"You've so got this, Marge!" Jada shouted.
"Time to show them how legendary you are!" encouraged William.
Naruto grinned and said, "Yeah! I wanna see what you're always talking about when you're not reading those perverted magazines!"
The unexpected comment made her blush, and everyone who heard laughed. "How do you know about that?" She eyed William, who had a mischievous grin on his face.
After the shared laughter, her initial confidence returned as she moved toward the center of the arena.
"I like her hair," Mei commented. "It reminds me of mine." She then eyed the Raikage, believing that someone with her style wouldn't lose.
"Yes, well," he said, "looks can be deceiving."
Mei scoffed at the comment.
Below, Margaret eyed her opponent.
Samui looked just like she had remembered. She was written to be a skilled kunoichi. And unlike her overly impulsive teammates, as well as her hot-tempered younger brother, Atsui, she stood out due to her calmness.
She also tended to speak sparingly, preferring to reserve her words for moments of significance.
Last Margaret recalled from the original story, she had fought the Gold and Silver Brothers, who managed to seal her in the Crimson Gourd after capturing her word soul.
'She sure is pretty,' Margaret thought.
Samui had blue eyes and sported straight, shoulder-length blonde hair, characterized by an asymmetrical bob. All that simply complimented her curvaceous figure. Yet that didn't quite match her aloofness and serious facial expressions.
Arthur did not find her so attractive because of her revealing outfit: mesh armour that left her torso exposed and a short skirt paired with high boots.
A woman of modesty was more in his taste.
The others from earth couldn't tell if she was a Jōnin or Chūnin. Arthur, however, understood after her background check that she was currently a Chūnin.
In battle, she was mainly a kenjutsu expert, adeptly wielding a short sword, which was usually secured to her lower back for quick access. Even without it, she was still an intelligent fighter.
As she entered the ring, she narrowed her eyes at Margaret.
"I'll go easy on you, okay?" Margaret playfully declared.
Samui scowled, insulted. "You think I need you to take it light on me? I plan to win, whether you like it or not."
"Hey, I'm just saying I'm strong, too. Even stronger than your Kage!"
"Stronger than our Raikage? Don't make me laugh."
The unexpected trash talking caused the crowd to get excited.
"Enough of this talk!" the Raikage shouted from his seat. He didn't care about trying to maintain his dignity before the feudal lords or the Mizukage seated beside him. "Tell them to hurry up and fight before my name gets dragged through the mud!"
Back in the ring, Margaret stood resolute and said, "I guess I'll have to prove it to you then!"
With that, the announcer yelled "begin," and the two charged at one another.
Time seemed to speed up as Margaret twisted and turned, dodging Samui's first flurry of attacks. The agility demonstrated left the audience breathless. She was light on her feet, weaving under Samui's strikes and making it look as if she was enjoying a game of tag rather than a competition.
The Raikage gripped his biceps, annoyed that his talented Chūnin was being played with.
Samui, slightly flustered, struggled to understand Margaret's rhythm. So she wildly increased her strikes. As the blows swung past Margaret, Samui caught glimpses of her enigmatic enjoyment.
"Calm down!" Margaret yelled through the chaos. "I'm just trying to feel you out!"
As Samui lunged for another thrust, Margaret dodged nimbly, spinning quickly and striking with a rapid four-palm combo to Samui's torso.
Bang-bang-bang-bang.
The crowd gasped at the impact, watching Samui fly backward before tumbling out of the ring!
"Samui is disqualified!" the announcer boomed. "Margaret Senju is the winner!
Immediate cheers erupted in applause as surprise filled the stands. Perhaps the most astonished was Neji, who recognized the last strike as a version of his clan's Gentle Fist technique. He was quite curious as to when or how she learned a mediocre version of it.
With her fists still shaking a little from adrenaline, she glanced around at her friends and waved.
Though a small frown creased her brow as she whispered to herself, "That felt way too easy." She then stepped down from the ring, heading toward the still-disoriented Samui.
Up above, the Raikage's displeasure was unmistakable. "Dang it!" Two out of his Cloud shinobi had lost their matches. That meant he had lost his bet to Mei. Because of the humiliation, he got up slightly and contemplated leaving.
But then he witnessed the exchange happening below.
Margaret reached out a hand, and a look of astonishment crossed Samui's face as she heard her say, "You fought well. I saw some real talent out there. Let's both train harder and meet again one day!"
For a moment, Samui stared at Margate's hand. It was like something ignited underneath her tough exterior. She couldn't help but accept her aid and admit, "You're not so bad yourself."
"Thanks! I actually wanted to join the Cloud Village. You're all so strong! Maybe I can get a chance to see Killer Bee's rap concerts one day."
The Raikage sat back down and crossed his arms. It was clear that he appreciated her respect toward his village, even if he still didn't fully believe in her strength.
Besides, not all of his Cloud ninjas were eliminated.
Margaret eventually rushed over to her friends, who drowned her in congratulations.
"You were remarkable, Marge!" Jada squealed, hugging her tightly.
"I'm wondering where you learned that technique?" Neji asked, awe colouring his tone.
Margaret blinked, looking up at him innocently, and said, "Oh, I learned it when I watched Hinata train once. She looked so cool doing it that I wanted to try it!"
The remark took Neji aback. What surprised him wasn't that she trained with Hinata; it was that she learned it by only watching. Little did he know, she had knowledge of more than just their fighting styles.
"It just kinda stuck on the first day," she explained.
"Is Hinata really that strong?" Naruto wondered.
William had to correct Naruto, stating that Hinata wasn't strong but that Margaret was simply a genius.
That's when Neji understood something: Margaret's potential was very high.
One person was absent among the admiration. Arthur, who stood stagnant, having surveyed the entire scene, kept his arms crossed, feeling quite unimpressed. What was more was that he was finally convinced that she was indeed stronger than Jada.
Not many in Margaret's rank could compete with a Chūnin, let alone take them down that quickly. It was an impracticable feat. For instance, she had managed to bob and weave through Samui's attempts. Afterwards, she had managed to take her down with one counter.
Samui was someone who could one day go against the Gold and Silver Brothers. For Margaret to have bested her in taijutsu only proved that Margaret was someone who Arthur needed to be more on guard toward.
The announcer eventually gathered everyone's attention: "We're moving on to the next match! Get ready, folks!" The monitor then displayed the next fighters: "Kitsuchi versus Kurotsuchi!"
"Eh?" Kurotsuchi said in surprise.
It was a clear shock to her because Kurotsuchi is her father.
Kurotsuchi and Kitsuchi were two notable figures hailing from the Stone Village.
Kurotsuchi, who was also the granddaughter of the third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, would eventually ascend to the position of the fourth Tsuchikage once Ōnoki retired. In her youth, she witnessed significant events, including a traumatic encounter with the then-Akatsuki member Deidara.
Those who knew her would have also known that she was very committed to her village and often prioritizes its strength over individuals.
While her seriousness defined her leadership approach, she does have a sarcastic humour, particularly when interacting with her grandfather by teasing him about his age and ailments.
Kitsuchi, on the other hand, presented a contrasting demeanour that complemented Kurotsuchi's character. He was disciplined and respected for his calmness under pressure.
Physically, he had a robust build with short dark-grey hair and a beard. Unlike her daughter, who was more petite and had short black hair, he had strong features.
Kitsuchi's combat abilities were also notably better than his daughters. Especially in taijutsu, as shown when he once single-handedly dispatched large numbers of White Zetsu clones during the Fourth Ninja War.
"You'll take it easy on her, right?" Akatsuchi smiled.
"Nonsense!" Kitsuchi replied. While he did love his daughter, he also valued her growth and desired her to be strong against even himself. "Kurotsuchi embodies the spirit of our village. It would be shameful if I went light on her."
"Dad!"