Inside the Central Tower hall, Gekkō Hayate coughed as he announced the rules for the Preliminaries.
The first few battles began and ended quickly; though there were highlights, they seemed somewhat dull after witnessing the over-the-top combat in the Forest of Death.
The first match was Sasuke against a fodder Ninja sent by Orochimaru to force Sasuke into using the Cursed Seal, but Sasuke defeated him using the Lion Combo he had copied.
Afterward, he was taken away by Kakashi for treatment.
Next match.
Zaku vs. Shino Aburame. Shino, with his calm mind and omnipresent Kikaichu, easily defeated Zaku, who could not effectively use his Decapitating Extreme Wave because his arms had been ruined by Lee.
Kankuro vs. Misumi Tsurugi.
Kankuro used the mechanisms and poison smoke of his Karasu Puppet to resolve the match without shedding a drop of blood.
Sakura and Ino ended in a draw and were both eliminated; Tenten was defeated by Temari, as Tenten was completely countered by Temari's Wind Release; and Kiba was defeated by Naruto.
Then, the screen froze once more.
Hyuga Hinata vs. Hyuga Neji
The hall instantly fell silent as everyone's eyes focused on the two members of the Hyuga Clan.
This was not just a civil war within the same clan, but a direct collision between the Main House and the Branch House!
Neji took a deep breath and walked slowly to the center of the arena. He took the starting stance of the Gentle Fist, looking at the calmly approaching Hinata with a complex gaze.
There was respect, Battle Intent, and a trace of indescribable resentment.
He wanted to know exactly how large the gap was between himself and this unfathomable Young Miss of the Main House.
"Young Miss Hinata, please guide me," Neji said in a low voice.
Hinata nodded slightly, her pure white Byakugan eyes remaining calm and rippleless.
"Mm, let me see your current strength."
Gekkō Hayate waved his hand.
"Begin!"
Neji did not hesitate for a moment; he knew that against Hinata, seizing the initiative might be crucial! He pushed off the ground, his body rushing forward to close the distance instantly. He pressed his right index and middle fingers together and, with a sharp whistling sound, aimed directly at Hinata's Shanzhong point! It was the Gentle Fist Art: Tenketsu!
This finger strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless.
However, under the shroud of Hinata's powerful Divine Sense, Neji's movements seemed to be slowed down several times over.
She turned her body slightly, and that sharp finger strike brushed past the edge of her clothes, missing its mark.
Neji's pupils shrank, and he changed his Move extremely quickly, turning his left hand into a palm to strike Hinata's shoulder blade while his right leg swept toward her lower body like a whip! His offensive was continuous, demonstrating the close-quarters combat of the Gentle Fist to its fullest extent.
Hinata's figure was like a willow catkin in the wind, flickering unpredictably within Neji's dense offensive.
She parried, blocked, dodged, or redirected; her movements were minimal, yet she always managed to avoid Neji's every attack by a hair's breadth.
Her hands occasionally reached out like butterflies through flowers—not to attack, but to precisely tap Neji's wrists, elbows, and other power points. With every light tap, Neji felt his Chakra flow stagnate slightly, causing his offensive to involuntarily falter for a split second.
"Why aren't you using the Byakugan?! Are you looking down on me?!"
Neji couldn't help but growl. He felt as if he were fighting an invisible opponent whose insight far exceeded his understanding, which made him feel stifled.
"Hehe... that depends on your strength."
Hinata's cold voice came through, carrying a matter-of-fact calmness.
These words stung Neji's heart like a needle! He let out a low roar, and the Chakra inside him suddenly erupted!
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
He instantly closed in on Hinata, his palms turning into a sky full of shadows, blanketing Hinata's vital points like a violent storm! This was the strongest Gentle Fist Profound Truth he currently mastered, aimed at sealing all the opponent's paths of retreat with absolute quantity and speed to win in a single blow!
Facing this familiar Move—which in the original work had severely injured "herself"—a very faint ripple finally flashed in Hinata's eyes.
She did not choose to meet it head-on, nor did she completely evade as she had before.
Just as the dense palm shadows were about to hit her, her footwork suddenly changed.
Her figure wove through the gaps between the palm shadows like a fish in water, agile and incredible! The originally airtight sixty-four palm strikes were actually all avoided by her in an inconceivable manner!
"What?! Impossible!"
Neji cried out in shock. He had never seen anyone evade a complete Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms so easily! What kind of terrifying anticipation and movement technique did this require?!
Just as his old momentum was spent and his new strength had yet to rise, and his mind was shaken, exposing a flaw—
Her right hand, which had been hanging at her side, finally made its first proactive Move! With no fancy movements, it was just a simple straight punch, pressing toward Neji's wide-open chest!
This punch seemed slow, yet it appeared to contain a force as heavy as a mountain, locking down all of Neji's space to dodge!
Neji's expression changed drastically; in his haste, he could only cross his arms in front of his chest for a full-power defense.
Boom!!!
The fist and arms collided, producing a dull, thunderous roar!
Neji felt an irresistible, overwhelming force surge from her arms! His condensed Chakra defense was as fragile as paper before this power!
Crack! The sound of a slight bone fracture rang out.
Neji was sent flying backward like he had been hit by a giant boulder. His feet left the ground, and he slammed hard against the solid wall behind him with a thud before slowly sliding to the floor.
His arms were in excruciating pain, his chest was churning, and he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, staining the floor in front of him red.
He struggled to stand up, but found his Chakra in total disarray; for a moment, he couldn't muster any strength.
He looked up at the white-eyed girl in the center of the arena who was slowly retracting her fist—her breathing wasn't even slightly disturbed—and his eyes were filled with disbelief and total defeat.
One Move!
Just one Move! After he had used his strongest Profound Truth, the opponent had used only one Move to completely crush him! She hadn't even used the Byakugan!
The entire hall was silent.
Everyone was shocked by this clean, decisive, and nearly one-sided battle result.
Hinata suddenly thought of something fun; she wanted to replicate what Neji had done.
She raised her hand and aimed it at the defenseless Neji, leaning down with a posture that looked as if she were going to follow Neji's example from the original work and continue with a heavy blow.
"Stop!"
"Hinata! That's enough!"
Four figures shot out from different directions almost simultaneously! Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, and Gekkō Hayate.
These experienced Jonin intervened instantly.
Kakashi stood to the side and grabbed her arm, Gekkō Hayate pointed at Hinata's forehead, and Guy locked Hinata's neck.
Kurenai Yuhi grabbed Hinata's other hand.
However, facing their joint obstruction...
Hum—!
A wave of Pressure erupted with her as the center.
Kakashi frowned; he could feel that the power inside Hinata's body was incredibly strong. Guy tightened his arm, standing ready as if facing a great enemy, not daring to relax in the slightest.
Kurenai Yuhi was ready to use Genjutsu to stop her at any moment.
But the stalemate lasted only a moment.
The Pressure around Hinata suddenly retracted, and she returned to a state of calm.
She pulled back her hand. Seeing that she really wasn't going to act further, Guy let out a sigh of relief and released her.
Hinata turned and left the arena.
Until her figure returned to the corner, the several Jonin looked at each other, seeing the same disbelief in each other's eyes.
Gekkō Hayate suppressed the shock in his heart, coughed once, and announced again.
"Winner, Hyuga Hinata!"
[Defeated Hyuga Neji, changed the original trajectory, obtained points: 3000.]
[Displayed absolute strength, further intimidating all candidates and observers, obtained points: 1000.]
Neji's defeat was inevitable; the gap between the Foundation Establishment Stage and an ordinary Ninja is a difference in the level of existence.
The current Hinata is likely comparable to Naruto in Sage Mode.
This battle was less a struggle between the main and Branch Houses and more a demonstration of the gap between the immortal and the mortal.
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