Li Shang left his house with calm steps, followed by Hinata, who had remained silent since the moment he mentioned the visit. Her eyes were still searching the ground, her hands clasped against her chest, as if she couldn't bring herself to look up.
Outside, Naruto was waiting for him. The blond boy was fidgeting, his arms crossed, his expression set in determination. As soon as he saw Neji, he puffed out his chest and pointed a finger in his direction.
"Good morning, Naruto. Do you need something?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes, his tone firm.
"Were you the one who said we should train, or were you just lying?"
Li Shang remained calm, as if he had already predicted that reaction.
"Sure. Shall we go to the training ground near the village forest?"
He didn't wait for an answer. He simply walked past Naruto, heading towards the location.
Naruto blinked in surprise, but soon a confident smile spread across his face.
"So that's it! Hehe... I knew it!"
The boy ran after him with his usual energy, shouting loud enough to attract the attention of the entire block.
"NEJI, HE'S WAITING FOR ME!"
Hinata took a hesitant step, her face flushed. She pressed her hands tightly to her chest and murmured, almost voiceless:
"I-I'm going too."
Overcome with shame, but determined, she began to run after the two, keeping a certain distance.
Li Shang, for his part, only let out a faint smile as he walked.
'Perfect. This way I'll have the chance to take a closer look at the energy you hide within yourself, Naruto.'
The public training ground was empty. Tall grass swayed gently in the wind, and a few marks on the ground betrayed past battles, now faded by time. Surrounding it, the forest served as a natural barrier, creating a perfect arena for those seeking to test their skills.
Li Shang stood in the center, his posture erect, his face impassive. Silence enveloped him like a second skin. Across from him, Naruto adjusted the bandana on his forehead, his body vibrating with energy, as if he couldn't stand still for even a second. Hinata watched from a distance, her fingers clasped nervously against her chest.
The veins around Li Shang's eyes slowly dilated, the Byakugan activating. His gaze sliced through every detail of the surroundings, and more importantly, every flow of his opponent's chakra.
"Naruto, fight with everything you've got," he said firmly. "To test our strength, I won't hold back."
The voice was serious, heavy. Naruto's eyes widened for a moment, surprised by the direct invitation. But then a cheeky smile appeared.
"That's what I wanted to hear! Don't regret it later, Neji!"
Li Shang remained motionless, his arms relaxed. Inwardly, he adjusted his thoughts.
'I'm going to push him just enough. I want to see how much this kid can let go... and what's behind that weird energy.'
Naruto ran forward, agile and loud. The ground seemed to tremble beneath his footsteps. At the last moment, he formed his signature hand seal.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
A cloud of white smoke exploded, scattering dozens of clones, who advanced in unison. The empty field was filled with the sound of feet and screams.
Li Shang stepped forward to face the first blow. A punch came from his left; he dodged it with a short step and responded with a precise kick that sent the clone into smoke. Two clones came from his right, attacking in unison. His body twisted smoothly, dodging the blows and striking them with his palm, effortlessly clearing his path.
Naruto watched him in the midst of the confusion, frustrated.
'Those eyes are amazing... he sees everything!'
For Naruto, it seemed impossible to find an opening. Every movement was read, every attack undone before it even landed.
Neji, on the other hand, analyzed silently.
'He doesn't fight badly. His body is agile and his energy is vast, much greater than average. But his control... chaotic.'
More clones appeared, surrounding Li Shang. He took a deep breath, his translucent eyes revealing every flow of chakra within the clones, connected to the original Naruto's energy network. A simple shift of weight, a slight adjustment of his feet... and he would nullify any attack.
He didn't use the Juuken. Just brute strength, raw speed, and yet he seemed untouchable. To Hinata, watching from a distance, this was unprecedented. Her cousin had always been a prodigy of the gentle style, but now he moved differently, as if he had adopted a different combat style.
A clone lunged forward with a high kick. Li Shang caught the ankle in midair and spun the fake enemy's body, launching him into two others, who were crushed in the collision. Another tried to approach from behind, but a sharp punch to the stomach was enough to make him go up in smoke.
Naruto gritted his teeth.
"I'm not done yet!"
Five more clones appeared at once. They all ran in different directions, trying to confuse Li Shang. He tracked each one with his eyes, his three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision capturing every detail. The instant the five attacked together, he sidestepped, letting their own movement create the opening. With a twist, he struck them all at once, and smoke engulfed the field.
When the curtain fell, only the original Naruto remained. Panting, his face covered in sweat, but still determined.
Li Shang watched, but his gaze went beyond.
'Interesting... there's a line of chakra inside him, orange in color, stronger than the rest. It slowly mixes with his own chakra, but it's irregular, as if it has a will of its own.'
He narrowed his eyes.
'This explains the vastness of the energy... but also the difficulty of controlling it. This chakra isn't just his. It's dense. Wild.'
Naruto ran again, even though he was exhausted. His fists came out in quick, desperate bursts. Neji blocked each one, always at the exact right moment, always with the perfect strength to counter him without causing serious injury. It was like facing an invisible wall.
Hinata, who was watching, felt her heart sink. Naruto was giving it his all, but Neji seemed to just be... playing with him.
Finally, Li Shang raised his hand and stopped Naruto's punch, holding him in midair. The blond was breathing heavily, his eyes still burning with determination.
"You are persistent," Li Shang said emotionlessly.
Naruto gritted his teeth.
"I will never give up! You can mock, you can laugh, but I will always get up again!"
Neji pushed him back with a light touch, enough to push him away without violence. His gaze flashed for a moment.
'This boy... his energy is dangerous, but his will is even greater. This could be his greatest weakness... or his greatest weapon.'
[Author's Note:This story was originally written in Portuguese, so there may be some translation errors. If you notice any, please let me know so I can fix them. Thank you for reading!]