The ferocious whirlwind engulfed Neji Hyuga instantly.
His body was swept upward, spinning uncontrollably, the sensation overwhelming.
As a newly minted Genin, Neji's ninjutsu repertoire was limited, far from his prowess during the Chunin Exams in the original Naruto story.
In the violent gusts, stabilizing himself was no easy task.
Only as the whirlwind's force waned could Neji land precariously on a rooftop beam.
Blood trickled from his mouth, and his face and body bore numerous cuts from the wind's force.
"This guy… he was holding back so many tricks."
"Just a Ninja Academy student?"
Neji sucked in a sharp breath, the pain sharpening his focus.
He reassessed his opponent, realizing Naruto Uzumaki was no pushover.
Underestimating him again was out of the question; Neji would now fight at full strength.
"He's using the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique to disrupt my vision, then striking with Wind Release from his real body."
"In close combat, he's no match for me. I need to close the distance."
Neji leaped down from the roof, advancing step by step.
As a competent Genin, he could analyze Naruto's strengths and weaknesses from their previous clash.
Naruto's taijutsu was clearly a weak point.
If Neji acted decisively in close quarters, his odds of winning remained high.
With this in mind, Neji didn't hesitate. A Body Flicker Technique closed the gap.
Naruto, startled by Neji's resilience, immediately used the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique.
He engaged Neji with a dozen clones.
Though unable to overpower Neji, the clones gave Naruto control of the fight's pace.
But taijutsu battles couldn't drag on. Neji's Gentle Fist relied on rhythm.
Unlike one-strike techniques, it thrived in prolonged combat, exploiting the Byakugan's ability to target chakra pathways.
The longer the fight, the deadlier Neji became.
Unaware of this, Naruto planned to repeat his earlier strategy with clones.
He didn't realize he'd fallen into a trap.
Neji's movements accelerated, and Naruto sensed something off.
It felt as if Neji anticipated his every move.
No matter what Naruto did, Neji seemed to have him completely figured out.
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Neji's speed surged, each strike sharper than the last.
He showed no sign of injury. In a single breath, multiple blows landed.
Naruto's remaining clones vanished instantly.
Neji closed in on Naruto's real body.
[Stay calm! You've got one more move!]
In Naruto's subconscious, Chu Ran saw Neji's advance and cursed Naruto's overconfidence.
He issued a sharp reminder—Naruto had a trump card in close combat.
Prompted, Naruto's right hand instinctively reached for his ninja pouch.
Gripping a kunai in a reverse hold, he slashed upward at the charging Neji.
"A kunai? Pointless struggling?"
Neji scoffed inwardly, accelerating.
Dodging the kunai's slash was simple, its reach akin to a dagger.
With the Byakugan, evasion was child's play.
Neji's Gentle Fist was poised to strike Naruto's chakra pathways, setting up the Sixty-Four Palms.
But a searing pain in his chest halted him.
His pupils dilated as he glanced down.
Ordinary eyes might miss it, but Neji's Byakugan saw clearly.
Naruto's kunai was coated in chakra.
Unlike the chakra Neji used for Gentle Fist, this was razor-sharp, thin as a cicada's wing.
The moment it grazed Neji, it tore through cloth and flesh.
Blood hadn't even had time to flow, a testament to its sharpness.
Had Neji not dodged, his chest would've been gashed open.
As fear gripped him, a figure appeared between them.
Watermelon haircut, thick brows, green spandex—it was Neji's sensei, Might Guy, the Leaf's Sublime Green Beast.
Guy seized Naruto's wrist, flinging him away with a twist.
Bang!
Naruto crashed into the Hyuga clan's wall.
Guy had held back, or Naruto would've been shattered.
Still, Naruto staggered to his feet, pain wracking him, but he faced Neji like a victor.
His gaze mirrored the disdain Neji had shown at their first meeting.
"I won this time. Without that bushy-brow guy interfering."
"Remember my name—I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the man who'll become Hokage!"
"The man who beat you!"
Pointing at Neji, Naruto's face broke into a triumphant grin.
Glancing at Guy, he assumed they knew each other, explaining the intervention.
Naruto hadn't considered what might've happened without Guy's presence.
Neji's eyes burned with unwillingness, the pain a constant reminder of his defeat as a genius.
"Oh, and don't bully Hinata anymore."
"She's my friend. If you hurt her, I'll make you pay."
After a few steps, Naruto turned back to Neji, now slumped in Guy's arms.
His words carried the weight of a victor; a loser's retort would only bring shame.
Neji remained silent, his frustration palpable, staring at Naruto's retreating figure.