The fierce clash between Arthur and Lars escalated. The crowd watched in awe, holding their breath as the match changed into a wonderful display of combat perfection.
With a sudden burst of energy, Lars lunged into the air, his body coiling like a spring. Without a word, he executed the dynamic entry—a flying kick aimed squarely at Arthur's head.
As his foot soared toward its target, Rock Lee stared in disbelief. He was caught between pride and surprise as he exclaimed, "That's Guy-sensei's technique!"
Arthur, unfazed by the impending assault, reached up with a steady hand and caught Lars' foot mid-kick. With a quick pivot, he spun Lars around, using the momentum against him.
But Lars was quick to respond; he planted a hand on the ground and kicked Arthur's wrist, freeing himself with a twist of his body.
As he landed, Arthur flexed his fingers. "Impressive," he acknowledged, despite the heat of battle.
Suddenly, an electric energy crackled around Lars, making his hair stand on end. Arthur could tell what Lars was thinking by looking into his eyes: the time had come to tap into his full potential.
Purple electricity surged across Lars' body. The air and the ground shook as he prepared to unleash his signature technique—the 10 Hit Combo. Arthur knowingly watched.
'Seven heavenly breaths: first activation…'
As Lars charged forward, his fists crackled with electricity. Arthur matched his speed, trying to maintain composure amid the electric fury.
The two clashed fiercely, exchanging blows that threatened to rattle the very foundation of the arena.
Arthur dodged Lars' first punch, but the instant he did, electricity pillared off the ground, trapping him like a caged beast. Knowing there was no escape, he sidestepped the second punch. The third, fourth, and fifth punches followed, each one more powerful than the last, but Arthur remained elusive, blurring faster than his body let him.
Though the first five blows missed, Lars amped up the intensity.
The arena shook, the dust kicked up by Lars' fists obscuring the view. The crowd couldn't get enough.
Lars' seventh punch landed, connecting with Arthur's shoulder, causing the latter to stagger back. But he recovered as quickly as he was hit.
The eighth, ninth, and tenth punches followed with Arthur dodging and parrying. But the final punch of Lars' combo bore down upon Arthur, sending a gush of lightning across the stage!
The crowd gasped as the strike landed—except, it didn't.
Dust settling, Lars furrowed his brows. Before him stood a pile of rubble.
"That last hit might have killed me," Arthur calmly stated, standing several paces behind Lars.
That last blow truly would have ended Arthur had he not executed the substitution technique in the nick of time.
Turning around to find Arthur unscathed, Lars' expression was undercut by an undeniable curiosity. He admitted, "I wanted to see if you could truly withstand it… And it seems you have."
What he was implying was that throughout all of their exchanges, he had been testing Arthur. The same couldn't be said for his opponent, for Arthur was using as much force as he could!
For instance, his Tamashii had been active. For how long had it been used? Since the moment he removed his blindfold. No one, save the stronger spectators could see the red glow emanating from his eyes.
Entering this match, Entering this match, Arthur recognized that he was not as strong as Lars. The rules in place were one thing, but he wasn't allowed to use his Kekkei Genkai. Showing off his ice style or even smoke style while people like Jada were watching was a terrible idea.
Whether or not he was or wasn't limited in his techniques, Lars was indefinitely a force to be reckon with.
Arthur took a moment before speaking again. In a calm tone, he asked, "The real question is why are you still holding back?"
"Hmph…" Lars scoffed, closing his eyes with a smile. "So you've noticed."
"Leading a rebel army; you must know deep down that the world is too disordered for a single rebellion to uproot your legacy."
When Lars heard this, he was taken aback. Those words tugged at his heart. How did Arthur of all people know of his background?
"How long do you plan to do this alone?" Arthur continued.
"What will joining others accomplish?" Lars questioned with a skeptic tone.
Arthur's response was calm, yet it he answered with authority: "If you continue where you're walking, can you truly claim victory? How many more lives will be lost for a cause that seems so… endless?" He then gestured toward the sea of faces watching them. "Your fight in this world—they matter. But where you're heading is too dark for you to see."
The audience felt the weight of Arthur's words—and Jada, watching intently, found herself suddenly invested. She hadn't seen this side of anyone like Arthur before: the vulnerability layered over strength, the possibility of change kindling in her world.
Lars' expression briefly hardened, but slowly he began to contemplate Arthur's indirect proposal.
"What are you suggesting, then?" he cautiously inquired, sensing the undertones.
"I'm offering you a chance," Arthur replied, leaning in slightly. "Join me. Together, we can reshape this world. Your talents infused with my strength can bring about a change you wouldn't believe possible."
"Change?" Lars hesitantly repeated. "You saw what I've been through when you looked in my eyes, no? Do you understand what I've been through to offer me that change? Mishima Zaibatsu... Are you asking me to abandon my family?"
"No!" Arthur passionately interjected, shaking his head. "I'm telling you to challenge it; not only challenge your family's legacy but redefine it entirely. No more fighting for scraps, but fighting for what dictates our own terms."
A tense silence followed.
The crowd themselves were now captivated not just by the fight, but by the philosophical sayings unfolding in front of them. And was Arthur using the Evil Illusion Flattery technique? By no means!
Arthur personally had no idea whether Mishima Zaibatsu was in this world; he was merely playing off of Lars' own words. And he knew the hearts of all men. So much so that his very words could cut it in half.
Lars felt the walls he had built around himself begin to tremble.
"What about you?" he questioned. "You're not the only one who's entered my corner and misplaced my loyalty… So can I trust you?"
"Can you?" Arthur repeated, lowering his voice. He then leaned forward again. "The real question is, Lars, what are you even doing here…? When it comes down to it, all you fight for is a meaningless purpose that's no different when I wear my blindfold… You've seen the consequences of misplaced trust, so why let sentiments betray your own goals?"
For another moment, the arena fell into an almost surreal silence.
Finally, something struck Lars' heart. It wasn't merely about winning; it was about leading with purpose, driving out that cold solitude he had reluctantly embraced over the years.
"There's only one way to escape it," Arthur pressed on.
Both Lars and Jada asked the same thing: "How…?"
Their answers were met with an echoing: "Follow me…"
As the weight of Arthur's words settled in, Lars closed his eyes, contemplating everything that had brought him to this pivotal moment.
What he had received was an invitation laden with possibilities and the promise that could ultimately change not just a life but the lives of countless others.
He finally opened his eyes and admitted, "You are indeed a very interesting man." His stance then relaxed. "But can I leave my past behind? How can I turn my back on everything I've fought for?"
"You don't have to turn your back on any of it," Arthur replied with an unwavering calm. "Find your own path beyond revenge and the bloodshed."
At that answer, Lars felt a shift within him, a hunger for change, a desire to break free of the shackles that had bound him to a singular route for far too long. His internal battle coolly settled within him, and the clarity Arthur provided refused to be ignored.
In a surprising turn, he took a step back with a thoughtful expression. Then, he announced firmly, "So be it…"
Gasps filled through the audience, astonished murmurs of disbelief spreading all over the arena. "What just happened?!" the onlookers protested in confusion.
But Lars only smiled faintly. It was clear by his closed eyes that he had spent far too long fighting battles without a real purpose. If he was to flee from that endless cycle, there was only one thing to do: follow the only man who truly understood him and could make his route straight again.
"You win…" he proclaimed. He then turned to walk off the stage, and as he did, he spoke. "Fate has a funny way of bringing two people together."
"I look forward to that day," Arthur acknowledged, knowing they would meet again.
Lars hadn't just said that because this was their first meeting; he said it because it wouldn't be their last.
As he exited the stage, eventually heading to the tunnel, the announcer finally regained his composure and called out Arthur as the winner.
How Arthur had won wasn't through talk-no-jutsu, but through faith in his words.
He calmly exited the stage, contemplating the expansive tale he'll be able to create with Lars as a follower. Arthur didn't enjoy working with a partner in this situation, but a servant was different.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the final match of the semi-finals is set to begin! It will be between William Uzumaki and Rock Lee!"
Now was the last match of the semi-finals. Arthur, however, knew that whichever one of them came out on top, his hope would always push him above the rest—and that was only the beginning.
Elsewhere, the rain drizzled softly over the rooftops of the Rain Village as Konan soared through the sky with her paper wings.
She maneuvered through the air against her village, clocked in shades of blue and gray. When she finally landed atop a tower, the rush of wind faded into the steady patter of rain, allowing her to collect her thoughts.
She descended the dimly lit hallway that led to the command center of her operations. As she approached the end of the corridor, one of her agents awaited. He straightened himself accordingly.
"What did you find?" she demanded.
"I've uncovered information from the Earth Country, Lightning Country, Wind Country, and Water Country, mam."
That many countries? Konan raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to continue.
The agent swallowed nervously and said, "All of the Tailed Beast hosts are still active, with one exception: Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, is unaccounted for."
"Where is the Tailed Beast now?" she pondered.
He hesitated briefly before answering, "It's roaming freely in a restricted area within the Water Country's borders, mam."
Konan's brow furrowed in suspicion as she asked, "Restricted? How did you manage to get inside?"
"I wasn't granted access, so I had to infiltrate it. It took several days, but I finally located the creature."
The agent then looked down, clearly shaken by the risks he had taken. Konan, pushing aside any concern for his well-being, pressed, "Status of the Water Country…"
He straightened up, regaining his composure momentarily, and said, "There's an individual named John Belfort who is set to succeed the current feudal lord soon. Rumour has that—"
"I'm not interested in rumours," she said, cutting him off.
This silenced the agent.
She then slowly nodded, piecing together the threads of information. She understood entirely why the Three-Tails was loose; it was a strategic move orchestrated by Obito, who was manipulating events as Madara Uchiha—no one in the Akatsuki, save Zetsu, is aware of his real identity.
However, something didn't sit right with her. She asked herself, "Why hasn't the country taken action regarding the Six-Tails? Why allow it to roam free, almost as if it's being treated as a pet?"
The agent shifted uncomfortably, hoping to provide clarity.
"I asked myself the same thing, mam. The country's oddly complacent despite a Tailed Beast like that so close to their cities."
"Is there anything else to report?" she asked.
With a nod, the agent continued, "Since the Five-Tails and Seven-Tails Jinchūriki had left their country for an event, I sought out the Eight-Tails. Our encounter escalated into a fight between me and another shinobi I hadn't expected; I barely made it out before Cloud reinforcements came."
"Who was this shinobi?"
"I don't know, mam. He looked very young and had pale skin."
"Did you learn anything else of value?"
The agent shook his head. Then something finally registered in Konan's mind.
"Thank you," she said. "You've done well."
With a dismissive gesture, she sent him away.
As she walked away from the command center, a person's presence heavily weighed on her thoughts: Arthur Bennett.
Much had transpired ever since reports emerged declaring his death. There had been no body found, no conclusive evidence. Yet claims were officially made that he was gone.
Konan had been trying to solve this case for a while now. Something that bothered her was why did they think he was pursuing the Nine-Tails' host? It didn't align with Arthur's past.
The more she pondered, the more troubling connections began to surface. The other Jinchūrikis had also been active lately, almost as if they were being hunted.
A cold chill ran down her spine; someone was indeed targeting them, but who? And for what purpose?
She opened a door to an inner sanctum. The space beyond was illuminated intermittently by three lights on the ceiling. As she stepped through, two figures seated within the dim light were present—Obito, wearing his swirling orange mask, and her leader, Nagato, who was using Pain's corpse.
"Konan," Obito greeted. "We weren't expecting you."
"I have important news," she announced.
"Do tell," came Pain's voice.
"Do you remember the rogue shinobi from the Leaf Village?" she paused, ensuring their full attention. "The one they reported dead? Arthur Bennett?"
"What about him?" Pain's interest piqued.
"He's alive…"