Fighting Air
Instead of executing those earlier dodges that had left the audience in awe, Arthur decided to pivot his foot and move to C's side. C, despite missing, couldn't help but smirk. His instincts told him he was about to find an opening.
Planting his foot firmly on the ground, he seamlessly transitioned into a roundhouse kick aimed at Arthur's midsection. Arthur raised his opposite arm and caught C's leg effortlessly, showing no signs of distress. The crowd was astonished at how quick the match's pace turned.
Quickly, C executed a reverse roundhouse kick, believing he had a second chance at landing a blow. But Arthur remained composed, crossing his arms and catching that leg as well.
The crowd gasped in unison as they witnessed C suspended in the air, held securely by his shins. Arthur's strength was breathtaking, an exhibit of physical prowess that seemed almost above supernatural.
"You're supposed to be the Raikage's elite guard?" he quipped in a steady tone.
Before C could muster a retort, Arthur swung him harshly. The force of the motion took C by surprise, and he struggled to gather himself amidst the dizzying spin. Thoughts of nausea crept into his mind, but he fought them down.
Round and round he went. When he had finally had enough, he channeled everything into one desperate survival tactic: planting his hand on the ground to halt the momentum.
Sensing what C was attempting, Arthur decided to intervene. With a sharp pivot, he threw C high into the air, causing the audience to gasp once more as they watched him ascend. High above the arena, C found himself momentarily stunned by the altitude.
Drawing on his instinct, he positioned himself, aiming a fist downward as he began his dive back towards Arthur. Yet, just as he felt confident in his approach, Arthur remained unmoved. Instead of retreating or utilizing an elaborate maneuver, he simply took one casual step to the left.
Feeling that C was just about to crash down beside him, Arthur executed a spin kick with impeccable timing, sending C flying out of the ring!
The announcer barely had time to process what had happened before calling out, "And the match goes to Hoshikaze!" The outbreak of cheers from the crowd was thunderous, even exceeding the applause given to Lars.
Even the Mizukage was impressed at the tactics and display of skill she had observed. Never before had anyone seen a blindfolded fighter in combat. And by the volume of their applause, they wanted more action.
Among the multitudes celebrating, Arthur used his Tamashii to notice a particular figure's awed expression—Jada. He understood that she was even more engaged than the rest, rapt with fascination.
Was she really that impressed? Nay, the real question to ask is: how could she not be dazzled?
The straightforward execution of his techniques, the purity of movement stripped of flair yet steeped in precision, kept all eyes focused on him.
Arthur fighting C without chakra was like an adult to a teenager. Perhaps if the latter could use chakra, the results might have differed. But the so-called elite guard was in Arthur's domain, an area not many could stand a chance in.
Arthur, who had honed himself since the first day he arrived in this world, had never stopped training. Above the three basic fighting styles, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, he excelled at the latter and knew how to perfectly take advantage of the formers.
To him, it was no fluke.
From the moment he had thrown C into the air, he already understood in C's eyes was an increasing jitteriness, signs of disorientation from the initial spin. The writing was on the wall; if C unleashed an attack, it would be sloppy—a perfect opening for Arthur's counter.
As the cheers settled down, Mei sat in her seat, keenly observing the Raikage. She noticed something unusual for a leader whose shinobi had just lost a match—he wasn't angry. Instead, he was mulling over the outcome with a contemplative look on his rugged features.
"I know what you're thinking," he mumbled. "I can't be upset at this loss... C gave it his all. He's an excellent fighter, but taijutsu isn't his strong suit."
Mei became a tad surprised. It was rare for the Raikage to take a loss so lightly, especially in such a high-profile tournament. "Really?" she replied, feigning casual interest. "Shouldn't you be lashing out at least a little bit?"
The Raikage shrugged, still gazing out at Arthur's slowly retreating figure. "What good would that do? C's a valuable shinobi, but against this Hoshikaze? He's limited to what he can do on the battlefield. I'd like to speak to that fighter once this is all over."
Mei's curiosity piqued. To gain recognition from even the Raikage meant something. She, too, had been intrigued by Arthur for being an enigmatic fighter. However, she chose not to voice her interest, sensing that it might keep her from being perceived as too competitive.
This wasn't the time for personal desires to clash with professional verdicts, so she believed.
"But don't worry," the Raikage added. "I've still got one more shinobi who I know will win his match."
"Who is it?" Mei subtly asked.
The Raikage first nodded before pointing at the dark-skinned figure beneath: Darui. "He's just laying low right now, waiting for his moment to show what our village can really do."
Across the arena, lounging casually in his designated area, Darui had assumed a relaxed posture. That was typical of his character—to have a sense of detached coolness.
Meanwhile, C returned to his group with a surprisingly nonchalant attitude despite his defeat. As he approached, Darui smirked and asked in amusement, "So, how was it?"
"Brutal," C replied. "It was like fighting air, or something—maybe even lighter than air." He took a moment to shake his head as if he still couldn't believe what he had experienced. "That guy… I can't really compare him to anyone. I've been in enough fights over the years, but he was something different."
The implications of his words caused everyone to feel intrigued. Samui and Karui both leaned in closer with piqued curiosities.
"Lighter than air?" Karui repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What does that even mean?"
"It's hard to explain," he continued. "Every strike felt like it was just out of reach. I thought I was hitting him, but it was like fighting a mirage. Even after I cleared my head, things hadn't changed much."
Omoi had to ask, "You mean like a fight that feels less like a physical confrontation and more like a ballet?"
"I think you mean dance," Atsui corrected.
Samui exchanged glances with Karui before returning her focus to C. With a cool tone, she said, "Sounds like you learned something valuable, at least."
C chuckled, albeit a bit painfully. "Valuable is one way to put it. I think I'll be thinking about this loss for a while."
Though there wasn't any gloominess to their atmosphere, deep down in each of them lay a respect for Arthur. They all felt what C had experienced—a tension that words alone could not explain.
"That guy thinks he's so cool!" Naruto shouted from across his group. No one could tell if he was praising or scolding Arthur's performance.
"Yes," Neji added, believing it to be the former. "I must admit, his skills were abnormal."
William was preparing to get Jada's opinion since she had activated her Sharingan, but when he looked around, he noticed she was missing. As he scanned the crowd, he found her making her way toward Arthur's direction.
"Where's she going?" Margaret enquired. When she saw William's annoyed expression, she smiled and teased him.
"I was just gonna ask her what she saw in Hoshikaze's moves," he muttered.
Margaret raised an eyebrow, playfully asking, "Are you jealous?"
"Of course not!" he exclaimed, but his tone belied his defensiveness.
Jada finally approached Arthur, who had turned his back to her as he was close to returning to his area. He knew she would want to speak to him after the match. The way she had observed the fight, the fact that she had gone as far as activating her Sharingan—which he was aware of—indicated she was interested.
After all, who wouldn't want to meet him after his amazing display?
With a sincere tone, she said, "Congratulations on your victory, Mr. Hoshikaze!"
Arthur hardly acknowledged her compliment, dismissively stating, "Get lost, Uchiha."
Those words were unexpected. Her cheeks burned. "I was just trying to be nice," she protested, stomping her foot in frustration. Without waiting for a response, she turned to leave and added, "You don't have to be so rude!"
As she walked away, she couldn't help but reflect on the encounter. Maybe she had misread him. The tendency to try to judge too quickly would not serve her well; perhaps he was simply wary.
"What was that about?" William asked her when she returned.
Jada paused, searching for the right words. Finally, she settled on, "He's not exactly easy to approach."
"Another Sasuke is more like it," Margaret commented, glancing between them as she witnessed the fallout from her meeting.
Instantly, Jada felt her face warm again. The comparison nipped at her pride, and she drowned in embarrassment. Meanwhile, William felt a tad irritated at Margaret's remark for a different reason.
"Can we focus on the tournament and not about Sasuke?" he chided gently, attempting to keep the mood light. He hadn't said this for only Jada's sake, but for someone else.
"It's alright," Naruto chimed in with a comforting smile, understanding that William had said this because of him. "I know Sasuke will be back to his old self. I believe in him."
When Arthur saw their conversation, he understood that his illusion was still bearing its mark. What he needed Sasuke to do was leave the village. Clearly, the Uchiha was not in the position to do that. As a cause and effect, he was ostracizing Naruto.
"Right! Let's focus on this fight," Margaret suggested. "I'll admit: Hoshikaze was incredible. But it's not like he was Guy-sensei or anything. I could just as easily have—"
"Guy-sensei!" Lee yelled next to her ear. He was being quite expressive for his beloved teacher. It was so loud that it compelled Margaret to blink away the ringing in her ears.
"Calm down, Lee!" Iruka scolded gently as he tried to anchor the energy in the arena. The last thing he wanted was for more attention brought to them again. "Perhaps that mysterious shinobi is impressive, yes—some of the best taijutsu I've ever seen without a doubt. But we should consider that Lars fellow and the rest of these fighters. I can only wonder how difficult the upcoming matches will be."
"True," William replied pensively. "All the major fighters have shown to have unorthodox fighting methods."
"It doesn't matter!" Naruto interrupted while adjusting his headband with a confident smile. "I'm gonna take them all down one by one!"
Back at Arthur's spot, he took this time to quickly reflect. It was one thing to engage in physical combat, but it was another to measure his presence among ninjas from various villages.
With his Tamashii, he glanced out toward the audience and found that Jada was staring at him. He remained indifferent, trying to understand her peculiar behaviour.
Would he have acknowledged her so openly as opposed to having dismissed her harshly? Not even close. The last thing he wanted to do right now was to speak to any of the players, especially while using the Transformation technique and the Chakra Disguise technique. One wrong word or one slip of the tongue, and one of them was bound to see through his cover.
And it wasn't just that. The last time Jada and him encountered one another, she wanted to kill him. And before that, when he had his back turned in the same fashion, her heart had been so broken that she had unexpectedly awakened her Mangekyō Sharingan.
Arthur was not mean; he simply didn't want to involve himself right this second with those who were that delusional.
With those thoughts settled, the monitor turned on to display the next fighters.