Chapter 252: Eight Gates Formation

As the pitch-black chakra surged out, Shinnō's previously unimpressive physique began to swell, and his white hair turned jet black.

When the dark chakra finally dissipated, Shinnō had transformed from a middle-aged man into a muscular youth.

Feeling the newfound power coursing through him, Shinnō couldn't suppress his smile. "This is the Technique of Physical Activation! With this ultimate body, I can open all Eight Gates, including the Death Gate, in a single moment!"

"What?!" Neji's eyes widened in shock. The Eight Gates? Was he talking about the Eight Gates Formation?

Neji was all too familiar with this technique, as his teammate Lee used it. Even with just five gates open, Lee's strength had left Neji both impressed and wary.

Although Neji's Byakugan and Gentle Fist techniques theoretically countered such moves, the immense chakra intensity and incredible speed that came with the Eight Gates made it nearly impossible to land precise strikes.

Even if Neji managed to land a hit or two, the rampaging chakra from the Eight Gates would simply blow away the effects of his Gentle Fist strikes.

To defeat Lee, Neji had concluded that his only chance would be to shut down Lee's chakra points before he activated the Eight Gates. But that was easier said than done, Lee never used the Eight Gates in ordinary sparring.

And that was only five gates. Neji could hardly imagine the power unleashed by opening all eight.

That kind of strength would be beyond comprehension!

But as Neji continued to observe Shinnō, his initial shock gave way to doubt. The power Shinnō displayed didn't seem as overwhelming as it should have been.

Activating his Byakugan, Neji examined Shinnō's condition more closely and let out a derisive chuckle.

"So this is your version of the Eight Gates? It's a disgrace to the technique, barely even one ten-thousandth of what Lee is capable of!"

"You!" Shinnō's fury erupted. How dare this brat insult the power he had spent so many years perfecting?

"And have you considered why, despite knowing you were stalling for time, I let you continue?" Neji asked, a smirk spreading across his face.

"What?!" A sense of unease crept into Shinnō's mind.

"Lady Hinata, did you see it?" Neji asked.

"Yes, Neji-nii-san. Shinnō's power source is located below us. There's a passage that leads directly there," Hinata said, stepping out from behind Neji. Her Byakugan had been active the entire time.

"Naruto, the power source should be the Zero-Tails. I'm leaving it to you," Neji instructed.

"Got it!" Naruto clenched his fists, his anger at Shinnō's betrayal fueling his determination.

"Huh? Jūgo's here too?" Sakura exclaimed, only just noticing the tall, quiet ninja standing nearby, surrounded by birds.

"I've located the villagers. They're being guarded by many enemies," Jūgo said quietly.

"Good. Lady Hinata, Amaru, Sakura, go with Jūgo to rescue the villagers," Neji said, smiling as he issued the orders.

"Amaru, pull yourself together! Don't forget what you promised before. Your fellow villagers are waiting for you to save them!" Naruto shouted as he shook Amaru, snapping her out of her daze.

Amaru bit her lip, glanced one last time at Shinnō, then turned and ran off with Sakura and the others without looking back.

Naruto grinned as he watched her leave, then turned to Neji. "You can handle him, right?"

"Leave it to me," Neji replied, keeping his eyes on Shinnō and staying alert.

Naruto nodded and headed for the passage Hinata had indicated.

Now, the vast hall was empty except for Neji and Shinnō.

"You sent all your companions away. Are you really confident you can handle me alone?" Shinnō asked, his unease growing.

From the initial excitement of gaining such power, Shinnō had begun to realize something unsettling. Even with his enhanced state, he felt he couldn't replicate the feats Natsuro had performed in Konoha.

Could the Zero-Tails' power not be as strong as I imagined?

Shinnō decided it was safer to deal with Neji alone than to face the entire group.

"Yes, I can handle you on my own," Neji said, activating his Byakugan to confirm his assessment.

Neji assumed his Gentle Fist stance.

"Very well. Show me the strength that earned the Hokage's trust!" Shinnō said, his voice dripping with disdain.

The moment he finished speaking, he vanished.

"So fast?!"

Neji's pupils constricted as chakra surged from his body, and he began spinning rapidly.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"

As soon as Neji activated his ultimate defense, Shinnō's punch, charged with black chakra, collided with it.

"Taijutsu: Bone-Crushing Fist!"

Boom!

Neji's Revolving Heaven shattered, and he was sent flying into a wall, debris raining down around him as he collapsed to the ground.

"Tch. Just for show. All bark and no bite. After all that talk, this is all you've got?" Shinnōsneered, making a gesture that could provoke an entire nation.

"Cough, cough." Neji coughed as he struggled to his feet, his mind racing.

The so-called "absolute defense" of Revolving Heaven had been broken through brute force. However, it wasn't because Revolving Heaven was ineffective, it was simply that Shinnō's attack exceeded the defensive limits of Neji's technique.

Neji thought back to the Chūnin Exams, when Naruto had broken through his Revolving Heaven with sheer power.

"As expected of the Eight Gates. Even if you've activated it through artificial means, and it's only a fraction of its true strength, it's still formidable," Neji admitted, catching his breath.

"Are you hoping your comrades will come back to save you? Too bad, it's already too late!" Shinnō sneered. "After I kill you, I'll finish off the rest of them one by one!"

"Is that so?" Neji cracked his knuckles, took a deep breath, and resumed his Gentle Fist stance.

His Byakugan flared as he locked onto Shinnō, ready to counter. Despite the overwhelming speed, he had analyzed Shinnō's movements and was confident he could keep up.

In an instant, Shinnō dashed into Neji's range.

"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams 128 Palms!"

Without hesitation, Neji unleashed his most powerful technique, aiming at Shinnō's fast-moving figure.

"Two palms... four palms... eight palms..."

However, Neji managed only eight strikes before Shinnō closed in again, the dark chakra surging once more.

"Taijutsu: Activation Fist!"

Forced to defend himself, Neji activated Revolving Heaven again.

As expected, Neji was sent flying once more, slamming into the wall.

"Tch, a turtle shell," Shinnō muttered, frowning. Though he had barely managed to break through Neji's defense, he hadn't inflicted significant damage.

However, that defensive technique, expelling chakra through every point in the body, consumed an enormous amount of chakra. Shinnō reasoned that Neji wouldn't be able to use it many more times.

Furthermore, Shinnō could counter Neji's Gentle Fist by using his dark chakra to forcefully reopen his chakra points. To him, Neji posed no real threat.

Even so, Shinnō decided not to take any chances. He needed to end this quickly.

Neji, still recovering from the impact, noticed something that made his eyes brighten. As he analyzed Shinnō's attack, he realized the force was already weaker than before.

Before he could dwell on it, Shinnō launched another attack.

Neji saw the dark chakra within Shinnō condensing into small, particle-like spheres, a concentrated form of chakra.

I can't block this with Revolving Heaven!

Neji made a split-second decision, knowing he couldn't dodge the attack due to Shinnō's speed.

"Dark Release: Super Revival Fist!"

As Shinnō closed in, Neji leaped into the air and activated Revolving Heaven mid-air.

The next moment, Neji was flung into the air from the sheer force of Shinnō's attack. However, this was part of Neji's plan. He landed against the wall, using it to stabilize himself before dashing downward toward Shinnō.

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

This time, Neji didn't aim for the full 128 palms, there wasn't enough time to complete the sequence.

"Is that supposed to tickle?" Shinnō scoffed, launching another punch without hesitation.

"Dark Release: Revival Fist!"

This time, Neji didn't even attempt to use Revolving Heaven. Instead, he crossed his arms to block the attack.

The moment Shinnō's punch landed, Neji felt as though his arms no longer belonged to him. A searing pain shot through his bones, radiating outward from his forearms.

Once again, Neji was sent flying, crashing to the ground amidst a cloud of dust and debris.

"Is it over this time?" Shinnō muttered, pondering the outcome. But before the dust settled, a figure burst out from the smoke.

"What?!"

Shinnō was stunned. How was this possible? Neji had taken a direct hit from a punch enhanced by the Eight Gates and dark chakra, yet he was still standing?

"Are Konoha shinobi all this resilient?!"

Without hesitation, Neji launched into another series of Sixty-Four Palms.

"It's useless! Your attacks can't harm me!" Shinnō shouted, his confidence unshaken despite his confusion.

"Is that so?" Neji replied, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Seeing Neji's expression, Shinnō suddenly felt a jolt of unease. A sense of impending doom crept into his heart, making him inexplicably frustrated.

"Dark Release: Super Revival Fist!" Shinnō roared, unleashing his most powerful attack again to dispel his unease.

This time, Neji didn't even attempt to dodge. He didn't raise his arms to block either.

Has he given up?

Shinnō couldn't understand Neji's actions but saw no reason to stop his attack.

Just as Shinnō's fist was about to connect, his entire body froze. His punch stopped mere inches from Neji's face.

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