"First-year practical sparring match: Naruto versus Hinata!"
On the high platform, the proctor shouted loudly.
Shinji, standing outside the arena, looked over upon hearing this. He hadn't expected Naruto to fight Hinata.
"By the way, why are we here to watch the first-years' matches?"
Below the high platform, a fourth-year student asked, somewhat puzzled.
"We didn't really want to come, but then we heard there were people from the Uchiha clan and the Hyuga clan, so we came to check it out." A student next to him replied.
"Oh? There are people from those two clans? You know Neji from the second year is a genius. I wonder how the first-years are?"
"Why bother with so many questions? Wasn't it just called out? We'll know when we see it."
To the left of the chattering crowd, Neji leaned against a tree, arms crossed, looking at the figures below the high platform.
"Main family…"
...
"Naruto-kun, I…"
Hinata looked flustered. She hadn't expected to be fighting Naruto.
"Hinata, you can do it. I know you're not weak." Naruto grinned, giving a thumbs-up and smiling at Hinata.
"Show me your full strength. I want to see your mettle, Hinata."
Smack—
Shikamaru, annoyed, slapped Naruto on the head and said, exasperated, "Naruto, it's just a practical sparring match. Can you please not talk about 'mettle'?"
Naruto clutched his head and whined, "But didn't Shinji-sensei and that green Jonin do the same thing last time?"
"Is that the same thing? Just fight like you do during normal training." Shikamaru said, rubbing his forehead.
"Alright." Naruto pouted and replied.
Hinata formally said, "Naruto-kun, please don't worry. I will show my strongest side. I want to see the difference between us."
Hinata recovered, covering her mouth and smiling. Although Naruto had said the wrong thing, it made her understand what Naruto meant.
"Okay! I'll give it my all too!"
Naruto nodded and walked onto the high platform with Hinata.
"Hey, Shikamaru, will it really be okay?" Ino asked, somewhat helplessly.
Naruto being a one-track mind was one thing, but Hinata too? Could this be why Hinata fell for Naruto?
"Too lazy to worry. Shinji-sensei is nearby anyway, so no panic." Shikamaru shook his head.
Having spent some time with Naruto and Hinata, he understood their personalities.
"Alright." Ino sighed helplessly upon hearing this.
"Form the Seal of Confrontation!" The proctor told Naruto and Hinata.
Naruto and Hinata, facing each other, both raised their hands to form the Seal of Confrontation.
Naruto spoke first, "Hinata! Here I come!"
"Understood, Naruto-kun!"
Byakugan! Activate!
Hinata immediately formed hand signs, activated her Byakugan, and took the starting stance for Gentle Fist.
Naruto adopted the starting stance for Eternal Fist. No matter how carefree he was, he intended to use only taijutsu against Hinata, as taijutsu was Hinata's specialty.
Shinji slowly walked to the base of the platform to watch.
"Begin!"
As soon as the proctor's voice fell, Hinata immediately charged at Naruto.
Whoosh!
She unleashed several consecutive palms, all of which Naruto neutralized using Eternal Fist.
Neji, who had initially been nonchalant, had already straightened up, veins throbbing around his eyes. He had activated his Byakugan and was watching Naruto in the arena.
"This taijutsu…"
First Form: Wood Breaker!
Naruto unleashed a series of high-speed straight punches directly at Hinata's face. Each punch almost carried the effect of Chakra piercing.
Seeing this, Hinata pulled her hands back and changed her approach when she struck again.
Her palms struck in rapid succession, covered in Chakra, to counter Naruto's Chakra piercing.
When it came to Eternal Fist, Hinata was arguably the most proficient practitioner besides Shinji. Moreover, she possessed the Byakugan, which offered the most precise insight. Therefore, Hinata could predict almost all of Naruto's moves.
Seizing an opening, Hinata stomped her foot on the ground, and the Chakra fluctuations around her dispersed.
"Naruto-kun, you are now within my Eight Trigrams field."
No sooner had she spoken than Hinata unleashed Vacuum Palm, a blue Chakra shockwave heading straight for Naruto.
After learning Eternal Fist, Hinata was able to apply similar principles to other Gentle Fist techniques.
"This technique!"
Seeing Hinata unleash this move, Naruto immediately changed his breathing, and his entire body was instantly covered in a Chakra shield.
Deflecting Hand: Revolve!
He spun at high speed, deflecting and dispersing the shockwave.
Hinata, having completed a set of Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm, now felt somewhat fatigued, her brow slightly furrowed.
Indeed, without Shinji's breathing method, her Chakra was still too strained, not enough to sustain her in continued combat.
"Hinata! Feel free to use it!" Naruto, standing opposite her, simply said.
The spectators might not have understood what Naruto was saying, but Hinata knew clearly.
Within the range of her Byakugan, she sensed Shinji nodding at her.
Crescent Moon Breathing Technique!
Hinata took a deep breath, instantly deactivated her Byakugan, and adjusted her breathing throughout her body.
The students below the platform felt that the little girl before them seemed to have transformed, and began to overwhelm Naruto.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know, but she suddenly feels much stronger."
"It's more than just getting stronger. Her attack style seems to have changed."
"Don't you think these two first-years on stage could easily defeat me?"
"No, they could easily defeat us."
"…"
The last senior student, wearing glasses, silenced everyone around him with a simple sentence.
Brother, you hit the nail on the head.
Yes, just looking at the strength Naruto and Hinata were displaying now, they really could beat them like dogs.
Are first-year students this strong now?
"A new taijutsu from the Main Family? No, that's not right, since the other one knows it too."
Neji, standing far off to the side, watched the back-and-forth figures on the high platform, his fists unconsciously clenching.
Ultimately, even though Hinata's Eternal Fist was much more proficient than Naruto's, she had wasted too much Chakra early on by using Gentle Fist. Naruto seized the opportunity and defeated her with a single blow.
"Winner! Naruto!"
The proctor, who had long since gone numb, immediately announced the victor once a result was clear.
"Hinata, you're really strong!" Naruto came up to Hinata, extended his hand, and said with a smile.
"No, Naruto-kun, you're the truly amazing one." Hinata shook her head.
A loss was a loss.
"It's okay, at least you're much stronger than Sasuke now."
Naruto casually threw Sasuke under the bus, because when it came to Eternal Fist, Sasuke really couldn't compare to him and Hinata.
Sasuke, who was below the platform, twitched his lips upon hearing this.
You idiotic loser, can you at least pick your moments when you're being lovey-dovey?
And don't drag me into your discussions!
(End of Chapter)
Read upto 50 Chapters ahead on
patreon.com/astralicity