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[— Manga Scene —]
In the arena, Neji stood facing Naruto, with the proctor between them.
"It seems you have something you want to say…"
"Hmph."
"I told you before…"
"…"
Naruto then raised his fist in front of his opponent's face.
"I'm going to win!!"
"…"
'His eyes tell me he's completely confident… There isn't even the slightest hesitation.'
"Now then…"
"The first match… begins!!"
"Haha… That just makes things better…"
Neji said as he raised his palm.
"When you finally discover the complete truth, I'll enjoy seeing the confidence disappear from your eyes."
"Quit talking and let's fight!!"
In the stands, Hyuga Hiashi sat beside his daughter.
"Watch carefully, Hanabi. There is no one else in the Hyuga Clan who inherited the Bloodline Limit so completely and became as strong as he did."
"Yes, Father…"
In the arena, the two of them each took a step toward one another.
[— End Scene —]
…
Across the five halls, the page remained open longer than it should have.
Because the volume had ended.
…
Konohagakure:
"No! No, no, no! Here? It ends here?!"
"A whole month! We have to wait an entire month just to see how the very first exchange ends!"
"He does this to us every single time, and every single time we convince ourselves he'll show mercy."
In the eastern section, the Hyuga Clan kept rereading a single line without moving.
A man from the clan, sitting beside his young daughter, pointed at Neji in the arena and said, Watch carefully.
"That's Hiashi-sama."
One of them murmured quietly.
"And his daughter is sitting beside him… while her cousin is fighting down below."
No one finished the thought out loud.
At that moment, Hiashi felt everyone's eyes gathering on him from every direction…
Who could have imagined that he would have two daughters in the future?
'Hinata… Hanabi…'
Hiashi felt slightly stunned…
The thought that the future would turn out like this…
So uncertain.
So full of setbacks.
Beside him, Hizashi silently stared at the scene.
'Could I be that person instead of my brother? Isn't there even a chance that could happen?'
Even he found the thought naïve.
After all, it was painfully obvious that the division between the Main Family and the Branch Family would place him beneath his brother simply because he had been born a few minutes later.
His older brother had entered the world first.
Such a tiny detail…
Had changed everything.
Including their futures.
…
Sunagakure:
"It's over? Already?"
"Right when the Hyuga raised his palm."
In his seat, Rasa slowly closed the volume without commenting on the beginning of the battle.
For the last time in this volume, his eyes drifted toward the high platform above the arena.
Toward the disguised Kazekage.
'That isn't me… not in the slightest. Then who could it be?'
Rasa thought inwardly.
'I have to wait another month to find out the answer, huh?'
…
Kumogakure:
"Yo! The volume ended in the middle of a sentence That's not fair"
"Be quiet and hand it over."
A said, snatching the volume from his brother's hands.
"I want to take one last look at that kid's stance before we close it."
Deep inside, the Eight-Tails didn't comment on anything.
Like everyone else, he was simply waiting for the next volume.
"Bee… It looks like Kurama and Shukaku will be meeting soon…"
That was the Eight-Tails' prediction.
'Really? Then that'll be fun!'
…
Iwagakure:
"So the volume ends before the match even begins."
Onoki slowly blew out a puff of smoke and closed his volume with one hand.
"Good."
"I've got an entire month to organize everything I've read."
"And what exactly are you going to do with all that, Tsuchikage-sama?" his assistant asked with a smile.
"I'll write it all down."
"Every last bit of it."
"Then I'll lock it away in a safe…"
"And get some sleep."
The old man replied as he slowly stood up.
"Next month, I'll take it back out and read it all over again."
"To see what I misunderstood."
"But isn't next month when the new volume comes out? Why bother rereading the old one?"
"Nonsense!"
"This volume is laying the groundwork for a major war between Konoha and Suna, you fool."
"It's obviously important."
…
Kirigakure:
In Kiri, almost no one commented.
As soon as the final pages of Volume Eleven ended, dozens…
Then hundreds…
Began leaving the Art Store.
At that moment, the Third Mizukage, Hozuki Mizuro, stood up and stared deeply at Rob's Kiri clone.
'What exactly are you planning with this fascinating sequence of events you present to us every month… I truly wonder.'
He didn't stare for long, unwilling to provoke that strange monster's displeasure.
Then he turned around and left.
In the front rows, young Zabuza reread the final lines before lifting his head toward his father beside him.
He said nothing.
Without even looking at him, Momochi Ginma reached over and gently placed a hand on his son's head.
"Naruto will definitely win."
Hearing that, young Zabuza nodded.
"I'm looking forward to seeing it."
…
Konohagakure:
As the final minutes before closing passed, Konoha's Art Store had become almost completely empty.
Standing before the counter were the only two customers who hadn't left.
"You know why we're here," Tsunade said.
"I can guess."
Rob replied as he rearranged the remaining volumes on the shelf.
"But I'd rather hear you say it."
Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade before resting both elbows on the counter.
"Just one question."
"We don't want spoilers."
"No future events."
"No surprises."
"And definitely not the killer's identity."
"Just one question."
"Hiruzen-sensei."
The white-haired man spoke calmly.
"In the next volume…"
"Will he die?"
Rob's hand stopped on the volume he had been placing.
Then he calmly finished the motion and carefully returned it to its place.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because he's our teacher."
Tsunade answered, her voice softer than she wanted it to be.
"And because that man in the pages sat beside the Kazekage while plotting to invade his village."
"He smiled…"
"And Hiruzen-sensei replied that he still had five years ahead of him."
"We're reading all of this…"
"And we can't do a single thing."
"If we know…"
"We can prepare."
Jiraiya added.
"And if we know he won't die…"
"We can sleep peacefully tonight."
Rob smiled.
A small smile.
Without mockery.
Without arrogance.
"I'm not going to tell you."
"…"
"And not because I'm hiding something."
"But because if I told you…"
"I'd ruin something that can never be replaced."
"And what would that be?"
Tsunade asked.
"The experience of reading itself."
Rob leaned against the counter.
"This story gains its meaning one moment at a time."
"Each page arrives exactly when it's supposed to."
"It makes you feel exactly what you're meant to feel at that specific moment."
"Fear comes when it's supposed to."
"Relief comes when it's supposed to."
"And understanding comes afterward."
"As for spoilers…"
He looked directly at both of them.
"They give you nothing."
"They only take something away."
"If I told you he survives…"
"You'd read every page after this feeling safe."
"You wouldn't experience what you're supposed to experience."
"And if I told you he dies…"
"You'd read every page waiting for the funeral."
"You wouldn't notice anything else."
"In either case…"
"You lose the entire volume…"
"For the sake of a single piece of information."
Silence settled over the counter.
"And what if we decide to prepare anyway?"
Jiraiya finally asked.
"What if we choose to act as though the worst is going to happen?"
"Then that's your decision."
"Not mine."
Rob answered as he resumed arranging the shelf.
"I sell manga volumes, Jiraiya-san."
"What you choose to do with them after walking out that door…"
"Isn't any of my business."
Jiraiya looked at him for a long moment.
Then he smiled wearily and pushed himself away from the counter.
"…Alright."
"One month, then."
"One month."
…
At almost that exact same moment…
Inside five Art Stores separated by mountains, deserts, and mist…
The final readers reached the last page.
The volumes closed.
Hundreds of them.
Almost simultaneously.
A soft, repeating sound filled the halls…
Then faded away.
After that came the strange silence every reader in the world knows.
The silence that arrives when a story ends…
When the body returns to the chair…
And one suddenly remembers that they have hands…
A back…
And a life waiting outside.
…
The Streets of Konoha — Evening
Kushina was loudly explaining to Minato why Naruto would definitely defeat Neji, while Minato simply nodded without arguing.
Nearby, young Gai was imitating Rock Lee by doing push-ups despite the casts on his arm and leg, while his father cried behind him.
Meanwhile, Obito was running home, late as usual.
Kakashi watched Obito's back with a smile.
Standing beside him, a little girl was also watching Obito before saying,
"He's in the same Academy class as us."
"I know, Rin…"
Kakashi replied with a smile.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 220: Between the Two Volumes
Chapter 221: Anime Episode 20 — A New Chapter Begins! The Chūnin Exams!
Chapter 222: Volume Twelve Arrives!
Chapter 223: Stop Underestimating Me!
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