Chapter 5 - challenge! Bet with elders

What surprised Guy even more were Neji's techniques. He thought to himself that this young man might turn out to be quite talented in the future.

After wrapping up the day's tasks, Guy intended to take the opportunity to talk to Neji, but Neji left early, citing family matters. Guy had heard rumors that Neji often trained alone in the clan's practice field. Initially, he thought Neji was just a hardworking underachiever. However, today's performance had truly opened his eyes. With Neji's skills, Guy was convinced that the boy's true strength had yet to be fully revealed.

---

"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for achieving the milestone of the first actual battle against a Jōnin. Reward: injectable Thunder Attribute Chakra!"

"Detecting injectable Thunder Attribute Chakra physique: Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms! May I proceed with the injection?"

"Inject!"

After receiving the reward, Neji infused the Thunder Attribute Chakra into his Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms technique and went to the clan's practice field to train. He found a wooden stake and began practicing his usual movements.

This time, however, was different. Neji refined the techniques and methods that had been implanted in his mind and extracted his own Thunder Attribute Chakra. The feeling of Chakra coursing through his body was akin to thunder and lightning, quick and slightly numbing. Yet, this power didn't seem very potent.

"Zizi!"

Each palm strike transferred to the stake through Neji's hands, but the effect was minimal.

As night fell, Neji decided to return to his room to avoid overexertion.

"Tsk, this is strange. I can't see the desired effect."

Whether in terms of learning difficulty or practical application, Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms seemed more advanced than the Revolving Heaven technique. This technique should not be performing at such a low level.

Neji frowned, deeply dissatisfied with his practice that day. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he slowly channeled the Thunder Attribute Chakra within him, and the subtle sensation of lightning in his meridians spread throughout his body.

"Is it because the stakes don't have meridians?" he pondered, realizing he might have stumbled upon an important insight.

"Ha!"

With a shout, he drew forth more Thunder Chakra, allowing its powerful surge to course freely through his body.

"It seems I need to find someone to test the effectiveness of this technique. Training against a stake doesn't make sense; I need a strong opponent."

Only then did Neji recognize that the Sixty-Four Palms technique is meant to attack an opponent's chakra pathways, and wooden stakes lacked these pathways. Hence, the training results would naturally be far less effective compared to actual combat, unlike the Revolving Heaven technique.

---

"Young Master Neji!"

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Is that you, Aunt Chun? Come in!"

Hyuga Haru entered, a woman with soft eyes, around thirty years old. She served Hinata and still referred to Neji as "young master," which he acknowledged.

"What's going on?" Neji asked. "Did the patriarch call for me?"

"The patriarch has summoned you for an impromptu clan meeting. You need to hurry!"

"Me?"

Neji frowned slightly. Clan meetings were usually for the strong, so if he was being called, it likely pertained to discussions about him. After some thought, he figured there was only one reason for this summons.

Upon arriving at the venue, he found a large room dimly lit by hanging candles. Hiashi sat at the head of the table, flanked by elders from the Hyuga clan. Most were older than Hiashi, with only a few from his generation present. Behind them stood young ninjas, the backbone of the Hyuga clan, who represented its future.

"Neji, I heard you've learned Revolving Heaven and have been secretly practicing Sixty-Four Palms?" Hiashi inquired, noticing Gintoki and Aota lurking in a corner. Neji realized there was no way to hide this now, but explaining himself wouldn't be easy.

"My techniques are nothing compared to the formal teachings of the Hyuga clan," Neji replied.

"Hmph! Nothing? You've injured my grandson and Gintoki!"

The closest elder to Hiashi, Hyuga Tenshou, was Gintoki's grandfather, and Aota was also his grandson. Naturally, he was protective of them.

"Patriarch, don't take this kid's excuses seriously. With his talent, he must be stealing techniques!" Tenshou retorted angrily.

Hiashi frowned, aware of the seriousness of clan affairs. Neji, however, felt no guilt.

"If I had been secretly training, I wouldn't have waited until now to show it!"

His defiance was evident, and Tenshou grew irate.

"Don't act tough! You're practically an extension of the main family!" Tenshou shouted.

"Calm down, Brother Tenshou. Neji, when Hizashi was alive, he treated you well," interjected Hyuga Tianmu, who had a kind demeanor.

This comment embarrassed Tenshou, and Neji's fingers twitched at the mention of Hizashi.

"From your perspective, how should we handle this situation?" Tenshou asked.

"If Neji learned something in secret, it wouldn't matter. However, if he harmed my grandson and Gintoki, how can we let that slide?"

With a focused look, Tianmu continued, "The Chūnin exam is approaching. If Neji has this talent, he should aim for first or second place. It will not only showcase his abilities but also elevate him to Chūnin rank, truly bringing him into the clan fold."

Hiashi nodded, pleased with this suggestion. "That sounds good!"

Just then, someone interjected, "But what if he doesn't succeed?"

"I don't think that will happen!"

"Neji, do you accept this challenge?" Hiashi asked.

Seizing the opportunity, Neji quickly responded, "Thanks to the elders' kindness, Hyuga Neji promises that if I don't place first in the Chūnin exam, I will accept the consequences!"

"Hmph, don't get too confident..."

Tenshou still wanted to argue, but another elder said, "Brother Tenshou, let's be reasonable. Everyone knows your grandson has his shortcomings. No need to be overly arrogant."

With that, Tenshou fell silent.