Hyuga Neji's veins bulged violently.
This was the first time anyone had dared to be so arrogant in front of him.
He was a recognized genius within the Hyuga Clan. Even though he belonged to the Branch House, his talent and strength had already surpassed countless older shinobi.
At only seven years old, Hyuga Neji had already mastered the Gentle Fist to an extremely high level and could barely perform the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms.
More importantly—
Through nothing but his own effort and talent, he had even grasped part of the Hyuga Clan's ultimate secret technique: Rotation.
For a genius like him, being called a child was nothing short of an insult—an unforgivable humiliation.
Hyuga Hiashi's mouth twitched.
Uchiha Ran truly had no filter.
With words like that, Neji was guaranteed to explode. Yet Hiashi absolutely did not want Neji to clash head-on with Ran.
The terrifying fire Ran had unleashed earlier made Hiashi realize something chilling:
If Ran truly wanted to, a single casual ninjutsu could wipe out the entire Hyuga Clan.
If that Great Fire Annihilation were released inside the Hyuga compound, at least half the clan would die—after all, most Hyuga specialized in taijutsu.
Even Hiashi himself could not guarantee he would escape unscathed.
As if seeing through Hiashi's concerns, Ran smiled faintly and said,
"Relax, Clan Leader Hiashi. I'll only use taijutsu in this match. Consider it a friendly spar."
Hyuga Neji also looked toward his uncle, his gaze firm and resolute.
He had to fight this battle—not just for himself, but for the Hyuga Clan.
As clans possessing Kekkei Genkai dōjutsu, neither side would ever admit inferiority.
Yet objectively speaking, the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan was currently stronger than the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.
The reason was simple: the Sharingan could continue to evolve and grow stronger.
The Byakugan, however… or rather, its evolutionary path had long been sealed by the Caged Bird Seal.
Talented individuals might exist, but they were all branded and restricted, while the Main House enjoyed absolute privilege—unlimited resources, absolute authority.
How enviable.
And yet, even so, many Hyuga shinobi still looked down on the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.
In Neji's eyes, this was no ordinary spar.
This was a battle that wagered the thousand-year reputation of the Hyuga Clan.
He had to make this man—Uchiha Ran—pay a price.
Seeing the determination in Neji's eyes, Hiashi sighed inwardly and finally spoke,
"Go outside. The courtyard is spacious enough. Hinata and Neji usually train there."
At the mention of this, Neji's expression darkened.
Scenes of the Branch House being oppressed by the Main House flashed through his mind.
He took a deep breath.
He could not afford to reveal any weakness in front of Hiashi.
Otherwise, the one who would suffer would be him.
He had to endure. He had to restrain himself.
And so, all of that hatred was transferred onto Uchiha Ran.
"Hyuga Neji," he said coldly. "Please advise."
As he spoke, Neji raised his left hand in front, right hand behind, palms aligned. His left foot rested lightly on its toes, while his right foot pressed firmly into the ground.
"Hm, come on," Ran said casually.
"Let me see whether this so-called Hyuga prodigy really lives up to the rumors."
Neji's eyes sharpened.
He stomped down hard with his right foot, his body shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow.
Two fingers extended on his left hand, thumb tucked, four fingers straight on the right—
"Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms—First Palm!"
Neji rushed straight at Ran.
Ran's expression turned focused. He sidestepped, dodging the Gentle Fist strike, and retreated to create distance.
But Neji was relentless—like a patch of plaster stuck firmly in place.
Ran had no choice.
He stepped forward with his right foot, twisted his body mid-air, rotating a full 360 degrees, and seized the opening—
Bang!
A kick slammed into Neji's shoulder.
Pfft!
Neji spat out a mouthful of blood.
His expression turned grave.
He hadn't expected Ran's raw physical power to be so terrifying. That single kick sent waves of pain through his body.
Neji staggered backward more than ten steps before finally regaining his balance.
Hiashi watched silently.
He did not intervene.
In fact, he wanted Neji to lose—once.
For certain geniuses, the earlier they tasted defeat, the better it was for their future.
Only through loss could Neji understand that there was always someone stronger.
"That would benefit him in the long run," Hiashi thought.
"Well?" Ran said lightly, smiling.
"Still want to fight? If not, I'm leaving."
Neji shook his head slowly.
"Fight. Of course I'll fight."
"But from now on… I won't hold anything back."
"Oh?" Ran raised an eyebrow, interest flickering in his eyes.
"You still have more strength?"
Before he even finished speaking—
A green Eight Trigrams Formation suddenly spread out beneath their feet, instantly enveloping both of them.
Chakra surged within the formation, profound and mysterious.
Ran savored the sensation carefully, the corners of his mouth lifting.
"A binding formation?"
For shinobi of the same level, this would indeed be troublesome.
But Ran was someone who had fused with the Uchiha Madara [Konoha Founding] template.
"Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms—Seal!"
Neji drove power into his legs, closing the distance in an instant.
Ran remained silent.
He gathered strength into his right fist, lowered his stance slightly, and dodged sideways—his punch driving straight toward Neji's abdomen.
But Neji was ready.
His right hand shifted, his left hand following in perfect coordination.
"Rotation—Kaiten!"
Perhaps it was the immense pressure of fighting Ran.
Perhaps it was inspiration born at the edge of defeat.
A perfect, 360-degree hemispherical Rotation burst forth.
The spinning chakra deflected Ran's strike cleanly.
A flash of surprise crossed Ran's eyes.
As expected of one of the future Konoha Twelve.
Under pressure, Neji had actually comprehended the Hyuga Clan's secret technique—Rotation—ahead of time.
Clatter.
The wine cup in Hiashi's hand slipped and shattered on the ground.
The sound drew everyone's attention.
They turned to see Hiashi staring ahead, eyes wide, pupils trembling.
"The Hyuga Clan's ultimate secret technique… Rotation?" he murmured.
"How did Neji learn it?"
"Could it be that he once saw a clan elder perform it during a mission… and grasped the essence from just that?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it reached Hinata's ears.
Hinata pressed her lips together, then looked up at Neji, who was now standing on one foot after finishing Rotation.
Her eyes were filled with envy, admiration… and a faint sense of loss.
Compared to Neji, she really was still far too clumsy.
Ran did not attack.
Instead, he quietly watched Neji, who was immersed in recalling the sensation of that moment.
Ran was not a cruel person.
The current Hyuga Clan was one of his intended allies—and Neji was Hiashi's only nephew.
Naturally, he would not interrupt Neji's epiphany.
(A/N)
Bonus Chapter will be uploaded later because we reach out first goal 50 power stones.
Thank you to all of you handsome men and beautiful girls for this and please continue to support it further.