Chapter 63: There's a Traitor Inside Konoha
The defeated Hinata was helped back to the stands by Yūhi Kurenai.
Because Neji had held back, she hadn't suffered any serious injuries.
Neji followed shortly after as well.
"This is great, Neji! You've finally gotten over it! This is youth!"
Might Guy was deeply moved that Neji had resolved his conflict with the main family.
"Hinata, you performed well today."
Hiashi walked over and praised Hinata, then turned to Neji, whose expression was tense.
"Neji, when we return, I will give you your father's suicide note. I hope you will strive forward as the head of the branch family, and in the future, together with Hinata, protect the honor of the Hyūga clan."
"Ah?"
Neji hadn't expected that instead of the pain of the Caged Bird Seal, he would hear words like these from Hiashi.
"Clan Head… does that mean what Hanabi-sama said is true? She really is going to…?"
Neji's gaze shifted to Hanabi behind Hiashi, who was chatting happily with Shiromo.
"Yes. That's right. Everything Hanabi told you is true."
Hiashi nodded.
"So it's really true…"
Neji's eyes turned to Shiromo.
This was the enemy of the Hyūga clan, the one who wanted to take Hanabi away, right?
But… Why did Hanabi not seem to hate him at all?
"Hm?"
As Neji was thinking, he suddenly saw Shiromo stop chatting with Hanabi, walk past him, and head toward Hinata, who was resting beside Kurenai.
"What are you trying to do?"
Hiashi flashed forward, blocking Shiromo's path.
Could it be that after seeing Hinata's change, he'd set his sights on her instead?
Neji was a step slower, but also moved to block Shiromo.
"For Hanabi's sake, I'm giving her a reminder."
"A reminder?"
Seeing that Shiromo didn't have ill intentions, Hiashi stepped aside, though he still looked puzzled.
"This reminder actually applies to most people."
"When you hear Uzumaki Naruto's passionate encouragement, his declarations of never giving up, don't let your blood rush to your head."
"He's a jinchūriki. He can draw power from emotional outbursts. He can erupt with chakra. Can you?"
"If you don't have a bloodline limit that lets you power up through emotions, then you should honestly evaluate your own strength and calmly handle every battle."
"Otherwise, the final result will just be impotent rage, followed by defeat, or death."
He encouraged Hinata just now because he doesn't understand others. He only understands himself.
To put it bluntly, it's path dependence.
He discovered that he could explode with power through sheer conviction, so he assumes others can too.
"Oh, right, and there's also his Uzumaki physique, combined with the Nine-Tails' terrifying recovery ability. None of that is something ordinary people can compare to."
"Hinata, what he says is right. In that situation just now, if not for Hanabi…"
Hiashi strongly agreed with Shiromo.
If Hanabi hadn't passed on Shiromo's words and verbally cornered Neji, then unless Hiashi had personally interfered by activating the Caged Bird Seal to disrupt the match, Hinata would certainly have been beaten half to death.
As the future heir of the Hyūga clan, she truly needed to maintain a habit of calm thinking, rather than getting hot-headed like Uzumaki Naruto at every turn.
Still… How did Shiromo, an outsider, know so much about the Nine-Tails jinchūriki?
"What's a jinchūriki?"
"What a jinchūriki is isn't important. Big brother, I think what you said is wrong. Naruto's way is the true way of youth. We should…"
"Next match: Rock Lee versus Gaara! Competitors, enter the arena!"
Rock Lee was in the middle of refuting Shiromo's viewpoint when the referee suddenly called his name.
"Big brother, sorry. Let's talk about youth after my match!"
After bowing apologetically to Shiromo, Lee leapt into the arena.
"Heh… who wants to talk about youth with you…"
Shiromo's mouth twitched.
Way too friendly.
—
Rock Lee vs. Gaara was truly the most exciting battle of the Chūnin Exams, for the audience that day.
Eight Gates versus the Demon Jinchūriki's Absolute Defense.
Both Gaara and Rock Lee were here to absolutely crush weaker opponents.
The same kind of setup, in the future, would be Might Guy versus Six Paths Madara.
Only this time, unlike the original story, this match might be stopped midway.
After removing his weights, Lee used blinding speed to challenge Gaara's automatic sand defense. Even after using the Primary Lotus, he still couldn't defeat Gaara. He looked up toward Might Guy in the stands.
Just as Guy was about to give a thumbs-up and agree to Lee opening more gates, a voice sounded beside him.
"Are you really going to let him keep using the Eight Gates?"
"I know one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. I heard that their previous generation was kicked so badly by a green-skinned uncle that only the 'Lucky Trio' were left."
"That uncle was shouting things like 'self-restraint' and 'swearing to protect what matters most.'"
"Seems like those were just rumors."
Shiromo's calm words crashed into Might Guy's mind like a thousand-pound hammer.
Self-restraint. Swearing to protect what matters most.
Those were the very words his father, Might Duy, had told him.
He had once asked his father why, despite mastering the Eight Gates, he was content to remain a humble genin.
His father told him that true victory wasn't defeating the strong, but using that power to protect the people most important to you.
Lee was young, forgetting for a moment was understandable.
But he himself had almost gotten hot-headed and forgotten as well!
"Yah!"
Down below, Rock Lee, still waiting for Guy's response, was suddenly kicked flying by Guy leaping into the arena.
"Guy-sensei?"
Lee covered his face and climbed up from the ground in confusion.
Across from him, Gaara was equally baffled.
What were those two, one big, one small, even doing?
"Lee! I know you want to defeat Sasuke, defeat Neji, and prove that a loser can surpass geniuses! But the Eight Gates are not meant to be used like this! Self-restraint.."
Guy punched Lee once, then burst into tears.
"Self-restraint…"
Lee remembered. He hugged Guy tightly, and the two of them began to cry together.
"I'm sorry, Guy-sensei! I forgot! I shouldn't break my self-restraint just for the sake of winning a match! Today, I'll go back and run three thousand laps around Konoha!"
"Winner: Gaara."
When the referee announced the end of the match, the audience was utterly stunned. Some even began cursing Rock Lee and Might Guy for stopping the fight.
But in response to those curses, the two flashed brilliant white smiles and gave the stands a thumbs-up.
"Thank you for your support!!!"
Compared to the confused spectators, Hyūga Hiashi, who had been sitting nearby and witnessed everything, was utterly terrified.
What exactly was Might Guy's "self-restraint"?
Even as a fellow Konoha ninja, he didn't know. Judging by everyone else's expressions, aside from Guy's close friend Kakashi, no one else knew either.
So how did Shiromo, an outsider, know?
Combined with how Shiromo had known about Hizashi's suicide note, and about the Nine-Tails jinchūriki…
Damn it!
Could there really be a traitor inside the village?!
"What's 'self-restraint'? Is it related to the Strong Fist?"
Hanabi tugged on Shiromo's clothes, her face full of curiosity.
What kind of thing was it, that one sentence could make Might Guy abandon the match?
Was it the core principle of Strong Fist training?
Hanabi was just thinking about how to achieve the "hardness and softness together" Shiromo had mentioned earlier.
"Kids shouldn't ask. This is something you can only use after putting on their special green skintight outfit."
"Huh?! Then I don't want to know!"
Hanabi glanced at the two who had returned to the stands and immediately covered her ears.
It might be rude, but those green bodysuits were really, really ugly.
(End of this chapter)