Capítulo 77: Chapter 77: A warning
(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
(Four chapters today. 3/4)
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The Third Hokage felt a headache coming up.
With so many foreign shinobis watching, he hoped the contestants could show some restraint.h
'This brat…'
He understood why Colt harbored such animosity towards Neji, and he was aware of the hostility between Neji and the main branch of the Hyuga clan.
However, outsiders were oblivious to this internal conflict. To the other shinobi villages, this might appear as discord within Konoha's ranks.
Colt, however, wasn't concerned with such politics.
His sole focus was to defeat Neji, hoping it would teach him to treat Hinata with more respect in the future.
After all, no one who had mistreated Hinata had escaped unscathed from him. Moreover, Colt had saved Neji's uncle's life before.
At that moment, two special spectators arrived on the second floor of the arena.
"Father, Hanabi," Hinata said, her face paling as her younger sister ran over to greet her.
"Hello, elder sister," little Hanabi said with a stoic expression.
Their father had taught her that every action outside the compound represented the Hyuga clan's face and reputation, and she must never forget her manners.
"Hmm," Hiashi replied softly, his gaze fixed on Neji and Colt in the arena below, falling silent.
As was customary in Hokage-sanctioned matches, the opponents exchanged words before the fight began.
Neji, unable to escape this tradition, spoke first.
"Kamiyo Colt, while your strength is impressive, it is your destiny to lose to me," Neji stated flatly as if reciting an undeniable truth. "My eyes have seen that the chakra within you is as powerful as a tailed beast, but against my Gentle Fist and Hyuga clan style, you are still powerless."
'Is this guy serious?' Colt thought, remaining silent as he removed his outer jacket, revealing his muscular frame beneath. He threw [Kaminari] to Ino before turning to face Neji.
"In that case, I'll defeat you at what you do best, Taijutsu" Colt declared.
Neji frowned.
"I don't want to defeat you while you're holding back. Fight me with all your strength!"
"Honestly, you're not worthy enough," Colt replied, no longer interested in conversation.
In a flash, he charged forward.
Seeing this, Neji assumed his stance, his body changing into a peculiar posture. The veins around his temple and eyes bulged as his Byakugan activated.
Boom!
Colt's fist shot out like a thunderbolt, creating gusts of wind in its wake. Neji's eyes narrowed slightly as he dodged horizontally, his right palm striking out towards Colt's arm.
The Gentle Fist technique's most subtle application was to use the Byakugan's insight to disrupt the opponent's chakra flow, thus significantly reducing their strength.
Colt was well aware of this, but he knew he could easily avoid Neji's strikes if he wanted to.
However, since he had committed to a purely physical duel, he didn't care if his chakra points were blocked. After all, even if they were restricted, that wouldn't affect him physically.
Transforming his fist into an open palm, Colt changed his straight punch into a side slash, aiming for Neji's chest. Neji, caught off guard by Colt's ruthlessness, hesitated for a moment before abandoning his attack to block with one hand.
Using Colt's momentum, Neji propelled himself into the air, executing a series of backflips to widen the distance between them.
"Scared?" Colt grinned, and then he resumed attacking leaving no time for Neji's rebuttals.
*Swoosh*
Their fists and feet collided in a flurry of movements, a pure contest of technique and physicality rather than destructive force.
The Gentle Fist style, perfect for close combat, met Colt's fluid technique of predicting and countering his opponent's moves.
Their speed was incredible, exchanging dozens of blows in mere seconds. While Neji was already breaking a sweat, Colt's expression remained relaxed. For him, this was barely a warm-up.
'How is this possible? How could I be losing in physical combat?' Neji gritted his teeth, increasing his attack speed as his moves became more aggressive. However, the gap between them was too great.
Colt sealed Neji's left hand with a single movement. As Neji lashed out with his right, aiming for Colt's throat, it was effortlessly deflected.
With Neji's consecutive attacks failing, his center of gravity faltered, leaving him wide open. Colt, seizing the opportunity, struck Neji's face with a lightning-fast elbow.
His right hand then turned into a palm, centered on Neji's chest, as he unleashed his strength.
"[Mountain Crushing Force]!"
Neji's body flew backward violently, blood spraying from his mouth and nose as he crashed into the wall behind him. Cracks spread like a spider's web from the impact point. The force of the technique shattered the wall, burying Neji in a shower of debris.
"Neji!" Hiashi couldn't maintain his composure any longer, concern for his nephew was evident in his voice.
The Third Hokage's face darkened. The repair costs were going to be substantial.
Gaara watched with a grim expression. He realized that even if Colt couldn't use that Rasengan technique against him, his sand defense might not be enough to withstand such raw power. The memory of Colt's terrifying eyes made his heart sink further.
As everyone assumed the match was over, with even the proctor approaching the field, an angry shout erupted from the rubble where Neji lay.
"[Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven]!"
The blue chakra shield appeared, deflecting all the debris that had buried Neji. Emerging from the rubble, Neji stood panting, covered in blood, looking utterly disheveled. Yet, his resilience was enough to shock many onlookers.
"I thought the [Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven] was a secret technique of the Hyuga clan," the Third Hokage mused, impressed by another display of a genius.
Hyuga Hiashi beamed with pride internally; Neji mastering that secret technique on his own was a testament to his brother's legacy.
"I thought you were hiding in there, afraid to come out," Colt remarked, unsurprised. He knew the extent of the damage he'd inflicted - at most, two broken ribs and a bruised cheek, though the wall's destruction made it look far worse.
Neji remained silent, realizing he had gravely underestimated Colt. In terms of raw strength, he was outmatched. Yet, he was determined to make one last stand.
Raising his right hand and lowering his left, an Eight Trigrams array materialized before everyone's eyes.
"[Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms]!" Neji shouted, charging towards Colt.
While Hinata hoped for Colt's victory, she couldn't help but admire Neji. Despite her clan's expert guidance and the sparring she did frequently with Colt, she had only mastered the thirty-two palms, still far from the sixty-four.
Jōnin Baki, Sunagakure's guide, observed keenly, glancing at Hyuga Hiashi in the distance. He made mental notes, knowing the Hyuga ninjas would need to be neutralized for their future plans.
Colt focused, assuming a defensive posture.
"[Eight Trigrams: Two Palms]!" Neji growled, aiming two swift strikes at Colt's chest.
Colt deflected the attacks with casual moves.
"Four Palms!" "Eight Palms!" "Sixty-Four Palms!"
Neji concentrated all his energy, feeling stronger than ever before. He sensed he was on the verge of reaching a new state, perhaps soon he would be able to execute one hundred and twenty-eight palms.
However, Colt suddenly shifted his style, flowing smoothly through his style's movements. Utilizing the principles of diverting, attracting, adhering, and redirecting force in harmony, he effortlessly neutralized each of Neji's strikes.
(E/N: This is the best I can turn this to, without it sounding too Chinese xD. Someone said I add words to make the chapters longer, lol I should have shown him how much I cut from this paragraph and how long the original chapter was)
After the barrage of sixty-four palms, Neji hadn't landed a single hit on Colt. Having pushed far beyond his limits, he had depleted all his strength.
Finally, he collapsed to the ground, completely incapacitated.
"Hah, hah," He was breathing heavily.
"The winner is Kamiyo Colt!" the proctor announced.
Colt walked closer to Neji and then addressed him.
"I don't have anything against you personally, however I have something to say. Your issues with the Hyuga clan are your own and you should keep it that way, after all, Hinata is innocent in this problem of yours. Now, don't let me catch you mistreating her again, or we'll have another more intense match. Out of consideration for Hinata, this match is rather tame compared to what I can do… And stop always talking about fate and destiny - it only makes you sound like a coward."
He had no prejudice for Neji on his own. But because of Hinata's relationship with him, he had to give the guy a serious warning.
'Sigh, time to go now' Colt started leaving.
As Colt left the arena, Neji stared blankly at the ceiling, questioning his beliefs about fate and his own character.
'Am I really a coward?'
The final matchups were then determined by drawing lots, with Kankuro choosing to abstain due to his damaged puppet.
The remaining ten participants drew their numbers, revealing the battle combinations for the finals:
Naruto vs Shikamaru.
Sasuke vs Gaara.
Hinata vs Ino.
Choji vs Shino.
Colt vs Temari.
Of these ten people, eight were from Konoha, and two were from the Sand Shinobi Village.
Reactions varied among the participants.
Shikamaru sighed, "What a drag, I have to fight that hot-blooded idiot."
Asuma quickly intervened, "Choji, Shikamaru, you two are not allowed to surrender. Whoever does will have double the training the next month! And Choji, there will be no barbecue for you in that month if you give up!"
Shikamaru replied helplessly, "Tsk, as if I'm afraid of you."
Choji's eyes reddened at the thought of no barbecue for such a long time and started glaring at Shino as if he was his mortal enemy.
Gaara and Sasuke locked eyes, sparks of anticipation flying between them. They seemed quite satisfied with their matchup.
Ino and Hinata shared a friendly atmosphere, their rivalry was more playful than intense.
Naruto, brimming with enthusiasm, declared, "Shikamaru, I'm definitely going to win!"
Temari looked dejected upon realizing she'd face Colt.
"I might as well just admit defeat now," she muttered.
Colt smiled slightly, "You could simply abstain if you want to avoid the trouble."
"No way!" Temari's eyes flashed with determination. "Even if I can't beat you, giving up isn't my style!"
Internally though, she resolved to put up a brief fight before surrendering - a face-saving compromise that would be short, cool, and allow for a swift exit.
Capítulo 78: Chapter 78: Seed of Nature
(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
(Four chapters today. 4/4)
****************
The knockout round had finally concluded, allowing everyone to emerge from the Forest of Death after five grueling days.
Hinata departed with Hiashi and her little sister, while Ino left with Team 10.
With the main competition approaching, the remaining participants knew they had to train diligently.
For Colt, seeing the two girls might prove difficult in the coming month.
Team seven made their way back to Konoha, spirits high for all except Sakura.
Even Kakashi was in a good mood, proud that all three of his students had advanced to the final stage. As for Sakura, Kakashi could only conclude that she had yet to fully commit to the path of a ninja.
"Sasuke, starting tomorrow, I'll guide you in your 'Chidori' practice and teach you how to better use thunder-attributed chakra," Kakashi said.
Considering that Sasuke's opponent was Gaara, Kakashi felt uneasy.
His keen eye could discern that Gaara's strength had already surpassed that of a Genin, reaching the level of a Jonin already. Moreover, when looking at the child, even Kakashi felt a sense of dread, as if Gaara concealed some great horror within.
Sasuke remained silent for a moment before agreeing. In truth, he had hoped Colt would guide him, but he knew it was unlikely. Colt was typically lazy and indifferent to such requests.
"What about me, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked eagerly.
Kakashi glanced at Colt, who seemed disinterested. "What do you think, Colt?"
"Really?" Naruto's eyes lit up, excited by the prospect.
"Keep dreaming," Colt said, rolling his eyes. "What you need now is to focus on the basics. Kakashi-sensei will arrange that for you."
Colt knew that Naruto's chakra control was still weak, and Ebisu, as a special Jōnin skilled in teaching, would have more experience in this area. Besides, the Pervy Sage was waiting for Naruto.
Kakashi smiled and agreed with Colt's assessment. Although initially disappointed, Naruto quickly regained his enthusiasm. After all, he had won his match, qualified, and had such a cool technique he could train in.
As the sun set, its dying rays illuminating the sky, Naruto made a bold declaration: "I will definitely defeat Shikamaru, win the competition, and become the Hokage!"
"Haha, Keep working hard Naruto,"
Amidst the laughter that followed, only Sakura wore a stiff expression, her thoughts elsewhere.
Arriving home, Colt fell silent upon seeing that Ichibi had ravaged every room once again.
"Arrf~!"
Observing the dog's eyes blinking with wisdom, Colt finally made up his mind.
"Ichibi, you're a mature dog now. It's not okay to stay this chubby every day."
As he weighed the fat on Ichibi's chin, Colt's tone remained gentle.
"Arrf?"
What was the owner talking about? He was just an ordinary dog.
"Look at Kiba's Akamaru. He can help him in his fight against Naruto. Now, I'm not asking too much of you… but at the very least you should be able to take on Sasuke."
After interpreting Ichibi's gaze, Colt spoke earnestly while simultaneously calling out to the system.
"[System], exchange for the Seed of Nature."
A strange seed shimmering with golden light appeared in his hand. Colt opened Ichibi's mouth and tossed it in.
"Arrf?"
Ichibi's face was full of confusion before his whole body began to twitch violently, his yelps endless.
Seeing Ichibi's pained expression, Colt's face remained calm.
The Seed of Nature was worth 5,000 points, and its effects granted the summoning beasts the ability to use natural energy. The seed's power was now transforming Ichibi's body.
From this point on, Ichibi could practice sage arts just like the summoning beasts of the Three Holy Lands. Perhaps in a thousand years, he might even earn the title of a Great Hound Sage.
A little pain now was Colt's way of teaching Ichibi a lesson. After all, if one ate well and only suffered a little, they remained just a common dog.
Colt also put the practice of [Sage Mode] on his agenda. That was something he needed too.
Over the next period, to avoid disturbing Ino and Hinata's training, the three of them would likely see very little of each other.
Of course, Colt couldn't remain idle either.
His improvement from ninjutsu had been minimal, while his [Mangekyō] and [Sage Body] were growing steadily. After coming into contact with the cursed seal Orochimaru left for Sasuke, he gained some insights into natural energy.
And Colt, possessing a [Sage Body], could sense the energy of nature without relying on the methods of the Three Holy Lands.
**********
Early the next morning, Colt was awakened by a knock at the door.
"Colt, thank you so much for stopping Gaara yesterday and saving Lee!" Might Guy bowed deeply to Colt.
Yesterday, in his rush to tend to his disciple, Guy had only managed to issue a hurried thanks before leaving. So, this morning, he came specially to express his gratitude.
"No need to be so formal, Lee is my friend too," Colt said, rubbing his sleepy eyes. Last night's training had been intense, leaving him drained until the late hours. He hadn't slept long.
"No," Guy insisted seriously. "It might have been a small effort for you, but for Lee, it saved his ninja career!"
"That's why I brought you a special gift!"
"Oh?" Colt's interest was piqued.
'A gift from Guy?'
Guy solemnly produced a set of brilliantly green tights from his backpack.
"This is a special ninja suit for Konoha's elite! In the whole village, only Lee and I have them," Guy explained excitedly.
"Colt, you're about to become the third ninja in Konoha with this outfit!"
Colt's eyelid twitched. Wearing something like that in public seemed like social suicide. It was worse than the embarrassing fashion choices from his previous life!
"Guy-san, this gift is too much. If you really want to thank me, please do me a favor instead," Colt said, eyeing Ichibi trotting in the middle of the house behind him.
"Whatever you ask, if I can do it, I'll definitely agree!" Guy readily accepted. He disappointedly put away the suit.
Colt grabbed Ichibi's tail and pulled him over. "This is my ninja dog, Ichibi. I was hoping you could help me train him a bit."
"Are you sure this is a ninja dog?" Guy asked skeptically, eyeing Ichibi's rotund form. He'd never seen such a plump ninja dog before. Was it meant to be used as a meat shield?
"Haha," Colt laughed awkwardly. "Maybe he just eats well, as such he's more... robust. But trust me, he's very talented. He just needs some extra exercise and who's better at that than you."
Colt patted Ichibi on the head.
"Arrf~?" Ichibi whined, clearly unenthusiastic.
In the end, Guy agreed to Colt's request and began running laps around Konoha with Ichibi. Under his new trainer's pressure, Ichibi could only struggle to keep up.
"Finally, success," Colt sighed, wiping away cold sweat as his desire to sleep vanished. He was now preparing to leave the village to begin his own training for the day.
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