Under Neji's relentless pressure, Chizhao retreated again and again until her back was pressed against a towering tree, maintaining a distance of about one meter between them. The atmosphere was so tense it was almost solidified.
It was over. The Byakugan could see through the human body, so she couldn't hide anything.
Just as she was at a loss, she suddenly remembered the Headband she had put in her pocket before leaving, and quickly took it out, showing it to Neji.
"Although my physique is a bit special, I did indeed graduate from the Ninja Academy and become a Ninja. This Headband can prove it. If you don't believe me, you can ask Teacher Iruka at the Ninja Academy; he personally gave me this Headband!"
Neji, who had also graduated from the Ninja Academy, naturally knew Teacher Iruka. His wary heart, due to her assertive words, allowed his taut nerves to relax slightly.
He stared at the Headband in Chizhao's hand, then looked at her slightly innocent face, and asked tentatively:
"Since you didn't graduate by using Chakra, then you must have something extraordinary, for example... Taijutsu?"
After speaking, he turned his head to look at Lee, who was not far away:
"That watermelon-head over there, he's also a guy who can't use Chakra and only relies on Taijutsu. Even now, I don't believe such a person can become an excellent Ninja. Things like this are fated and simply cannot be changed."
Then he fixed his gaze on the girl's fair face; from his pure white eyes, Chizhao actually saw a hint of disdain.
"But what I didn't expect is that such a fool actually has a..."
Feeling the prejudice in Neji's words, Chizhao remained silent.
She naturally understood why Neji would say that.
It was because he himself had strong dissatisfaction with his family's destiny, yet was powerless to resist.
This desperate and painful emotion, over time, became a projection, unconsciously reflecting on those around him.
With her vague God's perspective, she didn't want to use irrelevant words to change or refute his ideas.
The reason Neji became like this was, in the final analysis, due to the distorted system of the Hyuga Clan.
If Hyuga Neji was a caged bird of the main family, then how could the Hyuga Clan, renowned as Konoha's foremost family, not also be a caged bird of Konoha?
To change such a system of unilateral control and enslavement, what could individual strength possibly accomplish?
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, creating a pleasant rustling sound. Chizhao lifted her head from the shadows, her eyes filled with sincere light as she looked at Neji.
"But as far as I know, isn't everyone in your class a very skilled Taijutsu Ninja? If you have time, can I train with you?"
"You..."
He didn't expect the girl in front of him to completely disregard every word he had just said, not even showing a hint of anger, which made him feel a burst of annoyance.
It seemed she hadn't taken a single word he'd just said to heart.
"Neji~ What happened? Who is this cute girl?"
Might Guy, who appeared out of nowhere, was gossiping and questioning Neji from all sides, occasionally poking him with his elbow.
His thick black eyebrows danced, and an aunt-like smile bloomed on his face, his gaze constantly shifting between the two.
Behind him, Lee clenched his fists and bit his lip, starting to cry like noodles in frustration:
"Why did Neji get to her first, such a cute girl! Damn it! I'm so frustrated!"
Tenten gave Lee a sideways glance and helplessly patted his shoulder:
"I told you it's not what you think. Neji just found that the girl had no Chakra and was suspicious, so he went to ask her..."
Hearing "no Chakra," Lee instantly stopped crying and looked at Tenten curiously: "No Chakra... what does that mean?"
Meanwhile, Might Guy continued to relentlessly question the visibly impatient Neji.
Might Guy suddenly looked at Chizhao, whose eyes were wide with wonder, as if realizing something, and with two adorable blushes on his cheeks, he shouted with full vigor:
"Could it be that you are Neji's girlfriend?!! Wow! This is the burning youth!! Good job, Neji! Your teacher will cheer you on!!"
"Let your youth burn fiercely!!!"
Chizhao was frozen in place by Might Guy's passionate youth rhetoric, and in a daze, she even saw the surging ocean and erupting volcano in his background, her own emotions seemingly bewitched and stirring.
Neji's forehead veins bulged, and he loudly denied: "No! I just met her!"
"Youth!! Burn!"
To his surprise, the girl in front of him suddenly started shouting youth slogans along with Might Guy, and the surging ocean in the background startled Neji.
He widened his eyes, trying to wake her from this state.
"Hey!! How did you get infected too!! Calm down!"
........
"Hahahaha, shouting like that all of a sudden, I feel so much lighter!"
Chizhao laughed heartily, sitting on a wooden stake at the training ground.
Might Guy was very pleased with the girl's youthful reaction and quickly pulled out his exclusive green jumpsuit, his teeth gleaming with dazzling white light, and enthusiastically recommended it to her with a thumbs-up.
"Hmph hmph hmph! I think you have a talent for burning youth. How about it? Want to join us and burn youth together!"
"As expected of Teacher Guy! Always radiating the vitality of youth!"
When she saw the green jumpsuit bouncing with elasticity in Might Guy's hand, Chizhao's smile instantly dropped, replaced by dull, dead fish eyes.
"It's so ugly, I don't want it."
"Eh eh eh eh?!!!!"
Might Guy and Lee, hearing this, were instantly struck by lightning and embraced each other, weeping.
Unable to stand their exaggerated actions, Tenten sighed and rubbed her forehead, "It would be strange if she agreed."
Then she also sat on the wooden stake, turned her head to look at Chizhao's profile, and asked softly: "By the way, what's your name? Is it true that Neji said you don't have Chakra?"
Tenten's small face was fair and clean, with two cute bun hairstyles neatly tied on both sides, adding a touch of playfulness to her already beautiful appearance.
"My name is Shiratori Chichao. Chakra... I can't use Chakra because I have a special physique, so I'm mainly practicing Taijutsu skills now."
Upon hearing this, Lee's round eyes suddenly lit up. He quickly flashed in front of Chizhao, took her hand, knelt on one knee, and the light in his eyes trembled violently.
"Could it be... could it be that you are my destined one? Be with me! Let's practice Taijutsu and burn our youth together!"
Then he turned to look at Might Guy, his voice excited: "It's okay, right, Teacher Guy!"
Might Guy, standing behind, was in tears, looking at him with emotion, his voice deep: "Of course! Congratulations, Lee!"
Chizhao, with a face full of question marks, her brain hadn't even processed it yet, and she was already inexplicably paired up with someone else.
Hey, hey, hey! Don't make such unilateral decisions on your own! She hadn't even said anything yet!
Just as she was about to pull her hand out of Lee's, Neji was the first to pull Lee up from the ground, saying righteously:
"She still has many suspicious points. Don't approach her so unguarded."
"I think Neji is overthinking it. Chizhao is like me, someone who works hard to learn Taijutsu because she doesn't have Chakra. Why can't I approach her!"
Lee clenched his fists and looked at Neji with dissatisfaction, a determined flame flickering brightly in his black, round pupils.
Having finally met someone like himself who couldn't use Chakra but worked hard to practice Taijutsu, he was not only excited but also incredibly proud.
Proud of his choices, and proud of his persistence.
Because in this world, he was not alone; there were others like him, whom others deemed destined to fail, quietly working hard and struggling, and that person had appeared right before his eyes.
He wanted to acknowledge her, to encourage her, to shield her from all the grievances he had once suffered. Perhaps, besides Teacher Guy, only Chizhao could understand his feelings at this moment.
That strong desire to become an excellent Ninja without relying on Ninjutsu or Genjutsu.
"Alright, that's enough!"
Might Guy, sensing the tense atmosphere, quickly pulled the two apart, then stood in front of Lee, revealing his neat and white teeth:
"Lee, I understand how you feel, but staying vigilant is also one of the essential lessons of youth!"
"Understood, Teacher Guy, I get it!"
Neji averted his gaze from them, instead focusing on Chizhao, who was chatting with Tenten.
He walked over, interrupting their conversation. A few strands of black hair brushed his refined face, and he looked at her with a calm expression:
"Let's have a match."
"Huh?"
Everyone turned to look at Neji.
"If you graduated from the Ninja Academy without Chakra, you should be very strong in Taijutsu."
Might Guy rubbed his chin and nodded: "That seems to make sense."
"Since that's the case, I'm also curious about your true strength."
After a careful look at the calm Neji in front of her, Chizhao suddenly became less confident in her Taijutsu.
The opponent was a Taijutsu master who used Gentle Fist. Chizhao, who had never seriously competed with anyone in Taijutsu, really didn't know if she could gain the upper hand against him.
But this was also a rare good opportunity. Regardless of winning or losing, she could use this match to test her true level, and then shamelessly crash a few training sessions with Might Guy's team without losing anything.
After weighing the pros and cons, Chizhao stood up from the wooden stake and smiled slightly.
"Then please guide me, Neji."
