Every time he was about to land a decisive blow, a strange force field kind of thing interfered with him.
This nearly drove Neji to the brink.
The key was, he couldn't believe the gentle and timid Hinata possessed such an ability.
Moreover, he knew of no one in the Hyuga Clan who had this kind of power.
This bizarre phenomenon made Neji glance at Natsuki in the second-floor spectator seats.
That guy's abilities were strange; his victory in the third match was inexplicable. He seemed to have a good relationship with Hinata. Could he be behind this? Neji wondered.
But immediately, his pride as a genius surfaced, and Neji scoffed disdainfully, "That bizarre ability, is that guy upstairs helping you?"
"Then let's see how long he can assist you!" He finished, leaping once more towards Hinata.
However, his words reminded Hinata.
The ability Natsuki used wans't his alone!
It was an ability Natsuki had helped her acquire. She had been so focused on using Gentle Fist against Neji that she completely forgot!
Suddenly, the Tenseigan activated.
Hinata's Byakugan was swiftly overlaid with a blue hue, like a clear sapphire, shimmering with a captivating brilliance.
Her delicate palm extended towards Neji's airborne form.
Hum!!!
Completely unprepared, Neji felt like a small boat caught in a raging storm, flung mercilessly backward.
Bam!!
He crashed into the wall on the first floor, outside the arena.
Then, he slid down like a dead fish.
Dazed and disoriented, Neji shook his head and quickly looked back at Hinata in the ring. As expected, he saw eyes different from the usual Byakugan.
"What... what eyes are those?"
Everyone in the Hyuga Clan possessed the Byakugan; he had never seen anyone with such unique eyes.
Was this eye the source of the interference he had been experiencing?
Neji gritted his teeth in frustration.
As a genius of the Hyuga Clan, he had mastered the Revolvong Heaven, the Hyuga's absolute defense, at a young age, a technique many could not grasp.
Yet, against Hinata, he hadn't even had a chance to use it before being thrown from the arena and defeated.
At this moment, all eyes were on Hinata.
This was the question on everyone's mind. Before the match, no one would have imagined that the seemingly frail Hinata could achieve victory, relying on a pair of unique eyes.
Natsuki had obtained the Tenseigan's power through the system, so he didn't possess the Tenseigan's outward appearance.
"That's the Tenseigan!" Natsuki's voice echoed from the second-floor spectator seats. "The eyes that surpass the Byakugan, its ultimate evolved form."
He hadn't intended to hide it.
During Hinata's pre-match training, when she was honing her Tenseigan abilities, he'd known it would be revealed.
Moreover, Konoha's high-ranking officials already knew Hinata possessed special eyes.
The scene of a five-year-old Hinata splitting Konoha in two upon her initial awakening was still vivid in their memories.
However, seven years had passed since then.
For so many years, Hinata hadn't revealed the Tenseigan in public.
This led the higher-ups to suspect that it might have been a trick by the man who called himself Ultraman Zetta.
The reappearance of the Tenseigan now brought back memories of that event seven years ago for the many Jonin present.
"So, this is the Tenseigan?" Asuma gasped. "The eyes surpassing the Byakugan, possessing unfathomable power."
"It seems that's the case. Hinata not only can use the Byakugan's abilities normally, but she also has some extra special powers," Kakashi said, his gaze serious.
"It's clearly due to the evolution of her eyes. I never expected the Hyuga Clan to harbor such a significant secret." He then turned to Natsuki, asking, "How did you learn such classified information?"
"A person who calls himself Ultraman Zetta told me," Natsuki replied with an innocent expression.
He could attribute any question to the enigmatic Ultraman, a persona he crafted that no one knew about.
"Ultraman again..." Kakashi muttered, rubbing his temples.
Ultraman Zetta… a force that had been operating in the shadows for several years, yet he hadn't been able to uncover its true nature.
Besides Hinata's awakening, Ultraman was also responsible for Choji's transformation ability.
Even the one who abducted the Uchiha Clan, proclaiming himself the most ancient King Of Heroes, was connected to Ultraman Zetta.
While Kakashi was frantically brainstorming, trying to connect the dots, Kurenai wasn't so easily fooled.
Her little brother had always been sly. He was definitely hiding something.
Hmph, I'll deal with him tonight and make him confess everything.
"Tenseigan?" Neji questioned furiously. "Damn it, why didn't I know about this? Is this the Main Family's secret weapon?"
He paused abruptly, realizing that this was likely a Main Family secret, and as a member of the Branch Family, he was kept in the dark.
It was laughable. He had considered himself the strongest genius of the Hyuga's new generation, only to realize he was nothing compared to Hinata.
Perhaps she had been waiting to see him make a fool of himself all along.
"No, brother Neji," Hinata quickly explained. "Currently, I'm the only one in the entire clan who has awakened it. And my awakening was an accident." She didn't mention that her awakening was due to Natsuki, fearing it would cause trouble for him.
"Alright, time is of the essence. The next round will begin shortly," Hayate Gekko announced, leaping into the arena, interrupting Neji's attempt to question Hinata further.
He declared the results and started the next round of drawing lots.
Soon, the next match-up appeared on the large screen:
Choji Akimichi VS Kiba Inuzuka!
"Hehehe... Interesting." Orochimaru, hidden in the shadows, disguised in a new form, stared at Hinata with delight. "Another potential vessel has appeared. Konoha truly is a blessed land, teeming with exceptional individuals."
The information about the Tenseigan had even eluded him. He needed to find time to investigate thoroughly.
After so many years, Konoha, with its endless stream of interesting talents, made him impatient to destroy it and capture all these promising young individuals. It was truly something to look forward to.