Note: Don't Forget to join my Patreon.com/flokixy to get access to +50 Advance Chapters or unlock the full story from the shop support so I can bring more Chapters for you
"Cough... This malfunction was quite sudden," the Third Hokage said, slightly embarrassed.
The random matchup generator wasn't particularly sophisticated, but one of its components—a part that allowed names to be altered with precise chakra input—was highly sensitive.
"It really was sudden," Anko echoed awkwardly.
This device had broken down twice before: once twelve years ago and again just a few days earlier. Why the awkwardness? Because the person who built it—and caused these malfunctions—was none other than the Third's apprentice, Jiraiya, and Anko's sensei.
Meanwhile, the culprit behind this latest malfunction sat happily slurping cola through a straw from an enormous cup. This contraption was something Naruto had made over the past few days at Kurama's insistence, as the Nine-Tails felt he needed something productive to do during their journey. Kurama thought drinking from bottles was convenient for Naruto, so it suggested trying out a giant cup instead. To everyone's surprise, it worked even better than expected—it was far superior to using pools of water.
After finishing one cup, Kurama refilled it using chakra-infused hands and plopped another straw in, ready to watch the spectacle unfold. The fox knew well that Naruto harbored feelings for the Hyūga girl, and it anticipated quite the entertaining show.
"The participants for this match will remain in the arena. Cough... Everyone else, please proceed to the viewing stands," Hayate announced before vanishing to a distant corner.
As the crowd dispersed, only Naruto and Hinata remained in the battlefield.
Naruto couldn't help but feel his gaming experience plummeting. While his fighting style leaned toward brute force, that depended heavily on who his opponent was. Against Sasuke, Lee, Neji, or Gaara, he could push them to question their very existence. But now? Now he was questioning his own life. How exactly was he supposed to fight her?
From the stands, Naruto's classmates gleefully whispered amongst themselves, declaring this the "annual blockbuster." There wouldn't likely be a repeat performance anytime soon, so they braced themselves to stay awake no matter how tired they were.
Even Hayate struggled to suppress laughter behind his coughs. The tale of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki and the Hyūga heiress had become legendary among Konoha's elite shinobi—especially when coupled with stories about Naruto nearly getting mauled by dogs. Whenever Hyūgas attended gatherings, jokes flew thick and fast: "Your young miss got kidnapped again!" "Your future son-in-law ran away from dogs!" When the Hyūgas protested—"It's not kidnapping; it's free love!"—someone would retort, "I saw him being dragged off myself last time!" Cue exclamations, apple-eating puns, and general mirth filling the air.
The Third turned his head away, unable to look directly at Naruto. Fate truly had a twisted sense of humor. Though he'd arranged for the two youngsters to meet initially, even he hadn't foreseen such karmic alignment between them.
"Sasuke," Naruto called, tossing the Kusanagi sword to him.
"You try it first. You can always snatch it back later when you go to Orochimaru's lair. After all, there's more than one blade like this."
"Then, let the match begin," Hayate declared with a wave of his hand, officially starting the first bout.
"Naruto-kun, please take care," Hinata bowed respectfully, unsure how to proceed. This was her first time facing Naruto in person—previously, she'd only sparred with his shadow clones.
"Hinata-chan, likewise," Naruto replied with a bow, observing proper etiquette.
Both assumed their respective stances, but neither moved.
"Pfft..." Anko burst into laughter, unable to hold back any longer. She tried desperately to maintain composure—this was supposed to be a serious occasion—but failed miserably.
I shouldn't laugh... But come on, this is hilarious.
Her laughter proved contagious, spreading to certain spectators on the stands.
"Hahaha!"
"Woof woof woof!"
Kiba laughed until tears streamed down his face. Karma was sweet indeed. Every day, these two forced him to endure endless displays of affection. Payback's a bitch.
Even Sasuke smirked faintly, recalling Naruto boasting in the forest about squeezing in a date after returning from a month-long trip. He hadn't mentioned having time to visit Hinata then...
Now you have plenty of time to admire her properly, Sasuke thought mischievously.
The Konoha shinobi privy to the situation nearly died laughing, while outsiders looked utterly bewildered.
What in the world was going on here???
"Cough... Please, competitors, commence your battle promptly," Hayate urged—not due to illness this time, but to stifle his chuckles.
"Hai," Hinata responded, activating her Byakugan.
Naruto followed suit, though his activation involved rolling his eyes dramatically. You with your yang deficiency—better shut up and focus on recovery. I might lose control and end you otherwise.
"Kid, shall I step in?" the corpulent orange fox quipped teasingly.
Naruto groaned internally. Tobi-nii, hurry up and drag this fox away! Then, considering Kurama's current size, perhaps the Outer Path Statue would choke while swallowing it whole?
Could this be Kurama's plan? Inflate itself so the statue can't get a grip?
"Brat, are you thinking ill thoughts again?" Kurama sensed Naruto's malicious intent once more.
Ignoring the fox, Naruto focused intently on strategizing how to fight his fiancée.
"Come on, Hinata. Pretend I'm a shadow clone."
"But, Naruto-kun..." Hinata hesitated, unable to bring herself to strike. A person cannot deceive their own heart.
With no other choice, Naruto took the initiative. A light punch aimed at Hinata was caught effortlessly. Using the momentum, she pulled him backward several steps and paused mid-strike toward his back.
Naruto sighed inwardly. There was nothing left to do but continue attacking, hoping to ease into a rhythm similar to sparring sessions with shadow clones where Hinata felt comfortable enough to counterattack freely. After all, they weren't aiming to kill each other.
Thus, the arena rang with occasional commentary:
"Hinata, aim higher. That spot hits the liver—one hit and you're down."
"Yes, right there."
"That's incorrect." "Naruto-kun, that's the sleep pressure point." "Oh, forgot about that."
"Don't hit the face."
"Hey, don't target the kidneys either."
Spectators roared with laughter, doubling over in amusement.
The Third covered his eyes, unable to bear witnessing what should have been a straightforward elimination round devolve into this chaotic farce.
Taking advantage of a brief lull in attacks, Naruto retreated several steps to think. This approach wasn't working—Hinata simply couldn't bring herself to harm him seriously.
Two seconds later, inspiration struck.
"Transform!" Naruto formed seals, activating the Transformation Technique.
When the smoke cleared, a figure emerged: snow-white skin, golden hair, emerald-green eyes, delicate features, and elegantly tied-up hair exuding grace and dignity. Atop its head stood a single tuft of unruly hair—a supposed symbol of royalty.
After completing the transformation, Naruto playfully flicked the stray strand atop his head. Fun stuff.
King Arthur, Saber, Artoria Pendragon.
Initially, Naruto considered transforming into the Bulgarian Demon King, but decided against it, reasoning that pitting such a monstrous form against Hinata would be excessively cruel. A knightly visage seemed more appropriate.
"Naruto-kun, what is this?" Hinata asked, utterly confused. Why use the Transformation Technique? And more importantly... Was this new form male or female?
[Grant me strength, my king!] Naruto mentally invoked edgy anime lines as he charged forward—only to revert immediately to defense mode.
His plan was simple: assume a different identity to allow Hinata to attack without hesitation, then drag things out until she grew too exhausted to continue. After all, there were no time limits set for this exam.
The Third vaguely recalled seeing this transformation somewhere in Naruto's home but dismissed it quickly. Children often conjured up strange creations—a monkey drawn by Konohamaru once sprouted extra mouths and featured an elephant's trunk attached to its crotch, supposedly enhancing combat versatility. Whatever works, he figured.
Twenty minutes passed.
"Uzumaki Naruto, why aren't you attacking?" Hayate inquired.
For twenty full minutes, Naruto had maintained his defensive stance. The initial hilarity had worn off, leaving spectators drowsy.
"I don't know offensive ninjutsu," Naruto replied, his voice dripping with exaggerated sorrow.
A reasonable explanation, convincing enough.
To date, Naruto only knew three techniques: Transformation, Shadow Clone, and Wind Wrap. The former served intelligence-gathering purposes, while the latter protected against stray kunai and shuriken. Neither qualified as offensive ninjutsu.
Naruto could easily subdue Hinata by holding a kunai to her throat, forcing her surrender. However, given the absurdity of this matchup, he decided to return the favor. If rules didn't restrict overt displays of power, he could let Hinata tire herself out, recover via regeneration bites, and prolong the battle indefinitely—even until tomorrow.
Hinata found herself even more perplexed. Naruto's transformed voice carried both feminine softness and masculine hoarseness. Male or female? The mystery deepened.
Minutes dragged on.
"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto."
Hayate yawned audibly as he announced the result.
Forty-plus minutes had elapsed. Spectators had dozed off and woken up multiple times, yet the duel persisted. In the end, Naruto triumphed solely through superior stamina, striding nonchalantly to Hinata's side afterward. Placing his ring finger gently on her lips, he offered a silent gesture of reassurance before departing alongside her.
Once they exited, Hayate announced the commencement of the second match. Names flashed across the screen, finally settling on:
Uchiha Sasuke vs. Haruno Sakura
Having just handed back the Kusanagi sword moments earlier, Naruto stared blankly.
Old man, what's the meaning of this?