Chapter 147: Tragic Haruno Sakura, Hinata Bursts Out with All Her Strength!
After a brief silence, a low murmur of discussion erupted among the crowd, followed by enthusiastic applause. Naruto stood on the stage, a brilliant smile on his face. He won.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata was the first to run over, handing him a clean towel and a water bottle. Her eyes sparkled, and her fair cheeks were flushed with a lovely blush from excitement. "You… you did it!"
"Of course!" Naruto took the water bottle, gulped down several big mouthfuls, then haphazardly wiped his face with the towel. He put his hands on his hips and grinned triumphantly at Hinata. "I'm going to be a man who surpasses all previous Hokage!"
Just then, a cold voice came from the side. "Don't celebrate too early, a dead last is always a dead last."
Uchiha Sasuke had appeared there at some point. He stood with his arms crossed. "You just beat a fat guy. What's so great about that?!"
"What did you say?!" Naruto instantly bristled, pointing at Sasuke's nose and shouting, "If you're so capable, why don't you come up and fight me, Sasuke!"
Uchiha Sasuke snorted, not bothering to acknowledge Naruto's provocation. "The top student this year will definitely be Uchiha Sasuke." He dropped this remark, turned, and merged into the crowd.
"That hateful guy!" Naruto stamped his feet in frustration.
"Next match, Hyūga Hinata versus Haruno Sakura!" Iruka's voice came from the high platform.
Naruto suddenly turned his head to look at Hinata. The girl's body visibly stiffened, and her previously rosy cheeks turned somewhat pale.
"Hinata!" Naruto slung the towel around his neck and patted Hinata's shoulder forcefully. "It's your turn! Go for it! Let them see how powerful the disciples taught by our teacher truly are!"
"I… I…" Hinata's fingertips trembled with nervousness as she replied softly, "I… I'll try my best, Naruto-kun." She took a deep breath, as if summoning all her courage. Then, step by step, she walked towards the other side of the arena.
"Go, Sakura!" Yamanaka Ino shouted loudly from below the stage, cheering on her best friend.
Haruno Sakura walked confidently onto the stage. She looked at the girl opposite her, who was looking down and still nervously poking her fingers together. Her opponent was Hyūga Hinata. That timid girl who had almost no presence in the class. She was sure to win this match.
"Begin!" As soon as Iruka finished speaking, Haruno Sakura immediately launched an attack, a standard punch aimed directly at Hinata's face.
Hinata instinctively retreated, narrowly dodging. Her mind was in a panic, the taijutsu essentials she had learned earlier echoed in her head, but her body completely refused to obey. Training and actual combat were, after all, different.
Bang! Haruno Sakura delivered a sweeping kick that landed squarely on Hinata's calf. The girl stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.
"Too weak." Haruno Sakura pressed her advantage, her fists and feet raining down like raindrops. Hinata could only desperately dodge and block, completely suppressed.
Below the stage, Inuzuka Kiba pouted. "What's going on? I thought the Fifth Generation's disciple would be super strong. Is this all there is? She can't even beat Sakura."
Listening to the murmurs from the surroundings, Hinata's cheeks flushed crimson, and her eyes welled up with tears. Sure enough… she still wasn't good enough? Just as her mind faltered, Haruno Sakura seized the opportunity and landed a heavy punch on Hinata's shoulder.
"Ugh!" Hinata cried out in pain, stumbling back several steps before barely managing to steady herself.
Just as Hinata was about to give up, a loud voice rang out from below the stage. "Hinata!" Naruto stood below the stage, clenching his fists, shouting loudly at her, "What are you doing?! Show some spirit! Don't forget what you promised our teacher! Pull yourself together! I believe in you!"
Naruto, Uchiha Akira, and Kurenai Yūhi's figures flashed through Hinata's mind. She couldn't disappoint Naruto-kun! And she certainly couldn't bring shame to her teacher!
Hinata suddenly lifted her head. Those white eyes, which had been filled with timidity and panic, instantly became resolute. A powerful aura erupted from her petite body with a bang.
"Byakugan!" Buzz—! Veins instantly bulged at the corners of her fair eyes. The entire world, in Hinata's eyes, instantly changed. Haruno Sakura's chakra flowing within her, the muscle movements for her next attack—everything became incredibly clear.
"Gentle Fist!" Facing Haruno Sakura's incoming punch once more, Hinata no longer dodged. She slightly turned her body, her right hand forming a palm, and met the attack with incredible precision at an impossible angle.
Slap. A soft sound. Haruno Sakura felt as if her fist had struck a ball of cotton; all her force was instantly neutralized. At the same time, a strange force, following her arm, penetrated her body.
"What?!" Haruno Sakura paled in shock. Before she could react, Hinata's figure, like a gracefully dancing butterfly, closed in on her. Her fingertips lightly tapped, precisely landing on several key joint points on Haruno Sakura's arm. Haruno Sakura's entire right arm instantly lost all sensation, dropping limply.
Fear crept onto Haruno Sakura's face. Hinata's attack continued. She moved around Haruno Sakura, her steps light, her palms flying. Every strike precisely targeted the opponent's weak points. One hit. Two hits. Three hits.
Haruno Sakura's body seemed to have been drained of all strength; her legs gave way, and with a thud, she fell to her knees. She struggled, trying to stand up, but found that her body completely refused to obey. The entire venue was silent.
Iruka's mouth hung open as he stared blankly at the scene, unable to speak for a long time. It wasn't until Hinata slowly deactivated her Byakugan, the veins at the corners of her eyes receding, and she returned to her quiet demeanor, that Iruka seemed to awaken from a dream and raised his hand high.
"The… the winner, Hyūga Hinata!"
After a brief silence, thunderous applause and discussions erupted.
"That's amazing!" "Did I see that right? Was that really Hinata?" "Her movements… so fast, I couldn't even see them clearly!"
"Waaah! Hinata! You're amazing!" Naruto was the first to rush over, excitedly gesticulating in front of Hinata.
Hinata's cheeks instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, even her earlobes tinged with pink. She lowered her head, nervously intertwining her fingers. "I… I did it, Naruto-kun."
"Of course!" Naruto grinned widely. He was unstinting with his praise. "I knew you could do it! You looked absolutely cool just now!"
Just then, a figure quietly appeared beside Hinata. It was Kurenai Yūhi. She looked at the girl before her, who was overwhelmed by victory and Naruto's praise, her beautiful eyes filled with relief.
"Well done, Hinata." Kurenai Yūhi's voice was gentle yet firm. "You overcame your inner fear. That is even more commendable than defeating your opponent."
Hearing Kurenai Yūhi's praise, Hinata's body trembled slightly. She looked up, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Yūhi… Teacher Yūhi."
On the other side, 2 Medical Ninja had already carried a stretcher and quickly walked onto the stage. Haruno Sakura lay limply on the ground, her face pale. Although conscious, she couldn't muster an ounce of strength in her body. Hinata's Gentle Fist had precisely sealed off the chakra flow throughout her body.
"Don't worry, her chakra is just temporarily blocked," one Medical Ninja said to Iruka after examining her. "There's no serious harm, but she won't recover for a few hours."
The stretcher was carried away. Haruno Sakura lay on it, her gaze somewhat hollow as she stared at the sky.
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