The announcer soon took center stage as the crowd quieted.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you all back! We have some exciting news regarding the tournament's next round! As you may have heard, our fighter's abilities will now utilize chakra in new and thrilling ways!"
Excited chatter filled the stands.
"Listen closely, for the new regulations are as follows! Tailed beast chakra is not allowed, and no chakra-enhancing items may be used! But worry not, for you can use your own chakra techniques, provided they don't exceed catastrophic disasters. Illusion techniques and sealing techniques are also fair game, but if a fighter is immobilized by a technique and cannot escape in time, they will face disqualification!" He paused, allowing the competitors time to both read and understand things before concluding, "And remember, the grand prize has now been doubled!"
Some fighters exchanged looks of apprehension, while others had exhilarated expressions. There were those like Santa who were confident because they understood their opponents' flaws—Naruto, who wasn't proficient in escaping illusions.
He looked at the boy with preparedness.
Before long, the announcer called, "Our very own Naruto Uzumaki takes on Santa Yamanaka! Fighters, please step forward!"
"All right!" Naruto cried out.
Santa wiped the sweat from his brow. "Here we go."
The crowd roared as both contestants advanced, meeting in the center of the arena. Naruto's name was already being chanted, causing the boy to flash a wide grin.
"Get ready to lose," he said, adjusting his headband.
"Right back at you!"
Santa smirked despite the nervous energy he felt inside. This was, after all, Naruto Uzumaki.
Before the announcer could start things, Naruto removed his garments, and his stance moulded into the familiar position reminiscent of Rock Lee.
"Everyone prepare for," he cried, "the Green Beast!"
The crowd got even more hyped, so the announcer yelled, "Begin!"
Naruto charged forward with impeccable speed.
"What the?!" Santa exclaimed.
Pow-pow-pow!
Dodging was near impossible as the boy executed a series of strikes that wreaked havoc on Santa's defense.
It was clear the man hadn't expected the difference between viewing a match and personally experiencing it.
Just as Santa was trying to create some space, Naruto pivoted and closed the gap.
"You're not getting away!" he cried, continuing his onslaught of rapid movements.
Bang!
Naruto had thrust his palm toward Santa, who blocked it with crossed forearms. In that instant, they were locked in a stalemate, each unwilling to yield ground.
"Nice one! Show him, Naruto!" a spectator cried from the crowd.
With such support, there was a swish! as Naruto's kick bypassed his opponent's side. Santa used the momentum for sweeping roundhouse.
Swish! It narrowly missed Naruto's head.
The two continued exchanging blows, dodging and countering one another.
From the sidelines, Rock Lee watched with an expression of exultation. "Incredible! Naruto has truly embraced the spirit of the Green Beast!"
The normally composed Neji, standing beside him, raised an eyebrow with a hint of surprise as well.
"Impressive indeed," he remarked with a smile. "But I forgot to ask during the intermission: where did he even get that jumpsuit? It certainly looks a lot like yours, Lee."
"Funny story," Jada interjected. "When all three of us trained with Guy-sensei one day, I thought, 'What would make Naruto even cooler?' So I suggested he wear something similar to Lee! Next thing we knew, he wouldn't stop wearing it under his jacket!"
Neji couldn't help but picture the scene. It was enough to make him sigh in contentment at how absurd their poses might have been under the training of his own sensei.
Iruka chimed in, saying, "He sure has gotten strong since he left the academy. You all have, and that makes me very proud."
The statement was sentimental, but Margaret rolled her eyes. William himself seemed ready to cry from having his wish of Naruto being recognized for his talents early on.
Back in the arena, as the two exchanged blows with intensity, the crowd was riveted, shouting words of encouragement and awe.
Naruto was fueled by their encouragement. Dodging another of Santa's punches, he leaped into the air, following it up with a spinning heel kick.
Swish!
"Nice try, but I won't let you throw me off," Santa responded after recovering.
"Wouldn't have it any other way!" the boy shot back.
Sweat dripped down both of their faces. They knew that one wrong move could turn the tides in this battle, and the crowd's roar only pushed them further.
Just as Naruto prepared to make his next move, Santa sensed that it was time to shift gears.
"I got you now! Mind transfer jutsu!"
But just as the technique released, Naruto dissipated into a plume of smoke. Santa's heart sank because that Naruto was actually a Shadow Clone!
The real Naruto was already high into the air. "It's me who's got you!" Moments later, he landed with incredible force, delivering a punch straight into Santa's face before he could blink.
Boom!
The impact was brutal as Santa's body rocketed off the platform like a rag doll and crashed against the side of the arena.
Gasps were inhaled from the stands, but it was quickly followed by cheers.
"Naruto! Naruto!" they chanted.
Those on the sidelines knew that it was nothing short of clone utilization. Naruto, who wasn't meant to use his brain, had summoned the clone during their exchanges, while the real one had quickly jumped into the air, right in Santa's blind spot.
What dazzled most, however, was that Naruto—who often spammed this technique—had only used one clone.
Who was to blame for this change in Naruto's new strength? None other than those from earth, of course.
The announcer raised his microphone, struggling to contain his excitement as he yelled, "And the winner of the first match is Naruto Uzumaki!"
As the cheers reached a climax, the Nara and Akimichi clans looked on, dumbfounded at how quickly the match had concluded.
Naruto, basking in the glory of victory, turned to wade through the cheers as Santa, groggy but smiling, finally got to his feet and met the winner in the middle.
"I lost, huh?" he smiled in admiration. "There's just something I'm not understanding."
"What's that?" Naruto asked.
"How did you know how to stop my jutsu that easily?"
The boy placed his arms behind his head and grinned. "Will clued me in. He told me to take you out the moment you tried using your transfer mind jutsu."
"It's called mind transfer," Santa corrected at the boy's stupidity.
Yet his eyes said a different story because he knew a lot about Naruto and how the latter trained with Jiraiya. Word spread quickly that the boy could use the Rasengan—which Santa was waiting for.
But Naruto wasn't trying to go for a quick victory; he was being patient.
The old Naruto would have likely summoned an unnecessary amount of Shadow Clones to try and overwhelm his opponent. While it was troubling to deal with so many clones, fighting with just one proved how much more tactical he had grown.
The two soon exchanged a firm handshake.
"Ino would have loved to see your growth," Santa suddenly said.
Naruto nodded solemnly, sharing that moment of loss as understanding passed between them.
Arthur had long forgotten about the death of Ino. They might have been main characters, but did he have anyone to talk so highly of him when they thought he died?
Not even close.
After the competitors left, the announcer yelled, "Let's keep the excitement rolling, folks! For the next match, we have Neji Hyūga versus Rock Lee!"
The roar of the crowd once more ignited the arena as the two prepared themselves. Among the spectators, Margaret, Jada, William, and Arthur were keenly aware of the history behind this match, as it was a duel that had not been seen.
Rock Lee and Neji were two of the most formidable ninjas of the original main story, their rivalry known by many admirers. For years, fans had debated who was truly stronger. Today, they would have an answer, and there were no apparent limitations.
"This is actually really cool," Margaret whispered to Jada, her excitement showing in her eyes.
"Absolutely!" Jada replied. "They've never fought at full strength before, have they? We might actually see something incredible here."
William, hearing them, chimed in, "It's not that big of a deal. I read about them fighting in fanfics all the time."
Margaret gave him a scowling look. What she understood was the fact that Neji had trained with Alexander. Shira, who was undoubtedly better than Lee, had just fallen to Neji, so the stakes were still going to be high even if Lee activated the Eight Inner Gates.
"Next time, Will, get your facts straight," she scolded.
Arthur couldn't quite get excited for this match since he had already fought Lee once. The results left the boy in a paralyzed state. So much so that Might Guy had to come and aid his pupil.
Arthur, at the time, was forced to use his Seven Heavenly Breaths technique and overwhelm Lee's Eight Inner Gates. This was all done without chakra utilization either.
As the two fighters entered the arena and faced off, they eyed each other with confident smiles.
Lee's grin expanded upon seeing his opponent immediately activate the Byakugan. "Good! You have chosen to go all out from the get-go!"
"It would be foolish of me if I didn't after seeing your last fight."
The announcer then raised his voice at this charged atmosphere and said, "Let the match… begin!"