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Although Neji was dissatisfied with the Hyuga clan at this time, his resentment hadn't yet reached its peak since his father was still alive.
Sasuke confronted him, saying, "I understand more than you think. You're angry because you've been treated unfairly by your family, but instead of standing up to the clan leader or your father, you take it out on your sister, who's only different from you because of her birthright!"
Neji turned to face Sasuke, his expression darkening. Sasuke had hit a nerve, speaking the truth that Neji didn't want to hear.
The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan grants a 360-degree field of vision and the ability to see through an opponent's chakra pathways.
Neji was once considered a genius of the Hyuga clan. However, due to the division between the branch family and the main family, Neji was cursed with the "Caged Bird" seal.
This seal limited his abilities, preventing him from achieving a full 360-degree vision and restricting his understanding of an opponent's chakra points and pathways.
Despite this, Neji worked tirelessly to master the techniques traditionally reserved for the main family, such as the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms and the Heavenly Rotation.
But whenever Neji saw Hinata, who was supposed to be the prodigy of the main family, he felt a deep sense of injustice. If the eldest daughter of the main family had been a genius, Neji might have accepted his fate, but Hinata's timid nature only fueled his resentment.
Neji snapped back to the present, glaring at Sasuke. "Do you want to be beaten?"
Sasuke stood his ground, undaunted. "Do you?"
Neji smirked. "You're from the Uchiha clan, with a different bloodline limit, just like me. But that doesn't give you the right to be arrogant!"
He roughly shook Hinata off and assumed a fighting stance. "I'll show you the harsh reality. This isn't your Uchiha clan, and this isn't your cradle!"
Sasuke's Sharingan activated, the three Tomoe spinning in his eyes. Neji responded by activating his Byakugan, the veins around his eyes bulging as he analyzed Sasuke's physical condition. What he saw surprised him.
To Neji's Byakugan, a person's chakra network appears as a system of connected pathways, with a central "soul fire" representing their life force and chakra reserves.
Normally, the soul fire in children their age is weak, but Sasuke's was burning brightly. The sheer amount of chakra within Sasuke's body was greater than even the head of the Hyuga clan!
Hinata watched the two boys nervously, not wanting either of them to get hurt. Itachi, observing the scene, leaned down and said quietly to her, "Don't worry, Sasuke will win."
Sasuke formed hand seals and then spat out a large, orange-yellow fireball. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Neji quickly gathered chakra in his hands, spinning it around his body to create a protective whirlwind that swallowed the fireball.
Neji then dashed toward Sasuke, aiming to strike his chakra points. But Sasuke was ready. He formed a seal, and suddenly, five more Sasukes appeared around him.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Neji's Byakugan scanned the clones, confident he could see through the illusion. "You can't hide from my eyes!"
However, he couldn't discern which clone was the real Sasuke. Suddenly, one of the clones appeared behind Neji, pressing a kunai to his neck. Sasuke's voice came from the clone, "You lose."
The remaining clones dissipated into white mist with a soft bang, leaving Neji stunned.
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