With Naruto's defeat officially announced, the atmosphere inside the stadium gradually settled once again. Naruto slowly climbed back to the candidates' platform, rubbing his aching ribs while muttering complaints under his breath.
Every muscle in his body protested with each step, yet his spirit remained as loud as ever despite the loss.
Sukuna followed shortly behind him at a much calmer pace, his breathing perfectly steady and his clothes hardly disturbed outside a thin layer of dust. The contrast between the two was almost comical.
Naruto looked as though he had survived a natural disaster, while Sukuna appeared as though he had merely finished a morning exercise. Which mostly was the case, to be honest.
He usually trains harder than this.
"Sukuna-Kun~"
The moment Sukuna stepped onto the platform, Karin hurried over without a second thought, practically attaching herself to his arm with a bright smile.
"That was amazing, Sukuna-kun!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"You took down Naruto Baka so easily! That was so cool!"
Sukuna simply gave a small shrug. "He improved. Just not enough."
Sakura folded her arms with an exaggerated huff before turning her head away, seeing this.
"Hmph… show off," she muttered, still refusing to let go of the ice cream incident or the comments he had made just minutes ago.
She sure she'll get him one of these days. Her resolve was indomitable.
Sukuna glanced toward her for a moment before a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Oh, you'll know all about how I show it off, don't you."
Sakura's face turned beet red. It was funny how she got frustrated over things they decided they were not doing for quite a while until they were older. Besides kissing and hugging, and a little playful touching, they had nothing, but she acts like she was pregnant or something.
It's strangely adorable how cute she was and honestly a bit disturbing when he thinks about developing their relationship to that.
Not that he didn't wish to, but he just didn't wish to do it when Sakura wasn't mature enough to make her own decision.
And it fell to him that nothing like that would happen until that day comes.
"Y-you're horrible!" she declared far too quickly.
"Love you too…" Sukuna chuckled and turned to Karin, who was doing everything possible to get his attention back.
Sakura's face reddened slightly at that.
"Hmpm~ who loves an idiot like you? Baka." She stated and, with a huff, turned her head away.
Tsundere much…
But still, she was cute like that.
Poor Naruto watched the interaction with a look of complete defeat. He scratched the back of his head before letting out a dramatic sigh.
"Man... this isn't fair," he grumbled.
"Karin's always hanging around Sukuna-teme." His blue eyes slowly drifted toward Sakura, who was still glaring at her brother despite standing only a few steps away from him.
Naruto clenched his fist with renewed determination. "Next time I'll beat you, Sukuna! Then Sakura-chan will cheer for me like Karin cheers for you!"
Nobody answered him. Karin was busy talking to Sukuna. Sakura was busy pretending to ignore Sukuna while her eyes dangerously darted between both her brother and the shameless redhead.
'Why is she so close to him again?' She found herself asking that question recently.
Sukuna himself looked thoroughly uninterested.
Naruto's shoulders drooped. "...Tough crowd." He wasn't the only one sulking either. Beside him stood Sasuke with his arms folded, glaring at Kakashi with enough intensity to make an ordinary person break into a cold sweat.
Kakashi, displaying years of experience avoiding responsibility, deliberately looked in every direction except Sasuke's. He examined the clouds. He studied the arena. He even looked interested in a bird flying overhead.
Anything except acknowledging the murderous stare burning into the side of his face.
Finally, Sasuke spoke through gritted teeth. "You made me miss the finals." Kakashi coughed awkwardly. "Technically... time made you miss the finals." Sasuke's eye twitched. "You stopped for lunch." "Training works up an appetite." "You read your book while eating lunch." "Multitasking is an important shinobi skill." Sasuke closed his eyes before taking a deep breath that looked more like an attempt to avoid committing murder than calming himself down. Even Naruto couldn't help laughing at the scene.
Their attention shifted back toward the arena as Genma's voice echoed across the stadium once more. "Next match. Neji Hyuga versus Haku."
Haku calmly stepped forward from the Kirigakure side, his expression as gentle as ever despite the seriousness of the tournament.
Neji was the first to walk down from the opposite entrance with the same arrogant confidence he had displayed ever since returning from the dead.
Sukuna narrowed his eyes from where he stood. If it was up to him, then he would rather Neji not participate anymore at all; however, it was not up to him.
Since Haku wasn't someone he particularly cared about, he didn't react; he just let the match go as it was supposed to go.
He could still sense the cursed energy radiating from the fighting area, the domain residues still there, and every instinct told him that Neji won't be holding back whoever he'll be fighting next.
Yet before either fighter could even take their positions, another figure appeared beside Haku.
It was Zabuza, he had been keeping a low profile ever since they had arrived in Konoha, so it was a bit surprising that he decided to show his face out of nowhere now. He rested his massive sword against one shoulder as he looked down at the younger shinobi. Nobody could hear the first few words exchanged between them, but whatever was said caused Haku's expression to soften before he lowered his head respectfully. A moment later, he turned toward Genma.
"I forfeit."
The declaration spread confusion throughout the arena. Even Sukuna blinked in surprise. That clearly had not been Haku's original intention. Judging by the slight hesitation before speaking and the timing of Zabuza's arrival, the decision had been made only that instance. Something about it felt... off.
Very off and very suspicious. Sukuna quietly filed the observation away. Recalling Kankuro doing something similar in the canon when his fight against Shino was planned.
Neji clicked his tongue before folding his arms. "How disappointing," he said loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear. "At least one girl knows her place enough to avoid embarrassing herself."
That comment earned quite a bit of ire from all the Kunoichi around him, let alone even his own teammates, Tenten.
Haku tilted his head innocently, blinking.
"...I'm a boy."
Silence.
Neji's confident expression froze completely.
"You..."
"...What?"
Several people who knew struggled not to laugh. And those who didn't know, well, they didn't look much better than Neji himself.
Neji stared at Haku for several seconds, wondering whether Haku was lying, but ultimately let the matter go and looked away as though nothing had happened. "...Whatever."
The tournament board was updated once again.
With Haku's withdrawal, the remaining bracket became painfully simple.
The semi-finals were
Neji Hyuga versus Sakura Haruno.
Gaara of the Sand versus Sukuna Haruno.
Genma looked toward Sakura. "Please prepare for the next—"
Sakura was planning on doing just that when a hand fell on her shoulder and stopped her.
Sakura turned toward her brother in confusion.
"What?"
Sukuna met her eyes, his expression completely serious.
"Give up this match."
For several long seconds Sakura simply stared at him. Of all the people present, Sukuna was the last person she expected to hear those words from. He was absurdly competitive.
The guy literally ran everyone ragged with his borderline criminal training.
And now he's asking to give up?
"Are... are you serious?" she asked quietly.
"Yes."
"But—"
"Sakura."
There was no teasing in his voice.
No sarcasm.
Only certainty.
Sakura looked into his crimson eyes for several moments before slowly lowering her head. She didn't understand the reason, but she trusted him.
"...I withdraw."
Genma blinked in surprise, another one gave up. What's wrong with kids these days?
"You sure?"
"Yes…"
"Very well. Sakura Haruno forfeits."
Naruto immediately jumped to his feet.
"What?! Sakura-chan! You can't just give up!"
One glance from Sukuna silenced him instantly.
Sukuna's hand found his sister's head the next moment, slowly patting it. "Sorry, but that guy is too dangerous. I don't want you to be in danger if I can help it."
Sakura puffed up her cheek in protest, whether it was because he made her forfeit or whether it was because she was embarrassed her head was getting petted in the open, was anyone's guess.
Kakashi quietly released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. There was something deeply unsettling about the current Neji, something that had bothered him ever since the preliminary fight. If avoiding that battle kept Sakura safe, then he had no intention of objecting.
Across the platform, Neji gave a mocking laugh.
"So another woman knows when she's outclassed—"
His voice stopped midway, though.
Sakura's piercing eyes looked at him at that moment.
And those eyes, they were so identical to Kiyomi that he, for a moment, couldn't even react to them.
That moment of surprise didn't last long, though; if anything, it made him even more angry.
Just as he was about to say something, most likely a retort, Neji's words caught in his throat as a familiar chill crept across his spine. For reasons he refused to admit, he suddenly found himself unable to continue speaking.
This was Sukuna protecting his mallow towards him.
Sasuke, who was watching all this drama, finally had his eyes settled on Neji. They say he is strong. How strong, he would love to find out.
Genma stepped into the center of the arena one final time.
"Since Sakura Haruno has forfeited, Neji Hyuga advances automatically."
He paused before raising his hand toward the final names remaining on the board.
"The final match of the Semi-Final round is…
"...Sukuna Haruno versus Gaara of the Sand."
xXx
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