Chapter 68 : Hinata Vs Neji 1

Finally, after the jaw-dropping performance from both Sasuke and Shika, the bar was raised pretty high. Only two matches were left anyway.

"Next match: Hinata Hyuga vs. Neji Hyuga," the proctor announced.

While people around were still chatting about the previous fight, the next match captured their attention.

Hinata, hearing this, was taken aback, while Neji just looked at Hinata with no emotions. Hinata lowered her head when her name was called out.

"It's just like how Shika-kun told me," Hinata muttered with a frown on her face.

"Look, Hinata, the village is not always fair, especially when it comes to other villages. They will surely give some kind of advantage to the Konoha teams. Let's say if both your team and Neji's team win the semi-final round, then it will most likely be that you will have to fight Neji. Before you freak out, let me tell you why.

This way, at least one person from a major family like Hyuga will be promoted to the final exam. You understand? Letting you both fight separately is also a double-edged sword, as there is a possibility that neither of you gets promoted. So the chances of fighting Neji in the exam are high; you have to be ready for it." Hinata remembered what Shika had told her and pursed her lips.

While she was thinking about this, she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Kurenai.

"Don't worry; you will do just fine, okay? Go and give your all," Kurenai said with a smile. Hinata nodded and walked to the fighting ring.

But as soon as the fight started, Neji said, "Give up, Hinata. You can't beat me, and you know it. There is no point in fighting right now." Neji spoke to Hinata with an emotionless face.

Hinata, hearing this, didn't say anything, but after some time, she smiled. Though no one saw this smile, not even Neji, who was standing so close to her.

'Why is it that you seem to know everything, Shika-kun?' Hinata thought. She wasn't hearing this line for the first time; in fact, she had heard it so many times that even she was a little irritated after hearing it from Neji.

Actually, this was how Shika trained her in the first place—repeating this line so many times that even someone like Hinata was irritated by it.

At first, she lacked the confidence and didn't reply at all. All the while this happened, Shika had her shout at the edge of a cliff with only one thing.

She couldn't even remember how many times she had shouted this. But now, after hearing this particular line from Neji, she instinctively shouted out again.

"NAH, I'LL WIN!"

Hinata was loud, as Shika had trained her to shout this line and smile with no doubt in her mind that she would win.

The shout was loud and super strange coming from the usually shy Hinata. But when everyone heard this as a response to Neji's proclamation, they couldn't help but smile.

More than anyone, Kurenai smiled looking at this. "That boy..." Kurenai knew this line well enough.

"Yes, go, Hinata!" Kiba shouted as he heard the same line coming from Hinata, which he used to hear from Shika before he beat the shit out of him, somehow.

Neji was genuinely surprised. He had never expected this from the shy and meek Hinata.

Neji, too, had heard this line many times due to Tenten copying it from Shika and using it in their fights. But while Tenten used it as a joke, Hinata didn't; she just called out this line like she used to in training and had a smiling face.

Hinata had a complicated expression on her face but still took the fighting stance, doing exactly what Shika had taught her.

"Don't bother thinking about anything besides one thing: If you don't win, you will lose an important person to you. It could be one of your friends, your family, your sister. It could be anyone, so just make sure that you win, Hinata." Shika's words resounded in her mind again, and a determined look appeared on her face.

"I'll win. I have to," Hinata reminded herself as she took the fighting stance.

Neji's expression was cold and unyielding, his eyes sharp as he looked at Hinata. "Is this what that Nara taught you? Do you really think that if he was able to beat that Uchiha, you will be able to win against me?"

Hinata's time training with Shika had changed her more than she realized. She had learned to push herself beyond her limits, to stand up even when she wanted to give up. Her hands trembled slightly, but her eyes were filled with determination as she activated her Byakugan, her veins bulging around her eyes as her field of vision expanded.

"Yeah, I'll win." Hinata gave a beautiful smile out of habit, which Shika had drilled into her, and was ready to fight. To her, right now, what mattered was fighting with everything she had. Winning or not was uncertain, but she would not lose. Just like Shika never lost.

Neji scoffed, but there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected Hinata to have such resolve. "Very well," he replied, sliding into his fighting stance. "I'll show you the difference between a dropout and a genius."

The fight began in an instant. Neji moved first, closing the distance between them with blinding speed. He struck at Hinata with his Gentle Fist, aiming to shut down her chakra points, but Hinata was ready. She dodged to the side, her movements fluid and precise, and countered with her own palm strike.

Under Shika, she had learned that the standard Juken wouldn't work for her, so she adapted the Juken in her own way. Her Juken was no longer the fast and strong Lightning Right Juken of her clan. Her Juken was more fluid, flexible, and unpredictable to some degree—the perfect type for her body.

Their palms clashed, chakra flaring as they exchanged blows. Neji was relentless, his strikes precise and deadly, but Hinata matched him step for step. She had studied her own fighting style under Shika and learned how to handle her clan's Juken with her new Juken style, anticipating and parrying the moves. She was using everything she had learned to stay in the fight.

Despite her efforts, Neji's superior skill was apparent. Three months could only take her so far. His attacks were faster, stronger, and more controlled.

Hinata's new Juken technique was not as refined as the Juken used by the Hyuga clan for hundreds of years, but as it worked better for her body, she was holding her own against Neji, which even Neji himself was surprised about.

'This is not the clan Juken.' Neji could tell that the movements were similar and still targeted the chakra points on one's body, but they were not stiff and more fluid, more flowing like water.

Hinata could feel the strain of keeping up with him, her chakra reserves depleting with each clash. But she didn't let that stop her. She pressed on, pushing herself harder than she ever had before.

'I'll win.' That was the only thing going through her mind.

She managed to land a few hits on Neji, surprising him with her improved speed and reflexes. More than that, he didn't see those attacks coming. They were tricky attacks; her body was too flexible for him to even understand what part of her body she was using to attack him. The crowd watched in awe as Hinata fought with a determination they hadn't seen from her before. Even Naruto, who was cheering from the sidelines, couldn't believe how far she had come.

"Wow, that's Hinata." Kiba couldn't help but widen his eyes, seeing Hinata go crazy and fight on par with Neji.

Both Shino and Kurenai didn't say anything but had smiles on their faces.

'Do whatever you want with her; she is not worth my attention.' Kurenai remembered what Hinata's father told her when she took Hinata under her wing.

She couldn't help but clench her fist after seeing what Hinata was doing. "Not worth your attention, huh," Kurenai muttered with a little smirk slowly appearing on her face.

Neji, though surprised, wasn't about to let her gain the upper hand. He increased the intensity of his attacks, forcing Hinata on the defensive. She blocked and deflected as best as she could, but Neji was relentless, his strikes coming faster and harder.

Hinata could feel herself getting tired, her movements slowing just a fraction. Neji noticed too and took advantage of it. With a swift, powerful strike, he hit one of her key chakra points, sending a shock through her body. Hinata staggered back, gasping as she felt her chakra flow disrupted.

Hinata staggered back and gritted her teeth to suppress her pain. She was giving her best, but no matter what she did, she didn't seem to surpass Neji.

Finally, the usual doubt started to appear in her mind—could she really do it?

But that was when her training kicked in, and she told herself, "I'll win."

xxx

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