Team Otsutsuki

Eighteen

Naruto stood flanked by his brothers. He stretched his fingers, making sure that they're truly loose and warmed up. He didn't know what he will say to Neji. He had asked Hinata why Neji behaved the way he did but it seemed like it was due to toxic environment. He treated her badly because he felt like he was being held back unfairly.

He refused to acknowledge Hinata's struggle against her own demerits.

Their names were called and Naruto faced Neji who glared at him, taking a stance, "I heard rumours that you dreamed of becoming the Hokage? From what I can see of you, it will remain nothing but a dream,"

Naruto didn't answer him, taking the ancient Ninshuken stance and breathed. The ground under him breathed along, grasses grow and revert. The crowd fell silent. Neji scowled; his Byakugan flaring to life as he moved. Naruto meet his palm stance by stance. The Juuken was derived from the Ninshuken but deviated from the one taught by Hamura-jii-sama and Chichi-ue-sama. He could sense the Hyuuga Clan becoming restless as Naruto slapped Neji back.

Naruto do not have the Byakugan but he knew the human body well, being the Father of Chakra Medic. He learned the human body extensively to help the people and heal their ailment. It was much later in life that his children created the Byakugou no In to replicate his own natural gift and strength. So it only made sense that he knew exactly where each tenketsu points were on a human body. With each slaps of palm to palm, he 'echoed' his chakra through Neji's body, making his tenketsu resonate in defence against the invading chakra that brushed through.

Neji pulled back, his face red, "What do you think you're doing?!"

Well, Ashura actually accidentally discovered this technique when he was being frisky with his then wife. Understandably Neji would feel violated as his coils was literally stroked. Infuriated by Naruto's sheepish look, he lunged forward. But Naruto had already mapped his tenketsu. Now it was a battle of who can close the other's tenketsu faster.

Neji was horrified. It wasn't Juuken and this brat before him didn't have the Byakugan. But he knew a different way to learn the tenketsu points of his opponent and was fast enough to map everything that made up Neji's chakra path. He pulled back, "Whatever it is you're planning, it won't work!"

Naruto didn't answer him.

Now...to teach him Hinata's heart through Ninshu...

Their palms meet once more and Neji felt Naruto's chakra invading his body yet again. But this time instead of that violating strokes, this was like a pinpoint acupuncture.

He saw Hinata through Naruto's eyes. Heard her always worrying over the divide of her family, saw the bonsai created through ikebana that represented her. She loves him, adored him and respected him so much that each cruel words he threw at her cut deeply. Because ultimately it only hurts when she cared. And she cared for him more than he deserved.

She had faith that he will fly higher than anyone in the clan...if only he saw that he mattered more than the words and the divides of their clan.

Then...he saw another clan in a different land.

One family, divided into two. One family, divided by war. One family, slaying each other. One family fought, killing kin and spilling each other's blood until all that was left was only one child. They killed themselves from the inside, their pride was their downfall.

It was a second but felt like eternity.

Neji then saw two brothers, grew up happily together. Divided by duty, estranged by ambition, killed by pride. Two brothers with power like a god, rending the lands beneath them like nothing as the sky crumbled and the ground quaked. The storm flew down with all the fury of the heaven while the earth reached skyward with all the embrace of life.