main family? He deserves death!" Choryū sneered coldly at Genya.
For a branch family member to attack the main house—especially his own child—Choryū was determined to tear Hyuga Neji to pieces.
"Oh? What if I said I want you to spare Neji?" Genya squinted, his tone unusually calm as he stared at Choryū.
"What right do you have? You're a worthless Uchiha. Why should you meddle in Hyuga matters?" Choryū snorted and tried to break free from Genya's grip.
A worthless Uchiha, daring to speak to him like that?
Suddenly, he realized he couldn't escape Genya's hold. He was shocked. Just a kid—a freshly graduated ninja!
But...
He couldn't break free. Realizing this, he looked at Uchiha Genya with a more serious expression.
It seemed that Genya, following Might Guy's training, had grown significantly stronger.
"Since you won't give me any face, then I'll have to earn it myself!" Genya said calmly, flashing a faint smile as he twisted his wrist with force.
Hyuga Choryū's wrist felt as if it were being crushed in a steel clamp. His bones creaked loudly, almost painfully loud.
"Let go!" Choryū could no longer bear the pain in his wrist. He quickly poured chakra into his arm.
In an instant, his strength surged once again, and he pushed with all his might.
Finally, he broke free from Genya's grip.
But just as he freed himself, a sharp pain exploded in his index and middle fingers on both hands.
Looking down carefully, he saw that those fingers were bent unnaturally, the joints cracked painfully. The agony was almost unbearable.
He wanted to cry out, but he forced himself to endure the pain.
Gritting his teeth, he glared at Genya. "Uchiha Genya, how dare you hurt me! Are you trying to make the Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan enemies?"
Genya sneered coldly. "You started it. You called me a loser, but from my perspective, you're the real loser."
Then he turned his gaze to Neji. "Neji, the rest is up to you. He can no longer use the Cage Bird technique without forming hand seals. Let's have a fair fight and show him who the real loser is."
"I know," Neji replied, standing up. The blood-red tint in his eyes slowly faded.
"Without Cage Bird, even if they all attack together, they aren't my match."
Neji wiped the dust from his face, a fierce smile curling at the corner of his lips.
Indeed, the main branch of the Hyuga clan—he had long planned to deal with them properly.
"You, Hyuga Neji, you want to rebel?" Hyuga Chōryū's eyes narrowed as he noticed the fierce expression on Neji's face, a flash of hatred burning within them. "I am from the main branch!"
"The main branch? Without us from the branch family to contrast against, what gives your main branch the right to look down on others?" Neji stepped forward toward Chōryū. "Today... I will shatter your pride as the main branch and wake you parasites up!"
With those words, Neji planted his foot firmly on the ground and instantly appeared before Chōryū.
He struck out with a palm.
"Hmph. Even though I can't perform hand seals, you should know that the Hyuga clan also specializes in taijutsu!" Chōryū's eyes locked onto Neji, and the moment Neji appeared, he took an attacking stance. "Eight Trigrams Palm!"
Bang!
But his prideful taijutsu clashed with Neji's attack.
A gust of wind swept through for only a moment.
Chōryū's body was thrown back violently, as if struck by a wild beast, crashing to the ground.
"Heh. Taijutsu training—is that your pride? Pathetic!" Neji mocked mercilessly. Is that how you deserve to be main branch?
Chōryū couldn't even block a single move.
Without hesitation, Neji advanced toward the fallen Chōryū, intending to deliver another strike.
But after only a few steps, Neji suddenly stopped.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead once again.
It was the "Caged Bird" curse mark!
Gritting his teeth, Neji frowned and glanced back at the other main branch Hyuga members who had come with Chōryū.
Hatred flared once more in his eyes.
When these main branch Hyuga couldn't win, they resorted to the "Caged Bird" curse mark!
Pfft!
Just as the clan member was casting the Caged Bird Curse Seal, a kunai gleaming with a cold light suddenly pierced his shoulder!
The force was so strong that the kunai carried him flying about five or six meters, the sharp tip finally embedding itself into a tree behind him!
Then, a cold voice rang out — Genya's voice:
"I said a fair fight. You broke the rules!"
The clan member's face was filled with unwillingness and anger, but he was powerless to resist.
"Good opportunity..." At this moment, Hyūga Choryū noticed Neji's momentary distraction. A flash of hatred sparked in his eyes as he muttered lowly, "Quickly!"
He sprang up swiftly, shouting, "Eight Trigrams Palm · 64 Palms!"
With those words, his palms moved like afterimages, striking rapidly toward Neji!
He was certain Neji couldn't dodge or block this time.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
But he underestimated Neji. As the first palm landed, Neji thrust out his own hand.
"Heh. You're just a sneak attack loser. Don't even know where your pride comes from? Oh — you can only bully the branch family!"
Neji's eyes burned as he taunted Hyūga Choryū, "Too slow. Too slow!"
Angered by Neji's provocation, Choryū's blood surged, and his strikes came even faster!
Yet, Neji easily blocked every hit — in fact, he didn't even throw a second palm.
"Let me show you my new creation of the Eight Trigrams Palm," Neji said calmly, eyeing the sweating Choryū as he slowly raised his other hand, "Eight Trigrams Palm · Myriad Phenomena!"
Immediately, a blue energy shimmered around him. The Eight Trigrams symbol appeared under his feet, spinning with power.
Palm seals fell in succession, almost covering the entire area around him.
Though it looked slow, Neji's palms struck with such force that Choryū couldn't land a single hit and had to take every blow with his body.
Pfft!
With the final palm, Choryū spat out blood and was sent flying backward!
****
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