Chapter 10 - defense! indestructible

"What's that? Even from so far away..." Shino frowned, slightly surprised.

Kiba froze for a moment before resuming his usual demeanor. "Neji? When did you learn ninjutsu?"

What they didn't realize was that this wasn't ninjutsu, but rather a physical skill Neji had mastered through hard training—a long-range technique unique to his Byakugan.

"Hinata, come to me," Neji called, his voice steady.

Even though he wasn't interested in fighting these people, he didn't want to see Hinata hurt. She struggled for a moment but then ran towards him. Meanwhile, the shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Grass took advantage of Shino and Kiba's distraction and quickly retreated from the battlefield.

After regrouping, Shino seemed less hostile towards Neji. After this encounter, he and the others began to realize that Neji was not as terrible as the rumors had suggested.

"I didn't expect Neji to be so strong. He can even hold his own against Kiba in close combat," Shino remarked.

Kiba scoffed, "Hmph, he's strong, sure, but I wasn't going all out. Don't get too cocky!"

Just then, a voice echoed from the surrounding area. It was one of the Grass Village shinobi.

"Since we're all from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, why don't you all die together?"

"Earth Style, Mud Mire!"

With a rumble, the ground around them—spanning six or seven meters—began to sink, turning into a swamp to trap them in place.

Shino was the first to react, raising his hand to signal his insects to scatter.

"This isn't just a simple blockade. It's an Earth Style chakra barrier. Even my bugs can't get out," he warned.

Kiba growled in frustration, "Those Grass shinobi are sneaky!"

The voice from the shadows spoke again, "The chief examiner said this exam is a real battle. If that's the case, killing you shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Shino and Kiba's expressions darkened. They hadn't come with the intention of killing Neji, but these Grass shinobi seemed to mean business.

"This Earth Style barrier will hold you for at least two minutes. In the next minute, 30,000 needle-like hidden weapons will rain down on you. You won't escape... Hahaha!"

Suddenly, the sound of thousands of needles whistled through the air, and Shino's insects were struck, nailed to the trees.

"Byakugan!" Hinata activated her Byakugan, scanning the area. She saw that the needles were infused with chakra.

"They're poisoned..." she said, a cold sweat forming on her brow.

"Hahaha! That's right! The needles are laced with a potent toxin. Even if you avoid a fatal hit, as long as you're pricked, you'll die!"

Shino and Kiba were at a loss. They had come to confront Neji but now found themselves in grave danger.

"I'll block all the needles with Fang Over Fang! You guys protect yourselves!" Kiba said as he prepared to transform with Akamaru. But Hinata quickly stopped him.

"No, Kiba! You'll take too many hits!"

"But what other choice do we have?" Kiba protested.

Neji stepped forward, cutting off their argument. "Stand here. Don't move," he instructed.

Hinata suddenly brightened. "Brother Neji, you can use Revolving Heaven, right?"

Kiba, however, shook his head. "No way. Revolving Heaven can't cover such a large area, and it can't last for a full minute."

Shino remained silent, unsure of what to do.

"Time's up! Go to hell!" The Grass shinobi ordered the attack, and the sound of thousands of needles filled the air. The smell of death lingered as the barrage rained down upon them.

Neji took a deep breath. Of course, he knew that the standard Revolving Heaven wouldn't hold out, but he was confident in what he could do.

"Wind release..."

Neji closed his eyes, focusing on refining the chakra within him. With Byakugan's clarity, it was an easy task.

"Nature transformation!"

As Neji opened his eyes, the first wave of needles came within striking distance. Kiba and Shino instinctively raised their arms to shield themselves, and Hinata squeezed her eyes shut.

"Wind Revolving Heaven!"

Neji spun rapidly, the wind around him kicking up dust. The incoming needles, too light to penetrate, were caught in the whirlwind and blown away.

The wind-driven chakra formed a barrier, a massive dome-like version of Revolving Heaven, with a diameter of five meters. The tornado-like vortex shielded Hinata, Kiba, and Shino while the needles outside were deflected and destroyed.

Thousands of needles pelted the area, but none could pierce the storm Neji had created. The terrain itself was torn apart by the rotating chakra.

"An indestructible defense... Is this really Revolving Heaven of the Hyuga clan? No, it's something else entirely!" one of the Grass shinobi stammered, wide-eyed and sweating.

"This is like a giant, controlled tornado," he continued in disbelief, watching as even the trees around them were nearly uprooted.

Neji's Wind Revolving Heaven lasted over a minute, obliterating everything around them.

When the attack finally ceased, Revolving Heaven came to a stop as well.

"Release the bugs!" Shino ordered, and his insects swarmed out, leaving the Grass shinobi with no escape.

"Fang Over Fang!" Kiba shouted as he launched his attack, striking one of the Grass shinobi square in the face.

...

"Is this really okay?" Hinata blushed, looking away as she noticed that the Grass shinobi had been stripped down to their underwear.

Kiba, dusting off his hands, replied with a grin, "That's what they get! Maybe next time, they'll think twice before trying to pull something like this."

Kiba then turned to Neji, noticing the scrolls. "Hey, Neji, you have the Heaven scroll, right? We've got the Earth scroll, so why don't we just take theirs?"

Shino, hands still in his pockets, regarded Neji thoughtfully. "What was that technique you used just now? Have you really taken Revolving Heaven to that level?"

Neji scratched his head sheepishly. "Ah, it's nothing. The Hyuga clan is just that strong!"

Hinata smiled quietly to herself. Seeing her brother hold his head high in front of others made her feel proud.

"We should find a place to rest," Shino suggested, noticing how exhausted everyone was. To avoid further enemies, they needed to move quickly.

But after only a few steps out of the woods, Neji suddenly stopped and signaled the others to halt.

The sound of rustling leaves filled the air, and several shinobi wearing light-gray jumpsuits emerged. It was a group of Genin from the Village Hidden in the Rain—led by a shinobi named Oz.

His messy hair and dark circles under his eyes gave him a sinister appearance.

Neji tensed, recognizing the Rain shinobi's headband despite the darkness.

"I thought I was late, but it seems I'm just in time!" Oz smirked, clearly excited to face Neji.