A clenched fist hovered just an inch from his face.
Gaara stared, frozen.
Across from him, Hyuga Neji stood calm and composed.
His defenses had been broken.
The crowd around them fell silent. Even Sasuke's Great Fireball Jutsu hadn't managed to crack Gaara's sand shield, and yet now, a single punch had shattered it.
"Gaara, right?" Neji spoke lightly. "For my sake, how about we let this one slide?"
Gaara's eyes darkened. This fight he had lost.
If he insisted on continuing, Neji would undoubtedly switch to Gentle Fist. At such close range, Gaara had no chance of dodging.
"Hmph. We're leaving," Gaara snapped, his expression stormy as he turned to go.
Temari and Kankuro quickly followed.
At the corridor's corner, Gaara suddenly paused. "Hyuga Neji, was it? Don't lose before you get to me in the Chunin Exams."
Once Gaara was gone, Neji's expression turned serious. Gaara's strength was formidable. He had taken advantage of a moment's carelessness next time wouldn't be so easy.
"So that's what it feels like to be standing on the threshold of jonin," Neji thought quietly, watching Gaara's retreating figure.
"Th-thank you… for saving me," Sakura stepped forward, grateful now that the danger had passed.
"It was nothing," Neji replied.
With Gaara's sand no longer binding them, Naruto and Sasuke finally broke free.
"Heh, looks like this Chunin Exam is going to be interesting," Sasuke said coolly.
"Yeah, yeah! This time it's gonna be my stage! Hahaha…" Naruto chimed in.
Neji resisted the urge to sigh. These two were unbelievable just moments ago they'd nearly been beaten to death, and now they were already bragging like nothing happened.
"Both of you, shut up!" Sakura snapped, furious.
Neji watched them, his thoughts turning inward. It was becoming clear that his presence was starting to alter this world's trajectory.
That wasn't a bad thing. It meant less trouble down the line.
From a nearby corner, Konohamaru and his friends finally emerged, trembling as they peeked out.
Sasuke coughed, then walked up to Neji.
"Hyuga Neji, huh? I'm going to surpass you."
"And me too! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage!" Naruto jumped in loudly.
Neji ignored them. Both were clearly posturing especially Sasuke, who had practically turned pretending into a full-time job.
Sakura, though… she wasn't bad. That monstrous strength of hers was definitely something to note.
"U-um, I'm Haruno Sakura. You can just call me Sakura," she stammered with uncharacteristic shyness.
Naruto visibly cringed, as if he'd just taken a critical hit straight to the heart.
Neji replied calmly, "I look forward to facing you all in the Chunin Exams."
"Hmph. I'll defeat you," Sasuke said, lifting his chin arrogantly.
Neji chuckled softly and waved him off as he walked away.
Uchiha Sasuke?
He hadn't even awakened his Sharingan yet. Not worth his attention.
"Damn it!" Sasuke clenched his fists, seething with frustration. Since when had an Uchiha been dismissed so lightly?
At that moment, his heart burned with an intense craving for power.
After defeating Gaara, Neji returned to the barbecue restaurant and enjoyed a celebratory meal with the others. Naturally, the system handed out its rewards.
"Host dines with Tenten, reward: Speed +10%."
"Tenten serves food to host, reward: Throwing weapon accuracy +10%."
"Hinata serves food to host, reward: Strength +20%."
By the time Neji stepped out of the restaurant, he was in a great mood.
In a word satisfying.
The meal hadn't just boosted his stats; it had also brought him closer to Hinata and Tenten. Three benefits in one go truly a productive evening.
By now, it was already late at night.
Returning to the Hyuga compound with Hinata, Neji headed straight to the training grounds, while Hinata went home.
She glanced at the sky and suddenly panicked. "Oh no! I'm late for training!"
Inside the Hyuga training hall…
Hiashi's brow furrowed. "Where is Hinata?!"
"Lord Hiashi, Lady Hinata hasn't returned yet," reported a member of the branch family.
Hiashi's expression darkened further. Even the branch family children knew to pursue excellence, yet the heir of the main family showed such indifference?
He cast a quick glance toward Hanabi, who was currently sparring with another.
Her taijutsu had improved yet again.
Several branch members had already been bested by her. Hiashi nodded in approval.
Compared to that, Hinata was… disappointing. Timid by nature and lax in training.
He sighed. "Perhaps she really isn't suited to inherit the main house…"
"Father"
A breathless voice interrupted him.
Hinata burst into the hall, panting as she ran up.
"Hmph!" Hiashi snorted coldly. "Where have you been?"
"I… I…" Hinata stammered, unable to answer.
If her father found out she'd been eating barbecue with the others, she'd definitely get scolded again.
"Forget it. Come in and train," Hiashi sighed, already close to giving up on her.
"Y-yes. Thank you, Father." Hinata rushed to the center of the hall.
"Hanabi, go spar with your sister," Hiashi ordered.
"Yes, Father."
A moment later, the two girls faced each other.
"Ready, sister?" Hanabi asked in a hushed voice.
"Mm. Let's begin."
They activated their Byakugan, and instantly clashed.
Thanks to Neji's influence, both had made significant progress, correcting many of their earlier flaws.
Their fight was fierce but Hinata quickly gained the upper hand.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Their palms struck, wrapped in soft blue chakra, dancing like butterflies in combat.
Thud!
Hanabi launched herself forward.
"Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms!"
Hinata shifted her stance, dodging smoothly and countering with a swift hand strike.
"Too fast!" Hanabi's eyes widened. But it was too late. Hinata's palm connected, sending her tumbling.
Hiashi stood frozen, stunned by what he had just witnessed.
Her attacks are faster… her strength has increased… and most importantly she doesn't hesitate anymore.
Hiashi's face turned grave, his heart stirred. Hinata's progress was nothing short of astonishing.
"Hinata, I have questions for you. Hanabi, you come too," he said from the sidelines.
He needed to know the reason behind their sudden growth.
Hinata and Hanabi exchanged a glance and quietly followed their father outside.
Meanwhile, Neji had finished his own training session and returned home, rummaging through the clan's scroll archives.
If he was serious about mastering both taijutsu and ninjutsu, he needed more techniques.
While the Hyuga clan was famed for its Gentle Fist, that didn't mean they lacked ninjutsu. As one of the major clans, they had a respectable collection of scrolls, including detailed training notes.
Still, Neji frowned.
"This is it?"