
Chapter 79 sets two cousins of the same bloodline against each other in the preliminary tournament. Buoyed by Naruto's belief in her, a timid Hinata stands her ground against the far more skilled Neji, though the gap between them soon becomes painfully clear.
Encouraged by Naruto's faith that she can win, Hinata casts off the anxiety that had gripped her seconds before. Her sudden resolve catches Neji off guard, yet he insists the outcome will not change. The two relatives exchange strikes in the Gentle Fist style, a method that damages the body from within. Hinata manages to deflect a number of her cousin's palm thrusts and even connects with a few of her own.
Hinata finds a new determination and trades blows with Neji rather than surrendering. Neji then discloses that from the opening exchange he has been sealing off her chakra pathways, quietly draining the power behind every one of her attacks. Even as her strikes lose their force, Hinata refuses to concede the match.

Naruto vs Luffy with the twist nobody asked for: Luffy tickled Hinata on date night, and she kind of liked it. We break down the whole fight and commit to a winner....

Naruto built the transformation jutsu himself, and the Hidden Leaf has been quietly not talking about it ever since. The story behind our 90s R&B record about the Naruko question everybody dodges....
This chapter, "The Hyūga Clan", depicts the clan through its internal divide between the main and branch houses, exemplified by cousins Hinata and Neji facing off during the Chūnin Exams preliminaries.
Encouraged by Naruto's belief in her, Hinata sheds her fear and trades Gentle Fist strikes with her cousin Neji, deflecting several of his blows and even landing a few of her own.
Neji discloses that from the opening exchange he has been sealing off Hinata's chakra pathways, quietly draining the power behind every one of her attacks.
The chapter shares its name with the Hyūga clan because its Hinata versus Neji duel highlights the internal divide between the clan's main and branch houses.
This chapter belongs to the Chūnin Exams arc and is collected in the ninth volume of the manga.
Looking for more on The Hyūga Clan? The Naruto Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Naruto anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
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