"Hehehe…" Naruto spat out a mouthful of blood and sneered. "Neji, your greatest weakness… is that you're too arrogant!"

Poof!

With a cloud of white smoke, the Naruto that Neji had struck vanished. "What? This was also a shadow clone?"

The real Naruto appeared from behind him. "I'm fighting with the will to win! This punch is my revenge for Hinata!"

"You're too naive, Naruto. You can't defeat me with surprise attacks alone!"

"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"

Neji's body spun at a dizzying speed, a protective dome of chakra forming around him that sent Naruto flying backward.

"Ugh!" Naruto crashed heavily to the ground, unwillingly wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Damn it! What kind of trick is that?!"

Neji came to a stop, his expression calm. "That is merely my defense. With this technique, no one can touch my body."

In the stands, the head of the Hyuga clan was stunned. This technique was a secret art passed down orally only to the heirs of the main branch. He never expected to see someone from a branch family use it.

"Father," Hanabi Hyuga whispered, "isn't that your…?"

"Yes," Hiashi Hyuga breathed, his voice full of disbelief. "Could it be… Neji developed Revolving Heaven on his own? What a terrifying talent! It's simply…!"

Before he could finish his thought, Neji's stance in the arena surprised him once again. "Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

Neji closed the distance in an instant. "Two palms!"

"Four palms!"

"Eight palms!"

"Sixteen palms!"

"Thirty-two palms!"

"Sixty-four palms!"

Under the relentless barrage of strikes, Naruto was completely helpless. He collapsed to the ground, without even the strength to get back up.

"Ngh… I can't use my chakra."

"Don't waste your energy. I have sealed all of the tenketsu in your body. This match… is my victory." Neji turned and began to walk slowly out of the arena.

"The winner of this match is Hyuga Neji," Genma Shiranui announced. Seeing that Naruto was completely incapacitated, there was no point in continuing the fight.

"Hey! You… how can you do this?! I can still fight! Ugh! Even without chakra, I can still…!" Naruto screamed from the ground, but Genma completely ignored him, simply raising a hand and ordering the medical team to carry the boy away on a stretcher.

From the shadows of the arena, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had watched the entire match. Looking at his son's frustrated face, Minato smiled bitterly and said to himself, "Naruto, your opponent is simply too strong. There was nothing you could do, alas…"

At that moment, a voice that was achingly familiar to Minato suddenly came from behind him. "So this is where you were hiding, Minato."

"!!!"

"Master Jiraiya!"

Minato was overjoyed to see the newcomer, his eyes welling up with tears. After so many years, he was finally reunited with his mentor.

"Master, why are you back? When did you get here? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Hehe…" Jiraiya walked up to Minato and smiled. "The old man insisted on calling me back. If he hadn't been so persistent, I wouldn't have come at all."

"Minato, you must have had a hard time recently. I know you feel wronged, but don't be discouraged. Remember my words. I believe that the day when people can truly understand each other will come soon."

__________________________

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