Chapter 61: Honorable Defeat, Hiashi Hyūga's Expectations

Cough, cough... urgh...

Naruto, who had rolled across the ground after being knocked back, coughed and gagged, struggling to regain his breath.

Fortunately, he had only eaten a bit of ramen earlier, most of which had already been digested. Otherwise, he might have thrown up his breakfast. If not for his strong Sage Body and being the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, with incredible durability, Naruto could have easily been knocked out by Chōji Akimichi's blow.

Even now, the pain in his body was overwhelming, preventing him from standing up immediately. However, seeing Chōji approaching with a pressure completely different from his usual demeanor, Naruto gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet. He quickly formed hand seals, closing his eyes and shouting inwardly, "You stupid fox, it's time to pay your rent!"

Whoosh—

As if responding to Naruto's call, within the mental space shared by the Jinchūriki and the Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tails suddenly opened its red, slit-pupil eyes from within its cage. In the real world, red chakra began surging from Naruto, swirling around him like a fox's tail.

This scene shocked many of the shinobi in the audience.

"Is that...?"

Both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, widened their eyes.

Hiruzen was surprised that Naruto had begun to harness the Nine-Tails' chakra, while Orochimaru was startled to realize that the Five-Element Seal he had placed on Naruto had been removed.

Judging by Hiruzen's reaction, it was clear that the old Hokage wasn't responsible for it.

Could it be… that idiot has returned?

Thinking of the man who had been pursuing him for years, Orochimaru felt a sinking feeling in his heart. However, when he thought about the stage he had set for Hiruzen, he relaxed a bit.

On the field, the battle resumed.

Though Naruto hadn't entered the full "Nine-Tails Cloak" form, the chakra of the Nine-Tails still caused a massive surge in his power, similar to the effect of Chōji consuming the first of the three Akimichi pills.

Naruto felt the pain in his body vanish almost instantly, replaced by a newfound, intoxicating strength.

He dashed toward Chōji, his body becoming a blur of red, moving at a speed he hadn't possessed before.

Chōji rushed forward as well, moving at an equally impressive pace.

The two colorful blurs—one red, one blue—collided in the center of the arena, and Naruto and Chōji began exchanging punches and kicks in a clumsy, uncoordinated taijutsu fight, full of openings.

If the two were replaced with any other shinobi of similar strength, someone with more skill could easily suppress and defeat the other. But here, it looked like a fight between two novices at the academy—unrefined and chaotic.

However, with the chakra flames surrounding both of them, enhancing their speed and strength, their sloppy brawl felt intense, each blow landing with raw force and passion, creating an exciting spectacle.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long before the blue chakra surrounding Chōji began to fade. The side effects of the first Akimichi pill kicked in, and he showed a momentary opening. Seizing the chance, Naruto kicked him, sending him flying.

Chōji skidded across the ground for several meters, sweat pouring from his face as he panted heavily. He reached into his ninja pouch, pulling out the transparent box that contained the remaining two pills.

Staring at the pills, Chōji hesitated.

He didn't know where Naruto's sudden surge of chakra came from, but after their brief exchange, he realized that Naruto's newfound strength was only slightly below what Chōji had gained from taking the first pill. Naruto's speed was the only clear advantage.

If Chōji took the second pill, he was confident he could defeat Naruto in a single blow. After consuming the second pill, his power would skyrocket, and he could enlarge his entire body, transforming into a human mountain capable of crushing Naruto flat.

But then he remembered his father's teachings and the significance of these three pills...

Chōji took a deep breath, put the box back into his pouch, and turned to Genma Shiranui. "Proctor, I forfeit."

"Huh?"

Before Genma could announce the result, Naruto's excitement deflated like a balloon. The Nine-Tails' chakra vanished in an instant, and Naruto, stunned, asked, "Chōji, why are you giving up?"

"I can't beat you... and I can't bring myself to harm my own friends," Chōji thought to himself as he dragged his exhausted body toward the exit of the arena.

"The winner of the first match is... Naruto Uzumaki!" Genma declared, watching Chōji's retreating figure with a slight smile before announcing the result loudly.

The crowd erupted into applause, cheers echoing through the arena. Spectators from all over the Land of Fire and even neighboring nations were thoroughly impressed with the two outstanding genin.

The match had been intense and thrilling, and the journey had been well worth it.

Even the nobles in the stands took note of Naruto's ability to summon so many clones and Chōji's overwhelming power, keeping them in mind for potential future mission requests.

"Chōza, you have a remarkable son," Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi praised their old friend's son, despite Chōji's loss.

Like them, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and other Konoha ninjas aware of the significance of the Akimichi clan's three pills, deeply appreciated Chōji's decision to forfeit. It reminded them of the gentle nature and Will of Fire embodied by the Akimichi clan.

This generation's heir to the Butterfly transformation was truly exceptional.

Naruto, however, had no idea that Chōji had gone easy on him.

For the first time, Naruto basked in the cheers of the crowd, waving excitedly to the audience as he ran back toward the waiting area.

"Yagyu, you got this! Knock Shikamaru down hard!"

"Hey, I'm standing right next to you, remember? We're on the same team."

"Yagyu-kun, good luck!"

With cheers of encouragement from Ino and Hinata, Yagyu and Nara Shikamaru walked out from the tunnel and into the spotlight, standing across from each other beside Genma.

"Father, is that the boy who's my sister's teammate?" Hanabi, seated next to Hiashi Hyūga in the audience, curiously asked. "The one who defeated Neji?"

"Yes," Hiashi replied, his face expressionless, but his heart was filled with complex emotions.

Like Yamanaka Inoichi and Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hiashi had been aware of Yagyu for many years.

At first, when Ino frequently visited and invited Hinata to hang out, Hiashi didn't think much of it. But as he noticed that every time Hinata returned, she would head straight to the dojo to train—practicing advanced fundamentals only taught to genin—Hiashi grew suspicious.

One day, he decided to follow her and discovered Yagyu.

As an adult, Hiashi quickly saw through Hinata's growing feelings for Yagyu.

However, he didn't stop Hinata from spending time with Yagyu and his friends, as he realized that Yagyu's presence gave Hinata the motivation to train harder.

Moreover, Yagyu was a prodigy—a civilian genius who managed to retain the title of top student year after year among an exceptionally gifted generation. His talent and potential were undeniable.

If Yagyu's excellence continued to grow, and if Hinata truly loved him, Hiashi wouldn't mind allowing Yagyu to marry into the Hyūga clan.

Especially since, as Hanabi grew, Hiashi realized her talent and personality made her a more suitable successor for the Hyūga clan than Hinata.

When the time came to make a decision, Hiashi was willing to let Yagyu join the Hyūga clan as a means of compensating his eldest daughter.

But Yagyu's recent revelation—that he was a descendant of the Senju clan—changed everything.

Mastering powerful genjutsu and Water Release techniques at such a young age, Yagyu was like a young version of the Second Hokage, Tobirama.

This was… truly incredible!

Such lineage and talent made Yagyu a prime candidate for the future Hokage.

If Yagyu became Hokage one day, Hiashi would have the perfect reason to let Hinata marry him, ensuring that neither of his daughters would have to bear the burden of the Caged Bird Seal.

Because of this, Hiashi now had high hopes and great expectations for Yagyu.

He wasn't here today just to support Hinata—he was here for Yagyu.

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