"Damn… Damn it…"
"That terrifying palm technique… can it still be called the Gentle Fist?"
Hyuga Neji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and struggled to stand. Just one palm strike had almost knocked him out. His body trembled as he steadied himself.
"It seems I was too careless!"
"Byakugan—Activate!"
Neji's eyes transformed as his Bloodline Limit, the Byakugan, surged to life. His gaze immediately focused on his opponent—Hinata.
"That's… red chakra?"
Through his enhanced vision, Neji clearly saw a stream of red chakra swirling in Hinata's palm. It was the same power that had nearly taken him out earlier.
Confused, Neji clenched his fists. The Hyuga clan had never taught any technique capable of refining such chakra. Had the Main House developed new methods behind the Branch House's back?
"That must be it… I'm being left behind again!"
Anger surged through Neji's chest. That familiar feeling of being treated differently just because of his status. But he wouldn't let that distract him. With his Byakugan active and the painful memory of the previous blow still fresh, he wouldn't let her land another hit.
"Take this—Gentle Fist, Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
With a burst of speed, Neji closed in. Thanks to his superior control over the Byakugan, he dodged Hinata's counterattacks perfectly. Within moments, his palms struck her in rapid succession.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
All sixty-four hits landed flawlessly.
Hinata, gritting her teeth, remained standing despite the onslaught. But Neji knew the battle was over. His technique wasn't just about damaging the body—it sealed the opponent's chakra flow.
"Without chakra, even the most powerful ninja is powerless. How can she fight me now?"
Hinata, breathing heavily, refused to fall.
"I… I will never give up! Naruto-kun believes in me… I won't stop here!"
With a final burst of willpower, she lunged forward and struck at Neji with her last ounce of strength.
"Hmph," Neji sneered. "Useless, Lady Hinata. Without chakra, that weak palm won't even tickle me."
Confident, he didn't bother dodging.
Then—
BOOM!!!
Neji spat out a mouthful of blood. His body went rigid, eyes wide in shock.
"Why…? I already sealed her chakra…"
His voice trembled as pain radiated from his chest. The impact had broken his ribs—he could barely move.
"W-What… what kind of Gentle Fist attack is this?"
From the sidelines, Naruto watched calmly.
"You only sealed Hinata's chakra," he said. "That doesn't stop the power of the Nine-Tails. You're a genius of the Hyuga clan, aren't you?"
"Tch… Naruto," the Nine-Tails grumbled in his mind. "You begged me just so that girl could win a match?"
"What's wrong, Big Fox? Isn't this more entertaining?"
"Hmph. You humans are so boring."
Though the Nine-Tails initially agreed just to pass the time, now it was disappointed. This fight wasn't even worth its chakra.
"Does a being like me really need to waste power on someone like him?"
Hyuga Neji stood frozen.
Nara Shikamaru tried to console him. "Don't take it so hard, Neji. Against the Nine-Tails, none of us really stand a chance."
Tenten nodded. "That's right. You didn't lose to Hinata—you lost to the Nine-Tails' chakra."
Kakashi quietly sighed.
"If using the Nine-Tails' chakra doesn't count as a loss," he said, "then… during the Chūnin Exam…"
Naruto blinked. "Huh? What's wrong?"
Kakashi shook his head. "No, it's nothing. If there's no rule prohibiting it, then technically everything is within the rules. After all, there's never been fairness among ninjas."
Onoki, the elderly Tsuchikage, added his own view. "That's right, Kakashi. In ninja battles, you must always account for unexpected changes. The fact that Hinata could use the Nine-Tails' chakra is her strength. Even being protected or empowered by someone strong is a kind of power in itself."
Others nodded in agreement. Though this was a competition, the lack of explicit rules meant anything that increased your chances of victory was acceptable.
In the end, Neji fainted from his injuries, and Moonlight Gai promptly declared the match.
All the Genin in Konoha were stunned—especially Rock Lee. The person he had worked so hard to surpass had just lost… and not in the way he expected.
"If I can't defeat Neji with my own strength, then… what have I been working so hard for?"
As Lee sat in quiet despair, the final match announcement appeared on the screen.
---
[Final Match: Gaara vs. Rock Lee!]
Gaara stepped into the arena. But Lee, filled with confusion, wasn't as fired up as usual. He had already been completely overwhelmed by Naruto, and now even Neji, his rival, had lost.
What was the point of it all?
Might Guy stepped in at just the right moment. With a passionate speech filled with fire and youth, he reignited Lee's fighting spirit.
"That's right, Lee! Now is the time to burn with youth!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei!"
With newfound determination, Rock Lee leapt into the arena, his eyes full of purpose. He struck a ready pose with one arm outstretched and the other held back.
Moonlight Gai raised his hand.
"If there are no objections—begin! Gaara of the Sand vs. Rock Lee of the Leaf!"
"Leaf Hurricane!"
Without hesitation, Lee launched into a flurry of attacks, but every strike was blocked by Gaara's automatic sand defense. No matter how fast or strong the kicks were, they never reached their target.
Lee clenched his fists. His taijutsu was useless. He didn't know any ninjutsu or genjutsu. How could he win?
With a nod from Might Guy, Lee made a bold move—he removed the heavy weights strapped to his ankles.
As they hit the ground, a massive shockwave rippled through the arena. The other ninja gasped in disbelief.
In an instant, Lee transformed into the Blue Beast of Konoha!
His speed now surpassed anything the Genin had ever seen—even Gaara's sand couldn't keep up.
Kakashi's eyes widened. "Guy, this is too much…"
Might Guy smiled proudly. "Lee is the hardworking genius I believe in. Now, watch closely!"
Naruto was also stunned.
Lee's speed wasn't fueled by chakra or jutsu. It came purely from relentless physical training. This was different from his own chakra-enhanced body flickers—it was raw human effort turned into power.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gaara turned into a literal sandbag, getting pummeled from every direction.
But then, Gaara's body revealed another layer of defense—sand armor. Though Lee could land his attacks, they weren't enough to truly injure him.
Lee panted. He was running out of options.
At that moment, he made a final choice.
"Now's the time to prove my ninja way!"
"Eight Inner Gates—Open! Gate Four: Gate of Pain… OPEN!!!"
As Lee shouted, a fiery aura erupted from his body. The energy was so intense it cracked the ground and lifted debris into the air.
Even the spectators felt the pressure.
The Fourth Raikage narrowed his eyes. "How could a Genin from Konoha who doesn't even use ninjutsu possess such terrifying power?"
Terumi Mei nodded. "No wonder he defeated four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. This isn't weakness—it's raw strength."
Kirisame Kushimaru and Tongarashi Yebairen muttered from the sidelines, clearly uncomfortable.
"We… we were just careless…"
Tenten, watching anxiously, asked the question on everyone's mind.
"I wonder… if Neji and Lee fought right now, who would win?"
Hyuga Neji: "???"
---
To be continued…