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"Huh?"
Neji's sudden challenge caught Sakura completely off guard.
"Um… that might not be a good idea? I just got this power, and I don't really know how to use it yet."
Currently, Sakura was still a genin. Though Neji also hadn't officially earned the chunin title, as the Hyūga clan's genius, his skill had long surpassed the average chunin, even brushing against the level of a jonin.
"Perfect timing then. Strike while the iron's hot!"
Neji smiled faintly, his Byakugan activating instantly as a sudden palm strike shot toward Sakura!
"!" Sakura switched to combat stance, dodging the first blow with some awkwardness.
The second and third strikes followed in rapid succession.
Sakura scrambled back. Neji's relentless pressure left no room for scattered thoughts, forcing her focus to a razor's edge.
Calm down, calm down…! Neji's right. The fastest way to get used to this is in real combat!
So, against the next flurry of Gentle Fist attacks, Sakura began actively parrying and evading!
And then she realized something amazing. Her "third eye"—the seal on her forehead—seemed to scan and track Neji's every movement, even from her blind spots.
And after scanning, her body reacted instantly, moving a split-second before her conscious thought could catch up!
Sakura's growing composure surprised Neji.
I recall Sakura wasn't particularly strong in taijutsu. Yet she's keeping up with my pace. It seems I can afford to get a little more serious.
Neji accelerated. His footwork tightened. He even incorporated the Hyūga's signature Jūken pressure-point strikes!
Knowing the danger of those strikes, Sakura looked for an opening to counter… she threw a simple, instinctive punch. Neji thought lightly: So what if I take one hit?
But—as the fist neared his face, a gale-force wind blasted against him, distorting his features!
"What…!?"
Neji's expression changed drastically. Pure survival instinct made him abort his pressure-point attack and throw himself backwards in a desperate retreat—!
BOOM!!!
Sakura's fist, missing its target, slammed into the sand. Instantly, sand erupted ten meters into the air, and a massive crater yawned open.
Inside the pit, Sakura stood up. "I… hesitated just now."
At the crater's edge, Neji looked down. "Hesitated? Are you joking?"
Sakura looked up. "Seriously, I'm not. I saw I couldn't dodge, so I decided to punch. But I was still holding back, afraid to commit my full power to the attack."
"Oh." The corner of Neji's mouth twitched, a micro-expression so rare it had appeared maybe three times in his entire life.
A small smile touched Sakura's lips. "But… I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. Watch out!!"
WHOOSH— The next second, Sakura launched from the crater, descending on Neji from above like a falling mountain, her fist crashing down!!!
Neji didn't hesitate. A direct hit from that would shatter every bone in my body! But with such an obvious attack trajectory, if you think you can land it, you're underestimating me!!!
He vanished from the spot!
Sakura's brow furrowed!
SNAP—!
Neji's form… jerked to a halt mid-movement, then was violently yanked forward toward Sakura's descending fist!!!
CRACKLE—!! Looking at the faint magnetic arcs flickering around Sakura's fist…
Neji realized in shock: Her fist generates a magnetic pull! It can drag enemies within a certain range toward it…!?
Damn it. I completely let my guard down…!!!
He braced himself for broken bones. Fortunately, Gaara, watching from the sidelines, sensed the danger. A wave of sand shot out, grabbing Neji and hauling him back just in time.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Sakura's fist struck earth. Sand exploded. The new crater swallowed the old one, its edges gnawing hungrily outward.
Gaara used considerable effort to drag Neji with his sand to safety beyond the blast zone.
Half-joking, Gaara said, "It seems the number of geniuses above us has increased by one today…"
Neji stared at Sakura with a swirl of complex emotions.
In this girl he once considered mediocre, he now saw a different, dazzling future.
"Whew."
Sakura jumped out of the crater again, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.
"Neji, thanks. Because of you, I've got a basic grasp of this power. But… it's strange. Just now, you could have completely avoided it. Why did you suddenly stop?"
Neji said, "You… didn't notice it yourself?"
"Huh?" Sakura looked puzzled. "Notice what?"
It was true. Sakura herself hadn't discovered the special effect of her punch. She had just thrown a sincere, serious fist. That was all.
Neji thought: That seal on Sakura's forehead… it must have been taught by Lady Hokage. But from what I know, super strength is indeed the Hokage's skill. However, that magnetic force generated with the punch… even the Hokage doesn't have that. So, the same technique, but Sakura has surpassed her master? And she manipulated that power subconsciously. Her fine control over chakra is…
"Sakura, if I remember correctly, before the Leaf was attacked, you'd already been training in medical ninjutsu under Lady Hokage for over half a year, right?"
Sakura nodded. "More or less."
Actually, it was even earlier. Because… after Sasuke's defection, his return to the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Hall and his attack on Kakashi had struck her with immense force.
In the swirling sand, Neji gazed at Sakura, his tone unprecedentedly solemn. "Sakura, you indeed possess the precise chakra control necessary for a top-tier medical ninja. But… the world gaining one more top medical ninja won't change much."
Sakura stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
Neji said, "I believe your talents, if applied to taijutsu, would achieve far greater things. Surpassing your teacher, the Hokage, might not even be difficult in the future!"
"Let me be blunt… I think compared to Lady Hokage, my teacher, Might Guy, is the one who can truly unearth your potential!"
"This is my honest opinion. Please consider it."
Sakura asked, "You mean for me to stop my medical ninjutsu training and follow your teacher, Might Guy, to learn taijutsu. Is that it, Neji?"
Neji nodded. "Yes…"
Sakura's eyes lowered.
That… is impossible.
Because in her dreams, there was a scene etched into her bones.
Sasuke, facing the powerful enemy 'Isshiki Ōtsutsuki,' escaped from another dimension and fell, battered and broken, right before her.
Why?
Because… Sasuke believed. He believed in his wife, her—Haruno Sakura—that she definitely had the ability to save him.
So… I won't!! I, Haruno Sakura, swear to become an even more outstanding medical ninja than in my past life—one who can once again be Sasuke-kun's unwavering lifeline!!
But Neji meant well.
Sakura said, "Neji, thank you for your earnest advice. But my teacher, Lady Tsunade, is still missing. Right now… I don't have the mind to consider anything else."
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