Kapitel 136: Cheating
William felt adrenalized after seeing his name. This was his chance to show everyone that he was more than just another name; he was his own and had been trying to prove it.
With a quick breath, he glanced back at Naruto, who was shouting from the stands alongside the others. Their cheers enveloped him, providing the strength he would need.
"Go, Will!" Naruto yelled.
"Stay focused, okay?" Margaret suggested. "And don't forget how hard you've trained."
"Do your best," Jada chimed in.
On the other side of their group, Arthur and Lars stood in a similar stance: arms crossed and indifferent to the scene unfolding before them. Arthur, with his blindfold still shielding his eyes, used his Tamashii to peer in their direction. Lars himself still kept his eyes completely closed.
'Let's see what makes this one tick,' Arthur thought. He was considering the implication that William would need to prove himself before initiating his plan.
As the two fighters approached the center of the arena, William exchanged a respectful bow with Ebisu. The Special Jōnin who would lead Konohamaru's squad adjusted his glasses with a self-satisfied smirk. It almost felt like he was condescendingly acknowledging William, who had achieved fame for rescuing the Hokage during Orochimaru's invasion.
"You've come a long way since then," Ebisu stated. "I'm itching to know how a hero of our village prevails against me in this match."
"Did he just say 'hero,'" someone from the crowd asked themselves. The newfound reputation caused them to be intrigued. Some were thinking how such a frail, nerdy-looking child could have become his villages star.
"Haha," William laughed. "Thanks, Ebisu-sensei. It's actually an honour to be in your presence."
When the announcer officially declared the match's start, the two looked toward each other. Their fists, showcasing their style—Ebisu with precise strikes, and William, drawing from a more flamboyant approach.
The match began at an agitated pace. Ebisu's years as a shinobi were meritorious. William, however, matched him blow for blow, supplementing raw power with unpredictable agility.
As the fight progressed, Ebisu managed to execute a pivoting move that left William vulnerable for just an instant. With a swift motion, he flipped William onto his back, catching him off guard. Just as the Special Jōnin moved in to strike, William reacted quickly by planting his hands on the ground. He then propelled himself onto his feet, executing a series of spins and kicks reminiscent of breakdancing.
The crowd enjoyed the unconventional but effective display.
William spun wildly. His legs churned out strikes and defense in an excellent show of harmony, effortlessly performing one kick after another. In the midst of his flashy maneuvers, he taunted, saying, "Have fun keeping up with this!"
Ebisu moved to counter but was unsuccessful. His opponents motion was too heady, almost hypnotic to behold. The cheers from the spectators intensified; they were relishing this unprecedented show of nimbleness.
With his flair and creativity, William caught Ebisu off-guard again, delivering a spin kick that sent his opponent staggering back. This was it. Feeling the thrill of the crowd's cheers, he decided to go for the finishing blow.
He rushed forward, momentum on his side, ready to deliver one final overhead kick that would undoubtedly send Ebisu tumbling out of the ring. But just as he was about to connect, an authoritative voice cut through the noise, halting the match before he could land the blow.
"Hold it! Sensors have detected something unusual!" the announcer yelled.
William's heart sank. He came to an abrupt stop and backed away from Ebisu, who looked equally bewildered.
"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion. "I'm only using the First Gate—there's no illegal chakra usage here!"
The announcer's expression turned serious as he said, "Multiple sensors indicate you're exhibiting enhancements that suggest your body has been unnaturally modified. We need to investigate."
The crowd reacted swiftly, each person leaning into the shared bias they exhibited toward anyone suspected of cheating. Murmurs filled the space, eventually rising to accusations. "He's no hero; he's a fraud!"
William's throat tightened. This couldn't be happening to him. He exclaimed in desperation, "I'm not cheating!"
"Yeah!" Naruto tried to defend. "My cousin would never do something like that!"
The announcer continued, looking more serious than ever as he addressed William, saying, "It's not that we're accusing you of chakra usage, but it appears you possess some kind of augmentation. As such, we cannot allow the match to continue without a thorough evaluation of your eligibility."
Sweat trickled down William's face and spine. For a moment, he felt the ire of the crowd pressing down on him, the weight of their judgment. Yet he had nothing to hide. So he declared, "If that's the case, then sure!"
With a steady hand, the announcer instructed a couple of sensory specialists to guide William to the infirmary. He followed them backstage, as the thrill of the fight turned to disappointment and confusion.
Mei couldn't help but look at the Raikage and ask, "Did you by any chance sense anything from him?"
"No," he answered, "but there is something odd with that boy's body."
"What are you getting at?"
"I suppose a woman wouldn't understand…"
Whatever that was supposed to mean, Mei rolled her eyes. She watched as William left with a sensor. Something indeed had looked—or rather felt—odd about William's physical appearance.
Upon arriving in the infirmary, William was seated in an empty room. He was told that the head doctor, who was also a medical ninja, would arrive shortly. He swung his legs anxiously as he waited. The stillness felt cavernous, and his thoughts meandered back to the accusations thrust upon him.
Augments? He didn't even know what the word meant in this context. Had he modified his body like Orochimaru? No, he did not. Did he use special pills like Hana Inuzuka had before her match? He didn't even have enough money to buy those!
So what could the sensors possibly have felt that was so wrong?
Fresh beads of sweat clung to his forehead as he replayed the moments leading up to the disruption in his mind. Everything felt so normal before the match yet different afterwards. He had been training relentlessly and felt strong, but if there was something he didn't understand about himself, it frustrated him to no end.
The door then swung open. An elderly man with short gray hair stepped inside. His coat hung neatly over his weathered frame, and a smile creased his face as he approached William.
"Ah, Mr. William Uzumaki, am I correct?" the doctor inquired. "I've heard a lot about you."
William felt his cheeks flush at the unexpected compliment. "Really? You have?" He could hardly believe it. He had recently gained notable recognition in the Leaf after rescuing Hiruzen, but to think his exploits had reached the ears of someone random outside his village—that was astounding.
"Yes, indeed," the doctor replied. "Your bravery isn't something to overlook, you know."
"Right! Thank you!"
If only he knew the truth. The reason the doctor had heard about William was because he was actually Arthur in disguise!
The plan had been perfectly executed. While everyone's focus shifted toward the sensors interrupting the match, a ninja from this country had seamlessly swapped places with Arthur. Now, he was disguised as the doctor, perfectly positioned to conduct an examination while carefully observing a player.
And not just any player, but a player stated to be stronger than Jada.
"Let's take a look at you, shall we?" Arthur said, still very much in character. He adjusted his glasses and motioned for William to sit on the examination table.
William complied with a sense of exciting nervousness bubbling inside him. He understood this was a necessary step if he wanted to clear his name and return to the arena, but the clinical atmosphere made him feel like he was about to be scrutinized.
Arthur began the examination, running his hands over William's arms and legs, assessing muscle tone and flexibility. Not to his surprise, William's body felt a bit different than what Arthur was accustomed to seeing in most young shinobi.
William's muscles had that straining resilience that marked a well-conditioned athlete, but there was more—a noticeable hardness that seemed unique. As Arthur continued the exam, he observed the tendons; they had a remarkable elasticity, unlike any standard training regimen should have produced.
That wasn't something someone could achieve in a few weeks or even months. Then, when Arthur used his Tamashii to thoroughly observe William's chakra, there was a heavy maliciousness nature about it.
It clicked suddenly. Arthur understood. As he continued his examination, he formulated a hypothesis and asked, "By any chance, you've haven't been using Shadow Clones to train, have you?"
William's eyes widened and he declared, "Yeah, I've been training really hard! How did you know that?"
"Judging by your movements during the match," Arthur continued while taking notes, "I'd say you've also trained with stronger ninjas."
William nodded, unaware that Arthur had dodged the question. Wanting to pass this test, he told the truth and said, "I have. I don't think your country's heard of the legendary Sannin Jiraiya, but he's the one I've mainly been training with. He and my cousin Naruto—they both have been helping me with my form."
Hearing the truth from such a gullible player couldn't have been easier. William neither seemed suspicious nor caught in the moment; he was completely oblivious to his circumstance.
As the examination progressed, Arthur shifted gears and said, "Alright, Mr. Uzumaki, I need to ask you a few questions. This is crucial for me to understand what's going on and to ensure we know everything."
"Sure! Ask away!" William replied, undiminished.
"Good." Arthur paused for a moment to allow William to collect his thoughts. "First, what's your current limit in terms of how much chakra you feel comfortable using in battle?"
"Um, I can usually manage a thousand chakra units without too much effort. But when I push myself, sometimes I can go a bit higher—close to triple that amount!"
"Interesting," Arthur said, jotting more notes. This was to be expected since his character was stated to have a vast amount of chakra in their reserves. "Next, can you maintain your technique for extended periods, or do you feel fatigue starts to set in after a while?"
"Well, it depends on the jutsu I'm using," he chuckled, "but I can maintain most techniques for a couple minutes at a time. After that, I feel like I might blow a fuse."
"Good to know," Arthur carefully replied. "And what about your physical endurance? How many rounds of sparring could you typically handle before you feel you have to bow out?"
"Hmm," William pondered, "if I'm up against another ninja, I'd say I can go for about three rounds. More if I'm using my clones to rotate out. I guess I do rely on them a little too much."
"A very strategic use of resources," Arthur said.
In truth, William's answer was typical of an overly obsessed Naruto fan. He prided himself so much on the show that he even went as far as selecting the main character's clan just to be closer to the boy.
"Last question," Arthur continued, "If you've ever faced a direct punch or kick from someone stronger than you, how did you handle it?"
William smiled, recalling a recent memory. "Oh yeah! I faced off against a friend of mine who's actually in the tournament. Her name's Marge—I mean Margaret. She hit me pretty hard, and I think it broke something even though I tried my hardest to defend against her attack with my chakra!"
Arthur observed him closely, piecing things together as he spoke. This was no ordinary player, and those questions helped him understand why he was being looked at as stronger than Jada.
When training with shadow clones, as this world's laws dictated, whatever that clone experienced, it would transfer it back to its user. That included conversations, memories, and physical improvements made to the body.
That was how Naruto managed to learn a technique that even his father couldn't perform. It was also how he increased his speed and strength in a short span of time. Truly, the Shadow Clone technique was a jutsu that deserved to be forbidden because players like William were abusing it almost every day!
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein