Chapter 12 I Don't Understand Fate
The reason Hyuga Gen and Neji separated was simply that neither of them could continue their offensive.
Having fought until now, both their physical and mental exhaustion was immense.
The mental drain was especially severe, as the predictive fighting style required too much thought.
Hyuga Gen panted heavily while pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of his eye.
Although the previous pure Taijutsu exchange did not use much Chakra, the Byakugan was fatigued from excessive prediction.
With Move changes occurring within millimeters, he not only had to consider the subsequent countermeasures.
He also had to prepare in advance and consider the method of the next counterattack.
This kept Hyuga Gen's mind and eyes under constant high pressure, so even a brief exchange was far more intense than others could imagine.
Neji, on the other side, was in no better shape.
He was drenched in sweat and gasping for air, clearly reaching his limit as well.
Although Neji was not troubled by a kekkei genkai disease like Hyuga Gen.
It must not be forgotten that he was younger than Hyuga Gen, so his overall physical condition was inferior to Hyuga Gen's.
The reason the two were able to fight to a standstill was due to Neji's extremely strong fundamentals in all aspects.
Neither of them rushed to continue the offensive, instead resting for a moment in mutual understanding.
A moment later, Neji recovered some of his strength and suddenly spoke:
"Gen, how do you view matters of fate?"
Neji's voice was loud and firm, his expression seemingly calm but giving off an indescribable sense of suffocation.
The audience in the stands was baffled by Neji's sudden dialogue.
However, everyone vaguely sensed that something was amiss, so they all quieted down.
Is he starting, Neji?
Hyuga Gen sighed softly and shook his head: "I'm sorry, Neji, I'm afraid I can't give you an answer to that question."
It wasn't that he truly lacked an answer; it was just that given his status, he absolutely could not speak it aloud.
The reason was very simple: Neji's father was Hiashi's biological younger brother, and this younger brother had chosen to die for his older brother.
Based on this alone, as long as Neji did not betray the Hyuga Clan, nothing serious would happen to him.
Hyuga Gen was different; he was just an ordinary Branch Family member, and his relationship with the Main Family was very distant.
Therefore, until he completely shed the Caged Bird Seal, he would not show any dissatisfaction.
"Is that so? I understand."
Hyuga Neji pursed his lips, suddenly glancing toward the outside of the arena, "Then, I'll share my perspective."
"How I view our fate, or rather, the tragic fate born under the Hyuga Main and Branch Family system."
This time, everyone understood that Hyuga Neji wanted to use this opportunity to vent his dissatisfaction.
In response, the expressions of everyone in the venue varied.
The audience members who knew nothing about the Hyuga Clan naturally wore looks of curiosity and confusion.
But for those who had heard of the Hyuga Main and Branch Family system, usually people from other Families, their expressions became quite meaningful.
Some people even looked toward Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hanabi on the platform.
Hyuga Hiashi's face was ashen, and he remained silent under the gaze of the crowd.
However, Hanabi next to him seemed slightly confused; she still couldn't fully grasp the meaning of the distinction between the Main and Branch Families.
But this confusion gradually cleared up as Hyuga Neji continued his narrative.
Especially when Neji mentioned the moment his father died in place of the Main Family.
"Father."
Hyuga Hanabi looked toward her father, her mind filled with complex emotions.
"They were twins with equal power, yet because of the order of their birth, their fate was decided at that very moment..."
Hyuga Neji tightly clenched the headband in his hand, ending his speech there.
What followed was silence throughout the venue.
It was a silence born both from shock at the cruel system of the Hyuga Main and Branch Families and from a shared sense of sorrow.
Hyuga Gen silently watched his surroundings, his gaze lingering on Hyuga Hiashi.
He wanted to see what the Clan Chief would do in this situation.
Unfortunately, Hyuga Hiashi ultimately chose not to make a statement, responding to everything only with silence.
Was it because of guilt that he could not speak, or was he constrained by the interests of the Main Family?
Hyuga Gen thought many things, but revealed none of them.
Perhaps Hyuga Hiashi would apologize afterward and present the truth written by Hizashi.
Perhaps Hyuga Neji would choose to forgive and gain some form of release.
But Hyuga Gen actually really wanted to say: what kind of changing of fate is that?
Dying in the finale to escape the 'Caged Bird Seal' and prove freedom from the shackles of fate?
No, one must know that death cannot escape the 'Caged Bird Seal' at all!
This was proven by the fact that the 'Caged Bird Seal' still existed on Hyuga Hizashi's forehead after he was brought back by Edo Tensei.
Rather than saying the 'Caged Bird Seal' is etched onto the forehead, it is better to say it is etched onto the Byakugan.
As long as the Byakugan exists, the Caged Bird Seal exists; only when the Byakugan disappears will the Caged Bird Seal disappear.
Therefore, to truly escape the Caged Bird Seal, the only path is likely to evolve the Byakugan.
After all, what does your Byakugan's problem have to do with my Tenseigan?
Pulling his thoughts back, Hyuga Gen sighed: "Let's continue our battle. Some things are not for you or me to decide right now."
Neji seemed still somewhat lost in thought, but he forced himself back to reality and nodded with a 'calm' expression.
"Gen, use your Chakra. I want to see how strong your Mutated Chakra is."
His purpose for coming here was fulfilled; what remained was to fight with all his might.
Hyuga Neji wanted to see what his good friend's true strength was like.
"Alright, be careful then!"
Hyuga Gen crouched slightly, his left hand forward and his right hand back, and Chakra began to gather wildly.
At the same time, his body blurred, and he began charging toward Neji.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Like a streak of silver lightning, Hyuga Gen arrived in front of Neji and launched his attack.
Neji naturally refused to be outdone, retaliating with Sixty-Four Palms of his own.
But this time, the battle no longer remained deadlocked; in fact, the momentum quickly shifted in Hyuga Gen's favor.
When Neji's palm strikes met Hyuga Gen's, the two seemed to be on different levels.
In just an instant, Hyuga Gen's Mutated Chakra influenced the battle, slowing down and even forcibly interrupting Neji's attacks.
Two Palms, Four Palms, Eight Palms.
As Hyuga Gen's palm strikes grew faster and faster, Neji could no longer keep up with his speed.
"Is this the true strength of that sickly person? Is this the power of that Mutated Chakra?"
"Can a Genin truly possess Chakra like this?"
Everyone in the stands was terrified by the icy chill emanating from the arena, their hearts filled with doubt.
Even the front-row spectators, directly affected by the chill, instinctively tightened their clothes.
"I'm sorry, Neji... I originally wanted to decide the winner with you using pure Gentle Fist."
Hyuga Gen precisely controlled his Chakra, only freezing the Acupoints in Neji's body with a small amount of Chakra.
Although the visible effect currently looked terrifying.
Neji himself had not suffered much injury; he just needed to lie down for a while.
As the final palm strike was delivered, Hyuga Gen caught the soon-to-be unconscious Neji and whispered:
"Get some good rest, and then we'll talk about changing fate!"
Pubfuture Ads