Now there were two things Arthur noticed William had not listed. The first was anything revolving around the Nine-Tails' chakra. The second was the Six Paths Planetary Devastation technique.
For William not to list anything related to the former only strengthened the notion that he was trying his best to keep it a secret from others.
Arthur knew William had the latter because he had personally revealed that information back at the Leaf Village.
Almost any techniques regarding the Nine-Tails could dictate the course of a match since they could obliterate mountains.
Who knew if William would even dare to activate the Nine-Tails chakra? Arthur believed he wouldn't because that would mean exposing his secret in front of everyone.
Either way, Arthur wasn't going to show him any mercy.
✟
After he returned to the arena, the barrier team was already in formation.
Arthur casually walked toward the center where William awaited. Then, as the final elements of the barrier came together, a giant transparent box made of dense, yellow chakra.
When the bonds snapped shut, the announcer became boisterous. "Ladies and gentlemen! It has been an absolute privilege being here! Like I explained during that brief intermission, because there's a barrier in place, a ring-out will not disqualify the finalists!"
Little did anyone know, this barrier was specifically designed for him so he could use any technique he desired.
William, however, was trapped in its confines. It wouldn't drain him of his chakra or anything, nor would it limit his skills. But it would ensure that he couldn't escape.
'Now then.' Arthur's eyes slowly opened under the blindfold. 'Crimson gaze...'
A widespread genjutsu pushed through the barrier and created a sensory fog. Much like before when he was fighting Lars. That way, his Kekkei Genkai would be concealed from certain individuals.
Finally, he slowly began removing his blindfold to reveal his eyes.
"I guess you find me worthy like Lars," William smiled.
Arthur let the blindfold slip from his fingers with an extreme calm. "You're not; I'd just like to hurry this matchup…"
"Oh, come on!" William stomped. "My line sounded so cool, though!"
Those words were absurd, gaining no acknowledgment from Arthur. Even Naruto nearby smacked his forehead in exasperation.
"At least he's confident," the boy chuckled.
"Ya know," William began, "I never thought I'd see you in the finals. I'm glad, though. You're really strong, and when I win, it'll prove just how much I've grown!"
"When you win, huh? I suggest you withdraw from this match, boy. Otherwise..." Crack! Arthur stretched his neck. "I won't show any mercy."
William laughed off the ominous warning. "I didn't come all this way for nothing. Besides, if I lose, I won't get anything from the prize pool!"
'How foolish,' Arthur thought.
If William was wise, he would have attempted to negotiate a split of the prize money; Arthur would have gladly offered him a fair share. But no. William had to be taught a lesson.
"You got this, cuz!" yelled Naruto. "I'm rootin' for ya with all my heart!"
This caused the crowd to cheer as well, fueling William's determination. The announcer couldn't get enough of it.
"And now!" he boomed. "The moment we've all been waiting for! Let the final match..." Arthur flexed his fingers. "Begin!"
Both fighters sprang into action, and in a flurry, their bodies ferociously banged against one another. Fists flew and kicks lashed at as the sound of their strikes echoed from their surreal display of martial prowess.
"Holy cow!" William said, struggling to keep up. "You really are strong!"
Arthur feinted left, then executed a spinning hook kick.
Swoosh!
William had dived just in time. In retaliation, he launched a quick jab aimed at Arthur's throat, but Arthur sidestepped, grabbing William's arm to pivot him off balance.
Bang-bang-bang!
Each rapid strike thudded against William's chest. But he recovered quickly, almost as if those strikes hadn't affected him.
After executing a low sweep that knocked Arthur off his feet, Arthur planted his palm on the ground and sprang back up. He then countered with an upward elbow that caught William off-guard.
Bang!
William capitalized on the moment, twisting into a grappling hold. But Arthur slipped free and twisted around to deliver a spinning backfist.
Bang!
Both fighters were moving faster than they had in previous battles. The spectators were awed at where this level of strength had been prior. Even Mei was beyond herself, only have expecting these results.
"They're... they're incredible," she softly admitted, eyes widened.
What scared her the most was how young they were. Given enough time and the proper training, they could surely surpass her and quite possibly the other Kages!
Arthur moved with grace and kept his guards on high because William was actually keeping up. Even with the Crimson Gaze at its max.
As the clash continued, the intensity escalated.
Arthur didn't lose momentum; he advanced, throwing low kicks aimed at William's legs. William, despite the barrage of strikes, established his ground.
He checked one of Arthur's low kicks and responded with a swift knee aimed at Arthur's midsection. Swish! It missed, so he tried again. Swish! That missed, too.
"Keep attacking!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs.
His cheers made William try harder.
Arthur almost staggered but quickly regained focus, executing a graceful sidestep to avoid another knee strike. He then crouched low and lunged forward, catching William's ankle. William stumbled back, arms flailing, but he refused to fall. He instead pivoted, ready to swing back with a hook.
Swish! Arthur ducked under and then swiftly rose for a bang! A sharp elbow right to William's ribs, forcing the air out of him.
William grimaced but rallied before launching an uppercut. Swish! It missed, so Arthur capitalized with another bang! A better uppercut connected as the crowd erupted in oohs.
"Holy moly," William said, shaking off that surprise. "Just what the heck are ya made out of!"
"Something you can't break..."
William furrowed his brows, clenched his fist, and went right back into the fold.
"This is unbelievable!" Lee shouted. "To think Will was holding back against me."
Of course William had been holding back the whole time. Only the most capable fighters would have known it since William had pulled most of his punches against those weaker ninjas.
As their fists flew, William executed a prepared strike, but a miscalculation sent him stumbling. He used the momentum to backflip several paces away, clearing the space between them.
"Phew! That was close!" he exclaimed, panting but undeterred.
"Why did you move?" Arthur calmly asked.
"Kidding?" he grinned. "Because I've seen you fight, and that would have been a big blunder on my part."
"Not so stupid after all, are you?"
"You know it. Wait! I mean, I'm not stupid at all!"
"Focus Will!" shouted Jada.
"Ugh, right!" Then he formed a hand sign. "Multi-shadow clone jutsu!" In an instant, nine plume-like clouds erupted around him, solidifying to reveal ten total copies of him. "How ya like me now?!"
"What can mere shadow clones do against me?" Arthur mocked.
"Hehe," one of the clones laughed. "We're not just clones; we're authentic."
"Hey!" another said. "Don't go telling him something like that."
'Authentic?' Arthur repeated it in his mind.
From what he knew about shadow clones, they had their chakras split depending on the number of clones produced, thus making them weaker than their summoner.
Was William implying that these clones' strengths weren't divided but at one hundred percent? Something like that didn't exist in the Narutoverse.
Yes, Madara Uchiha managed to summon clones into a different dimension once, and each clone had the same abilities as him. Yet Madara was a seasoned shinobi with the Rinnegan. And William was not Madara.
"Interesting," Arthur said, stretching his arm over the other. "Then let's see just how 'authentic' they are..."
At that, all ten Williams surged forward.