After several matches, it was time for the final one of the day.
Hyuga Neji vs. Uzumaki Naruto.
What should have been Naruto's explosive victory over Neji, complete with his signature Talk-No-Jutsu finale, unfolded completely differently.
"I will definitely win!" Naruto shouted. "Even as a dead-last, I'll show you my ninja way!"
"I believe in you," Neji said softly.
"...HUH?"
Naruto's resolute expression instantly collapsed.
He blinked. "What?"
"I said I believe in you," Neji repeated, his voice gentle. "If you give it your all, you can definitely defeat me. I have no doubt about it."
"However..." Neji tilted his head. "Uzumaki Naruto, with your current strength, calling yourself a 'dead-last' is a bit excessive, don't you think? What about the other ninjas? What about Kiba, whom you defeated?"
"You... you're saying I'm not a dead-last?" Naruto pointed at himself, his face full of disbelief. "You acknowledge my strength?"
"Yes, that's right," Neji nodded.
...
Neji recalled what happened before the match when he was in the spectator stands.
Hanabi asked Makoto who would win between Neji and Naruto.
Makoto said Naruto had a higher chance of winning, unless Neji could seal Naruto's "cheat ability."
The method? Kill him with kindness.
Keep praising him.
Agree with everything.
Deny him the fuel for his rage.
Hanabi expressed doubt, so she hoped Neji would give it a try.
Since Hanabi was still the young lady of the Main House, and Neji had recently undergone changes, he naturally agreed.
...
Naruto was completely baffled.
'Wait, what's going on?'
This guy was weird as hell.
Even Iruka-sensei only encouraged him to "work hard."
Others mocked him.
How could this Hyuga genius just believe in him outright? Where was the insults?
Naruto was confused, but he didn't dwell on it.
...
Meanwhile, in the spectator stands.
Temari—who had warned Gaara to watch his back before circling around to watch the final match—witnessed the scene and felt a chill run down her spine.
There's something wrong with this Hyuga guy!
Earlier, when facing his own cousin, he started with a ruthless combo, every strike aimed at vital points. Later, although he held back, he still defeated her as quickly as possible.
But now? Facing Uzumaki Naruto? Every word of him was gentle, affirming and soft.
'Damn,' Temari thought, horror dawning on her. 'Could it be that this guy sees his cousin as a love rival? The fuck is wrong with this village?! Are all the man are gay or something??
"Naruto, did you know?" Neji continued, reciting Makoto's script. "The First Hokage and Second Hokage weren't even Genin by the age of thirty."
"Naruto, don't be discouraged by temporary setbacks. You will definitely become Hokage. I believe in you!"
"Huh?" Kankuro, sitting next to Temari, frowned. "Where did this wild history come from?"
Even with his limited knowledge, Kankuro knew the First and Second Hokage were gods of shinobi.
How could they not be Genin by thirty? That was ridiculous.
"Are you an idiot?" Temari slapped the back of his head. "Did you just copy answers during the written exam without reading the history books?"
"The First Hokage established the hidden villages at thirty and the Second Hokage created the rank system—Genin, Chunin, Jonin and even establish ninja academy system. Meaning, before the village was founded, the rank of 'Genin' didn't exist. So technically, they weren't Genin at thirty!"
"..."
"Thank you, Neji!" Naruto wiped a tear from his eye. "I never knew the First and Second Hokage were late bloomers like me! I'm filled with confidence now!"
"What about Grandpa Third?" Naruto asked excitedly. "Was he a Genin at thirty?"
"The Third Hokage was already Hokage by thirty," Neji corrected gently.
"Oh... Grandpa Third was a genius then... What about the Fourth? Was he Hokage at thirty too?"
"..."
Neji didn't respond.
How could the Fourth reach thirty? He died young.
"Earlier, regarding Hinata..." Naruto tried to bring up the grudge.
"If you want to seek revenge for Lady Hinata," Neji interrupted, bowing his head, "then come at me. I won't resist. That was indeed my fault."
"..."
Naruto lowered his fist.
He couldn't punch a guy who was apologizing.
"What's with Bushy Brows?" Naruto asked, pointing at Lee. "Why did he forfeit?"
"Lee wants to preserve his true strength for protecting the village and people important to hjim," Neji explained. "Not foolishly sacrificing everything for empty fame and vanity in a tournament. That is true strength."
"..."
This conversation directly stripped away Naruto's greatest advantage: Righteous Indignation.
After the two officially began fighting, Naruto quickly fell into a disadvantage.
Neji was faster, stronger, and more skilled.
Usually, when Naruto was losing, he would get angry and he would tap into the Nine-Tails' chakra through rage.
But every time he clenched his fists, ready to erupt, he remembered Neji's kind words.
He remembered that Neji believed in him.
Naruto fought with just his base skills and against a genius like Neji... that wasn't enough.
THUD.
Neji tapped his final tenketsu point and Naruto collapsed.
"Winner: Hyuga Neji!"
The crowd cheered politely.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Neji stepped forward, extending a hand to help up the fallen boy. "I want to be friends with you."
"Of course!"
Naruto grabbed Neji's hand, grinning ear to ear.
This was the first time someone had actively asked to be his friend!
He pulled Neji toward the railing.
"Sakura-chan! Sasuke! Look! This is my new friend Neji!"
"New... friend."
Hearing these words, Temari shuddered again in the stands.
Konoha friendship truly has serious problems! It's a den of debauchery here!
...
Today's matches concluded, with the finals scheduled for tomorrow.
Which meant Orochimaru's Leaf Destruction Plan was finally approaching.
On the way back to the hotel, Makoto walked through the twilight streets and he thought about Rock Lee.
Because of his influence, Lee had avoided the spinal injury from Gaara's Sand Coffin.
He wasn't paralyzed.
But that didn't guarantee safety.
Once the invasion started, and Gaara went berserk... wouldn't Lee perfectly meet the conditions to open the Eight Gates? "Protecting important people"?
'Well,' Makoto shrugged. 'I did my part. The rest is up to fate.'
He thought about the future.
In the Boruto era, many old ninjas were "nerfed" by peace. Naruto and Sasuke got weaker.
Shikamaru forgot how to aim a kunai.
But the one who was nerfed the most was Rock Lee.
He was supposed to be the guy who "trained endlessly." He had no bloodline limits to rely on, just hard work.
Peace shouldn't make him rusty.
Yet in the Otsutsuki fights—where Taijutsu was the only thing that worked—Rock Lee was invisible.
Even Chojuro (the weakest Mizukage ever) fought.
But Lee? Nothing.
It was kinda tragic.
...
Nara Household.
"Dad," Shikamaru asked, holding up a book. "I want to ask—is this book, and its predecessor, really written by Kakashi?"
"NANIIIIIIIIIIII?!"
Shikaku Nara, who was lazily playing shogi, nearly flipped the board.
His eyes widened in shock.
"Where did you get this?!"
He snatched the book from Shikamaru's hands. He glanced around the room, terrified that his wife Yoshino might walk in.
"...Of course it was written by Kakashi," Shikaku whispered, leaning in. "In the previous book Vigorous Paradise, didn't the protagonist... ahem, undergo a transplant?"
"That was Kakashi's personal experience," Shikaku nodded sagely. "Continuing to live with a comrade's organ. It's a metaphor. I asked him about it at the bar, and he admitted it himself."
As he spoke, Shikaku quietly slipped the book under his butt, sitting on it to hide it.
"Why do you have this? Did you read it?"
"A friend gave it to me," Shikamaru shrugged. "Said it would help me understand women."
"Understand women?" Shikaku scoffed. "Son, if a book could help you understand women, I wouldn't be hiding this under my ass right now."