Chapter 5: Instinctive Enhancement

Chapter 5: Instinctive Enhancement

"You're still not leaving?" Neji Hyuga finally spoke, looking at Hinata Hyuga, who sat unmoved on the other side. He asked in confusion.

"Come," Hinata replied, standing up and beckoning him over as she began to straighten her clothes. As she removed her outer garments, the white training uniform underneath became visible.

Clang!

With a loud noise, the ten-pound iron rings around her wrists and ankles fell to the ground, echoing through the wooden dojo.

A flicker of surprise crossed Neji's eyes, though he remained mostly composed. He could imagine how hard she must have trained, bearing those weights all the while. Her dedication was remarkable.

"What?" Neji asked, puzzled. He didn't quite understand what she meant by all this.

"Let's spar," Hinata said, warming up as she stretched her limbs. Her voice was calm, with not a trace of emotion in her eyes. "I've made some progress in my training, so I can trade a few moves with you."

Neji's face became a mix of complex emotions. After being defeated by Hinata last time, he'd been reflecting constantly, spending the entire week pushing himself and intensifying his own training.

Hinata merely glanced at him before continuing her warm-up, not saying anything more.

Neji's personality had become more twisted in this life, especially because Hinata was no longer the weak excuse he once relied on. Instead, he now directed all the blame for his suffering onto the Hyuga main family.

The main family had caused the death of his father, Hizashi Hyuga, and kept Neji bound as a servant with the Caged Bird seal.

Neji had tried to resist but found his efforts in vain. He realized that while he yearned for freedom, the Caged Bird seal kept him shackled to the main family. Even though his talent far exceeded Hinata's, he was still nothing more than a subordinate.

Trapped within the Hyuga family, Neji felt only torment. Especially now, as he watched Hinata grow stronger each day, an anxiety gnawed at him.

Looking at Hinata's casual attitude, his heart filled with anger.

"A sparring match? Does she really think I'm just a servant to be used for practice? That condescending attitude... disgusting!" Neji clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead, his face flushed with rage, and his expression twisted with fury.

"Fine," Neji finally agreed, his voice calm, though inside, his anger continued to rise.

Hinata hesitated for a brief moment when she saw his intense expression.

"Begin calculations," Hinata commanded internally, focusing her thoughts. As her mind resonated with the technology implanted within her, data began to stream from the advanced terminal linked to her brain.

The system automatically responded to her brainwaves, using the collected data to start predictive calculations. This was the power of advanced technology.

"Calculations initiated. Detected a target database. Data loaded successfully."

The terminal loaded Neji's data from the previous battle.

"Commencing calculations."

"Byakugan!"

Both Hinata and Neji activated their Byakugan, forming hand seals in sync. The veins around their temples bulged as their eyes filled with chakra.

"Data detected. Predictive simulation underway."

With the Byakugan activated, the terminal processed additional data. It consumed energy to track and simulate Neji's movements using Hinata's sensory input. If she could perceive the changes clearly, the system's calculations would adapt accordingly.

The two stood facing each other in the dojo, ready to engage. Neji, barely able to contain himself, was eager to begin.

Hinata widened her eyes, experiencing the shift in perception that came with activating her Byakugan. The world around her turned gray, except for the blue glow of chakra.

Without the weight of the iron rings, her body felt light and agile. She had trained every day for a week with ten-pound weights on her wrists and ankles, enduring an hour of intense practice each session.

"Let the battle begin!"

Whoosh!

As soon as Hinata finished speaking, Neji was already in front of her. His hand formed a palm strike, descending slowly but with great power. With the Byakugan active, Hinata could clearly see the condensed chakra in his palm.

Taking a hit from that would be no small matter.

Hinata had anticipated this. She knew that Neji wouldn't have stopped training, just as she hadn't. As she grew stronger, so did he.

Reborn into the Hyuga family as the eldest daughter, everything had been smooth sailing for her so far. With a little effort, the path to a bright future seemed clear. All she had to do was keep moving forward, and she could reach the top.

Leaving Konoha had never crossed her mind. Leaving would mean becoming a rogue ninja, and in this world, there were only two options: either become a ninja or live on the run.

She didn't want to flee, nor did she want her life to be controlled by others. For now, her only goal in the Hyuga family was simple: defeat Neji! Grow stronger and become a true ninja who could control her own destiny!

"Predictive calculations in progress. Data deviation detected, recalibrating."

Hinata realized that until the system could provide updated predictions, she would have to rely on her own instincts. Neji's swift movements were causing deviations in the system's calculations, a clear sign that he was also growing stronger.

"Haah!"

Neji's movements were quick, his strikes precise and ruthless. Each action carried decisiveness and intent, leaving Hinata little room to dodge. In fact, she barely had any room at all.

Hinata hurriedly dodged his attacks, using significant effort to narrowly avoid his palm strikes. Right now, she was relying solely on her physical strength to keep up with Neji.

Bang!

Neji launched another punch. Hinata instinctively raised her arm to block, barely deflecting his second strike.

She inhaled sharply, her eyes full of seriousness. The gap between them was still significant!

Neji's punch left her arm numb, a testament to his raw power. He was a genius, undeniably the most talented member of the Hyuga family in their generation.

Yet, the outdated rules of the Hyuga clan stifled that talent. In the original story, Neji never received the nurturing that a true genius deserved, not even until his death.

Were those rules truly a blessing or a curse?

Neji frowned, his mind weighed down with the situation. Compared to earlier, he had held back a little, cautious of the strange feeling Hinata's presence gave him. He was aware that if he lost his rhythm, even for a moment, he could be overwhelmed.

In a battle, rhythm was crucial, especially when the gap in strength wasn't overwhelming. If a stronger fighter lost their rhythm, even a weaker opponent could find an opening to win.

That sensation, like sinking into quicksand, made Neji realize he needed to be careful. As long as he could exploit the gap between their abilities, she wouldn't be able to close it.