Neji Hyuga (日向 ネジ Hyūga Neji) is a member of Team Guy and a child prodigy of the Hyuga clan, as well as being Hinata's cousin.[ch. 101] As he is the only ninja of his generation to be promoted to the rank of Jonin during Part II, he frequently acts as leader of his assigned teams and the secondary leader of Team Guy when Might Guy is not around. Though a member of the branch house, Neji displays his title as a prodigy of the Hyuga throughout the series as a master of his clan's Gentle Fist style of combat that he taught to himself.[ch. 101] Originally, Neji believes in a fatalistic philosophy: that one's destiny is inescapable and that a weak person will always be weak.[ch. 38] After being defeated in the Chunin Exams by Naruto Uzumaki, who defied his own "fate" by strengthening, Neji has a change of heart once uncle Hiashi reveals the full story of his father's death, Hizashi, as an act of self-sacrifice in place of his twin brother. Since then, Neji abandons his belief in determinism and resolves to get strong enough to never lose a battle and change the fates of his loved ones.[ch. 197] As the series progressed, Neji refined his Gentle Fist and devised original variations that either increase their potency or fix flaws such as the blind spot in his Byakugan.[ch. 197] Neji also remedies the estranged relations between himself and the members of the main house, resulting in his training with Hiashi and Hinata at the end of Part I.[ch. 238] Neji is killed during the Fourth Great Ninja War as he sacrifices himself to protect Naruto and Hinata from Obito Uchiha's attack, telling Naruto that he made the choice to die protecting those dear to him as his father had. Following the war's conclusion, a memorial is held in Neji's honor. Years after the war, Naruto pays tribute to Neji by naming his son Boruto whose names means "bolt" while Neji's name means "screw". In the Japanese anime, his voice actor is Kōichi Tōchika, and when he is featured as a child, he is voiced by Keiko Nemoto. His voice in the English anime is provided by Steve Staley, and Wendee Lee provides his child voice.
Championships[]
| Championship | Reign | Date | Event | Notes | Days held |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | |||||
| ACW Excel Tag Team Championship | 1 | December 19, 2014 | Animania III | (with Rock Lee) defeated Street Fighters (Ken Masters & Dan Hibiki) and Little Fighters (Woody & Davis) in a 3-Team Turmoil Match |
280 |