"Then let the duel begin." After saying that, Hayate immediately left the arena far behind and hid somewhere relatively safe.
Hayate knew Naruto. If he stayed nearby, Naruto would absolutely, ever so casually, unleash a Wood Release area attack like Advent of a World of Trees, then accidentally hit him too.
In the end, not only would he miss out on the entertainment, he would become the entertainment himself.
Naruto glanced at Hayate out of the corner of his eye. Watching him leave, he silently put away the Advent of a World of Trees he had just prepared.
Ahem, was I, Naruto, that kind of person? Honestly, Hayate really underestimated me.
(Actually, I was planning to sneak in Advent of a World of Flowering Trees...)
Hinata suddenly smiled at Naruto, then activated her blue Byakugan, cyan light flickering in her eyes.
Just like Meteor back then, brilliant blue chakra instantly flared around her, and an invisible repulsive force lifted her into the air.
"Naruto-kun, watch out." Hinata's voice gradually grew detached, though it remained gentle toward Naruto. Blue chakra coated her palm, and she thrust it forward.
Carried by tremendous force, a blue chakra energy ball cut through the air and skimmed past Naruto. The instant it struck the ground, the world seemed to fall silent. Then a violent explosion rang out, blasting straight through that section of the arena.
Naruto smiled calmly at the sight, then closed his eyes.
"What is Naruto doing?" Yugao asked, unable to understand why he had closed his eyes.
"I don't know. That kid has all sorts of forms." Kakashi shrugged. Perhaps it was Sage Mode. Kakashi knew about this senjutsu, but he had not signed a contract with Mount Myōboku and had been unable to learn it.
Minato-sensei had learned it, though, and