The sun dipped low over the capital city's great arena, its orange light spilling across the stone floor like molten gold. The third day of preliminaries had seen fury and brilliance in equal measure—jutsu clashing, illusions breaking, bloodlines revealed.
Now, only one match remained.
The crowd was restless, buzzing with anticipation. Whispers filled the stands:
"Hatake's Kinetic Release was incredible."
"Utatane illusions nearly took him, though…"
"But this last fight—it's Namikaze against Inuzuka. That'll be wild."
Keiji Uchiha leaned forward on the stone bench, his arms folded. Gengar hovered lazily beside him, red eyes gleaming.
"Final match of the day," the proctor called, raising his voice above the din. "Haruto Namikaze versus Hanazura Inuzuka!"
The arena erupted in cheers.
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The Heirs Enter
Haruto Namikaze stepped into the arena with a confident stride. His golden hair caught the fading sunlight, and his bright blue eyes burned with restless energy. His blue-and-white armor, lightweight and aerodynamic, clung to his frame as if designed for nothing but speed. He moved like the wind itself—impatient, alive.
Across from him, Hanazura Inuzuka crouched low, feral grin wide, wild brown hair framing sharp fangs. His red-and-brown leather armor bore the clan crest proudly. At his side stood his loyal ninken partner, Kuro, a muscular black hound with eyes as sharp as his master's. The pair radiated raw instinct, their posture promising a fight of tooth and claw.
"Ready?" the proctor asked. Both heirs gave curt nods.
The whistle shrieked. "Begin!"
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Opening Clash
Hanazura's voice rang out instantly. "Let's go, Kuro!"
The boy and his ninken lunged forward in perfect unison, claws and fangs flashing. Their combined aura filled the arena with primal intensity.
But Haruto was already gone.
The ground cracked where he had stood. Dust exploded outward. The Namikaze heir blurred—vanished—and reappeared behind his opponents.
"Too slow," his voice teased, casual as a breeze.
Before Hanazura could react, Haruto's kick drove into his ribs. The Inuzuka heir flew across the floor, rolling hard, but sprang back to his feet with a feral growl.
"You'll have to do better than that!"
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Feral Assault
Hanazura clapped his hands together with Kuro. Their bodies spun into a twin whirling blur.
"Fang Over Fang!"
The two drilled forward, tearing grooves in the arena floor, their combined spin like twin tornadoes of flesh and fang. The crowd roared as the attack surged toward Haruto.
But Haruto's fingers blurred into seals.
"Wind Release: Gale Thrust!"
A blast of compressed wind exploded from his palm. It struck the spinning duo head-on, breaking their momentum and scattering them apart mid-air. Hanazura landed in a crouch, panting, but his feral grin widened.
"Fire Release: Fang Flame Burst!"
Kuro inhaled, exhaling streams of fire in sync with Hanazura's claw swipes. Twin arcs of flame slashed forward, boxing Haruto in.
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Swift Counterattack
Lightning sparked across Haruto's limbs. His eyes narrowed with focus.
"Lightning Release: Swift Edge!"
He vanished in a flash. His body weaved between the flames, each step faster than the eye could follow. His chakra-imbued blade of lightning carved through the fiery assault, scattering sparks harmlessly into the air.
The Inuzuka pair spun in confusion—then Haruto was suddenly in front of them.
"Swift Release: Thunder Gale Strike!"
His fist, swirling with wind and lightning chakra, struck the ground. The impact burst outward, slicing and shocking simultaneously. Hanazura and Kuro were blasted back, tumbling in opposite directions. The arena floor cracked under the force.
Keiji narrowed his eyes from the stands. "He's mixing wind and lightning seamlessly with Swift Release. His entire style is momentum incarnate."
Gengar snickered. "Fast little blonde, huh? Puppy-boy's in trouble."
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Last Stand
Hanazura staggered up, chest heaving. Blood trickled from his lip, his armor cracked. Kuro limped back to his side, growling fiercely despite his injuries.
Hanazura wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grin unbroken. "One more, Kuro."
The ninken barked sharply, determination unshaken.
Together, they lunged again, claws and fangs glowing with chakra. It was reckless. It was desperate. It was pure Inuzuka spirit.
Haruto exhaled. His golden hair rippled in the storm of his chakra. His blue eyes sharpened, and then—
He disappeared.
The crowd gasped. He wasn't merely fast anymore. He was gone, a streak of golden light that left only displaced air behind.
In a blink, Haruto reappeared between Hanazura and Kuro. His blade sliced in a single arc, silver light flashing. The impact resounded like thunder.
Both heir and hound froze mid-strike before collapsing, rolling across the stone floor in defeat.
---
Aftermath
The proctor's voice cut through the ringing silence.
"Winner: Haruto Namikaze!"
The crowd erupted. Cheers shook the arena, mingling with gasps of awe.
Hanazura groaned, dragging himself upright long enough to pat Kuro's fur. "We gave it everything, buddy." His grin was weak but proud.
Haruto sheathed his weapon with practiced ease. Barely a bead of sweat clung to him. His grin was quick, confident, but his eyes—bright, burning—hinted at something more.
---
Keiji's Reflections
Keiji's chest tightened as he watched.
"Swift Release… so that's the Namikaze bloodline." His mind raced. "In the main timeline I knew, there was no mention of their clan. Just one man—Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash. He was feared because of his terrifying mastery of Hiraishin no Jutsu. He didn't need speed because he controlled space itself."
His gaze drifted back to Haruto's golden hair, his blinding swiftness.
"But here, in this parallel world… the Namikaze clan exists. And their bloodline is speed incarnate. Swift Release, combined with wind and lightning. If someone like Minato inherited this…"
A shiver ran down Keiji's spine.
"Hiraishin… paired with Swift Release… that wouldn't just be speed. That would be untouchable. A shinobi faster than even space-time itself."
For the first time that day, Keiji felt a chill not from awe, but dread.
Gengar floated closer, tilting his head. "You look spooked, kid. Didn't think golden-boy would get under your skin."
Keiji's lips tightened. "It's not him. It's the thought of what his bloodline means. If history twists differently here, the Yellow Flash could become something… worse. Something unstoppable."
The crowd's cheers echoed through the arena as Haruto raised his hand, victorious. Hanazura and Kuro were carried off, their bond unbroken even in defeat.
But Keiji's mind was already elsewhere. He stared at the Namikaze heir, the image burned into his thoughts—golden hair glowing in the sunset, blue eyes bright with confidence, body moving faster than sight.
And in that moment, Keiji couldn't shake the feeling that what he had just witnessed was a warning.
The games were only beginning.
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End of the Chapter
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