Chapter 31: Chapter 16:Fourth round!
Iruka stood in front of the students who had made it to the final round, his expression proud as he addressed the group.
"I'm proud of each of you for making it this far," he began, his voice steady but filled with warmth. "This is the final round of the sports festival, and it will be one-on-one battles. The rules are simple. If you're knocked out, can't move for seven seconds, or are pushed out of the ring, you lose."
The students shifted slightly, feeling the weight of the upcoming matches. Yuto, standing among the finalists, clenched his fists. 'One-on-one, huh? This is going to be tough against Naruko and Hitomi, But I've been through worse when training under Guy-sensei.'
Hitomi, standing beside him, smirked. "Looks like things are about to get interesting."
Naruko cracked her knuckles, looking more pumped than ever. "Heh, I've been waiting for this! Time to show everyone who the future Hokage is! Prepare to lose Teme!"
Yuto couldn't help but smile at his friends who started bickering again. 'This isn't just about winning anymore,' he thought. 'It's about showing what we've got, and what we've learned, ... though I do need to win this as I still need to complete my mission.'
Iruka continued explaining the battle format, his voice cutting through the excited murmurs of the crowd. "The arena will be set up with a marked boundary. Going outside the ring counts as a loss. Fights will continue until one person is unable to move or concedes. These battles are not to be taken lightly, but remember, this is still training—so no lethal force."
Hinata, who was standing quietly in her spot, looked nervous but determined. She glanced over at Yuto, who gave her a reassuring nod. 'I can do this,' she thought to herself, her hands trembling slightly.
"Let's begin!" Iruka announced as he signaled for the first match to commence.
The first match of the finals was between Shikamaru and Choji. Choji looked conflicted, not wanting to hurt his best friend, and Shikamaru felt the same. Shikamaru sighed, raising his hand and then lying down on the ground lazily. "Troublesome… I forfeit," he mumbled, pretending to fall asleep on the spot.
Iruka rubbed his head in frustration. "Shikamaru! You could at least take this seriously!" he scolded, though not surprised.
With a sigh, he declared, "Since Shikamaru has forfeited, Choji wins the match."
The crowd let out a few chuckles, used to the Nara clans laid-back attitude.
Choji, though surprised, smiled awkwardly. "Thanks, Shikamaru," he muttered under his breath, walking off the field with mixed emotions about his victory.
The second match was Naruko versus a random Inuzuka clan kid, and it ended quickly. As soon as the match began, Naruko dashed forward with her usual fiery determination. The Inuzuka kid tried to use his clan's standard taijutsu techniques, but Naruko easily outmaneuvered him. With a series of quick blows, she knocked him off balance and delivered a powerful kick that sent him flying out of the ring.
"Too easy," Naruko grinned, brushing off her hands confidently.
The crowd was stunned, though the kids were used to Naruko's chaotic strength. "Guess I'm stronger than I thought," she murmured as she walked back to her spot.
As the third match began, Kiba Inuzuka stood confidently in the ring, cracking his knuckles and smirking. "This'll be over quick," he muttered, eyeing Hitomi with an air of arrogance. He thought this match was his to win. After all, he'd only lost to Yuto, and in his mind, the girls couldn't match up to him. 'She's fast, but I'm stronger.'
Hitomi, however, was calm and composed as she stepped into the ring. Her expression betrayed no emotion, though inside she was focused. She eyed Kiba, measuring his stance. 'He's too sure of himself. Overconfidence always leads to mistakes.'
"Alright, begin!" Iruka called out, signaling the start.
Kiba wasted no time, charging at Hitomi with full force, trying to overwhelm her with his speed. "I've got this!" he shouted as he lunged forward. His clan's speed and strength had served him well in sparring sessions, but this wasn't sparring. This was Hitomi Uchiha.
With a flicker of movement, Hitomi sidestepped his attack effortlessly. Kiba's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could react, Hitomi spun and delivered a low, sweeping kick to his legs. The force knocked him off balance, and he stumbled forward. She didn't let up, following through with a precise punch aimed at his head.
The sound of Kiba hitting the ground echoed across the training grounds. The crowd went silent for a moment, shocked at how quickly the fight had ended. Iruka stepped forward and began counting, but it was clear that Kiba was out cold.
"Winner: Hitomi Uchiha!" Iruka declared.
The crowd erupted into cheers, though some still looked stunned at the swift defeat. Naruko, standing beside Yuto, couldn't help but grin. "Hah, serves him right. Kiba really thought he could take her down just like that."
Yuto, amused, nodded. "He underestimated her. Big mistake."
Hitomi, dusting off her hands as if she hadn't just knocked out one of the top boys in the class, returned to the sidelines with her usual calm demeanor. "That was easier than I thought," she remarked casually.
Naruko gave her a playful nudge. "You didn't even break a sweat, did you, teme?"
Hitomi smirked. "Not worth the effort." She shot a look back at Kiba, who was just starting to come to. "He'll think twice before underestimating me again."
Yuto grinned. "No kidding. He just got his reality check."
As Kiba groggily rose to his feet, the realization of what just happened slowly dawned on him. His pride was hurt more than his body..
As the fourth match was announced, Shino Aburame calmly stepped into the ring, facing off against a kid from the Yamanaka clan. The two stood still for a moment before Iruka signaled the start.
The Yamanaka boy looked tense, not fully aware of what Shino's abilities entailed. The moment Shino raised his hand, tiny insects began to swarm from beneath his sleeves. The boy's eyes widened in horror as the bugs swiftly crawled toward him. "W-What the—?!" he yelped, trying to brush them off, but the bugs moved too fast, covering his arms and legs.
Panicking, the boy screamed and ran out of the field, swatting at the insects in sheer terror. The crowd gasped, some in amusement, others in shock, as the match abruptly ended without a real fight.
Shino, unfazed as usual, turned toward Iruka, who sighed and announced, "Winner: Shino Aburame."
Naruko crossed her arms, smirking at the spectacle. "Guess some people can't handle a few bugs."
Hitomi shook her head. "You'd think he'd know better than to get scared like that in a match."
Yuto chuckled. "Shino doesn't even need to fight. His bugs do all the work for him."
Shino quietly walked back to the group, his expression still as stoic as ever. 'That was an easy win,' he thought, though he didn't say it aloud.
As Hinata and Ino stepped into the ring for their match, Hinata felt a wave of nervousness wash over her. She wasn't used to so much attention. However, when she glanced at Yuto, she saw him giving her a thumbs up, accompanied by a warm "Good luck, Hinata." His encouragement caused a surge of determination to swell inside her.
'Okay, I can do this,' she thought, standing a little taller as she activated her Byakugan. The veins around her eyes bulged, giving her an intense focus on Ino's chakra network. Ino, feeling a bit uneasy, knew that the Hyuga clan's juken was not something to take lightly, and she opted to keep her distance. As she prepared to throw a kunai, Hinata surprised everyone by swiftly throwing one first, knocking Ino's pouch clean off her side.
The crowd murmured in surprise as Ino panicked. "You're not giving me much choice, Hinata!" Ino called out, her hands quickly forming a seal that Yuto immediately recognized. 'The Mind Body Transfer Jutsu!' he noted, intrigued. He knew the Yamanaka clan's technique well, but despite being a prodigy, he hadn't been permitted to learn it yet.
Ino was too slow. Hinata rushed at her, her movements fluid and precise. The Byakugan allowed her to target Ino's chakra points with surgical accuracy. Ino attempted to step back to complete her jutsu, but it was too late. Hinata's strikes landed, each one blocking her chakra flow and disabling her limbs. Ino's legs buckled under her, and she crumpled to the ground, unable to move.
"Iruka-sensei, I can't move!" Ino exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Iruka quickly intervened, announcing, "Winner: Hinata Hyuga!"
Hinata, blushing from the attention, looked down, unsure how to handle the praise. But when she saw Yuto's proud smile and Heard him say, "Congratulations," her heart fluttered, and she couldn't help but smile back.
Hiashi Hyuga watched Hinata's swift victory with a stoic expression, though internally, he felt a glimmer of pride. His daughter had improved, her movements more precise, her confidence growing. But what really caught his attention was how her eyes sparkled when she saw Yuto congratulate her. This small moment reinforced Hiashi's plan of potentially strengthening ties with Yuto through Hinata. He could see how Yuto's presence was helping Hinata develop, and this only increased his interest in fostering that connection for the future.
Yuto stood calmly, sizing up his Hyuga opponent, who wasted no time in activating his Byakugan. The veins around the boy's eyes bulged, but Yuto remained unbothered, his red Kamigan still dormant. The Hyuga scowled, assuming Yuto was being arrogant by not activating his own dojutsu.
"Don't underestimate me!" the Hyuga snapped, frustration growing.
Yuto didn't respond. Instead, he glanced at the crowd and caught Naruko and Hitomi's curious gazes. 'He thinks I'm disrespecting him... but this fight is already over,' Yuto mused, smirking inwardly. He'd seen the Gentle Fist enough to know what was coming.
When Iruka announced, "Begin!" the Hyuga boy darted toward Yuto, fingers aimed with pinpoint accuracy at his chakra points. His movements were fluid, trained—but Yuto's eyes tracked every motion without even needing his dojutsu.
The audience held their breath as the Hyuga neared, confident in his attack. But in a split second, Yuto seemed to vanish from his spot. The Hyuga blinked in confusion, feeling only the rush of wind behind him.
Before he could react, Yuto's voice whispered in his ear, calm and composed, "It's over."
The Hyuga barely had time to process the words before a sharp chop landed on the back of his neck. His world faded to black as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
The entire field fell silent for a moment, stunned by the sheer efficiency of the victory. Iruka, recovering from the shock, stepped forward to check on the Hyuga boy, confirming he was only unconscious.
"Winner: Yuto!" Iruka called, though his voice was laced with awe.
Naruko blinked in surprise, while Hitomi, arms crossed, smirked. "He didn't even need to try," she murmured. Naruko huffed. "Show-off," she muttered, though a grin tugged at her lips.
In the stands, whispers spread like wildfire. "Is that... the Kamigan's power?"
"But he didn't even use it!" someone replied.
Yuto, unfazed by the murmurs around him, calmly walked back to his friends. 'This is too easy,' he thought, though he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for the Hyuga boy. He hadn't even needed to go all out, and still, it wasn't a challenge. 'I wonder if this world really is different... the people are strong, but it's not like the anime.'
As he reached Naruko and Hitomi, Naruko grinned up at him. "You really love making things dramatic, don't you?"
Yuto shrugged, smiling. "Just having a little fun."
Hitomi punched his shoulder lightly. "Stop showing off. You'll make it hard for the rest of us."
Yuto chuckled, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that things weren't quite as they seemed in this world. 'If this is a parallel world… what else might be different?'
(Pls give me some power stones!)
(Find out next time on Naruto:Eye system)