CXnovel Chapter 225 The Meaning of the Battle
Chapter 225 The Meaning of the Battle
...What's the cover-up?!
Naruto's mind was instantly filled with huge question marks, and he was completely dumbfounded. This isn't right, is it? Why would the Third Hokage deliberately arrange for me to face off against Sasuke? Isn't this kind of electronic lottery system susceptible to manipulation?
Making himself and Sōgetsu fight each other is clearly a way to reduce Konoha's chances of advancing prematurely, isn't it? Or... is this thing really completely random? That would be incredibly unlucky!
On the stands, Kakashi's usually lazy, half-closed eye widened instantly, staring at the electronic screen in disbelief. What a joke… this matching result felt like a cruel joke played by fate.
At this moment, Satsuki's mind was in complete chaos. How could this be... How could her luck be so bad?! Why Naruto of all people...?
Putting aside whether Satsuki can actually beat him... Satsuki doesn't want to fight Naruto at all... Should he... just admit defeat?
But then, a strong sense of resentment welled up in his heart. Was his Chunin Exam going to end in such a humiliating way?
However, those on the sidelines who didn't have a deep understanding of the special relationship between Naruto and Satsuki had completely different thoughts.
Both the Jonin on the examiners' panel and the team leaders turned their attention to the center of the arena with great interest, eagerly anticipating the intense sparks that would fly in this duel between the Third Hokage, who hailed him as the "strongest Genin" and the "Uchiha genius."
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two walked to the center of the arena, each lost in their own thoughts. Moonlight Hayate announced briefly in his signature weak voice, still tinged with coughing, "Well then... let's begin." He then stepped back a few paces, giving space to the two who were about to duel.
But—one second, two seconds, three seconds…
Time passed quietly, but the two on the field remained standing opposite each other without making any move.
Are they wary of each other, searching for weaknesses? Some speculate that this is the case.
No, if you were close enough, you could clearly see that Uchiha Satsuki's face didn't show any tactical calmness at all, but rather obvious unease and hesitation.
Naruto noticed Satsuki's condition. She seemed... even more distressed than he was. Was it because she didn't want to fight him?
Based on Zuoyue's delayed action, he quickly understood her inner turmoil.
A strange feeling welled up in Naruto's heart. This was the Uchiha clan, whose blood was naturally bloodthirsty... and now she was resisting fighting simply because she didn't want to hurt her opponent. Of course, this was probably only because the opponent was Naruto.
So, what should I do now? Should I concede defeat and give the chance to win and advance to Zuo Yue? Or should I remain silent and wait for Zuo Yue to forfeit first, so that I can advance?
No, neither of these approaches is the optimal solution. Regardless of the outcome, this hastily concluded duel, which never truly escalated, will remain an irreparable regret in the memories of both of them during the Chunin Exams.
With this in mind, Naruto made up his mind. He absolutely couldn't let it end like this. He had to ensure that Satsuki's exam left no room for regret or resentment!
Offstage, seeing that the two had not yet made a move, most of the audience looked puzzled and began to whisper among themselves.
Sakura and Fugaku Uchiha in the stands watched the commotion with worry. Kakashi, meanwhile, listened helplessly to Might Guy's incessant commentary beside him. "Why isn't Naruto starting to show his true colors yet? With his strength, that Uchiha kid shouldn't be a match for him!"
Kakashi was even a little envious of Guy's unusually carefree attitude.
Finally, just as Satsuki made up her mind, took a slight breath, and was about to raise her arm to announce her withdrawal—
"Wait a minute, Satsuki."
Naruto's clear voice rang out, interrupting her actions.
Seeing Satsuki stunned by his words, looking up at him with bewildered eyes, Naruto continued. He not only wanted to break the current stalemate, but also to make Satsuki understand that their battle was not a pointless internal struggle. At the same time, he also wanted to help her unload that unnecessary knot in her heart.
"Are you thinking that fighting me here is pointless, just a waste of our strength?"
Even... you feel that if you beat me, it will embarrass me, and if you lose to me, it will make you seem unworthy to stand by my side, right?
Satsuki froze, as if bound in place by invisible threads, her innermost thoughts so precisely exposed by Naruto. Those unspoken struggles she had tried to escape by admitting defeat were laid bare in the sunlight by Naruto, causing a surge of shock and embarrassment to rise to her cheeks.
Naruto didn't give her a chance to hide, his gaze firmly locked onto her eyes as she tried to dodge, and continued, "But you've got one thing wrong. We're standing here today not to 'defeat' each other."
"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 head somewhat sheepishly, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice. "Haha, sorry, I've rambled on about so many principles again. I'm really bad at this kind of lecturing..."
But he quickly masked the awkwardness and brought the topic back to the core.
"Zuoyue, do you remember when we first started training together?" His tone softened, filled with the warmth of memories. "Back then, we would spend an entire afternoon climbing trees, getting covered in mud, just to master a basic C-rank ninjutsu."
He deliberately brought up that shared past when she was still young, clumsy, yet incredibly hardworking, his words carrying a warm teasing tone, as well as a clear contrast.
"But now, you can stand here with your head held high, advancing alongside me into the final rounds of the Chunin Exams. That in itself is a magnificent flower in full bloom."
When did Satsuki stop wanting to fight Naruto at full strength? This question flashed through Naruto's mind. Back in the Ninja Academy, she was always the most eager to spar with him, and every time they practiced, her eyes sparkled with excitement and competitiveness.
It was after that night… after the night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre. That day, the system kept notifying me of Satsuki's rapidly increasing affection level, as if it were malfunctioning.
Since then, Satsuki has never sought out Naruto for training again. Even during sparring sessions in school taijutsu class, he became sullen and hesitant to make a move.
"And today's battle," Naruto's voice pulled her thoughts back to reality, "is not about us fighting to the death to seize that one and only fruit called 'victory'."
"It is another flower, a flower called 'respect'—respect for our first encounter, respect for our growth along the way, and respect for the ninja path we chose together."
"Only by allowing these flowers of hard work to continue to bloom can we truly usher in that season of abundant harvest one day in the future."
Finally, he stepped back, solemnly raised his hands, and steadily formed a "contrast mudra".
This gesture is both a ritual to begin a ninja duel and a sincere invitation he extends to Satsuki that cannot be refused.
"So, Uchiha Satsuki."
Please show me everything about yourself. Your hesitation, your progress, your determination... present me with the entire 'process' you've come this far, without reservation.
"This is the highest respect I can give you as your only companion."
He gazed into her eyes and made a solemn promise.
"And I will respond to you with all my heart."
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(Still at least three updates)