Chapter 89: Just Stuffed and Full of Energy - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha

Chapter 89: Just Stuffed and Full of Energy On the morning of August 6th, the early sun was already a bit harsh. Starting from yesterday, nobles and wealthy merchants from all over the world had gathered in Konoha. These folks spent lavishly, flaunting their wealth without a care for the much higher prices in Konoha compared to elsewhere. Her envious heart couldn't help but admire their extravagance. To be truthful, the cost of living and housing in Konoha was indeed significantly higher than that outside. This was the gathering place of ninjas, arguably the safest spot in the entire shinobi world. Since the founding of the village, the only time Konoha faced significant loss was during the attack of the Nine-Tails, which happened twelve years ago. But today... In the arena, Hinata and her group stood in a formation. Hinata glanced around. After today's Konoha Crush plan, perhaps the property prices might drop considerably. Should she seize the opportunity to invest in real estate? After giving it serious thought, she decided to hold off for now. It wouldn't be too late to jump into the market after Pain's attack on Konoha. Maybe someday she could even partner with Yamato to develop real estate in the ninja world. Yamato could provide the technical skills, while she would supply the money. Naruto scanned the area but saw no sign of Sasuke, grumbling in a low mood, "What's going on? How come Sasuke isn't here yet?" Hinata casually replied, "Maybe he's out somewhere having fun with Kakashi-sensei." Standing in front of them, Shiranui Genma overheard and a drop of cold sweat rolled down his forehead. Kakashi, if you don’t rush back, your reputation in Konoha might get tarnished. Your student is talking about you behind your back, you know? “Stand straight, you guys. The match is about to begin, make sure you face the audience proudly!” With a playful air, Shiranui Genma held a senbon in his mouth and quipped, "You guys are the stars of this show!" With the arrival of the Fourth Kazekage, the tournament officially began. Shiranui Genma showed the matchup list to everyone; it was the same as the last draw. Hinata versus Naruto, Shikamaru versus Temari, Sasuke versus Gaara, and Neji versus Choji. The winners would advance to the next round, while the losers would be eliminated. Seeing this matchup list, Naruto felt a bit of a stomachache, and with a pained expression, pleaded with Hinata, "Hinata, could you maybe not hit my stomach later... and also, please not the kidneys, I'm begging you!" Hinata thought for a moment, patted Naruto on the shoulder, and consoled, "Don't worry! We've both grown a lot since graduation, I won't be a child about it, I'll go easy on you." Naruto paused, then suddenly worriedly asked, "Hinata, did you have your fill this morning?" Hinata: "???" Hinata initially thought Naruto might try to bribe her with a nice meal to go easy on him, but then he unexpectedly said, "Hinata, do you remember during school, the times you beat Sasuke badly? Do you remember those?" Hinata shook her head. There were too many times; she'd forgotten. Naruto, impersonating the tone she used back then, declared earnestly, "Sasuke, come out! I’m stuffed and need to beat you up to digest!" As his voice fell, the people around, including Gaara and Shiranui Genma, unconsciously took a few steps away from Hinata. In the ninja world, there were many reasons to start a fight, but "I'm stuffed and need to beat you up to digest" was a new one for them. Temari and Gaara exchanged a look, feeling this trip to Konoha was quite enlightening. Emmm Hinata looked at Naruto with a beaming smile, her voice soft, "Rest assured! I'll take it easy on you, I won't let you suffer." Shiranui Genma briefly went over the rules for the third round. They weren't much different from the preliminary rounds. Either you die, you concede, or the referee stops the match… “The first match is... Hyuga Hinata versus Uzumaki Naruto.” "You two stick around, the rest head to the lounge inside to watch the match." Hinata and Naruto stayed put while the others returned to the lounge. In the audience stands, Hiashi Hyuga came with Hanabi to watch the match. Though Hiashi had no doubt about the outcome of this match, for Hanabi, it was a rare learning opportunity. Hiashi sat upright, surveyed the surroundings, then calmly remarked, "Hanabi, your sister is the most talented inheritor of the Hyuga bloodline to date. Watch closely!" At seven years old, under Hiashi's influence, Hanabi nodded with a stoic demeanor, "Yes, Father!" Only when she sneaked into Hinata's room to sleep at night would Hanabi show the cute side of a little girl. In the arena, Hinata and Naruto stood facing each other. With the formal match about to start, Naruto dropped his antics and, with a serious tone, said, "Hinata, I didn’t expect us to face off first." "I've trained hard this past month. Hinata, watch out; don’t let yourself lose accidentally and then go off alone to shed tears!" Hinata smirked, taunting, "I haven’t been working as hard as you!" “Genius!” “I wish ‘genius’ could wipe out all my efforts, but I'm someone who grows stronger just by lying around!” Seeing Hinata and Naruto both ready for battle, Shiranui Genma didn’t delay, swiftly waving his hand. “First match… begin!” Naruto knew Hinata's moves. Winning against her with just taijutsu was out of the question. The moment Genma's voice faded, Naruto was about to form seals. However, Hinata's movements surpassed Naruto's speed. Before Naruto could even create clones, Hinata was already in front of him. “Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!” 'Thud thud thud...' Hinata initially injured Naruto with gentle fists, then switched to Acupuncture style, instantly sealing most of his chakra points. After finishing the Sixty-Fourth Palm, Naruto's body was sent flying backwards, spewing blood as he hit the ground far away. Against a resolute opponent like Naruto, it was crucial not to engage in a drawn-out battle. Overpowering him from the onset, making sure he couldn't stand up again, was key. And most importantly, never provoke him with words. Because provoking him might just cause him to explode with power. People seated in the stands stared blankly at this scene, the entire place silent in disbelief as the first match ended so quickly! I want a refund! Damn it! What a rip-off, totally not worth the ticket price! Hinata said with a smiling face, "Naruto, I'm sorry, seems like I won." Naruto gritted his teeth, struggling to rise. But with internal injuries and most of his chakra points sealed, he couldn’t even think of gathering chakra, let alone standing.