Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 252: Battle against Kakashi

Neji Hyuga wore a faint smile as he turned and walked back to Hiashi Hyuga's side, his steps steady and confident. His eyes revealed a firmness and indifference, as if this victory was nothing more than a trivial matter to him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, a sense of unease rising within him. He had thought he understood the Hyuga clan, but now he discovered that this young Hyuga genius was incredibly powerful. He sighed inwardly; if Hyuga Neji could become a ninja, what a fortunate thing it would be for Konoha! However, he knew that none of this could be changed, because the rules of the Hyuga clan destined him to be only an ordinary person.

Hyuga Neji walked up to Hyuga Hiashi and bowed respectfully. Hyuga Hiashi nodded slightly, indicating his satisfaction. There seemed to be some kind of tacit understanding between them, allowing them to understand each other's feelings without needing to exchange words.

A hush fell over the scene; everyone was still reeling from the thrilling battle. Moonlight Gale lay on the ground, pale-faced, blood trickling from his bitten lip. He was filled with resentment and helplessness; he never imagined he would suffer such a crushing defeat.

Hyuga Neji's gaze was calm and still, devoid of any pride or arrogance. He understood that his easy victory wasn't solely due to his own strength, but also to Hyuga Kanan's guidance. It was thanks to Kanan's instruction that he had made such astonishing progress in such a short time. Thinking of this, he looked gratefully at Kanan in the distance.

At this moment, everyone realized that Hyuga Neji's strength had surpassed that of an ordinary Konoha Special Jonin. His abilities were astonishing, especially his uncanny speed, which truly impressed everyone present.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind was in turmoil as he pondered how to deal with such a powerful opponent. Neji Hyuga's existence not only worried him but also filled him with uncertainty about the future, as if he were witnessing the emergence of a second Kanan Hyuga. However, he also understood that, regardless, Neji Hyuga was a member of the Hyuga clan, and they had to face this reality.

Hiashi Hyuga nodded to Neji Hyuga, indicating his satisfaction. While he was somewhat surprised by the process, he wasn't surprised by the result. After all, Neji had displayed unparalleled talent since a very young age and had been carefully trained by a strong ninja like Kanan Hyuga for many years, so it was only natural that he could defeat a mere Special Jonin.

After gaining Hiashi Hyuga's approval, Neji Hyuga turned back to Hiruzen Sarutobi and said calmly, "If you want to continue sparring, I think it would be more appropriate for Kakashi Hatake to fight me." His tone was full of confidence and determination, as if he had absolute confidence in his own strength.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened considerably; the opponent's words were tantamount to trampling the entire reputation of Konoha underfoot. Although he had orchestrated this match, the opponent's arrogant attitude still filled him with a sense of insult and anger. He could not tolerate this situation continuing and decided to disregard the notion of "bullying the weak" and instead teach the opponent a lesson.

Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly turned his head, his sharp gaze locking onto the languid Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi felt his gaze, and his heart sank. He knew he could no longer avoid the battle, for Hiruzen's imposing eyes clearly told him that this fight was inevitable. And judging from the formidable strength Neji Hyuga had just displayed, he certainly possessed the qualifications to fight him.

Kakashi Hatake looked at Neji Hyuga and found that Neji was also looking at him. Their eyes met, both revealing a hint of fighting spirit.

"As expected of Konoha's number one genius, he even noticed my gaze," Hyuga Neji thought to himself.

Kakashi Hatake, on the other hand, had a slight smile on his lips, seemingly quite interested in this opponent.

Then, the two moved slightly at the same time, their speed astonishing, instantly disappearing from their original positions. The next moment, they appeared in the center of the training ground, several meters apart, silently facing each other.

The surrounding crowd also showed a hint of tension. Hatake Kakashi was one of Konoha's strongest ninjas, at least ranking among the top, and he also had a considerable reputation in the ninja world. But that kid Hyuga Neji had actually reached a point where Kakashi had to take action.

Hyuga Neji looked at the one-eyed Hatake Kakashi, a hint of excitement in his eyes. He couldn't help but say, "My teacher once said that among all the ninjas who have appeared in Konoha, there are only a few who he truly admires, and your father, Hatake Sakumo, was one of them. In his battle with my teacher, he was the first to force him to use his full strength, though he was a bit naive. I wonder how much of that has become of you, the son of Konoha's White Fang."

Upon hearing Hyuga Neji's words, Kakashi Hatake's eyes flashed with a sharp light, but it quickly disappeared. His memories of his father were fading, and he hadn't expected anyone to bring him up again. However, the brat's tone was truly annoying; it gave the impression that if it weren't for his father's sake, the brat wouldn't even bother fighting him. This was the first time since he'd made a name for himself that he'd encountered such an arrogant brat.

"Why don't you try and see?" Kakashi Hatake retorted without backing down, simultaneously raising his aura. He wasn't going to let a brat look down on him. Years of killing intent erupted from his entire body, surging towards Neji Hyuga, intending to give him a taste of his power.

Hyuga Neji sensed the violent killing intent enveloping him, but instead of showing fear, he revealed a hint of excitement. This pure killing intent had an unimaginable cleansing effect on his mind. At the same time, it could also stimulate the slow growth of his soul power. This was precisely the kind of tempering he needed most right now.

Kakashi Hatake, seeing the excitement on Neji Hyuga's face, knew that it was impossible to subdue him simply by relying on killing intent, let alone influence him. His expression gradually turned serious. It seemed he had underestimated Neji's strength and needed to deal with him more seriously.

Before the tensions had even eased, the two sides began to move.

"Whoosh!" In the instant he moved, Kakashi Hatake had already thrown several kunai, blocking all of Neji Hyuga's movement paths. These kunai throws were far superior to Hayate Gekko's in both speed and angle, and were perfectly timed to complement his next move.

Hyuga Neji remained calm, extending his hand to catch the first kunai that attacked him. He then swiftly swung his hand, deflecting the other kunai that came at him, while simultaneously charging towards his opponent.

Kakashi Hatake also produced a kunai in his hand, and his figure continued to attack without stopping.

Both became blurs, launching rapid, alternating attacks. Their kunai clashed repeatedly, producing metallic clangs and sparks flying. They fought like this for dozens of rounds without a clear victor.

Meanwhile, the numerous Konoha ninjas surrounding them also wore expressions of shock. They never expected the two sides to reach such a level so quickly upon first exchange; their speed, technique, and strength were all incredibly formidable, far surpassing the previous clash between Hayate Gekko and Neji Hyuga. Moreover, the battle between the two was becoming increasingly intense, exceeding the capabilities of most of those present.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was also secretly astonished. He never expected that Neji Hyuga's strength had reached the point where he could fight Kakashi Hatake without being at a disadvantage. Kakashi Hatake was one of Konoha's strongest ninjas, and even without using his full strength, he was far superior to an average Jonin.

As their battle intensified, Kakashi Hatake gradually found himself on the back foot. In taijutsu, he found himself struggling to keep up. As a well-rounded ninja, while taijutsu wasn't his strongest suit, it was still at the elite Jonin level. Yet, he found himself completely unable to defeat his opponent, even feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

After another violent collision, the two figures separated by a certain distance. However, even after such an intense exchange, neither of them lost their composure and their breathing remained steady.

Hyuga Neji's fighting spirit grew stronger. Although his opponent, Hatake Kakashi, was inferior to him in speed and strength, he was slightly better in technique and counter-attacks, which allowed Kakashi to maintain a fighting chance. However, as Neji became more familiar with Kakashi's techniques, Kakashi could no longer maintain that level of composure.

However, Hyuga Neji also sensed that Hatake Kakashi hadn't used his full strength and was still holding back most of his power. This was something the arrogant Neji couldn't accept. Although he hadn't used his full strength either, he still felt that his opponent was underestimating him.

"It seems I need to give him a little push before he'll unleash his full power in a fight." Hyuga Neji thought to himself before deciding to give his opponent a little provocation and test his own strength to see just how far he stood among the ninjas.

"I overestimated you, Kakashi-senpai. You haven't inherited even a fraction of Hatake Sakumo-senpai's strength, which is quite disappointing. I thought that even if you didn't inherit the strength of Konoha's White Fang, you would at least inherit some of it, but it seems I was wrong." Hyuga Neji looked at Hatake Kakashi, who didn't want to continue fighting, and said calmly with a disappointed expression.