Chapter 146: Every Universe
Once Iruka regained his footing, he approached William. It was clear by his smile that he was impressed despite the outcome.
"Well done, Will! You managed to outsmart me there."
William beamed with pride as he said, "Thanks! I couldn't have done it without everything you taught me!"
Those words caused Arthur's dissatisfaction to loom down further. To him, it was a mid-fight. Why? Because William just copied what Naruto did against Santa. Then there was Iruka, who would use that sealing technique three years from now to try and entrap Naruto from participating in the Fourth Shinobi World War.
'How unoriginal…'
As the crowd began to warm up to William's flashy techniques and persona, Arthur scribbled mental notes in his mind, piecing together the blueprint of William's character: he didn't lack ability; he lacked authenticity.
'This man doesn't get it,' Arthur mused.
Arthur was right to think so. While William was playing checkers, he was more than ten steps ahead in a game of chess.
What he had done throughout all of William's fights and even his conversation was analyze that man—both his moves and his personality.
William's techniques were flashy yet derivative—a mere reflection of Naruto's style instead of his own originality. No matter how entertaining the match seemed to others, it craved depth, complexity, and individuality from both sides.
The more William mimicked Naruto's moves, the easier it was for Arthur to read him.
As William celebrated with his defeated mentor, laughter and excitement filled their ears.
With every shout of admiration and encouragement from the crowd, Arthur felt convinced—William had the potential to be something outstanding but remained stuck. He wanted to be remembered for being William Uzumaki, not who he is on earth.
'Truly unoriginal…'
Seeing William win was nothing short of expected. This was, after all, a player who, with the help of Hiruzen, was able to survive a battle against Orochimaru.
For him to go defeat a Chūnin like Iruka was predictable. And with that defeat came the start of the third round.
The announcer's voice rang as he said, "We have witnessed incredible feats of strength and strategy so far in this tournament, and now, folks, we're about to kick off the third round! The stakes have never been higher, and the competitors are all still fired up! Who will secure their spot in the semifinals? Let's find out!"
The cheers of the crowd drowned out even the loudest of thoughts.
As the announcer gestured towards the arena, Rock Lee was already getting overly excited. That was because his fight was going to be first. He took a deep breath, letting the adrenaline fuel him.
Now pumped up and having received encouragement from his friends, he launched himself into a series of flips, landing on the stage. Fū, from her area, took to the air with her insect wings before landing in the center—a fitting metaphor for the battle ahead.
"Any friend of Jada's is also a friend of mine!" Lee called after the two meet in the center. "Fū, let us have a fantastic match!"
Her expression brightened, and she gave him a playful smile, saying, "You got it, Lee! I love making new friends, especially strong ones like you!"
They exchanged nods of mutual respect, and as the announcer's voice signaled the start of the match, their focus sharpened.
Fū wasted no time flying past Lee with her insect wings, generating a cloud of blinding dust around them. Lee braced himself. He knew that while he couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, he possessed good enough reflexes from years of rigorous training.
Lee did his best to block out the dust, trying to engulf his senses, orienting himself based on sound and the slightest fluctuations in the air.
"Impressive," Fū called from high above. She was still bouncy and surprised. "You really can take a hit! But how long can you last?"
Lee clenched his fists and said, "I am not one to back down so easily! Whether on the ground or in the sky, I will find a way!"
Fū smirked, noting his tenacity, and couldn't help but ask, "Are you planning to take off those leg weights of yours against me?"
Lee's smile widened as he replied, "I only brought two pairs! I already used them, so you are receiving me at my full strength!"
"Wait, really?!" she asked, eyes wide.
The exchange fueled a competitive fire between them, and as they engaged, Lee shifted into his fighting stance.
"Fourth gate of pain, open!" Feeling the familiar rush as his blood boiled, turning his skin red, he lunged and executed a flurry of quick movements, aiming for Fū in the air. "Here I come!"
As his body rocketed towards her, she flitted quickly around him like a butterfly evading the grasp of a child's hands. Panic threatened to engulf her senses, but her instincts kicked in.
"Ninja art: cocoon!"
A thick layer of chakra-infused silk surrounded Fū just as Lee bore down on her. He collided with the cocoon, reverberating through the air with a crash to the ground. When the dust settled, the cocoon held firm.
Then Lee understood—her defenses seemed impenetrable.
From the sidelines, Arthur recalled the details he'd understood about this Jinchūriki. Physical attacks don't work on her cocoon; it's only weak against chakra-infused strikes.
Fū willed herself out of the cocoon but knew she couldn't remain stationary for long. She took to the skies, maintaining a distance.
As Lee's thoughts deepened, he decided to escalate the intensity: "Fifth gate of vision, open!"
His body illuminated with a vibrant yellow aura, transforming him entirely. In the next heartbeat, he was already airborne, racing towards Fū with astonishing speed.
Everyone had witnessed this technique beforehand, yet it impressed them even the second time. The name echoed throughout the arena: "True hidden lotus!"
Each leap was choreographed as he rotated and lunged at her, barraging her with strikes that moved in perfect geometric pathways. She felt trapped within a maze as Lee darted past her, landing blow after blow, her figure vibrating under the onslaught.
Fū's heart raced. While she wanted to activate her cocoon again, it felt futile against the assault of his technique. The calculating angles he was attacking in left no room for her to make a proper move.
As the last shutter of his barrage hit her, she felt the impact accumulate that sent her spiraling down. Lee then landed at the center of the arena, panting lightly, watching her fall.
When she finally crashed to the ground, her body flopped, unable to muster enough energy to stand. The announcer's voice went through the stands: "And the winner is Rock Lee!"
His name filled the stadium as the crowd cheered him on.
After accepting the victory, he rushed over to assist the fallen Jinchūriki. Extending a hand down to her, he asked, "Are you okay?"
She accepted his help with a radiant smile despite her exhausted features. "That was amazing, Lee! I've never faced someone like you before! I promise I'll be stronger next time!"
"I am glad you feel that way!" he replied with the same energy. "I will keep training too and not fall behind!"
After their exchange, he returned to his group, who were eagerly waiting to surround him with congratulatory praise. Neji, Jada, William, and Naruto beamed.
"That was an incredible match, Lee!" Jada exclaimed.
"Yeah, I mean, that eight gate or whatever is something I have to learn!" Naruto added abuzz with enthusiasm.
Lee blushed, scratching the back of his head, and said, "I am glad you all think so highly of my taijutsu. I owe it to Guy-sensei and his teachings!"
William added on the fact that Fū is a very strong Jinchūriki. Even if she couldn't use her Tailed Beast chakra, in a match when both fighters were going all out, William believed Lee would still win.
Arthur, however, understood that was a false statement. A taijutsu-only user who couldn't at least activate the seventh gate would undoubtedly fall against a Jinchūriki who had complete control of their Tailed Beast.
"Now it's your turn," Jada said, shifting her focus to Naruto. "You need to give it your all because you'll be facing Lars next!"
Naruto's expression turned serious, a rare occurrence as he said, "Right… uh, any tips on how to beat him?"
Jada crossed her arms thoughtfully and answered, "Well, I don't know much about him except that he uses lightning techniques. It's better to be prepared for anything, really."
She was more or less right. Lars' fighting style from Tekken was translated into purple lightning in the Ultimate Ninja Storm II video game.
William stepped forward with a huge grin and said, "I've studied his style, cuz. Let me give you a few pointers." He then led Naruto a bit further aside, lowering his voice into a conspiratorial tone. "Lars tends to use his fists, often catching opponents off-guard with quick bursts of lightning strikes if he's using chakra. Stay mobile, use ranged attacks, and keep him from grabbing you at all costs."
"Got it!" Naruto nodded vigorously. "Just keep moving, right?"
"Exactly," William confirmed. "And don't forget to use your shadow clones. They'll create openings for you, especially if you can distract him during his charging-up sequence."
As the two strategized, Lee couldn't help but contribute as well. He appeared suddenly, almost startling them to whisper, "And if you can, watch out for his taijutsu. Once he gets going, it can get overwhelming."
"Thanks, guys!" Naruto said, feeling more determined. The old Naruto would have walked in without a strategy. "I won't let you down!"
After he left the coaching huddle, Lee felt as if Naruto would truly win. He had been impressed by the latter's taijutsu so far. And now that chakra was permitted, it only made him more confident in Naruto's match.
The anticipation for the battle reached an all-time high.
Lars calmly walked towards the stage without opening his eyes. It was merely a stroll, but Arthur could instantly tell that Lars would be victorious. After all, Lars had been the star of numerous battles, a character whose exploits were known throughout the annals of gaming history.
When he finally met Naruto in the middle, he planted his feet firm on the ground. Naruto mirrored his bravado, puffing out his chest and bravely declaring, "I'm going to beat you, Lars!"
Lars finally opened his eyes and slightly tilted his head. There was amusement in his eyes as he smirked and coolly replied, "Are you sure?" His words were a challenge.
"Yeah! I'm dead sure!" Naruto answered, pointing at him.
The audience enjoyed the smack talk. They can practically feel how resolute Naruto was in contrast to the level-headed Tekken fighter.
"Very well…" Lars said with an even wider smirk.
Before the match could start, Naruto decided to remove his jacket, revealing his green jumpsuit. It instantly evoked a roar of approval from the audience.
Holding his stance with one arm behind his back and the palm of his other hand facing inward, he prepared himself accordingly. Lee, the original practitioner of that stance, yelled, "Make me and Guy-sensei proud, Naruto!"
"Lee, calm down," Neji tried saying. "He'll be just fine."
Noticing much the crowd chanting Naruto's name, Lars showed little reaction, only shifting his weight as if dismissing the noise. His focus was entirely on his opponent. And Naruto wouldn't have it any other way.
Arthur quickly ran a scenario through his mind, seeing every action and movement each fighter was likely to execute. In just a split second, he deduced that Lars would be the inevitable winner.
Unless the main character had a trick up his sleeve that Arthur wasn't aware of, there was little to no chance of Naruto coming out of this unscathed.
Lars, after all, was considered one of the top fighters in almost every universe!
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