Chapter 38 - doubt! Non-existent genius

Tenten stared at the hole left by the palm strike for a long time, unable to believe what she had just witnessed.

Thinking back to the enormous power that palm generated as it cut through the air when it landed, she wondered—was that really a move Neji, the one she often underestimated, could perform so easily?

Tenten swallowed hard and turned her head to look at Neji, who was breathing as steadily as ever.

"Excuse me," Neji said, bowing, his expression gentle and calm.

Tenten felt a flicker of resentment in her heart.

But she quickly realized that this resentment wasn't directed at Neji. It was caused by the vast gap between her internal assumptions and the harsh reality. She despised herself for making such a misjudgment.

Neji was incredibly strong, yet so humble in character. And she, who had been by his side all this time, was the last person to recognize it.

"I lost," Tenten muttered, lowering her head and dropping her hands.

The match wasn't over, but Tenten already knew the outcome.

The results of the Chūnin Exam had left her dissatisfied; she couldn't accept reality. But now, Neji's power had completely awakened her to the truth. She could finally see things clearly.

"So, starting tomorrow, Tenten will join Neji for training. Lee and I will be on a high-priority mission in the village," Guy said, pleased that Tenten had untangled her feelings.

"A mission? At this time..." Neji felt a sense of unease. With his current strength, he couldn't prevent the crisis he knew was coming.

But the Jōnin in the village should be able to handle it, so why was Guy still assigned to this mission?

"Yes, this mission is critical. It requires a powerful taijutsu user, so I'm taking Lee along for additional training."

Neji nodded, showing no signs of jealousy. Guy's physical techniques didn't help him much, as Byakugan's skills were unique. Compared to speed and strength, Byakugan prioritized precision.

"But don't worry. I've already spoken to Tenten, and she'll be making sure you stay on track with your training."

"Leave it to me," Tenten said, nodding. She had good self-discipline and wasn't the type to dwell on past events.

"Well, there's more..." Neji hesitated. To be honest, Tenten's current strength wasn't enough to push him to take his training seriously.

Even if Tenten didn't realize it, Guy certainly could.

"Haha! I almost forgot to tell you—don't worry. I've arranged for a new teacher to guide your special training for the next two weeks. Work hard!" Guy said excitedly, walking over and placing his hands on Neji's shoulders.

"A new teacher?" Neji was curious, but a bad feeling crept up on him.

"This teacher is exceptional! Even better than me! You're going to be impressed..." Guy grinned, retracting his hands as he took a few steps back.

"Anyway, you'll meet him tomorrow at the 21st training ground, at our usual time," Guy added.

Neji tilted his head, intrigued by who this new teacher might be. In his current state, improving through proficiency and combat was a slow and rigid process. No matter how much he practiced the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, it wouldn't yield the same result as using a chakra nature transformation, like the thunder element given to him by the system. Rigid effort alone wouldn't break through his limits.

He could only hope this new teacher would help him make a significant breakthrough...

Meanwhile, at the Hokage's office, a document lay on the table, full of intricate details.

"The Konoha Security Department has had policies in place that haven't been enforced for a long time. Now, with the daimyo visiting the village for the Chūnin Exams, these plans will naturally start rolling out. And as you mentioned, the Hyuga clan is indeed the strongest contender for this role," Hiruzen said, finishing his cigarette with a sigh.

"However, you're also aware of what happened with the Uchiha clan," he added.

Hiashi took a deep breath, bowing his head slightly. The pressure from the branch house and the internal dynamics of the main family weighed heavily on him.

Hiashi had no other choice—Neji was their new rising hope, and he had decided to put all his faith in him.

"The Hyuga clan is not the Uchiha clan," Hiashi said firmly. "We don't share Uchiha's ambitions, nor is the Hyuga as weak as people perceive!"

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, surprised at Hiashi's bold statement.

"Strength...?" Hiruzen mused, looking up at Hiashi with a serious expression.

"Hyuga Neji, the so-called 'genius at the tail end of the crane'," Hiruzen said flatly.

Hiashi frowned. "Neji has worked very hard. In this Chūnin Exam, I am certain he will stand out."

Hiruzen's lips twitched slightly.

"Lord Third, you are highly respected. I trust you will give the young ones a fair chance?" Hiashi asked.

"Ha!" Hiruzen chuckled and shook his head.

"The village will give the Hyuga clan a chance, and I'll certainly give the child a chance. But this... this Hyuga Neji of yours... How about you show me this 'true genius' you're so confident in?"

Hiashi was taken aback. "A true genius?"

Hiruzen's expression darkened.

"Moonlight Hayate is dead, and we still don't know who killed him. However, witnesses reported seeing a boy fighting six attackers at once that night. Anko also saw this same boy in the Forest of Death."

Hiashi furrowed his brow. "But how is this related to Anbu? In recent years, Anbu has been—"

"No," Hiruzen interrupted.

"That boy wasn't Anbu. We've investigated. More importantly, his fighting style and use of palm strikes strongly resemble the Hyuga clan's techniques."

Hiashi stood frozen, shocked by what he was hearing.

"So, does this mean you suspect the Hyuga clan?" Hiashi asked.

"Of course not," Hiruzen replied with a warm smile. "From the intel we have, it seems this boy is fighting on Konoha's side. It's just that his strength is exceptional—at least at the Jōnin level—and he's so young. If there's a child this talented within the Hyuga clan, why haven't we heard of him until now?"

"This..."

Hiashi was at a loss for words.

"Please forgive me, Hokage, but I've never heard of any child with such immense talent in our clan. There are certainly many children who are more skilled than Neji, but... no one as remarkable as this."

"Hiashi," Hiruzen said thoughtfully, "you're younger than I am, but I've lived through the Hyuga Tennin era. I may even understand the Hyuga clan better than you!"

Hiashi nodded humbly. Hiruzen's words left him no room for argument.

"You've likely faced your share of grievances from both the branch and main families, haven't you?" Hiruzen asked.

"As the head of the clan, that's my responsibility," Hiashi replied, bowing his head.

"I don't want the Hyuga clan to repeat the Uchiha clan's mistakes. But I trust you, Hiashi," Hiruzen said, pressing his hand to a document on the table.

"What does this mean?" Hiashi asked, surprised.

"This can be useful in the future, but not right now."

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