Senju Kiyoshi

|23| Byakugan v/s Byakugan

KIYOSHI

"I've heard for many generations there has been some bad blood between the main branch of the Hyuga clan and the second branch," Lee informed, leaning over the railing with his eyebrows furrowed in worry of his teammate. 

I turned to him with an eyebrow raised. I knew that the Hyuga clan was a strict household, but having a feud was something I wasn't aware of. Is that the reason why Neji is always so distant and closed off? A clan matter? 

"What do you mean bad blood? For what reason?" 

Lee shook his head. "That I don't know about."

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei, what's the Byakugan?" Sakura asked.

"It's the Kekkei-Genkai or bloodline trait of the Hyuga clan. It's a dojutsu like Sasuke's Sharingan and Hime's Tenketsugan. It is said that Byakugan derived from Sharingan sometime long ago, but Byakugan is stronger between the two." Kakashi sensei explained, not tearing his eyes away from the scene.

Wrong, sensei. The Sharingan is powerful, much more powerful. The normal one might not be but the. . .the strange one in his eyes. It was much more powerful than the Byakugan or even the Tenketsugan. 

I looked down again to see Neji doing hand signs to activate his Byakugan. Hinata looked to the upper left then rolled her eyes to the lower right as she covered her lips with her fingers. Neji analyzed her movements.

"My eyes cannot be deceived, even in the slightest of movements. Your gaze drifted to the upper left, from that movement you thought of your past, your bitter past. After that, your graze rolled to the lower right. At that moment you were thinking to yourself if your life prepared you for this, you pictured yourself losing. And that gesture, of you, putting your finger on your lips covers up your rising panic. You try to be brave but you already know-"

"That does it!" Naruto yelled, interrupting Neji. "Who are you to say who she can or can't be! Go on Hinata! Show this guy he's wrong!" he encouraged Hinata, with anger directed at Neji.

Neji can read emotions, yes, but he can't understand them. I don't think he can understand that feeling Hinata is emitting. The feeling of change. I glanced at Sakura for a second. She emits that feeling too, but Hinata's is stronger. More desperate.

Hinata stared at Naruto for a second before getting in a stance and locking eyes with Neji. Her Byakugan activated eyes. "Brace yourself, Nii-san." She said, louder than her usual voice and without a stutter.

"Hey, their stances are the same," Sakura commented.

"Because that's the Hyuga style taijutsu stance," I answered.

"Hyuga style?" She questioned.

"It's the most effective taijutsu found in the village. I have on my team, the man who is probably the strongest genin ever to come out of Konohagakure, that man, Hyuga Neji." Lee praised, still not tearing his eyes away from the Hyuga's form.

"But. . . didn't he admit defeat from Kiyoshi?" 

"That depends now," I placed a hand under my chin as I leaned on it, with my elbow propped on the railing. "I have the superior skills in Ninjutsu and strength but in swiftness and speed, he outmatches me. In quite a few spars he was able to overwhelm me. Though, because of my monstrous strength and big chakra reserves, I was the more durable one and hence according to him, the winner."

Hinata and Neji began to fight. Hinata scored the first blow with her chakra-coated palms. She was close to knocking Neji but he moved out the way just in time. The two stood in a standoff trying to find an opening.