Chapter 53: The Victor & The Vow
Under Kurenai's soothing words, Hinata's breathing slowly evened out.
In the arena, Neji's assault was a furious, unrelenting storm. Each of the Sixty-Four Palms struck with a sharp, sickening thwack! The audience gasped and cried out with each impact.
"Naruto!" Sakura and Ino shrieked in unison. Sasuke's knuckles were white where she gripped the rail. But Kakashi and the other Jonin watching remained impassive, as if observing a foregone conclusion.
Finally, the last strike landed. Naruto's body flew backward through the air and hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Yet, no triumphant smile crossed Neji's face. Instead, he frowned, his Byakugan scanning the area with frantic intensity.
Poof!
The "Naruto" on the ground dissolved into a puff of white smoke. A shadow clone.
Neji's all-seeing eyes swept a 360-degree arc—above, below, every conceivable angle.
His hand shot out, slamming into the empty air behind him.
BAM!
A fist met his palm. The real Naruto stood there, having been intercepted mid-strike. The force of the collision pushed them apart once more.
But Neji was no longer calm. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his mind reeling. How did he know about the blind spot?! The tiniest, most minuscule flaw in his Byakugan's coverage, a secret he'd thought was his alone. If not for a last-second premonition…
"You… how did you do that?!" Neji demanded, his voice tight.
Naruto only smiled, not answering the question. "Neji," he said instead, his tone conversational. "Defeating you… it's only a matter of when I choose to."
Neji stiffened, anger flushing his cheeks at the sheer arrogance. "You dare look down on Hyuga Neji?!"
"I'm not looking down on you," Naruto replied, his smile fading into something colder. "I'm just… disappointed. Someone who uses their talent to brutalize those weaker, who vents their own bitterness on an innocent person… is nothing but a coward."
"What did you say?!"
"Am I wrong? Hinata has done nothing to you. She is your cousin. Yet what did you do to her? You poured all your personal resentment onto her. She's still recovering from her injuries. What else do you call someone who does that, if not a weakling?" Naruto's gaze was steady, his voice carrying clearly across the now-silent arena.
He let out a quiet breath. This wasn't just strategy. This was for Hinata. For the fact he hadn't been there to stop it. This was the anger he'd carried for her.
Having said his piece, he didn't wait for a reply. His aura exploded outward. A crushing, tangible pressure—the chakra density of an elite Jonin—settled over the stadium. Even the proctor, Genma, took an involuntary step back, his eyes wide.
"This chakra… it's monstrous!"
"He's releasing this much… for Hinata's sake?" The realization rippled through the stands. Sasuke, Sakura, the others—all their eyes flicked to where Hinata sat, blushing furiously but unable to look away from Naruto.
Scene Twenty-One: A Cage of One's Own Making
Under that overwhelming pressure, Neji felt like he was sinking in mud, struggling to breathe.
"What do you know?!" he roared back, defiance fueled by despair. "As a member of the Branch Family, branded with the Caged Bird Seal at birth, condemned to a life serving the Main House—what could you possibly understand about my pain? About being a tool with no control over your own destiny?!" In a gesture of raw, furious vulnerability, he ripped the forehead protector from his head, exposing the ugly, cursed seal etched into his skin for all to see.
A wave of murmured sympathy swept the crowd. So the genius carries such a burden. But it was an internal Hyuga matter; they could only watch.
Seeing the seal, Naruto sighed softly. "It's true. Your fate is bound by that seal. But the only way to break any cage… is to become stronger than the bars that hold you. And no matter how unfair your own fate, you don't get to inflict that pain on someone else. You don't take your anger out on Hinata. If you're a man, face the source of your chains—the Hyuga clan's traditions themselves!"
Neji shuddered as if struck. He stared at Naruto, muttering, "Break free…? Impossible! You say it so easily! You don't understand anything!" His composure shattered, he charged Naruto blindly, lashing out with his most powerful strike.
Naruto didn't move until the last millisecond. Then, he was simply… elsewhere. As Neji's palm thrust through empty air, Naruto reappeared behind him, the cool edge of a kunai resting against the side of his neck.
"You lose," Naruto said, his voice quiet but final.
So fast! The thought echoed in every trained shinobi's mind. That last movement had been a blur even to Jonin-level eyes. Pure, unadulterated speed that rivaled the village's top taijutsu specialists.
Neji stood frozen, the world reduced to the cold steel at his throat. Slowly, he lowered his raised hand in surrender.
"Why…" he whispered, head bowed. "Why are you so strong?"
Naruto withdrew the kunai and placed a hand on Neji's shoulder. "Because I believe a heart that's determined to defy fate itself is the strongest thing there is. Anything is possible with that."
"Defy… fate…" Neji repeated the words like a foreign mantra.
Seeing the fight was clearly over, Naruto turned to the proctor. "Examiner? I believe we have a result."
"Uh… right!" Genma Shiranui snapped back to attention. "First match winner: Uzumaki Naruto!" He hadn't expected such a decisive, one-sided victory. Naruto had made it look effortless.
The announcement broke the stunned silence. A roar of approval erupted from the stands. Naruto's words about defying fate had ignited a spark in many who felt bound by their own circumstances.
"SO COOL, NARUTO!" Ino shrieked, breaking from Sakura's grip and launching herself at Naruto as he returned to the competitor's balcony, aiming a kiss at his cheek.
"Ino! You sneak!" Sakura yelped, pulling her back, her own face flushed. She looked up at Naruto. "C-congratulations on your win!"
"Thanks for the support," Naruto replied with his usual bright, disarming smile. It was a smile that seemed to hold its own sunlight.
Sasuke approached more slowly. "Congratulations, Naruto," she said, her voice quiet, her eyes unable to meet his for long. He's become so strong… and I'm still so far behind.
Their moment was cut short by Genma's voice echoing through the stadium once more. "Second match contenders to the arena: Uchiha Sasuke versus Gaara of the Desert!"
"Sasuke, you're up next," Naruto said, turning to her, his expression turning serious. "Gaara is extremely dangerous. Be careful. Don't push yourself recklessly. Understand?"
Hearing his concern only stoked the fire of her pride. Even if I can't beat you, I can beat him! Don't you dare underestimate me, Naruto. I'll prove it. With a soft, defiant "Hmph," she turned and strode into the arena without another word.
Gaara was already waiting, his expression a vacant, emotionless mask as he watched her approach.
"You are strong," he stated flatly as the proctor signaled the start. "But compared to Uzumaki Naruto… you are nothing worth killing."