Chapter 126: That Bored?
Neji became relentless and pressed his advantage. With excellent speed, he darted forward, unleashing a rapid sequence of taijutsu blows, leaving Shira staggered as he barely managed to parry the strikes.
Both fighters showcased their tenacity, treating the onlookers to a spectacle. Even if Lee and Naruto had impressed them earlier, this match was something else altogether.
Shira was far from yielding. He absorbed multiple hits from Neji while managing to return a few counters of his own. But things were clear: if only he could activate the Eight Gates, he believed the fight would have ended long ago. Neji was relentless, exploiting any moment of hesitation from Shira and not giving him a moment to breathe.
"You're not half bad," Shira admitted, sweat glistening on his brow.
"And you're pretty strong," Neji replied evenly.
At that moment, Shira advanced to the side and utilized a barrage of rapid strikes aimed at overwhelming Neji. But Neji, having anticipated this tactic, employed a series of flips and evasive maneuvers, seamlessly avoiding the attacks.
The crowd roared as Neji countered with a swift and powerful kick, aiming for Shira's midsection. The blow landed with a solid thud, but it wasn't enough to stagger the Sand shinobi back.
Then something shifted. Neji adopted a different stance, a barely perceptible change that Shira noticed but didn't fully comprehend.
All the players recognized that stance immediately; it was a technique used only once.
Neji felt oddly serene in that brief moment, as if time slowed down around him; his body was attuned to the rhythm of the fight. He squinted at Shira and said with a voice that resonated through the arena, "Eight Trigrams: 128 Palms!"
In an instant, Neji's hands blurred in motion as he assaulted Shira head-on. The first two strikes came, targeting Shira's hands; they were expertly blocked. Sensing his opponent's movements, Neji quickly pivoted to Shira's side, landing four swift strikes along his opponent's ribs.