"By the way, you need to be careful not to use this technique on someone with very strong mental fortitude. It probably won't work and could easily be turned against you," Xia Li added.
Ino seemed basically ineffective against him, and he could even use telekinesis to seize her position and counterattack with his own mental strength.
"Yes, I understand," Ino nodded solemnly.
"Of course, you learned it from me," Shikamaru rolled his eyes. From what he had just witnessed, it was impossible to discern the principle behind her technique. Designing the optimal strategy for their team now seemed almost impossible—he had no idea where to start.
Xia Li hadn't deliberately withheld the information. Teamwork required explanation, so he asked Ino to clarify the specifics of her technique. Its principle was so simple that revealing it didn't compromise anything.
"This… really works like that?" Shikamaru wiped sweat from his brow. If Ino used this move while he was meditating with his fingers together, wouldn't it be much more precise every time?
Xia Li suddenly remembered Shikamaru's habits and couldn't help but smile at him, as if subconsciously putting some subtle restraint on him.
Without the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques, Shikamaru might have been able to trick Ino with this move—but without the technique, he couldn't even attempt deception.
On the other hand, someone like Choji, who was lazy and easily distracted, wasn't really afraid of Ino's actions.
But that wasn't right. If Ino wasted Choji's snacks in front of him and called him a fat pig…
Forget it. Better not let Ino harm herself. Xia Li wiped his forehead, realizing his thoughts were a little twisted.
The next match was between Tenten and Temari, a battle that perfectly demonstrated their mutual restraint.
Tenten's attacks relied entirely on weapons, and their sheer numbers were difficult to handle. Her opponent had only the Wind Release: Gale Palm technique to blow them away…
It was like a cat catching mice—they were all trapped.
"Finally, it's my turn!" Naruto shouted, charging into the arena. His opponent was also from Konoha—Inuzuka Kiba.
Kiba relaxed slightly upon seeing Naruto. As long as it wasn't that red-haired monster, it would be fine.
Naruto assessed Kiba's build, believing he still had a chance. Kiba smiled, thinking he could handle it.
Chapter 134: The Last Tiny Strongling
"Xia Li," Kakashi approached after Naruto entered.
"Hm? What is it, Kakashi?" Xia Li asked, slightly puzzled.
"I heard from Sakura about what happened during the exams. I wanted to ask—what sealing technique did you use?" Kakashi revealed the purpose of his visit.
"Four Symbols Eight Trigrams," Xia Li replied directly.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. He had been concerned whether Xia Li's seal would be effective; if not, he would have to reseal it. Now it seemed…
Apologies for interrupting. He's only a casual learner—not worthy of this honor.
Among those Kakashi knew, only his teacher and his wife possessed both sealing techniques. He hadn't expected Xia Li to have mastered them as well…
Not only was Xia Li young and strong, but he also had remarkable aptitude in other areas—he seemed capable of medical ninjutsu, right?
Kakashi now realized this wasn't just talent; it was exceptional.
This was largely thanks to Shadow Clone Technique. Xia Li could use clones to assist in learning knowledge-heavy techniques.
"Do I need to reseal it?" Xia Li asked teasingly, understanding Kakashi's concern.
"No need, haha," Kakashi scratched his silver hair, a little embarrassed, and walked away.
From the upcoming battles, the outcome seemed almost certain. Naruto had already mastered Xia Li's version of the Gale Palm. From this perspective, he was practically unstoppable.
In fact, Xia Li's Gale Palm alone wasn't frightening—but combined with Naruto's extraordinary physical strength and endless chakra, it became terrifying, with virtually no weaknesses.
Even the combined Hyuga dog techniques could penetrate his defense, but were unlikely to cause serious harm.
Meanwhile, the user of Yatonya's ability saw his own physical strength gradually drop to the minimum, despairing at the sight of Naruto still moving energetically.
The Sound ninjas witnessing this exchanged glances, feeling sympathy for this Konoha ninja they had never seen before.
Naruto had truly accomplished the feat. Kakashi sighed, glancing at Xia Li, thinking this one would likely fail the test.
Even Sasuke, who had mastered Chidori, was stronger in potential—but Kakashi knew Naruto's new technique had raised his minimum threshold to an extremely high level.
Even without ninjutsu, a normal fighter wouldn't choose to confront Naruto using only taijutsu.
However, in this situation, Naruto had to be cautious of powerful escape techniques. As for weaker ones…
People often say fire grows with wind, but too much wind can extinguish it.
Soon, Kiba became exhausted, unwillingly surrendering. He realized Naruto was just too strong.
Hinata watched Naruto approach. Though he had few injuries, several wounds from Kiba's teeth still needed attention. Naruto hesitated for a moment and began pressing the wounds with his index finger.
Beside her, Han saw this and gently patted Hinata's shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile.
Hinata's face flushed red. She finally stepped forward and handed Naruto some medicine, her cheeks pink, speaking rapidly:
"This… this is medicine. Please… please take it!"
"Hm? Why…" Naruto scratched his head, puzzled, recognizing the shy girl who always seemed flustered around him. He vaguely remembered she had helped him before, but he never got the chance to properly thank her.
"Then just take it," Xia Li said, standing beside him, smiling. He secretly wanted to see this pair succeed.
"Oh… okay," Naruto nodded, giving her his trademark grin. "Thank you, Hinata!"
"Uh… you're welcome." Hinata shyly looked away and ran back, clearly delighted.
"Ugh, my situation's obviously worse…" Yatonya muttered to Han, watching the scene.
"You'll understand eventually," Han said with a smile.
Hinata returned to Kiba, handing him the same ointment, but this time she wasn't shy—she smiled.
Yatonya sighed, realizing at least she hadn't forgotten him.
But Hinata's smile didn't last. After clearing the arena debris caused by Yatonya, a new battle list appeared on the screen:
"Hyuga Hinata vs. Hyuga Neji!"
Xia Li chuckled with interest. Would the Hyuga main and branch families now fight? Hinata…
Xia Li recalled Hinata's caged-bird days, smirking to herself. No one knew exactly what she thought of the metaphor.
A bloody battle erupted. Neji was a true prodigy, slightly stronger than Sasuke before his later cheating revealed his talent.
Watching Neji show no mercy to Hinata, Xia Li thought Naruto really should give her a lesson.
Technically, Hinata was still a clan member, but she had clearly been abandoned. She wasn't treated like a caged bird.
Why punish Hinata for that? Perhaps it made the outcome even more bitter.
Xia Li saw Hinata collapse and the blood she left behind, silently vowing revenge. Naruto smiled and said, "Leave it to me."
Xia Li's expression turned serious. She looked at Lee and Gaara in the arena, then walked over to Meitake.
"Meitake, I need to tell you something," Xia Li said.
"Hm? Can't we wait until Lee's fight ends?" Meitake asked.
"This concerns Xia Li's battle," Xia Li explained, revealing the deadly power of Gaara's sand. He advised that if Lee faced mortal danger from the sand, Meitake should concede on Lee's behalf, as Lee's coach—though Meitake would also be penalized.
"Such a dangerous technique exists? I know, but I still trust Lee," Meitake's face darkened. "Still, thank you, Lee. I'll be careful."
"All right," Xia Li nodded. Knowing Meitake and Lee's relationship, she left to attend to other matters.
She then turned to Han. "Han, you should think about what I said before. Hinata should give up. This path isn't suited for her."
Han fell silent. Xia Li had mentioned this before, but she hadn't taken it seriously. Now… Han recalled Hinata being carried away on a stretcher.
"Xia Li, why say that? Hinata clearly worked so hard…" Naruto protested.
"Hinata's problem isn't effort or talent. Her biggest issue is personality. She's unsuited to be a ninja," Xia Li replied.
"But… but… you didn't see how hard she tried!" Naruto insisted.
"So? Let her continue down a path she doesn't fit? Wouldn't that hurt her?" Xia Li countered.
Naruto had no rebuttal. Xia Li added, "I'm not telling Hinata to quit being a ninja. There are combat, sealing, and support roles. Investigation and medical divisions suit her better."
Naruto paused. Hadn't he already given up on being a ninja? But…
"Xia Li, you know Hyuga family rules. To marry, she can't give up combat…" Han began.
"Han, her presence in your team means she's already been abandoned," Xia Li replied. Why do they always deceive themselves? Xia Li probably understood Hinata's personality well enough to accept this.
Han's breath froze. She'd always known this but didn't want to tell Hinata. She'd held onto a shred of hope, but Xia Li shattered it completely.
"Recognizing reality early and finding the right path benefits both parties," Xia Li said. "I'm not her coach; I'm just reminding you. How you teach her is up to you."
"Then which path do you think suits Hinata?" Han sighed.
"Investigation and medical. Investigation goes without saying—every Byakugan user is an expert. Medical suits Hinata too—her careful nature and Byakugan help detect anomalies. The specifics are unclear for now," Xia Li explained.
Han nodded. That made sense. The Byakugan could see bones and chakra pathways, revealing hidden issues.
"Also, once she masters medical ninjutsu, she can learn the 'Chakra Scalpel.' It suits Hinata. It allows precise cuts through muscles and chakra pathways, penetrating the body. Hinata could combine it with Byakugan and Gentle Fist," Xia Li said thoughtfully.
Given her current state, learning the Eight Trigrams techniques would be difficult.
The Chakra Scalpel aligns well with Byakugan, giving direct harm and utility.
"…All right, I'll consider it," Han said, surprised Xia Li had planned so thoroughly for Hinata. This wasn't casual talk—it was thoughtful.
Han noticed Xia Li seemed to be teaching others, and Naruto appeared to be his student—not surprising.
Naruto finally processed Xia Li's words, eyes lighting up. He felt incredibly empowered.
"What? Xia Li had already thought of this? Don't scare me… I thought she believed effort was useless."
Naruto exhaled deeply. If Xia Li truly thought this way, he didn't know what to do next.
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