Chapter 185: 185.Fist and Kick
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"I'll do my best to protect you!" Guy stepped forward, his voice filled with determination. "But before that, you need to come back with us."
"No need to say anything more, Guy-sensei," Neji replied, tightening the straps of his backpack as he settled into a Gentle Fist stance. "I won't be going with you."
"Are you challenging me, Neji?" Guy's expression grew serious as he stood up straight, one hand behind his back and the other palm raised forward. "Then let's speak through our fists! Show me your resolve, Neji!"
"Guy-sensei!" Lee suddenly raised his hand, staring intensely at Neji. "Please, allow me to take on Neji!"
"No, Lee," Guy said earnestly, "This time, I need to step in myself. This is when I truly fulfill my role as a teacher!"
"Understood!" Lee obediently lowered his raised hand.
"Neji!" Sasuke glanced over, "Are you really going to face off against your teacher alone?"
"I want to see just how far I am from Guy-sensei," Neji replied, keeping his focus firmly on Guy. "Hopefully, I won't get knocked out in one blow."
"Fine then." Sasuke raised his voice. "Hey! How about we leave this to the two of them? Let's stand by and watch."
The rest of the group shifted their attention to Guy.
"Stand down, Lee, Tenten, Shino," Guy commanded without moving, his voice steady.
"Understood," the three responded, stepping back and creating space between themselves and Guy.
Sasuke, meanwhile, swiftly moved to another position.
"Watch out, Neji," Guy warned before his figure vanished.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Reappearing above Neji, Guy's powerful kick came crashing down toward Neji's head.
Neji quickly ducked, dodging the fierce kick, and countered by thrusting his hands, fingers extended, towards Guy's other leg.
"Not that easy!"
Guy twisted his torso mid-air, evading the Gentle Fist. At the same time, his right leg descended like a powerful wind, aiming a direct strike downwards. Neji pushed off, darting forward to Guy's side, his movements fluid as his wrist flicked like a serpent, his fingers aiming sharply for Guy's waist.
Guy didn't turn; he punched out sideways, using his reach to meet Neji's strike.
Neji shifted his stance, sidestepping the iron fist and aiming his fingers at Guy's arm. For a moment, the two exchanged strikes, both dodging and countering each other, every move intense yet strangely harmonious.
Guy's punches and kicks carried immense force, creating small craters on the ground as stones scattered around. Neji, with his swift footwork, weaved in and out, his hands striking with precise control.
Watching closely, Lee muttered in frustration, "Darn it! Neji's gotten stronger again!"
"He's actually holding off Guy-sensei using just basic Gentle Fist techniques," Tenten observed, astonished.
"But he won't last long," Shino stated calmly, his expression obscured behind his jacket and glasses. "Guy-sensei's speed is only increasing."
Sasuke, meanwhile, activated his Sharingan, observing and copying Guy's Taijutsu silently.
"Neji! You've improved!" Guy exclaimed as he dodged Neji's strike. "You truly are my talented student!" Then he landed a punch on Neji's face.
At the last moment, Neji leaned back, deflecting the blow as he used the punch's momentum to propel himself backward.
"Neji!" Tenten gasped as she watched him fly back.
Neji's feet hit the ground, skidding and leaving grooves in the earth as he forced himself to stop. Wiping the blood from his face with his sleeve, he spat a bit of blood onto the ground.
"Looks like I still have a long way to go, Guy-sensei," Neji said, his gaze firmly locked on Guy. "I see there's still a big gap between us."
He took his stance again, exuding a completely different aura from before.
"Are you ready?" Guy adjusted his stance, gesturing for Neji to come.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!"
Neji surged forward, his hands moving fluidly, striking with precision.
"Four palms! Eight palms! Sixteen palms!"
Guy met Neji's strikes, parrying with accuracy as their arms moved in a blur.
"Thirty-two palms! Sixty-four palms!"
Neji's strikes grew sharper, relentlessly pushing against Guy's defenses.
"Sixty-four palms! One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!"
For a moment, the battlefield fell silent. Their fists were planted firmly against each other's chest.
"Ugh!" Neji coughed blood, flying backward again.
Guy barely staggered, recovering quickly, though blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, a testament to the internal damage inflicted by the Gentle Fist.
Neji stood shakily, clutching his chest. "Cough… That one punch… broke several ribs."
"And you did well, Neji!" Guy said, beaming with pride as he showed his gleaming teeth. "That last strike definitely damaged my insides!"
Was this really the time for compliments?
Tenten and Shino thought in sync.
Lee, on the other hand, was fully absorbed, cheering as he hopped excitedly.
Sasuke silently observed, analyzing every move.
"Looks like I still have a long way to go," Neji said, wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve, assuming his stance once more.
"Now, I'll use my newfound power."
"Oh? You have new strength? Show me!" Guy assumed his stance, gesturing again.
A faint gray pattern appeared on Neji's face, giving his activated Byakugan a more intimidating appearance. His presence intensified with each passing second.
"Impressive, Neji!"
Guy laughed as his chakra erupted around him.
"Then, I'll respond with my best technique!"
"Gate of View, open!"
Green, tangible chakra erupted from Guy, the sealed chakra points that the Gentle Fist had closed bursting open.
"Here I come!"
With his hair spiked, Guy appeared beside Neji, raising his fist.
"Rotation!"
Neji responded instantly, spinning as his defense, now larger and faster, countered Guy's explosive punch.
"Impressive, impressive, impressive!"
Guy's body blurred as he circled the rotating chakra shield, raining down punches.
Countless fists appeared around the outside of Neji's Rotation.
"Tsk."
Sasuke, observing the battle, frowned. The gap in strength was too large; Neji wouldn't hold out much longer.