章 145: Admiration
The unexpected jab ignited a fire in Han's eyes as he snapped and pointed, "You'd better hope we don't cross paths outside this arena!"
Darui shrugged slightly, with a teasing but gentle smile and replied, "I'll be sure to stay on your good side then."
Han's expression became one of absolute vexation. The crowd remained transfixed as they witnessed the growing drama before them.
The announcer, sensing the precarious tension between the fighters, glanced anxiously at the referee, who gestured subtly to indicate their decision.
"Since you are refusing to comply," the referee said, "I'm afraid I have no choice. We must disqualify you from this match."
"Fine by me," Han threatened. "But I'll have you all know: you'll regret seeing me again."
The announcer, sweat trickling down his temple, nodded in agreement. His voice quivered as he repeated on the microphone, "Due to the disregarding of rule number two, Han is disqualified!"
Mixed reactions captured the crowd. Confusion and disappointment mingled with unexpected excitement, but skepticism was present as Han walked away with boiling rage.
Monga slapped his own forehead in disbelief, unable to comprehend Han's stubbornness.
"Great job, Han," he muttered in a sarcastic tone.
"Shut up!" Han roared, glaring at Monga. He then turned back toward Darui and said with a low growl and level tone, "You'd better watch your back."
Darui only chuckled softly with a simple smile that was unfaltered against Han's volatile emotions. "I won't lose any sleep over it."
"Let's go home," Han grumbled to his group.
His pride was bruised and his irritation unresolved. As he exited, Monga gave a reluctant shrug, torn between his loyalty to Han and his desire to watch the tournament further—such was the tumult of Han's stoic nature.
"Darui will advance to the third round!" the announcer declared, hastening to regain control over the arena.
A round of polite applause followed as the audience appreciated Darui's sportsmanship, yet the mood was subdued by the abrupt end of the anticipated fight.
Darui stood, waving lightly to the audience while mouthing a brief thank you. As he did so, he murmured under his breath, "I hope lord Fourth isn't upset that I snagged an easy victory."
Looking up to where the Raikage had previously been seated, he was met with an unexpected sight—the chair was empty!
Omoi then suddenly approached him with a sense of urgency.
"Darui! We have a problem!" he called.
"What's the matter?" Darui asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend's serious tone.
"It's Bee; he's in trouble. The Raikage has ordered us to return to the village immediately."
Darui's brows knit in confusion. "Dull," he dryly commented, not wishing to abandon the excitement unfolding now. "But we can't disobey orders." He sighed, well aware of the gravity of the situation and the necessity to act quickly.
As their conversation drifted into the background, Arthur had been listening closely.
It dawned on him that he was now set to advance into the semi-finals, prepared to face either Lars or Naruto as the next competitor.
The prospect was worthwhile, yet the miscalculation of both Darui and Han not fighting left him wondering. One was too prideful to fight, while the other valued his home over the tournament.
Darui turned to the announcer, who was still processing the earlier disqualification, with a confused expression written across his face.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, "but I won't be participating in the next round."
The announcer blinked rapidly, his mind battling between disappointment and acute respect for their decision. He sagged, saying, "Understood… but I wish you'd have given me a little more time to announce it."
With that, both Darui and Omoi departed the stage, leaving the announcer grasping for stability amidst the shifting events. The audience talked to one another with speculation, casting glances in all directions as they processed the unexpected disqualifications.
Nonetheless, they were still ready for the next act of the tournament.
As Darui and Omoi strode down the dim tunnel leading away from the arena, they engaged in a hurried discussion about what had happened to Bee. However, their momentum was abruptly halted when they encountered William, who chased after them.
"Hey, wait, you two!" he called out, waving an urgent hand.
Omoi glanced sideways at Darui, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "What do you think he wants?"
Darui shrugged, uncertain of why William of all people was trying to get their attention. They had recognized him from his recent fight against Ebisu; however, they hadn't exchanged any words with him. To them, he was just another fighter amidst the other competitors; nothing more, nothing less.
"William, right?" Darui said. "We're sort of in a hurry with something, so what's up?"
"Sort of is an understatement," Omoi corrected.
To their surprise, William straightened up and seemed a little too excited as he said, "I just wanted to say that I'm a really huge fan of both of you! Especially you, Darui!"
Darui felt discomfort at the informal admiration. He shifted his weight unnervingly, not quite knowing how to respond. The sudden attention was, to say the least, unsettling.
"Uh, thanks," he replied, trying to keep his tone neutral.
Sensing his uneasiness, William hurriedly continued, "I'm really sorry if I'm being weird. I just think you're awesome! Like, your skills are so impressive!"
Darui resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the compliment, but the way William gushed over him felt too personal, too enthusiastic for his comfort level.
"Yeah, um… thanks again," he said, the words falling flat as they exchanged awkward glances. A tad skeptical, Darui decided to press further. "What do you like about me so much, since we don't exactly know each other?"
A look of surprise crossed William's face. He had completely forgotten that everyone he knew in this world wouldn't know him. In a flustered attempt to articulate his admiration, he stumbled over his words and said, "Well, it's just… um… I really like your skin!"
Darui's eyes narrowed, feeling offended as he wondered, "My skin? What do you mean by that?"
William's eyes widened, suddenly understanding how his comment could be viewed. Panicking, he tried to recover his face, saying, "No, wait! That's not what I meant! I mean, I really appreciate your—"
"Are you saying that you like me because I have dark skin?" Darui shot back, crossing his arms over his chest. Omoi also seemed discontent. "Because that's not what matters to me. It's the skills and character that count, and it sounds like you're fixated on physical qualities instead."
Before William could respond, Omoi interjected, reminding them of their more urgent matter. "Darui, we need to hurry up! We don't have time for this."
"Right, let's go." Darui turned abruptly, leaving the flustered William standing there.
William's enthusiasm had been completely dashed to shame.
What did he do that was so wrong? While his intentions may have been innocent, his actions were misguided, and the consequences of his words were significant.
His enthusiastic admiration for Darui, expressing that "I really like your skin," was not only poorly timed but also problematic. It reflected an uncomfortable fixation on a personal characteristic rather than acknowledging the individual's skills, persona, or achievements—the very traits that define a fighter's worth in the context of being a shinobi.
When Darui and Omoi were faced with the urgent situation surrounding Bee, William's interruption served as a distraction when their focus should have been on more pressing matters.
The man's attempt to engage in a fanboy-like conversation came off as tone-deaf and self-centered.
In essence, William's eagerness to express admiration failed to consider context, appropriateness, and sensitivity, ultimately making an already fraught situation worse.
As he watched them walk away, he felt a lump of embarrassment settle in his stomach. He had truly meant to express admiration, but it had come out all wrong. As such, he turned and made his way back to his group.
Upon arrival, his friend Jada spotted him and rushed over with a bright smile, asking, "So, how did it go with Darui?"
William gulped, sweat forming on his brow as he quickly put together a fabricated story.
"Oh, it was fine!" he lied. "Darui and I are great friends now. We get along really well!"
Jada seemed delighted to hear that, so she replied, "That's amazing! You have to introduce me to him someday!"
William's heart raced as he processed her enthusiasm. "Uh… sure, yeah, definitely!" he continued, feeling the weight of his deception. It pricked his conscience, knowing he had misrepresented himself and the encounter.
Meanwhile, Arthur had been observing the entire event unfold before him. While he had a straight, unreadable face as usual, his inward expression was of disapproval.
'What a pathetic pathological liar,' he thought, almost shaking his head.
He had seen how genuine William's initial admiration had been, and yet, the way he had clammed up, trying to cover it up with fabrications, struck Arthur as foolishness.
Even though William was being honest with Darui and perhaps did admire him, he shouldn't have carried a façade built on pretense.
The energy in the arena returned as the announcer raised his voice to cut through the murmurs of the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our next match! Please welcome our contestants: Iruka Umino versus William Uzumaki!"
There were cheers and hushed whispers. Some expressed excitement for William, who had recently cleared his name from allegations of cheating and made it to this round, while others remained skeptical, still suspicious if he really had been cleared.
Regardless of what they currently thought, chakra was permitted now. That meant no one could call him out so long as he didn't break the new rules set in place.
Iruka and him stepped forward, the latter standing subtly anxious as he faced his opponent.
"Will, I'm really proud of you," Iruka earnestly said. "You've come a long way to make it this far."
William nodded appreciatively. Everyone could see the gratitude on his face.
"Thank you, Iruka-sensei. You've always been a great mentor, so I'll always remember this."
He then bowed respectfully, earning a warm look from Iruka that made him feel both comfortable and determined.
As the announcer called for the match to begin, the two squared off, mentally preparing for what lay ahead.
Iruka quickly launched a series of low-rank jutsu, aiming to catch William off-guard. He envied the boy's agility and speed, knowing they could pose significant challenges if he didn't try.
However, to Iruka's surprise, William was one step ahead.
With every technique employed, he countered them nicely, showcasing his knowledge of Iruka's method of fighting.
The crowd began to actually get excited, captivated by the show of skill. "Look at him go!" one spectator yelled. Another expressed doubt, saying, "I still wonder if he really deserves to be here."
Iruka couldn't help but be impressed by his former academy student. "So you've been studying, huh?" he stated with an approving glance. "You're adapting quickly!"
"Yes, but I've still got a trick up my sleeve!" William replied, his confidence growing as they exchanged blows. Iruka's respect deepened with every kick and counter he delivered.
As the battle moved along, Iruka finally saw an opportunity to bring the match to a close. "Alright, Will! Let's see how you handle this!" He positioned his hands into a familiar sign, unleashing his technique. "Sealing jutsu: coordinated light formation!"
With a swift motion, he erected a barrier beneath their feet, illuminating the ground with symbols that spiraled around them. The circle then slightly glowed, cutting William off from any chance of escape.
"Well," Iruka said after having successfully trapped William. "Unless you break out before the time limit, it looks like I've won."
"Don't count me out just yet, sensei!" he replied, flashing a grin.
Iruka furrowed his brow, momentarily confused. "What do you mean by that?" he skeptically asked.
Suddenly, William poofed away in a cloud of smoke, revealing that it had been a shadow clone trapped within the barrier. The real William appeared behind Iruka in an instant. "Gotcha!" he called, executing a powerful kick that sent Iruka flying out of the arena, landing outside.
The announcer's voice rang through the air: "Winner: William Uzumaki!"
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