"Hm?" It was only now that Roga Nadare and the others noticed Neji. Although Neji had intercepted his previous attack, Nadare hadn't thought much of it until now. This brat actually dared to interfere.
Casting a quick glance at Neji's attire and forehead protector, Roga Nadare scoffed. "Oh? And here I was wondering who it might be. Turns out you're just a little Genin from the Leaf."
He had every reason to look down on Neji. After all, ten years ago, he had clashed with Kakashi and even forced him to retreat and that was when Kakashi already possessed the Sharingan.
"You've really misjudged the situation, kid," chimed in Fubuki Kakuyoku. "Not to mention you're just a Genin do you even know what this is?"
He pointed at the chakra armor on his body with disdain. "This armor amplifies our chakra, strengthens our jutsu, and forms a protective chakra barrier that neutralizes attacks, rendering your ninjutsu and genjutsu useless…"
Bang!
A sudden streak of white light shot through the air and struck him square in the chest. The blast didn't stop it slammed him into a nearby glacier with a deafening crash. The ice shattered and collapsed, burying Fubuki beneath it.
Neji calmly withdrew his hand, his voice cold and detached. "Sorry, but I'm already sick of hearing that nonsense. Come on then show me the power of this so-called chakra armor."
"Damn you!" Kazahana Fubuki spread her wings and shot toward Neji at high speed.
"Fubuki, no!" Roga Nadare warned, but it was too late.
"Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists!"
Neji raised his fists, each enveloped in the form of a fierce, deep-blue chakra lion. With a single punch, he shattered the armor covering Fubuki's body. The immense impact sent her crashing into the mountainside, a faint trail of blood left in her wake.
"Host engaged Kazahana Fubuki in battle. Reward acquired: [Ice Shuriken]."
Ice Shuriken: Condenses moisture from the air into invisible, deadly projectiles.
"Is this kid really a Genin?!" Roga Nadare gritted his teeth. At this point, he could no longer afford to underestimate Neji. Fubuki and Fubuki Kakuyoku had both gone down in an instant few could manage such a feat.
"Are Snow-nin really this weak?" Neji asked, somewhat unsure. There's a saying: I haven't even used any strength, and you're already on the floor.
"Don't get cocky, brat!" Nadare roared, quickly forming hand seals. "Ice Style: One-Horned White Whale!"
The ground began to tremble as a massive, one-horned ice whale surged up from beneath the surface, towering and overwhelming. Neji's lips curled slightly. Finally, something decent.
He casually thrust out his palm, releasing a wave of invisible force.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
Shhhh!
The moment the two forces collided, the white whale shattered instantly, disintegrating into icy shards that scattered across the field. Roga Nadare's eyes widened in disbelief. His most powerful technique destroyed with a single blow?
But that was just the beginning.
The vacuum wave didn't stop after obliterating the whale it kept barreling forward toward Nadare.
Boom!
The impact struck Nadare head-on, launching him through the air and slamming him unceremoniously into a frozen pit.
"So weak," Neji murmured. Not one of the three could withstand even a single blow. He sighed quietly. No wonder the Land of Snow is just a minor country it makes perfect sense now.
Though his words were soft, the surroundings had fallen completely silent. Everyone heard him clearly, each syllable striking like a hammer.
The crowd was stunned. A man who could cleave a mountain with a single jutsu was being dismissed as trash?
For many, the moment was deeply disorienting.
Sandaifu and Koyuki Kazahana were especially conflicted. This was their homeland, after all. Yet they had no rebuttal. These three elite Snow-nin had been defeated without so much as a fight.
Koyuki suddenly realized how foolish she had been before. In this moment, Neji's slender back seemed sturdy and reliable as if heaven had sent her a guardian angel. She found herself unable to look away. With him here, she felt like there was nothing left to fear.
Suddenly, the chakra around Neji surged violently. Three large chakra hands burst from his body, sweeping aside the ice and rubble and yanking the three defeated Snow-nin from the ground.
Neji stared at them with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. The moment you saw my Byakugan, you should've known I was a taijutsu user. What was the point of all that boasting about your armor?
"Cut the act. You're hurt, but not unconscious," Neji said flatly, his voice ringing in their ears.
Realizing the charade was over, the three stood up with trembling limbs.
"W-What do you want from us?" Nadare asked, fear evident in his eyes.
Neji studied them thoughtfully. Their strength wasn't bad if only they had some brains. Since he intended to take the Land of Snow under his wing, keeping these three as guards could be useful.
Once Neji revealed his intent, the three agreed without hesitation.
Why? That should be obvious. Refusing meant death. They weren't stupid.
"Neji, I…" Koyuki stepped forward nervously. For some reason, just seeing his calm expression made her heart skip a beat.
She didn't know if her earlier behavior had offended him. If he disliked her… would he ignore her from now on? What would she do then?
Uncertainty and anxiety swirled in her chest.
Almost as if he could read her thoughts, Neji reached out and gently placed his hand on her head.
"It's nothing," he said.
"Host performed a head-pat on Koyuki Kazahana. Reward acquired: [Ice Release]."
Ice Release: A kekkei genkai formed from the combination of Water and Wind Release.
"That's strange…" Neji's eyes narrowed. Koyuki has a kekkei genkai? He was certain the Snow Country's ice techniques relied solely on the environment they weren't bloodline-based.
Whatever. It's not a bad thing for me. With this, he now had two kekkei genkai.
Koyuki, on the other hand, was overjoyed by Neji's gesture. Without realizing it, she had returned to her former, more spirited self. Still, under Neji's influence, her personality had begun to shift, diverging from what it once was.
With Neji leading the way, the group pressed forward. Nothing stood in their path.
To prove their loyalty, Roga Nadare and the others fought fiercely at the front lines. Before long, they reached the royal palace.
"It's almost done," Neji murmured. The way things were going, and with Koyuki's current attitude, all that remained was to eliminate Kazahana Dotō. Then the Land of Snow would be his own backyard.
So, what was there left to wait for?
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