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[— Manga Scene —]
Naruto burst from the balcony and ran toward Hinata, who had collapsed on the ground.
"Hinata..! Are you okay? Hey..!" Naruto shouted with worry as he leaned over her.
Hinata was unconscious, blood flowing from her mouth.
"This is bad.." Kurenai whispered as she watched from a distance.
Hinata opened her eyes slightly and saw Naruto's worried face before her.
'Naruto-kun..' Hinata thought weakly.
'Was I..'
'Able to change myself, even a little..?' Hinata wondered to herself before closing her eyes once more.
Naruto stood up and looked toward Neji, who was walking away with cold indifference.
"Hey, loser.." Neji called out without turning around.
"!" Naruto was startled by Neji's tone.
"I will warn you about two things.." Neji continued, coming to a stop.
"If you are a real ninja, stop cheering for others.. it is meaningless.."
"And also.. a loser will always be a loser.."
"That will never change." Neji said with cutting coldness.
"...!" Naruto fell silent, his eyes blazing with fury as he stared at Neji's back.
[— End Scene —]
Inside the art store, where the atmosphere was still charged following the scene of the Jonin's intervention, the focus now shifted to the harsh words Neji had hurled at Naruto and Hinata.
The reactions of the general readers, shinobi and ordinary civilians alike, ranged from silent anger to deep contemplation, each reflecting their own personality and outlook on life.
The moment Kushina finished reading the chapter, she was burning with rage. Her fist clenched at the air with force, her emerald eyes flashing.
"He really is a brat! How dare he say such things to Naruto and insult the girl who fought with everything she had?!" Kushina ground her teeth from the intensity of her emotions.
"'A loser will always be a loser'? Who does he think he is? Hinata is not a loser, she showed tremendous strength and courage!"
Given her young age and her characteristically fiery temper, Kushina was genuinely furious at this scenario, which, despite being entirely logical, was completely unacceptable to her.
She did not love Hinata only because she was showing a noticeable admiration for her future son, but also because of the indescribable courage she had displayed.
Neji's words were not merely an insult to both Naruto and Hinata, they were an attack on free will, on the very possibility of change that Kushina believed in so deeply.
In contrast to Kushina, Minato was watching the scene with calm composure, yet his blue eyes were analyzing every word and every gesture.
"Neji's words are harsh, but they reflect a deep conviction he holds," Minato said in a quiet voice, attempting to calm Kushina.
"He believes in fate, and that some people are destined to be weak. But… Naruto represents the complete opposite. He proves that will can transcend any fate." Minato reflected on Neji's words, recognizing that this conflict between fate and will would be a central theme in Naruto's life, a life he had been given the opportunity to witness and continue following closely until its very end.
"Hinata as well… she has shown remarkable determination. As for Neji, I do not think he will remain this harsh, he may change in the near future."
Neji's words served as a challenge to Minato's principles; he believed that every person has the capacity to change their destiny, and that faith in others is the most powerful force of all. But this did not prevent Minato from seeing the brighter side of things, Neji had clearly suffered a great deal of grievances as a member of the branch family.
…
In the area where the Uchiha clan members had gathered, the clan leader was watching the scene with sharp eyes, though this time, the Sharingan was not activated.
"Harsh words, but they reflect an undeniable truth in the world of the ninja," Hugaku said calmly, recalling the internal conflicts of his own clan, of which he was an inseparable part.
"Strength is everything, and the loser has no right to speak. But Naruto's determination… may have an unexpected impact." Hugaku saw in Naruto a raw power, the power of will that might surpass inherited ability, and this stirred both his curiosity and his concern in equal measure, even more so than the fact that he was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.
"That fierce look… it seems Neji and Naruto will face each other at some point…"
This was what his son Fugaku recognized before turning the page toward what appeared to be the next and final chapter.
…
Hiashi, who was still under the weight of Hinata's scene, listened to Neji's words with a heavy heart.
"Neji… you are still a prisoner of mistaken beliefs," Hiashi whispered, recognizing that Neji had not yet understood the lesson Hinata had been trying to teach him, a lesson that Hiashi himself had been able to grasp precisely because he was a reader, a third party observing events from a different vantage point.
'Fate is not inevitable, and will can change everything.'
Hiashi saw in Naruto the hope for changing Neji, and in Hinata the strength that would break the clan's chains.
As for Hizashi, he felt a deep pain toward his son Neji as he read his words with sorrow.
"Neji… you do not see the true strength that lies within Naruto and Hinata," Hizashi said, wishing that Neji could see what he himself could see.
"Strength is not only in fighting, but in the ability to support and cheer for others, and to give them hope."
Seeing how Naruto's encouragement had affected Hinata, who had initially been afraid even of the idea of entering the fight, Hizashi was certain of it: Naruto had somehow pushed Hinata to overcome her fear, and everyone had witnessed that.
In the same way, Hizashi saw in Naruto the spark of change that could free Neji from the chains of hatred.
As for the clan leader, Masanori was holding his wife's hand and shaking his head with sorrow.
"This boy Neji… what really happened to make him this cruel? Don't tell me his father died because of the main family?" Masanori voiced his frightening assumption.
The moment Hizashi heard that, his body trembled and he stared at his father in stunned disbelief, thinking, 'Don't curse me, Dad!'
…
Young Kurenai, who had been watching the unconscious Hinata with sorrow, felt anger at what Neji had said.
"How dare he say such things?" Kurenai whispered, feeling deep sympathy for Hinata.
"Naruto and Hinata represent hope, they represent the ability to change oneself."
Her father spoke up this time, a smile on his face as he added, "As far as I am concerned, Hinata won this fight."
…
Not far from them, Sakumo and his son had already finished reading the volume.
Yet young Kakashi went back to look over the scene between Neji and Naruto once more.
He watched the scene in silence, closing his eyes for a moment.
"Neji's words are harsh, but they reflect a painful reality," Kakashi said, recalling the lessons of his father Sakumo, who was beside him.
"But Naruto… he can melt ice, just like he did with the Demon of the Mist before, remember?" Sakumo smiled as he said this, for he truly saw in Naruto the hope for changing Neji.
"Of course I remember…" Young Kakashi smiled.
…
"This is the spirit of youth! Naruto will never give up! Hinata will never give up!"
Young Gai said, turning the page with enthusiasm toward the next chapter, enthusiasm that quickly faded when he realized this was the last one.
"Hah!? Is it already over!? Really!?"
Gai felt deflated, but the spirit of youth within him was quickly renewed as he realized there was still a full chapter left to enjoy!
"Now that's the spirit! Hahahaha!! Let's read the last chapter slowly, my boy!"
Dai cheered, delivering a powerful slap to his son's back, which the boy endured with everything he had so as not to cry out.
…
Shibi Aburame, who had been watching the scene in silence, gave a nod of his head.
"Neji's words reflect a harsh logic, but they do not account for the power of the human spirit," Shibi said, acknowledging what Hinata had given in this battle despite her defeat.
The fact that she was part of his future son's team made him feel a natural closeness to her.
"Strength is not everything, courage is not everything, intellect is not everything, but when they come together, they become everything.."
Shibi believed that Naruto and Hinata, through their persistence, would eventually prove Neji wrong.
Not far away, Choza Akimichi, who had been quietly eating potato chips, paused for a moment.
"Go ahead and teach him a harsh lesson, Naruto," Choza said in a loud voice.
Shikaku watched the scene with an outward air of boredom and closed his eyes.
"What a troublesome matter," Shikaku said, but inwardly, he was thinking deeply. 'Neji sees the world through a narrow lens. Or perhaps Hinata was right to say that he is the one who is suffering. She hit the mark with those words, which is precisely what made him lose his temper and lose control.'
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 182: Rock Lee VS Gaara…? (End of the Volume)
Chapter 183: Echoes of the Ninth Volume!
Chapter 184: The Seventh Anime Episode: Assassin of the Mist!
Chapter 185: Naruto Manga Volume 10!
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