Central Tower Arena
"Will the two contestants please step forward," Hayate Gekko announced, looking at the stage.
"Hinata, it's your turn. Do your best!" Naruto cheered, seeing the names displayed on the large screen.
The screen clearly showed: "Hyuga Hinata VS Hyuga Neji"
"To think that my opponent would be you... Hinata-sama..." Neji said, his face devoid of any emotion as he looked at Hinata standing opposite him.
"Neji-niisan..." Hinata softly called out, looking at Neji.
"They're siblings?" Naruto exclaimed in surprise, hearing Hinata's address.
"They both come from Konoha's oldest and most distinguished clan with an exceptional bloodline – the Hyuga clan. But they're not siblings. It's more accurate to say they're from the Hyuga's Main House and Branch House..." Kakashi, who had somehow appeared behind Naruto and Sakura, explained upon hearing Naruto's question.
"Kakashi-sensei... What are the Main House and Branch House?" Naruto asked.
Sakura listened as Kakashi explained the Main and Branch House system to Naruto, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Why were both Hizashi and Hiashi born into the Main House, yet one was branded with the Caged Bird Seal while neither of Hiashi's daughters were?
"So, this is what you'd call a fated showdown..." Kakashi concluded, noticing Naruto's somewhat subdued expression.
Meanwhile, on the arena floor:
"Alright... Begin the match!" Hayate announced.
"Before we start... I'd like to offer Hinata-sama a piece of advice..." Neji suddenly looked at Hinata with piercing eyes. "You're not cut out to be a ninja. You should give up!"
"..." Hinata, meeting Neji's serious gaze, looked away, her eyes darting nervously.
"You lack self-confidence... and are often plagued by feelings of inferiority... Therefore..."
Neji relentlessly listed Hinata's shortcomings. While some weren't necessarily flaws, it didn't stop Neji from venting his emotions towards the Main House. The long-standing resentment he held towards the Main House could be released, to some extent, in this duel.
"With these Byakugan, I've seen through everything... So I know! You're just putting on a brave face..."
Neji's emotions intensified, and he unconsciously activated his Byakugan, staring intently at Hinata. Hinata, unnerved by Neji's gaze, kept backing away.
Although Hinata knew that Neji had a negative attitude towards the Main House, she held great respect for him. Neji wasn't overly warm to her, but he wasn't unkind either. But at this moment, it felt like Hinata was meeting Neji for the first time.
"...In other words, you're basing your prediction of this match's outcome on your past experiences..." Neji gave a scornful chuckle. "And the result is... you're destined to lose."
Hinata, listening to Neji's analysis, desperately wanted to deny it, but his words struck at the core of her insecurities, causing her to panic. She unconsciously shifted her weight, taking a small step backward.
"When I pressured you, your gaze shifted backward, and your left foot moved slightly back half a step. That means you want to run away. In other words... you've already realized... you-can-not-change-yourself," Neji said, emphasizing each word while staring intensely at Hinata.
After Neji's final sentence, Hinata involuntarily took another step back, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Hinata, beat him up for me!!!" Naruto suddenly shouted, startling Sakura beside him.
"Bastard, who are you to judge someone else's heart!!! A jerk like you doesn't deserve to be Hinata's brother!!" Naruto then yelled at Neji.
Neji glanced at Naruto but didn't respond. Hinata, hearing Naruto's words, looked up at him. The fear, anxiety, and unease in her eyes had vanished.
"Hinata, go for it! I can't stand watching this anymore. Give him a good thrashing!" Naruto continued to shout encouragement.
Hinata stared blankly at Naruto, a small smile forming on her lips. Thank you, Naruto. I won't back down. She silently thanked him in her heart.
Neji, seeing the resolve gradually returning to Hinata's eyes, said, "Not giving up? Then be prepared for the consequences!"
"I... don't want to run away anymore!" Hinata declared, her Byakugan now activated. "Let's settle this, Neji-niisan!"
"Is that so... Hmph." Neji, seeing Hinata assume the Gentle Fist stance, didn't say anything further and mirrored her stance.
Sakura watched as the two began their battle, using identical stances and techniques. Hinata definitely wouldn't win against Neji. Sakura decided to calmly recover her chakra, so she could heal Hinata later.
Some things needed to be experienced firsthand to achieve true growth. Naruto's words had pulled Hinata back from the brink of collapse, giving her the strength to stand up again. After this match, Hinata would take Naruto's ninja way as her own, following in his footsteps.
Thinking of this, Sakura glanced at Naruto, who still wore an angry expression as he watched Neji in the arena.
"Hey, Naruto, what do you think of Hinata?" Sakura suddenly asked.
"Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden, Sakura-chan?" Naruto turned, scratching his head in confusion.
"Just answer the question. Stop stalling," Sakura said impatiently.
"Um... Well... I guess she's kind of a strange girl. She's really shy, not very outgoing, and always seems hesitant," Naruto replied, scratching his head.
Sakura really wanted to record Naruto's words and play them back to Hinata after they got married in the future. She'd never seen Hinata angry before.
"Oh, right, and back in the Ninja Academy, Hinata seemed to be always staring at me." Naruto rested his chin on his hand, thoughtfully recalling, then looked at Sakura with a slightly creeped-out expression. "Hey, Sakura-chan, she doesn't have any bad intentions towards me, does she?"
Sakura was speechless at Naruto's words. He really was a naive kid. "What do you think, Naruto?!"
"I don't know. Maybe I was just imagining it," Naruto said, unsure of Sakura's meaning.
"Treat Hinata well. She doesn't have any bad intentions towards you. She even gave you that ointment earlier," Sakura said, rolling her eyes. She was tired of trying to explain things to this hot-blooded idiot. She left him to ponder her words.
On the arena floor, Hinata and Neji continued their exchange, using the same palm techniques and routines. It was difficult to tell who had the upper hand at first glance. However, Sakura could clearly sense that Neji was handling Hinata with ease, holding back his full strength. Hinata's breathing, on the other hand, had already become unsteady. At this rate, defeat was inevitable.
No, from the moment Hinata faced Neji, she had no chance of winning. The only question was how long she could hold out.
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