Chapter-20

"…" As for Wu, he transformed the ground beneath him into loose dirt, enabling him to swiftly navigate the platform. He closed the distance to Naruto with remarkable speed, attempting to land a strike with his right hand covered in rocks. However, he missed when the young boy dropped to the ground.

Bracing his hands against the earth, the blond retaliated by launching a kick at the earthbender. Yet, his blow was thwarted by a wall of water that intervened. "Damn!" He cursed as a water whip snaked around his ankle, effortlessly hurling him against the ground and repeatedly into the bars.

"How much longer can you endure?" The white-haired girl inquired, her dangerous smile persistent as she continued to manipulate the water with fluid motions. Several whips ensnared each of the pre-teen's limbs, gradually pulling them apart. "Scream for me, little one!" Her fists clenched, intensifying the pressure on the water tendrils.

"Go to hell!" Naruto strained with all his might, attempting to break free from his restraints. His efforts, however, only succeeded in conjuring a wall of earth that slammed him against the cage bars. After the crushing impact, the wall crumbled, leaving the blonde to collapse heavily onto the ground.

"It's over…" Wao's wide grin revealed his satisfaction as he observed the motionless boy on the ground. His fortune seemed secure for quite some time, though he begrudgingly acknowledged the boy's tenacity. "Wu! Finish it!" He gave the order, determined to ensure the boy wouldn't leave this place alive.

"Hey, that wasn't part of the agreement!" Dororo's protests, along with several others, fell on deaf ears. They could only watch as the earthbender advanced slowly toward the fallen boy.

"..." The waterbender furrowed her brows and crossed her arms. The water around her gravitated toward the earth kingdom fighter, unwilling to let a potential trophy like the boy slip away.

"..." Following his employer's directive, Wu lifted a substantial rock that hovered above his right hand. As he aimed for the downed boy, he noticed a glimmer of awakening in the boy's eyes. Undeterred, he swung the rock downward, attempting to crush his target. However, unexpectedly, the boy rolled aside and scrambled to his feet, now just a few paces away from Wu.

"Take this!" Naruto unleashed a forceful right hook with his right hand, striking Wu in the abdomen. The impact sent Wu stumbling a few steps back. "Always exploit your enemies' weaknesses. If they lean towards long or medium-range attacks, it usually signifies weak or nonexistent close-quarters combat skills. Quite intriguing, isn't it?" Kakashi-sensei's words resonated in Naruto's mind. With a confident smile, Naruto grabbed onto Wu's clothing to prevent him from escaping. He then delivered a disorienting headbutt to Wu, who struggled to gain footing or even touch the ground. However, his efforts were in vain, as Naruto lifted him off the ground, effectively immobilizing him.

Carrying the earthbender on his shoulders, Naruto sprinted towards the astonished waterbender. She had little time to react before he tackled her, sending them both crashing to the ground. Meanwhile, Wu suffered a painful collision against the cage, resulting in his armor being forcefully removed before he received a decisive blow to the face that rendered him unconscious.

"*ahhhh*… *ahhhh*…" Panting heavily, the pre-teen let Wu drop from his shoulders, only to collapse onto his knees when a forceful lash sliced across his back. He turned to face the source of the punishment, the waterbender teacher. She harnessed all the available water to conjure numerous whips that lashed out towards the agile boy.

"You can't evade indefinitely!" The waterbender growled in frustration as she summoned a massive wave that swept across a significant portion of the battleground. The wave surged towards the shinobi, who planted his feet firmly on the ground. Much to the white-haired woman's astonishment, the boy managed to withstand the impact of the wave. "How?"

Smirking, the blond panted heavily, masking the fact that he was using his chakra to anchor himself to the ground. "My turn, old hag!" He charged towards the waterbender, skillfully dodging her relentless barrage of water whips and icy projectiles.

"I'm only 22, shorty!" The waterbender clenched her teeth as she conjured long spears of ice that were hurled towards her nimble opponent. Despite Naruto's continuous dodging, he found himself surrounded by a swirling vortex of ice-tipped stakes primed for launching. However, a hitch arose. "Ahg!" The boy's damp jacket was tossed into his face, temporarily obscuring his vision. When he finally removed it, he realized that the young fighter had vanished from sight.

Carefully, she scanned her surroundings, checking every direction—up, down, left, and right. Her eyes widened in surprise as she abruptly turned her head, spotting the child kneeling behind her. He had his hands together with some fingers raised, and notably, a mischievous smile. "Surprise!" With that exclamation, the Uzumaki's fingers playfully landed on the waterbender's rear. She let out a sharp scream, jumping away from him in reaction.

"Damn kid! I'm going to kill you!" The white-haired girl, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and her legs trembling from the lingering discomfort of that audacious attack, yelled in humiliation.

"Hahaha, I can't believe it!" Letting out a laugh, the blonde leaped and kicked the bars on the roof of the cage. Dozens of ice spears rained down toward the waterbender. Swiftly moving her hands, she transformed the falling ice into water just in time, only to lose sight of the agile boy once more.

"What's this?" Sensing a weight on her back, the woman from the northern tribe turned to see the grinning boy. He swiftly brought her down to the ground, slipped his jacket over her, and bound her hands and legs behind her back. "Damn brat! I'm going to catch you and-! Mmmmmm!" Her protests were muffled as he gagged her with a piece of cloth he pulled from his pocket, leaving the furious waterbender squirming within her restraints.

"…" Standing up, Naruto surveyed the battleground. He stood alone, dressed only in his torn orange pants, remnants of his battle with Azula. A smile crossed his face as he raised his right fist, basking in the cheers of the audience.

"Did he win?" Dororo asked in disbelief, feeling his eyes well up. With a lump in his throat, he watched the smiling blonde soaking in the spectators' cheers. "You won, brother!" As the cage was lifted, the dark-haired boy rushed up to the ring, hugging the Uzumaki around the waist. "You won, brother! You won!"