Neji's eyes narrowed as he faced Yeyue Ling, her imposing frame radiating strength and cold calculation. He recalled the intelligence scroll Tsuchida had given him last Sunday.
Yeyue Ling, a Jonin of the Yeyue Clan, had recently been awarded the Red Pumpkin Prize by the Fourth Raikage for her mastery over Six Paths Tools. She specialized in Lightning Release techniques, physical combat, and sword arts, and she had a well-known penchant for taking risks in battle. Unlike the elite Jonin of smaller villages such as Hidden Grass, Yeyue Ling had the advantage of being born into a powerful noble family, trained rigorously from childhood. Her skills were honed not merely by practice but by superior resources and a lifetime of cultivated potential.
Even the Red Pumpkin Award, though politically motivated to appease the Yeyue Clan, reflected her formidable talent. While Neji was confident in his ability to defeat her, he was aware that he had yet to gauge how much power he would need to utilize to claim victory. Tsuchida's scroll had warned him: Yeyue Ling's abilities were broad, well-rounded, and had few exploitable weaknesses. Her habit of taking risks could either become a fatal flaw or an advantage, depending on how one approached her. Neji intended to turn it to his advantage.
He had deliberately provoked her, hoping to unsettle her mind and force her into mistakes.
"You're arrogant. No wonder you look down on the Yeyue Clan," Yeyue Ling said, her voice sharp with disdain.
Neji responded casually, a flicker of reluctance in his tone. "Hmm."
Her eyelid twitched. "I'm talking to you! Are you seriously listening? I said I will treat you as a real enemy. Careless mistakes here could get you hurt… or even kill you."
Neji opened his hands calmly. "I said I'm in a hurry. Please, make it quick."
"You disgusting brat!" Yeyue Ling snapped, anger flashing in her cold eyes. "You don't know your place. Today, you will witness the true power of the Yeyue Clan!"
With that, she drew the katana from her back. Sunlight filtered through the trees, glinting on the blade, making it shimmer with lethal promise.
Neji positioned himself, feet slightly apart, palms glowing faintly with blue chakra as he assumed a defensive stance. A light breeze stirred, and a few withered leaves danced around them. In a blur of motion, they collided with Yeyue Ling's blade—and were instantly sliced in two.
Neji's eyes narrowed. A chakra blade…
Yeyue Ling's expertise in sword arts, combined with the chakra-infused katana, made her an extremely formidable opponent. Her aura alone sent a shiver down Neji's spine. In raw swordsmanship, Neji was slightly inferior. He had once developed the Eight Trigrams Sword Arts, combining his Eight Trigrams Palms with blade techniques, but progress had been slow, and he had abandoned further study.
Buzz!
Yeyue Ling advanced like a phantom, her movements sharp and precise, a rushing wind whistling with each swing of her blade. Neji observed carefully; her Lightning Release chakra surged violently through her body, vibrating her cells with electric intensity. Lightning Release heightened her physical capabilities and reflexes, similar to the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Her control over this chakra was precise—every motion deliberate and measured.
Neji's Tenseigan analyzed her movements meticulously. He launched into his Eight Trigrams Palms, moving forward with perfect timing. Palm techniques clashed with sword strikes in rapid succession.
A warrior's fighting style often reflected their inner self. Yeyue Ling's love for risk revealed a deep-seated confidence, bordering on arrogance, in her strength and her precious katana. This overconfidence made her slightly reckless, perhaps even dangerously so, though she seemed unaware of it herself. In duels among masters, such habits, minor as they might seem, could determine victory or defeat.
Buzz!
A massive tree, wide enough to hold two people side by side, was split in half vertically by Yeyue Ling's katana, screaming as the blade cut through wood. Nearby, over ten trees had either fallen vertically or shattered into multiple pieces, evidence of the sheer force behind her strikes.
Neji stood at the tip of one long sword strike, calm and collected. "Your sword skills are sharp, and your strength impressive," he said quietly, "but if you can't hit anyone, all of that power counts for nothing."
The katana crackled with electricity, Yeyue Ling's body radiating lethal intent. Her eyes blazed with fury, yet she could not deny Neji's words. Frustration intensified her strikes, her sword movements becoming wilder and more chaotic. Neji, however, avoided direct confrontation, sidestepping and dodging with precision.
As her attacks repeatedly failed, Yeyue Ling's emotions grew unstable, and her chakra began to deplete rapidly. Neji's calculated strategy had drawn her deeper into the dense forest, away from Samui and the others, ensuring no collateral damage.
Now, it was time to take the initiative.
Neji surged forward, running at Yeyue Ling with intent. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she swung her katana, now laced with a stronger intent to kill. Her movements were faster and more deadly, yet chaotic. Neji's Tenseigan detected every flaw in her form, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
Seconds passed. Then, it came.
Neji sidestepped, positioning himself directly in front of Yeyue Ling. His palm struck her chest with precise timing.
Yeyue Ling's optimal choice would have been to retreat, create distance, and counterattack with her sword. But her pride and love for risk led her to overcommit, keeping her katana raised to strike.
This was exactly what Neji anticipated.
In an instant, his left hand slid across her wrist, pressing a precise acupressure point. The katana slipped from her grasp, falling uncontrollably. Neji caught the blade, pressing it horizontally against her neck, his expression calm and unreadable.
Everything happened in a flash.
"Yeyue Ling, I… I surrender," she gasped, collapsing to the ground, utterly shocked. She had never imagined losing—let alone losing so completely. Since learning the sword, no one had ever disarmed her except her instructor.
But after a brief pause, she met Neji's gaze and declared with renewed confidence, "I'll challenge you again soon enough."
Neji shook his head dismissively. "The gap between us is as vast as the sky and earth. In this lifetime, you will never defeat me."
"No… that's not true," she insisted stubbornly. "I had a chance to win in this battle."
Neji sighed. "You gave it your all, but even then, you could not draw a scratch on me. I have only used… ten percent of my strength."
"Ten percent of your power?" Yeyue Ling's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're insane!"
Neji remained impassive, the calm eye of a storm amidst the chaos of battle. He had not only neutralized a highly skilled opponent but had also demonstrated the terrifying efficiency and precision of his Tenseigan, leaving Yeyue Ling humbled yet determined to rise again.
The forest, littered with broken trees and churned earth, bore silent witness to Neji's victory—a victory not just of strength, but of strategy, patience, and absolute control over both mind and body.