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"Is that... Hinata?! And that seems to be Neji Hyuga from the fifth grade, right? Are those two having some kind of dispute? Why are they on the sparring stage?!" Iruka, just about to pack up and head home, suddenly caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye. An astonished expression immediately appeared on his face. A bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart. A nearby teacher chuckled, "This must be a conflict between the Hyuga clan's main family and branch family. Although we are ninja academy teachers, internal affairs of such noble clans are not something we Chunin can interfere with." Iruka frowned slightly: "No... I have to go check." No matter what, Hinata was one of his students. If anything unexpected happened, he would never forgive himself. "Hey... Iruka, wait for me!" The nearby Chunin teacher, seeing this, quickly ran after him.
At this very moment... on a sparring stage at the Ninja Academy, originally meant for students fifth grade and above to conduct combat exercises, it was now occupied by two individuals. Of course, if you counted Liu Chen, it would probably be three. Hinata stood silently on one side of the stage. She slowly exhaled a breath of fragrant air. The expression on her delicate face carried a hint of solemnity as she looked directly at Neji Hyuga before her. She could clearly sense... Neji Hyuga was a formidable opponent. Although he might not be as strong as Iruka Sensei, he was still stronger than many sixth-grade students. And the reason she had been able to match Iruka earlier was solely because Guardian Spirit Brother had been secretly reminding her. This time, Guardian Spirit Brother had already said he wouldn't remind her. This meant the upcoming battle would be entirely up to her.
"Guardian Spirit Brother once said... no matter if you win or lose, you must not give up at the start, nor be more nervous than your opponent at the start." A look of understanding appeared on Hinata's face as she looked directly at Neji Hyuga, less than 10 meters away. A kind smile graced her delicate face. "Neji Nii-san... if you lose, you can't hold a grudge, okay?"
Neji Hyuga: "..." What the hell is this confident attitude?! Wasn't she just looking nervous moments ago?! Her change in expression is as fast as a face-changing act. His expression stiffened slightly. He snorted coldly, saying in an icy tone, "Your strength is insufficient to defeat me. To me, you don't even qualify as an enemy, let alone defeat me."
"..." The atmosphere fell silent. Both were equally confident. Hinata's confidence stemmed from Liu Chen's words. Neji's confidence came from his own strength. At least in Neji Hyuga's eyes, Hinata being able to unseat Sasuke Uchiha from first place was definitely not due to genuine strength. He simply didn't believe that a person could change so much in such a short time. And with Hinata's personality, she truly wasn't suited to be a ninja. This was the arrangement of fate. Could it be... that fate could even be defied?
Under the gaze of countless individuals, the two, almost in unison, suddenly charged towards each other. Their speeds were both extreme. Veins visibly coiled on their faces. Neji Hyuga's pupils constricted: "How is this possible?! So fast! Her speed is actually superior to mine!" He suddenly realized that his own speed seemed unable to keep up with hers. How could such a thing happen?! Such a huge change in just three months?! A cold glint flashed in Neji Hyuga's eyes. He gritted his teeth and attacked Hinata, his palm, imbued with a hint of Chakra, aimed fiercely at Hinata's chest.
However, to his surprise, the palm strike, which should have surely hit, landed on thin air. I... I dodged it?
Thump!!! A dull thud suddenly resounded from Neji Hyuga's abdomen. Hinata, with a perilous and swift movement, dodged Neji's "Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Palms," and instantly rushed forward, landing a fierce punch into Neji Hyuga's abdomen. The immense strength, honed over three months of hard training, erupted in full force in an instant. The air was stirred into a barely visible shockwave. Neji Hyuga's abdomen suddenly caved inward by an inch. His Byakugan eyes were bloodshot, and his tightly pursed lips involuntarily parted, a mouthful of crimson blood spewing forth. The immense force in his abdomen completely unleashed, and Neji Hyuga flew backward like a kite with a broken string. The moment he hit the ground with a harsh thud, he once again vomited a mouthful of bright red blood. He felt as if his intestines had almost ruptured. He struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Neji Hyuga's face was grim: "I was careless... she is actually, truly that strong!" Before this, he had always thought that Hinata Hyuga, this young lady of the main family, had only secured Sasuke Uchiha's first place through cunning means. But now, the sharp pain in his abdomen told him that his opponent relied on genuine strength! Possessing strength completely on par with his own, Neji Hyuga! It seems you usually hide... really deeply, Lady Hinata... Neji Hyuga gritted his teeth. He quickly took several deep breaths of cool air, trying to ignore the intense pain in his abdomen. He fell into a slight contemplation. If he hadn't been careless just now, he should have been able to dodge her punch. But he hadn't expected... he was still too careless. This young lady of the main family hid her true abilities incredibly well. Was her former weakness all a disguise?!
Adopting a Gentle Fist stance, Neji Hyuga's face was filled with solemnity. He absolutely could not lose to this person. He absolutely could not bring shame to the Hyuga branch family. And Hinata, in her heart, was also very shocked. She had actually made Neji Hyuga spit blood with one punch! It was widely known that Neji Hyuga was the acknowledged strongest genius of the Hyuga clan in recent years!
"I just feel like Neji Nii-san's speed, reaction time, and strength are all inferior to mine," Hinata murmured to herself. "Of course they're inferior to yours. Although the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist is also a good Taijutsu, it leans more towards pinpointing chakra points. In terms of raw power, it's nowhere near yours. And with your physique, you might not even fear his point striking," Liu Chen explained in Hinata's mind. His strength was the greatest present, and he also had the clearest view of the battle situation.