Chapitre 142: Temper Tantrum
Things in the arena continued to electrify with the roars of spectators and the scintillating intensity of anticipation—they wanted more.
Just moments before the announcer proclaimed the latest developments in the ongoing competition, Fū and Margaret stood apart. Judging from their smiles, they seemed to have made a connection.
"Had they always been friends?" someone wondered.
In truth, after a simple encounter, they were able to bud their friendship. Although they had just crossed the threshold into amity, the underlying fact that they were still in a tournament was apparent—a playful rivalry fueled by mutual respect.
On the outside of the stage, Lars stood silently. He was belying a deep disappointment that none would have guessed came from the Tekken fighter. That was because not long ago, the announcer stated to everyone: "Lars advances to the next round by default due to Kitsuchi's withdrawal."
Arthur, who had never lost sight of Lars' actions, understood how this fighter felt.
The latter's straight expression suggested contentment, but Arthur sensed his troubling dissatisfaction. Lars wasn't discouraged by the lack of an opponent but rather that he had no chance to show off his true strength. He thrived on struggle, on confrontation—on the thrill of pushing his boundaries.
A match without a worthy opponent was akin to a day without light for him. Such was the mindset of Lars.
'He wants someone strong to give him a run for his money,' Arthur believed, contemplating the discrepancies between outward appearances and inner thoughts.
Lars had the potential to be a formidable ally—or, in due course, an adversary. Either way, Arthur needed to keep a close eye on him. The individuals who craved strength often had wayward routes.
As the whispers among the crowd began to die down, the announcer cleared his throat and said, "And now, for the next match, we have: Fū vs. Margaret Senju!"
Fū couldn't contain her giddiness. She'd seen Margaret in action before, and the delight of facing such a formidable opponent made her overly excited.
But just before the match began, Margaret hesitated. She glanced back at the referees, then at the regulators, and asked, "Am I allowed to use wood style?"
Arthur's interest piqued. So she does indeed have wood style; otherwise, she wouldn't be questioning this rule. As for why she was asking, it's likely because she's unaware of what her Kekkei Genkai classifies as.
Fū jumped in before they could answer. "C'mon! Let her use it! I want to see what you can do!" Most of the crowd certainly didn't know what wood style was, yet they seemed to be backing her decision.
A minute passed. Finally, the announcer returned to the center and said, "Due to the nature of wood style techniques, which classifies as a-rank or higher, they are prohibited in this tournament."
Both girls had their excitement doused at that notion. They were very disappointed.
Margaret clenched her fists, but she was not one to dwell too long in negativity. "It's alright! I have other techniques." Fū nodded, still looking forward to the fight.
As the announcer signaled the start of the match, Margaret was the first to move. She clapped her hands together, causing an earth dome to rise, aiming to encase Fū within its grounded confines.
But Fū was quick; insect wings flared from her back, enabling her to soar high above the ground.
The crowd collectively gasped at the sight of her gliding in the skies. Arthur, more observant than most, took a mental note of her Tailed Beasts' influence on her abilities—the Seven-Tails' chakra wasn't being released.
"That was close!" her voice rang down from the heights.
Margaret, undeterred, simply chuckled. "I'm not out of tricks just yet!" With another clap, she unleashed an array of earth projectiles soaring toward Fū.
The Jinchūriki smiled as she darted to the left, then the right, evading the oncoming rocks. Each time she veered, the audience cheered, and their exhilaration grew alongside the contest's intensity.
As Arthur narrowed his focus on Margaret's tactics, he noted a peculiar quirk: 'She's not using any hand signs.' Being a strategic thinker himself, he recognized this as unusual. She performed her jutsus merely through clapping her hands. A feat like that deviated from the standard practices of most shinobi.
"Secret ninjutsu: scaled sneak jutsu!"
Suddenly, Fū exhaled a luminous powder that shimmered in the sunlight. It blinded all who dared stare directly at her. Seeing that Margaret had shielded her eyes, she took advantage of the momentary confusion.
"Hidden Waterfall Hurricane!"
She then dove down, aiming to strike Margaret head-on. Yet Margaret herself remained surprisingly composed.
In a moment that felt drawn out, Fū's fist met its target, where Margaret quickly crossed her arms to block the blow. The impact was grand, sending aftershocks through the earth and forming a wide crater. Dust erupted around them, obscuring the scene momentarily.
"What?! Fū exclaimed. "You blocked that for real?"
Her reaction was more delightful than surprised. She'd expected a strong counter but not a defense that was so firm.
Margaret, still with her eyes shielded, simply laughed off the bruise on her arm, "Yeah, I did block that."
From the sidelines, Arthur analyzed Margaret's unexpected resilience. If she truly was stronger than Jada, this moment was just a sliver of proof—a clear indication that the match wasn't over, not by a long shot.
Fū quickly recomposed herself by falling back a few paces. "Time to go all out!" she declared.
"Me too!" Margaret replied confidently.
But before their next exchange could unfold, the referees' whistle cut through the excitement, signaling an unexpected turn of events.
The crowd, who had been riding high on adrenaline, faltered into a confused silence.
"What's happening?" they murmured, eyes darting between the referees and the two competitors.
The announcer ran to the center, looking perplexed, and said, "In violation of rule number seven, Margaret is disqualified!"
Disbelief filled the stands. Margaret stared wide eyed. Flames of indignation could be seen in her expression. Her frustration began growing uncontrollable.
"What?!" she screamed in protest. "Why? The match just started!"
The referees conferred briefly before explaining to the announcer, who relayed the verdict: "Margaret has produced an unknown healing technique that has invalidated her participation."
That's when the spectators looked at her bruised arm from Fū's earlier attack and saw that it was no longer present.
"Wait, that's not—!" Margaret interjected. "It's not a technique! I can't turn it off!"
When Arthur heard that, the pieces clicked into place. He remembered something from the character selection screen: The player who chose to be a Senju had a fifty percent chance of having three different abilities inherited.
Natural healing was one of them. To think that same ability would be a passive healing one. Unlike Arthur's healing techniques, which required focus and chakra, hers did not—it activated on its own without any thought.
Dissatisfaction churned with Margaret as she fumed. Because of her red hair, she almost looked like a volcano, ready to explode. She stomped her foot down, practically shaking the ground. Almost everyone felt it tremble.
When Arthur looked again with his Tamashii, he saw that her entire body's chakra levels were gradually increasing. It was incredible—better than even Chiruku's wellspring of chakra.
"I'm going to—!" she seethed, unable to contain her frustration or the fiery emotions that pushed her toward the brink.
Fū couldn't help but giggle at her new friend's overwhelming frustration. So she chirped, "It's alright, Marge! I still enjoyed that! You're really strong!" Her aim was to pacify the tempest.
"But I wanted to show you everything!" Margaret's fury melted momentarily under Fū's sincere words.
Her anger, however, was still evident. Unable to argue against this rule, she returned to her group and felt uncharacteristically raw.
Naruto, Neji, and Lee gathered to provide support, but she infuriatingly shook her head. Their sentimental words didn't seem to have any effect on her.
Not even Iruka could calm her down. She was truly upset and began throwing a temper tantrum!
Lee tried to comfort her by touching her shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" she said, smacking his hand away, making him fall. "Don't ever touch me!"
No one had expected that. Even Lee, now on the floor, was dazed by how angry and how strong she truly was.
"Margaret," Iruka said, a tad annoyed, "that was really uncalled for."
"Bite me, loser!" she countered. "I saved your Kage, so give me some slack."
Neji took a mental note of how she said "your" Kage.
"I don't want to watch the rest of this stupid tournament anymore!" she declared. "I'm leaving!"
The group tried to dissuade her, but what they were met with was a girl whose horizon had collapsed, consumed by anger. They watched as she stormed off, ordering one of them to give Fū her regards.
"What's up with her?!" Naruto wondered as she fully left. "She gets more upset than Sakura."
"There's something you should know about Marge, guys," Jada spoke up. "When she gets like that and her mind's made about something, she'll lash out at just about anyone. Her temper's no joke and no one can stop her."
"Wait," Neji wondered, "don't you two live together alongside Alice?"
"They do," William answered for her. "That's the reason Naruto and I don't visit them—Marge becomes irate when boys come to their home."
"What about Alex and—" before Naruto could finish, William covered the boys mouth, knowing that it would only lead to trouble.
Serenity fell back over the arena. Fū turned her expression to the remaining bystanders, receiving her victory as eyes shifted toward her. The announcement rang across the building: "Fū is the victor! She advances to the third round!"
Resounding cheers continued, but for Fū, the joy of winning felt unearned. Yet, she had learned valuable lessons about boundaries, respect, and resilience through the competition. And as she turned to the spectators, she was eager to meet Margaret again one day.
"Gee," she said, "I hope she's alright."
Fū returned to her group, where Jada was already waiting for her. She apologized to the Jinchūriki, to which Fū honestly had no problem with it—she enjoyed both the short fight and Margaret's unsettling behaviour.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer said, "we're set for the following matchup!" Because of Margaret's unnecessary sayings, he had to stir up the crowd again. "Next up, we have—"
But before he could even finish the introduction, a figure was already seen striding with a deliberate strength that drew instant attention.
The crowd murmured one to another, and their gazes were drawn toward him, whose very presence demanded respect. They'd all seen him more than once, unaware of who he was or where he came from.
Dressed in a muscular frame that spoke to his physical prowess, this man was clearly different from other participants. He wore a blindfold that obscured his eyes, which further made his figure intimidating.
Arthur, disguised as Hoshikaze, stepped confidently onto the stage.
His intense physicality was carefully crafted for this very purpose, for he knew he was strong and had to look the part. It allowed him to continue operating under a cloak of anonymity.
The announcer, momentarily taken aback by Arthur's sudden entrance, quickly regained his footing and said, "Ahem. As I was saying, it looks like Hoshikaze will be facing off against Chen!"
The crowd continued their cheers. On the opposite side of the arena, Chen flipped flamboyantly into the spotlight, landing before Arthur. With a confident grin, he surveyed his opponent, unmistakably impressed by his muscular build.
"I admire your skills, Mr. Hoshikaze," Chen declared as he took a few steps closer. "Make no mistake, I'm taking this fight seriously!"
Was this some sort of bravado, his competitive spirit, or perhaps both? Regardless of what it was, Arthur's expression remained cool and composed.
"Your Leaf Dragon technique won't have any effect on me," he calmly replied.
Chen let out a low chuckle while Arthur's figure reflected off the shinobi's sunglasses.
"You've figured out my Leaf Dragon already?" he wondered. "Call me whatever you'd like, but I don't believe for a second that you have."
"Think I don't know who you are?" Arthur coolly responded. "Are you not the same Chen who served in the Third Shinobi War?"
"I'm impressed," he replied. "I didn't know my name would travel to these parts.
"Tread carefully," Arthur cautioned, sensing that Chen was trying to stay collected.
"No need to tell me twice," he laughed. "Just like how you said my Leaf Dragon won't have any effect on you, your dodging tricks you used last match won't have any effect on me!"
The referee was honestly listening back and forth, pleased that fighters weren't just standing silent. And to think it was Arthur of all people who would be speaking.
"Ah," Chen added. "Let me remind you that I personally came out of retirement to see what the hubbub was all about in this tournament."
"Do tell…"
"The last thing I'm going to do is lose to someone with a blindfold on!"
The crowd oohed and laughed at how energetic Chen was behaving. Others, however, had stoic expressions plastered on their faces, aware after one match of just how dangerous this "Hoshikaze" truly was.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone