Path Of War

The arena became quiet as the screen began to reveal the names of the next combatants. In bold lettering, it wrote: Alexander Hyūga vs. Rock Lee.

An energetic cheer erupted from a specific section of the player balcony. Might Guy screamed, "Lee! My student! Show them the power of youth!"

Alex, perched on the railing of his designated balcony, met Guy's gaze with a slight smile. With a graceful leap, he descended and landed effortlessly on the platform below to meet Lee.

"Rock Lee," he greeted in a calm tone, "a pleasure to see each other again. I've looked forward to this fight."

Lee, his eyes sparkling with competitive spirit, punched his palm, saying, "The feeling is mutual, Alex Hyūga! I have always dreamed of testing myself against a prodigy of the Hyūga clan since the first day we met!"

Alex chuckled softly, saying, "And I've dreamed of sparring with a taijutsu specialist like yourself, Lee."

Lee beamed at this; his confidence was visibly boosted.

The simple exchange, however, kept someone disquieted: Neji. He knew Alex's true strength—a strength that surpassed techniques typically associated with the Hyūga clan.

This unease didn't go unnoticed by Arthur. Seizing the opportunity to glean more information, he leaned towards Jada to say, "Interesting exchange, but how did Alex become the so-called prodigy of the Hyūga clan?"

Jada shot Arthur a knowing glance and explained, "It's because of his foreknowledge."

"Foreknowledge?" Arthur repeated.

Jada nodded and continued, "I guess no one told you. Alex already revealed the truth about the branch house to Neji…"

Arthur had practically forgotten about how dark the Hyūga clan was.

Hizashi, Neji's father, was born just moments after his twin brother Hiashi. Despite being twins, Hiashi was chosen as the heir to the Hyūga clan because he was born first.

This meant Hizashi was relegated to a branch house, forced to serve the main house, and branded with a cursed seal that would deactivate his Byakugan eye upon death.

Hizashi wasn't pleased with his fate but felt powerless to change it. This burden continued when his son Neji received the same cursed seal at a young age.

However, as Neji grew and showed exceptional talent, Hizashi grew frustrated at the system that denied his son his full potential. This anger eventually manifested as hostility towards the main house.

Hiashi, sensing his brother's resentment, activated the cursed seal as punishment. This event deeply affected young Neji, planting a seed of doubt about the fairness of the Hyūga clan structure.

Sometime later, Hiashi killed the leader of a rival village to protect his daughter Hinata. To avoid war and keep the Hyūga's Byakugan safe, the village leaders offered Hizashi as a body double in place of Hiashi.

Despite the resentment he held, Hizashi chose to sacrifice himself to save his brother and the village and prevent war. He also saw this as a chance to finally control his own destiny.

Before his death, Hizashi asked Hiashi to reveal the truth about his sacrifice to Neji, regretting that he had only shown bitterness towards the main house.

Neji, initially believing his father's death was preordained, developed a strong hatred for the main house. The truth about Hizashi's sacrifice was eventually revealed to Neji, leading him to challenge his fate.

Years later, Hizashi was revived by Kabuto to fight for him in the Fourth Ninja World War.

He expressed regret at being forced to fight against his own village and lamented that his sacrifice seemed meaningless. However, Hiashi revealed that Neji and Hinata were now fighting together, not as members of different houses but as comrades.

"But what does that have to do with his prodigy status?" Arthur pressed.

"Everything," Jada replied. "Exposing the truth not only shocked Neji, but it also reached Hiashi. Alex's willingness to challenge tradition and stand up for what's right, coupled with his already impressive skills, earned him Hiashi's respect."

Arthur understood now: Alex's knowledge of the real world exceeded that of the other players. Using that foreknowledge had been one of his keys to becoming a Hyūga prodigy in this digital world.

It was an interesting tactic, an unexpected way to manipulate the established hierarchy, but it still didn't explain why his character hadn't been born into the branch family like the description stated.

Arthur watched as Hayate signaled the start of the match.

Lee launched into a flurry of taijutsu attacks. His fists and legs flew, aimed at strategic points across Alex's body. He was going for a knockout.

But Alex had prepared him for this moment. Activating his Byakugan, he saw every muscle twitch, every chakra flow that signaled an oncoming attack. With fluid movements, he parried Lee's blows one by one.

Lee furrowed his brows in frustration. He was used to fighting the Byakugan; his teammate, Neji, was quite experienced with it. So Lee pressed on.

Reeling his body back, he unleashed a spinning kick powerful enough to crack boulders. But Alex, anticipating the attack, sidestepped with a hair's breadth of clearance, leaving Lee momentarily off-balance.

Seizing the opening, Alex delivered a swift counterattack, a well-placed strike to Lee's arm, sending a jolt of pain through him.

Might Guy whistled in surprise. Seeing Lee sustain an injury so early in the match was unexpected.

From the balcony, Arthur watched with intrigue. Alex's calculated defense, utilizing his Byakugan's enhanced sight, was proving brutally effective. While Lee's raw power was undeniable, his predictable moves were no match for Alex's strategic thinking.

"Don't worry, Lee!" Guy boomed from above. "Show him the true power of youth! Unleash the weights!"

Lee met Guy's gaze, giving his sensei a determined smile, and said, "Right, sir!"

With a burst of speed, Lee propelled himself towards the towering statue at the front stage. Reaching the fingertips, he clasped the two heavy weights strapped around his ankles.

Alex watched as he ripped them free. The discarded weights plummeted towards the arena floor, landing with a resounding explosion that sent shockwaves through the platform.

The sudden eruption of smoke and dust momentarily obscured the fighters from view. As it cleared, the crowd witnessed a sight that left them breathless.

Alex, his Byakugan fully activated, stood poised and prepared. Across from him, Lee's movements were now like a whirlwind.

"Alright, Lee!" Guy roared with excitement. "Now give him your all!"

The two fighters, fueled by different energies—Lee's exuberance and Alex's calculated focus—charged at each other.

The stage was filled with bone meeting flesh and air whistling past. Fists clashed as they exchanged blows, creating a series of sonic booms that rattled the walls in the surrounding stands.

The crowd fell into silence at the sudden shift in momentum.

They had never witnessed such a spectacle—two mere Genin locked in a taijutsu battle of incredible speed and precision. The platform beneath their feet quaked slightly from the force of their attacks.

Arthur continued to watch the fight unfold.

Alex, despite his strategic advantage, was starting to show signs of strain. Lee's unrestricted strength and speed were pushing him to his limits.

"This is getting out of hand," Jada whispered. "Lee's gonna go berserk at this rate!"

"Alex just needs to find an opening," Arthur said. "He can't keep trading blows with Lee forever, not even with the Byakugan's advantage."

As if in response to Arthur's observation, Alex saw the slightest hesitation in Lee's movements. Lee, despite his initial burst of energy, couldn't escape the Byakugan's perception.

The smallest twitch, a subtle mistake, a minor degree off in one's footing—the Byakugan wouldn't miss it!

Seizing this opportunity, Alex countered Lee's next attack with a well-timed Gentle Fist strike. The blow, aimed at a specific pressure point on Lee's leg, sent pain through him, momentarily disrupting his chakra flow.

Lee stumbled back, his eyes widening as he felt something unsettling: Alex had barely taken a single hit throughout the fight! It was as if he'd anticipated each of Lee's attacks, countering them with practiced ease.

"How can this be?!" Lee cried out in disbelief. "You're countering my taijutsu as if you've seen me fight hundreds of times!"

Even Might Guy tried his best not to fall silent. He couldn't deny the strange flow of the fight. Alex, calm and composed, seemed to know exactly where to strike and when to dodge.

It was a level of foresight that surprised even the veteran taijutsu users.

The awareness sparked a shift in Alex's strategy. He saw another opening, a momentary lapse in Lee's defense.

"Last Resort: Eight Gates Assault!"

With a swift movement, Alex delivered a series of precise strikes, targeting specific points on Lee's body. The attacks were unorthodox and not part of the standard Hyūga techniques.

Lee's body convulsed, a shockwave radiating outward as his chakra flow became erratic. He spun through the air, landing hard on all fours. Then, a surge of pain went through his system.

The technique sent shivers down Jada's spine. It was a technique she recognized—a high-level tenketsu attack lifted straight from a video game adaptation of the Naruto world. Something Alex, according to their initial assessment, knew too much about.

"What... what did you do?" Lee gasped, struggling to his feet.

Alex stood tall and explained, "I've temporarily shut off your access to the Eight Gates... You were pushing yourself too far, so I took the right measures."

Everyone became silent. Guy and Kakashi exchanged bewildered glances.

That technique was far outside the realm of standard Hyūga training. Alex, it seemed, wasn't just a prodigy within this digital world; he possessed knowledge that dove deep into the entire world of the Narutoverse.

His access to information from the real world was proving to be a significant threat. And if anything, Arthur believed him to be the most dangerous player. Perhaps not the strongest, but surely the most well-versed.

Jada, unable to contain her surprise, leaned towards Arthur and whispered, "Did... did you see that? That's basically cheating!"

Arthur, his face betraying no emotion, simply nodded. He had anticipated Alex being a formidable opponent, but the sheer breadth of his abilities was a curveball he'd be preparing for.

Many fans had contemplated a fight between Neji and Lee prior to Lee's injury. They all agreed that Lee would win if he activated the Eight Gates, something Neji had little knowledge of.

But if Neji, like in the video games, knew of the Eight Gates and proclaimed his "I have no blind spots" motto, he would surely have stopped Lee and won the fight.

Alex showcased this what-if battle spectacularly.

Lee, despite the setback, wasn't about to give up. Fueled by determination, he lunged at Alex once again. But Alex, with the Byakugan still active, was simply too fast now.

He dodged Lee's increasingly desperate attacks with ease. It no longer looked like the recent clashes the two displayed earlier.

As the fight stretched on, it became clear that Lee's initial burst of power was fading. His attacks lacked their previous strength and speed. Alex, capitalizing on this shift in momentum, used a series of deft maneuvers to restrict Lee's movements.

Finally, with a well-placed Gentle Fist strike that sent Lee sprawling to the ground, Alex deactivated his Byakugan.

Hayate, seizing the moment, stepped forward and raised his hand.

"The winner of this match," he declared, "is Alexander Hyūga!"

The crowd erupted in applause, impressed by the display of incredible taijutsu they had witnessed.

On the platform, Alex offered Lee a hand to help him up. Lee, despite having been defeated at his own game, accepted the offer with a smile.

The respect between the two young fighters was evident.

Arthur watched as Alex and Lee retreated from the platform. That wasn't just a fight; that was a subtle message to the other players.

For the entire battle, Alex had only used two techniques: the Byakugan and the Eight Gates Assault. Apart from the Gentle Fist, that was his basic level of taijutsu used by the Hyūga clan.

He knew what he was doing. By limiting the number of techniques used, it would keep everyone guessing what he could truly do.

Yet there was still one thing that Alex hadn't known: no matter how many secrets he wanted to hide, Arthur Bennet was still the deadliest player.