"Youth tells me that as teammates, we must advance and retreat together!" Guy and Lee said in unison, giving a thumbs-up. Their white teeth sparkled brilliantly under the sunlight.
"Meh, I don't really have much to add," Tenten said with a grin toward Neji. "But my family's weapon shop just happens to have a batch of Explosive Tags about to expire, plus some kunai and shuriken needing reforging. I'll bring them out and give 'em to you for use."
"As a weapons merchant, the biggest help I can offer is supplying weapons," she continued, then added, "Besides, those weapons I discussed with Sakura before have already taken shape. I might need to bring them along for testing later. If anything serious happens, don't forget to inform me!"
"Please don't be so pessimistic," Neji felt warmth inside but showed little change on his face. "If my opponent turns out to be reasonable, naturally I won't harm her life."
"But what if your opponent's a rotten bastard?" Sakura asked. Though most opponents they'd encountered were quite decent, she certainly didn't think everyone in this world would be the same.
"What do you think?!" Neji shot back without waiting for her answer, and immediately jumped down from the spectator stands.
Neji's opponent Yingqiao was a genin—a young kunoichi who had stood beside the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee earlier. The moment Sakura saw her, she could feel an overwhelming wave of malice coming from the woman. Sure enough, when Yingqiao opened her mouth, things went exactly as expected.
"A Hyūga? Wonder which branch you're from—Main or Branch House?" Yingqiao sneered. "I heard the Branch members of your clan are like dogs groveling with wagging tails before the Main House. Is that right?"
"You've got some serious rotten breath going on," Neji replied calmly, his expression indifferent, as if nothing could stir emotion inside him.
"Hyūga brat, listen up—I'm not one of those weaklings you Leaf ninjas easily defeated before. Your luck has run out today—it seems destiny has decided you will lose this match!"
Anger flickered through Yingqiao's eyes, though she didn't show it outwardly. Instead, she confidently told Neji, "Brat with Byakugan, if you surrender now, you might suffer less pain. Otherwise, once I start, you won't get another chance to regret it!"
"Fate?" Neji smiled lightly, speaking calmly. "There's never been anything set in stone. Everyone's future is full of endless possibilities. And what truly decides where you end up is the choices you make yourself. In other words, it's not fate guiding us—but our decisions that shape our destinies!"
"And whether or not I'll regret this later—that question carries no meaning at all. Because the one who will truly lose this battle… is definitely going to be you."
"Hmph, brat with Byakugan, you're too arrogant!" Yingqiao's face darkened, malice clearly visible in her eyes. "I'll make sure to rip those eyes out of your head and keep them as trophies!"
"You bear hatred for the Hyūga clan?" Neji detected deep animosity from the other's tone and slightly furrowed his brow.
Chapter 217: Neji's Anti-Magic Domain [II]
"What business is it of yours?" Yingqiao had a terrible attitude, especially when looking at Neji, her eyes clearly filled with hostility.
"You bear hatred for the Hyūga clan, and as one of its members, I find myself your opponent in this duel. Tell me, doesn't that make it my business?"
Neji let out a soft chuckle and began analyzing slowly, "Given your age, you yourself couldn't possibly hold such deep hatred toward the Hyūga clan. Therefore, the source of your hatred must come from someone close to you. Someone your own age seems unlikely, so logically, the origin must lie within your elders. Given your intense resentment toward the Byakugan, it's safe to assume your elder was struck down by the Gentle Fist technique!"
"Shut up!"
Yingqiao's eyes turned red as she unsheathed her tanto and charged straight at Neji.
"Judging by your reaction, I must've hit pretty close to the mark!"
Neji sidestepped to evade Yingqiao's attack, shaking his head helplessly before saying, "Considering your age, I'm guessing that elder of yours died during wartime?"
Though phrased as a question, Neji's expression showed certainty.
"A wartime death? How could that even be possible?"
While furiously attacking Neji with her tanto, Yingqiao shouted, "My father was personally killed by Hiashi Hyuga. He came to Konoha just to sign a peace agreement, yet your people murdered him."
"A peace agreement?"
Neji halted briefly and swatted Yingqiao's incoming tanto aside, his previously calm face now covered in killing intent. "Wasn't your father one of those sent by the Cloud Village to abduct my younger cousin all those years ago?"
"Nonsense! My father came to Konoha to sign a peace treaty. The abduction accusations were nothing but false stains you deliberately smeared on him."
Gritting her teeth, Yingqiao couldn't bear to meet Neji's gaze directly. As a child, she didn't understand exactly what had happened, but after growing older, she discovered the truth. Even knowing the truth though, she never believed her father had been wrong; instead, her hatred for the ninja of Konoha only grew stronger.
"So you know the truth!" Neji's face darkened ominously. If it weren't for those from the Cloud Village, his father wouldn't have been forced into sacrifice. Who would've thought today he would encounter the descendant of the very person responsible for that incident.
"Your father came to Konoha with intent to abduct the Main House heiress of the Hyūga clan. When caught, he resisted violently and tried to kill Hinata, but was ultimately defeated by my uncle Hiashi due to his lack of strength. Hmm? Are you telling me this was still somehow our fault?"
Gritting his teeth, Neji said each word slowly and clearly. He had originally intended to give this Cloud Village ninja a stern lesson—much like how Hinata might handle things—but now it was clear, this opponent truly wanted him dead.
"She was just a child! What could they have possibly done with her anyway? Because of that, you mercilessly took my father's life. And regarding this matter, you offered no explanation whatsoever, nor did you ever hand over the murderer—you expect me to believe none of it was your fault?"
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