IV

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Arc IV Chapter 11

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Hisaaki brooded?over the answer. "What happened? Honestly, not much. After your match, everything went downhill?quality-wise. A?sharp decline into mediocrity?followed."

“The?matches?were fun to watch,?but still ... They lacked quality."

Asami raised her eyebrow. "I see." They lacked quality. Well, she hoped so?as she doubted that any genin present stood even a modest chance against her. Not today, not tomorrow, not in a year, never.

She didn't work her pretty ass off all these years only to get outshone by some upstart genin. She had her pride, a pride brighter than the stars.

"The insect guy?was pretty good, though. He wiped ?the floor with the Oto genin.“ Hisaaki listed some of the more memorable match-ups.

“The catfight between the pinkie and blondie gets the prize the lamest match of the year. The match devolved into a fist-fight before they ?knocked each other out.“

“The Nara won thanks to a wall. This?Naruto only won because of him farting at?the right moment. The Hyuga?guy?bullied?his little cousin. A truly great achievement?..."

"I get it, Hisaaki, I get it",?Asami interrupted.

As much as she appreciated his efforts?and as much as she liked gossiping,?enough was enough.

Her dark soul didn't care about the Hyuga and their little family issues. She didn't care about Shino and his fucking insects. She hated these damned bugs with a passion.

She didn't care about Shikamaru?and his miraculous strategies. And she certainly didn't care about the?weakest jinchuuriki since the foundation of the village?...

"What did you say, Hisaaki?" ?Asami's train of thought came to a halt.

Full of apparent disbelief, the Uchiha’s dark eyes were aimed at the clueless Genin.

Hisaaki looked dumbfounded." Eh?"

Asami shook her head.?She had probably misheard, hadn't she?

"Can?you please repeat the last thing you said."

"Great achievement?" Hisaaki reacted confused.

"No, the thing?before."

"Hyuga successfully mobbing?"

"No, ?farther?back."

"Hard concrete wall?"

Asami sighed.?"No, the thing afterwards."

This time Hisaaki hit the target. " Ah, the Naruto boy.“

“Yeah, I thought?he would lose, but then?..."?Hisaaki stopped when he noticed Asami’s?less than enthusiastic stare.

Asam?massaged her temples to fight her headache. She wasn’t all too happy?about this terrible allocation of resources, resources that could be utilised?better.

Naruto might be the son of the fourth Hokage and his high-quality Uzumaki genetics might help him, but the boy was utterly incompetent. He couldn't relied on. He couldn't be trusted with the Nine-Tails.

The Nine-Tails was one of the mightiest tools?at Konoha’s disposal, and it was wasted on Naruto with almost criminal negligence.

Naruto was supposed to be the jinchuuriki?of the Nine-Tails,?a living weapon of immense power that served the village, but he wasn't even properly trained. The village neglected his education for years with disastrous consequences.

Asami shook her head.?"Hisaaki, Katsusane, do you care to explain why?you?two?are still here? You were matched against each other, but neither of you shows sign of battle or fatigue.

“So what?happened??I am curious who won."

"Hmm ... ?You see, that's a complicated affair." Hisaaki scratched his head, clearly troubled.

"You didn’t.?You chickened out, didn't you?" Asami clicked her tongue. She caught them?in flagrante.

"Yes and no.“ Hisaaki evaded.

“We decided to execute a tactical retreat as you would say."

Asami smiled."I see, tactical retreat? Is that what you call cowardice?before the enemy?these days?“

“Don’t you think that was a bit of an anticlimactic end for?your chunin exams?"

"Perhaps, but we preserved something much more important."?Hisaaki threw his arm around Katsusane.

"And that would be?" Asami knew the answer. Please not, please not, please not ...

"Friendship."

"Seriously, friendship??Can you buy something with your friendship?" Asami raised?her eyebrow.

Hisaaki hesitated. "Not as far as I know, but you shouldn’t underestimate the value of friendship in hard times?like these ...“

Katsusane interrupted. He had enough of this charade. "The real reason is he didn’t want to suffer a humiliating defeat. To save face, ?he?begged?me before the match?for both of us to?forfeit."

Katsusane sighed. “I don't why, but I accepted. I suppose that is what good friends do."

Hisaaki elbowed Katsusane." Hey, aren’t you supposed to support me??Instead, you stab?me?right?in the back."

Katsusane corrected,?"You exaggerate, Hisaaki."

"Perhaps, but the?truth hurts nevertheless."?Hisaaki touched his?aching?chest.

"Is it?true, Hisaaki?"?Asami asked.

Hisaaki conceded, "It is. I am not the most talented shinobi, I know that. Compared to all these powerful genin, compared to Katsusane, I am nothing.“

“I pour everything into my katon, but I only get some?tiny fireballs. I try so hard, and then?you come,?displaying a mastery of fire that will remain forever unmatched by me.“

Compared to you, Asami, I feel ?... ?inadequate, not worthy of standing here together with you.“ Hisaaki lowered his head. A feeling of emptiness gripped his heart, the feeling of his own powerlessness.

Asami grew silent.

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