[TL: Author is pulling out different moves (basically variations of the basic moves, first stage of Nanto, like Wild Fang, Dark Sweep, Solo Execution etc.) of Nanto Seven Sacred Fist without much explanation, they are Basically done in a different way.]
[Thanks for understanding.]
[PS2: Would you be interested in images of these characters if yes check out the auxiliary chapters.]
[PS2: Tell me should how do you feel till now, about the story I mean.]
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A qualified ruler, no matter where they are, is a far more valuable and rarer commodity than any other talent. Knowing that her efforts so far have earned her this rare and precious label, Hinata naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to leverage this capital.
However, now was not the time to consider this matter.
"The third exam, individual battles, begins now! First match: Hinata Hyuga vs. Neji Hyuga!"
Accompanied by the voice of the third exam proctor, Hayate Gekko, the entire arena fell silent. Clearly, the significance of this match was profound.
After about two days of rest inside the tower, the second exam period finally ended. All qualified participants had gathered here. By this point, of the 26 teams and 78 candidates who participated in the second exam, only about a quarter remained, a mere 7 teams and 21 people.
And among them, Kabuto Yakushi had forfeited his qualification before the exam, fearing exposure of his abilities and identity, leaving only 20 people, just enough for 10 one-on-one selection matches.
"The first match is Hinata... And that guy, Neji, is also named Hyuga?"
Standing in the examination viewing stands, Naruto asked in surprise. With a slight smile, Hinata slowly nodded: "Of course. By clan bloodline, he is the child of my father's younger brother. Naturally, he is my cousin."
"Not only that, he is also the most talented genius of the new generation in the Hyuga clan so far. He was the one who achieved the top graduation score for your previous class."
As a jounin sensei, Kakashi, standing behind Naruto, explained. Of course, his other purpose for being there was to monitor Sasuke's cursed seal. Sasuke had only woken up last night, and indeed, his fusion state was even more perfect this time, without the uncontrollable side effects.
Moreover, he insisted on continuing the exam, so Kakashi didn't want him to be taken away by the Anbu right now and specifically allowed him to continue.
"Is that so? He seems like he might be capable. I wonder how many of Hinata's moves he can force out."
Watching Hinata walk into the arena, Sasuke also nodded slightly, then immediately activated his Sharingan. He intended to observe every detail of this battle.
For everyone else, this first battle was undoubtedly a significant spectacle.
"Whoa~ The first match is Hinata, and her opponent is a clan genius. This is going to be incredibly exciting no matter how you look at it."
Kiba excitedly looked down at the scene in the arena, while Kurenai, standing behind him, spoke softly: "Team 3 became genin a year before you, and their squad leader, Might Guy, is one of the top stronger jounin among us. His students' strength should not be underestimated. If you encounter his other two students, you absolutely must not be careless!"
Even so, the outcome of this battle was still uncertain.
"It's two members of the Hyuga clan? This fight looks a bit complicated no matter how you look at it..."
Shikamaru, who was quite intelligent, immediately thought of the symbolic meaning behind this battle. After all, according to what he knew, although Hinata was currently the leader of 'Hinata's group,' she was not the Hyuga clan's heir, having been abandoned due to poor aptitude in her childhood.
Now, she undoubtedly possessed great power, and this was the perfect opportunity for a test.
"Neji is the acknowledged genius of the Hyuga clan; in other words, he's the quintessential representative of the Gentle Fist. Hinata, however, abandoned the Gentle Fist path and chose the Nanto Seiken, a purely taijutsu-based hard fist style. So, Shikamaru, you're right. This is an opportunity for the Hyuga clan to prove which is superior."
Asuma's words were very serious and heavily political. If it were in the original story, he definitely wouldn't have said such things to his students. But now, Asuma believed his three students needed to understand these internal village political issues.
"Two members of the Hyuga clan? Could it be... an internal struggle?"
On the other side of the stands, Temari, whose political instincts were equally sharp, spoke softly with a questioning tone.
Although also a genin, her accumulated capital and experience were clearly superior to those of Konoha's current rookies. After all, she had already become a genin long ago, and as the Fourth Kazekage's daughter, she had been exposed to a considerable amount of political affairs.
Furthermore, since neither Gaara nor Kankuro were orthodox Wind-style ninjas, it could be said that Temari was currently the Fourth Kazekage's top choice for the next successor. If Gaara hadn't been changed by Naruto during the Chunin Exams, there was a high probability that she would have been the Fifth Kazekage.
"Who cares? It's none of our business. But this is a rare opportunity to gather information and see how capable that arrogant woman really is."
Kankuro clearly wasn't interested in factional struggles; he was more focused on the opportunity to gather intelligence.
Meanwhile, in Team Guy's section.
"Oh no... I'd thought about this terrible situation, but I never expected it to actually happen..."
Tenten was undoubtedly very worried. As a teammate, she naturally supported Neji, but as a Konoha kunoichi, she instinctively leaned towards Hinata. Aside from the fact that Hinata had given her a large order worth a million ryo, Hinata's powerful leadership also made Tenten, who yearned for strength, admire her immensely. It was undoubtedly very difficult for Tenten to decide who she wanted to win between her teammate and her idol.
"Hmm~! It certainly looks like it will be a very exciting battle!! Neji is strong, but the rumors about that Byakugan Lady are quite impressive too."
Rock Lee was only enthusiastic about this battle. For him, Neji was a goal he constantly wished to surpass. Even though he wasn't part of Hinata's group, he had heard many things about that Byakugan Lady through various rumors.
After all, Team 3 had already carried out quite a few missions related to Hinata's group. They'd done C-rank missions involving distributing flyers over ten times. Hinata was the only person in the entire Konoha village who could issue requests to other Konoha ninjas during their genin days.
One could say that, besides Hinata's own genin, almost all other genin in Konoha had basically run errands or distributed flyers for her organization. The current situation was probably like meeting the behind-the-scenes boss they had been working for, naturally feeling a certain pressure.
"She is Kakashi's most cherished disciple!! She certainly must not be underestimated!! But! My disciple will absolutely not show weakness! So, fully unleash your youth!!"
With a flash of his signature bright white teeth, Guy was naturally delighted by this battle. While his battles with Kakashi needed to be personal, this kind of contest between their respective disciples was also a form of victory or defeat.
"Then, both of you, please step forward."
Hayate Gekko, the examiner, briefly looked at both sides, then raised his hand to signal their readiness: "Then~! Begin battle!"
Surprisingly, neither of the two standing in the arena intended to attack immediately. Instead, they exchanged glances with their similar Byakugan, seemingly brewing their respective exchanges.
"I never expected to meet you in this battle. What's wrong? Not planning to forfeit? That way, you might still preserve your laughable noble dignity in front of your followers."
Neji spoke first, undoubtedly with a sharp, contemptuous tone, mixed with an unconcealable hint of hatred.
"Damn it! What does that guy mean?!"
Naruto on the stands exclaimed angrily, but Kakashi on the side had to put a hand on his student's shoulder to keep him from charging out: "Calm down, Naruto, this is Hinata's battle."
"Just like before, every word out of your mouth sounds like you want someone to beat you to death. Has the elegance and tradition of the Hyuga clan only remained in your fighting style? If you want to die, just cut your own throat; no need to disgust everyone else."
Hinata had long been mentally prepared for this battle. Even when watching the anime, she didn't believe this exam was truly random. Now, it seemed it was merely a seemingly random but manipulated setup.
After all, it was an exam held within Konoha Village. If it truly followed some so-called randomness, it would be a bit too naive.
"I'm different from you. I foresaw this battle long ago. And I don't think words will enlighten your mind. Let's resolve it with ninja techniques."
Tightening her gloves, Hinata clearly had no interest in continuing to spout nonsense with Neji.
This person, currently in his chuunibyou phase and harboring resentment towards her, clearly wouldn't be swayed by words. As for saving him... Hmm? It seemed completely unnecessary.
Besides, he died in the original story without accomplishing anything of significant anyway.
With that thought, a cruel curve suddenly formed on Hinata's lips. She knew what she had to do.
"You!!"
Neji clearly couldn't maintain his composure any longer. The Byakugan user roared, veins bulging on his temples, and he charged towards Hinata in a standard Gentle Fist stance. The chakra fluctuating with his rage carried a strong killing intent.
"That's right, there's no need for us to hold back."
With a sneer, flames suddenly ignited on Hinata's arms. As she swung her right arm forward, a scorching Dark Thrust (Dark Sweep Variation techniques) was unleashed, heading straight for the charging Neji!
This is! Taijutsu that materializes chakra after transforming its nature?!
The people on the surrounding stands undoubtedly widened their eyes. Indeed, this battle did not disappoint them; they could see such completely different taijutsu right from the start!
Neji was also somewhat surprised by this sudden long-range attack. The Byakugan user didn't choose to evade. Instead, he stood his ground, crossed his arms, gathered chakra into them, and swung them powerfully, dispersing the incoming Dark Thrust like a gust of wind. For such a materialized chakra attack, the best defense naturally also required chakra.
But even after dispersing the Dark Thrust, Neji unconsciously gritted his teeth slightly.
Although the flames of the Dark Thrust were scattered, the heat contained within still caused a distinct burning sensation in his arms.
Even the bandages wrapped around his arms burned away a section. Clearly, his chakra was not enough to fully defend against such an attack.
"Hmph!"
At that moment, Hinata's figure had already leapt into the air, delivering a powerful Spinning Top Massacre towards Neji's head. If this strike landed, the outcome of this battle would likely be immediately clear.
Feeling the fierce wind in the air, Neji, his heart tightening, decisively abandoned the idea of continuing to test Hinata's strength. He immediately rolled aside to avoid the attack, followed by a dull thud. The hard stone ground had been forcefully stomped into a crater by Hinata's foot. This force made Neji's eyes widen instantly; clearly, this power had exceeded his previous estimation of Hinata's strength!
But before Neji could fully stand up, Hinata, having landed, swung her right arm again. Another fierce Dark Thrust shot towards Neji, and this time, the chakra contained within the Dark Thrust was extremely unstable. As Neji tried to dodge, it suddenly exploded right in front of him!
"Cough~!"
The shockwave from the Dark Thrust explosion sent Neji flying several meters. Even though he had detected the abnormality of the second Dark Thrust beforehand and actively jumped back, Neji still felt as if his chest had been slammed by a heavy hammer. A feeling of nausea and discomfort surged into his brain; this was clearly physical damage from the shock.
But Neji clearly had no time to worry about his physical abnormalities, because Hinata's chakra was approaching again. The Byakugan girl, using the distraction of Dark Thrust, had already leapt above Neji again. Her tightly clenched right fist was burning with intensely orange flames, striking down towards Neji like a meteor!!
This is bad!!
Neji, with his Byakugan, immediately saw the abnormal chakra concentration in Hinata's right hand.
Logically, the best way to deal with such a powerful taijutsu attack was not to defend or dodge, but to close in on the enemy's body and parry it, but clearly, this move would not work on Hinata.
Neji retreated once more, and as he moved back to avoid the attack, Hinata's punch squarely hit the ground. The Byakugan girl's voice was cruelly loud: "Take this! Flame Killing Fist Secret Art! Divine Flame!"
Hinata's punch, upon hitting the ground, unexpectedly did not cause a strong vibration, but the flames on her right hand, with this strike, surged forward like a burning tide for a full ten meters in front of her. Clearly, this physical attack was merely an auxiliary; the true destructive power came from the flames spewing from her fist!
In other words, even if one could block the punch, they would still suffer severe flame damage!
Neji's body executed a difficult backflip in mid-air, his arms pushing off the ground to propel his body upwards again, thereby avoiding the greatest damage from Divine Flame. But even so, the headband behind his head was burned off by this strike, and the Byakugan user's neatly tied long hair fell loose, with a significant portion directly scorched by the flames.
Moreover, continuously forcing his body to make such movements was clearly an extremely exhausting activity. Neji, who had once again dropped from the air, was uncontrollably panting, while Hinata, having retracted her stance, still showed no signs of fatigue.
Naturally, the direction of this battle was already clear.
"Tsk~ How miserable. He's completely suppressed unilaterally. And that fire-using taijutsu... indeed has the worst compatibility with mine..."
Kankuro on the stands spoke in a low voice, instinctively tightening the puppet straps on his shoulder. He had immediately classified Hinata as the type he was least suited to fight. After all, puppets themselves were made of fragile and lightweight wood. Even with fire-resistant treatment, encountering such a powerful flaming punch would probably be suicidal.
"You're kidding... How could Neji..."
Tenten also covered her mouth in surprise. Clearly, as someone familiar with Neji's strength, seeing such a scene made it almost unimaginable for her.
"Completely helpless... That Hinata Hyuga is she really that strong?"
Rock Lee also spoke in surprise, and subconsciously looking at Sasuke and Naruto on the other side of the stands, the thick-browed taijutsu genin couldn't help but speak softly: "Then... are those two, who share her taijutsu style, equally strong?"
On the field, the Byakugan girl retracted her stance. She, too, had figured out the outcome of this battle. Taijutsu-style battles were inherently like this; with her speed and power far exceeding Neji's, there was no need to further consider the battle's result.
"Give up. I've pretty much figured out your speed and reactions. You're no match for me."
Raising her chin disdainfully, Hinata wasn't surprised by this outcome. She was already far, far stronger than the Hinata Hyuga in the original story, while Neji Hyuga remained stagnant in his own world. Such a person truly wasn't worthy of being her opponent.
The Byakugan girl with a sinister smile spoke coldly: "Neji Hyuga, in the name of the Main Branch successor, I command you to forfeit now."
These words silenced the entire arena, yet no one voiced any objection. Even the densest among them could see that Neji had been completely suppressed from the start of the battle. Even though he had exerted himself to the fullest and hadn't sustained significant damage so far, such a delay was meaningless.
"What a joke!!"
Neji finally roared uncontrollably, tears of unwillingness and fury welling up in his Byakugan eyes.
Why?! He had trained so hard, yet he was still being humiliated by the heiress of the Main Branch, this young lady who had caused so much trouble but showed not an ounce of guilt or remorse?!
"I absolutely! Will not surrender!!"
As if giving up on himself, Neji rushed toward Hinata again in a desperate stance. Clearly, he no longer intended to think. His last hope of defying fate through his own strength had been shattered, and the spirit that had always sustained him could no longer hold out.
"Is that so... Then..."
Hinata's words paused slightly, then rang out, clear and cruel.
"Then die!!"