A soft, timid voice called out from behind. Neji turned and saw Hinata gathering her courage to cheer him on.
He gave a silent nod, then shifted his gaze back to the front.
"Everyone!" Gekkō Hayate appeared before the group, pale and clearly unwell, as he addressed them.
"Although we eliminated many participants during the second stage of the exam, there are still too many contenders left for the third."
"What?!" A wave of disbelief swept through the room.
"So before the third round officially begins," Hayate continued, "we'll be holding a preliminary round to further reduce the number of competitors."
Without pausing for reaction, he relayed the instructions he'd just received from the senior officials above. "Let me make this clear. Only those who pass this preliminary round will be eligible to participate in the actual Chūnin Exams."
"The odds may be slim, but I still need to ask does anyone wish to withdraw now?" Hayate looked around at the assembled genin.
Neji turned his head, casting a sidelong glance at Kabuto. A faint, knowing smile played on his lips.
Sensing the look, Kabuto met Neji's gaze and felt a sudden jolt of unease.
So this is the one Lord Orochimaru mentioned?
This boy is definitely not ordinary. After holding Neji's gaze for a long, deliberate moment, Kabuto quietly left.
"Since no one's withdrawing," Hayate announced, "the preliminaries for the third exam begin now."
"The first match Uchiha Sasuke versus Yoroi Akadō."
Sasuke clicked his tongue in annoyance and sauntered toward the arena. In his mind, this opponent was nothing more than a small fry.
From the observation deck, Neji watched the pair below, thoughtful. It seemed the order of the matches hadn't changed.
Then he glanced at Hinata. There was no avoiding it their match was bound to come. He only hoped the little girl would choose to forfeit.
Soon after, Sasuke defeated Akadō with a well-placed Lion Combo. He barely managed the win.
"Tch." Sasuke was visibly displeased. The fact that he had to work so hard against such a minor opponent felt like a disgrace to the Uchiha name.
Kakashi, noticing something off about Sasuke, quickly escorted him away. As they exited, Neji caught movement in his peripheral vision Orochimaru, now disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, was also leaving.
Of course he left. Neji wasn't surprised.
Still, he drew his thoughts back inward. There was no need to interfere.
Everything was unfolding as it should. Soon enough, it was his turn to take the field.
There was no dodging fate.
As Neji and Hinata stepped into the arena, every gaze in the venue fixed on them.
Both belonged to the Hyūga clan one from the main house, one from the branch. A fight like this was rare.
More than that, Neji was widely known as the clan's prodigy, a genius with a formidable reputation. Hinata, on the other hand, despite being the heiress of the main house, was notoriously weak.
It was no secret that Neji harbored deep resentment toward the main family. Many spectators glanced over at Hyūga Hiashi with curious or amused expressions.
But Hiashi didn't react in the slightest. To him, their thoughts were naïve and irrelevant.
In the arena, Hinata stood nervously across from Neji.
"Neji-nii... I..." Her hands clenched tightly. How could they ask her to fight Neji-nii of all people?
Hayate gave the two a dispassionate look.
"Begin."
But Hinata had already become lost in her own thoughts, struggling with the storm inside her.
What do I do? If I fight back, will Neji-nii hate me? But if I don't, will he look down on me?
Her panic consumed her, and the crowd above began to murmur.
"What's going on? Why haven't they started?"
"Hinata, what are you waiting for? Get in there!"
Neji frowned. At this rate, they'd still be fighting by nightfall. He was just about to make a move when a figure stepped onto the observation platform.
It was Orochimaru, in disguise.
Hiruzen Sarutobi rose to greet him. It was, after all, the bare minimum courtesy due to a visiting Kage.
"So the Kazekage arrived earlier than expected," Hiruzen said with a warm smile.
"Hehe, I wanted to see the future of your village with my own eyes," Orochimaru replied, voice dripping with eerie calm.
"I see."
After the brief exchange of pleasantries, the two sat down to watch the match below.
All the while, Orochimaru's gaze remained fixed on Neji.
"To think someone from the Hyūga clan could possess abilities resembling those of the Kaguya... and even command snakes. Hyūga Neji... the more I watch, the more intrigued I become."
Neji lowered the hand he had just raised. So, Orochimaru had come this early most likely for him.
You want information on me? As you wish.
Neji stood calmly on the field, his eyes settling on Hinata, now with new intensity.
"Hinata. Who would've thought we'd face each other here. Perhaps this is fate."
"Neji-nii..." she whispered.
"You're too weak, Hinata. That's why even Hanabi, who's five years younger, can beat you."
"What?!" Hinata's eyes widened. She bit her lip, hurt and confused. "Neji-nii, why...?"
"This timid, hesitant attitude of yours to us, it's just another form of arrogance. It's the disdain of the main house toward the branch."
Neji shifted into his stance, chakra beginning to surge into his palms as he charged toward Hinata.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Neji closed the distance. Hinata had no choice but to raise her hands and meet his attack with Gentle Fist techniques of her own.
Blocking Gentle Fist directly was foolish they both knew that. She could only try her best to deflect and redirect his strikes.
"You're weak, Hinata. You don't stand the slightest chance against me. If you had any sense, you'd forfeit now."
"Neji-nii, I..."
She was stunned, unable to understand why the Neji-nii she once knew was saying such harsh things.
"You're the heiress to the main family, yet you're completely unworthy of the title. You lack the strength your role demands."
Suddenly, Neji altered his movement, pivoting with a blocking arm that struck Hinata and sent her stumbling backward.
"See that? That's your strength. Your cowardice stops you from fighting properly. Do you think someone like you deserves to inherit the main family?"
Up on the platform, Hiashi watched silently, unmoved. He had no intention of intervening.
"Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms."
Pow! Pow!
Neji's hands struck thirty-two chakra points across Hinata's body in rapid succession, and then a sweeping kick sent her flying.
"Still not giving up?" Neji scowled.
Hinata, trembling and weakened, slowly pulled herself back up. Her limbs were heavy, her vision spinning from the disrupted chakra flow.
"Neji-nii, I won't give up... I'll prove myself. I'll make you acknowledge me."
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms."
Hinata rushed forward, unafraid, her palms glowing with chakra as she struck again and again at Neji. But her previous injuries had damaged her tenketsu points, making her movements sluggish and imprecise.
Neji moved with ease, his steps light, his body tilting just enough to slip past her strikes.
"What?!" Hiashi's expression flickered in surprise. Hinata had mastered the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms?
Even he hadn't known she'd reached that level.
Swish!
Neji leapt back, right palm extended forward.
"Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation."
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