The scene was intense as Hyuga Yoko was sent flying by Obito's powerful strike, leaving the spectators in a state of breathless anticipation, their faces etched with concern.
Miraculously, Yoko managed to adjust her posture mid-air and landed gracefully in a corner of the ring, akin to a bird alighting on a branch.
She appeared unscathed, her hair perfectly in place, which sparked a wave of cheers from the crowd.
Such elegance, truly elegant!
Yet, unbeknownst to the audience, Yoko clenched her teeth tightly upon landing to stifle any cries of pain.
Despite her composed appearance, her body bore the brunt of Obito's forceful punches, leaving her far from unharmed.
As a scion of a ninja clan, Yoko harbored no resentment towards Obito for his lack of chivalry. Instead, she found humor in his actions:
"Obito, you're still too naive. Showing mercy will only cost you the victory..."
Her words stemmed from the realization that, given Obito's current prowess, had he not held back, she would have been unable to remain standing.
Obito advanced towards Yoko, his demeanor as stoic and ruthless as ever, his voice deep and commanding:
"Give up, you only have three seconds left to lose..."
Hideki chuckled quietly to himself.
He was well aware that Obito's personality hadn't changed; he was likely brimming with boastful thoughts.
Unfortunately, the super breathing mode Obito was in demanded immense energy and chakra, leaving him no room for idle chatter.
Thus, in this state, Obito was reduced to a man of few words, embodying the archetype of a no-nonsense, end-of-the-century tough guy...
Yoko was incensed by Obito's dismissive remarks.
She was accustomed to delivering such lines to her opponents, never imagining she'd be on the receiving end...
Though she longed to retort, Yoko found herself at a loss for words.
Her most prized techniques, the tide-turning and acupressure moves, had been neutralized, forcing her to confront the stark reality of her defeat.
Admitting defeat gracefully, as Obito suggested, might have been the simplest and most honorable course of action.
Yet, Yoko couldn't help but recall Nohara Rin's words from the previous day, when she herself had been cornered, and a wry smile touched her lips.
"The person you truly need to defeat is not your opponent, but yourself..."
Only now did Yoko grasp the depth of courage and self-awareness required to utter such words in the face of certain defeat.
Indeed, Nohara Rin was no ordinary individual, and observing her was a fascinating endeavor.
Although Yoko still couldn't fully comprehend Rin's choices.
As a self-proclaimed genius of the ninja clan, she was loath to concede defeat to a civilian student in this regard.
Moreover, she sensed that retreating here would strip her of the privilege to observe Nohara Rin...
Thus, as Obito approached, his chakra surging, Yoko smiled and assumed a fighting stance.
"I truly don't wish to admit it, but I am indeed no match for you at present."
"However, as the head of the Hyuga clan, the word 'surrender' is absent from my lexicon."
"So be grateful, Obito. I shall be merciful and extend our duel a little longer!"
With that, Yoko charged towards Obito...
…
Of course, just as Rin had been unable to overcome Yoko the day before, Yoko's resistance failed to produce a miracle, and she was swiftly defeated.
Yet, until the very end, she maintained the grace befitting her noble lineage, engaging Obito in a seemingly balanced exchange.
Only a discerning few could see that Yoko's attacks were merely symbolic, her true focus on defense.
She attempted to stave off Obito's assault by expending a significant amount of chakra, a strategy that was unsustainable.
When Obito finally resolved to act decisively, Yoko had just depleted her chakra and elegantly leaped out of the ring, concluding the match with poise.
This left Obito, who had squandered even more chakra, seething:
"You said you wouldn't admit defeat?"
"Oh, oh…"
Yoko produced her folding fan once more, opening it with a smile,
"I didn't admit defeat; I merely accidentally stepped out of the ring."
"Truly, such rule-bound competitions are rather dull."
"Since you value it so, Obito, I shall concede the victory to you this time."
"But rest assured, I shall reclaim it with interest!"
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh…"
Hideki shook his head in resignation before announcing through the loudspeaker:
"The winner is decided!"
"The winner is Uchiha Obito!"
Clap, clap, clap!
The audience erupted in warm applause.
Though the conclusion was abrupt, the battle's twists and turns earned universal acclaim.
It was hard to believe this was a contest between ninja school students.
Hyuga Yoko graciously acknowledged the audience.
Obito, having just exited his super breathing mode, gasped for air, his face contorted in pain over the wasted chakra.
At a glance, it was difficult to discern who had emerged victorious.
"Then the second match will commence in ten minutes. Please take a break."
Hideki announced before escorting Obito and Yoko back to the players' lounge.
Along the way, Obito had much to say, but the moment had passed, and the words seemed pointless.
There was but one thing he felt compelled to express:
"Yoko, I have the answer to your question from yesterday..."
Yoko, somewhat disheartened, lifted her gaze to Obito upon hearing this.
"I concede that mere hard work cannot bridge the gap between a laggard and a genius."
"What truly alters this destiny is knowledge, or the correct path to strength."
Obito scratched his head and continued,
"I'm not one for grand theories or sermons."
"But I suppose, before the Sage of Six Paths imparted the true essence of chakra, even the most formidable ninja geniuses were likely not far removed from ordinary folk."
"And the seals too..."
"I don't know who devised the hand seals, but prior to that, only the mightiest could wield chakra without them."
"A genius adept at hand seal ninjutsu would have been overlooked."
"Thus, I believe there's no such thing as a genius, or perhaps everyone is a genius."
"The so-called tail-ender is merely someone who hasn't discovered their unique path to strength."
"In fact, I am a prime example."
Obito cast a grateful glance at the back of teacher Hideki, who walked ahead, and said:
"In the past, no matter how diligently I trained, my progress was minimal, earning me the title of the last one."
"But since embracing the teacher's guidance and mastering the breathing method, my strength has surged. Now, I can even best a genius like you with ease."
"The word 'easy' is superfluous."
Yoko's folding fan swiftly struck Obito's previously hit acupoints, eliciting a grimace of pain.
Then, Yoko opened her fan to conceal her smile and the astonishment she could barely contain.
For Obito's words had challenged the very worldview she had trained over the years!
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