In a secluded valley within the Land of Snow, the Umbrella Organization had developed a new training ground.
Snow still lingered here—thin, scattered flakes glinting like silver ornaments upon the surrounding trees.
The environment was still recovering, so the forest had yet to grow thick. But from the higher ridges, the landscape remained blanketed by the eternal winds and snow that defined the country.
Within the valley, two figures clashed in fierce combat.
Crimson eyes spun with three tomoe—Uchiha Sasuke's Sharingan blazed as lightning crackled in his palm, the high-pitched shriek of the Chidori echoing through the valley.
His expression was solemn, his stance grounded and sharp. Opposite him stood Hyūga Neji, his pale eyes gleaming as his Byakugan focused to its fullest.
Neji's posture radiated calm precision. His Gentle Fist stance had evolved beyond anything the Hyūga Clan had seen in generations. His path had diverged from tradition—an evolution approaching the level of the Hyūga Ichizoku from the Warring States Period.
During that chaotic age, countless prodigies had risen—foremost among them the legendary Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. Yet, they were not the only ones who shone brightly.
The Hyūga Clan too had produced monsters of talent—one of them being the fabled Hyūga Ichizoku, whose prowess was said to rival even the greatest of his time.
Thanks to the ancient records preserved by the branch family when they split from the main house, Naruto had uncovered information about this near-forgotten genius.
While Naruto hadn't heard of him in his past life, the scrolls made it clear—this man's strength stood only a step below the gods of that era. He had been a Super Kage-level shinobi, and his Byakugan purity was said to have surpassed any living descendant's—perhaps even surpassing that of Neji and Hinata.
That level of purity granted him the potential to awaken the Tenseigan.
By comparison, Neji's Byakugan was exceptionally refined. Though slightly inferior to Hinata's, it was pure enough to barely meet the threshold for Tenseigan awakening.
Even Hyūga Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister, possessed the necessary qualities.
But awakening the Tenseigan was far more difficult than awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The Mangekyō was born from deep emotional trauma—the power of Yin Release, an evolution of the mind and spirit. The Tenseigan, however, required something deeper: an almost divine balance between Yin and Yang, rooted in the purest Hyūga lineage and an Ōtsutsuki connection.
Naruto's eyes gleamed faintly. Somewhere on the moon, the descendants of the Ōtsutsuki still existed—guarding a giant Tenseigan forged from countless Byakugan.
He couldn't help but covet it. Yet, he knew he lacked the strength to seize it—for now.
The Tenseigan Mode was on par with the Six Paths level.
In the original timeline, had it not been for Naruto's protagonist's fortune—and Ōtsutsuki Toneri's inexperience with his newly fused Tenseigan—the outcome of their battle might have been very different.
It was the difference between a genius yet to master his gift and one who had perfected it through endless struggle.
Perhaps when Naruto himself ascended to the Six Paths level, he could face such power directly.
For now, the moon and its secrets would have to wait.
Not far away, Naruto stood with his arms crossed, watching the duel with great interest.
Sasuke lunged forward, Chidori howling as he blurred through the air.
Neji's eyes narrowed, his chakra flaring.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams – Guarding Domain!"
As his palms swept through the air, an invisible barrier of chakra expanded before him—an elegant, translucent dome that shimmered like heat haze.
This was Neji's own creation—an evolution of the Rotation technique.
While Rotation was known as the Hyūga's ultimate defense, it consumed vast chakra and had strict duration limits.
Neji's version, however, sacrificed absolute defense for versatility. It required little chakra, could be maintained longer, and possessed a built-in counterforce to repel physical attacks.
It wasn't perfect—but it was flexible, efficient, and deadly in the right hands.
Its defensive power was on par with an A-rank ninjutsu.
Sasuke's form vanished into motion, flickering around Neji with blinding speed—his afterimages overlapping like flashes of lightning.
But Neji's defense held firm. Each strike from Sasuke's Chidori met invisible resistance, dispersing harmlessly into rippling waves of chakra.
Moments later, Sasuke halted, breathing deeply, his expression dark.
Before him stood Neji—unscathed, his chakra barrier intact.
Not even the Chidori's piercing force could penetrate that shield. Every blow he landed had been effortlessly absorbed and redirected.
Only an S-rank jutsu—or an overwhelming burst of raw power—could shatter it.
Sasuke flexed his fingers, feeling a faint tremor. The backlash from Neji's counterforce still lingered.
Neji exhaled lightly, his tone calm yet confident.
"Give it up, Sasuke. If you were to use Kirin, I might not be able to defend—but you'll never get the chance to summon it."
His voice carried quiet pride. Since creating this technique, few had managed to break through it.
Low consumption. High defense. Perfect control.
Neji had transformed the Gentle Fist from a purely close-range art into something that rivaled the strongest defensive ninjutsu in the shinobi world.
Sasuke's Sharingan spun, calculating, his mind racing for an answer.
He had to admit—it was impressive.
Neji's Gentle Fist had evolved beyond its clan's traditions, fusing flexibility and precision in a way that even the ancient Hyūga masters would have respected.
With a technique like that, Neji's survival ability had reached an entirely new level.
It was a perfect 360-degree defense—no blind spots at all. Not even the sky.
The sky?
A flash of realization struck Sasuke like lightning.
If the air and surroundings were completely sealed off, then logically… what about the ground?
Yes—the ground had to be the only gap!
Understanding the key point, Sasuke's lips curved into a cold smile. "Did you really think I had no options left? Even without Kirin... I still have a way to break through!"
He inhaled sharply, then unleashed a wave of scorching flames, but even that failed to pierce Neji's rotation barrier.
Neji countered from time to time, thrusting out sharp bursts of chakra with Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm!
The Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm—one of the few long-range techniques in the Gentle Fist style—focused chakra into a compressed projectile that struck with devastating force.
"Lightning Release: Earth Corridor!"
A blinding bolt split the air as Sasuke slammed his chakra into the ground, combining Lightning Release with traces of Earth Release to channel his power below.
Without missing a beat, his hands blurred through another sequence of seals.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Dance!"
In an instant, dozens of arcs of lightning rained down on Neji from all directions. Some of the currents, seemingly stray, actually tunneled underground—exactly as Sasuke intended.
Neji's eyes tracked each strike. Though the pressure mounted, he held his ground. His defense was flawless.
He couldn't help but smirk. "Sasuke, see? You can't break through my defense. Maybe when you awaken your Mangekyō Sharingan, you'll have a chance to defeat me."
Pride gleamed in his pale eyes. For so long, Sasuke had overwhelmed him, but ever since developing this technique, the balance had shifted.
In several recent spars, Sasuke hadn't managed to gain the upper hand. Each time, the match dragged into a contest of endurance—of chakra control and stamina. Neji's technique required far less chakra, so victory naturally fell to him in the end.
Of course, he wasn't delusional. This was a spar, not a fight to the death. If it came to that, Sasuke's odds of winning would likely soar.
Four to six.
It seemed like a small gap on paper—but in reality, it was the difference between confidence and despair.
Because the one who holds six… always stands a step higher.
...
TN:
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