The crowd continued to watch in awe as the match changed into a wonderful display of combat perfection.
Lars lunged into the air, and his body coiled like a spring. Arthur knew what this was: the Dynamic Entry technique. So he reached up and caught Lars' foot mid-kick, then used the momentum against him and spun him around.
Lars didn't hesitate to plant a hand on the ground before kicking Arthur's wrist to free himself.
After he landed, Arthur flexed his fingers.
He was impressed, considering that he knew little about how Lars fought.
"That was Guy-sensei's technique!" Lee yelled in disbelief.
William was not at all surprised, having only just remembered that Lars could do that too.
Suddenly, an electric energy crackled around Lars, making his hair stand on end. Arthur could tell what Lars was thinking by looking into his eyes: the time had come to tap into his full potential.
Purple electricity surged across his body as the ground nearly quaked.
'So he's going for the 10-hit combo now,' Arthur breathed. 'Very well... Seven heavenly breaths: first activation…'
As Lars charged forward, his fists crackled with electricity. Arthur matched his speed, trying to maintain composure. Then, boom! The two clashed hard enough to rattle the very foundation of the arena.
Arthur dodged Lars' first punch, but the instant he did, electricity pillared off the ground and trapped him like a caged beast. He quickly sidestepped the second punch, then the third, followed by the fourth and fifth punches.
Though the first five blows missed, Lars amped up the intensity, causing dust to kick up.
"I can't see a thing, mommy!"
From within, a sixth punch was dodged in the nick of time. But when the seventh punch shot out, it landed right on Arthur's shoulder, sending a jolt of electricity that made him stagger.
"This is the end!" Lars declared.
Boom-boom-boom!
All three final punches bore down Arthur, causing a gush of lightning to spread across the stage.
When it cleared, the crowd gasped. Arthur was down.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Lars is the win—"
Before the announcer could finish, Arthur's body suddenly turned into a pile of rubble. Lars furrowed his brows. He looked, only to see his opponent crawling out of the ground.
The officials were awestruck.
While yes, it was illegal to step out of the ring, Arthur was in bounds so long as he was still in the ring. Even if that meant hiding above the surface. And if they were going to get technical, Lars' last attack almost broke one of the rules for being too destructive.
Arthur brushed the dust and debris from his shoulder. "That last hit might have killed me had I not substituted in time."
"I wanted to see if you could withstand it…"
"And?"
"And it seems as if you have."
Many thought Lars meant that last attack when he said 'it'. In truth, he was referring to his might.
Throughout all of their exchanges, he had been testing Arthur. The same couldn't be said for his opponent, for Arthur was using as much force as he could so as not to be overwhelmed.
Was Lars that much stronger? Indeed.
From the moment Arthur removed his blindfold, he had also activated his Crimson Gaze. No one, save someone like Mei and Lars, could see the red glow emanating from his eyes.
He could have always used his other Kekkei Genkai, but showing off either his ice style or smoke style was a terrible idea. Especially when group ten was watching.
Either way, Lars was a force to be reckoned with. Who's to say any of Arthur's tricks might have even worked?
After a moment, Arthur steadied himself to ask, "Tell me, Lars: why were you holding back this entire time?"
The audience held their breath. He was holding back?!
"Hmph…" Lars scoffed, closing his eyes with a smile. "So you've noticed."
"Leading a rebel army, you must know deep down that the world is too disordered for a single rebellion to uproot your legacy." Lars quickly opened his eyes; he was shocked. How did Arthur of all people know of his background? "How long do you plan to do this alone?"
"You..."
"Forget the outside for a moment, Lars, and join me."
"I have already been approached by stronger ninjas, so what would joining someone like you accomplish?"
Arthur's response was calm, yet he answered with authority: "If you continue where you're walking, can you truly claim victory? How many more lives will be lost for a cause that seems so… endless?" He then gestured toward the sea of faces watching them. "Your fight in this world—they matter. But where you're heading is too dark for even you to see."
The audience felt the weight of Arthur's words—and Jada, watching intently, found herself drawn.
Lars' expression briefly hardened, but slowly he began to contemplate Arthur's indirect proposal. "What are you suggesting, then?"
"I'm offering you a chance," Arthur replied, leaning in slightly, "to join my cause, a cause to reshape this world and bring about a change no one in it would believe possible."
For the second time, there was hesitation from Lars. "You saw what I've been through when you looked in my eyes, no? Are you asking me to abandon my beliefs?"
"Never!" Arthur passionately interjected, shaking his head. "I'm telling you to challenge it. No more fighting for scraps, but fighting for what dictates your own terms."
A tense silence followed. The crowd couldn't understand this level of philosophy? How could they when they also didn't understand Lars' reason for coming to this tournament?
He was searching for something, something that he hoped to find here. That thing was a reason for his existence.
When Arthur had looked into his eyes, he saw the loneliness, the inability to relate to anyone else. Such a man was desperate to understand the meaning of life, to know the answer as to why he was even in this world.
Arthur was inviting him to know the truth.
Every second that passed, Lars felt the walls he had built around himself begin to tremble.
"What about you?" he questioned. "You're not the only one who's entered my corner and misplaced my loyalty. So... so how can I trust you?"
"You can't..."
"Huh?!"
"I wear this blindfold because my eyes can deceive me. Why would I therefore trust anyone I can see?"
For another moment, the arena fell into an almost surreal silence until finally, something struck Lars' heart: Arthur would indefinitely show him the right way to life.
"Would you like to know how to gain what you're after?" Arthur pressed.
"How…?" both Lars and Jada asked.
"Follow me…"
As the weight of his words settled in, Lars closed his eyes, contemplating everything that had brought him to this moment. This invitation, this possibility that promised him change that others could not do.
Why wouldn't he at least entertain it?
When he finally opened his eyes, he admitted, "You are indeed a very interesting man." Then he turned around and began walking away. "So be it... Hoshikaze, I forfeit this match."
Gasps filled through the audience as astonished murmurs of disbelief spread all over the arena.
Lars continued walking with his eyes closed. He knew in his heart he would see Arthur again. Maybe it would take days, maybe months, maybe even years.
Either way, it was clear to anyone who understood him that he had spent far too long fighting battles without a real purpose. If he were to flee from that endless cycle, there was only one thing to do: follow the only person who could make his path straight.
But only after that person was ready to do so.
The announcer finally regained his composure and called out, "L—ladies and gentlemen, Hoshikaze is the winner!"
After a few more rounds of applause, Arthur calmly returned to his cell.
Lars was his now. No amount of talk-no-jutsu could change that. All he had to do was seek Lars out when the time was ripe.
For now, the tournament's last match of the semi-finals was underway.
"Get ready, folks!" boomed the announcer. "'Cause once the stage is cleared, the next match will be between Rock Lee and William Uzumaki!"
✟
Elsewhere.
Rain drizzled softly over the rooftops of a village. A woman was seen flying through the sky with wings made of paper.
It was Konan, a leader of the Akatsuki.
She maneuvered through the air against her village, cloaked in shades of blue and gray. When she finally landed atop a tower, the rush of wind faded into the steady patter of rain, allowing her to collect her thoughts.
She then gradually descended the dimly lit hallway that led to the command center of her operations.
As she approached the end of the corridor, one of her agents awaited. He straightened himself accordingly.
"What did you find?" she demanded.
"I've uncovered information from the Earth Country, Lightning Country, Wind Country, and Water Country, ma'am."
That many countries? Konan raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to continue.
The agent swallowed nervously. "All of the Tailed Beast hosts are still active, with one exception."
"Who?"
"Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, was unaccounted for."
"Is that all?"
"No, ma'am. We've located his Tailed Beast." He hesitated briefly before continuing. "It's... it's roaming freely in a restricted area within the Water Country's borders."
Konan was now extremely suspicious. "How did you manage to get inside?"
"It wasn't easy, ma'am. I had to infiltrate it, which took me several days. Being a former Mist ninja, I was shocked to see how secure the area was. There had to be more information than that. There's also an individual named John, who's set to succeed the current feudal lord soon. Rumour has it that—"
"I'm not interested in rumours," she said, cutting him off.
This silenced the agent as she began piecing together the threads of information.
At this current moment, only one Tailed Beast should be loose: the Three-Tails. Obito, under the guise of Madara, had manipulated events in the Mist Village to orchestrate that event.
What didn't sit right with her was this current event: the Six-Tails was out and about. That meant Utakata had to be dead. And if that were true, someone was hunting Tailed Beasts.
But before she could come to that conclusion, she had to ask, "Why hasn't the Water Country taken action regarding the Six-Tails?"
The agent shifted uncomfortably, hoping to provide clarity. "I asked myself the same thing, ma'am. But I couldn't find out. It's like the country's being complacent about it."
'So they're treating it like a pet,' she deduced. "Is there anything else to report?"
"Yes... The Five-Tails and Seven-Tails Jinchūriki had left their country for an event." He knew she'd ask which one he was referring to. "Something by the Land of Waves. I sought out the Eight-Tails, but I barely made it out of the Lightning Country because a white-haired shinobi ambushed me."
"Who was this shinobi?"
"I don't know, ma'am. He looked very young and had pale skin. I think he was from the Leaf."
"Hmm... Did you learn anything else of value?"
The agent shook his head.
"Thank you," she finally said. "You've done well." With a dismissive gesture, she sent him away. A person's presence heavily weighed on her thoughts. "Arthur Bennett..."
Much had transpired ever since reports emerged declaring his death. There had been nobody found nor any conclusive evidence that he died.
Konan had been trying to solve this case for a while now. Something that bothered her was why did they think he was pursuing the Nine-Tails' host? It didn't align with Arthur's past.
Utakata died, the Wave Country—who was allied with the Water Country—was hosting a grand tournament, and this all happened after a 'Mr. John' had been announced as the successor.
The more she pondered, the more troubling connections began to surface. The other Jinchūrikis had also been active lately, almost as if they were being hunted.
A cold chill ran down her spine; someone was indeed targeting them, but who? And for what purpose?
After exiting the area, she soon opened a door to an inner sanctum. The space beyond was illuminated intermittently by three lights on the ceiling.
As she stepped through, two figures were seated: Obito, wearing his swirling orange mask, and her leader, Nagato, who was using Pain's corpse.
"Konan," Obito greeted. "We weren't expecting you."
"I have important news," she announced.
"Do tell," came Pain's voice.
"Do you remember the rogue shinobi from the Leaf Village?" she paused, ensuring their full attention. "The one they reported dead? Arthur Bennett?"
"What about him?" Pain's interest piqued.
"He's alive…"
The End.