Chapter 83

Chapter 83 - 83 [Power Stone Event Started!] [+100PS = +1 Chapter!] [+10 Reviews = +1 Chapter!] Natsuki wasn't idle either. His hands flew into seals, creating two shadow clones—one leapt into the sky using Geppō (Moon Step), while the other burrowed underground with Doton (Earth Release). Meanwhile, his original body rushed straight toward the matchbox-sized arena. Everyone watching was dazzled. Natsuki's movements were just too fast. From using Doton to trap Neji, to releasing two shadow clones—it all flowed like a carefully rehearsed performance, not a single moment wasted. However, while this tactic might work against others, it wasn't likely to be effective against Neji, who possessed the Byakugan—an all-seeing eye with no blind spots. He must've seen everything from inside the matchbox arena. This wasn't going to be a sneak attack at all! "Hakkeshō!" (Eight Trigrams Palm!) With a bang, the earthen arena exploded. Neji stood firmly, setting his stance, ready for Natsuki's approach. But before Natsuki could get there, the shadow clone above launched several Rankyaku (Tempest Kick) slashes toward Neji, forcing him to dodge. Then, just as he evaded the air attack, the underground clone reached up to grab his ankle, prompting Neji to leap back in a hurry. But Natsuki's original body wasn't going to just stand there and watch. He had already dashed in, launching a rapid attack with Tekkai Kenpō (Iron Body Fist). Neji had no choice but to defend himself. He had originally set up his Hakke Rokujuuyon Shō (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms), but Natsuki's coordinated surprise attacks from above and below completely disrupted his rhythm. Now, all he could do was deal with the fast-paced assaults, unable to execute his original plan. "As expected of Natsuki... his speed is unreal. I've already fallen into his rhythm..." Neji thought grimly, as his hands frantically blocked Natsuki's iron fists. The repeated impacts left his hands numb—those fists really were like iron. Then, Natsuki suddenly shifted styles. His Tekkai Kenpō transformed into a swift barrage of Shigan (Finger Gun) attacks. With his fingers hardened and sharpened, a single strike could easily pierce through flesh. Neji's defense became even more difficult. Even with chakra covering his palms, he didn't dare block directly. He had to keep retreating while also watching for attacks from the air and underground. This was why Natsuki sent clones to the sky and the ground—it severely restricted Neji's options. The crowd was stunned. Natsuki's tactic was masterful. His main body's relentless strikes were already overwhelming, and with unpredictable sneak attacks from above and below, even a Chūnin would have a hard time keeping up. The fact that Neji had held out for this long was impressive. Indeed, using Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique) wisely could be game-changing. Unlike Naruto, who simply threw clones into the fray to get beaten up—plus his terrible taijutsu—it was no wonder he struggled so often. At this point, Neji was starting to panic. Natsuki's pressure was only increasing. At this rate, defeat was inevitable—a result he could not accept. He hadn't even forced out Natsuki's true strength yet! Grinding his teeth, Neji began to spin, and a hemispherical chakra shield formed around him. "Hakkeshō Kaiten!" (Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation!) Natsuki immediately ceased his assault. Even the clone in the air paused. After all, Kaiten was nearly invincible defensively—breaking through it was no simple task. But there was one flaw: the area beneath Neji's feet wasn't protected. Natsuki had discovered this during their last battle—and there was still a clone underground. The next moment, a wall of earth suddenly shot up from the ground beneath Neji's feet. Neji was launched into the air by the Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall), interrupting his spin. With Kaiten forcibly broken, he was now completely exposed. The airborne clone immediately unleashed a barrage of Rankyaku, surrounding Neji in slicing winds. Neji twisted his body midair, trying his best to dodge while striking the incoming slashes with chakra-laced palms. However, Hakke no Kūshō (Eight Trigrams Empty Palm) required firm footing and waist movement to maximize its power. In midair, its strength was greatly reduced. Before long, Neji hit the ground, bloodied. Before he could react, Natsuki's original body appeared behind him, pressing a kunai to his throat. "Neji, I'll take this match." With those words, Natsuki retracted the kunai and dispelled his two clones. Neji clenched his jaw in frustration, but finally took a deep breath and admitted, "I lost." He had no choice but to concede. While he had initiated the first attack, Natsuki had seized the tempo from the start. Neji hadn't even managed to use his Hakke Rokujuuyon Shō. In the end, even his supposedly impenetrable Kaiten was disrupted by a sneak attack from underground. Once lifted off the ground, Kaiten couldn't function at all. So it was true—Kaiten did have a weakness. While it could defend against attacks from all sides, including above, it left the underside completely vulnerable. A simple earth-style jutsu could break it. He had known this from their previous match, but he still placed his trust in Kaiten, and now he paid the price. If even Kaiten could be broken, how could he not lose? "What frustrates me most is... I still couldn't force you to go all out..." Neji muttered. "No worries. I'll be waiting—you can challenge me anytime," Natsuki replied with a small smile. He could see that Neji had changed a lot since their last fight. He no longer believed the Byakugan and Jūken were invincible. He no longer thought Kaiten was impenetrable. That was good—progress. To be honest, the Hyūga clan was trapped in old traditions. For a thousand years, they had clung to their ancestors' glory and failed to evolve, blind to the changing times. If they didn't adapt, they'd be left behind. Look at history: through all the shinobi wars, which prominent figures emerged from the Hyūga? White Fang, the Legendary Sannin, the Yellow Flash, Shisui the Teleporter... Did the Hyūga produce any of them? A decaying clan, stuck in the past. If Neji, a member of the Branch Family, could wake up and seek change, maybe he really could lead the Hyūga to a revival. Unfortunately, the clan's archaic Main–Branch division only served to suppress talents like him. The Hyūga were dragging themselves into the abyss. But that wasn't Natsuki's concern. He was just reflecting, nothing more. The match was over... but it wasn't. Natsuki turned to Guy and raised a hand, smiling. "Guy-sensei, how about sparring with me? Let me show you my Eight Gates progress." "You want to fight me? YOSH! Bring it on!" Guy cracked his knuckles and entered a defensive stance, not underestimating Natsuki one bit. Natsuki took a deep breath. The next second, a surge of chakra erupted around him like a storm. "Hachimon Tonkō – Seimon, KAI!" (Eight Gates Released Formation – Third Gate, Gate of Life, OPEN!) BOOM! The shockwave from the chakra burst kicked up sand and rocks, sending a powerful windstorm outward. Everyone except Yamashiro Aoba and Tenten was shocked. Neji quickly activated his Byakugan, his face tense. "So this is the Eight Gates... I've never seen it before. Unlocking internal limiters and forcibly releasing chakra... what terrifying power. I believe Tenten now—if just the third gate can cause this kind of reaction, then if Guy-sensei really opens the Death Gate... he might actually kick the Rikudō Sennin (Six Paths Sage) into oblivion!" (End of Chapter) [Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][/zaelum] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]