Chapter 46: Sparring
Seeing Neji Hyuga up close, his long dark hair and intense, milky white eyes stand out immediately. His calm, serious expression and traditional ninja attire give him an air of quiet strength and precision.
"I am, and you are?"
"Neji Hruga. Lee and Guy say great things about you."
"I see." I replied, as I looked around to accurately see my surroundings.
I then saw Tenten, Lee and Guy sensei observing the interaction.
Tenten seemed clearly uninterested, as Lee was watching with the utmost seriousness.
Guy sensei himself seemed to be less enthusiastic than usual.
Lee also had his arm and foot in a cast, carrying clutches with him too.
"So, why are you here?" I questioned.
"I have heard enough of Guy-sensei and Lee talking about someone not even being from a clan being a vessel of combat. I am here for a friendly spar, to see if their praise is unwarranted or not."
I couldn't help but laugh at that.
"What's so funny?"
"It's just, this is coming from a guy who's clan is mainly that of sensors?"
"Our gentle fist is renowned throughout the world."
"Is it?"
This seemed to have gotten him slightly mad, since his face from a neutral expression slowly turned into a scowl.
"So what is your decision?"
"Well, I accept."
…
(Tenten POV)
"Lee, want to make a bet?"
"What is this bet you mention regarding, Tenten?" Lee asked with a confused look as he looked at me.
"That Neji will defeat this guy you and sensei like so much."
"What exactly are we wagering?"
"How about if you win, I will provide you free training weights when you need to increase them?" Tenten questioned.
"That is great Tenten, however Guy sensei already has my next set bought. Instead, you can join us in our training for 1 month!"
Well…it is not like Neji can lose, at least not to someone our age.
"Deal! If I win, you have to provide me with Ninja tools for a year!"
"Deal." Lee said, giving me a thumbs up.
"Ah youth…" I heard Sensei say as he shook his head a little, as he suddenly looked behind himself
"Look, it is about to begin."
Guy sensei, Lee and I observed as the 2 people on the training ground got into theri fighting stances.
Shikomu and Neji faced each other, with a palpable silence.
Neji took the initiative, launching forward with a series of swift, precise strikes characteristic of the Gentle Fist.
Each movement was fluid, aimed at disrupting Shikomu's chakra flow by striking his vitals. Something I had seen far too often during the war.
Shikomu was visibly caught off guard and barely dodged and parried Neji. However what seemed to be experience quickly allowed him to adapt.
But to me, it all seemed futile, as Neji's gentle fist was mastered to a point he was able to use it effortlessly and adaptable.
Right as Neji got too close, Shikomu's speed increased to an insane degree out of nowhere…
We already knew that Shikomu knew how to use the 8 Inner Gates, but it was clear that right now he was not using them…
Neji jumped far back, and decided to activate his Byakugan while gaining distance on Shikomu.
"Taking me seriously already? " Shikomu asked with a neutral expression on his face. As if Neji was not interesting enough for him yet.
"To be honest I am disappointed." Neji told him.
"Well I guess I should not disappoint." Shikomu said, as an aura of Chakra burst around him, making his veins also bulge out.
The technique that we were all too familiar with.
"He has opened the 4th Gate already?" Lee asked in shock.
"If he can open the 4th gate from the start…it seems like what I have heard is true." Guy sensei muttered.
"And what have you heard, Guy-Sensei?" Lee questioned.
"That Shikomu can already open the 6th Gate."
?!
"My turn." Shikomu announced, as he charged towards Neji with blinding speeds.
Shikomu countered with a series of powerful, straightforward attacks, utilizing his brute strength and speed.
Neji deftly evaded, his Byakugan activated, tracking every movement with pinpoint accuracy.
He continued to exploit openings, striking at Shikomu vital points with an almost surgical precision.
Well, all to no avail, since Shikomu was moving at blinding speeds.
What the hell…is Neji losing?
Neji then charged chakra into his hand, and a gust of wind shot towards Shikomu, who simply jumped away at ridiculous speeds.
Neji's brows furrowed as he adjusted his stance, his Byakugan analyzing every angle, every possible counter. Yet, despite his skill, his Gentle Fist was getting picked apart.
"Precision means nothing if your opponent doesn't play by your rules," Shikomu taunted, effortlessly weaving through Neji's strikes.
Neji pressed forward, his footwork impeccable—until Shikomu destroyed it.
With each clash, Neji found himself being pushed into awkward angles, his rhythm thrown off, his movements no longer flowing as they should.
Shikomu struck at the foundation of his stance.
A sharp kick to the shin.
A brutal stomp that forced Neji's footing to shift.
A sweep that left him exposed for just a moment too long.
And in a battle between them, a moment was everything.
Neji attempted to retreat, but Shikomu didn't let him.
His aura flared—the Fifth Gate bursting open.
A sudden shift in air pressure. A force so overwhelming that the ground beneath them cracked.
Before Neji could even react, Shikomu was already in his space—an uppercut so devastatingly fast that Neji never saw it coming.
CRACK.
Shikomu felt it before he heard it—the unmistakable sound of something breaking. Neji's body shot upward, a blur against the sky before crashing back down like a fallen meteor.
Silence.
The dust settled, revealing Neji lying motionless, unconscious before he even hit the ground.
…
(Time Skip: 2 weeks in game time)
"You don't think Lord Jiraiya will care that you are teaching me this?"
"If Pervy-sage has a problem with this he can shove it into his nose. It constantly bleeds anyway." Naruto said as he guided me to learn the rasengan.
An attack that might suit me since I barely used any hand signs anyway.
It would take me longer than it took Naruto but when I master this Jutsu I should be able to catch people by surprise fairly often.
"So how do we begin?"
After a while of training with Naruto, he asked me to go ahead and meet him in Ichiraku Ramen…that being said even after waiting for a long time, he never showed up.
Maybe he got caught up in something.
And to my surprise, someone I didn't expect to see, showed up.
Instead of Naruto who was usually here, it was a blond girl in a purple kunoichi outfit.
"Hi Shikomu, fancy seeing you here." Ino said to me as she sat on the stool right next to her.
"I should be saying that to you. Since when did you like ramen?"
"I decided it was time for me to expand my tastes."
I then looked at the small bowl in front of her.
"And how exactly are you supposed to taste anything inside of that small bowl?"
Ino chuckled as she replied, "Well a woman should keep her figure should she not?"
"Well, a woman who looks as good as you doesn't need to try so hard."
…
Inside of a chamber in the Hidden Leaf, Naido was sitting right in front of Yugito, the current 2 tails Jinchuriki.
"How long until you kill me?" she asked in a hoarse voice.
Currently both her hands were tied up and her entire body was filled with blood, to the point even her blond hair was dyed red.
"You die when I let you die." Naido said calmly, as he picked up another sword and calmly tore through her stomach.
"AHHHHHHHH!" She screamed in pain, yet none of the interrogators in the room had a reaction.
"Just kill me." She said after Naido stopped. "I told them everything I know."
"And I told you this isn't about information. This is about payback."
...
Authors note:
You can read some chapters ahead if you want to on my p#treon.com/Fat_Cultivator