Chapter 51: Fighting for the Fishnet Outfit!
Most people thought this match had no suspense. The eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan against that perpetual dead last, Naruto; even if everyone had heard of Naruto's performance in the preliminaries, a commoner Ninja was still far from matching a true noble bloodline.
In the stands, Hyuga Neji stood coldly with his arms crossed; he didn't even activate his Byakugan, feeling it was completely unnecessary.
"Meaningless," Neji said faintly. "The eldest daughter is too soft-hearted, and that dead lastonly knows how to make a fuss. The outcome will be decided in an instant."
However, in the next second.
"Ha!"
A loud shout interrupted everyone's discussion.
The one who made the sound was Uzumaki Naruto, who usually always goofed around.
At this moment, his aura was completely different from during the preliminaries. He crouched slightly with a very stable center of gravity, and there wasn't a hint of distraction in those blue eyes, only a predator-like focus.
This was a change brought about by the [Uzumaki Sage Body] that had awakened last night. He felt every cell was excited, and every breath was absorbing the surrounding energy. Every movement within a few kilometers formed a clear radar map in his mind.
[Sorry, Hinata, for that kiss yesterday... no!]
[For that limited skin of the full-body mesh bodysuit! Even if I have to risk this old life of mine today, I must win!]
Naruto's inner thoughts resounded like war drums.
[As long as I win, I can rightfully make you wear it for me! This is a man's promise! It's also a holy war for the art of the Ninja World!]
Pfft!
Hyuga Hinata, who originally had a solemn expression and was preparing to attack, stumbled and almost failed to stand firm.
The fighting spirit she had managed to muster was nearly scattered by these shameless yet passionate words. Her cheeks flushed instantly, but seeing Naruto's terrifyingly serious gaze, her heart beat even faster.
He wasn't lying. He really... wanted to see.
"That big idiot..." Hinata bit her lower lip in a mix of shame and anger, but then, her gaze became determined. "Since you want to see... then take it with your strength!"
[Ding!]
[Detected that the host, Hyuga Hinata, has perceived Uzumaki Naruto's extremely pure conviction for victory.]
[Although this conviction is lewd, it is extremely impactful. Gained temporary status buff: Shame Transformed into Power - 100% Output.]
"Match start!"
As soon as Shiranui Genma's voice fell.
Boom!
A circle of cracks exploded on the ground. Uzumaki Naruto's figure instantly disappeared from the spot, his speed so fast that even the ordinary Chunin in the audience couldn't catch him.
"So fast!" Hyuga Neji's usually expressionless face changed.
Is this really that dead last? Just relying on his physical explosive speed, he's actually not slower than Lee after taking off his weights?
Facing this oncoming wind, Hinata did not flinch. Veins bulged around her Byakugan, and relying on the "Mind's Eye" gained from special training, her hands accurately slashed toward the front right.
Pa!
Fist and palm met, producing a dull thud.
Naruto wasn't forced back by the Gentle Fist; instead, he used the force to twist his body in mid-air and sent a roundhouse kick straight for Hinata's shoulder. He didn't hold back; every move was a solid attack!
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
Hinata had no choice but to take half a step back as Chakra gushed from her palm, forcefully blasting Naruto away.
But Naruto didn't land at all; he rolled in mid-air, stepped off the wall with both feet, and bounced back.
[Wow! What an amazing palm technique!]
Even in such an intense battle, that commentary never stopped.
[Although that palm strike just now hurt like hell, looking at it from close range... the curve of Hinata's waist as it instantly tightened when she exerted force was just too perfect!]
[Is this the benefit of constantly practicing the Gentle Fist? Softness within strength... if I could hold her in my arms in the future... Ah! Careful, careful! Almost got hit in the nose!]
The two figures interlaced in the arena, every collision bringing a gust of wind. The audience gradually quieted down, turning from mere spectators to being filled with astonishment.
This wasn't a one-sided beating; this was a true Taijutsu duel!
Uzumaki Naruto's offensive was fierce, and Hyuga Hinata's moves were exquisite. The two went back and forth; though the fight was dangerous, it had an indescribable sense of harmony.
On the stands, Hyuga Hiashi gripped the railing so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Hinata... when did she become so strong? She can actually keep up with this kind of speed? And that kid, what kind of monstrous strength is that?
"Naruto-kun!"
Unable to break through for a long time, Hinatasuddenly shouted; she didn't want to be on the defensive anymore. She remembered last night's oath and her wish to stand side-by-side with him.
Her footwork changed.
She no longer defended in place but charged forward actively like flowing water.
[Detected host's strong desire for victory. Reward issued: Gentle Fist Art: Yin-Yang Harmony(Painless Point Striking).]
Hinata's figure became blurred as she actively charged into Naruto's defensive circle, her slender fingers piercing forward like the sharpest spears.
Naruto's eyes lit up.
[Nice! As expected of my wife, catching the opening so quickly? But for my Fishnet Outfit, I can't lose either!]
"Ninja Art: Uzumaki Style: Grappling Hand!"
Naruto roared in his heart as his hands lunged out like snakes, attempting to seize Hinata's wrists.
The two instantly entered the most perilous close-quarters combat.
Their breath and bodies collided.
Just then, an accident happened.
Naruto's speed was too high, and Hinata's momentum was too fierce. At the moment Narutosuccessfully seized both of Hinata's wrists, a piece of the ground beneath his feet shattered because of the previous cracks.
"Oops!"
Both lost their balance simultaneously.
Under the influence of inertia, they were like two colliding meteors, rolling to the ground entangled.
To avoid crushing Hinata, Naruto instinctively twisted his waist to let himself fall underneath as a cushion. And because her wrists were seized, Hinata uncontrollably lunged forward.
Thud.
After a dull sound, the whole world went quiet.
The dust in the center of the field cleared.
Uzumaki Naruto lay sprawled in the rubble pit. And the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan was straddling his waist; although her hands were restrained, her cheek was buried just below Naruto's collarbone.
What was even more critical was that because of the massive impact, their posture was extremely ambiguous, pressed together without a single gap.
"..."
There was a dead silence in the entire arena. A vein popped on the corner of Hyuga Hiashi's eye.
"Cough..."
Naruto lay on the ground, looking at the white clouds drifting in the sky, feeling the softness and weight on him that made his very soul tremble. The young girl's body fragrance, produced by the intense exercise, mixed with the heat and frantically invaded his nose.
He had won the tactic and seized her wrists.
But...
[This damn touch... this suffocating happiness... is this the so-called "Crash of Love"?]
Naruto gave a long, intoxicated sigh in his heart.
[If this counts as losing, then I'm willing to lose for a lifetime. But no, a man said he'd win... but if I push her away now, I'll probably be hacked to death on the spot by that Hyuga uncle, right?]
[Besides, my health bar really seems to be empty... not because of injury, but because I'm too excited and my brain is deprived of oxygen...]
Just as Shiranui Genma spat out the senbon in his mouth, hesitating on how to make the ruling.
Naruto, lying on the ground, suddenly had a series of violent convulsions.
"Ah... such powerful... inner strength..."
He rolled his eyes extremely exaggeratedly, but his hands very reluctantly released Hinata's wrists and sprawled on the ground.
"This move... is too strong. I, Uzumaki Naruto... admit defeat..."
After saying that, his head tilted, his tongue lolled out, and he "fainted" on the spot. Yet, a smile that looked peaceful no matter how you viewed it hung on the corner of his mouth.
Hinata, who was lying on him, suddenly looked up, her face as red as a ripe tomato, with steam almost rising from it. She could feel that this rascal beneath her clearly had a heart beating louder than a drum and Chakra so active he could kill an ox, yet he was pretending to be dead!
"Na... Naruto-kun..."
She was so ashamed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into, but a feeling even happier than winning the match surged in her heart.
This guy, he's clearly so powerful... he clearly could have thrown her out just now if he wanted to...
In a corner of the stands.
Temari's mouth twitched: "...What is this? A special Konoha tactic? Is this the legendary 'Death by Happiness'?"
Shiranui Genma looked at this scene speechlessly; this was definitely not a serious match, this was just a public display of affection! He sighed and helplessly raised his hand:
"First round, the winner... Hyuga Hinata."
Hearing the declaration, Hinata didn't rush to get up. She looked down at the still "unconscious" Naruto; although tens of thousands of people were watching, and although her father was certainly furious.
She still gathered her courage and, using the movement of getting up, leaned into Naruto's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, shyly but seriously:
"...Tonight, come to the area below my balcony. That... outfit, I will have it ready."
Naruto, who had been "dead as a doornail," instantly had two plumes of white steam shoot out of his nose like a train.