Chapter 360: Genius Neji

"You don't need to know who I am…"

"All you need to know is that I'm here to destroy Konoha…"

Standing in the shadows, Yu saw that Neji didn't recognize him and found his look of shock and vigilance somewhat amusing. Wanting to test Neji's strength, Yu deliberately lowered his voice and said.

"What?!"

Sure enough, as soon as Yu's words fell, Neji, stunned and shocked, suddenly lunged forward, crashing into Yu's front. Without hesitation, he unleashed the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist technique: Eight Trigrams Palms.

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

With Neji's exclamation, an invisible Eight Trigrams field enveloped him and Yu. Neji's hands transformed into countless sharp illusions, executing the Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms in a water-like Cloud-Style. In an instant, a flurry of palm shadows filled Yu's vision.

"Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palms?"

"Did you learn it on your own? You've practiced it quite well…"

Facing the sudden onslaught of Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palms from Neji, Yu praised him openly. As a Genin, Neji's ability to learn and master the high-level A-rank Taijutsu of Konoha's Hyuga Clan was enough to demonstrate his talent and strength.

Moreover, unlike the original storyline, the Hidden Cloud's plan to steal Konoha's Hyuga Clan Kekkei Genkai, the Byakugan, had been thwarted by Yu. Hyuga Hizashi was not forced to sacrifice himself. With his father, a Konoha elite Jonin, imparting both instruction and example, Neji's strength at this time was even greater than in the anime.

"This is impossible!!"

But as the battle continued, Neji's shock grew. Within the range of his Must Kill Eight Trigrams domain, the mysterious ninja before him seemed to move like a wisp of smoke. With casual sways of his body, he effortlessly dodged Neji's full-force Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palms.

It wasn't until Neji had completed a full set of Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms that he was horrified to realize he hadn't landed a single hit on the ninja before him!

"Who exactly are you?!"

Neji could hardly believe his eyes. It seemed as though all his Taijutsu moves had been anticipated by his opponent. The Secret Jutsu Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, a technique passed down through generations of the Hyuga Clan's main family, was being effortlessly neutralized by this ninja as if it were a mere game.

For a moment, Neji couldn't help but have serious doubts about the Gentle Fist techniques he had tirelessly trained in for so long…

"Hmm… not bad, not bad…"

"To achieve strength surpassing that of an average Chunin at your age, it's no wonder so many people call you a genius…"

However, Yu had no intention of answering Neji's question. Instead, he lightly activated the ability of the Thread Fruit within him and struck instantly.

Rabbit Hair Needle!!

In Neji's suddenly constricted Byakugan pupils, countless sharp and nearly imperceptible threads were released from the ninja's body, rapidly flying towards all of his body's meridians and acupoints!

"Damn… this is bad!!"

Although Neji didn't know who this mysterious ninja was or what his intentions were, facing the countless sharp threads speeding towards him, he felt as if his body were cemented in place, unable to move.

"Eight Trigrams Palms: Revolving Heaven!!"

Feeling an unprecedented sense of danger and pressure, Neji was finally forced to unleash all his potential and talent. A large amount of visible blue Chakra surged from every acupoint in his body.

He then began to spin violently in place, generating a spherical Chakra shield that desperately deflected the countless sharp threads flying towards him.

"Quick reflexes, kid. It seems I've underestimated you…"

Seeing Neji's Eight Trigrams Palms: Revolving Heaven erupt in response to the crisis, Yu was impressed. Even though his Observation Haki had anticipated such a scenario, witnessing it firsthand still evoked admiration.

In the anime's storyline, by this stage, following the usual progression, no one in the Chunin Exams would be a match for Hyuga Neji, except for Sand's Gaara and Rock Lee with the Eight Inner Gates activated.

But unfortunately, due to the lack of a protagonist's destiny, during the later years when Naruto and Sasuke both had extraordinary powers, Hyuga Neji, who was once hailed as a true genius in the early stages, met a tragic end in the tide of fate, never escaping his predetermined fate as a bird in a cage.

So, since Yu had already changed the outcome of the Cloud Ninja incident and altered Hyuga Hizashi's fate as a scapegoat for the Hyuga main family, if possible, Yu might also change Hyuga Neji's death in the future.

"But for me, this level is still a bit too childish…"

As he spoke, Yu's body suddenly radiated an enormous Lightning Release Chakra, wrapping around the countless sharp threads that were thrown out, as if it were a persistent parasite!

Lightning Release: Chidori Sharp Spear!!

With Yu's current strength and mastery, he could use Lightning Release in various ways. While Uchiha Sasuke in the anime used Lightning Release Chakra to enhance the Sword of Kusanagi's cutting power and paralyze his opponent, Yu applied the Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation directly onto the threads.

"Ssssss…"

As expected, with a harsh sizzling sound, the countless sharp threads enhanced by Yu's Lightning Release Chakra broke through Neji's Eight Trigrams Palms: Revolving Heaven defense, instantly piercing through all his body's meridians and acupoints!

The speed of this change was so fast it was almost like a lightning strike. Before Neji's body could react, he felt numbness and pain spread across him, and in the blink of an eye, he was sent flying by Yu's attack!

"My body… can't move?!"

Lying on the ground, unable to move, Neji incredulously widened his Byakugan eyes. "A non-Hyuga Clan ninja could so easily break through Revolving Heaven and accurately strike my meridians and acupoints. Who exactly are you?!"

"Still can't recognize me?"

Having effortlessly defeated the so-called genius of the Hyuga Clan, Yu looked at the Byakugan boy lying on the ground with a faint, indifferent smile and finally stepped out of the shadows.

But judging by his performance just now, Neji is indeed a prodigious talent. At his age, he has managed to self-learn the Hyuga main family's Revolving Heaven and refine the Gentle Fist to this extent—something that ordinary Hyuga branch members would never achieve.

"You… Who are you?!"

With black clothes and white hair, a handsome face, and a tall stature, his amber, deep-set eyes reflecting a mysterious glow in the dappled forest light, Neji's Byakugan eyes widened even further as he finally saw the stranger's face clearly.

"Yu… Yu-sama?!"

As childhood memories flashed through his mind like thunder, Neji recognized the identity of the person and couldn't help but exclaim, "How did you end up here…"

"Brother Neji…"

At that moment, a crisp voice came through. Both Yu and Neji turned to look, and a girl with short, blue-tinted hair and bangs emerged from the dense foliage, her gaze slightly timid as she looked at them.

---- 

Support me on patreon for More advanced chapters up to 50 so far patreon.com/DemonWriter