SWNOVELXO Chapter 70: Fourth Match
Neji Hyuga vs Gaara
The atmosphere was tense as the final match of the quarterfinals was set to begin. Neji Hyuga, a skilled prodigy of the Hyuga clan, was facing off against Gaara, the mysterious sand-wielder from the Hidden Sand Village. With the earlier matches settled—Hinata and Sakura's match ending in a tie and Dosu withdrawing from the competition—this showdown would determine who advanced to the semifinals.
Gekko, the proctor, called out, "Neji Hyuga vs. Gaara, both of you come to the arena."
"Good luck, Neji," Hinata and the rest of us cheered him on, our voices a mix of excitement and concern. From the opposite side, Gaara received a quiet nod of encouragement from his siblings.
As Neji and Gaara stepped into the arena, they faced each other, preparing for the battle ahead. Neji took his signature Gentle Fist stance, his gaze focused and determined. Gaara, however, remained eerily still, his gourd strapped to his back, revealing nothing of his intentions or abilities. He had yet to showcase his powers, as his previous opponent, Temari, had forfeited without a fight.
At Gekko's signal, the match began. Neji moved with lightning speed, aiming to disrupt Gaara's chakra with his Gentle Fist technique. But as his palms struck, a wall of sand instantly rose between them, blocking the attack with a force that was both swift and effortless.
"This is going to be a tough fight for Neji," I remarked, watching closely. "He'll need to find a way to break through Gaara's sand defense if he wants to win."
As Neji launched forward, his hands aimed precisely to disrupt Gaara's chakra points, the sand immediately rose to shield Gaara, forming a dense wall between them. The collision of Neji's strikes against the sand created a harsh, gritty sound, and though Neji moved fluidly, each attempt met that unyielding barrier. Gaara remained eerily calm, his expression unreadable as the sand effortlessly defended him, reacting almost faster than he could.
"This is going to be a tough fight for Neji," I murmured to the others, watching closely as Neji paused, calculating his next move. "He'll have to find a way to break through Gaara's sand defense." Everyone could see the challenge ahead. Gaara hadn't shown his true abilities during the preliminaries since Temari had forfeited, so we were all in the dark about just how powerful his sand techniques could be.
Neji's usual confidence wavered only slightly as he circled Gaara, searching for an opening. Despite his relentless agility and quick strikes, that sand barrier was like an impenetrable wall, springing up instantly with every movement Gaara made. The tension among us watching was thick, and it was clear this wasn't going to be an easy match—Neji would need to rely on more than just precision strikes if he wanted to come out on top.
Neji narrowed his eyes, a flicker of determination reigniting. He wasn't one to give up easily. "Let's see how far your defense can hold," he muttered, shifting his stance before darting forward with a series of swift, precise strikes aimed at breaking through the sand. But each time, the sand intercepted, forming barriers wherever Neji's palms were about to land. It was like the sand was reading his movements.
"Gaara's defense is automatic… almost alive," I murmured to myself, watching in awe. Neji, despite his Byakugan, was struggling to get close enough to land a direct hit. Every move he made was countered before it even connected, and Gaara hadn't so much as lifted a finger.
After several failed attempts, Neji switched tactics, launching a more powerful rotation move, aiming to shatter Gaara's defense by sheer force. "Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation!" Neji spun in place, creating a whirlwind of chakra that expanded outward, striking the sand wall with an intense force. The sand trembled but held firm, absorbing the brunt of Neji's attack with minimal effort.
Gaara finally moved, raising his hand slightly, and the sand started to react. It shifted and gathered, creating tendrils that lashed out toward Neji. He managed to dodge the first few, but the sand was relentless, each tendril moving with precise intent as it tried to snare him.
Neji was breathing harder now, his movements slowing as he dodged and countered the sand's relentless pursuit. I could tell he was getting frustrated, trying to push himself harder and faster. But Gaara's sand was merciless, gradually wearing him down as it followed his every move.
As Gaara's sand followed Neji, intent on capturing him, Neji used his Eight Trigrams technique to skillfully deflect each tendril of sand. The crowd watched in awe at Gaara's seemingly impenetrable defense. Everyone knew that breaking through it would require precise, focused attacks, or even greater force to completely shatter it. At this stage, Neji didn't yet have the power to destroy Gaara's defense entirely, but he was determined to weaken it.
Gaara's sand remained in a constant state of defense, frustrating Neji as he struggled to penetrate it. Forced onto the defensive himself, Neji ramped up his attacks, escalating from 64 palms to 128 strikes, each hit draining his energy but also pushing his limits. Despite the toll, Neji continued with relentless determination, his strikes growing sharper and more forceful. Eventually, he managed to disrupt Gaara's sand tendrils, creating a brief opening.
With a burst of speed, Neji closed in on Gaara, targeting the same point repeatedly to weaken the sand shield. Under his relentless assault, cracks began to appear in Gaara's sand wall until, finally, it shattered. Wasting no time, Neji launched a direct attack on Gaara, landing several blows that had an immediate impact.
Gaara was momentarily stunned; this was the second time his defense had been breached since arriving in Konoha. Shock turned to rage as he redirected all his focus on Neji. Just as Neji was about to continue his assault, he noticed something strange—the sand that had protected Gaara was beginning to flake away, revealing a second layer beneath. To Neji's surprise, Gaara had a protective armor of sand clinging tightly to his body.
Seizing the opportunity, Gaara's sand wrapped around Neji, catching him off guard. The sand began to constrict, squeezing him tighter with each passing second as Gaara's cold, focused gaze bore into him.
As Gaara's sand constricted around Neji, the crushing force began to press against his bones, and a look of pain flashed across Neji's face. Recognizing the imminent danger, Gekko stepped forward and shouted, "Enough, Gaara! You've won the match!"
This was no longer the preliminaries, where severe injuries could be tolerated, even if they were severe. Here, under the watchful eyes of fellow shinobi and civilians alike, such violence wouldn't be allowed to escalate unchecked.
Hearing Gekko's command, Gaara paused, a flicker of annoyance passing over his expression. But he eventually complied, retracting his sand and turning away without another word.
Neji was swiftly taken to the infirmary, where the medics assessed his injuries. Unlike the other fighters who had emerged relatively unscathed, Neji had suffered significant damage, with several broken bones requiring immediate attention.
With a break scheduled before the semifinals began, we decided to check on our fellow competitors who had also been injured during their matches. As we moved through the infirmary, we found that most were recovering well, albeit with a few bruises and scrapes. However, the atmosphere shifted when we reached Neji's bed. Despite the severity of his injuries, he remained conscious, his resolve evident even in pain.