"Hmm? Oh... it started at six in the morning, and I didn't even eat lunch!"
Naruto: "..."
"Are you trying to die?!"
"Even if you're working desperately hard, you can't neglect your body! If this continues, you might collapse before you even get stronger!"
Rock Lee shook his head: "I ate breakfast, and besides..."
"I don't have time to waste."
"Graduation is coming soon, and I don't want to remain a Diao Che Wei!"
"I want to prove that I can become an excellent and powerful Ninja just by relying on the power of Taijutsu!"
Naruto's heart stirred.
Indeed... his own assessment in a month, no, to be precise, in less than half a month, was just a successful test of this year's training.
But for those in Rock Lee's older year, it was already time for Ninja Academy graduation... He was working so desperately hard to achieve good results in the graduation assessment and truly prove himself.
"Oh! I understand!"
"There's less than half a month left, and I also need to prove myself, and never be a Diao Che Wei again!"
"Well said, Naruto! Let's work hard together!"
"Burn, youth!"
"Osu!"
Just as the two were full of fighting spirit and ambition...
On the training ground, a figure suddenly appeared at some unknown point.
"Hmph, a Diao Che Wei is just a Diao Che Wei."
"Do you think you can change your destiny just by working hard?"
"What a pipe dream..."
Naruto was greatly surprised: "Who's there?!"
Rock Lee's heart trembled when he heard that familiar voice.
"Neji?!"
Naruto looked at the newcomer's eyes and suddenly understood.
"Those eyes, the Byakugan, just like Hinata's..."
"You are Hyuga Neji?!"
Hyuga Neji glanced at the two with cold arrogance.
"How interesting..."
"Two generations of Diao Che Wei gathered together, weaklings really do like to huddle for warmth..."
"What did you say, you bastard?!"
Rock Lee might be able to tolerate it, but Naruto's hot temper wouldn't put up with him.
Hearing Hyuga Neji's sarcasm, Naruto was instantly about to explode.
Hyuga Neji, however, was completely disdainful.
"Do you think you can show off just because you killed a Chunin, Mizuki?"
"Uzumaki Naruto, remember my words..."
"A genius is a genius, and a Diao Che Wei is a Diao Che Wei. No matter what you do, you cannot change your fate."
Naruto's fists clenched, making a grinding sound.
"Hyuga Neji, since you consider yourself a genius, then come and fight me!"
"I will definitely defeat you!"
However, Hyuga Neji coldly shook his head.
"You are not worthy to fight me."
"I am not a useless person like Young Lady Hinata!"
Naruto's whole body trembled, and he fell into a daze due to excessive anger and fury.
"You, what did you say..."
Hyuga Neji said indifferently: "I saw your battle where you defeated Hyuga Hinata."
"That doesn't prove your strength; it only proves that Young Lady Hinata, as a member of the main family..."
"Is simply too incompetent!"
Before he finished speaking, an iron fist, brimming with fury and accompanied by Naruto's furious roar, wildly struck down towards Hyuga Neji!
Chapter 61: Burning Youth! The Diao Che Wei and the Genius's Bet! Please give me monthly votes!!!
Naruto could not tolerate Hyuga Neji's words.
Even if he called him a Diao Che Wei... he didn't care!
Called him a weakling... he didn't care!
But... just today, he had just received Hinata's approval, and for the first time, besides Iruka-sensei, he felt concern and love from another person, and even heard from Hinata a vow to protect him no matter what... Now, Hyuga Neji was humiliating Hinata right in front of him!
Naruto absolutely could not tolerate it.
He might not fully understand Young Lady Hinata's feelings, he might not comprehend whether her bond with him was friendship or love... but none of that mattered!
Hinata had now become someone he acknowledged, cared about, and swore to protect.
Therefore... before Hyuga Neji's words had even finished, he saw Naruto's furious fist rapidly enlarge before his eyes!
He couldn't help but be startled.
He hadn't expected Naruto to become so enraged by his words.
However... Hyuga Neji snorted coldly, not taking it seriously.
In his eyes, no one in the entire Ninja Academy could compare to him.
No one in his year existed.
And certainly no one in the younger grades!
Facing Naruto's punch, Hyuga Neji's eyes suddenly burst forth with powerful Chakra and ocular power.
Buzz—
Byakugan... activate!
Then, he lightly exhaled, and his arms, seemingly moving very slowly, effortlessly and freely assumed a defensive posture.
Clang—
With a loud bang, Naruto's terrifying punch, unleashed in a burst of anger, was easily and completely defended by Hyuga Neji!
"What?!"
Naruto was surprised; he had practiced this punch countless times.
In his dreams, even Sasuke would never have been able to block it so easily!
Hyuga Neji sneered incessantly.
"Is this all you've got?"
He suddenly slashed with his hands, twisting his arms as if kneading a Tai Chi Eight Trigrams formation. The seemingly gentle and not fierce power instantly erupted, directly sending Naruto flying backward with great force!
Bang—
Naruto stumbled, unable to stop his retreat even after landing, staggering back seven or eight steps before finally stopping!
"What, what kind of Taijutsu is that?!"
"His strength is nowhere near mine, nor Lee's, but..."
"Although it's very similar to Hinata's Taijutsu, it's completely incomparable..."
Rock Lee quickly reminded him: "Naruto, that's Neji's Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palm!"
"Although I don't want to say this, Neji's talent in Gentle Fist, his training, and his experience are all absolutely unmatched by Hinata right now!"
"Even though you defeated Hinata, compared to Neji, you're still far too inferior..."
Naruto clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fury.
"Is that so?"
"So that's the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palm..."
Hyuga Neji said coldly: "Indeed, even if I am from the branch family, what I display is the true Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palm!"
"Young Lady Hinata hasn't even grasped the basics!"
Naruto retorted, unwilling to be outdone: "Forget it!"
"You're just older than Hinata and have trained longer, that's all!"
"Just give Hinata another year, and she'll definitely be much stronger than you!"
This statement hit a raw nerve with Hyuga Neji.
His expression instantly changed dramatically.
"What right do you have to say that?!"
Naruto loudly declared: "Because she said she would work hard with me!"
Hyuga Neji paused, then burst out laughing.
"Is that your only proof?!"
"What a joke!"
"Not to mention that my talent and effort are already superior to hers..."
"What difference can adding a Diao Che Wei like you make?!"
Rock Lee couldn't help but interject: "Neji, don't say that..."
"Hmph, it's simply the truth!"
"Only you, Lee, can't see destiny clearly, always talking about youth and effort, unaware that destiny is already predetermined, and nothing you do can change it!"
Rock Lee wanted to refute him, but until he truly defeated Neji, he couldn't offer any counterarguments.
But Naruto was different.
He actually burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?!"
Hyuga Neji frowned tightly.