Neji Hyuga is one of the main characters of the Naruto series and he was introduced as a prodigious shinobi during the early parts of the story. His level of skill was known to be fearsome and he kept on getting stronger as the story progressed.
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Neji had great importance in the Naruto series and he assisted the likes of Naruto Uzumaki and the other main characters right until the very end. Due to him not being on the screen as often as one would've liked, there are lots of things that often go unnoticed about him.
10 He Made His Debut Before Chunin Exams
After the Land of Waves arc of Naruto wrapped up, the Genin from not only Konohagakure but the entire shinobi world started gathering to prepare for the Chunin Exams and one of them was Team Guy's genius ninja, Neji Hyuga.
Neji made his debut in the fourth volume of the Naruto manga and the 36th chapter of the story. In the anime, he appeared in Episode 21 for the very first time.
9 Neji Was Older Than Naruto
The Genin who take part in the Chunin exams are usually allowed to gain a certain level of experience first. Might Guy's students only took part in them after a year of working as Genin. However, Kakashi Hatake's ninja, along with most of the other Jonin's teams, took part in the exams right after becoming Genin.
Thus, Neji was a year older than the rest and took part in the exams when he was around 13-14 years of age. Naruto Uzumaki was around 12-13 years of age during this time.
8 Neji Had A Kekkei Genkai
Being born into the Hyuga family, Neji had access to the power of the Kekkei Genkai Dojutsu known as Byakugan right from birth. This Dojutsu gave him the power to see through everything in his way and gave him a near-360° vision.
It also allowed him to see the chakra points of those fighting against him, along with the rest of the chakra circulatory system. Neji could also tell if someone was under the influence of a Genjutsu.
7 Has Was A Master Of The Gentle Fist
Neji Hyuga didn't just rely on his powers of the Byakugan. To take the gift that he had to the next level, he learned the art of Gentle Fist that let him damage the chakra pathway system without leaving any external wounds. The organs closest to where the blow lands also get damaged.
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What's more, the Gentle Fist allowed him to shut down all the chakra points of the body, and thus, leave his target without the power to utilize chakra for good.
6 He Was Too Good For A Branch Family Member
Neji's skill with the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist was known to be immense and that didn't usually happen with those who were members of the Branch Family of the Hyuga clan. Hiashi Hyuga himself was astonished when he saw Neji perform techniques that even adults would have had a hard time mastering.
Neji came up with these abilities on his own, which showed how big of a genius he truly was and it was shown for the first time when Neji defeated Hinata.
5 He Became A Jonin At 15
Neji failed to become a Chunin during the first Chunin Exams arc of the series because he lost to the power of Naruto Uzumaki and the Nine-Tails. However, during the time-skip, he took part in another Chunin Exam and did exceedingly well.
Instead of being made a Chunin, Neji was directly promoted to the rank of Jonin, which made him the youngest Jonin from his generation of shinobi.
4 Neji Had Three Nature Transformations
Every Jonin in Naruto has access to two nature transformations, at the very least, and Neji was no different. Although he wasn't allowed to hit his maximum potential, Neji still had control over 3 of the 5 nature transformations by the age of 18.
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According to what the story tells us, Neji could utilize Fire Release, Water Release, and Wind Release. Unfortunately, fans never got to see a glimpse of him using these powers in the story.
3 Neji Changed His Destiny
Neji was a member of the Hyuga clan's branch family, meaning he was forever bound to serve the Main Family and die for them if the need arose. This led him to believe that fate was predetermined for everyone, however, Naruto eventually changed his way of thought.
In the end, Neji broke through his destiny by sacrificing his life for the cause that he chose himself and not because he was made to do it, just like his father.
2 Boruto Was Named After Him
Boruto (Bolt) Uzumaki is the son of Naruto and Hinata and according to Masashi Kishimoto, he was named after his uncle Neji. This is evident as the name Neji itself means screw and Bolt is another way of saying screw.
Masashi Kishimoto believes that Neji brought Naruto and Hinata together by sacrificing himself in the Fourth Great Ninja War, and thus he chose to pay tribute to Neji with the name of Boruto.
1 He Wanted To Fight Hiashi And Naruto
According to the Fourth Databook, Neji Hyuga had the desire to fight against Hiashi Hyuga, his uncle, and Naruto Uzumaki. His desire to fight Hiashi likely stemmed from the fact that he was a genius and would've loved to test his skills against him.
Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki changed him as a person and defeated him during the Chunin Exams. For that reason, Neji wanted to fight against him again someday.
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