In the small pavilion within the courtyard.
"I understand what you mean." Namikaze Naruto put down his teacup, looked at the Hyuga Clan Head opposite him, and, recalling Hiashi's recent assistance, nodded slightly. "I can be a trial opponent for Hinata and Hyuga Neji."
Hyuga Hiashi expressed his gratitude. The reason he sought an outsider as a trial opponent was entirely because, within the Hyuga clan, there was no longer anyone capable of being a match for the two young prodigies. Of course, this trial arrangement was also partly due to some clan elders wanting to know just how far their Hyuga clan's geniuses were from the very pinnacle of shinobi combat strength. Even Hiashi himself harbored similar thoughts; after all, with the Hyuga clan now possessing two pairs of Tenseigan, it would be inexcusable for them to remain as passive and content with their lot as before.
"Is today possible?" he asked.
Naruto mentally reviewed his mission schedule for the day and nodded slightly. The main rank of missions his shadow clones were handling today was still C-rank; B-rank and A-rank missions were still in progress. No particularly intense battles were expected in the short term. His own engagement here wouldn't affect his other shadow clones.
When Naruto followed Hyuga Hiashi to the designated location, the Hyuga had already cleared the training ground. At the edge of the field stood several gray-haired elders.
"Naruto-kun." Hyuga Hinata's face lit up with joy upon seeing who had arrived.
Hyuga Neji, on the other hand, was momentarily surprised. After a nod of acknowledgment, he began to adjust his own state. The clan elders had only said they were bringing a strong individual to measure their capabilities; they hadn't mentioned it would be Namikaze Naruto. Neji had never imagined the Clan Head could successfully invite him. Having also taken that step and touched upon Kage-level combat power, he clearly understood that the Hyuga clan's influence on ninja of that caliber wasn't as significant as one might imagine. But since the Clan Head had managed to invite him, Neji was also very eager to know just how much of a gap there was between himself, with his Byakugan evolved to a higher level, and these two most dazzling individuals of the current era.
Gazing at the young woman with her hair cascading over her shoulders, Naruto was slightly taken aback. He had spent the past year traversing almost the entire shinobi world, planning and laying the groundwork for his future endeavors, and hadn't seen Hinata for a very long time. If it weren't for that familiar life-energy signature, he almost wouldn't have recognized the young woman before him as the once shy and timid Hinata. Should he attribute it to the saying "a girl changes dramatically by eighteen"?
"Long time no see," he said with a smile. "Who's first?"
Both Hinata and Neji stepped forward simultaneously.
Seeing this, Naruto couldn't help but cough lightly. "My current state doesn't quite support me taking on two at once." After all, simultaneously maintaining a hundred shadow clones while ensuring their combat effectiveness consumed a considerable amount of chakra.
"Neji-niisan, you go first," Hyuga Hinata said, stepping back. She didn't have a strong desire to prove her own strength; it was only because her opponent was Naruto-kun that she wanted him to see her growth, hence her eagerness. If it had been anyone else, the thought of even stepping onto the field to fight wouldn't have crossed her mind.
Watching the two young men face off in the center of the field, everyone present activated their Byakugan, afraid of missing any detail.
"Are you ready?" Naruto asked. To be honest, he was also quite curious about their strength. The Hyuga clan's title as Konoha's number one clan was well-earned. They might lack individuals at the very pinnacle of power, but they certainly had no shortage of Jonin-level shinobi. For such an elite clan to be unable to truly test the limits of these two was telling.
"Ready." Hyuga Neji slowly adopted his stance. Although he was very confident in his own abilities, facing a powerhouse whose strength was acknowledged by the entire shinobi world, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
He thrust his right hand forward through the air. A nearly tangible chakra palm print instantly crossed the distance between them.
Naruto leaned slightly, dodging the attack, and lightly clenched his right fist. Black markings spread up his arm.
Whoosh!
"So fast!" Watching Naruto's figure disappear from his original spot, Hyuga Hiashi and the observing clan elders were inwardly astonished.
Behind me... The eyes in Hyuga Neji's sockets flashed with a purple hue, instantly pinpointing Naruto's location. He moved slightly, just about to counterattack, when the figure behind him blurred and vanished once more.
BOOM!
Directly in his line of sight, a hand covered in black markings rapidly enlarged.
Neji leaned back, narrowly avoiding it.
"Good reaction." Naruto's fist changed into a claw, striking downwards, grabbing the youth's sleeve and flinging him aside.
Hyuga Neji, sent flying through the air, quickly adjusted his posture and landed steadily on the ground. He looked at his unmoving opponent, a grave expression in his eyes.
"So strong." He had been on full alert, yet his opponent had still found an opening. If Naruto hadn't held back just now, the match would have already been decided.
"Very good." Naruto nodded slightly. At his current level, every move was a condensation of all his learned skills. Though it seemed like a simple punch and grab, the timing and the shift in force were executed from a superior understanding of combat. If it had been a Jonin from a smaller village, they would likely already be incapacitated.
"Your strength is considerable, but you can't fully bring it to bear." Naruto assessed. Of ten parts of his strength, Hyuga Neji was at most utilizing five. This was due to a lack of experience fighting against higher-level ninja; his combat mindset was still confined to the Chunin level. "With one part of your strength, you need to exert at least two parts to be considered passable."
After Neji had readjusted, Naruto vanished from his spot again.
"Kage-level powerhouses each have their own unique fighting style, a style that can maximize, and even allow them to surpass, their own strength." Naruto didn't use his sword arts, opting instead for taijutsu. It had been a long time since he had fought a strong opponent, and he wanted to see just how far the Hyuga clan's genius could grow. He didn't expect Hyuga Neji to immediately achieve the effect of exerting two parts of force with one part of strength. He only required Neji to be able to fully utilize his own strength within Naruto's rhythm.
"Clan Head, how long could you last in such a taijutsu exchange?" the Great Elder asked bluntly, watching the figures continuously clash, flicker, and collide.
"At the current intensity, perhaps a few more minutes," Hyuga Hiashi replied, uncertain.
"Neji lost his own rhythm from the very beginning; he's being completely led," the Great Elder sighed.
With their seasoned experience, they quickly understood why Neji was so passive. But this was a problem they couldn't help him with. Experience and insight were one thing; strength was another. Without sufficient strength to pressure Neji, how could they nurture him to develop his own fighting style? Generally, ninja began to ponder this after reaching the Jonin level. But Neji, having awakened the Tenseigan, had leaped directly from Chunin to Kage-level in too short a time, leaving him no opportunity to form his own style. During training with his clansmen, his overwhelming strength had caused everyone, including himself, to overlook this issue.
"The sooner the problem is discovered, the better. Neji is trying to find that rhythm," Hyuga Hiashi said, then turned to his daughter beside him. "Hinata, try to find your own rhythm from their battle."