"Don't worry, I'll give it my all!" Shira, oblivious to the others' thoughts, was simply eager to prove his ninja way. What better opponent to do it against than such a powerful foe?
Down in the arena, Shira seemed to be saying something, but Hyuga Neji had no intention of conversing with a nameless nobody. As Gekko Hayate announced the start, he immediately assumed a Gentle Fist stance. Shira, not to be outdone, charged forward toward his mountain-like opponent.
"A match with such an obvious outcome. How boring," Daigan couldn't help but sigh.
There were almost no Genin who could defeat Hyuga Neji with taijutsu alone. The advantage of Gentle Fist combined with the Byakugan was simply too great. Against a different opponent—like Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, or Akimichi Choji—Shira might have had a chance. If Shira had fought in place of Yoroi just now, Sasuke likely wouldn't have won.
"Lady Saya, aren't you going to cheer for your teammate?"
"That guy doesn't need it," Saya said, her eyes fixed on Shira, who was darting left and right but struggling to break through the Gentle Fist defense. "He knows this is his last chance to perform in the Chunin Exam. Wouldn't it be foolish not to show the world his conviction?"
***
"Oh? You're quite perceptive, Lady Saya. Not as indifferent to your teammates as you usually seem."
"Jealous? Too late!" Saya shot Daigan a fierce glare. "I was the first one to invite you, you know. But you had to be ungrateful!"
"Just a twist of fate, I suppose. Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Lady Saya."
Getting too close to Saya could have had repercussions. He didn't want to be seen as taking sides in Sunagakure's internal politics.
While Saya and Sana were well aware of Shira's strength, and Daigan and Yome had some idea, the other Sand Ninja were stunned. That Shira could hold his own against Hyuga Neji with just taijutsu was astonishing.
In the arena, Hyuga Neji also shed some of his carelessness.
"The Sand Ninja are full of hidden talents. A no-name like this is actually forcing me to get serious."
Though his opponent was unexpectedly strong, his style was similar to Rock Lee's. Neji, accustomed to sparring within his team, wasn't flustered.
*He uses a lot of linear attacks, but he's not inflexible. He's experienced in combat. His strength is a little greater than Lee's, but his explosive power is slightly weaker, and he doesn't have a secret technique like the Lotus.*
Understanding his opponent's capabilities, Neji's expression grew colder. A serious Hyuga clan genius was not to be trifled with.
After a long assault, Shira paused to catch his breath, only to see his opponent launch a counterattack.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
The gusts from his palms carried streams of chakra, sealing off the area. Strike after strike of supple chakra flowed from Neji's hands into Shira's body, disrupting the meridians within him and causing his chakra flow to become sluggish.
As all sixty-four palms landed, Shira spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed, struggling to rise but only managing to get to one knee.
"It's over. You did well, but losing to me is your destiny."
Shira wiped the blood from his mouth and smiled defiantly. "Winning, losing, destiny... I don't much care about that. Don't think you've won so easily!"
"Is that so? I'd like to see what else you can do."
Shira offered no rebuttal. He unwrapped the bandages from his arms, revealing scarred hands. He crossed them before his face and began to gather his strength. Taking a deep breath and focusing all his chakra, he said with conviction, "I have never felt as excited as I do today. To prove that I am a worthy ninja, with so many eyes watching... how can I not give it my all? Let me show you my resolve!"
With a great roar, a surge of chakra erupted from his body, forming a faint yellow energy shield around him. The released chakra easily broke through the Gentle Fist's seal on his meridians. The instantaneous power surge turned Shira's exposed skin red. Veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes became bloodshot, and the knuckles of his clenched fists cracked audibly.
"This is... quite an exaggeration," Baki, who had been watching with some detachment, was now stunned by the unknown Shira. The higher-ups of the various ninja villages knew something of the power of Konoha's Eight Gates, but to think Sunagakure had a Genin who could create his own secret taijutsu technique to draw out his latent potential... If it could be taught to others, its value would be immense. Sunagakure desperately lacked such inherited skills; every secret art that could be widely disseminated was worthy of attention.
Hyuga Neji was also surprised by Shira's transformation. The display of potential from the Seven Heavens Breathing Method was remarkably similar to Rock Lee's Eight Gates. This was not something an ordinary person could achieve.
In that moment of hesitation, a whistling fist was already flying toward him. Shira's speed and power were now on a completely different level. Neji moved to block but hit empty air, a sense of danger appearing behind him.
"Not good!"
Realizing the intensity of the fight had suddenly escalated, Neji was forced to use one of the three basic academy jutsu he rarely employed.
"Substitution Jutsu?"
The Hyuga Neji that Shira kicked turned into a splintered log. A short distance away, the Hyuga genius rubbed his shoulder, once again raising his threat assessment of his opponent.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!"
This was no time to panic. The same strategy that worked against Rock Lee would work against Shira. He couldn't retreat, or he'd be crushed by the relentless barrage of iron fists. With his strength and speed far inferior to his opponent's, attacking a weakness with a strength would be suicide. Now was the time to leverage the advantages of the Gentle Fist and pull the battle into a rhythm he was familiar with.
*The strongest Genin in Konoha, a genius of the Hyuga clan, cannot lose like this!*
Shira's unending assault was like a raging torrent, while Neji, defending head-on with his Gentle Fist, was like a tumbler doll—teetering on the brink but always managing to stay upright. The sound of fists and feet colliding was incessant. The fierce battle was a true eye-opener for the Genin watching from the sidelines.
Sasuke Uchiha watched with a complex expression, clutching his throbbing neck, helpless.
Uzumaki Naruto, unable to even follow their movements, swallowed hard. He glanced at the injured Sasuke and then at Haruno Sakura, who was equally lost.
"Kakashi-sensei, is this what the Chunin Exam is like? Are we..."
"Scared?" Hatake Kakashi reached out and ruffled Naruto's messy hair. "Don't worry. Not all Genin are this strong. In terms of combat ability alone, those two are already at Chunin level. You guys aren't bad either. You're just a bit younger and need time to grow."
Kakashi's reassurance slightly eased the three students' sense of defeat. He had recommended them for the exam to help them grow, but it seemed there were too many monsters this year. Kakashi could only hope his three students wouldn't lose their confidence.
Down in the arena, Shira, having failed to break through after a prolonged attack, hesitated and paused to gasp for breath. The side effects of the Seven Heavens Breathing Method were slightly less severe than the Eight Gates, but it wasn't without its flaws. The stamina consumption was far greater than normal, and after a short burst of power, his entire body ached so much he felt like he could pass out.
Looking at his arms, which were covered in dot-like bruises and feeling his strength drain away, Shira knew things were looking grim.
The panting Hyuga Neji offered a slight smile. "You've noticed, haven't you? The Gentle Fist isn't so easily broken."
Simply blocking was not enough. The pervasive chakra of the Gentle Fist was highly invasive. Once it entered an enemy's body, it could disrupt their chakra flow. More critically, Neji's strikes had temporarily damaged his tenketsu points. The more powerful Shira's chakra became, the more damage it did to his own meridians.
***
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