Chapter 77: A Ninja’s Reaction Speed
Chapter 77: A Ninja's Reaction Speed
"There are no rules, no limits—until you knock me down and make me lose the ability to fight."
The forest was dense and dark, untouched by sunlight. The shadows of the towering trees swallowed everything beneath them.
In the center of the clearing stood two figures—Ryosuke and Hyuga Hiashi—facing each other like two immovable pines, resolute and unwavering.
Ryosuke, not yet officially a ninja, wore only basic protective armor. On the other hand, Hiashi had shed his usual flowing kimono. In its place was a form-fitting Konoha jonin vest, and his long hair was tied back tightly. Gone was the noble, composed head of the Hyuga Clan. What stood before Ryosuke now was a seasoned warrior exuding a sharp, murderous aura.
"…So, are we starting?"
Despite knowing that in a ninja battle, winning by any means was fair game, Ryosuke still sought a clean fight. After all, the man in front of him was his father. He wanted to win on his own terms.
Hiashi didn't answer. His only response was a cold glare—then he vanished.
A sudden surge of chakra filled the air.
In a blink, Hiashi appeared right in front of him, his Byakugan already activated.
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Mirroring him, Ryosuke raised his palm in defense, replicating the movement with perfect precision.
His own Byakugan flared open.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
The sharp, rhythmic impacts echoed through the forest.
Despite the age gap, Ryosuke's growth had shortened the difference in height between him and his father. Their palm strikes mirrored each other with nearly 90% precision. The last 10% was instinct—adjustments in real-time to match and counter each other's rhythm.
Their blows collided like relentless rain, the wind from their strikes swirling outward in violent cyclones. Leaves and branches were shredded from the trees, torn loose by the pressure, yet not a single fragment dared to enter the radius of their clash.
Neither spoke.
They stared into each other's eyes, reading muscle twitches and chakra flow, trying to anticipate the next move while blocking the current one. In less than a minute, they exchanged over a hundred palm strikes. Yet neither had landed a decisive blow or disrupted the other's chakra flow.
It wasn't a draw, though.
While the exchange seemed even, Ryosuke was adapting. Relaxing. Getting into rhythm.
Meanwhile, Hiashi's brows furrowed ever deeper, his expression growing more serious.
50%... 70%...
Expressionless, Ryosuke locked onto his father's every movement.
He met each strike head-on, his strength and timing sharpening with every move. He hadn't gone all out at the start—not because he couldn't, but because he didn't fully understand his father's combat style yet.
He was watching. Learning. Preparing.
They were close—dangerously close.
At that range, with their Byakugan fully active, nothing escaped their vision. No flicker of muscle, no twitch of chakra.
That's why neither used ninjutsu.
This wasn't a chakra showdown—it was a pure taijutsu duel, two taijutsu specialist reading and reacting to every microscopic detail.
There were many ways Ryosuke could win, but he wanted this to be settled through physical skill. He was waiting for the perfect moment—the strike that would end it all.
He could feel it: Hiashi's power was waning. Meanwhile, his own was just beginning to rise.
His father's initial momentum had faded. His strikes were still sharp, but they didn't carry the same force.
You went all out at the start and started burning out the moment you didn't land a hit?
Ryosuke was confused, but he didn't let it distract him.
Whatever the reason, it didn't matter.
Now was his time.
With no change in expression, Ryosuke shifted.
The next palm he thrust forward was wrapped in dense, visible chakra.
Dark blue energy surged from his hand, taking the shape of a snarling lion's head—the Hyuga Clan's secret technique, Twin Lion Fists, a move that required refined chakra shape manipulation to manifest.
His movement changed.
His power soared.
The air ripped apart around him as the chakra roared like a beast and surged toward Hiashi.
Unexpectedly, Hiashi's frown eased.
As if this was exactly what he'd been waiting for.
Instead of dodging, he stepped forward.
In one smooth, sharp motion, he altered his attack angle and swung his own palm toward Ryosuke—matching the boy's strength with equal power.
He hadn't been going all out either.
Hiashi had been holding back the entire time.
Now, both were aiming to end it—no hesitation, no defense.
A mutual strike.
Instead of avoiding the incoming lion fist, Hiashi aimed to strike Ryosuke's abdomen, where a critical chakra point lay. In return, he offered his own left arm to be struck.
An exchange of injuries?
It was risky—but that's what high-level combat was. You don't always dodge. Sometimes, you gamble.
All of this—thought, strategy, execution—happened in less than a second.
No change in expression. No hint of fear. Just cold precision.
But Ryosuke had one more card to play.
"Pressure."
Too close to activate Kaiten.
But his Byakugan had evolved—he could now weaponize it in a different way.
In that instant, chakra surged violently toward his eyes.
A sharp flash of light shot from his pupils—his gaze turning into a focused pressure point, a paralyzing shockwave.
Hiashi's expression changed.
He instantly abandoned the strike and used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat at full speed.
In less than a second, he leapt ten meters back.
But he was still too slow.
A massive shockwave burst out from Ryosuke's position.
The ground trembled. Dust exploded into the air. Stones launched like bullets in every direction.
Hiashi, despite his Jonin-level reflexes and chakra control, didn't escape in time.
The force slammed into him mid-retreat, crushing him like a collapsing boulder.
He hit the ground hard with a heavy thud, the bones in his body groaning under the pressure.
And then—a hand clamped around the back of his neck.
"Father," Ryosuke said, his voice calm but tinged with regret, "I win."
The entire fight had lasted under five minutes.
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