Silence!
The entire arena was dead quiet, only the lingering arrogant echo of Ryuji's voice still hanging in the air.
The Sunagakure's Shinobi stared at Ryuji in awe, one after another.
The Konoha's Shinobi, on the other hand, felt deeply humiliated.
They looked at Ryuji with intense hostility, fists clenched so tight they trembled, breathing becoming heavy and long, yet desperately suppressing the impulse surging in their hearts. Not a single person dared stand up to challenge him.
Setsuna might not be Konoha's strongest, but he was among the top-tier experts.
Although those present were either Clan Heads or elite accompanying guards, no one dared claim they were definitely stronger than Setsuna.
Yet such an Setsuna was defeated without even forcing out the opponent's puppets. They had no confidence they could win either.
And precisely because of that, they felt humiliated.
Konoha's high-end combat power, apart from those at the front lines, was almost entirely gathered here. But they could only watch helplessly, allowing a Shinobi from another village to metaphorically shit on their faces. It was an utter disgrace.
Minato closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Opening his eyes, they now blazed with fighting spirit.
Sensing his fighting spirit, Ryuji slowly turned to face him.
"I..."
"Announce the result!"
Hiruzen suddenly spoke up.
Minato was stunned, looking at Hiruzen in confusion. He saw a cold glint in his eyes, yet a smile still on his face.
"...I understand."
Clenching his fist, he finally relaxed it. Responding to the Third Hokage with reluctance, Minato turned to face the audience. "The winner of this duel is Senki Ryuji of Sunagakure."
"Woooooh!!!"
In the spectator stands, the Sunagakure's Shinobi erupted.
Whether it was the 3-0 victory or Ryuji's final act of directly taunting the gathered Konoha's high-end combat power by stepping on their faces, to which they could only respond with silence… both were immensely uplifting for morale and pride.
How could they not be excited?
In contrast, the Konoha's people hung their heads, desperately hiding their resentment, anger, and even sorrow. Some of the younger ones shed tears of frustration.
Hiruzen, holding back his anger, took a deep breath and stood up, loudly announcing, "This matter ends here. Regardless of who was right or wrong before, from now on, no one is to seek revenge against the other party."
"That goes without saying," Ryuji said solemnly. "If others do not offend me, I will not offend them. If others offend me, I will show no mercy."
Hiruzen's expression eased slightly. He nodded, then turned and left. The rest of the Konoha contingent followed behind, exiting the arena in turn.
At this, Sunagakure's cheers grew even louder.
Looking at the excited crowd, Ryuji nodded in satisfaction.
When the country is strong, the people are at peace.
Only when the nation is powerful can the common people live securely and have the confidence to stand tall in foreign lands.
A Shinobi Village is not a country, but the principle is the same.
Konoha is number one in the Shinobi World, while Sunagakure lost to them in the Second Shinobi World War and was forced to sign a peace agreement, becoming the little brother.
Although both are among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Sunagakure people usually feel quite resentful and hold a grudge. But when facing Konoha, they still feel somewhat lacking in confidence.
Ryuji's final provocation, aside from deterring troublemakers and making Konoha's youngsters think twice about harassing the Sunagakure's delegation later, was primarily to let them experience the benefits of a strong village, to make them no longer fear Konoha.
Only then could they be fearless, courageous, progressive, and strive for strength.
"Let's go, back for a victory celebration!"
"Woooooh!!!"
The group cheered as they returned to their quarters, starting preparations for the celebration feast.
On the Konoha's side, there was only silence.
…
In the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen handled official duties with a stern face. Known for his mild temper, today he repeatedly harshly criticized Shinobi who made mistakes.
Koharu and Homura saw this but didn't dare to intervene.
…
Minato gathered his team, assigned tasks for the next week in advance, then went to Training Ground 40 to train.
The training content was Chakra Nature Transformation.
After seeing Naruto and Ryuji use different nature-transformed Rasengan in Roran, his ideas for the Rasengan's subsequent development became crystal clear.
He needed to complete the subsequent training, master an even more powerful Ninjutsu.
Only then could he break through Ryuji's armor and not be helpless in similar situations.
…
In the hospital.
Tsunade had just finished saving Kuro when she heard about the outcomes of the last two duels from others.
First, she fell silent, then let out a cold laugh, acting as if nothing had happened, continuing her work as usual.
…
At the Hyuga Clan's compound.
The elderly Clan Head looked at the stubborn Mukai and nodded slightly. "Although you are not of the Hyuga Clan, according to tradition, descendants of married-out Hyuga women who awaken the Byakugan must also receive the Caged Bird Seal."
"That's a rule between you and my great-grandmother; it has nothing to do with me," Mukai stated frankly. "I will not let you place that seal on me, whether through persuasion or force."
"I will not force you."
Looking at the surprised Mukai, the elderly Clan Head smiled lightly. "The Caged Bird is a measure to protect the safety of the Branch Family and prevent the Byakugan from being lost. Currently, within the Hyuga Clan, only Hizashi and Hiashi can rival you. Naturally, the Caged Bird is unnecessary."
Hearing this, Mukai fell silent. After a moment, he looked up and asked, "...If it's not about the Caged Bird, then why did you summon me?"
"To ask you to return to the Hyuga Clan," the clan head said. "Although you are not of the Hyuga Clan, you carry Hyuga blood and possess the Byakugan. We must ensure the Byakugan does not fall into others' hands."
"My strength means it's unlikely..."
"What about your descendants?"
The elderly Clan Head interrupted Mukai and continued, "You personally may have no need to worry, but who can guarantee your descendants won't awaken the Byakugan?"
Hearing this, Mukai fell silent once more.
He understood their concern.
Since he inherited the Byakugan through skip-generation inheritance, it meant the Hyuga blood within him was also quite strong. The probability of his next generation inheriting the Byakugan was also high.
He himself was strong and didn't need to worry about his eyes being taken, but he couldn't guarantee his children would be as powerful as him.
Then, without the Caged Bird, those coveting the Byakugan would likely flock to them like bloodhounds.
However...
"I do not want my children to become part of the Branch Family."
After pondering for a moment, Mukai still rejected the Hyuga Clan's Clan Head's proposal.
Members of the Hyuga Branch Family receive the Caged Bird seal around four or five years old, their life and death controlled by the Main Family. It's practically like being slaves.
The elderly Hyuga Clan Head seemed to have anticipated this. As soon as Mukai refused, he offered another benefit. "Of course, your children would not become Branch Family members. You would be returning to the Hyuga Main Family."