Weak In My Eyes
With serene grace, he lowered his arm and caught the approaching clone's lower thigh with his forearm, executing a flawless motion that took the audience by surprise.
He then slammed the clone to the concrete and stomped down on it with a force that caused cracks to form on the surface floor.
"The clone's still there?!" Iruka commented. "Just how strong is Will?"
"Haha," Naruto laughed, scratching the tip of his nose. "I don't mean to take the spotlight, but I can do that to with a bit more training."
"That's insane!" Jada yelled, ignoring Naruto's clear desire to be noticed. "Hoshikage's treating the clones as if they were toys!"
"Huh?!" Naruto said in surprise before looking back at the arena.
While the clones did indeed remain intact, that wasn't at all troubling for a man like Arthur.
He moved swiftly in front of another clone, backhanding its face, which sent it staggering. From his right, another clone launched a punch aimed at his head. Arthur blocked it effortlessly, following through by punching the clone's throat.
"What a retaliatory move!" Mei noted, nodding in approval.
She could see what he was doing. Instead of focusing on one clone, he was truly attacking one and then moving to attack the other. A common strategy in a one-versus-more fight. But what made Arthur different was his defense—the clones couldn't find an opening!
"Look at him go!" shouted a young spectator in awe. "Mommy, I wanna be just like him!"
With a fluidity that defined perfection, Arthur shifted to avoid another jab from yet another clone, knocking its hand down with a simple flick. The clone launched a secondary attack, but he struck sharply, smacking the clone's face to the left and then again to the right—resulting in a flip that sent it crashing to the ground.
The crowd cheered the more upon seeing his deftness. Arthur was neutralizing each advance with a mix of skill and speed.
But the fight wasn't over yet; he could feel the intensity level rising as he turned around just in time to grab the wrist of another clone, now aiming a punch at his temple.
"How careless of you!" Arthur mocked, twisting the clone's arm.
The pressure drew an audible "argh" from the clone before Arthur struck it in rapid succession—twice in the face, twice in the belly, and then tripping it to the ground.
"This is unreal!" a spectator shouted. "He's on a whole other level!"
"That William kid needs to step it up!" another voice chimed in.
When a gust of wind enveloped him, Arthur sensed danger—the familiar whirring of a Rasengan!
He somersaulted over the clone he had just brought down, narrowly avoiding the lethal sphere of chakra. Rolling back to his feet, he then waved his arm, catching another incoming kick with his forearm.
"H… How does he know?!" a clone hollered.
"You must think I'm a fool," Arthur called.
He moved back, causing the attacking clone to do a split, the landing both comically awkward and painfully obvious. The cheers rose as the audience reveled in the display of skill.
"He's toying with them!" someone yelled, while others repeated similar sentiments, amazed by Arthur's prowess.
As if eager to join in, another clone rushed from his right side, attempting to intercept him with a swipe. Without hesitation, he sent a kick square into the clone's chest, sending it hurtling back through the air. With that same leg, he brought it down onto the clone he had already incapacitated, a move that broke its hip with a crack!
'Just like snapping a twig,' he thought to himself, focused on more incoming clones.
"How can someone fight like that?!" Neji wondered. It took a lot to surprise a Hyūga. "It's almost unbelievable."
"It is indeed brutal to watch!" Lee added.
When Naruto heard that, he became flustered. He had never seen his supposed cousin try so desperately, only to not succeed.
Throughout their time together, William always answered all of his questions and showed him compassion as if they were brothers. It didn't matter what Naruto asked; William both understood him and the world they lived in.
It was like someone had sent an angel to help guide Naruto in the oppressive loneliness that plagued his childhood. Now that same "angel" was being humiliated before his very eyes.
"Come on, Will!" he continued to cheer, unbothered by the clear turn of events. "I know you can do it!"
Jada could tell how off he sounded. Did the main character mean what he said, or had it dawned on him that William's chances of winning were slowly decreasing? Regardless, her mind focused intently on Arthur.
"Fierce but brilliant," Mei remarked. "He's using both taijutsu and genjutsu effectively."
"Huh?" a high-ranking official seated next to her questioned. "Since when was a genjutsu performed?"
"Of course you wouldn't be able to see it, my lord," she answered.
In truth, Arthur wasn't at all using his genjutsu to deter his opponent in any way. He was fighting fair and square; his techniques were simply flawless!
Arthur briefly allowed a temporary moment for a clone to strike. While watching his surroundings, a clone fell for the trap.
As it leaped forward, confident in its assumption, he jabbed its face lightly with his right hand and then followed through with a punch to its stomach, bringing it down to its knees.
As another Rasengan ripped through the air, Arthur sidestepped, dodging it easily as it all whirled past him—far too slow to even come close to landing a hit.
"What speed!" cheered a spectator while pumping his fists. "He's unstoppable!"
The applause and cheers rained down, each being more frenetic than the last. The audience eventually reached a crescendo. They were mesmerized by Arthur's effortless display of martial arts, noticing how William struggled to keep up with ten clones!
And then, with the tension reaching its peak, Arthur took a breath.
He had to focus; he could feel the weight of the clones, their chakra steadily rising despite their onslaught. He remained expressionless, feeling that this was not just a battle but a performance.
"Don't stop, William," he taunted without showing any signs of fatigue. "Our fight just started."
For an instant, Arthur could see the frustration in his opponent's eyes. But there was also determination, a burning desire to prove himself.
"I'm not even close to finishing!" William proclaimed. The remaining clones rallied behind him, emboldened by his spirit. "I won't back down; I'll keep coming at you no matter what, 'cause that's my ninja way!"
Those words touched Naruto's heart. At that moment, he knew that no one was like his cousin—someone who could go against all odds despite everyone wishing for him to fail.
"Alright!" Naruto screamed, fanning his arms. "That's what I'm talking about!"
The crowd roared in response, torn between admiration for Arthur's skill and support for the brave William whose journey had brought him this far.
Arthur knew how resilient this man was. But he played a different game, a psychological one.
"Don't kid yourself, boy… I already know your secret."
William's eyes shuttered. Before he could even think about letting Arthur get into his head, he performed a hand sign: "Multi-shadow clone jutsu!"
With that, he unleashed a new wave of clones.
"He's really got a lot of chakra," Mei noted with intrigue, crossing her legs. "But no matter how much chakra a shinobi has, they can't compete without a strategy…"
The clones circled around, now numbering fifteen in total. Each one adopted a different taijutsu stance.
"Get him!" shouted one of the clones as they lunged forward together, intent on overwhelming Arthur from all directions.
"Hmph…"
As the wave of clones closed in, Arthur quickly positioned himself, spinning through the air with perfect form. His body became like a living weapon that sliced through the multitude.
Executing a graceful spin-kick, he sent one clone spiraling into another. Then he followed up with swift punches that sent clones tumbling left and right.
Each connection was punctuated by a sharp impact that echoed through the space. He struck out with adroit hands and feet, not at all giving an opportunity for even one clone to touch him.
The crowd gasped upon seeing how much faster he had become. They simply couldn't keep up with his movements. He was like a blurring object in their eyes!
"What kind of man is this?!" a spectator cried out.
"Mommy, please let me be a ninja for one day!"
With adrenaline coursing through his veins, he parried and dodged, proficiently weaving through the frenzy of attacks.
"You have to do better than that," he coolly said in the thrill of combat.
The clones swung wildly. Everyone could tell they were too eager, too intent on taking him down as opposed to planning. But even if they did that, it looked like it would be of no avail.
"Unbelievable! This is epic!" someone shouted, while others joined in the applause.
With that, Arthur zeroed in on another clone, dodging beneath an attack before spinning around to deliver a jaw-rattling uppercut that sent the clone into the air. "Think I'm finished?" he called, rising up to meet another flurry of kicks.
The audience was enrapt. Mei became more interested as things progressed.
"I love his moves," she exclaimed, "but that William kid… Why isn't he staying down?"
Amidst the pandemonium, Arthur understood the answer to her question more than anyone. Each clone that fell only fueled William's determination—to rise above, to showcase the strength forged in dedication to being a shinobi in this world.
"Keep up the pressure!" a clone hollered. "Give him everything you've got!"
Arthur ignored their attempts at trying to overwhelm him with numbers. While his stamina was indeed draining at an alarming rate, he remained stoic, knowing that this was bound to happen.
If William wanted to fight as fiercely as he could, he would gladly oblige. Instead of stepping back, he surged forward once more.
With a pivot, he launched into a spin-kick, catching the nearest clone squarely in the chest. The impact echoed, sending the clone into its neighbour.
In a heartbeat, Arthur flowed into a series of punches. His fists met clone after clone despite their advances. A jab here, a hook there, and another clone crumbled beneath the gale of his strikes.
Gaining momentum, he dove low beneath a wild punch from one clone and countered with an uppercut. The sound of bone met knuckles, which practically everyone heard, causing the clone's head to snap far back while sending it soaring through the air.
But there was no time to revel; he rolled forward, evading a barrage of kicks aimed at his midsection, his back foot dropping low to the ground for leverage.
He then weaved through them like a dancer in a crowded ballroom, sidestepping one punch, slipping under another, and striking with a backfist that connected sharply with another clone's temple.
That clone staggered, swaying on its feet, and Arthur pushed forward into yet another overhead kick. His leg sliced through the air to collide with yet another clone who had foolishly charged in.
"Keep trying," he taunted, aware that exhaustion was trying to take its toll.
One clone attempted to flank him, aiming its fist at his side with narrowed eyes. Arthur saw the attack, catching the clone's wrist in a swift grip and then twisting it painfully while delivering a knee to its gut.
The clone crumpled, and Arthur spun, using the momentum to elbow another clone squarely in the face.
The clones eventually began moving in synchrony, but he was like a maestro, turning their disarray into an orchestra of clashing bodies.
He capitalized on their foolish attempts, sidestepping another group with a combination of evasive footwork and centrifugal force. His feet barely touched the ground as he maintained perfect balance.
Then, feeling a shift in the air, he spotted yet another Rasengan spiraling toward him like a comet. With grace, he leapt into the air, propelling himself beyond the immediate threat.
As he landed, he quickly thrust out his arm to intercept a punch aimed at his midsection, redirecting the force away from his body while hooking a kick into the knee of yet another clone. It buckled, its expression twisted in shock, before falling to the ground.
"Argh!" William yelled, letting out a strange battle cry. To think he had it in him. "Charge in with maximum effort!"
Clones began to falter, their approaches collapsing as their anger and exertion coalesced into reckless abandon. Arthur adjusted his stance, darting forward into the fray while ripping through the clones one by one.
He pivoted sharply, using the momentum to strike with a combination of punches and kicks, merging karate precision with boxing footwork. A hook sent one clone crashing into another, creating a domino effect of bodies diving to the ground.
When he finished, he straightened himself and declared, "Let those who think they are strong be weak in my eyes."
Above all those watching who were captivated by Arthur's jaw-dropping display of might and power, it wasn't Jada, the Uchiha; it was Jada Schmidt, the same woman who had finally understood who could help her find that missing link.