This was the Hyūga Main Family's secret technique—an absolute defense.
And yet—
Against the berserk Naruto, that "absolute defense" no longer seemed absolute.
Naruto clenched his fist, crimson chakra wrapping around it like a living flame. Without flourish, without hesitation, he drove it forward with unstoppable ferocity.
BOOM—!!!
A deafening explosion shook the arena.
Neji's Rotation barrier—solid and seamless—shuddered violently. Spiderweb cracks spread across its surface under the force of Naruto's Tailed Beast–enhanced punch.
"Impossible!!!" Neji's pale eyes widened in disbelief. "Rotation… is absolute defense! How could it—?!"
"There's no such thing as absolute!" Naruto's roar pierced through the fractured barrier and stabbed straight into Neji's heart. "Your destiny crap—I'll smash it today!!!"
Before the words finished echoing, Naruto was already upon him.
Empowered by the Nine-Tails' chakra, his speed and strength surged explosively. He pressed in relentlessly, fists and kicks crashing down like a storm.
For the first time—
Neji's precise Gentle Fist and all-seeing Byakugan felt strained.
He was being driven back.
"Why?!" Neji shouted hoarsely as he struggled to withstand the onslaught. "Why can fate be changed?! I'm the genius! You're the dead last! Why is this happening?!"
Naruto answered with a single, solid punch—packed with rage, defiance, and unwavering belief.
"Because I want to win more than you do!!!"
"Because I never accept fate!!!"
BAM—!!!
The punch slammed into Neji's chest.
A crushing force blasted through him. Pain exploded in his ribs. His vision went black as he was sent flying across the arena.
He hit the ground hard.
For a moment, he simply lay there—eyes vacant, expression hollow, as though something fundamental inside him had shattered.
The crimson chakra around Naruto gradually faded.
He walked toward Neji step by step, breathing heavily, looking down at him.
"You're strong…" Naruto said hoarsely. "But you're wrong."
Neji stared blankly at the sky.
"Isn't… destiny fixed? I'm Branch Family… born to be bound…"
"There's no 'supposed to'!" Naruto cut in fiercely. "If you wanna break free—fight for it! Like I do! Like Hinata did! She was terrified of you—but she still stood up in the end! Are you worse than her?!"
That final question struck harder than any blow.
Hinata—
The cousin he had dismissed as weak.
She had stood up.
She had said, "I follow through on my word."
And what about him?
He had clung to resentment.
To accusations.
To fate.
Had he… already surrendered?
The proctor stepped forward.
"The winner—Uzumaki Naruto!"
The sky screen froze on two images:
Neji, staring blankly at the sky.
Naruto, exhausted yet standing straight-backed.
Across the shinobi world, viewers felt complicated emotions stir within them.
Neji's Reflection
I… lost?
Future me… actually lost?
Neji could barely process it.
Was that dead last right?
Could destiny… truly be changed?
For the first time, Neji realized—
He had never truly accepted fate.
He had shouted that destiny was fixed, that the weak remained weak—
But deep down—
He had never wanted to believe it.
And now he was forced to confront the truth:
He didn't want to accept fate.
Meanwhile… Naruto
"Hahaha! See that?! Sasuke! Sakura! I told you! Uzumaki NarutoLord is the strongest! Genius Neji? Destiny? All smashed to pieces!"
Naruto stood with hands on hips, chin nearly in the air, radiating "Praise me!" energy.
Sasuke, however, leaned against a wooden training post, hands in his pockets.
"...Heh."
That single scoff hit Naruto like a bucket of cold water.
"What's that supposed to mean, Sasuke?! Wasn't I right?!" Naruto protested.
Sasuke turned his head slowly, dark eyes cold.
"That logic of yours… is self-deceptive nonsense."
"Changing destiny?" he said evenly. "In the end… you relied on power."
Naruto froze.
"Without the Nine-Tails inside you," Sasuke continued, voice sharp, "you wouldn't have lasted a single exchange. Neji would've sealed your tenketsu and ended it. You'd be the one on a stretcher."
Naruto opened his mouth to argue—
But Sasuke didn't stop.
"Your speech sounded nice. 'Fight to break free.' 'Nothing's predetermined.'"
"But don't forget—you were able to say those things because you won."
His lips curved faintly.
"If you hadn't smashed through his so-called 'absolute defense' with brute force… do you think that hatred-filled Hyūga Neji would've listened to even one word of your 'Hokage dream' nonsense?"
"Power," Sasuke said quietly, "is the only truth."
"With power, people listen."
"With power, your ideals matter."
"Without it, even the most righteous words are just the whining of the weak."
Naruto stood there, stunned.
The smug grin faded from his face.
He flushed red, trying to think of a comeback.
"I—I won because of guts and determination! Not just power! And I did convince him! He listened!"
"Convince?" Sasuke let out a soft, mocking breath. "He was beaten senseless. His beliefs collapsed."
He turned away, gaze returning to the sky screen.
In his eyes burned a fiercer desire than ever.
Power.
Only absolute power could let one control their own fate.
Only power could reclaim what had been taken.
The light of the sky screen shifted once more.
The scene changed.
Konoha Hospital.
A door opened.
Hyūga Hiashi stepped inside.
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