After Rock Lee returned to his group, his friends showered him with congratulations.
Neji, his closest rival and teammate, stepped forward with a look of genuine admiration in his eyes. His words struck Lee like no other: "That was an incredible fight."
"Neji… you really think so?!" he asked with a shaky voice.
Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he took in the compliment. It was a moment he had longed for, knowing that rivaling Neji fueled his determination to improve. In their moment as competitors, this was the first time he felt acknowledged for his growth through their challenges.
When Arthur saw this, he remembered why this was.
Lee never fought Gaara in the Chūnin Exams like before. Because of that, the former was never able to activate the Eight Gates and shock Neji.
"Of course," Neji confirmed, crossing his arms in his typically composed manner. "You've improved a lot since the last time we fought. I'm impressed."
Lee couldn't hold back his emotions any longer and broke into a wide smile. He felt buoyed by his teammate's sincere words. It was almost too much for him, and he blinked rapidly to fight back the tears.
In that heartfelt moment, Jada became just as happy. She, and the others, had a goal: to correct the faults within this world. Seeing Neji and Lee genuinely care for one another was a sign things were headed their direction.
William draped an arm around Neji's shoulders and laughed heartily. "Look at you getting all sentimental! Who knew the great Neji from the Hyūga clan would actually give compliments?"
"Will!" Margaret scolded. Her tone was mock-serious, but there was laughter in her eyes. "Stop ruining this touching moment, ya idiot!"
The group chuckled together, easing the tension from the match. It was a blissful moment, and Lee cherished it. Now their bonds as friends felt stronger than ever.
Just then, the announcer took to the center stage, bringing back a sense of excitement.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Let's direct your attention to the screen for the results!"
The crowd hushed as the screen transitioned to the next fighters: "Naruto Uzumaki vs. Karui!"
A murmur spread through the audience in recognition as people recalled Naruto's earlier behaviour.
"Isn't that the loud kid in Group 10?"
"Yeah, I think it is. I hope he doesn't wet his pants. Haha!"
This matchup was quite ironic. At least to those from earth. That was because these two had technically fought before. Karui, in her blind fury three years from now, had struck Naruto repeatedly, leaving unsettling bruises on his face.
Now in this timeline, over in the stands, Naruto leaned over to his friends and declared, "Alright, guys! I'll be counting on your support!"
His cheerfulness endeared them right away.
"You go, Naruto!" shouted Lee with high spirits.
"Knock her out of the park!" Margaret yelled, pumping her fist.
"You got this, Naruto," Iruka encouraged.
"There's not a doubt in me that you'll win," Neji reminded him.
They all put in their heartening sentiments, believing that Naruto actually would come out as the victory.
That's when something donned on Jada: Naruto wasn't the same character; he had supporters and friends who were constantly shaping him to be more likeable and mature, among others—all without breaking who the boy truly was inside.
Over in the other group, Karui was seen stretching a little. She looked no different than her Shippuden counterpart—only younger: dark skin and amber eyes, wearing a sleeveless dark dress cinched at the waist with a white obi.
The absence of her forehead protector really made her spiky red hair, which was neatly combed back, look ferocious. She also wore dangling earrings, despite knowing that jewelry only got in the way when being a kunoichi.
From what Arthur remembered of her, she was headstrong and had a sharp tongue, often clashing with her teammate Omoi in lighthearted banters.
In the years to follow, she was stated to have married Chōji Akimichi. Most fans, while silent about the pairing, weren't content. That was mainly because that was the reason behind Neji's death—so Chōji would have someone to marry.
While controversial, something like that wasn't worth noting since Arthur had killed Chōji back in the Forest of Death.
"Hey, Karui! You ready for this?" Atsui grinned.
"Yeah, I guess," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
Darui, arms crossed, offered some words of encouragement: "You're tough. Remember, this isn't your first rodeo in a tournament."
Samui looked at her and said firmly, "You've got the skills, Karui. Just stay focused. Trust in yourself like always."
"I may have lost," Omoi beamed, "but show everyone what the Cloud Village is made of."
"Right!" she exclaimed. "I won't lose!"
"Will the participants please enter the stage?" the announcer begged.
As the two fighters met in the center of the arena, Karui eyed Naruto with wariness and skepticism. "I didn't expect to be going against the loudest fighter here."
Naruto just smiled as he adjusted the headband around his forehead. "That's because my ninja way is to never give up." His tone alone was enough to show how much determination he was bristling with. "Believe it!"
Karui's expression hardened slightly as she tried to process where his confidence was coming from.
In that moment, something twisted in her gut. This wasn't just bravado; it felt as if his very words were aiming to inspire something within her.
That was the danger of the one and only Naruto Uzumaki: the way he reached into the core of someone's heart and stirred up their emotions with just a few sentences.
That was his talk-no-jutsu.
"Are the two of you ready?" the announcer asked.
"Just one second," Naruto said, removing his jacket and pants.
A collective gasp filled the audience, especially among the females seated in the stands, who instinctively covered their eyes, unsure of what he was doing. Yet when the fabric fell away, the laughs turned into cheers as they beheld that Naruto was clad in the same green jumpsuit Rock Lee was wearing.
"Are… are those two that close?" one spectator murmured.
"Couldn't tell ya," another responded, "but if he fights just as well as that last guy, this was worth the money."
Karui's face tightened as she observed Naruto's outfit. She simply couldn't identify what kind of fighter he was. Lee had defeated Omoi, and if Naruto dressed like Lee, surely he must possess a fraction of that strength—if not more.
So she prepared herself mentally for what was to come.
As the announcer raised his arm, the thrill became evident. "And begin!"
Naruto charged toward Karui. Though not as fast as Lee, he made up for it with his explosiveness.
Swish!
Karui had quickly sidestepped. Then bang! A kick connected at Naruto's side.
He managed to absorb the blow, rolling to maintain his balance. "Not bad!" he grinned with an unmistakable expression that said he was just getting started. "But don't underestimate..." then he regained a sharper footing, "The Green Beast!"
The two fighters soon exchanged blow after blow as they danced around each other.
Naruto continued to push forward, striking with calmness, while Karui fended him off with speed and clever counters.
The crowd watched in rapt attention, cheering loudly for each display of skill. Their expectations of the boy had turned from contempt to pure admiration. Just watching him kept them on the edge of their seats.
Arthur casually observed the fight with a bemused expression. He had faced Naruto before. Seeing the boy now only brought him more disappointment.
'He hasn't really changed much,' he mentally noted.
Arthur had expected more from someone who was being raised by so many powerful ninjas. Specifically those who knew his story.
Back in the arena, the intensity of the match escalated.
Karui, with a face steeled in concentration, was losing pace against Naruto's persistence. Her earlier confidence suddenly wavered as Naruto's fists launched in the air, landing several solid hits on her guard.
Bang-bang!
The crowd erupted in cheers yet again. This time rallying behind Naruto's spirit.
"Keep it up! Go, Naruto!" yelled Lee.
"Ya got her on her toes!" Margaret continued.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" cried William.
Their excitement was contagious as they bounced slightly on the balls of their feet. But above them all, the most impressed was Iruka. He was technically Naruto's first friend, having spent time treating him out to ramen and such. Seeing how much his student had grown moved his heart.
Karui retaliated and forced the momentum to shift back in her favour. "You think you can take me on so easily?" Almost immediately, she executed a series of attacks that managed to knock Naruto back.
But Naruto was not one to go down so easily; he rolled back to his feet and charged forward with a battle cry. "Take this!"
As the match progressed, it became a nail-biting stalemate of feints and parries. The audience roared for both warriors as their admiration soared.
Things were becoming a contest of wills.
Karui's breath grew laboured, and she began to feel the weight of her exertion. Each attack began to feel heavier, and with every swing, Naruto's relentless pressure made it harder for her to maintain composure.
No matter how many hits she landed on him, he wasn't ever going down!
"Is she tiring out?" Neji remarked.
The Hyūga looked at Margaret, whose eyes gleamed with the same thrill that had captured everyone else in the arena.
"Yes! It looks like it!" she cheered, her nails digging into William's arm.
"Ow, Marge, that hurts!"
Naruto seized the opportunity to launch another attack. She attempted to brace herself with a defensive stance, but his superior strength shattered her resolve.
He cried out, "With my friends by my side…" And with a final push, he slammed a fist against her side, causing her to stagger back and the wind to escape from her lungs as she landed on the ground. "I'd never lose to you!"
The referee rushed in, and when he noticed Karui still on the ground, he signaled the end.
"And the winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"
The crowd raged into applause. Karui lay there as a smile crept across her face. She had lost, but she couldn't help being in approbation.
Cheers continued to erupt around the area: "Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto!"
With his chest heaving, the boy stood tall, raising an arm to solidify his victory. And if there was anything anyone understood, it was that this ninja defined what it meant to be the main character.
"Nice job, Naruto!" William shouted, already rushing to the front of the stands to meet him.
Naruto brought his arms to his head and laughed in excitement while trying to acknowledge the various cheers.
"Haha. I couldn't have done it without all of you supporting me—thank you, everyone!"
Now both Lee and Naruto had advanced to round two.
But what did Arthur think about this? Or rather, what did he honestly think of this new, more improved Naruto?
There was nothing to think about. Arthur had read almost everything about the boy and understood his personality quite well. It was that very reason that he didn't find any sense or empathy for the boy.
Arthur reminded himself of this one thing: he would never fall prey to Naruto's words.