Naruto faced off against Hyūga Neji, and the battle began.
It was, without question, a one-sided fight.
After all, Neji Hyūga had been the top graduate of last year's Ninja Academy, while Uzumaki Naruto was nothing but the dead-last.
Aside from Shinju, not a single person in the arena believed Naruto could win.
Only Shinju knew—after a month of Sage training, Naruto had grown far stronger!
On the arena floor, Naruto used his signature Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating several clones that rushed Neji from all sides.
Neji, however, remained completely calm.
With his Byakugan activated, he scanned the crowd of clones, locking straight onto the real body.
In the next instant, he unleashed Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms on the real Naruto!
The Byakugan of the Hyūga clan could see the flow of chakra, and Neji, possessing an especially pure Byakugan, could pinpoint the chakra network's tenketsu. With his palm techniques, he struck those points directly, sealing his opponent's movement!
But Naruto quickly adapted after experiencing Neji's assault.
Instead of rushing in recklessly, he began testing Neji's attacks using clones.
Neji dismissed the tactic with disdain.
His Byakugan had nearly a full 360-degree field of vision—no matter from which direction the clones attacked, he could block them perfectly!
Finally, Neji revealed the technique he had mastered: Rotation.
By releasing chakra from his tenketsu and spinning his body, he created a barrier that deflected all incoming attacks.
It was a defense worthy of being called absolute!
This technique was supposed to be a secret jutsu passed down only through the Hyūga main house, yet Neji, a mere branch member, had mastered it himself. A true testament to his genius!
Even the Hyūga clan head, sitting in the stands, widened his eyes in shock when he saw it.
"To think he managed to master both Rotation and Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms on his own… Hizashi's son truly is remarkable."
The clan head, Hyūga Hiashi—Hinata's father—spoke with rare surprise.
A retainer beside him muttered, "What a shame… he's only a branch member."
Hiashi's chest tightened like a blade had pierced it. For a moment, he froze in silence.
At last, he let out a heavy sigh.
On the arena floor, Naruto panted heavily, having burned through far too much chakra.
"Give it up," Neji said coldly, taking his stance with his Byakugan blazing. "A failure will always be a failure. No matter how hard you try, you can never defeat a genius."
Naruto glared, refusing to accept it.
"Shinju used to be called a failure too. Could you defeat him?"
"..."
Neji had no answer.
The truth was, he couldn't.
In fact, when it came to both taijutsu and ninjutsu, he would be utterly outclassed.
After all, Shinju was someone who had single-handedly gathered over ten scrolls in the Forest of Death, despite the countless dangers lurking within.
Naruto grinned.
"See? 'Genius' isn't absolute. Someone like you, who thinks he's got it all figured out, will never understand."
With that, Naruto charged, Rasengan forming in his hand.
Neji twisted aside and struck him squarely with his palm.
Whsh!
To his shock, Naruto's body burst apart on contact.
A clone!
Realizing the danger, Neji spun his head around but before he could even turn fully, Naruto's fist slammed into his face!
Boom!
The punch landed with such force it nearly broke Neji's nose.
"See? Even geniuses get smacked around by the so-called failures."
Naruto mocked deliberately, his eyes blazing.
"And someone like you—what right did you have to insult Hinata during the preliminaries?"
Back during the Chūnin Exam prelims, when Hinata was matched against Neji, Naruto had watched her get beaten and ridiculed until she collapsed, grievously injured.
That day, he swore he'd make Neji pay for her!
Hinata might have only been a shy, soft-spoken classmate from the Academy, always hesitant in her words…
But Naruto had felt her kindness and warmth. So when she was humiliated and hurt—he had to fight back for her!
"Why did you bully Hinata!?"
Naruto's roar made Shinju, Sasuke, and even Hinata herself tremble with emotion.
That blockhead… he finally understood!!
On the arena floor, Neji froze at Naruto's words.
After a pause, he tugged at his lips in a bitter smile, then removed his forehead protector, revealing the green mark on his brow.
"If you had a fate like mine, the 'Caged Bird,' you'd be far more bitter and extreme than I am."
Naruto frowned. "What do you mean?"
Neji said coldly, "Then watch, and I'll show you the cruel reality of the Hyūga clan."
"This green curse mark on my forehead is called the Caged Bird Seal. Every single member of the branch family bears it."
"Once branded with this mark, branch members exist only to protect the main family."
"The main family can manipulate the seal at will, deciding the life or death of any branch member."
"This is the Hyūga clan's tradition for hundreds of years—the so-called protection system of the Byakugan bloodline!"
In the stands, Shinju listened intently.
If Neji's words were true, then being born into the branch family was truly like being trapped in a cage—controlled, with no freedom at all.
Neji then gave a brief account of the history between his branch and Hinata's main house.
His father and Hinata's father were twins.
Because Hiashi, Hinata's father, had been born moments earlier, he became the head of the main family. Hizashi, Neji's father, as the younger twin, was branded with the Caged Bird Seal and cast into the branch family.
Years ago, shinobi from Kumogakure attempted to kidnap Hinata, the Hyūga heir. Hiashi caught them in the act and killed the culprit.
But Kumogakure twisted the story, threatening war unless Konoha handed over the "murderer."
Shamefully, the Third Hokage agreed to their demands.
The result: instead of Hiashi, who should have been handed over, Hizashi—Neji's father—was sent to his death.
From that moment on, Neji harbored hatred for the main family.
After hearing Neji's story, Naruto lifted his head, staring up at the Third Hokage in the high seats.
The old man sat in silence.
It was the greatest disgrace of his reign.
The entire arena fell into a heavy silence.
Some already knew the story, but it was rarely spoken of in Konoha. It was far too shameful, too infuriating.
Even Shinju couldn't help but mutter a single word.
"Weak."
That was his first reaction after hearing it.
Perhaps the thought was childish or naïve.
Konoha had indeed been beset by enemies on all sides at the time.
But to bow to threats, to sacrifice one of the village's loyal clans on false charges, to hand over an innocent man alive—
Shinju could only call it weakness.
He could feel the anger burning within him.
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried across the arena. Everyone heard it.
Kakashi instinctively reached out to silence him, but his hand was too late.
The crowd remained utterly silent.
In the shadows of the stands, an old man with his arm wrapped in bandages glanced at Shinju, eyes narrowing, before retreating behind a door.
The Third Kazekage's pupils shifted into vertical slits. He spoke only one word.
"Interesting."