Chapter 64: Knocked Out Again by Konoha Friendship
After several matches, it was finally time for the last one of the day.
Hyūga Neji vs. Uzumaki Naruto.
What should have been a match where Naruto erupted, defeated Neji, and finished things off with a classic dose of talk-no-jutsu instead unfolded in a completely different way.
"I will definitely win! Even as the dead last!"
Naruto entered the arena with a determined expression, clenching his fist at Neji.
"I believe you."
"…Huh?"
Naruto's resolute expression instantly collapsed.
"I said I believe you. As long as you give it everything you've got, you can definitely defeat me. However…"
"Uzumaki Naruto, with strength like yours, calling yourself 'dead last' is a bit much, don't you think? What about all the other ninjas? What about Kiba, whom you defeated?"
Neji spoke calmly as he conversed with Naruto.
"Y-you're saying I'm not dead last? You're acknowledging my strength?"
Naruto pointed at himself, his face full of disbelief.
"Yes. That's right."
Neji recalled what had happened earlier in the stands before the match.
Hanabi had asked Shiromo who would win between Neji and Naruto.
Shiromo had said Naruto had a higher chance of winning, unless Neji could seal Naruto's "external plug-in."
As for how to do that, the method was simple: just keep praising him. Agree with everything he says.
Shiromo had even given Hanabi several examples.
Hanabi was skeptical, so she asked Neji to try it out.
Hanabi was still a main-family lady at the time, and Neji had just undergone a change himself, so he naturally agreed.
"I, I won't lose! I'll definitely become Hokage!"
Naruto continued, but this time the confidence in the first half of his sentence was noticeably weaker.
"I believe you, Naruto."
"…You even believe that?"
Naruto was completely dumbfounded.
Wait, what was going on?
This attitude was wrong. Very wrong.
Even Iruka-sensei usually just encouraged him to work hard. Everyone else mostly mocked him.
But this guy was straight-up believing in him?
Naruto was confused, but he didn't think too deeply about it.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Temari, who had warned Gaara to watch his backside earlier, made a round, and came back, saw this scene and felt her heart race with fear.
There was something seriously wrong with this Hyūga guy!
Earlier, when dealing with his own clan's younger sister, he'd been merciless at first, every move aimed at vital points. Even when he later held back, he still crushed her as quickly as possible.
But now, facing Uzumaki Naruto, every sentence was gentle and affirming.
Damn it, don't tell me this guy sees his sister as a romantic rival for Naruto?!
"Naruto, do you know? The First Hokage and the Second Hokage hadn't even become genin by the time they were thirty."
"Naruto, don't be discouraged by temporary setbacks. You will definitely become Hokage. I believe in you!"
Neji continued recalling what Shiromo had told Hanabi and encouraged Naruto accordingly.
"Huh? What kind of wild historical rumor is this?"
Kankurō was completely baffled.
Even without knowing much ninja history, he knew the First and Second Hokage were geniuses. How could they possibly still not be genin at thirty? That was way too outrageous.
"Are you an idiot?"
Temari shot her stupid brother a look.
"During the written exam, did you just copy without reading? The First Hokage founded the village at thirty. The Second Hokage perfected the village system after that, establishing the genin–chūnin–jōnin promotion system, the ninja academy, and the Chūnin Exams."
"In other words, before Konoha was founded, there was no such thing as 'genin.' Of course they weren't genin at thirty."
"…."
That logic actually worked?
"Thank you, Neji! I didn't expect the First and Second Hokage to be just like me! I'm full of confidence now!"
Naruto was thrilled.
"Then what about the Third Grandpa? Was he a genin at thirty?"
Naruto asked cheerfully.
"The Third Hokage was already Hokage at thirty."
"Oh. The Third Grandpa was a genius… then what about the Fourth? Was he Hokage at thirty too?"
"..."
Neji didn't answer.
Where was the Fourth supposed to get thirty years from?
He'd been dead for how many years already?
"What you did to Hinata just now, "
"If you want revenge for Hinata, then come. I won't resist. That was indeed my fault."
"..."
"And what's going on with Thick Eyebrows?"
"Lee wants to preserve his true strength for protecting the village and those important to him. He doesn't want to foolishly throw everything away just for empty fame and pride."
"..."
This exchange completely wiped out Naruto's greatest advantage.
Once the fight truly began, Naruto quickly fell into a disadvantage.
When he subconsciously clenched his fists, trying to explode with power, he suddenly remembered Neji's words, and how Lee would rather lose a match than waste his strength meant to protect important people. In an instant, his resolve softened.
"Winner: Hyūga Neji!"
"Uzumaki Naruto, I'd like to be friends with you."
Neji stepped forward, extending his hand to pull Naruto up from the ground.
"Of course!"
It was the first time anyone had ever wanted to be friends with him. Naruto was overjoyed. He grabbed Neji's hand and ran toward his team.
"Sakura-chan! Sasuke! Look! This is my new friend, Neji!"
"New… friend."
Hearing those words, Temari shuddered once again.
Konoha friendship was seriously problematic!
All the matches for the day were over. Tomorrow will be the finals.
Which also meant Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan was finally about to begin.
On the way back, Shiromo suddenly thought of something.
Because of his interference, Rock Lee had temporarily avoided being half-paralyzed, but that didn't mean he could avoid it completely.
After all, once the Konoha Crush Plan began and Gaara truly became an enemy, wouldn't Lee perfectly meet the conditions to open the Eight Gates in order to protect someone important?
But Shiromo only thought about it briefly.
At the time, it had just been an offhand reminder to Guy.
Compared to Might Guy, or even Might Duy, Rock Lee still fell far short.
Not in talent, but in spirit.
During the Boruto era, many veteran ninja had been "nerfed" by time.
The most commonly mentioned were Naruto and Sasuke.
But in truth, the one hit hardest was Rock Lee.
After just two years of peace, Shikamaru couldn't even throw kunai accurately anymore because of office work.
Other ninja growing rusty due to peace and lack of training was understandable.
But Rock Lee shouldn't have been one of them.
Didn't he have self-restraint? Didn't he train endlessly every day, constantly pushing himself forward?
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, he had been the green leaf protected by Guy.
By the Boruto era, when the Ōtsutsuki clan, who required taijutsu to fight, started appearing, everyone thought Rock Lee would finally shine.
Yet he didn't even get a single scene.
Even fighting his own son, even with holding back, he shouldn't have been kicked away with one blow, right?
The facts proved that during later invasions, Rock Lee didn't participate even once.
Don't say Lee wasn't qualified to fight.
The other four Kage, even Chōjūrō, who should've left the group chat long ago, could still go up and throw a few punches.
—
"Dad, I want to ask… this book, and the one before it, were they really written by Kakashi-sensei?"
At the Nara household, while Shikamaru was playing shogi with his father Shikaku, he pulled out the unreleased book Shiromo had given him. Shikaku's eyes widened the moment he saw it, and he snatched it away.
Though shocked, he lowered his voice as he spoke.
As if afraid someone might hear.
"Of course Kakashi wrote it. In the previous book, Buff Man Paradise, didn't the Raikage, cough, Lei Ai, get something transplanted?"
"That was Kakashi's personal experience, continuing to live on with a companion's organ. I even asked him, and he admitted it himself."
As he spoke, Shikaku quietly slid the book behind his back and hid it near his backside.
(End of this chapter)