Fight

After both stood still in the arena, Neji's expression was ice-cold.

Naruto started to regret those complaints he had vented about the Hyuga clan using the Puppet of the God of Shinobi. After intensifying the internal strife within the Hyuga, the karmic repercussions had come back to him now.

"Great, karma and all that!"

Feeling uneasy, Naruto glanced at Neji on the opposite side. Neji's face was so dark it looked like it could drip water, sending shivers down Naruto's spine.

It was fortunate that he had chosen to substitute for Hinata; otherwise, little Hinata would've been in serious trouble because of him.

That guy on the other side—his dark transformation was terrifying. Judging by the look in his eyes, he'd definitely go all out.

"Lady Hinata, I didn't expect to face you," Neji said, addressing Hinata.

At this point, Naruto was controlling Hinata's body. While doing so, he could also communicate with her in the consciousness space and speak through her body. Likewise, Hinata in the consciousness space could sense everything happening outside.

"Neji brother…" Hinata's voice inside the consciousness space was tinged with sadness.

Naruto, however, didn't care about these details. Right and wrong were already clear—the Hyuga main family were the real culprits here.

But first, he had to protect Hinata and deal with everything else later.

"Yes, I didn't expect this either," Naruto replied, reluctant to address Neji as "brother" and barely managing to respond.

Simultaneously, Naruto made Hinata's body take a half-step back, a stance he often used at the start of a fight. This was high-level combat; Naruto wasn't proficient in Hyuga-style techniques and could only improvise.

He also had to manage his chakra carefully during the fight to avoid running out.

The proctor, Hayate Gekko, standing to the side, glanced at the two of them and announced lethargically, "Alright then, let the match begin."

Neji stepped forward with his right foot and assumed a stance. His expression serious, he addressed Hinata.

"Before the match starts, I'd like to give you some advice, Lady Hinata: surrender. You're not fit to be a ninja."

"You're too weak, lacking your own will and unable to refuse others. Being too kind to everyone only leads to being bullied. Ninjas are killing machines. Someone as kind as you will never make it and will only harm others and yourself!"

"I understand," Naruto, using Hinata's body, replied. "But giving up is not an option. Everyone has something they need to hold on to in life."

"You've changed, Lady Hinata," Neji said coldly. "The old you would've run away. Even if you're trying to stand firm now, it won't change the fact that you're destined to lose."

"With my Byakugan, I see everything clearly. Your failures in the past and your true nature will soon reveal themselves."

Neji's psychological tactics nearly drove Hinata into despair. Even though she didn't speak, Naruto could sense her body trembling with fear.

In the consciousness space:

"Aren't you from the main family?" Naruto asked.

"Yes," Hinata murmured.

"The main family has absolute authority over the branch family, doesn't it?" Naruto said. "So why are you afraid of him?"

"I… I don't want to fight Neji brother," Hinata hesitated. "The relationship between the main and branch families has always been bad. Neji wasn't like this when we were kids, but… but…"

"That's not something you can control unless you become the clan leader," Naruto said. "Neji hates you because you're part of the main family and benefit from it. So why would there even be a conflict between the two of you? It doesn't make sense!"

"I… I don't know," Hinata said softly.

"Big families are such a hassle," Naruto sighed.

He stopped speaking and focused his attention on Neji, who had already activated his Byakugan.

In an instant, Naruto switched Hinata's open hand into a fist and activated the Byakugan.

On the opposite side, Neji was slightly surprised that Hinata had activated her Byakugan without forming seals, just like himself.

In the spectator stands above:

"Hey, why does Neji look so surprised? Did Hinata do something?" Sakura asked.

Hearing this, Lee chimed in.

"Neji spent a long time learning to activate the Byakugan without seals. Perhaps he didn't expect Hinata to have this ability as well."

The battle had begun, and the two were already exchanging blows.

Naruto, controlling Hinata's body, found himself significantly weakened.

Just as Orochimaru's Reanimation Jutsu transfers abilities based on the soul rather than the body, Naruto was now limited by Hinata's chakra and physical strength. Additionally, her physical limits were far below his own.

Naruto didn't know how fast his true limits were, but his Nine-Tails-infused body would behave as if on a stimulant. In Hinata's body, however, he could feel a distinct boundary—her physical limit. He was certain that exceeding this would result in torn muscles or worse.

Neji charged forward, his palm outstretched, his movements sharp and fast like a silver flash.

Naruto sidestepped swiftly, avoiding Neji's palm and creating distance.

The Hyuga clan's taijutsu technique relied on coating chakra on the palms, allowing them to damage an opponent's internal organs without direct contact.

As Neji closed in again, Naruto evaded his attack and countered with a precise kick, striking a pressure point on Neji's arm.

Feeling his rhythm disrupted, Neji retreated cautiously. Naruto seized the opportunity, flipping his palm for a forward strike. At the same time, he twisted his waist to dodge Neji's counterattack and delivered a backhanded strike.

Neji deflected the attack with a soft movement, redirecting the force skillfully.

Naruto, however, focused on speed and relentless attacks. While Neji blocked with precision, Naruto's strategy was to avoid grappling with Hyuga-style techniques. Hinata's understanding of the Eight Trigrams Palm was no match for Neji's mastery, and Naruto himself was unfamiliar with it.

Instead, he relied on swift, evasive movements, keeping Neji off balance with a mix of real and fake attacks. Although Neji had the Byakugan, even his mind struggled to keep up with Naruto's unpredictable feints.

Frustrated, Neji shouted angrily and activated the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms.

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