The elder hadn't finished his sentence—but everyone in the room understood.
A tremor ran through the chamber.
Then, eyes lit up.
If Hinata truly formed a bond with Uzumaki Naruto, that would mean—
The Hyūga clan might establish the closest possible alliance with a future powerhouse destined to stand at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
This wasn't just about prestige.
In a future filled with danger and titans clashing for supremacy, such a connection could become an unshakable pillar—an ally powerful enough to deter all sides.
Even if Naruto truly walked the path of destruction…
If Hinata could influence him—
Or if the Hyūga could secure a favorable position amid future chaos through that bond—
The potential benefits were immeasurable.
Compared to that…
Neji's current "defiance" and "hatred" suddenly seemed far less urgent.
Hiashi remained silent, fingers tapping lightly against the table.
As a father, he wanted his daughter's happiness.
As clan head, he had to consider the clan's future.
Back to the Arena
The preliminaries had passed.
Now—
Uzumaki Naruto stood glaring at Hyūga Neji, blue eyes blazing.
Neji activated his Byakugan, his pale gaze calm and emotionless, as though examining an ant.
"A loser is still a loser," Neji said coolly. "You think you can beat me? Delusional."
"Shut up, Neji!" Naruto roared, clenching his fists so tightly they trembled. "You hurt Hinata like that—I'm gonna smash you!"
"Smash me? You?" Neji's lips curled faintly. "From the moment we're born, fate is decided. I am a genius of the Hyūga clan. You are Konoha's dead last."
"Those things don't change."
"Fate my ass!" Naruto barked, bristling like a cat with its tail stepped on. "I don't believe in that crap!"
Before the words even faded, he charged.
Under Neji's Byakugan, however, Naruto's attack looked painfully slow.
A sharp strike to the wrist—
Naruto's kunai flew from his hand.
Then—
A swift kick to the abdomen.
Bang!
Naruto flew backward, crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust.
Neji stood where he was, looking down coldly.
"See? The gap in ability—that's fate. Struggle all you like. It won't change anything."
Naruto wiped blood from his lip.
No reply.
His hands flew into seals.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Puffs of smoke exploded across the arena.
Dozens of Narutos appeared, surrounding Neji from all sides.
Neji's expression didn't change.
"Pointless," he said evenly. "The Byakugan sees chakra flow. I can tell which one is real. Every movement you make is transparent to me."
Then he moved.
Graceful.
Effortless.
He weaved through the swarm of clones as though strolling through a garden.
Each strike precise.
Each tenketsu sealed without error.
One by one—
The clones burst into smoke.
Within seconds, Neji broke through the encirclement and appeared directly before the real Naruto.
"What?!" Naruto's eyes widened.
Too late.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Palms struck in a blinding flurry.
Sixty-four precise blows sealed sixty-four tenketsu across Naruto's body.
Every strike landed clean.
Neji withdrew his hands slowly, breathing steady.
Naruto collapsed like a broken puppet.
"It's over. Your chakra points are sealed. You can't even mold chakra anymore."
His voice carried absolute disdain.
"This is your fate. Eternal failure. Eternal dead last."
"I… I'm not done…" Naruto coughed, blood splattering the ground.
But his eyes still burned.
He struggled, trembling, trying to rise.
"I'll prove… a dead last… can beat a genius…"
"Are you insane?!" Neji snapped, fury flashing across his face. "You're an orphan no one wanted—what do you know about fate?!"
"I was branded with the Caged Bird from birth! Bound for life! Forced to watch my father die for the 'Main Family'—for the 'greater good'! That's my destiny! And you think your stupid stubbornness can change that?!"
But instead of shrinking—
Naruto's body began to tremble.
Something darker stirred.
His pupils tinged red.
A violent, malevolent chakra seeped from his body—thick, corrosive, brimming with destruction.
"I don't understand your fate…" Naruto's voice dropped, rough and distorted.
"But I understand mine."
His blue eyes were nearly swallowed by crimson.
"I'm gonna be Hokage! I'll make everyone acknowledge me! Nobody's stopping me!!!"
Neji's brows furrowed.
Something was wrong.
The air grew heavy.
"I sealed all your tenketsu… How are you still gathering chakra?!"
The answer came immediately.
"I told you—I don't believe in fate!!!"
Naruto roared.
Crimson chakra exploded outward.
He forced the chakra through his sealed tenketsu—brutally overwhelming the Gentle Fist's restrictions with raw power.
Tailed Beast chakra.
He shot upward in a blur, leaving an afterimage behind.
Neji's pupils shrank.
Impossible.
His Gentle Fist had never failed before.
Instinct screamed danger.
Neji reacted instantly, hands forming seals.
"Gentle Fist Art: Rotation!"
Chakra erupted from every tenketsu in his body, spinning at high speed—
A perfect sphere of rotating blue chakra formed around him.
An absolute defense.
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