Chapter 225: The Meaning of Battle
...Where's the rigging?!
Naruto's mind instantly filled with massive question marks, his whole person somewhat dazed. This isn't right, is it? Why would the Third Hokage deliberately arrange for me and Satsuki to face each other? Isn't this kind of electronic lottery system supposed to be manually controllable?
Making him and Satsuki fight each other—isn't this obviously reducing Konoha's advancement slots ahead of time? Or maybe... is this thing actually completely random? Then their luck is just too terrible!
In the stands, Kakashi's normally lazy, half-lidded eye instantly widened, staring at the electronic screen in disbelief. What kind of joke... this match-up is like fate playing a cruel trick.
As for Satsuki at this moment, her mind was in complete chaos. How could this happen... how could their luck be this bad?! Why does it have to be Naruto of all people...
Never mind whether Satsuki could actually defeat him... Satsuki simply didn't want to fight Naruto at all... Should she... just forfeit immediately?
But immediately, a strong sense of unwillingness surged up. Would her Chunin Exam really end in this manner... so pathetically?
However, the onlookers outside who didn't deeply understand the special relationship between Naruto and Satsuki had entirely different thoughts.
Whether the jonin in the proctor's seats or the squad instructors, they all turned their gazes toward the center of the arena with intense interest, anticipating what kind of fierce sparks would fly from this showdown between the one the Third Hokage praised as the "strongest genin" and the "Uchiha genius."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the two walked to the center of the arena, each with their own concerns. Gekko Hayate announced briefly in his signature weak tone laced with coughing. "Then... please begin." He immediately retreated several steps, leaving the space to the two combatants.
But—one second, two seconds, three seconds...
Time quietly passed, yet the two on the field remained standing opposite each other without any movement.
Are they being wary of each other, looking for an opening? Some speculated.
No, if one were close enough, they could clearly see that Uchiha Satsuki's face showed no tactical composure whatsoever, but obvious restlessness and hesitation.
Naruto noticed Satsuki's state. She looks... even more troubled than I am. Is it because she doesn't want to fight me?
Combined with Satsuki's continued inaction, he quickly understood her inner turmoil.
A peculiar feeling welled up in Naruto's heart. This was the Uchiha clan with their naturally battle-hungry blood... yet now she was resisting combat because she didn't want to hurt her opponent. Of course, this was probably only because her opponent was Naruto that she felt this way.
So, what choice should he make now? Voluntarily forfeit, giving the victory and advancement opportunity to Satsuki? Or remain silent, waiting for Satsuki to surrender first, allowing him to advance?
...No, neither option was optimal. Regardless of which result, this hastily ended match without any real exchange would become an irreparable regret in both their Chunin Exam memories.
Thinking this, Naruto made his decision. He absolutely couldn't let it end this way. He had to make sure Satsuki's exam left no unwillingness or regrets!
Outside the arena, seeing the two still not engaging, most spectators showed puzzled expressions, whispering amongst themselves.
Sakura and Uchiha Fugaku in the stands both watched the arena's movements with concern. Kakashi listened helplessly to Might Guy's incessant commentary beside him. "Why isn't Naruto beginning to shed the sweat of youth? With his abilities, that Uchiha child shouldn't be a match, right!"
Kakashi even felt somewhat envious of Guy's abnormally thick nerves at this moment.
Finally, just as Satsuki had made some kind of resolution, taking a slight breath, her arm about to rise and prepare to forfeit—
"Wait, Satsuki."
Naruto's clear voice rang out, interrupting her action.
Watching Satsuki freeze at his words and look up at him with confused eyes, Naruto continued. He not only needed to break the current deadlock, but also to make Satsuki understand that this battle between them wasn't meaningless internal conflict. At the same time, he wanted to help her shed that unnecessary burden.
"Are you thinking that fighting me here is meaningless, that it's just consuming our mutual strength?"
"Or even... you think that if you beat me, it'll embarrass me, but if you lose to me, it'll show you're not qualified to stand beside me, right?"
Being so precisely hit at the heart of the matter, Satsuki's entire body stiffened, as if bound in place by invisible threads. Those tangled feelings she'd tried to escape through forfeiting, too embarrassing to voice—Naruto had laid them all bare under the sunlight so directly, making warmth mixed with shock and shame surge to her cheeks.
Naruto didn't give her a chance to hide. His gaze firmly locked onto her eyes that tried to evade, continuing, "But you've got one thing wrong. The reason we're standing here today was never to 'defeat' the other person."
"It's to prove to each other—to prove that every step we've taken, every drop of sweat we've shed, has irreplaceable value."
At this point, Naruto scratched his hair somewhat embarrassedly, his tone taking on a trace of self-mockery. "Haha, sorry, I went and said so many big principles again. Even though I'm worst at this kind of preaching..."
But this awkwardness quickly faded as he brought the topic back to the core.
"Satsuki, do you remember when we first started training together?" His tone became gentle, carrying the warmth of reminiscence. "Back then, to master the most basic C-rank jutsu, we could spend an entire afternoon climbing trees, falling and getting covered in mud."
He deliberately brought up that shared past when she was still inexperienced and clumsy yet incredibly hardworking, his words carrying warm teasing and clear contrast.
"But now, you can stand here dignifiedly, advancing with me to the final preliminaries of the Chunin Exam. You yourself are an already proudly blooming, truly remarkable flower."
When did Satsuki start becoming unwilling to fight Naruto with full strength? This question flashed through Naruto's mind. Back at the ninja academy, she was always the most eager to spar with me, and every practice session, her eyes sparkled with excitement and competitive spirit.
It was after that night... after the Uchiha massacre. That day, the system kept prompting like a malfunction about Satsuki's skyrocketing affection.
Since then, Satsuki never again initiated training with Naruto. Even during taijutsu class sparring sessions at school, she became sullen, her strikes hesitant.
"And today's battle," Naruto's voice pulled her thoughts back to reality, "isn't about us fighting to the death to compete for that singular fruit called 'victory.'"
"It's another flower, one called 'respect'—respect for our initial meeting, respect for the growth we've achieved along the way, and respect for this ninja path we've both chosen."
"Only by letting these flowers of effort continue blooming can we truly welcome that 'fruitful' season someday in the future."
Finally, he stepped back, his expression solemn as he raised both hands, steadily forming the "Seal of Confrontation."
This gesture was both the ceremonial beginning of a ninja duel and his most sincere, non-refusable invitation to Satsuki.
"So, Uchiha Satsuki."
"Please show me everything. Your hesitation, your progress, your determination... present everything you've accumulated on this journey before me without reservation."
"This is the highest respect I, as your only companion, can give you."
He gazed into her eyes, making a solemn promise.
"And I will respond to you... with my all."
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