The performance of Hinata surprised many.
Those familiar with the Hyuga Clan could tell—she had not even used her full strength yet.
Even so, her displayed ability was already enough to shock most of the candidates.
---
Temari's Counterattack
On the field, Temari retreated quickly, creating distance.
Her expression turned serious.
"Wind Style: Great Sickle Weasel!"
She swung her giant fan.
Sharp wind blades tore through the air, rushing toward Hinata.
The force split the ground and filled the arena with violent gusts.
---
Eight Trigrams Defense
Facing the attack, Hinata remained calm.
"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"
Chakra burst from her tenketsu as her body spun rapidly.
A rotating sphere of chakra formed around her, deflecting the incoming wind blades.
Each attack was repelled, the force scattering across the arena and carving into the surrounding walls.
---
Shock
From above, Neji Hyuga narrowed his eyes.
"That's… Rotation?"
Even among the Hyuga, this technique was difficult to master.
Kakashi Hatake also observed carefully.
"So she can already use it…"
Nearby, Sasuke Uchiha clenched his fists.
His Sharingan tracked every movement, but his expression grew darker.
He could clearly see the gap in their strength.
---
Within the Eight Trigrams
As the dust settled, Hinata stepped forward.
"You're already within my range," she said softly.
Temari frowned.
Before she could react—
Hinata moved.
---
Gentle Fist
"Gentle Fist!"
Hinata closed the distance instantly.
Her palms struck with precision, targeting chakra points.
Each hit disrupted Temari's chakra flow.
"Eight Trigrams… Sixteen Palms!"
Hinata's strikes landed in rapid succession.
Temari was sent flying backward and crashed to the ground.
---
Result
Silence filled the arena.
Temari lay unconscious.
The outcome was clear.
From above, her teammates rushed down, checking her condition.
"She's fine," Hinata said calmly. "Just unconscious."
The match was decided.
Hinata advanced.
---
Chen Xing watched quietly from above, his expression unchanged.
The preliminaries were coming to an end.