Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece
Chapter 149. Then I Won’t Hold Back, Sensei!

Chapter 149: 149. Then I Won’t Hold Back, Sensei!

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A few days later, at one of the training grounds on the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village...

BOOM!

The ground trembled as another massive blow cratered the earth, scattering debris in every direction.

A figure rolled across the battlefield, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the impact. Dirt clung to her uniform as she scrambled away, breath ragged.

BAM!

Another thunderous punch struck the ground just behind her.

Towering in the dust, Tsunade, blonde, twin-tailed, and radiating overwhelming strength, slowly withdrew her fist from the newly formed crater.

"Sakura!" she barked, her voice sharp and commanding. "You can’t just dodge forever! You need to focus your chakra precisely and release it in a concentrated burst!"

"I know that!" Sakura shouted back, gritting her teeth. "But even when I gather chakra, I can’t produce the same kind of power you do!"

Her entire body ached. Her chakra control was decent but applying it under pressure? That was another matter. She was nowhere near Tsunade’s monstrous strength.

Tsunade snorted. "Then maybe your body needs a more... practical lesson. Sometimes, a brush with death is the best teacher."

BOOM! BOOM!

Tsunade resumed the chase, her training more like a battlefield than a lesson.

From the sidelines, two observers sat beneath the shade of a tree Shizune and Neji. Shizune sipped her tea casually.

"You know," she said with a sigh, "this is partially your fault. Ever since you mastered chakra-enhanced strength so quickly, Lady Tsunade’s been using Sakura to vent her frustration."

Neji gave a slight shrug. "What can I say? Chakra-enhanced strikes are just mid-level techniques. With the Gentle Fist, the core principle is the same. I just adapted."

Shizune rolled her eyes. "Sakura might disagree. She’s definitely not enjoying it."

"I heard that!!" Sakura’s voice echoed across the field.

Neji winced. "...Maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud."

Tsunade’s eyes narrowed. "Still have the energy to eavesdrop? Clearly, I’m not pushing you hard enough!"

"AHHHHH! TSUNADE-SENSEI, I’M GONNA DIE!"

BOOOOM!

Dust clouded the field again.

Shizune chuckled softly. "Honestly, Tsunade thinks the world of her. But when she compares Sakura to you, it just frustrates her. You’re like some kind of learning machine."

"She’s said it a dozen times," Shizune continued. "Teach you something once? You grasp the basics immediately. Second time? You’ve already mastered it. Third time? You’re improving the method and giving feedback. It’s infuriating."

Tsunade often ranted to her in private about how Neji, still a teenager, was pulling apart everything she’d spent a lifetime mastering. He was burning through her knowledge like kindling in a wildfire.

"Isn’t that normal?" Neji said plainly. "I’ve always been good at this."

Shizune gave a flat stare, rubbing her pet pig Tonton for comfort. "You really don’t know how annoying that sounds to the rest of us."

As they spoke, the battle came to an end. Tsunade returned, casually dragging Sakura along by the collar. The poor girl looked like a ragdoll that had gone through a shredder.

"Tch. Shizune, heal her up. Neji—your turn. And no Gentle Fist techniques!"

"Got it, sensei," Neji sighed, stepping onto the field. Tsunade had been pushing harder lately, clearly trying to test his limits.

They squared off amidst the shattered terrain, fists raised.

Tsunade radiated pressure like a predator ready to pounce.

"You’ve got a stronger body than Sakura’s, especially with your Eight Gates training under Guy," she said. "So I’m expecting a real fight this time."

Neji smirked slightly. "Then go all out, sensei. I won’t hold back either."

She glared. "Cocky brat."

She still hadn’t forgiven him for rejecting her heirloom necklace or for teaming up with Shizune to trick her that one time.

She lunged.

CRACK!

Despite her size and power, Tsunade moved like lightning. A golden blur of motion.

But Neji was already moving.

He sidestepped her blow with eyes closed, hair fluttering from the sheer force of her punch. He slipped in low, fist drawn tight against his side, chakra surging.

He aimed directly at her midsection—

"Good try!"

Tsunade pivoted mid-strike, retracting her punch. She drove her knee upward, only for Neji to vanish with a blur.

She blinked. "He dodged that?"

Of course he did. Neji had used a technique that essentially canceled his attack mid-motion to break away. A refined maneuver most jonin couldn’t execute.

"Impressive..." she muttered, switching to offense.

She lashed out again, this time with a roundhouse kick.

"Ultimate Dropkick!"

BOOOOM!

The ground collapsed as Neji lost footing.

Tsunade loomed above him, smiling with dark satisfaction. "Not so fast this time."

Her punch landed square on his crossed arms.

CRASH!

Neji shot backward like a missile, smashing into a cliff wall and leaving a deep, man-shaped dent.

"I know that’s not enough to knock you out," she said with a grin, cracking her knuckles.

She stepped forward and slammed the wall again, collapsing half the ledge in rubble.

Watching from afar, Shizune and Sakura had their hands over their mouths.

"Is this still a training match...?" Shizune whispered.

"...He’s still alive, right?" Sakura added weakly.

Tsunade, of course, wasn’t worried.

And sure enough—crrrrk—a hand reached out from the rubble, pushing aside debris.

Neji stood, bruised and battered but very much conscious.

"Sensei," he said dryly, "are you sure this isn’t just revenge?"

"Hmph. Does it matter?" she shot back.

Neji exhaled, stretching out his shoulder. The bandages on his forearms tightened as he peeled off his ruined outer shirt.

With a smirk, he raised his fists again. "Alright then, Sensei... I guess it’s my turn not to hold back."

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