Kitazawa understood where Neji Hyuga was coming from.
The Byakugan was unique—no outsider could ever truly master it.
And Neji had no idea Kitazawa was hiding a cheat: he'd already mastered the Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
"What's your take on Sasuke?" Kitazawa asked casually.
"He's talented. Strong too," Neji replied honestly, not really sure why the question came up.
"How about compared to you?"
"He's still got a long way to go," Neji said bluntly.
Last semester, he'd fought Sasuke and won easily.
Sasuke's fire jutsu packed a punch, but if it couldn't land, it didn't matter.
"Sasuke spent the summer training under me. He's made big strides," Kitazawa said. "So today, during live combat class, I want you to fight him again."
Neji raised an eyebrow.
Sasuke, catching up to him in just one summer?
That was wishful thinking.
"Let's make it interesting," Kitazawa added. "If you lose, you join my special training sessions."
"Deal," Neji answered without hesitation.
He didn't believe for a second Sasuke could beat him.
Kitazawa nodded slightly. Neji, shaped by experience and a mature outlook, wasn't easy to convince like Hinata or Sasuke.
So, no more talk. Time to let the fists do the persuading.
It was all part of Kitazawa's mission anyway—otherwise, he wouldn't bother.
They headed to the training field.
First-year Class A and Second-year Class A were already lined up in formation.
"Before we start class, Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji—step forward," Kitazawa announced without wasting a breath. "You're giving us a sparring match."
"Another one?"
"Didn't Sasuke get wrecked last time?"
"It's just been one summer—no way he caught up to Neji."
"Yeah, Neji's still gonna wipe the floor with him."
The students erupted in chatter.
Both Neji and Sasuke were famous names in their grades—and as heirs of the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, their rivalry came with clan baggage.
"You got this, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. He already knew the match was coming from lunchtime.
"Mhm." Sasuke gave a nod and casually walked forward, hands in his pockets, his expression cool as ice.
"Ugh, what a showoff," Kiba muttered.
"That's called genius swagger," Sakura shot back.
"Only if he wins," Kiba scoffed. "If he loses, that 'swagger' is just cringe."
"Sasuke had secret training, remember?" Ino clenched her fists. "I believe in Kitazawa-sensei."
She didn't know Sasuke had actually gone home to train genjutsu under Itachi.
She thought it was Kitazawa's doing.
"Mm." Hinata nodded quietly.
Her trust in Kitazawa was unconditional.
He's the reason she was able to beat Neji in the first place.
"Begin!" Kitazawa called out after they made the confrontation seal.
"This time, I'm settling the score from last semester," Sasuke said, activating his Sharingan. "Because now, I've got these eyes."
Sharingan, huh?
Neji finally understood Kitazawa's confidence.
But even with Sharingan, the best Sasuke could do was close the gap.
Neji's Sixty-Four Palms was still a major advantage.
He didn't hesitate.
With a stomp, he launched himself forward.
"I can see it now—clearly this time."
Sasuke grinned, narrowly dodging Neji's palm with a smooth sidestep.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!
Sasuke steadied his stance, flashed through hand signs, and launched a massive fireball straight at Neji.
The air sizzled with heat.
Neji frowned and dodged sideways.
He wasn't going to take that head-on.
The Sharingan lived up to its name.
But the single-tomoe version wasn't as scary as people made it out to be.
As he evaded, Neji suddenly burst forward again—so fast the air howled.
"He's that quick?!" Sasuke was caught off guard.
Luckily, his Sharingan barely managed to keep up.
Reflexes from Kitazawa's combat drills kicked in—he countered with a kick while simultaneously throwing two shuriken.
Neji was surprised.
Sasuke's reaction time had skyrocketed.
If it had been last semester, he would've been hit already.
Neji stopped mid-dash, swiping out two precise palm strikes—one hitting Sasuke's foot, the other knocking the shuriken aside.
Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!
Sasuke backed up and unleashed a flurry of small fireballs, scattering them like petals.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!
Too close to dodge.
Neji's eyes sharpened. He charged forward instead.
His palms shot out.
One strike shattered the nearest fireball.
Then another, and another—each flame dissipating under his precise blows.
Manipulated Shuriken Technique!
Sasuke recognized Neji's technique immediately.
He'd seen him use it against Hinata before.
Sasuke didn't panic.
He grabbed three shuriken in each hand and threw them.
"Won't work."
Neji already saw through the wires with his Byakugan.
But then Sasuke cut the wires mid-flight and started weaving hand signs.
"Huh?"
Neji blinked, suddenly realizing—The shuriken were a decoy. The real move is next.
Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu?
Sasuke had used it before, but it was incomplete at the time.
Even as Neji's mind raced, his hands didn't stop—he smacked all six shuriken out of the air.
Then he looked up—
—and saw Sasuke's chakra flow was… off.
This wasn't Dragon Flame.
Genjutsu: Bubble!
Sasuke's body burst into a flock of crows.
"What kind of jutsu is that?"
Neji froze, unfamiliar with it.
He glanced around—no Sasuke in sight. Just circling crows.
Then his Byakugan picked it up:
His own chakra network was disrupted.
Classic genjutsu symptoms.
Neji's expression shifted.
He was caught in a genjutsu—and he had no clue how to break one.
Especially an illusion cast by a dōjutsu.
Who would've thought a student could cast genjutsu like this?
The crows dove, turning into shuriken midair.
Neji jumped back.
Blades stabbed into the ground.
"Wait… not a genjutsu?"
He faltered.
"You lost, Neji."
The crows disappeared—Sasuke had somehow slipped behind him, kunai pressed to his back.
Bubble didn't really turn Sasuke into crows—
It just made you think he had.
While Neji was distracted, Sasuke had already circled behind him.
"…."
Neji wanted to say, Let's run it back. I've figured it out now.
But a loss was a loss.
Kitazawa: "Winner: Uchiha Sasuke."
Sasuke's performance was airtight.
He'd feinted with the shuriken technique, baited Neji, and followed with genjutsu.
Neji never saw it coming.
His loss wasn't just about skill—it was about lack of prep.
And the Sharingan's illusions were, frankly, broken.
The good news?
Kitazawa was about to get his hands on it too.
The students exploded in chatter.
Everyone thought Neji would win again. They were sure of it.
They were wrong.
Sakura: "Yes! Sasuke-kun really is the best!"
Naruto: "Huh?! What just happened?"
To Naruto, it had all looked random—
The fight was intense, then Neji just backed off, and Sasuke popped up behind him.
Shikamaru: "Genjutsu. Neji got hit with an illusion."
Ino: "So that's what happened. No wonder he lost."
Naruto: "Genjutsu's that good?"
Kiba: "Even basic genjutsu is a pain. Sharingan genjutsu? You need someone to break it for you."
Naruto: "So one-on-one… you're screwed?"
Ino: "That's the Uchiha legend. One-on-one, they're unbeatable."
Shikamaru: "Unless you use Shadow Clones. They count as teammates."
Naruto: "Whew. I'm fine then—I've got clones for days!"
Hinata: "But what if you don't know Shadow Clone?"
Shino: "Then don't look at their eyes."
Shikamaru: "Yeah. Most shinobi avoid eye contact with the Uchiha."
Kiba: "It's tough though. You lose half your combat awareness."
Ino: "Though the Byakugan might help. It sees chakra flow—might spot the genjutsu activation."
Hinata felt a little better… but not totally confident.
She decided to talk to Kitazawa after class.
Kitazawa: "Alright, that's enough. Class starts now."
Sasuke glanced at Neji, then coolly walked back to the first-year line.
He kept his grin in check—but inside, he felt amazing.
He wanted to throw his head back and laugh.
But his pride kept him composed.
He just couldn't wait to get home and tell his father and brother the good news.
Neji, by contrast, returned to his spot in silence.
Tenten: "Neji…"
She didn't know what to say.
Even she was shocked—second-year prodigy Neji, losing to two first-years: Hinata and now Sasuke.
Neji: "I'm fine."
He looked at Kitazawa.
He lost. A bet was a bet—he'd join the special training.
But deep down, he still hadn't accepted Kitazawa.
In his mind, it wasn't Kitazawa's training that beat him.
It was the Sharingan. And genjutsu.
Still, Hinata had trained under Kitazawa too.
Maybe this would help him reconnect with her as well.
Kitazawa split the students as usual, left a shadow clone, and headed to the far field.
Neji: "I'm going to find Kitazawa-sensei," he told Tenten and Rock Lee before following.
But a few steps in, he noticed Hinata headed the same way.
Hinata: "Nii-san."
Neji: "Hinata-san."
Hinata froze.
He'd… actually responded?
In the past, he would've ignored her completely.
Kitazawa: "You two—over here."
They walked over.
Neji: "Kitazawa-sensei. I want in on the special training."
Hinata: "Really?!" Her eyes lit up.
Neji: "Yeah." He gave her a small glance.
He spoke to me… again?
Hinata was stunned. Then she beamed inside:
"Kitazawa-sensei is seriously, seriously, seriously amazing!"
She counted all three seriously.
To her, this all started when Kitazawa accepted Neji's challenge on her behalf.
Kitazawa blinked.
She was practically sparkling at him.
He figured it out quickly.
Hinata had just been collateral in a generational feud. She hadn't done anything to deserve Neji's hate.
Kitazawa: "Alright. Meet me at the training field tomorrow at 8:30 sharp."
Neji: "Got it." He turned to Hinata. "Hinata-sam, I'll take my leave."
He walked off.
Hinata: "Kitazawa-sensei… how did you do that?"
Her eyes were full of admiration and curiosity.
Kitazawa: "Secret." He patted her head. "Go train."
Hinata: "Eh?"
She didn't get her answer, but didn't press.
She took a few steps… then stopped and turned around.
Hinata: "Kitazawa-sensei. If I face Sasuke during the monthly exams… do you think I can beat him?"
That surprised Kitazawa.
She usually didn't care about winning.
Ding!
[New Mission: Help Hinata Hyuga defeat Sasuke Uchiha.]
[Reward: Genjutsu: Bubble]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa paused.
That was the same technique Sasuke had just used.
How convenient.
Kitazawa: "Worried about his genjutsu, huh?"
Hinata: "Mm." nods quickly
Kitazawa: "Genjutsu's tough to explain. It'll take more than one class. I'll start teaching you tomorrow."
He sent Hinata off and immediately found a quiet spot.
Ding!
[Mission Complete: Help Sasuke defeat Neji.]
[Reward: One-Tomoe Sharingan granted.]
Kitazawa's vision flashed crimson—one tomoe in each eye.
Compared to the Byakugan, it lacked perception.
But the Sharingan's true strength was copying and genjutsu.
And now, with Hinata's quest underway, he was on track to master that too.
~~~
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