Shiki glared at Neji Hyuga standing before him. Despite having spoken so much, his anger had by no means faded.
No matter what the Main House had done, Hinata shouldn't have been forced to pay for the mistakes of the entire Hyuga clan.
He even recalled hearing from Hinata herself how her father wished for her younger sister Hanabi, rather than herself, to inherit leadership of the Hyuga Main House.
After all, this sweet girl would inevitably become yet another victim of tradition if those circumstances occurred.
Yet she still treated everyone kindly, striving earnestly to earn the recognition of others.
But Neji, fueled solely by hatred toward the Main House, had gravely wounded such a gentle girl—nearly costing her life.
That was precisely why Shiki was furious. Because Hinata was his little sister.
Not even Naruto has the right to make her suffer pointlessly!
Hearing Shiki's declaration of war, Neji couldn't help but sneer slightly, "Do you really believe defeating me will change my beliefs? Besides, you're clearly someone destined to lose against me this time!"
In a deep, restrained voice, Shiki responded, "No. All these words meant nothing. My fight with you is purely for Hinata's sake! What truly angers me is seeing my poor little sister beaten to a pulp by your hands!!"
"Then come on! Show me whether or not destiny itself—the truth that you're fated to lose against me—can actually be shattered!"
Suddenly, the air grew sharp and tense. However, this upcoming battle felt different from those before.
Though both fighters still stood upon cracked earth, amid scattered stones and most of the thrown kunai remaining scattered around the battlefield,
It seemed outwardly no different from previous battlegrounds.
Yet this time, it really felt like a true battlefield.
Was it because their clashing auras wildly surged through the air?
Or perhaps because both sets of eyes now locked together carried cold killing intent?
Nobody could say for certain.
Ultimately, the battle began in an entirely new manner unlike any before!
There was no official announcement declaring the fight's start, nor anyone insisting others should remain and watch this confrontation.
And yet everyone instinctively turned their attention here.
In reality, this match represented a clash between the strongest rookie genin Konoha had produced.
Both shot forward in a flash, like sparks clashing in the dark.
Stepping through the blood trail Hinata had left on the ground, Shiki charged at Neji Hyuga.
His fist carried immense power—a punch strong enough to crush even a solid wall blocking his way.
Yet Neji moved just as swiftly. Unlike Sasuke, he was last year's genius prodigy. Burdened by deep hatred, he could never forget the injustice he faced—unlike Sasuke, who sometimes let his guard down.
His speed matched Shiki's exactly.
Still, he chose not to directly block Shiki's terrifying strike.
"Just like Lee, relying solely on pure Taijutsu? Those kinds of moves mean nothing to me."
Neji's body trembled, almost appearing motionless. But that was merely the afterimage left by Shiki's incredible speed.
In reality, his body leaned slightly to the right, skillfully dodging Shiki's punch. The violent wind from the fist even messed up his hair.
But this couldn't stop his Gentle Fist from attacking Shiki's body.
Unlike when he fought Hinata, this time Neji immediately used his maximum strength!
"So fast!" Shiki exclaimed in slight surprise as he watched Neji's palm approaching at an even greater speed.
However, his body didn't slow down. He forcefully struck his right foot against the ground, using the power to rapidly spin his body.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Using that force, the powerful spinning kick shot toward Neji even faster. His leg also carried the signature chakra of the Leaf Whirlwind. Though the chakra reserves weren't large, under precise control, its power remained undiminished—perhaps even stronger than before!
Yet Neji's eyes sharpened. He took a step back, and his hand just barely reached Shiki's leg.
Instantly, he extended his index and middle fingers together while curling the other three fingers, fiercely striking toward Shiki's leg!
Hiss!
Shiki sharply inhaled through his teeth; the flow of chakra in both legs weakened further. Particularly along the pathway touched by Neji, the channel had been completely blocked.
The onlooking shinobi couldn't help but cry out in awe.
"Damn! This level of combat is way beyond that of a Genin, right?"
"Incredible! To reach such a level purely through Taijutsu alone!"
"But currently, Shiki seems slightly at a disadvantage," Kakashi observed coldly.
Might Guy then joined in, "That's correct. After all, the Hyuga clan can be called the natural counters to Taijutsu. Their close-range Gentle Fist maximizes technique, whereas other forms of Taijutsu often pursue greater power and higher speed. Therefore, when facing similar speeds, the Hyuga's Taijutsu usually suppresses others."
As Might Guy finished speaking, there seemed to be a trace of regret in his tone.
"This is destiny. I win, you lose. You who can only fight up close, versus me as a member of the Hyuga clan—the longer this drags on, the more unfavorable it becomes for you. This method of attacking pathways will gradually bring you down!"
Is that so?" Shiki leaped backward, creating some distance between himself and Neji. Only now did he manage to break away from their high-speed clash, yet he still burned with fiery fury.
"Well then, let me show you my way of attacking these pathways!"
Chapter 162: Refined Blade
[Chakra Scalpel: Refined Blade]
Softly uttering these words, Shiki quickly changed hand seals. Immediately afterward, an extremely sharp burst of chakra converged into his hand.
Three years ago, Shiki spent three months repurposing this originally medical-based ninjutsu technique for killing.
However, never before had anyone witnessed the sharpness of Shiki's Chakra Scalpel.
Only the Anbu members attacked by Shiki knew about it before.
Those attacks were like coming face-to-face with a Shinigami—absolutely deadly strikes that would cause blood to splatter with every blow.
Each person felt like they were about to collapse forever—a sight no one could ever forget.
Even after going over the file again, The Third still couldn't figure out how Shiki Uzumaki had managed to open the Fourth Gate and take on so many chunin back then. He even pushed it further by opening the Fifth Gate and crippling a top-ranked jonin in the process.
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