Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

Bang, bang, bang!

The two continued exchanging blows with Gentle Fist, each strike more intense than the last.

Since Gentle Fist targets Tenketsu, blocking Chakra Flow in the process, they each attacked with fierce precision and guarded cautiously. Neither sustained significant injuries, only experiencing slight Chakra depletion.

This battle turned into a war of attrition, which was not what Neji wanted to see. Through his Byakugan, Neji could clearly see that Sasuke has more Chakra than him.

If this continued, he might be the one to tire out first, so Neji needed to break the stalemate immediately.

"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"

Neji let out a low roar, and using his right foot as an axis, he spun rapidly like a top. Light blue Chakra flared out from his body, forming an invisible wall that deflected Sasuke's attacks and kept him at bay.

"No way… that's Revolving Heaven!"

Seeing this scene, Hinata couldn't help but gasped.

Naruto could understand Hinata's reaction. Revolving Heaven was a secret technique passed down within the Hyuga Clan's main family.

At the moment of being attacked, a large amount of Chakra is released from the Tenketsu in the body, and then the user rotates in a powerful, circular motion that deflects all physical assaults, creating what is essentially an absolute defense.

Neji was born in the Hyuga Clan's branch family, but with his extraordinary talent, he managed to master the Revolving Heaven on his own. How could Hinata not be surprised?

Naruto couldn't help offering Hinata some encouragement, "Hinata, look at Neji, even though he is a branch family's member, he can still master Revolving Heaven. Hard work pays off, so don't lose heart. I believe that one day, you will become very strong too."

"Okay, I'll try my best." Hinata nodded firmly.

"No rush. Take it step by step. And if things get tough, you've got me, alright? I may be small now, but don't underestimate my ability to shield you."

Naruto chuckled.

While he is less than 1.5 meters tall now, he can guarantee that most people in the Shinobi World are no match for him in terms of strength.

Back in the arena, the battle continued.

Thanks to Revolving Heaven, the fight briefly paused, giving Neji a moment to take a deep breath. "Sasuke, I must admit, you've surprised me greatly. But this is where it ends."

Adopting a classic Gentle Fist stance, Neji's voice grew serious, "Now that you're within my range, I'll show you what true Gentle Fist looks like!"

Releasing Chakra through the hands was merely the most basic form of Gentle Fist.

If Sasuke hadn't pushed him this far, Neji wouldn't have resorted to this move. After all, the next technique he was about to use was also a secret of the Hyuga Clan's main family.

"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

With a low shout, Neji blurred forward, lunging at Sasuke.

Seeing this, Naruto quickly yelled, "Sasuke, be careful, don't overdo it!"

The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms strikes sixty-four Tenketsu in rapid succession, effectively sealing an opponent's Chakra. If all the attack hit him, Sasuke's chakra flow would be entirely locked, and the outcome will naturally be decided.

Hearing Naruto's warning, Sasuke attempted to retreat, but Neji's speed was too swift, so escape was impossible.

"Eight Trigrams… Two Palms!"

Neji's voice rang out as his palms struck Sasuke, landing two precise blows on his Tenketsu.

Sasuke instantly felt that the flow of his Chakra was blocked, and without waiting for Neji to continue his attack, he hurriedly increased the speed of his Chakra circulation.

Originally, he had prepared many tactics, but now there was no way to implement them.

Initially, he had prepared various strategies, but in the face of Neji's relentless technique, there was no time to execute any of them.

If he waited any longer, his Chakra would be completely sealed, leaving him utterly helpless. Sasuke hadn't anticipated being pushed into such a dire situation by a single move from Neji.

As Sasuke accelerated his Chakra circulation, fiery red marks began to crawl up his neck, quickly spreading across half his body before solidifying into black, tadpole-like patterns.

Seeing Sasuke, whose half of his body was covered by Cursed Seal but not yet falling into madness, Naruto couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

'Sasuke's growth over the past month was remarkable.'

Yet the battle's outcome remained uncertain. While Sasuke had tapped into the Cursed Seal's power, Neji's Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms had already reached the Sixteen Palms stage. If he continued, no amount of power would save Sasuke.

Bang!

Then, a scene that Naruto did not expect happened.

Rather than retreat, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, the tomoe spinning furiously as he clearly sought to replicate Neji's technique and movements.

At the next moment, Sasuke mirrored Neji's stance, initiating the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

With the Cursed Seal enhancing his speed, Sasuke's movements surpassed Neji's, allowing him to catch up and synchronize with Neji's strikes.

Bang bang bang bang!

A series of explosive clashes filled the arena, kicking up a thick cloud of dust that obscured everyone's view.

Naruto also couldn't see the changes on the field, but he was undoubtedly very shocked.

Naruto, just as shocked as the rest of the audience, struggled to see the unfolding events.

While he understood Neji's technique, Sasuke had delivered an astounding surprise. Although lacking Byakugan's vision, Sasuke's Sharingan provided exceptional copying abilities, and his familiarity with Neji's Tenketsu made it feasible for him to replicate the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, albeit impressively.

With the Cursed Seal amplifying his strength, Sasuke can even used simple the Genjutsu-like moves similar to Kakashi's mimicry of Zabuza in the original work, allowing him to anticipate and potentially complete the Sixty-Four Palms first.

Unable to wait for the dust to settle, Naruto called out, "Referee! We can't see anything… clear the dust, quick!"

Not only him, the other audiences also had the same idea and immediately echoed his request.

Hayate formed hand seals and used a simple Wind Release Ninjutsu, clearing the dust without disturbing the battle.

As Naruto had anticipated, Sasuke had gained the upper hand and was about to complete the final strikes of the Sixty-Four Palms.

However, what Naruto didn't expect was that Neji actually stepped back to break off the technique. He then thrust his hands forward, executing several strikes in the air, "Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"

'Huh?'

Naruto was momentarily stunned. He didn't expect that Neji could devise a strategic counter at this critical moment.

'Indeed, if he had continued with the simultaneous strikes, the best Neji could hope for was a double knockout, with the worst-case scenario being a decisive counter from Sasuke. Breaking off to unleash Vacuum Palm instead was a smart choice.'

The Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm allowed Neji to attack from a distance by striking Chakra in a shockwave form, delivering impact without direct contact. This 'remote Gentle Fist' made up for the interrupted Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Sasuke had no time to replicate this move.

However, just when Naruto assumed Neji had secured the victory, Sasuke grinned, his smile tinged with madness and bloodlust.

At the next moment, the black Cursed Seal on Sasuke's body reignited, flaring into fiery patterns that rapidly enveloped him until his entire body was covered. This was the fully activated Cursed Seal!

Seeing this, Naruto was dumbfounded.

He originally thought that Sasuke had already reached his limit by mastering half of the Cursed Seal, but he never expected that he had already mastered the entire Cursed Seal.

'How much has Sasuke grown in this month? It's too much!'

'My goodness, this is too outrageous!'

In this complete Cursed Seal state, Sasuke was now akin to the Naruto of the original work when he could harness the Kyubi's Chakra. Even if his regular Chakra was sealed by the Sixty-Four Palms, he could still access the dark Chakra provided by the Cursed Seal.

'Could it be that Sasuke will be the winner of this battle?'

Just as Naruto was about to draw conclusions, he saw Neji reassume his fighting stance, his gaze steely as he declared, "To push me to this point… you're the first. Now, let me test out my new technique on you!"

Hearing this, Naruto was completely taken aback.

'Neji actually had a new technique? In the original work, Neji's strongest move at this time is the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. What could this new technique possibly be...?'