277

Haruto stood in front of the roaring crowd, feeling none of the excitement they projected toward him. The Hokage had just declared him the winner, but the cheers that filled the arena felt distant, as if they were happening to someone else entirely. His gaze scanned the faces, searching for something—anything—that would make this moment feel real. But all he found gnawing at him was a deep, unsettling disappointment.

First and foremost, Pakura was still breathing. That fact stung more than he wanted to admit. He had prepared for this fight, carefully dissected every weakness she had, and yet, despite his efforts, Minato's timely intervention had kept her alive. She was powerful—her Scorch Release was no joke, capable of obliterating even seasoned shinobi—but she had grown too dependent on it. In the end, she had been nothing more than a glass cannon. Fragile. Once you took away her fire, she was easy to break. And that's exactly what he had done. Yet, she lay in the hospital, recovering, not defeated as fully as he had intended.

The second disappointment gnawed at him even more: Shisui. Haruto had been eagerly waiting for their inevitable clash. Shisui, his genin teammate and, had fought against Rasa, a stronger opponent than Pakura in Haruto's opinion. Shisui had won, but the cost had been heavy—he was too injured to continue to the final round. And that left a void in Haruto's victory. The one fight that would have truly tested him had slipped through his fingers. Haruto had wanted to face Shisui in an all-out battle, to push himself to his limit, to see if he could stand above the shinobi who had always been so calm and skilled, no matter the challenge. He could tell Shisui helped back in training at times. Now, Pakura's broken form in the hospital was a hollow consolation prize.

Haruto couldn't help but hope that Pakura's bones wouldn't set properly, that they'd have to be rebroken to heal her right. The thought passed through him with a fleeting satisfaction.

The Hokage's voice echoed over the arena, thanking everyone for attending the event and urging them to enjoy the rest of the festival. The crowd cheered, and Haruto nodded, offering a distant thank you in return. The words felt empty even as they left his lips. All he wanted now was to visit the hospital, to check on his team. That was the only thing that mattered.

He sighed, turning to leave the arena, but the Hokage placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"A village representative will be in touch soon," the Hokage said in a steady, thoughtful voice. "They're interested in your directional explosive tag. The village wants to discuss a deal for its manufacturing and leasing rights."

Haruto blinked in surprise, though he quickly masked his reaction. He had expected the process to be more complicated—he figured he'd have to go door to door, pitching the potential of his invention to every shop and ninja outfitter in the village. But here was the Hokage himself, offering him a direct path into the village's system. This was far better than anything he could've imagined.

"I'll meet with them in a few days," Haruto replied, nodding. His mind was already racing with possibilities. He couldn't deny the opportunity this presented. It had fallen into his lap, and there was no reason to let it go to waste.

With that settled, Haruto finally made his way to the hospital. The familiar sterile smell of antiseptic filled the air as he walked through the hallways, but it didn't bother him. He was focused on seeing his teammates.

When he entered Daichi's room, Kushina was the first to greet him, pulling him into a warm hug that nearly knocked the air out of his lungs. "You did it, Haruto! You really kicked her ass!" she exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "Daichi's been waiting to hear all about it."

Minato stood nearby, his usual calm presence grounding the room. He gave Haruto a respectful nod, acknowledging the victory with quiet pride. Haruto returned the gesture, his respect for Minato unwavering. There was no bitterness or anger toward him for stepping in during the fight. If anything, Haruto admired Minato's ability to intervene at exactly the right moment. Minato had let the battle run its course until he absolutely had to act, and Haruto appreciated that. He had been given the chance to go as far as possible.

"Minato," Haruto said with a brief nod.

"Haruto," Minato replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You did well today."

Haruto didn't linger in the room. Without wasting any more time, he headed to the next room where Shisui was resting in a wheelchair. Shisui's usual calm, warm smile greeted him as Haruto approached.

"Come on, Shisui," Haruto said, grabbing the handles of the wheelchair and wheeling his friend into Daichi's room. Shisui didn't protest, though there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes as he allowed himself to be wheeled in.

Daichi, propped up on several pillows, raised an eyebrow and grinned as he saw Shisui enter. "So," Daichi began, his voice carrying a playful tone, "did Haruto really kick her ass, or is Kushina just making him sound like some kind of legend?"

Haruto smirked, but before he could respond, Shisui spoke in his calm, modest way. "Haruto fought exceptionally well," Shisui said, his voice even and sincere. "He saw Pakura's weaknesses and exploited them with precision. But you all know Haruto—he doesn't need me to say that."

Haruto's smirk faded slightly at Shisui's words. There was no cockiness, no rivalry, just pure respect. That was Shisui—always humble, always the quiet force behind his words. Haruto appreciated it, though a part of him still longed for that unfinished fight.

"Yeah, well, maybe next time you'll be standing instead of lying here like Daichi," Haruto said with a grin. "I'm still waiting for our match, Shisui."

Shisui smiled gently. "And we'll have it someday, Haruto. I look forward to testing myself against you. But for now, rest. We've all earned it."

Kushina interrupted the growing tension with a loud, joyful laugh. "Oh, you boys! Enough of this serious talk. You've all done amazing. We'll deal with the next challenge when it comes."

Daichi groaned dramatically from his bed. "Great, now I have to listen to all of you talk about your next fight while I'm stuck here recovering. Some victory."

Everyone laughed, and the room's tension lifted. Haruto found himself sitting beside his teammates, feeling more at ease than he had all day. The hollow victory, the unfinished business with Shisui—all of it faded into the background for now. Here, in this room, with his friends and teammates, everything felt right.

There would always be more battles, more tests of skill and strength. But for now, in this quiet moment, Haruto realized that this was enough. The camaraderie, was important to Haruto.

And for the first time since the arena, Haruto felt a little peace.