6 Chapter 5
"Remember this, Hinata-sama," Ko said with a sense of pride in his voice. "Gentle Fist is the pride of the Hyuga clan."
Ko gracefully demonstrated the stances of the Hyuga clan's taijutsu.
With precision, he straightened his left leg and bent his right leg to find the perfect center of gravity. His left hand extended forward, while his right hand rested near his waist, both palms open. He struck the air forcefully with his right hand and slid his right foot forward in perfect synchronization.
-Fwosh!
The sound echoed as he retracted his right hand and simultaneously executed an uppercut-like motion with his left hand.
-Fwosh!
He continued the chain of movements with a rapid sequence of right, left, and right strikes.
It was a fluid motion that left me in awe, making me realize how inadequate my high school martial arts training had been.
But then again, I had to remind myself that the standards in this world were on a whole different level.
-Swish!
Just as I was lost in my thoughts, a punch came hurtling toward me with unwavering determination.
Reacting on instinct, I tilted my head at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the blow. Sasuke's eyes remained fixed on me, his expression blank and devoid of any opening. He swiftly withdrew his hand and delivered a low kick.
"Tch!" I clicked my tongue in frustration as I dodged a kick aimed at my calf by performing a small jump.
But the onslaught didn't end there.
-Fwosh!
Sasuke struck again, this time with incredible speed and pressure.
Reflexively, I responded with a round kick, only for Sasuke to block it effortlessly with his forearm, leaving my leg suspended in the air.
In that moment, a surge of energy coursed through me, as if my fighting instincts had awakened.
Without wasting a second, using that change I leveraged my body and unleashed a punch toward Sasuke's head.
But Sasuke showed no sign of flinching; he deflected the blow with ease and countered by slamming my body to the ground.
-Slam!
"Kuhuk!" The impact forced the air out of my lungs, and my groans reverberated through the training ground.
[HP: 100/100] => [HP: 62/100]
As expected, this world was well-versed in combat.
But Sasuke wasn't finished. He swiftly leaped towards me, aiming his legs at my stomach.
I had to dodge—no matter what.
-Bam!
With my agility pushed to its limits, I managed to evade his attack by the slightest margin, twisting my body just enough to avoid his assault.
Stabilizing myself on the ground, I spun my body around and delivered a swift kick to his feet.
Sasuke, agile as a wind, jumped back and executed acrobatic moves several meters to keep a distance from me.
"Huh... huh... dammit."
My breath came in ragged gasps, and it seemed like I had reached my limit.
Looking at Sasuke's expression, it was clear he didn't consider me an equal opponent.
His eyes seemed to say, "Is this all you've got?" Frustration crept up within me as if that eyes mirroring Kaguya's.
I knew I still had a long way to go, but I felt a sense of determination propelling me forward as if I were climbing the stairs toward my only goal.
I had to stay focused.
[Fatigue: 60]
The exhaustion settled in, aching in every muscle of my body.
For now, I could still dodge and put up a fight, but I needed more speed.
I had to be faster!
Then, a thought crossed my mind.
[Sprint (F): Strengthen your legs for 5 seconds, increasing your agility by 35%.]
[Fatigue will increase by 30 after use.]
I glanced at Sasuke, contemplating if I should use this skill.
But how would I launch an attack? I had to think carefully and recall the gentle fist.
Sasuke patiently waited for me to make my move, unaware of the determination welling up inside me. With my body trembling from fatigue, I stood up and assumed a stance, as if preparing for takeoff, my eyes locked on the target.
---
"It's intense," Shikamaru muttered, a deep sigh escaping his lips.
He despised competitive atmospheres, feeling an overwhelming sense of discomfort. As his gaze fixated on Hinata, he couldn't help but wonder, "What would happen if they use their chakra?"
She's changed so much, he thought, his mind filled with amazement.
He's someone who kept to himself, never interfering in others' affairs.
However, that didn't mean Shikamaru didn't observe his surroundings.
Having spent six years together at the Academy, he had become keenly aware of each of his classmates' personalities.
Hinata was always timid, quick to apologize even when she landed a blow on her opponent.
But now, she looked at her adversary with unwavering eyes, unflinching even when faced with a stronger opponent.
The spectators acknowledged their strength, recognizing this duel as a clash between two of the village's greatest clans.
The tense silence in the air forced the audience to swallow hard, but it also prevented Shikamaru from finding solace in sleep.
"Such a drastic change in character... Hinata now possesses eyes brimming with determination," noted Iruka during his Taijutsu class, emphasizing the significance of these changes.
Though it may seem exaggerated, Iruka genuinely cared for his students.
He possessed a deep understanding of their characters, nurtured over their time together at the Academy.
When Hinata skip a few days of class, Iruka assumed it was due to her weak constitution.
However, this morning's meeting caught him off guard, widening his eyes in disbelief.
Hinata, who used to cast her gaze downwards with a feeble expression.
Now... he sees her.
Her clothes bore the marks of fights, yet her unwavering gaze met her opponent's head-on.
Even when struck by Sasuke's blows, she refused to surrender—a revelation that surprised Iruka.
Additionally, Iruka couldn't help but notice Hinata's weak stamina, leaving him puzzled.
"Have you reached your limit?" he pondered, flipping through his notes.
Despite not being a genius like Sasuke, Hinata consistently maintained good grades.
Could it be because her opponent was Sasuke? However, his eyes widened as he witnessed Hinata's next move, realizing there was much more to her than he had previously perceived.
-Blur!
Hinata streaked towards Sasuke like a lightning bolt, her speed reaching the next level.
Iruka, taken aback, mumbled in disbelief, he is aware that chakra is not emanating from Hinata.
Even Sasuke's composed expression faltered a bit as Hinata closed in on him.
Thoughts raced through Hinata's mind as she desperately searched for a weak spot, hoping to execute a seamless chain of moves as Ko had demonstrated earlier.
Time seemed too fast as she realized she had a mere five seconds at this blistering speed.
-Screech!
The ground shook as Hinata abruptly halted her advance with her left foot, her right hand thrusting forward with equal swiftness.
Right, left, right, left.
Slam! Slam! Slam! Slam!
Hinata's gentle fist taijutsu combined with her speed, assaulting Sasuke relentlessly.
However, Sasuke skillfully evaded, his body bending, head ducking, and hands parrying, his calm demeanor unwavering.
'Fuck...'
Frustration gnawed at Hinata as she yearned to find an opening.
Then, unexpectedly, her vision expanded, her senses sharpened, and an air of confidence enveloped her.
"I saw that," Hinata whispered to herself, perceiving Sasuke's vulnerabilities and the minute flaws in his movements.
It was as if her entire being had been enhanced by some miraculous force, though she knew the Byakugan couldn't slow down time.
She had a precious second and a half left to exploit this newfound skill.
Sasuke unleashed a straight punch, but Hinata deftly parried it.
"There...I saw that!" As her vision and perception improved, she unleashed the true potential of her gentle fist style.
Slam! Slam! Slam! Slam!
"Tsk!" Sasuke grunted, his guard slipping momentarily under the assault of Hinata's newfound speed.
While he managed to block her first strike, the second, third, and fourth overwhelmed him.
Gazing into Hinata's eyes, Sasuke murmured, "...is that?"
At that moment, Hinata realized her entire field of vision had transformed.
"That's... chakra?" She observed the flow of chakra emanating from Sasuke's abdomen, and glancing around, she noticed the same phenomenon in her classmates.
Panic welled up within her as she frantically explored her eye area, feeling a peculiar vein-like structure. She couldn't fathom how she could tap into these eyes without her consent.
"Heck... so that's how I see his weak points," Hinata concluded.
-Thud!
With a resounding thud, Hinata dropped to her knees, gasping for breath, utterly drained.
A blue screen materialized in front of her, bombarding her with notifications.
[Gentle Fist: Vital Strike (F) has been learned.]
***
[Fatigue: 90] => [Fatigue: 91] => [Fatigue: 92]
[Warning: Fatigue has reached a critical point.]
***
[Chakras: 80/100] => [Chakras: 50/100] => [Chakras: 18/100]
[Warning: Due to poor chakra control, significant consumption is occurring.]
[Byakugan (F) is forcibly disabled.]
***
As her eyes returned to normal, she glimpsed Sasuke's expressionless face.
"Huh...huh...I lost," Hinata chuckled as she mock her weak ability, a wry grin on her face.
And then, darkness swallowed her whole.
---
"Hinata!"
"Did you see that? How did Hinata become so fast?"
"I have no idea. But in the end, Sasuke-kun emerged victorious."
"I saw it! Nom, nom... Hinata activated the Byakugan."
"Sasuke won because Hinata tapped into her chakra."
"Woof!"
Naruto, Ino, Sakura, Chouji, Shikamaru, and Akamaru huddled together, whispering animatedly about the intense duel they had just witnessed.
Their concern for Hinata.
Naruto dashed into the arena as Iruka refrained from announcing the duel's outcome, rushing to assist Hinata and seek medical attention.
"What do you think you're doing, Sasuke?"
Naruto bellowed, his glare fixed upon Sasuke.
Although no one was to blame, Naruto's empathy got the better of him, disregarding any rational thoughts.
Sasuke remained motionless for a moment, absorbing the impact of the three punches he had received.
"Get lost, loser," Sasuke retorted coldly, finally breaking his silence and moving from the spot where he had been struck.
"It's weak, but..." Sasuke muttered inwardly, recognizing the latent power that Hinata possessed.
He knew he would have been in deep trouble had her punch connected with full force; his instincts told him so.
It was as if she had pierced through his vital points effortlessly.
"That smile...was she holding back?" Sasuke pondered, recalling the expression on Hinata's grind, and the way she hold back the force of her fist.
'She used those eyes, the Byakugan. Was it because of me?' he confused.
Reluctantly, Sasuke retreated to his seat.
'I won't forget that mocking smile, Hyuga Hinata,' he vowed silently, realizing he would forever remember her name after six years at the Academy.
[Turn Point Event]
[Rewards: 2 Achievement points]
