As Neji's Eight Trigrams formation unfolded, Heavenly Dao suddenly felt a faint but undeniable sense of danger. It was as if an invisible Eight Trigrams seal had appeared beneath his feet, silently restricting his movements and locking him in place.
Is this… the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms?
Heavenly Dao remained calm on the surface, but inwardly he was shocked.
Shouldn't Hyuga Neji only master this technique after graduating from the Academy? Did he really achieve a breakthrough during the fight itself?
By the time that thought crossed his mind, Neji's Eight Trigrams Palms had already been unleashed. His movements were so fast that his hands blurred into afterimages. His speed surged several times over as he closed the distance, his palms aiming precisely at Heavenly Dao's vital acupoints.
Palm after palm struck out like torrential rain, each blow carrying deadly precision. The airtight offensive left almost no room to breathe.
Even so, Heavenly Dao did not panic.
I was only using about seventy percent of my strength earlier, he calculated calmly.
Looks like I'll have to get serious.
He swiftly mobilized his chakra, forcing it to surge throughout his body. With brute force alone, he resisted the constricting pressure of the Eight Trigrams formation. His mastery of Konoha-style taijutsu merged seamlessly with the extraordinary perception granted by his Uchiha bloodline.
As his mind processed the flow of battle, insights from Konoha-style taijutsu surfaced one after another. Almost instantly, Heavenly Dao realized something crucial.
This kind of attack can't last long.
Neji's offensive was fierce, but it was also extremely taxing. The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms demanded both precise control and massive chakra expenditure.
Win through defense, Heavenly Dao decided.
As long as I endure, victory will be mine.
Just as he anticipated, the battle unfolded accordingly.
After an extended barrage of relentless, nearly flawless attacks, the rhythm of Neji's palms suddenly faltered. The speed slowed—just a fraction—but it was enough.
Neji had forced himself to use a technique he had not yet fully mastered. His chakra reserves were nearly exhausted.
The moment Heavenly Dao sensed the shift, he acted.
He raised both arms and forcefully deflected Neji's final strike, disrupting the Eight Trigrams flow. Before Neji could regain his balance or retreat, Heavenly Dao stepped forward and gently tapped Neji's forehead with two fingers.
"I'll take the win, little brother Neji."
The fight was over.
[Mission Complete: Successfully defeated Hyuga Neji.]
[The Byakugan-related mission reward has been issued. Please claim it in time.]
As the outcome became clear, the training field erupted into loud discussion.
Most of the watching students were not particularly surprised. In their eyes, it was only natural for a chūnin to defeat someone who had yet to graduate from the Ninja Academy.
However, among the Twelve Genin—especially those from prominent shinobi clans—the impact was entirely different.
Hyuga Hinata stood frozen, her pale eyes wide.
Ne… Neji-niisan has already… already learned the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms?
She herself had yet to fully master the Tenketsu Art. The realization left her feeling even smaller than usual. She wanted to step forward, to ask if Neji was hurt, to offer comfort—but her timid nature betrayed her. Her feet refused to move, and she couldn't even bring herself to meet his gaze.
Another person deeply shaken by the duel was Uchiha Sasuke.
He stared intently at the center of the field, his mind racing as he calculated silently. If he were to face either of them… even if he went all out, he doubted he could last more than a few exchanges.
A suffocating sense of powerlessness settled over his heart.
Sasuke had been training relentlessly for years, yet without proper guidance, his growth had stagnated. Watching this fight made that fact painfully clear.
What have I been doing all this time…?
His fists clenched unconsciously, nails digging into his palms.
Yet what disturbed him even more was something else entirely.
That gesture…
That finger tapping the forehead…
Does that chūnin know that man?
Countless doubts churned in Sasuke's mind. Still, outwardly, he remained silent, much like Hinata. He simply stood there, his expression flickering between shadow and light.
After all, Sasuke was usually emotionally stable. Only one person—Uchiha Itachi—could truly make him lose control.
As someone who knew the original storyline, Heavenly Dao naturally understood that his casual forehead poke would trigger Sasuke's buried trauma.
He hadn't done it on a whim.
He had come prepared.
Ever since the two missions triggered by Mizuki, Heavenly Dao had been experimenting with controlling mission activation conditions. Sure enough, the moment he provoked Sasuke's subconscious, the system responded immediately.
[Latest Mission: Increase Clan Strength.]
[Objective: Train Hyuga Hinata and boost her self-confidence.]
[Reward: Gentle Fist Art — Tenketsu.]
[Latest Mission: Increase Clan Strength.]
[Objective: Train Uchiha Sasuke and shatter his self-confidence.]
[Reward: Fire Nature Chakra Enhancement.]
Two missions appeared simultaneously.
Heavenly Dao fell silent for a moment.
The system truly was as ridiculous as ever. Training Sasuke being classified as "increasing clan strength" was already questionable—but Hinata?
Does my Uchiha Restoration System trace my roots all the way back to the Ōtsutsuki clan?
Is everyone with Ōtsutsuki blood considered part of the Uchiha somehow?
This is completely backwards…
Not far away, Mizuki watched the scene unfold, grinding his teeth in resentment. Seeing Heavenly Dao bask in attention made his blood boil. Still, he clung to one last hope—that the Hyuga clan would resent Heavenly Dao for humiliating Neji.
That hope was quickly crushed.
After his defeat, Neji steadied his breathing and approached Heavenly Dao calmly. He bowed slightly and thanked him for showing restraint during the fight.
Heavenly Dao responded with a friendly smile. Not only that, he even pointed out several flaws he had noticed in Neji's palm techniques, offering sincere advice.
The two spoke amicably, as if the battle had never happened.
Mizuki could only stand to the side, watching helplessly.
"Good. Very good."
An aged voice suddenly reached their ears.
A short figure walked onto the training field. He had graying hair, slightly protruding cheekbones, and the appearance of an ordinary old man.
Yet the Hokage robe draped across his back revealed his true identity.
The Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Everyone immediately bowed.
"Hokage-sama."
"All right, all right. You're all good children," Hiruzen said with a warm smile, waving his hand. "Relax. There's no Hokage here today—only your principal."
"I've been watching from the very beginning," he continued. "Holding a practical combat exercise before graduation is an excellent idea."
"Who proposed it?" he asked.
Mizuki instantly raised his hand, nodding eagerly.
"Allowing students to experience combat against a formal ninja before graduating," Hiruzen praised, "is indeed a very good approach."
Mizuki felt as though he had been drenched in sweet nectar. Even the side of his face, swollen like a pig's head, no longer seemed to hurt.
"The most important thing," Hiruzen continued, his tone shifting slightly, "is that the person chosen was outstanding. I have truly been negligent as Hokage for failing to notice such talent."
Mizuki's heart sank.
"Heavenly Dao," Hiruzen said with a chuckle, "you're quite the hidden gem for an Agricultural Machinery Researcher. It seems I've wronged you."
"Hokage-sama, you flatter me," Heavenly Dao replied modestly, shaking his head—though the smile tugging at his lips betrayed his true feelings.
Yes, keep praising me. I can handle it.
"Hokage-sama," Inuzuka Akita interjected quickly, sensing danger. "Our Farm Implement Research Squad is just starting to see results. Heavenly Dao is a core member—we can't afford to lose him."
"Oh? 'Your group,' 'our group'—what's with all this?" Hiruzen chided lightly. "Everyone works for Konoha."
Then he added casually, "Don't worry. My proposal is simple. Heavenly Dao will take a part-time position at the Ninja Academy as a combat instructor. Two classes a week, focusing on practical combat for the graduating students."
"What do you think?"
"Our research schedule is already extremely tight…" Akita tried to protest.
"Starting next month," Hiruzen said calmly, "the Farm Implement Research Squad's funding will be increased by twenty percent."
The words carried immense weight.
"Hokage-sama, my research workload is indeed quite heavy…" Heavenly Dao began tactfully.
"I believe your salary can also be adjusted upward," Hiruzen replied smoothly.
The Third Hokage claimed total victory.
"Be sure to report to the Academy tomorrow," he said.
And just like that, Heavenly Dao's advantage was firmly secured.