In the arena, Temari had already created distance between herself and Hinata Hyūga, continuously swinging her three-star war fan, sending gusts of wind and slicing wind blades hurtling toward her opponent.
Hinata, using her Byakugan, was able to perceive the otherwise invisible wind blades and dodged with graceful, rolling movements. But despite her advanced vision, she couldn't close the gap. Without getting into close range, she had no way of using her Gentle Fist taijutsu effectively. The situation was growing increasingly dire—at this rate, Hinata had no path to victory.
"Not good," Shino Aburame muttered from the stands, watching intently. "That Sand kunoichi has solid taijutsu and clearly specializes in Wind Release. At range, Hinata doesn't stand a chance."
Just as Shino spoke, Temari changed tactics. Seeing Hinata still dodging, her expression darkened. With a sharp snap, she opened her fan to the second star, then swept it forward with force.
A massive whirlwind tore across the arena floor at high speed, striking Hinata dead-on.
The wind blades hidden in the vortex cut through her skin, opening crimson lines across her body. Her clothes were torn and shredded as blood trickled down.
"Hinata!" Kiba Inuzuka shouted from the stands, leaning forward in alarm.
Temari didn't let up. As the winds dissipated, she raised her fan once more and launched another powerful gust. This time, it slammed into Hinata's body and hurled her across the arena, slamming her into the wall.
"Gah!"
Hinata coughed up blood, her legs buckling as she collapsed to the ground.
Temari rested her war fan against her shoulder, hand on her hip, a victorious smirk curling her lips.
"It's over."
But then, her smile froze.
Hinata, her body bloodied and shaking, slowly pushed herself up from the ground, hands pressed to the dirt. She was trembling, swaying slightly, but her feet were steady. Her arms lifted once more into the Gentle Fist stance.
Her white eyes locked onto Temari's, determined.
"He's watching… I humiliated myself in front of him once. Not again."
Her gaze flicked briefly toward the stands—to where Shikamaru Nara sat, expression unreadable.
Though he didn't know it, Shikamaru had already begun to influence those around him—whether intentionally or not. His calm logic, dedication to training, and unexpected strength had left deep impressions. Unlike in the original timeline, where Hinata admired Naruto for his unwavering spirit, here her quiet affection had shifted.
Shikamaru wasn't loud or flashy. He wasn't a famous prodigy like Sasuke or born into a renowned clan like the Hyūga. His family—the Nara—were intelligent and respected, but not flashy. He wasn't extraordinary by blood. What made him different was that he worked harder than almost anyone.
From the academy to now, Shikamaru had never coasted on talent alone. He studied, trained, and sacrificed. Even though others gained flashy new jutsu or kekkei genkai, Shikamaru continued to quietly advance—and exceed expectations.
He'd helped kill a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
He'd recreated a Fourth Hokage-level jutsu.
He stood toe to toe with legendary threats.
To Hinata—who'd always felt like her best was never enough—Shikamaru's journey was something to be admired. Not just because of what he did, but because of how he got there.
She wanted to be like that.
"If the person I care about is watching… then I won't quit."
With one deep breath, Hinata ignored the pain coursing through her limbs and charged straight at Temari.
Temari's eyes narrowed. "Stubborn fool!"
She stepped back instinctively and raised her fan, sending another sharp gust toward Hinata.
"Thwip! Thwip!"
This time, Hinata didn't dodge.
Instead, she plunged two kunai into the ground, gripping them tightly to anchor herself. The cyclone slammed into her, but the makeshift anchor held. Her body trembled under the pressure, but she didn't let go.
Thanks to her Byakugan, she could see that Temari's attack lacked the power of the previous ones. Whether due to chakra depletion or overconfidence, Temari had underestimated her.
The wind blades still cut into her arms and legs, but Hinata didn't fall.
And then she moved—bursting forward from the dying winds and closing the distance in a blink.
Temari flinched. She hadn't expected Hinata to take the hit just to get close.
But Hinata wasn't Naruto. She didn't have a demon fox in her gut. She wasn't invincible. Even now, blood poured from multiple wounds, her movements sluggish.
Still, she struck.
Temari blocked with her iron fan, deflecting the Gentle Fist strikes. But she could feel it—Hinata's attacks were losing precision. Her stance faltered. She was near collapse.
"She's running on willpower alone."
After absorbing a few more blows, Temari spotted her opening. She ducked one of Hinata's sluggish punches and drove her knee into Hinata's abdomen.
Hinata's breath hitched. Her legs buckled again.
Temari leapt backward, resetting her stance and raising her fan.
The blood on its metal edge glistened in the light.
"You don't know when to quit."
Temari glared at Hinata, who was somehow still standing—barely.
"Fine. You want to keep going?"
Her hands spread the fan wide—fully opened now, revealing the third star.
"Then I'll finish this. You brought it on yourself."
"Wind Style: Cyclone Scythe Jutsu!" (Ninpō: Kamaitachi no Jutsu)
She swung the fan with a furious yell. A violent gale exploded from the fan, packed with compressed vacuum blades. The sheer force cracked stone and kicked up debris across the arena.
Hinata couldn't dodge—not in her state.
The storm came roaring toward her.
And then—
"Boom!"
A blur of movement.
Several black shadows crashed down between Hinata and the attack, intercepting the full force of Temari's jutsu.
The wind blades howled like wailing spirits, scattering through the air. Even the stands shuddered from the residual force. Reflexively, most genin raised their arms to shield their faces—except two.
Shikamaru Nara and Neji Hyūga remained perfectly still, eyes locked on the battlefield.
Their faces unreadable.
But their minds?
Focused.