"Neji, why are you here?"
Hinata looked up, and when she saw Neji, she looked a little flustered.
She didn't know why she was flustered, but she subconsciously shifted her legs, moving a little further away from Takasaki, as if afraid that Neji would discover some small secret between her and Takasaki.
"I was waiting for you in the training room, but you never came. I thought something had happened to you. I didn't expect you to be here teaching Takasaki the Three Body Technique."
"I'm sorry, Neji, for making you wait."
Hinata's face showed apology.
"You are the Young Lady of the Main Family, you don't need to apologize to me. My destiny is to serve you."
Neji said expressionlessly.
His gaze fell on Takasaki: "It's just that teaching this dead-last will surely be a waste of time. He won't learn it."
Takasaki actually didn't want to get involved in Hinata and Neji's conversation, but when he heard Neji say that, he realized.
He was being told to leave.
Takasaki couldn't be bothered to argue with Neji. Anyway, the Chakra usage efficiency of the Three Body Technique had improved, he'd enjoyed the free meal, and he'd teased Hinata enough. His goals had been achieved, and it was time to go home and continue grinding his Ninjutsu level.
Just as he was about to get up and leave, Hinata spoke: "How can it be a waste of time? Takasaki-kun is working very hard to learn!"
Neji sighed: "If one is a dead-last, then no matter how hard one tries, it will be useless, just like a Caged Bird, one should not yearn for free flight."
After he finished speaking.
Neji's gaze fell on Takasaki, with a hint of pity: "Destiny is determined from the moment of birth, isn't it?"
Takasaki understood Neji's meaning.
Neji believed that destiny was predetermined, which was very consistent with Neji's philosophy.
To be precise, the philosophy of the Hyuga Clan was all like this.
Especially the Hyuga Branch Family.
No matter how talented Neji was as a child, or how many fantasies he had about the future, the moment the Caged Bird Seal was placed on him, there was only one path left for his future.
To be honest, Takasaki found such a fate pathetic.
If he hadn't gotten the System, perhaps, after graduating from the Ninja Academy, he, a dead-last, would struggle even to pass the Genin exam. He would be destined to only take on daily errands, earning meager income, perhaps not even marrying or having children, living a life of mediocrity.
Fortunately.
Takasaki got the System, allowing him to grow stronger by writing a diary, thus changing his own destiny.
He stood up and met Neji's gaze: "Is there a possibility that Hinata is right? I was indeed a dead-last before, but through hard work, I won't be anymore."
"Don't you understand yet? Destiny cannot be changed, Takasaki-kun. What I am about to say may be harsh, but it is the truth."
Neji shook his head, his expression solemn: "You didn't learn the Three Body Technique in the past six years, so how can you learn it just because Hinata teaches you a few words? That's impossible. Hinata is overestimating you! And you are also wasting Hinata's time."
Neji repeatedly emphasized the term 'dead-last,' as if highlighting Takasaki's destiny in his eyes.
Takasaki, however, didn't dislike the title.
After all, in the original story, Naruto and Obito were both dead-lasts in the Ninja Academy, yet they both ended up incredibly formidable.
Naruto had the Nine-Tailed cheat and successfully became Hokage.
Obito had the Kamui cheat and, though he didn't become Hokage, he killed a Hokage.
And he had the System cheat.
Takasaki said with concentration: "Each of us is a seed; flowering and bearing fruit is only a matter of time. No one will cry forever, nor will anyone laugh forever. A dead-last who works hard will have a day to turn the tide, and a Caged Bird, if it finds the key, will also have a chance to spread its wings and soar."
Upon hearing this.
Neji's eyes flickered a few times, and his expression became solemn.
The key to the Caged Bird?
Takasaki's words seemed to touch a soft spot deep within his heart.
Especially the last sentence.
A Caged Bird can have a chance to spread its wings and soar? This was a dream he yearned for from the bottom of his heart.
Yet he knew that his dream would never come true.
Neji was silent for a few seconds, his emotions suddenly becoming somewhat low: "Impossible, a dead-last will always be a dead-last, Takasaki. You will never learn the Three Body Technique! It's even less possible for you to graduate from the Ninja Academy. This is your unchangeable destiny."
"Neji-nii-san, how can you discourage Takasaki like that? He specifically sought me out today because he's working very hard to learn."
Hinata stepped forward, trying to mediate, but her tone was a bit weak.
After all, she could only emphasize that Takasaki was trying hard, but she couldn't emphasize that Takasaki could learn the Three Body Technique.
Even she herself knew that Takasaki had zoned out three times during her teaching.
He certainly hadn't learned it.
Takasaki didn't know if Neji heard Hinata's mediating words, but he certainly didn't: "Destiny can be changed; you just haven't found the method yet, Neji. Are you truly content to be an eagle imprisoned in a cage?"
As soon as Takasaki finished speaking.
Neji's emotions suddenly became somewhat agitated.
He abruptly took a step forward, grabbing Takasaki's collar, his Chakra condensed in his hand. With the hidden force of the Gentle Fist, he forcefully pulled Takasaki in front of him: "Since you're a dead-last who can't even learn the Three Body Technique, then just be a dead-last. You have no right to be personally taught by Young Lady Hinata, and even less right to evaluate me!"
After he finished speaking.
Neji's other hand formed a palm with five fingers together.
The Chakra in his palm contained a repulsive force, carrying a fierce gust of wind, and mercilessly struck Takasaki's chest.
"Neji! Stop! You'll kill Takasaki!" Hinata cried out in alarm.
Neji was using the Gentle Fist, and its hidden force was astonishing. Even she might not be able to withstand it, let alone Takasaki.
After Hinata reacted, her heart rate suddenly accelerated to its extreme.
Takasaki must not be harmed!
Not only because Takasaki was her classmate, but more importantly, she was still hoping Takasaki would record her name more often in his next diary entry so she could receive rewards.
She wanted to stop him, but everything happened too quickly; Neji's attack was swift, precise, and ruthless.
With a loud thud, Takasaki's chest caved in significantly, and the sound of his sternum and ribs breaking combined into an explosive crack.
His entire body, like a kite with a broken string, slammed violently into the dining table, shattering the entire table into pieces, with wood splinters flying everywhere.
"Takasaki!" Hinata's eyes widened.
She rushed over, came to Takasaki's side, and crouched down. Rarely angered, she couldn't help but yell at Neji: "Go call medical personnel!"
Compared to Hinata's panic, Neji suddenly calmed down, even looking at his palm with some confusion: "Something's not right."
The feeling of that palm strike on Takasaki's chest just now was very strange.
It didn't feel like striking a person.
Instead, it felt like striking a wooden stake.
Wooden stake? Substitution Technique?
Neji seemed to suddenly connect the dots, sharply raising his head, his expression solemn as he looked at Takasaki lying on the floor: "Impossible, he's clearly a dead-last; his destiny dictates that he shouldn't be able to learn the Substitution Technique."
The next second, Takasaki's body let out a 'bang' sound, and a circle of Chakra-condensed smoke diffused.
The smoke quickly dissipated, leaving only a wooden stake.
Seeing this, Hinata was stunned for several seconds: "Substitution Technique?"
After she reacted, she spoke in disbelief: "Did Takasaki-kun learn the Substitution Technique?"
When she taught Takasaki the Substitution Technique, Takasaki had clearly been poking his own hand because he was zoning out.
Could it be that Takasaki had already learned how to perform the Substitution Technique at that time?
This was somewhat beyond Hinata's comprehension.
It had only been one hour.
Even Neji, who was called a genius in the previous Ninja Academy class, and Sasuke, who was called a genius in this current class, took a whole week to learn the Substitution Technique!