"Second Star!"
No sooner had Genma Shiranui's arm chopped downward than Temari snapped open most of her Giant Folding Fan, channeling chakra into a Wind Release transformation. A small whirlwind roared straight at Hinata.
Unlike the casual way she toyed with Tenten back in the tower, Temari wasn't messing around now. She might have said she was "looking forward to a satisfying fight," but in reality, she viewed Hinata as a serious threat. As the eldest daughter of the Fourth Kazekage – the "Princess" of the Sand Village – Temari carried her father's honor and that of her home. Losing to most opponents wouldn't be the end of the world, but she absolutely could not afford to lose to a "noble daughter" from their ally, Konoha.
"Eight Trigrams… Vacuum Palm!"
Seeing the mini-tornado barreling toward her, Hinata simply thrust her palm forward, unleashing a shockwave that matched Temari's Wind Release in power. The two forces collided with a resounding impact, sending dust and grit flying.
Genma immediately hopped backward, distancing himself from both Hinata and Temari, making good on his promise not to intervene – even if someone's life was in danger.
Whoosh—
Though the dust swirled thick in the air, Temari instantly waved her fan again, blowing the dust away. She knew Hinata's Byakugan gave her near-360° vision, including a telescopic range, so letting dust linger would only benefit Hinata. Unfortunately, Temari was still a hair too slow.
Even as the dust cleared, Hinata had already dashed in front of her. Those slender, jade-like fingers – easily capable of splintering wooden dummies, never mind flesh and bone – crackled with blue-white chakra, aiming a decisive strike. Just one hit would leave the body rigid and unresponsive, possibly ending the match on the spot if Temari's physical endurance couldn't handle the blow.
Yet in the next second, Hinata's eyes went wide with surprise. Just before her strike connected, Temari's lips curved upward. Her figure blurred…and appeared several meters behind where she'd stood.
"You're not the only one with an ally who can do nature-based Body Flicker," Temari crowed, wearing a self-assured grin as she fully opened her fan. "When it comes to Wind Release, our Sand Village has no equals! Wind Release… Great Sickle Weasel Jutsu!"
Whoooosh—
A howling gale swelled into distorted air currents, forming countless invisible wind blades that gouged lines in the ground as they tore toward Hinata. The storm front spanned a huge area and moved fast – too fast to dodge with simple Body Flicker.
"Such impressive Wind Release chakra transformation!"
Even Genma, who had retreated further away, needed to leap back again, marveling at how the raging wind carved up the earth in its path.
Hinata, however, was unruffled as she faced the swirling tempest, its chakra surging like ocean waves. She eased into her Gentle Fist stance and shouted:
"Eight Trigrams Palms… Rotation!"
Here, Hinata's voracious appetite – and the resulting vast chakra reserves – shone through clearly. Massive chakra gushed from her chakra points, and under her refined control, her spinning form conjured an enormous, high-speed dome of rotating energy. The storm slammed into the dome, accompanied by a continuous clang and clang-like rattle, as if countless blades were grinding against whirling steel. Each slash was ricocheted harmlessly away.
Up in the competitors' gallery, Neji Hyūga gripped the railing, eyes quivering in awe. Once again, he felt that stab of frustration. They both knew Rotation, but hers was bigger and stronger, beyond anything he could muster.
"So that's the clan's secret technique, Rotation? It's huge—Sis is amazing!" Hanabi exclaimed from the stands, staring in disbelief.
"You can manage the same if you keep training," Hiashi Hyūga reassured her. Yet inwardly, his shock was just as profound as Neji's. He felt as though he'd saved the world in another life – how else to explain why both of his daughters had such staggering chakra capacities and Gentle Fist talent?
He also couldn't help reflecting on Hinata's transformation over the last few years. She hadn't been this gifted from the start. Was love truly that powerful? Or maybe the Hyūga's teaching methods were wrong, and Izayoi's were right?
In truth, none of them knew that Izayoi's presence acted like an incredible tonic – especially for someone with Hyūga blood.
Shoom—
The giant blue dome didn't last long. The windstorm dissipated, and almost immediately, Hinata's swirling defense faded in a flicker of blue chakra. Though she'd spun in place countless times, she felt no dizziness. She instantly blurred forward in a flash of lightning, appearing before Temari, whose face was stricken with shock, and thrust her fingers forward again.
Temari hadn't expected her big move to be blocked so easily. Hinata was already in her face before she could do another wind-assisted dodge, so she raised her fan to block the blow. Hinata's fingers switched to a palm strike, slamming the open fan with tremendous force.
BOOM—
A terrifying shockwave tore right through the fan's surface and crashed into Temari's body. Her feet left the ground as Hinata's strike knocked her airborne. The brutal force churned through her insides, forcing blood to the corner of her lips. Despite the intense pain, Temari tried to use that blood for her ultimate technique. But she was in mid-air, no stable footing.
"Thank you."
Hearing that gentle voice behind her, Temari realized that Hinata had vanished from her line of sight. Dimly, Temari thought she could hear a lion's roar, deep and primal.
A second later, she felt a palm land on her back. Instantly, all her meridians locked up as her chakra supply vanished, like every last one of her chakra points had been sealed. Temari dropped to her knees in a daze, on the verge of passing out.
Only the chill of a kunai pressed against her neck – and the sensation of her meridians partially unlocking – kept her alert.
"Match over! The winner is Hinata Hyūga."
As Genma's announcement echoed through the stadium, Temari felt first a burst of resentment, then a wry smile as she glimpsed the kunai retracting from her neck. "I lost."
The Princess of the Sand was as proud as they came, and she possessed the strength to back it up. But a proud ninja who suffers defeat at the hands of a peer feels the blow keenly. Either they double down on training…or crumble. No question a proud princess like Temari would choose the former.
Hinata, for her part, had nothing to say to her defeated opponent. Stowing the kunai back into a wrist-mounted sealing scroll, she headed for the exit. As she neared the stands, cheers erupted from the crowd. Hinata glanced over to where her father and younger sister sat. Hanabi waved wildly, forgetting her manners, while Hiashi – who normally upheld a strict facade – allowed himself a faint smile. Hinata's lips curved a little in return, filled with satisfaction.
Once in the dim corridor, she quickened her pace, eager to share her excitement with Izayoi. Yet well before she reached the viewing platform, she heard jeers and curses from the audience, which left her puzzled.
What's going on?
Moments ago, they'd been cheering. Were they booing because she hadn't paused to acknowledge them? Or maybe they were mad at Temari?
Catching sight of Izayoi, the situation became clear. Kankurō, who drew #6, had just announced his withdrawal. Shikamaru, like Naruto, moved on by default.
But unlike Naruto's "automatic win," the crowd didn't realize this was only the second match. They had just watched an exhilarating fight – and then the following match ended in an immediate forfeit. For spectators who'd traveled far and paid a high price for tickets, it felt like finding something disgusting in what should have been a delicious meal. No wonder they were outraged.
Yet no matter how much they booed or heckled, Kankurō, determined to preserve his strength for the plan, remained unmoved. He even had the nerve to smirk at them. Ignoring the audience's frustration, Genma continued:
"Since #6 withdraws, #5 moves on. Next, would the competitors holding #7 and #8 please step into the arena?"
At his words, grains of sand materialized to Genma's left, coalescing into a human shape. The crowd, still angered a moment ago, abruptly fell silent, eyes trained on Gaara. His entrance alone signaled power.
"When did that guy leave?"
In the waiting area, Shikamaru and Naruto blinked in surprise. They glanced over to Gaara's spot – it was empty.
"Tch, don't act so shocked," Kankurō scoffed. "Gaara can kill you before you even realize it. That's how strong he is."
"What's that supposed to mean, 'Raccoon Eyes'? If you were too scared to fight Shikamaru, how tough can your buddy be?" Naruto shot back, pointing mockingly at Kankurō.
He managed to rile up both Kankurō and, indirectly, Shikamaru with that single taunt. But Shikamaru ignored it, turning to Izayoi. "That guy with the gourd on his back is no joke. Be careful."
Noticing Izayoi hadn't brought his camera this time, Hinata guessed the reason. Still, she gave him a gentle smile: "Good luck, Izayoi-kun."
"Mm."
Izayoi nodded, face calm. Without another word to Sasuke, Shikamaru, or any of the rest – including Kankurō and the newly returned Temari – he let his feet leave the ground and slowly rose into the air, drifting toward the center of the arena.
His action left not only the other candidates wide-eyed, but the entire audience hushed in shock at the sight.
~~~
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