The Strongest

by Maki-K

Uzumaki Naruto was a prodigy born with two powerful Uzumaki Clan Bloodline Limits, which led to him becoming the Strongest. But what does one do when they reached the peak of power? Well, have fun of course, at least that's Naruto's idea. OP Naruto, slight JJK crossover, Limitless Naruto! A lot of Characters are OOC, AU!

8. Chapter 8

Chapter VIII

The Strongest: Belleteyn, Part II

---

Novigrad was a vastly different city than Konoha. Not only was the population more diverse, but there was so much happening in the city it was impossible to see everything. Team Seven was walking through the city, heading towards Hattori, the renowned smith's shop. In the meanwhile, they watched the bustling city with wondering eyes.

The streets painted a nice sight, seeing elves, humans, and dwarfs living together in harmony, rich and poor walking the same streets, beggars and homeless people sharing space. Priests and soldiers walked shoulder to shoulder while merchants and artists laughed and talked together. That was a beautiful sight, if only not for the bandits robbing someone in the side alley, and a drunkard vomiting next to an inn's entry. The harlots and prostitutes try to allure men into their whorehouses by wearing skimpy clothes and sticking up provocative poses. The priests preached how all not-humans were evil incarnate, while the rich spat on the poor.

The more time they spent on the streets, the more they saw how the society lived, and the more they began to understand how different Novigrad was from Konoha.

While Konoha wasn't perfect like many wanted it to be, there was a lot less hostility between its inhabitants than in Novigrad. The Leaf was a close-knit community, which bonded over wars, deaths, and calamities. While the population might seem to be separated between the various classes and ranks, if push came to shove, everyone was ready to help their neighbor, even if it put them in danger.

Novigrad was nothing like this. Here, in this grand city, where money and status were everything, no one would go out of their way to help their fellow man. Corruption, distrust, and lust permitted over the streets, like the stench of decaying corpses on which the city's elite was built. At the same time, some people would help others for no gain, and most if not all wouldn't dirty their hands if they saw no profit from it.

That was the difference between Konoha and Novigrad. Not the grand streets, buildings, or guilds, but the society that lived here and their beliefs.

While the merchants seemed friendly at first glance with their smiles and welcoming attitudes, underneath lay pure greed and anger fueled by their competition. Most always took the chance to swindle tourists, give them bad deals, overprice their merchandise, and steer them as far away from their competition as possible, even going as far as smearing their reputation with a smile on their faces.

Hattori was different.

Once team Seven entered his humble smithy, a moderate workshop on the corner of a larger building, they were greeted by the elf with a big, honest smile and a tray of dumplings.

"Naruto! Long time no see. You've brought friends?" Naruto smirked at the elf, who looked exactly like a year ago. Wearing a green tunic with brown pants and a grey leather apron, the man looked just like any other blacksmith. Well, if you looked past his tall stature, fair skin, black hair pulled into a ponytail, and long ears.

"Not only friends, but a potential customer," The blond grinned and clasped hands with his old aquantice before introducing his team. "The tall one is Hatake Kakashi, I told you about him last time. That's Sasuke, Hinata and Haku,"

"It's a pleasure meeting you all, hopefully, you will find something to your liking in my humble shop. Anything specific you are looking for?" Hattori asked and looked at the group, with an excited look in his eyes. It was always a pleasure selling his work to new customers, especially if they were worthy of his work. This group came with Naruto, so he was assured they would be able to use his weapons to their fullest potential.

"I am looking for a sword," Sasuke replied, stepping forward before Hattori grabbed him by his shoulder and led him deeper into the shop.

"We will be back shortly. In the meantime, feel free to try out anything that catches your eye," With an excited skip in his step, the elf and Sasuke vanished behind the shelves.

"He's certainly an interesting person," Kakashi commented and walked over to a wall that hoisted various weapons with an interesting gleam in his eyes. Even with his extensive knowledge of weapons, some of the things on the wall were new even to him.

"Right? That's the only reason I saved him a year ago. Even when he was attacked by a couple of thugs, he had the gall to recommend his superior weapons to them, commenting how their wooden bats were not worthy of entering his workshop,"

"Or maybe he's just as mental as you," Hinata piped in, from the other corner of the store, looking dispassionately at the weapon racks. However, even with her lack of appreciation for weapons, she could admit these were some of the best weapons she had ever seen.

Somewhere else in the shop, Hattori was rubbing his chin in thought as he watched Sasuke give a few swings to a katana he picked up. While Sasuke was able to use the sword somewhat gracefully, his expert eye could tell that the sword was a misfit for the young Genin.

"Wait a moment, try this one," The Elf spoke and handed the Uchiha another weapon. Sasuke nodded and took the sheath into his hand. He took out the weapon and gave it an appraising look. Just like the three weapons before, this word was leagues above any other sword he had ever seen. "This one is what you would call a Chokuto. Give it a swing,"

And Sasuke did just that. Just then it clicked. Unlike the previous swords, this one was too long to put him out of balance, nor was it too heavy for quick swings. For the first time since starting his training, Sasuke understood the meaning of a sword being an extension of him.

"This one is perfect,"

"Of course it is, it's one of my best works. The Sugari no Ontachi, a Chokuto unlike any other. Even with my mediocre Swordsmanship, I was able to easily cut through armor with it. I am certain that under your control, it will be a sword described in legends,"

"How much does it cost?"

"Please, you are one of Naruto's friends. I will give it to you as a gift,"

"No, seriously, I can pay,"

"All I need is to know that one of my best works has found a worthy wielder. Take care of it and I will be content," Hattori answered with a grin, making the Uchiha sigh before he nodded and thanked the swordsmith.

A few moments later they were back to where the rest of Sasuke's team was looking at weapons. They all turned to The Uchiha, seeing him brandish his new weapon on a black rope around his waist.

"Would you look at that? Little Sasuke is growing up as a Shinobi," Naruot commented with a smirk.

"One step closer to kicking your ass," The Uchiha countered with a smirk of his own, making the blond grin.

"I guess that concludes our business here," Kakashi stated and placed back a weirdly curved sword on its place.

"You're going already? Please, allow me to invite you for some tea,"

"Maybe another time, we've got to head to the arena, preliminaries will be starting soon. Me and Sasuke can't be late,"

"Oh, does that mean the two of you will be taking part in the tournament?" Hattori asked with a curious glance at the two.

"Of course, who do you take me for? A tournament like this is a perfect place to let my awesomeness shine," The blond answered making the Elf chuckle.

"Then I wish you two the best of luck, but somehow I doubt you will be needing it. I will make sure to come watch the main part of it,"

Soon after leaving the workshop, the team headed back towards the arena. The streets were already bustling with excitement as some of the less-occupied people were heading to watch the preliminaries. People standing on crates were shouting over the noise, already introducing some of the more known fighters, others were speculating on the newer fighters, while some scribbled bets and hid coins into their chests and pouches.

"You would think that most people wouldn't even know about the preliminary fighters, yet here they are, already shouting names and titles," Haku said as the group neared the entrance.

"That's one of the best things about cities like this. News spreads here like wildfire. So long you don't take precautions, nothing remains a secret here. Will it be thought a guard that was standing nearby, a beggar that was sitting close, or a merchant was walking by," Naruto stated as they stood before the entrance to the arena.

"We will be splitting here, Naruto and Sasuke will head towards the participant's booth, and we will go to the stands. Have fun," Kakashi stated with an eye smile.

"Good luck, Naruto, Sasuke,"

"Don't embarrass our team,"

"Ready to go Sasuke?"

"Let's get this over with,"

"Hm, not excited for an all-out brawl?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow as they walked through the corridors.

"Hn, these are just preliminaries, the real battle begins later,"

"That's the spirit!" Naruto laughed loudly, gaining the attention of nearby participants, who were waiting in line to get their Chakra Suppression seals applied to them.

A few minutes later the two were standing near a wall, the seals already applied to them. While their Chakra was sealed off they were unable to bend it whatsoever, even within their bodies. However, because Naruto's Six-eyes didn't require Chakra to be active, he still retained their boons.

"That's cheating,"

"Hey, I can't shut them off like your Sharingan. Besides, if they wanted to do so, they should have asked, but they didn't so it's not my fault,"

"Hn,"

"Attention please!" A loud voice echoed throughout the area and the ramble of the fighters quieted down. They looked to a man in his thirties, in an expensive-looking robe made out of silk and coloured purple. "We will now read out the groups, so listen carefully. Each group will be only read once, so do remember where you have been placed," As the man started reading from a scroll, Naruto nudged his teammate.

"You think we will be in the same group?"

"That would be... troublesome,"

"Heh, you sounded just like a Nara,"

"I did not,"

"Of course you did,"

"Group B, Uzumaki Naruto-,"

"Hm, I get to fight early on,"

"Shut up, I'm listening for my name,"

"Spoilsport,"

"Group D, Akane the red, Jinn Kaito, Uchiha Sasuke-,"

"Oh well, you don't have to wait too long,"

About ten minutes later, all fighters were led to a large viewing area, where they would wait for their group to be called down. As the first group was called, Naruto scanned the stands and smirked seeing Kakashi, Hinata, and Haku. His eyes zoned back to the arena where he saw people fighting. Some rushed against all themselves, wanting to make a showing already. Some held back, waiting for others to weaken, while a few were running back, avoiding all combat if possible.

"Look at these running away, probably realized they were over their head once the fighting started," Naruto commented with a smirk and the Uchiha hummed thoughtfully. The battle was in one word brutal.

Some of the stronger ones broke their opponents down, even after they admitted defeat or begged to be spared. Bones were broken, teeth were flying around and the dirt under their feet soaked up blood from defeated fighters.

Soon, only one man was standing. A huge man, taller than even Kakashi, and built like a bear. He looked around before leaving the area with the joyous laughter of a won battle.

"Group B, please come down,"

"Finally, I was slowly getting bored here," Naruto smirked and walked towards the stairs with the rest of his group.

"Don't lose," Sasuke commented idly, not even sparing the blond a glance.

"Please. Me? Lose? They are all so weak," Naruto answered with a predatory grin, gaining glares and frowns from his opponents.

'And he just goes and paints a target on his back. Wait, of course, he did this on purpose,' The Uchia thought with a smirk.

"Battle commence!"

As soon as the command came the area was filled with the shouts of battle. Naruto wasted no time and joined the midst of it. He ran up to a man, a single haymaker making him lose all his teeth, ducked under a kick and broke the leg, grabbed a man by his arm, and threw into another two who were fighting.

All with a burst of mad laughter.

As Naruto tore through his competition, a small group of ten decided to take him on together. They came from behind when Naruto was choking a man to unconsciousness. As they ran, ready to attack from behind, they froze when Naruto looked over his shoulder, his eyes staring at them from under his sunglasses with a menacing gleam.

"Thought I didn't notice you? Please, come to me with all you've got. After all, you are all so weak!" Not waiting for them, the blond rushed forward. He barreled into one of them with his shoulder, breaking ribs and sending him flying. He kicked another in the face, elbowed the next, spun and hit someone in their solar plexus, blocked another attack, and broke a leg, a hand, and then another one's ribs. The blond was a spinning whirlwind of carnage as he massacred the people all around him.

Back in the contestant booth, Sasuke watched with narrowed eyes, his eyes following the blond through the battlefield. He knew that Naruto was powerful, but even now, without his Chakra, he was declassing Eveyrone with just his martial arts and pure physical strength. His speed, while nothing compared to his Chakra-enhanced moves was leagues above what most Jonin would be able to pull out.

This was the true strength of Uzumaki Naruto.

While his six-eyes gave him an overwhelming advantage in every battle and his Limitless techniques allowed him to wreak wide-area havoc on every battlefield they were not the deciding factor of his arrogance and title of the strongest.

His true strength for the past twelve years has been his body, pushed to the limit of human limits and beyond. Just with pure Chakra enhancements and the added perception of the world with his Dojutsu, Naruto is already among the elite of the Shinobi world. His Limitless merely tipped the scale and allowed him to enter the otherworldly realm of the S-Ranked Ninjas.

That was what made Naruto so dangerous, his powerful physical abilities and his ruthless efficiency.

As the other fighters saw what was happening and the danger the blond represented, a silent treaty was weaved between all of the remaining fighters. A short ceasefire between all participants with one goal in mind.

Bring the blond brat down.

"Come on, come on! This is getting fun!" Naruto cackled and sent another one flying, breaking another nose, shattering another elbow, and knocking out another enemy.

He spun, uppercutting an attacker from behind, and spun again, his fist ready to pummel whoever came close. Only to blink when there was no one else. Naruto looked around, scratching his head in confusion when all around him fighters were lying unconscious or moaning in pain.

"Hehe, maybe I got a bit too much into it,"

"Winner, Naruto, the 'Honored one'!"

Up in the stands, the trio from Konoha were clapping their hands with various expressions. While Kakashi was eye-smiling, having watched the blond crush his opponents like it was nothing, Haku was watching with stars in her eyes and cheering for the blond along with the rest of the viewers. Hinata looked on with a boring expression, having expected this outcome.

"Naruto really is amazing," The black-haired girl stated with a smile on her face.

"Well, underneath all his arrogance and childlike behavior lies a Shinobi unlike any other. The perfect ninja, ruthlessly efficient, and powerful," Kakashi added with a proud smile, watching the person he cared for like a brother.

The blond grinned and soaked up the approval coming from the stands. It felt amazing, to be in the spotlight again, for the masses to know his name, to bask in his glory.

"Master Naruto, please leave the area, group C will be starting soon," The blond pouted and walked to the stands as a group of people ran into the arena and started taking out the beaten fighters.

"Enjoyed the show?" The blond asked and pointed at all the other contestants once he entered the spectating area. "You all are next," These words sent shivers throughout most of the people's spines. The blond was not boasting or provoking them. It was a promise. Yet, some of the fighters felt nothing more than excitement at the prospect of fighting the blond in front of the whole arena.

Soon, the next group started their battle, during which Naruto and Sasuke observed the competition. Well, Sasuke did, Naruto would ever so often shout unhelpful comments and laugh loudly if something funny happened. Before long, it was Uchiha's time to battle for his place in the tournament.

"Give them hell,"

"Hn, don't expect anything else," The Uchiha answered with a confident smirk and walked down the stairs, leaving a grinning blond in the stands.

'Ah, they grow up so fast,'

Once Sasuke was in the arena, he looked at his competition throughout, half-lidded eyes. At first glance, no one of them looked like anything special, but he knew from first-hand experience with Naruto how the looks could be deceiving. There were around eighty fighters in the pit with him, five were close enough to take out in the first three seconds.

"Begin!"

Two leaps. It was all it took Sasuke to reach his first target. He let loose a three-punch combo, ending with an uppercut that eliminated his first opponent. While most of the fighters rushed into the inner part of the arena and entered a messy battle, Sasuke was circling on the outside, taking out all that decided to stay back.

As he defeated his fifth opponent, his senses screamed at him, forcing the Uchiha to jump back as an elderly man drop-kicked the place he was a moment ago. Sasuke looked at the unassuming man with narrowed eyes before engaging him in a fight.

No words were exchanged as the two locked their arms in a power struggle. Being smaller, the Uchiha was lifted off the ground and thrown at one of the walls. He flipped in the air and rolled to the side, countering with a spinning kick, ducking under a punch, and sneaking in quick two punches before being sent flying by another fighter who barreled into him with his shoulder, not unlike the blond did to someone else.

The Uchiha grunted and rolled to a stop, only to be forced to block a combo of kicks and punches from a woman quite taller than him. Being pushed on the defensive, he moved backward until his back almost touched the arena walls.

As his opponent went for a kick, Sasuke jumped up backward, pushed himself from the wall, and flew above her head. Quickly spinning on his heel, he elbowed her in the back of her head before assaulting her with a flurry of punches.

Once he was sure the woman was down, he huffed and turned around. There were still a few fighters on the edges while a small group was concluding their fight in the middle of the arena.

'Do I rush in or do I-?' His thoughts came to a halt as the same old man from before rushed his position, engaging the Uchiha in a fast-paced Taijustu battle again. 'What's with this man?! He looked like he's about to drop dead but he doesn't slow down even by a bit!' The Uchiha grunted as he caught a punch to his head before trying to counter.

As the battles raged on, in the viewer's booth, Naruto hummed with a thoughtful expression. He looked at the old man, who reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite place it. Oh, well, Sasuke would deal with him sooner or later.

Sasuke grunted as his block by broken by the old man again. For the past two minutes, he was heavily on the defensive and it has paid off. While his opponent still packed quite the punch, he was slowly down quickly, his breath getting ragged and his attacks being less precise.

'There!' He ducked under a punch, feeling the power behind it ruffle his hair, sidestepped the knee, and diverted the elbow, before landing a single, solid punch to the old man's solar plexus.

His opponents grunted before falling to the ground without another noise. Sasuke breathed heavily, wiping the blood from his open cheek before his eyes turned to the rest of the fighters, only to widen. Only two people were fighting, both looking equally bruised and cut. For a moment the Uchiha thought about resting up and attacking the victor, but then he caught the stare Naruto was sending him and sighed.

Taking a deep breath, he rushed to rejoin the fight.

"Why the hell would he join the fight instead of resting up?" Hinata muttered under her breath, just loud enough for her companions to hear it. Kakashi hummed with a knowing look, watching the raven-haired boy engage his last two opponents.

"Because this is not a fight to the death, but a fight to prove who is the best one of them," The Jonin answered lightly, his eyes tracking the fight without blinking.

"Still, a fight is a fight, you either win or lose,"

"Not this time Hinata. For Sasuke and Naruto, who both are prideful, winning this against a tired opponent with a cowardly tactic like waiting him out would feel like a defeat,"

"Stupid boys and their pride," Kakashi and Haku's sweat dropped at the prospect of Hinata berating someone for being too prideful.

Down in the arena, the battle was finally over.

Sasuke breathed hard, looking at the last two downed opponents. One was unconscious with blood flowing freely from his nose, while the other was still trying to rise to his feet, but failed.

"We have a winner!" The crowd cheered again as Sasuke smirked proudly. He had done it, he would get to fight in front of the whole arena and show the strength of the Uchiha Clan. As he joined the competitor's booth, Naruto patted his shoulder.

"Was getting worried for a second there, the old MNA sure did give you trouble,"

"Hn, and he was defeated in a single punch,"

"True enough,"

Soon, the next group entered the arena and the fights resumed. As the duo watched the battle royale, Naruto hummed with a smirk, gaining the Uchiha's attention.

"Something interesting?"

"Nah, just someone I know,"

"Another one of your friends?"

"I wouldn't call us friends. We had a run-in three years ago and I was unable to kill him back then. I wonder if we fought now would I be able to?"

"Someone not even you could defeat?"

"Defeat? No, I did that, I just was unable to kill him. See this man with black skin and purple hair?" Naruto asked, pointing at said man who was currently dealing with two other fighters.

"Yeah, who's that?"

"That's Hakari Kinji, the restless Gambler, an A-Ranked Shinobi from Kumo,"

"Okay, then how were you unable to kill him?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow. He knew how stupidly strong the blond was, thrashing Zabuza who was an A-ranked Ninja, and winning with Kisame who was an S-Rank. Then how did this Kumo-nin survive a battle with Naruto?

"Heh, ain't spoiling this yet," The blond smirked at seeing Sasuke's annoyed expression. "But you should know this, he's strong so if you fight him, make sure to hold nothing back,"

"Hn,"

Soon, the other groups were concluded, and the eight winners gathered in the middle of the arena together with the man who was calling the fighter into the fight. Naruto looked at his potential opponents with a smile, before his attention was drawn to the procotr.

"You have earned their right to fight in front of the crowd. Later today, all of you will battle for glory and the status of the honored Chamiopn, a title fit only for the city's greatest warrior. We will now decide on the bracket. If you would please come to the box and pull your number," The proctor, an older man in full iron armor, with a red and white motif, stated and pointed to a box with a hole fit for their hand, in which were paper slips with numbers. As all the fighters drew their numbers, the proctor called out their names.

"The first fight, Naruto the 'honored one' against Stoick the 'Vast'," The blond looked to his enemy, coincidently it was the winner of group A. Stoick was a big man, with green eyes and long red hair. Towering over most contestants, his presence alone demonstrated the might of the Village of origin. He had a very large and muscular figure with barely visible freckles, and his hair in a thick braid in the back. The trend of braiding carried on his beard which was intricate in its many strands. His attire consisted of a large fur cloak draped over his shoulder, a dark green tunic from shoulder to knee, metal shoulder pads, a chainmail skirt with striped pantaloons, and fur boots. On his head, he wears a large horned helmet. He also wore rounded-spiked braces around his wrists.

The blond grinned at the man, who looked at him with an appraising look. Naruto saw that the man's best attribute was his strength, easily able to throw other opponents throughout the whole arena. It was different from Ninjas, whose usual specialty lay in either perfecting Taijustu or speed. The prospect of fighting him made the young Uzumaki giddy.

"The second fight, Hakari the 'restless Gambler against...,"

Naruto looked at the two combatants, his eyes quickly using both before he scoffed, already knowing the outcome of the fight. The girl fighting Hakari was nothing special. His muscles were neither built for speed nor strength, so unless she was a hand-to-hand combat master, she stood no chance against the Kumo Ninja, whose abilities the blond knew quite well.

"The third fight will be Sasuke the 'last Uchiha' against Jin the 'Skullcrasher',"

The blond looked at the Uchiha's opponent and grinned. Jin was another big man, but unlike his enemy who was large and had a lot of meat on his arms, Jin was a rather short man with pure, cut muscles. Naruto wondered how his teammate would fare against such an opponent, who during his fight looked like he didn't feel any strikes, unless they came, from someone as equally big as himself.

"The last fight will be Darkness the 'holy Crusader' against..."

Naruto looked at the last two fighters. Both were girls, but the interesting one was Darkness if that was her real name. Darkness is a tall young woman with graceful features and alabaster skin. She was well-endowed and also had light blue eyes and straight, long blonde hair, kept in a ponytail tied with braid and red hair clips secured on both sides of her bangs. If Naruto was to be honest, she was drop-dead gorgeous. She wore a yellow and black sleeveless dress with silver trimmings, black chainmail, and a silver armor composed of metal greaves, sabatons, tasset, shoulder plate on her left side, wing-like cloth perched upon her right shoulder, and a cuirass with a red bow.

If he was not mistaken, she had heard about her. Born to a noble family in Novigrad, she decided to become a hero of the helpless, spending her life traveling throughout the land and helping people in need. A noble goal, but one that had no future in their world.

"Now that the fights for the tournament have been finalized, you are free to go. Remember, don't be late for the tournament, tardiness will be punished with disqualification,"

"Let's go, Sasuke,"

"Already running away, Uzumaki?" Naruto turned around, looking at Hakari who looked at him with a smirk.

"If I remember correctly, the last time you were the one running away,"

"That was a few years ago, a lot has changed from back then,"

"Heh, we will see, if you win your first fight,"

"I will and then I will crush you,"

"Hah, good one, Hakari," The blond walked away with a snicker, the Uchiha following him, silently observing his first opponent. As they left the arena and waited for the rest of their team to join them, the Uchiha looked at the blond.

"You know, not that I am one to judge, but are you going to fight in these clothes?" Naruto looked at his blood-stained white button-up shirt and black slacks.

"Huh, you might be right. I need to change my clothes,"

"Nice fight, you two," Kakashi said as the rest of team seven joined them.

"Please, these weaklings were nothing special, good fights are just coming," The blond answered with a grin.

"How are your injuries, Sasuke?" Haku asked with a worried glance, seeing the various cuts and bruises on the young Uchiha's body.

"Nothing too serious,"

"Still, it might be a good idea to dress them before the tournament. You two also should probably rest up for now," Kakashi suggested, gaining Naruto's attention.

"Then I know where we can do both,"

---

Team Seven stood in front of a large mansion in the old city. The building was made out of finely cut stone and imported wood with large intricate pillars. In front of the building was a large and taken-off garden with various bushes and flowers. And currently in front of team Seven was a high iron gate, with two guards standing in front of it.

"So, here we are. Where are we exactly? Hinata asked looking at the foreign architecture. The place was a lot different from her Clan compound or really any building in Konoha.

"The Tohsaka residence, the home of one of my friends in the city,"

"Do they know we are coming?" Sasuke asked, looking at the guards who were standing at full attention.

"Nope,"

"Then how do we-?" Kakashi was cut off by the blond.

"TOHSAKA! COME OPEN THE GATE. TOHSAKA, IT'S ME, NARUTO!" The blond shouted loudly, making the guard jump before gaining their attention.

"Stop it, Naruto!" Hinata hissed when more guards came from a nearby building, watching them carefully. However, the Uzumaki didn't relent, shouting loudly. Just as the guards were about to walk up to them, a female voice echoed throughout the area.

"Naruto!" All eyes turned towards the door of the mansion from where a girl came out. She was a young woman their age with aqua eyes and long wavy brown hair in a two-side-up hairstyle, which consists of part of her being made into twin tails tied with black ribbons, while the majority hangs loose. Her clothing consists of a red turtleneck, which had a white cross in the middle of it, a black skirt, and black thigh-high socks under brown leather flats.

"Rin!"

"Naruto!" The girl started running towards the gates. Seeing their lady know the visitors, the guards opened the gates.

"Rin!" The blond started to jog towards her, with his arms wide open.

"NARUTO!"

"Huh?" A brown shoe crashed into his glasses and sent the blond flying back to his team.

"What the hell!? Do you think you can just come here and shout my name like a moron!?"

"Ouch," Sasuke muttered the blond lying on his back with a dazed look on his face.

"Wasn't expecting that, but seeing him flat on his back is nice, I guess," Hinata commented, gaining Rin's attention. The girl blinked seeing them before she calmed down, patted down her shirt, and gave them a fake smile worthy of a noble.

"Oh my, how careless. I didn't notice you four. Who might you be?"

"Uhgh, they are my teammates. Mind if we come in?" Naruto answered as he sat up, a red boot imprinted on his face.

"Of course, we, the Tohsaka's never reject guests. Please, this way," Rin stated and team Seven started walking towards the doors.

"As long someone is watching," Naruto muttered only to hiss when the girl stomped on his feet.

"You were saying?"

"Nope! I didn't say anything,"

With a satisfied smile, Rin leads team Seven into the mansion. The building was as grandiose inside as it was outside. Pillars from quartz are made by the best Stonemasons in the city. Intricate Fresco adorned the walls, along with masterful paintings, glided vases on beautiful wooden stands, and a wide array of different flora in a large pot, enriched with various gems. High above them hung a beautiful chandelier made out of white crystals, giving the effect of shining stars. The floor was pristine, white stone, shining like it was cleaned and waxed daily. A long red carpet with black trimming led from the main doors towards stairs and branched out from there towards the other corridors in the floor.

Soon, they were seated in a guest room. In the middle of the room was a wooden table, with cushioned chairs and a sofa. The walls were lined with shelves filled with books. On the table, white, intricately painted teacups were neatly arranged around a full teapot.

Once everyone settled down, Rin sighed and leaned back on in sofa, on which Naruto was sitting next to her. Haku and Kakashi were seated next to them on chairs, while Hinata and Sasuke sat opposite the sofa.

"Ugh, you just had to wake me up. I was having a good dream too," Rin muttered sleepily, gaining sweatdrops from Team Seven. It was already past noon already. She yawned and turned to the blond. "So, will you introduce your friends to me?"

"Ah, of course," a few moments later everyone was introduced and a small silence ensured.

"Sooo..." Naruto started before being cut off by Rin.

"Let me guess, you came for Belleteyn and joined and entered the tournament?" Rin asked, seeing the bloodied clothes the blond wore and the injuries on Sasuke.

"How did you know?" Tohsaka looked at his still bloodied shirt and gave him a deadpanned look. "Ah, right. By the way, do you maybe have a spare change of clothes?'

"Can't you just warp back to our rooms?" Hinata asked and the blond shook his hand, showing his right palm. There was a black, intricate seal written.

"Not this time, my Chakra is sealed until after the tournament,"

"Or you lose," Sasuke added, making the blond grin.

"Yeah, sure, sure. What about it, Rin?"

"Yes, yes, you know where the guest bedrooms are,"

"The one I stayed last time?"

"Yup,"

"Be right back,"

As the blond stood up and walked out of the room, Rin narrowed her eyes on Haku and Hinata for a brief second before she nodded with a silent hum and relaxed.

'What was that?' Sasuke pondered, having seen her reaction but decided to drop it. If she was a friend of Naruto, she was probably as crazy as the blond. 'Wait, does that apply to us too?' He looked at his teammates for a moment and silently fell into despair.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you and Naruto meet?" Haku asked suddenly, gaining everyone's attention. Rin smiled slightly and took a sip of the tea.

"Our friendship goes a few years back. My father and I had been travelling to Konoha for a week and he was in the squad assigned to us and then his squad Captain had appointed him as our guide. I guess we kicked off from there, we would meet when either I was near Konoha or when his missions took him North. Ah, we also have been spending each Belleteyn together," Rin finishes the story with another small glance at the two girls. "Now, if I remember correctly, Naruto preferred Solo missions and he rarely went outside the Village with teams, so what changed?"

"Naruto has been demoted to the Genin Rank and put on team Seven, of which I am the Jonin-Sensei," Kakashi answered with an eye-smile, making the brown-haired girl giggle into her hand, imaging the blond being demoted in front of the other Konoha Ninjas and throwing a fuss about it.

"I take he wasn't pleased?"

"Of course not, he still bemoans the fact from time to time," Sasuke answered with a small smirk.

"That's so much like him,"

"What are you guys talking about?" The blond asked as he entered the room in new clothes. He wore a sleeveless black shirt with silver accents that outlined his muscles. The shirt did a nice job of highlighting his well-toned muscles, enough to make both Rin and Haku blush slightly. His previous black slacks had been replaced with long, black shinobi pants. Over the shirt, he wore a red coat which was actually two separate sleeves connected by a metal plate at the back that covered his arms and was cut off showing his upper torso and midriff, and black martial arts slippers. Under his shirt, he wore the necklace given to him by Rin, while his Six-eyes were still covered by his usual pitch-black round sunglasses, although currently, the left glass had a small crack to it, thanks to Rin's kick.

"Just about how you were demoted to a Genin and didn't write to me about it?" Rin stated with crossed arms, making the blond scratch the back of his head as he sat down next to her.

"Ah, sorry, it slipped my mind, last few months have been rather hectic,"

"Mhm, between doing chores on D-Ranked missions and training with other Genin?"

"Yup, you have no idea how much sleep I have lost due to my new responsibilities lately," The blond answered, making the rest of his team sweatdrop, the image of a snoring Naruto lying on a tree branch while they did D-Ranked missions entering their minds.

"If you say so, why did you enter the tournament?"

"You gotta ask why? Naruto asked with a grin. "It's the perfect place to get my name into the world. Once I dominate everyone there, people ought to hear my name. By the way, you think one of your maids could patch Sasuke up?"

"He's fighting too?"

"Of course," A moment later a cute maid escorted the Uchiha out of the room to the infirmary and surprisingly Hinata decided to accompany him.

"So, will you and your father attend the tournament?" Naruto asked as he took a sip of his tea. It was very good, if he had to guess he would say it was the 'Eastern wind'. Not a bad choice.

"I'm not sure, I have errands I need to do today and Father is out of town,"

"Ah that's a shame, I wanted to confess my unending love to you in front of the whole crowd,"

"I-Idiot! What are y-you babbling about!?" Rin stammered and hit the blond a few times on his shoulder, making him chuckle. Kakashi and Haku sighed in unison in the background.

"Sorry, sorry. Ouch, I told you I am sorry! Rin, please stop!"

"Idiot!" After she hit him one more time just in case he decided to say something like this out loud again, the young Tohsaka calmed down.

"Miss Tohsaka, I see your family is quite rich, if I may ask, how did you come to possess such fortune?" Kakashi asked with an eye-smile, silently reveling at the red handprint on Naruto's face. Said blond rubbing his face and shoulder with a pout.

"Of course, my family's history goes as far back as does Novigrad. The Tohsaka are one of the four noble Houses, who were the main pillars that created this very city. Of course, with time, there came more nobles, yet the four founders held the most authority in the city, well, if we don't count the Hierarch. Our main income comes from the mines and farms we own outside the city as well as trade. We also own a few of the manufacturies in the city, a few outside, storage houses we rent out, and interest from loans,"

"In short, they are loaded, even more so than I am," Naruto summarized, making Rin nod proudly. "She also owns a casino, which is our next stop,"

"I promise you if you once again empty our safe with your ungodly luck I will kick your ass like never before," said the girl growled, making the blond chuckle uneasily. He remembered how a year ago the two of them went to play there, only to win every bet. Even when Naruto decided to lose the money so Rin wouldn't have to explain this to her father, he still won.

"Not my fault I am great at everything I do,"

"It was not skill, just pure dumb luck!"

"You're just mad you lost all your money in the first twenty minutes,"

The group of four talked for some more time, sharing their stories either from traveling or from missions. After about twenty minutes Sasuke came back with Hinata who joined the conversation.

"It was really nice meeting you all, but business calls. I hope we can continue it again someday," Rin said as she walked with the group towards the main gate.

"It was a pleasure," Haku answered with a smile, which Rin reinforced. Naruto didn't really understand how the calm and caring Haku became such good friends with the impulsive and hot-headed Rin in such a short time, but he didn't dare question it.

"Thank you for having us," Kakashi spoke for the group as they walked past the guards.

"Hey, Rin. I hope to see you at the festival later tonight," Naruto stated with a sincere smile, making the girl tap her chin.

"Oh, I am not sure I will have time to meet up with you. I will have to check-in with my secretary,"

"What? You are just going to ditch me like this?" The blond looked at her with a pout, making her giggle.

"I'm kidding, I would love to meet with you at the festival. I-I mean with all of you, of course!"

"Of course," Sasuke muttered with a small smile, making Hinata and Kakashi snicker.

"Just wear something decent this year!" Tohsaka commanded the blond and ran back to her mansion.

"You have very interesting friends," Kakshi stated as the group started heading towards the center of the city again.

"Of course," Naruto stated proudly.

"An elf smith who is obsessed with his swords and a tsundere noble. I wonder who we will meet next,"

"What's the plan for now?" Kakashi asked, looking at the blond, who walked with his hand behind his head.

"Well, I don't have anything planned until the tournament, so we have a few hours free for sightseeing. I guess we can split and everyone can do what they want. I'm going to the Casino for sure, anyone wanna join?"

"I'll pass," Sasuke answered and Kakashi nodded his head.

"Gambling is below me," Hinata added, making the blond snort at her act.

"What about you?"

"Sure," Haku answered, making the blond grin.

"Nice, let's meet in front of the arena an hour before the tournament," Naruto told the rest of his team as he and Haku walked off, quickly blending with the crowd.

"So, what about you two?" Kakashi asked and looked around, trying to decide what he would do.

"I spotted a nice tea shop on our way here, I think I will go try their menu," Hinata said, showing the pouch of Crowns she and the rest of the team got from Naruto before they arrived at Tohsaka's.

"I will go with you," The Uchiha stated and they turned to look at Kakashi, who shrugged.

"Alright, don't forget, one hour before the tournament at the arena, see ya," Kakashi said and walked off, leaving the two Genin alone.

---

"Alright Haku, the plan is simple. We enter, we play and we leave rich. Any questions?" Naruto stated as the two walked towards the Casino. It was a large building in the eastern part of the city center. A lot of people were walking in and out. Some were in expensive clothes, with a woman hanging on their arms, and others with clothes full of holes.

"Yes, I have never gambled before. What are the rules?"

"Ah, that complicates the situation. Alright. There are many games, for example, Blackjack, Poker, Roulette, Pachinko, slots, and others. I will give you a rundown once we play, so you don't get too overwhelmed," A few minutes later, Naruto and Haku were inside, after a small scuffle with the bouncers which ended with a broken nose and bruised ribs, ready to play.

"We will start here," The blond said as he walked over to a table with Roulette. "The rules are simple, this thing spins and wherever the ball lands wins...," After a short explanation the two were playing. At first, both of them played carefully, placing small bets, losing then winning. After another few spins, Naruto started placing higher bids.

"Haku,"

"Yes?"

"How are you doing?"

"I have won 100 crowns,"

"I see,"

"What about you?"

"I am down to my last bet," The black-haired girl looked at Naruto who held the last coins in his hands. After paying for the rooms in the Inn, each member was given 400 crowns for their own expenses during their stay in the city. Haku had decided to play only with 200 of these. Naruto, on the other hand, took all 400 and was currently down to the last twenty crowns.

"How did this happen?"

"M'not sure, I got too excited," Naruto sulked as another bet was confirmed. He looked at his money and then at the roulette. A resolute look appeared on his face before he placed the last of his money on the layout.

"Green,"

Some people who saw how quickly he burned through his money looked at him with pity. Others were making fun of him. The blond didn't care, he just wanted this to be over with. As the bets were closed, the Croupier spun the wheel and then the silver ball went in.

Naruto looked with narrowed eyes as it bounced once, twice, thrice, and then more. His six eyes allowed him to keep track of every single number the ball landed. Sweat built up on the blond's brows as he kept on watching the spin, not blinking even once. The roulette started to slow down, the ball danced around the roulette without rest. Naruto gripped the table tightly, the wood denting under his strength. Now, the ball was slowly coming to a halt. Naruto's breath got ragged, his heart was beating like crazy, and the adrenaline buzzed in his body.

The ball landed in the '22' slot, jumped into '29' and then bounced again. Naruto swallowed hard, his throat going dry. Slot '3' welcomed the ball, but the silver piece didn't rest there for too long and then it landed in-

"Green!" Naruto shouted in ecstasy as the ball landed in the green slot and stopped. The blond let out a heavy, shaking breath and looked at his winnings.

"Payout 35 to 1, that's 700 crowns," Naruto muttered and took his hard-earned money, before a small, predatory grin formed on his mouth. "It's a double," These words were whispered under his breath, only to be heard by him, but Haku heard them too. Haku, who watched the blond for the duration of the roll realized how much of a gambler the blond was. Haku who just realized that Naruto could do anything, but control his luck wouldn't back down until he lost everything or left with all that the Casino owned.

"Green,"

The money was placed, the roulette spun again and no amount of strength or knowledge would help the blond in this battle.

What mattered was pure luck.

---

Hinata and Sasuke were currently sitting in a small tea shop. It was located on a corner of a building in the new city, with a nice view of the area. From here they could see the arena, where the tournament was taking place, the temple Isle, where the Hierarch of the Church of the Eternal Fire resides, along with many other priests and influential people, and the city center.

They sat at a small wooden table and before long were given the menus by one of the waiters.

"What are you getting?" Sasuke asked as he looked over the long list of possible items he could buy, not really sure what to get.

"Not sure yet, but I've heard that the 'Falling Star' tea is good. Oh, they have Almond bread pudding, I had it once and it was great,"

"Hm, any idea what a Saffron cake is?"

"Never heard about it,"

The two sat in silence, both of them ready to order, just watching people pass by and taking in the sight.

"Why did you come with me?" The young Hyuga asked abruptly. Sasuke looked at her, seeing that she was still looking at the people on the streets, and shrugged.

"Didn't want to go to the Casino with a crazed blond and Kakashi would probably lose me in a crowd,"

"Why didn't you go alone?"

"I had no idea what else to do," Sasuke muttered honestly, seeing a waiter come up to them.

"I see,"

---

Naruto hummed, looking at a pair of cards he held in his hand. Across him, sitting at the same table was a man in luxurious clothes, gripping the table tightly. Naruto's eyes peered under his glasses at the five cards on the table. A small, almost unnoticeable smirk appeared on his face as he laid his card upside down on the table and pushed a large stack of chips forward. The man clenched his teeth and threw his cards on the table with a resigned sigh.

"Thank you," Naruto muttered and took the chips with a small smile. "I was bluffing by the way," The blond commented idly and showed his abyssal hand.

"A high card? Seriously?" The man muttered in disbelief as the dealer dealt another hand.

"You have lost almost everything already? Hey, I've got an idea,"

"What do you want?" The man snapped, making Nartuo snicker.

"What about we go all in this hand? Don't look at your hand, let fate decide?" Naruto proposed as a pair of cards landed in front of him. The man thought about it for a moment, before he realized that the risk was worth it. He had lost over 7000 crowns, with the last 3000 currently in his possession. If he could win this hand, he would be so back!

"Alright," Both looked at the dealer who nodded and started slowly placing five cards on the table. First, second, third, fourth, and finally the last. For a moment, nothing happened until Naruto nodded to his opponent, who took his cards up and looked hopefully to find anything good. His eyes widened before a large, excited grin formed on his face.

"Flush," The man said as he slammed the two cards on the table. This was it, the chances of losing this hand were slim to none! He had done it, he was back and he had doubled his money! Naruto hummed twice and lifted his cards. He looked at them for a moment before sighing. With a fast slam, he placed his own hand on the table.

"Royal Flush!" The man hit the table with his fist, making the chips jump, and jumped in anger. Naruto laughed loudly as his opponent rushed away from the table with anger and despair.

"That was great! What do you think Haku?" Naruto looked around, only to find the black-haired beauty missing. He looked around and saw her at a nearby Blackjack table, with a hollow look in her eyes. "Hey, something's wrong?"

"Naruto... I lost everything," Haku muttered as she looked at the dealer who had taken all her hard-won money and was throwing cards like she wasn't there.

"There, there," Naruto patted her head. "You can't always win, sometimes you just lose. Well, unless you are me,"

"By the way, how much did you win since I walked away?"

"Hm, I should be around a 100 thousand crowns,"

"A 100 t-thousend?! I was gone for about twenty minutes!"

"Yeah, aren't I great?"

"Would you lend me some?" Haku muttered with puppy eyes, making the blond turn away.

"No, no, no. Rule number one, never go into debt to gamble. You have lost, you should let your emotions calm down before playing again,"

"Stingy," Haku muttered and looked away with a pout, making the blond snicker.

---

Kakashi strolled throughout the city with his hands in his pockets, idly looking around, trying to find something interesting to pass the time. So far he hasn't done anything that really caught his interest, however, he almost ended up being tempted to step into Passiflora. An establishment that happened to be the biggest brothel in the city. Of course, the only reason he even entertained such thoughts was because he was curious what kind of people even went there. That's all.

As his feet took him more into the center of the old City, a large building caught his attention.

"Borsody Auction House?" He looked read the sign over the impressive doors. The auction house of the Borsody brothers was located on the square on Main Street, actually, the main artery of Novigrad, connecting the market square with the Temple of Eternal Fire. The brothers, at the beginning of their careers trading horses and sheep, could only afford a shed on the outskirts of the town. Forty-two years after its establishment, the auction house occupied an impressive three-story building in the most representative part of the city. It was still in the hands of the family, but the auctions included only expensive stones, mainly diamonds, as well as works of art, antiques, and collectors' items.

Kakshi shrugged to himself and went to enter the building. He wondered if the guards at the doors would stop him, but apparently, they were there only to make sure no one poor entered. While he himself might not be clothed in expensive clothes, the guards must have realized he was a Shinobi and from the Flat Jacket, at least a Chunin, which meant he had some money to spend.

The auction was already underway. A man was standing on a stage, showcasing some kind of painting, while the people who were either sitting in front of the stage or standing in the back were shouting their bids. Kakashi himself leaned against the wall and waited for something that would catch his eye.

After about twenty minutes, when another piece of armor was sold to some rich-looking man, the silver-haired man thought about leaving and looking for something else to do. Just as he pushed himself from the wall, the auction master placed a small, blue book on the stand for everyone to see.

"And now, for the next item, we have something really special. The unreleased Icha Icha: Heavens's Feel, sighed with personal wishes by Master Jirayia himself! Not only that, but this book is the only known copy of the Icha Icha series to be published with with a hardback and with special illustrations! That's something only a true devoted fan of the series should have on their bookshelf," Kakashi stiffened, slowly spinning on his heel and looking at the beauty crystalized with a single tear in his eye.

'Finally, after all this time. It's time to bring you home, my baby,'

"Do I hear 100? There, the man in a red suit! 150! Will anyone give a 150?!" Kakashi raised his hand and the auction master pointed at him. "To the silver-haired fellow! 200 anyone?!" At this moment, Kakashi swore to himself that he would get this book, no matter the price.

---

Sasuke looked with an impressed look at Hinata. They were just served their orders by a waitress. He had bought the 'Falling Star' tea and an Almond bread pudding. He thought it would be a nice snack before the tournament and should he get hungry he could always eat the Shinobi rations they brought from Konoha.

While Sasuke ordered just two positions off the menu, Hinata decided to order everything. The table they were sitting at was filled with plates and cups of tea and even it was not enough as two more tables were moved to them just for the whole order to fit on them.

"Wow," Sasuke commented with a shocked look. He didn't expect that and he was not present as she ordered, having been in the bathroom. Hinata looked at the Uchiha with a raised eyebrow, not understanding his surprise.

"What? As a Hyuga, it is my duty to try each and every dish they have here, to judge which is worthy of being imported to my Clan,"

"Uh-huh, and it has nothing to do with the fact that you love sweets?"

"W-What?! How in the seven hell did you come to such a conclusion?"

"I mean, we see each other every day to train and do missions. Did you think we wouldn't notice the sweets you always ate when no one was looking?"

"The other know too?!" Hinata jumped with wide eyes and an embarrassed blush on her face.

"Yeah, Naruto, Haku, and Kakashi know too," Hinata groaned and sat down, holding her head in her hands.

"If Father ever finds out about this..." She muttered under her breath, making the Uchiha sweatdrop.

"Don't worry, no one will tell him... actually Naruto might, but is it really such a big deal?" Hinata got even more depressed before looking at Sasuke through their fingers.

"Of course, I am the Heiress to the Hyuga Clan. It is my duty to be the perfect Kunoichi, to be the perfect Hyuga. How else are others to follow our rules and customs if the Clan Heiress herself breaks them? 'A Hyuga never shows emotions. A Hyuga never gets attached. A Hyuga is always composed and calm' these were the first three rules that father drilled into me since birth,"

Sasuke looked at her in silence, not really sure how to respond to this. Even his father and Clan, who were strict, never forbade the Clan members such things. Emotions were fine as long as they didn't disrupt missions or battles. Attachments were vital, for without attachment there was no unity in the Clan or the Village. The last part he could agree on, but even then, the Hyuga Clan seemed to take it a bit too seriously for Sasuke's liking.

"Well, your father or Clan's members are not here, so I guess you can relax for today," Sasuke said weakly, not really sure how Hinata would react to this. The Hyuga heiress pondered the words for a moment before slowly nodding. After all, Sasuke was right. They were far from Konoha, no one knew who she was here and her own team wouldn't sell her out.

"Yeah, you might be right," Hinata said and smiled slightly before starting to dig into her order. Sasuke smirked and sipped his tea, happy he was able to help his friend calm down and relax.

---

Naruto laughed loudly, sitting at a slot machine. His glasses reflected the symbols speeding through the screen before another three '7' stopped and the machine made a loud noise before music started playing.

"Jackpot!" The blond grinned and started spinning again. The people around him watched him in silent amazement as yet another Jackpot landed and the machine screamed in victory. The staff of the Casino was watching him in disbelief as his payout was getting bigger and bigger with every second.

They had already checked the machine for a possible malfunction or any signs that the blond had tampered with it, but they found nothing. This was just pure luck and apparently, it was not going to end any time soon.

As yet another Jackpot hit for the blond, Naruto laughed and stood up from the machine. Haku was helping carry his winnings, which were enough to give the two of them a problem already.

"Alright! That was fun, but I think it's about time we head out,"

"I agree. So, how much have you won in total?"

"Hm, let me think for a moment. I think it should be around ten million crowns, yeah, that sounds about right," Naruto said with a huge grin seeing the gobsmacked faces of the people around him. He cleared his throat and gave a polite bow. "Ladies and gentlemen, it has been fun winning money from you and the Casino, however, it is time we head out. Thanks for the money, losers!" The blond started cackling as he and Haku walked off with the blond's winnings.

"Sir," One of the Casino's older clerks looked at an employee with a questioning look.

"What is it?"

"I don't think we have ten million crowns in our vault. What do we do now?"

"Send a messenger to Lady Tohsaka! We need emergency funds until we can make the money back! Go, go, go!"

---

Kakashi sat at a small brick wall near the arena, reading his newest lover, the Icha Icha: Heaven's Feel. The jonin had not felt such happiness and giddiness in a long time. The feeling of being finally at peace spread throughout his body, making him forger about all his mistakes and problems. Right now, it was just him, the rumbling noise of Novigrad, and this book.

He opened the book with a trembling hand. He read the title, took a sharp breath, and dived right into the first sentence.

'Shiro is a man and hero. He fights bad people and hot girls love him. He is strong and handsome. One night he walks through the city and finds a bad man. He fights him and wins. Then a hot babe with huge breasts hugs him and they make out. He takes her home...'

"W-What is this?!" Kakashi shouted in disbelief. The book looked like it was written by a kid who never read a book himself. He passed through a few pages in hopes that only the beginning was so bad, but quickly found out that no matter how far he went, the writing was just as bad. Slowly, with a feeling of dread washing over his whole body, Kakashi opened the first page, where Jirayia's signature and wishes were.

'It's me Jiraiya! The best twelve-year-old writer! In the future, I am going to be a rich writer and ladies will love me! All the best!' Kakashi closed the book and looked into the clear skies with an empty look.

"No way," A single tear formed in his eye and slid down his cheek. "No way," He muttered and stood up. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew he needed a few moments to clear his head. This was too much.

'Is there any reason for living? Is living even worth it?'

---

"This is where we split up, just like last time," Kakashi said in his usual lazy drawl, reading his usual Icha Icha. "Good luck, you two," The Jonin commented and started to drag his feet towards the line that was standing in front of the entry of the stands.

"Gee, what's with him? he seems even more grumpy than usual," Naruto muttered with a raised eyebrow, getting shrugs from the others.

"We should probably get going too, otherwise we might not get inside. Good luck," Hinata said with her usual poker face as she and Haku walked away, the latter giving them her encouragement with a smile.

"Let's get going. We should probably warm up before the fights. How are your injuries?"

"All good, I am at full strength,"

"Great, I want to face you in the finals, so you better bring your A-game into the pit,"

"Hn,"

The two entered the contestant's area, which was still pretty empty, except for Sasuke's first opponent. The two started stretching and getting ready for the fight, watching how the stands were slowly filling with a large crowd as the other fighters entered the arena.

Soon, the stands were full of people, some who were taking bets, eating, drinking, cheering. All the fighters were also there, along with two people in to middle of the arena. One was obviously a warrior. A strong-looking man, in the iron armor all of the city guards wore, with red and white colors. The other was an elegantly dressed man, clothes fully black.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Just in a few minutes, we will start the tournament that you all have been waiting for!" The elegantly clothed man said and the crows cheered. Naruto leaned against the railings from the fighter's booth and grinned.

"Look Sasuke, there's Kakashi, Haku, and Hinata," the blond pointed towards the eastern part of the arena and the Uchiha squinted his eyes. True to the blond's words, team Seven was sitting together with food and drink bought from the walking vendors. He also saw Haku with a large pouch of coins and turned to Naruto.

"How much did you two win at the Casino?"

"Eh, you know, ten million Crowns. You know how it is. We only could withdraw six million, the rest was sent to Vivaldi's bank with a bill of exchange,"

"T-Ten milion?!"

"What can I say, I have great luck,"

"And now without further delay, the first battle! Naruto the 'Honored One'!"

"Oh, gotta go," Naruto grinned and jumped down from the booth. He landed in a crouch and stood up. He looked at the crowd once more with a grin and waved his hand. The crowd went wild, some having heard about his fight in the preliminaries.

"Stoick the 'Vast'!" The large man took his time walking down the stairs, his gaze never wavering from the blond. The two stood facing each other in the middle of the arena, the elegant man standing near one of the walls while the armored referee stood a bit closer.

"Let the first fight of tonight... begin!"

Naruto and Stoick looked at each other for a moment before rushing forward. They met in the middle and the large man was the first to attack. Naruto ducked under a punch and landed a quick hook the the liver, but his opponent took it like a champ and lashed out with a kick. Naruto blocked the attack and his black slippers slid on the dirt arena.

"Heh, not even a moment of hesitation after this punch? How tough are you?" Naruto muttered with a grin and rushed forward. He jumped over Stoick, diverted an elbow, sidestepped a kick, blocked another kick, and lashed out with three quick and precise strikes. The blond's grin widened when his opponent acted like punches weighed nothing before jumping back to avoid a crushing ax kick.

'Heh, I can block his attack, they aren't as heavy as I thought. The problem is his durability! I put all my strength into these punches and he's still unfazed,' Perfect, finally a fight he could enjoy to the fullest! Naruto's grin widened and took off his sunglasses.

Stoick grunted and jumped up, trying to land another ax kick, but the blond managed to roll out of the way. Naruto spun on his heel and his shin connected with Stoick's face, which didn't stop the juggernaut but merely irritated him. Stoick managed to catch the blond's extended leg and threw him onto the ground. Naruto grunted as his back impacted with the harsh ground before he pushed himself back to his feet.

'Okay, so he doesn't feel my attacks and he can just throw me like a sack of potatoes. Noted,'

Naruto slipped under the punch, dodged the next two attacks, and let out a flurry of powerful punches at Stoick's chest. The strength behind them pushed the man back, making him lose his balance for a moment. Naruto pushed his advantage and landed another kick on the man's liver only to get caught in the chest with a front kick that stopped his advance.

Stoick narrowed his eyes and this time he took the initiative. With a mighty roar, he rushed forward the blond with a combo of fast-paced and precise punches. Naruto was put on the defensive, blocking, dodging, and weaving through an endless barrage of attacks. Stoick's form was perfect, with his current strength, speed, and desire to win, he could've defeated everyone in this tournament.

Except Uzumaki Naruto.

Once another punch was sent his way, Naruto caught it in his palm and grinned. He pulled the man in and unleashed an uppercut to his liver with enough strength to lift the giant from the ground. This time, however, the attack gave the expected results. Stoick grunted in pain before another kick to the liver sent him tumbling away. He slowly got to his feet and looked at Naruto who didn't push his advantage. His shiny blue eyes stared deep into his soul for a moment before Naruto smirked.

"I'll admit, your durability is great, it almost feels like I am hitting a rock with my fists, but even a stone starts to crack if you hit one spot long enough!" Stoick narrowed his eyes and raised his fists again.

"This fight is far from over," He stated after spitting the blood from his mouth out.

"Is that so? Well, we will see how long your body can last!" Naruto launched forward and batted Stoick's guard away with a three-punch combo before kneeling the man in the liver once again. The large man didn't stand idly and when Naruto drilled his knee into his stomach, he hammered the blond into the ground with an elbow.

Naruto landed on his shoulder and spun on the ground, kicking Stoick's feet from under him making the man fall. In a show of unexpected agility, Stoick the Vast flipped in the air and nailed Naruto in the chin with a rising kick.

The blond was lifted into the air before his leg was again caught by the giant man who started to run and and drag him across the ground. Naruto placed his hands around his face, ignoring the minor cuts on his arms as he was launched into the Arena wall. Naruto angled himself mid-flight to land on the concrete feet-first. He grunted as the strain on his knees registered in his brain, but he used the momentum to launch himself back at Stoick who wasn't expecting it.

With the added velocity, Naruto once smashed his knee into the man's face. Blood followed a loud crunch and Stoick's nose broke under the pressure and the man stumbled back. The Uzumaki rushed forward and began his offensive.

A kick after a punch, an elbow to the head, a knee to the stomach. A dodge, a jump, and the dance began anew. Stoick was put on the defensive, his large arms being unable to protect him from the blond's relentless assault from all directions.

With the liver damaged and the nose broken, Naruto had two points where Stoick was weak. His six eyes made sure to point out all flaws in the larger man's faltering guard and the blond used it with a brutal efficiency.

"Gah!" Stoick spit blood as Naruto landed yet another punch to his liver. The man doubled over only for to blond to drag his head down into his rising knee. Stars danced in Stoick's vision, his otic capsule was going crazy, making it difficult for him to find his footing. Naruto shouted and spun on his heel, a spinning kick with all his strength and the velocity of the spin crashed into Stoick's liver, making the man fall to the ground clenching his stomach in pain.

Naruto stopped and looked at the man in front of him. Even now, as blood dripped down his chin onto his beard, unable to find his footing, Stoick was trying to get up. He failed miserably, falling face-first into the ground. The referee ran up to the blond and raised his hand.

"What way to open the tournament! Truly the unstoppable spear against the immovable Shield! This time however the spear dominated its enemy's defense! Winner: Naruto the 'Honored One'!" With the end of the battle and the announcement of the winner, the crowd went wild. Naruto smirked and lifted his other hand into the air, before pointing one of them towards the fighter's booth.

"Not a bad fight, Stoick," Naruto commented as he passed the man who was right now helped by a squad of medics. The giant looked at him for a moment before grinning a bloody smile. As Naruto started to ascend the stairs he passed Hakari who gave him a confident smirk. The two passed without another word.

"With the first fight behind us, let's get started on the next one! This time around our first fighter is Hakari the 'Restless Gambler'!" Said the man walking into the arena with a confident look on his face, his hands in his pockets. Naruto walked up to Sasuke and sighed, leaning on the railing next to the Uchiha.

"Took you long enough,"

"Please, that man was the definition of a tank! My hands are still sore from hitting him so much," Naruto answered as he rubbed his knuckles. As the second fight began, he pulled out his glasses and covered his eyes with them. "You've got a strategy for your fight?" Naruto muttered lowly so only Sasuke could hear him.

"It's difficult to form a strategy against someone you don't know, but I have an idea what to do,"

"Great, it would be a-,"

"Winner! Hakari the 'Restless Gambler'!"

"Huh, that was quick," Naruto commented seeing medics carry away Hakari's opponent on a stretcher. Said Kumo-Nin hyping up the crowd, throwing his hands into the air, and getting massive cheers in return. "Your turn Sasuke!" Naruto slapped the Uchiha on his back, making him smirk and walk down the stairs with an air of confidence.

"Make some noise for the next combatants which will be: Sasuke the 'Last Uchiha' against Jin the 'Skullcrasher'!" The crowd's cheers were laden with shouts of excitement and whispers of wonder. Many recognized the Uchiha name and the fame it brought with it. New bets were placed and others were withdrawn. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he faced his opponent, who was flexing his muscles, gaining a huge reaction from the stands.

'He's underestimating me!' The fight started and Jin rushed in, confident in his strength. He was fighting just a boy after all, what could he possibly do? The large man threw a hook which was easily evaded by Sasuke who got into his personal space and landed an uppercut to the man's stomach. Jin doubled over and tried to jump away, but the Uchiha followed him, landing an axe-kick to his shoulder, and bringing the man to his knees.

Jin covered his head with his arms, but Sasuke kneed his chin, making Jin's head snap back and open his guard. The young Konmoha Genin spun on his heel, kicking Jin's feet from under him, making him fall face-first towards the ground. Before the man landed on the ground, Sasuke spun once again, this time raising his leg into a raising kick that nailed the man straight in the face and lifted him off the ground.

Quickly grabbing the man by his leg, he used all his strength to drag him once more to himself and ended his combo with an open palm strike to his solar plexus, sending him flying. Jin rolled on the ground, dirt mixing with his own salvia on his exposed chest. He slowly stood up, needing a moment to gain his footing.

He looked up the Sasuke, only to see him standing with his back towards him, an arm raised towards the crowd, gaining cheers and squeals from the viewers. Using his distraction, he rushed forward, his right hand raised into a powerful haymaker, ready to knock the Uchiha out. Sasuke smirked, stepping to the side and drilling his knee into the running form of Jin, before leaning to the other side and ending the fight with a shot, but powerful elbow to Jin's face. The man grunted as blood escaped his mouth, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body hit the ground with a loud thud.

"We have a winner! Sasuke the 'last Uchiha'! What a style, what a grace, what an ease! Total domination!"

"Heh, this brat isn't half bad," Hakari stated as he walked up to Naruto. The blond looked at the dark-skinned man from under his glasses and grinned.

"Didn't expect anything else from him,"

"Never thought I would see the day that the 'Blue-eyed Demon' would praise someone else,"

"You said it yourself, a lot has changed since our fight,"

"You have changed," Hakari said seriously, looking at the blond with narrowed eyes. "There is still this air of supreme confidence around you, but you're more mature. Heh, let's see if your Taijustu matured too!" Hakari shouted with excitement.

"Begin!" Both turned to the arena where the last fight of the quarterfinals was taking part. From the beginning, Darkness, the blond crusader was on the offensive. She rushed forward, meeting her unprepared opponent in an instant, who merely had time to raise her hands in a double guard. Darkness shouted, letting out a powerful punch that shattered her opponent's guard and nailed her exactly at her chin. The sound of bones breaking was heard all around the arena as the second girl was sent flying into one of the walls. As the dust settled everyone looked in bewildered at the knocked-out girl lying in the imprint of her own body in the wall.

"ONE PUNCH! Darkness rips her opponent's defense with a single punch! The Holy Crusader's strengths are beyond anything we have seen here tonight! What a monster! Winner: Darkness the 'Holy Crusader'!"

"Holy shit!" Naruto shouted with his mouth wide open in shock. That power was beyond anything he could produce with pure muscle strength. "Hey! Are we sure she has the seal applied to her?!" Hakari smiled uneasily, ignoring the sweat that formed on his forehead. Sasuke who just entered the booth saw the fight beginning and the conclusion froze.

'I have to fight this monster next?!' Naruto turned to the Uchiha and gave him a pitying look.

"Alright, so long you don't end up being one-shot or as a smear on the wall, I won't blame you for your loss," Sasuke blinked before frowning, ignoring the reassuring pats from the blond on his shoulder. His mind raced a 100 thoughts per second, trying to form any strategy against this. With Jin, he expected that he could block or at least tank a few shots, but this? No, if each of Darkness's punches had this strength behind them, blocking or taking it was not an option.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! We are officially finished with the quarter-finals and will move now to the semi-finals! Let's remind you all about the contestants! Naruto the 'Honored One'! Having blitzed through the Preliminaries, he showed his determination and strength in the face of a no-damage-feeling Opponent! His next opponent is Hakari the 'Restless Gambler'! A man with an unorthodox fighting style, who weaved through his enemies in the preliminaries and crushed his first enemy! Next is Sasuke the 'Last Uchiha'! After finishing a close three-way battle in the preliminaries, he completely outclassed his quarterfinal fight! Last but not least: Darkness the 'Holy Crusader'! While her preliminary fight didn't show much of her strength, the first fight made sure we never questioned it! With the strength of a Bull, she decimated her opponent with a single fight!"

The crowd cheered loudly for the four fighters who were all looking out of the contestant's booth. The viewers had their favorites and their bets, so all of their names were shouted loudly between the cheers. Naruto looked at his future opponents and grinned. Hakari was smirking, looking at him from the corner of his eye. Sasuke looked at the crow with a serious look, his mind preoccupied with thinking about his next opponent. Darkness was... blushing and breathing heavily?

'The hell? Is she getting aroused by the crowd's cheers? Weird!'

"Now! The first fight of the semi-finals! Naruto the 'Honored One' against Hakari the 'Restless Gambler'!" The two walked down the stairs, shoulder to shoulder, looking at the crowd, both confident in their win. The two stopped in the middle of the arena, facing each other.

"What to do it like last time?" Naruto asked, taking out a single crown from his pocket. Hakari chuckled and nodded. The blond threw the coin in the air. "Call it,"

"Heads," The coin fell down and the blond caught it before showing it to his opponent.

"Tails," Hakari clicked his tongue and the blond hid the coin.

"What do we have here?! A bet with his opponent right before the fight?! Truly a Restless Gambler! Now then, begin!" As soon as the word was heard in the arena, Naruto rushed forward. He appeared in front of Hakari and launched a powerful haymaker into the black-skinned man's stomach. Hakari looked with half-lidded eyes at the punch and doubled over once it hit, sending his body tumbling away. Hakari's body stopped quiet the distance from the blond and he rose to his feet. The man cracked his neck and unzipped his black jacket.

"Nice punch, but not enough," The Kumo-nin commented as he threw the jacket away, showing his well-built torso to the whole arena. "Alright, now we can start!"

"Come get it!"

The two rushed at each other, meeting in the middle, their forearms crashing into each other. The two started throwing hands, blocking, weaving, and countering each other, neither gaining an advantage. After a powerful kick from Hakari, the blond was pushed back before he countered with a quick hook that nailed Hakari in the face. In return, an elbow managed to sneak under his guard and landed at his ribs.

The two jumped away, circling each other for a moment before rushing in once more. Naruto threw out three punches and a kick, weaved to the side, blocked a punch, and answered with an elbow. Hakari blocked all the attacks, spun on his heel, and launched a spinning kick to the blond's unprotected side. Naruto felt the impact and nailed Hakari who just gained back his footing in the face. The older fighter stepped back, leaned under a high kick, and launched a straight jab.

Naruto blocked the attack, catching Hakari's wrist, and threw him away. The Kumo-nin hit the ground once and corrected his flight, landing on the ground and blocking a follow-up flying knee. His next elbow connected with the blond's stomach as three next punches pushed the blond on the defensive. The fight continued with both fighters trying to pierce their opponent's defense and push their advantage. However eight no one of them was able to gain the upper hand.

Naruto diverted a kick from Hakari and connected a strong hook to Kumo-Nin's face, but at the same time, he got hit by his opponent's kick. The two were sent flying in opposite directions at the same time. Naruto rolled to his feet and smirked seeing Hakari already on his feet.

'His Taijustu is much better than the last time we saw each other, I can barely see any holes in his attacks. Even with the added perception from Six-eyes, it is difficult to find an opening or predict his moves. Each and every single attack from him can be turned into a feint and vice versa in an instant! How exciting!' Naruto grinned, wiping blood from his busted lip.

Hakari wiped the blood from his right eye and looked at the blond. So far, neither of them had gained the upper hand, but at this rate, he would win. He was older and his muscles were better developed than Naruto, so if he could draw this fight long enough, he would start gaining an edge. He prepared to rush the blond again, but something didn't seem right. He looked at the young Uzumkai again, narrowing his eyes. The blond was grinning like a madman, his eyes were diluted and half-lidded.

At this moment, Hakari realized what had changed within Naruto since their last battle.

Back then, the blond was a powerful brat who had never been pushed to his limits, believing in his perfection and supremacy, but ever since his fight with Kisame that has changed. That single brush with death changed the very way Naruto's body and brain perceived stress and fear of losing. Since that traumatic experience, every time his body started to pump out adrenaline, his body's natural reaction was to surpass its current limits to make sure Naruto won at all costs.

"Ah, this is it, that's what I'm talking about!" Naruto shouted and rushed forward again. His hands flew out in a flurry, pushing the purple-haired man on the defensive with not even a single opportunity to counter. He felt his fist brush past Hakari's guard and hit his face. His feet moved quicker than usual, his shin connecting with the Kumo-Nin's ribs.

He saw Hakari roll away and ran after him. Naruto grabbed Hakari by his hair and lifted him up. Three, five, seven, twelve consecutive punches to his opponent's torso, all of which sneaked past the guard, too fast for Hakari to doge them. Said man grunted and jumped back, trying to gain distance, but the blond followed quickly.

Hakari spun, a kick aimed at the blond's head. Ducked. Three pounds and an elbow. Blocked and pushed away. He tried to grab the first jab that hit his chin. He failed. Two punches hit his chest. His breath hitched. A kick to his shoulder. His guard depends. An uppercut to his chin. He failed to dodge. His body was sent flying.

Naruto appeared above him, still grinning a bloody smile, and dived with both feet into Hakari's stomach. The Kumo-Nin coughed up blood and his back hit the ground. His body bounced twice from the ground and Naruto was already waiting for him. Another kick to his face sent him flying in the other direction. His eyes and sense of direction were spinning, making it impossible to correct his mad dash through the arena.

'T-This difference in strength!' Were the only thought he managed to stick together before he was assaulted by the blond again. He hid his head behind his arms and while he managed to protect his head, his torso got another beating. 'Just like the last time! I can't even respond! I can't win against this monster!'

Naruto laughed as he grabbed Hakari by his arm and pulled him in for a powerful knee, a headbutt, and another haymaker. Blood flew into the air as Hakari hit the arena wall with a loud crunch. The blond rushed forward, his fists ready to pound the dark-skinned man into the ground, only to spot at the last possible moment, his fist inches from Hakari's face.

'He's completely out,' With a calming breath, Naruto stepped back and looked at the knocked-out Kumo-nin. He was bleeding from the nose, mouth and various other small and big cuts on his face. There were bruises already forming on his body that would need some time to heal. Hakari's ribs, right shoulder, and chin would need Medical attention and at least two weeks of recovery.

Naruto looked over himself. He was in a better state, but there were some irritating injuries. The cut around his left eye, bruised right ribs, bruise on his stomach, and other small injuries that dotted his arms, chest, and face.

'Nothing some RCT can't help with, but that will have to wait until the tournament is finished,'

"What a battle! Right to the very end, a fierce fight for a spot in the finals, but there can be only one victor. Naruto the 'Honored One' had done it once again!"

Naruto sighed and rolled his shoulder with a confident smile, looking at the crowd that was cheering him on. He could hear people chanting his name, clapping and jumping out of joy that he won. He saw the Kakashi's usual, easygoing face, well, eye, Haku's relieved face, and the slight surprise from Hinata.

'This fight was intense. If I could use Chakra I could end it in an instant, but that's the point. Here, how good your grip on Chakra was, how much Chakra you had, or what techniques you knew wouldn't help you. Under these conditions, everyone has the chance to win,'

Naruto put his hands in his pockets and walked towards the spectator's booth. He was curious about this fight. To be honest, he wanted Sasuke to win, but a fight with Darkness would be more exciting. The woman was incredibly powerful, which meant that he would need to tread lightly, a single mistake could end in his being knocked out or worse.

On the other hand, Sasuke was his teammate and he wanted to fight him in front of the crowd in the finals. But he knew all of the Uchiha's moves. He saw them dozens of times, saw him train them, master them, and improvise with them. Not only that, but he also knew how the raven-haired teen reacted in certain battle situations, so that would make their fight boring and one-sided.

'Oh, well, whoever wins this fight, I will crush them and then win this tournament,' There was still the matter of fighting the city's strongest knight afterward for the Champion title. He wondered who it would be. Was it the man in the arena? If so, the blond was disappointed, but hopefully, he was wrong on this matter.

"Now, the second semi-final fight! Whoever wins here will have to fight the complete battle-maniac Uzumaki Naruto. Now, who will it be? Will it be Sasuke the 'Last Uchiha' or Darkness the 'Holy Crusader'?!"

Naruto passed the duo, who were looking at each other with serious looks, completely ignoring him. The blond pouted and arrived at the participant's booth just as the two stepped in the middle of the arena.

"Let the battle... begin!"

Just like in her previous fight, Darkness rushed forward, intent on ending the fight quickly. Sasuke was prepared for this. He ducked under the punch that surely knocked him out. He spun around the kick that followed and lashed out with two punches. The blond girl blocked both and countered with a sloppy punch that Sasuke was able to redirect.

He spun and kicked her straight in her stomach. He jumped up, his knee was blocked, as were the next three punches and an elbow. Sasuke grunted when he was forced to block a punch that sent him flying. Luckily it didn't manage to break his guard, but it still hurt. He quickly rolled out of the way of the follow-up kick and tried to elbow the girl.

Darkness caught the elbow and spun the Uchiha around, making him unable to dodge the punch that nailed his stomach. Sasuke coughed as he felt his ribs groan in protest. Another punch was thrown at his head, but he quickly ducked under it and countered with a hook that rattled Darkness's head. He didn't let up and managed to sneak another punch to her side, only to be pushed back by a frontal kick that caught him in the chest.

Sasuke slid to the ground with a frown. He didn't know how many more of such attacks he could take, feeling a bruise already forming on his arms from the previous punch he blocked.

'It seems she's not as durable as Stoick or Jin. If I can land a clean hit, I should knock her out! Besides...' Sasuke jumped to the side, avoiding a spinning kick from the blond before ducking low under a punch and landing a haymaker to Darkness's midsection. The girl lost her balance and stumbled back, while the young Uchiha rubbed his knuckles. 'Wearing all that armor must be tiring her out. I can wait until she tires and then finish her off...'. Sasuke grinned lightly before rushing in, locking hands with the Crusader, before breaking out of the handlock and elbowing her between her armor plate, at the side. 'But that's how losers think!'.

In the contestant's booth, Naruto smirked. He noticed the grin on Sasuke's face and he felt Uchiha's excitement even from such a distance. The rush that was born out of the need to win, of the greed that pushed you to become the strongest, the arrogance to fight at your opponent's conditions. The fire in Sasuke's eyes which was once fueled only by hate, started to give off embers of a different ambition.

To reach the top.

To be the only one standing after the battle.

To be the strongest.

'Well, maybe he's not completely a lost cause. If this ambition festers and overshadows his need for revenge, allowing him to focus on himself and not on Itachi, he might one day be a worthy opponent,'

Sasuke, grunted as his back hit the ground. He rolled to the side and tried to sweep the feet from under Darkness, but the girl flipped over his extended leg and tried to stomp him into the ground. The Uchiha pushed himself up from the ground, barely dodging the armored feet that surely would break ribs.

The Uchiha attacked anew, his previous reservations about the blond's head forgotten. At this moment, the Uchiha had forgotten about the tournament, about Naruto who was waiting in the finals, and about the crowd watching him fight.

Right now, at this very moment, all that mattered was to defeat Darkness.

The girl grunted as another kick connected to her midsection, but at the same time, Sasuke winced almost unnoticeably, feeling numb pain course through his right shin. Nevertheless, he ignored it and pushed forward with his offense.

The blond girl was put on her back foot. The unusual fierceness in the Uchiha's attacks put her on a constant defense and the constant stream of various attacks left her with no room to counter him.

Sasuke smirked when his jab connected, making the girl's head jump back. Believing her vulnerable, he went to finish it. He closed the distance, and kicked her in the side, making her body angle to the right, her guard and poise completely broken. Sasuke roared as he launched a heavy haymaker at the beautiful girl's head, putting all his body weight and momentum into this final attack.

Throughout the arena, the sound of a hand cutting the air was heard. A powerful attack that could knock out most of the fighters in this tournament. Yet, the sound of the first meeting head never reverbed throughout the area. At the very last moment, Darkness, whose eyes were unfocused just a moment ago, smirked, bending her body in an amazing show of flexibility, and dodged the attack.

Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw the blond girl bend back into her stance, her right fist flying towards him with the intent to finish what it could not at the start. At this moment, Sasuke realized he had let the moment and excitement get the better of him, leading to this disastrous situation. Yet, even as the punch inched closer and closer to his face, he couldn't help the grin forming on his face.

He has lost the fight.

However, during this battle, where his bloodline and genetics could not help him, he felt the rush of a true battle for the first time in his time.

It was not the numbing feeling of a life-or-death scenario he felt in Wave.

Neither was it the irritating feeling of proving himself whenever he trained with Kakashi or Hinata.

Nor was it the burning feeling of needing to catch up to someone whenever he sparred with Naruto.

No, it was the rush of fighting someone equal to him. Someone that too, had to put their all into the fight. A fight where every mistake, from either the fighter could end the fight in a single instant.

"Ouch," Naruto muttered, looking as Sasuke's body flew through the area before the unconscious Uchiha hit the ground. "Oh, well, that was a close one," The blond muttered with a small smile.

"Winner: Darkness the 'Holy Crusader'!" The girl let out a few heavy breaths, before locking eyes with Naruto. The Uzumaki smirked and let his glasses fall lower on his nose, making direct eye contact with his next opponent. Darkness was slightly taken aback by the eyes but didn't let them intimidate them. "We will be making this minute break before the final, to let our finalists recuperate, as well as let you straighten your legs!"

Naruto hummed as he heard about the break, before pushing off the railing and walking away. He walked through the empty hallway that was accessible only to the fighters, thinking about his next opponent.

'Her best strength is her huge power. From what I saw during her fights, she hits harder than Stoick. Even Kakashi doesn't come close to her when it comes down to pure muscle strength. Hm, how do I fight her? Hit-and-run tactics would be the best, but I'm pretty sure that my fighting abilities lapse hers. Hm, she's kinda cute, tho,'

Just as the thought popped into his mind, he felt someone slap the back of his head. He instantly spun on his heel, turning with a scowl to his assailant, ready to pummel them to the ground. He blinked at seeing the familiar face.

"Rin? What are you doing here? Wait, never mind that, why did you just slap me?!" Naruto asked with an off-put face, making the girl smirk.

"Dunno, my womanly intuition told me to slap you, so I just did,"

'What kind of reasoning is this?'

"Anyway, I came here to cheer you up before your next fight and you don't even thank me for it?" The girl huffed, turning to the side with crossed arms.

"Wha-? How should I know you came here for this? Better question, how did you enter this part of the arena, I thought only the fighters were allowed to come here?"

"Please, do you really think the guards wouldn't let me in?"

"Heh, right. So what, a kiss to encourage me?" Naruto asked with a smile, only to yelp when the brown-haired girl slapped his cheek with a mad blush on her face.

"I-Idiot! Maybe I will go and give encouragement to Darkness to kick your butt!"

"Sorry, sorry, I was just kidding," Naruto answered with a chuckle, massaging his face. "On a serious note, thanks, but I don't plan on losing. I am going to win this whole tournament," Rin released a sigh and smiled at the blond's confidence. The two started walking through the hallway towards the entrance at a relaxed pace.

'He hasn't changed one bit,' Tohsaka thought fondly, remembering how he acted exactly the same way when they met for the first time. "By the way, I know who you will face when you defeat Darkness. It the city's best knight-,"

"Don't spoil, please. Thanks for the heads up, but I want to find out who he is myself,"

"If you're sure about it,"

"Of course I am. Have you seen my other fights?"

"Nope, I just came here," Naruto faltered slightly, having expected that Rin would praise his battle genius and talents. "But I will stay until the end of the tournament, so make a show. I'd hate to put my duties aside only to watch two mediocre and boring fights,"

"Hehe, don't worry then. These two next fights will be exciting enough that you think about them until the next tournament," Naruto said with a grin as the two reached the entrance, the sun's glare blinding them slightly. 'Well, I guess making a show just became a priority,'

When the break paused and when the two last contestants and the crowd were back in their places. The referee and the announcer stepped back into the arena. Naruto tuned the older man out, not wanting to listen to another round of recounting the previous fights. He looked through the various people in the stands, noticing his team, with Sasuke already with them, Hattori, the bard from the port, and a few people they passed on the streets. He looked in the other direction and in a space reserved for the VIPs, which were of a better quality, he saw Tohsaka, who was looking like a true noble, unlike her normal self. Not far from her, he saw Vivaldi, who was talking and laughing loudly with a few other people around him.

His eyes focused back on Darkness, who was standing a few paces away from him. She, like him, was watching the crowd, but the blond doubted she could recognize anyone from such far away, unlike him.

"And here were are! The long-awaited final! Whoever wins this fight, will fight against the City's greatest knight for the title of the 'Honored champion'! Let us welcome the main stars of this day! Darkness, the 'Holy Crusader' and Naruto, the 'Honored one'!"

The two walked down the pair of stairs, waving and smiling toward the crowd that was cheering them both on. Naruto could hear some people shout his name, others cheered for Darkness to win, but at the same time, a lot of people just wished them luck, wanting to witness an exciting battle. Naruto took off his broken sunglasses and sighed seeing their state.

'First Tohsaka, then the fight with Stoick and Hakari,' While they still were usable, both the glasses had been broken, the plastic holding them together slightly bent and painted with his or his opponent's blood. With a shrug, he threw the sunglasses into the crowd, watching as the nearby viewers threw themself to catch them before a small fight ensured.

Naruto and Darkness faced each other in the middle of the arena. One with a serious expression that showed her desire for a win, the other, with an annoyingly arrogant grin. Suddenly, Naruto realized that while the tournament and the fights were great, they all lacked one final thing to make them perfect.

"Hey, you know you can still surrender and avoid the shame of losing in front of such a big crowd?" The blond stated, pointing over his shoulder towards the stands. He heard people cheer and boo his comment, but he ignored them, focusing solely on the fellow blond. Darkness frowned lightly before shaking her head.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall one day,"

"Heh, you are not the first and certainly not the last person to tell me this," Naruto answered without a care in the world, his hands in the pockets of his pants, the red coat on his shoulders fluttering slightly in the afternoon wind.

"Hmph, we will see about this," As Darkness slipped into her fighting stance the announcer started the fight. The two stood still for a moment, making the blond chuckle.

"Not gonna attack me? It seemed like your go-to tactic before," He said lightly, slowly starting to circle the blond girl, who kept her eyes peeled on him.

"You are different from the two before,"

"Oh, is that a praise I hear in your voice? I'm honored," Naruto gave a slight bow and Darkness jumped at the opportunity.

'Predictable,' A fist uppercut that would knock out anyone shot towards Naruto's face, but the blond bent to the side at the last moment and answered with a punch of his own. His opponent caught the attack and pulled the Uzumaki in for a low kick, but Naruto managed to break her hold off him and flip over the leg. He struck with an elbow to the back of her head that Darkness managed to dodge before a second punch rattled her skull.

'A feint?!' She thought with clenched teeth as Naruto pushed forward with another two quick jabs and a haymaker to her shoulder. 'Should've known, he's really on another level,' The blond girl thought as she leaned back to avoid getting kicked in her face. She countered with a punch that the blond pushed to the side before she added a knee to her attack.

Naruto raised his own leg to block the attack, but the strength behind the girl's knee pushed him off balance. He felt his body fall to the ground and he let the gravity take hold. The girl pushed her advantage and raised her right leg high into the air, before dropping it down. As soon as Naruto's back hit the hard dirt, he angled his body for a leg sweep, making Darkness fall to the ground as well. Darkness twisted her body in the air and managed to land a surprise heel into Naruto's shoulder which pushed him to the left, giving her time to find her footing.

"Not bad," Naruto commented lightly, rolling his shoulder that just got hit. The blond girl's mouth thinned at the annoying grin on the blond's face, taking it as a sign that her fellow blond was still not taking her seriously. "Honestly, where do you get all this strength from? Is your body made out of pure muscles?" Darkness growled with an embarrassed blush on her face.

"Y-You dare?!" She called out and rushed in with a salvo of quick and terrifying powerful punches. Naruto weaved between them, searching for an opening, that came in the form of an overextended uppercut. He quickly capitalized on it, landing a quick elbow to her stomach. His hands flashed, two punches to her face, one to her shoulder, and a kick to her side.

Darkness grunted, catching her side before her legs pushed her forward and she slammed her shoulder into the blond's gut. Naruto grunted as the air left his lungs. The blond Crusader ran forward until she drilled Naruto's back into the wall, causing a small fissure in the arena walls to form. Quickly stepping back a step, she un; leashed a powerful punch towards Naruto's face, but missed once the blond ducked.

"Two can play this game!" Naruto shouted with a grin, blood dripping from his chin as he rushed forward, ramming his shoulder into the Crusader girl's chest, before quickly wrapping his arms around her body, making her unable to move her arms. His feet carried him through the whole arena ground before he slammed Darkness into the wall with all his strength.

The girl's voice hitched in her throat when she felt the impact. As Naruto was about to step back and continue his assault, Darkness found the strength to break free. With Naruto's hands in the air and his body exposed, she moved in for the finish. Her right hand blitzed towards Naruto's chest, who recalled his arms into a crossguard as quickly as he could.

The power behind the punch sent him flying through the arena, the half-formed guard broke instantly. Mid-flight, the blond coughed out blood and for a moment he had a problem catching a breath. His shoulder impacted the ground once, twice before he rolled to a stop. He quickly pushed himself up and saw Darkness rush him again.

'I can barely feel my forearms! Lucky she didn't put all her strength into this pucnh or my ribs would be done for!' Naruto thought with a bloody grin and jumped back, before weaving through another round of assault. The Uzumaki deflected a punch that was going to cave his chest in before he ducked under a high kick that could take his head off his shoulders. He caught the girl by her ankle and raised her leg higher.

Darkness lost her balance, her outstretched leg too high to maintain it. She flipped in the air and blocked a follow up kick aimed at her head. Just like Naruto before, she caught the outstretched appendage and threw Naruto across the arena. Naruto flipped once and slid to a stop watching the girl rush towards him again.

'Alright, if not this way, then maybe that way,'

The blue-eyed Ninja pushed off the ground, rushing towards Darkness at amazing speed. The two met in the middle, with the girl throwing a mean right hook and Naruto dodging under it. He pushed off the ground, flying towards his fellow blond before he locked his legs around her waist. The momentum of this move and the fact that Darkness was still moving forward made her body fall back, losing her footing.

Her back hit the ground the same instant Naruto moved to sit on her stomach before a rain of punches descended on her face. She quickly raised her hands in defense, but from this superior position, she was at Naruto's mercy. Quickly realizing this, she buckled her waist up and twisted her body to the side, pushing Naruto on his back with now her standing at his waist.

Naruto's eyes widened at the unexpected turn of events before he was forced to wiggle his head and chest to avoid being crushed by Darkness. Thinking quickly, he caught her arm and locked it up with his own arm, before forcing it down, making Darkness hit his chest with her face. Using his other hand, he landed a powerful hit to her stomach, making his opponent cough out blood. Not finished, Naruto sucked the legs from under Darkness and delivered a two-feet kick to her stomach that pushed her into the air and off him.

"That was a close one," Naruto said as he rolled to his feet, wiping the blood on his face. When Darkness was on him, she managed to graze his face a few times, leading to a few bleeding cuts. Normally, such an attack wouldn't have such effects, but it was Darkness's strength that was the problem. Naruto saw the girl breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath, before he continued his onslaught.

He caught Darkness lacking, out of her stance and with no guard. His fists pummeled her face, and a kick to her side, and a hook to her shoulder stopped her arm from rising into a guard. A low kick opened her stance wider, making her lose her footing when she tried to jump back. A perfectly timed hook caught her bloodied chin.

Darkness knew from the beginning that Naruto would be a difficult opponent. She had seen all his fights, even the preliminaries, and realized already back then that the blond was a monster. It was not his pure strength, speed, or durability that was the problem. Darkness had fought already with people who had these advantages over her.

It was his mastery of Taijustu. His ability to not only find holes in your stance but the ability to ruthlessly exploit them. All this added to his unnatural ability to adapt to any kind of opponent and create battle plans even during the fight made him a fearsome opponent. But even with all this, she knew she could fight him, that she could win.

She was certain of this.

Yet, the moment their fight started and they exchanged first blows, she started to realize the unparalleled gap between their abilities.

Through her blurry and red vision, her unfocused eyes noticed the last hook that was coming her way. She screamed and begged her body to move, to dodge to block. She was, however, denied her pleas and demands. Her body was at her limit.

The toll of the fight, along with the damage Naruto caused her during their scuffle on the ground made her body reach its limit. Added to the free hits and damage the blond delivered to her just now, her body collapsed.

She saw the punch come closer and closer before she felt the impact.

Then, Darkness the 'Holy Crusader', the finalist of the Novigradian Hand-to-hand combat tournament, saw only darkness.

As the girl hit the ground with a loud thud and a spray of blood, the crowd was stunned into silence. The battle was tied for the most part until Naruto's strategic genius gave him a huge advantage.

Suddenly, the crowds roared in approval, louder than before. People shot up from their seats, cheering, clapping, and squealing in delight at the great fight that took place in front of their eyes. For shinobi, fights like these were nothing special, but for the regular civilians, most of who have never seen a brawl, even less a real fight, this was the height of Taijustu battles.

"And we have a winner! Uzumaki Naruto the 'Honored One'! What a battle, what a tournament, what a finish!" Naruto raised his fist into the air with a victorious grin. After a few moments when the crowd went silent, the announcer spoke again. "But this is not the end! Now, bruised and battered, the 'Honored One' will have to prove his strength in another fight straight off the bat!"

'Another fight already?' Naruto thought and looked at the worried faces on all of his friend's faces. 'Bring it on!' The blond thought in excitement.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the stage Novigrad's greatest Knight! Born from the flames of duty, he proved his strength and dedication as a member of the Order of the Flaming Rose on more than one occasion. Let it be known, that as long as the Sun is in the sky, he shall remain undefeated on the battlefield! Today, we will see if the same holds true once it comes to a hand-to-hand battle! Make noise for the one and only: Gawain, the 'Knight of the Sun'!"

Naruto turned around, watching as a big man entered the arena. Gawain was a tall young man with wavy dishwater blond hair and aqua eyes with long eyelashes. He wore a black tight shirt with golden accents that showed off his well-built upper muscles and long pants of the same color. Over this, he wore silver full-body armor with a few golden accents, however, the chestplate as well as the helmet were missing. Last but not least, draped over his shoulders was a long dark-blue coat with a high collar that fell to his shins. The cape had golden-colored accents, like the rest of his outfit, coupled with grey fur above his shoulders.

As the two blondes faced each other, one with an excited grin and the other with a confident smile, the crowd roared and the fight started.

---

I'm back!

Well... I wanted to write this chapter almost a half a year ago, buuuut wok and uni has been getting in my way, so I didn't really have time and when I did I was just too spent to write anythiing decent, so I hope you understand.

I would like to say that the ext Chapter is going to come out in the next few weeks, but I can't guarantee that. However I can assure you, that sooner or later, the next and last Chapter of this Arc will come out.

Now, why did I decide to write an arc liket his, where rthere is really nothing excitting happening? There are three main reasons for it:

1. World building. I want to develop the world a little more, to show you guys that there is more than just the Five Ninja Villages and a few small cities.

2. Introduction of new Characters. Some of these guys will appear again in the future and I wanted to already root them in this story, give them some spotlight right now and what better place than an international city?

3. Calm before the Storm. I wanted to give team Seven some, let's say some time to relax and enjoy their lifes before the next Arcs, because it's gonna get bloody really quickly in the following arcs.

Anyway, 20k words are pretty neat, so let me know what you think, let me know if anyone is still reading this.

And of course don't forget to review the chapter, follow, and fav!

Thanks for reading

See ya!