161 Sharingan Vs Byakugan Begins

A sudden wind blew up to the sky as Lee's hand finally landed down.

<< Begin >>

Sasuke and Neji immediately ran towards each other upon the fall of the hand.

(Clang!)

The sound of kunais parrying each other resounded in the air as the two clashed.

The two stared intently into the other's eyes as their kunais resisted each other.

Lee, who watched the match, clenched his fists together in excitement and anticipation.

("The two seem evenly matched in their first confrontation,") Lee observed.

*Sh!*

Sasuke raised a hand seal against Neji.

("What?") Neji stared at Sasuke, who had a barely discernible smile.

(bz!)

Sasuke cloaked the kunai in lightning-natured chakra.

(Clang!) Neji's kunai snapped.

(Whoosh!)

Neji retreated a few steps back.

"Hmph,"

Sasuke brought his hands together.

("You think I'll let you execute a jutsu?") Neji immediately thought following which he sent a palm forth.

"Air Palm!" Neji announced.

(Whoosh!)

A small burst of Shock wave traveled towards Sasuke.

("This is the attack he used to deflect Naruto's Rasengan,") Sasuke thought following which Sasuke concentrated on his chakra network.

(Whoosh!)

The air palm struck nothing but air.

"Huh!" Neji turned back only to see Sasuke fully clad in lightning natured chakra cloak.

Sasuke brought his hands together quickly.

Snake → Dragon → Rabbit → Tiger

< Fire Release - Dragon Flame Jutsu! >

Sasuke spat out a glowing ball of flame from his mouth that quickly morphed into a dragon.

("Damn,") Neji cursed following which he quickly started to rotate.

(Boom!)

The Dragon faced flame blasted off from Sasuke's mouth, gaining tremendous momentum as it quickly approached where Neji stood.

< Kaiten! > Neji announced followed by an immediate appearance of a defensive Chakra Sphere.

(Boom!)

The dragon flame's impact landed on the chakra sphere.

"Hmph," Sasuke stared at the flame.

However, a second later, he frowned.

("Why is it not going ahead?") Sasuke thought.

(Whoosh!)

The fire revolved along with the kaiten that was spinning around Neji.

Soon Neji dissipated the fire attack completely.

"You handled that well," Sasuke said.

Neji stared at Sasuke.

"Should we have a real battle?" Neji asked.

"Huh?" Lee was puzzled.

He then looked towards Sasuke only to see him standing clueless as well.

Sasuke naturally knew what it meant, but hesitated a bit, for it was too soon for the battle between the eyes.

"Have you already run out of jutsus in your arsenal?" Sasuke asked.

"As much as I don't want to admit it,"

"Hmph,"

"If it's close combat you want, then its close combat you get," Sasuke smirked as coated himself in lightning natured chakra again.

Neji in turn silently raised his palms against Sasuke signifying that he was ready to take him on.

(Whoosh!)

Sasuke rushed towards Neji in full speed.

("It's going to be a proper taijutsu battle,") Lee thought.

——————————————

Back in the grasslands elsewhere,

Jiraiya looked at Pain with the Lord Fukasaku and Granny Shima by his side.

"Jiraiya-boy,"

"I still don't understand,"

"How did you end up provoking such a character?" Lord Fukasaku asked.

Jiraiya turned towards Lord Fukasaku, who was on the left side of his giant scroll that rested on his back.

"They are part of the organization I've been spying on,"

"And the boy over there," Jiraiya said as he pointed towards Yahiko.

"Was once a student of mine," Jiraiya said.

"HUUUHHHHHH?" Lord Fukasaku and Granny Shima stared at Jiraiya.

"This is the first I am hearing of that one,"

"Unless…"

"He's the prophesied one?" Lord Fukasaku was shocked, but so was Granny Shima.

Jiraiya thought back to the time he heard the prophecy.

…

"In time, you will have a student of your own,"

"The student will become a ninja that will bring change to the world of Ninja,"

"It will be either of great stability or of great destruction."

"The kind that world has never seen the likes of before,"

…

Jiraiya contemplated about the Elder's prophecy and the future he had seen. Meanwhile, the fight continued between the summons as usual.

("What is he doing?") Orochimaru was puzzled.

However, Pain saw this as a chance…

(Shing!)

The bald-headed Asura path pain lifted his arm only to have it transform into a model of a rocket launcher.

(Whoosh!) The rocket launched of the pain's arm.

"Jiraiya-boy,"

"Jiraiya-chan!" Lord Fukasaku and Granny Shima called out at the same time.

"Huh?" Jiraiya woke up from his stupor.

(Clang!)

Gamaken used his Sasumata to deflect the missile away.

"Forgive my clumsiness," Gamaken said with a guilty expression.

"…" Pain and Orochimaru stared at Jiraiya; meanwhile, the summons continued to battle it out in the background.

("What is he spacing out for?") Orochimaru was displeased.

Jiraiya though snapped back into reality, but he still had his questions.

Nagato was not exactly wrong in his way of doing things.

Despite being used, he still had his own perception of peace, albeit it was based on the second ninja world war.

The world seemed to always be at war.

No matter how much stable the world remained during Naruto's time in the future, conflicts existed underneath the superficial peace that existed on the surface.

Some battles almost lead to a fifth ninja world war.

"What happened Jiraiya-boy?" Lord Fukasaku asked with concern.

Jiraiya shook his head.

No matter what, violence and fear was not the only way to solve things.

The Akatsuki clearly exploits this method despite being unaware of the puppet master in the shadows.

"Sorry for getting distracted," Jiraiya said as he got into his battle stance.

Lord Fukasaku looked at Jiraiya.

"Better be serious boy,"

"This student of yours is leaning towards destruction," Lord Fukasaku said, referring to the prophecy of the elder sage.

("That second prophecy is troublesome as well…") Jiraiya thought.

"This is taking longer than expected…" Yahiko Pain who stood in the center of the battlefield murmured.

(Whoosh!)

The Human path and the Preta path pain flew towards Jiraiya; meanwhile, Yahiko looked towards Orochimaru.

"I'll deal with you myself," Yahiko said as he started to walk towards Orochimaru.

"Hehe," Orochimaru smirked.

…

("Damn,")

("It's the human path pain, the one that reads memories and souls,")

("The Preta path is a troublesome one as well,")

("Any ninjutsu is useless against it,")

("However…") Jiraiya displayed a hint of a confident smile.

"Bring up the toad oil," Granny Shima suddenly said.

"Nope,"

"It wouldn't work on the one in the front," Jiraiya said.

("There's something definitely going on…") Nagato, who was controlling all the pains thought.

("Sensei's words seem to suggest that he knows of my abilities…") Nagato thought.

"What do we do, then?" Lord Fukasaku asked.

"Genjutsu is the only long-range option," Jiraiya suggested.

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

"I won't sing a duet with Pa," Granny Shima rejected outright.

"Ma,"

"This battle is no joke," Lord Fukasaku explained immediately.

"It's now or never!"

"All I need is a few seconds," Jiraiya interrupted, indicating that there was no time for marital arguments.

"Got it," Lord Fukasaku and Granny Shima said at the same time following which they joined their hands.

"Huu….." Lord Fukasaku and Granny Shima sucked in a deep breath at the same time, quadrupling the size of their windpipes.

("Croak, CRoAK, cROak, CROAK, croaK, CroaK") Voices of different frogs emitted across the atmosphere engulfing the two incoming pain completely.

(Whoosh!)

Jiraiya immediately appeared behind the human path pain.

< Sage Art - Giant Rasengan! >

*Sh!*

A giant ball of chakra suddenly evolved in front of Jiraiya's palms completely engulfing the visionary range human path pain that stared in a daze.

"Hah!" Jiraiya pushed the giant Rasengan towards the human path pain.

("With this, one of our major troubles are over,") Jiraiya thought as he relaxed his expressions a bit.

However,

"Hmm?" Jiraiya stared at the Rasengan getting smaller and smaller little by little.

"What the hell?" Jiraiya cursed only to see the Preta path pain staring back at him with an emotionless expression from behind the giant Rasengan.

"Fool…" Orochimaru murmured upon seeing Jiraiya fail.

Jiraiya's eyes widened upon seeing the Animal path pain (summoning pain) standing at quite the distance away from the battle that Jiraiya was fighting.

Jiraiya's shock however was from seeing the Rinnegan on that pain.

("Damn it,")

("How did I forget, their vision is shared,") Jiraiya thought.

*Sh!*

The Rasengan was completely absorbed at this point.

(Whoosh!)

Jiraiya leaped back onto Gamaken's back.

"Retreat," Jiraiya gave an order.

"…" The three pains stared at Jiraiya and Lord Fukasaku and Granny Shima retreating on the back of Gamaken.

—————————————

Back in the training field…

"Hah!" Sasuke and Neji blocked each other's palm and fist respectively.

"Your taijutsu is impressive," Neji commented.

"Hmph, don't sell yourself short," Sasuke said.

"My team's main ability is taijutsu,"

"If I lost to you here then there's no meaning in me being a ninja, not to mention having the title of the strongest taijutsu of the Hidden Leaf," Neji said.

Sasuke looked at Neji.

"I think its time for us to end this spar," Sasuke said following which he closed his eyes.

("Finally…") Neji concentrated on his optical nerves.

< Byakugan! >

Neji brought his palm up once again which was aimed towards Sasuke.

("The moment of truth…") Lee stared at Sasuke while gripping tightly onto the sword he had been given by Sasuke.

Sasuke slowly opened his eyes.