𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝒀𝑶𝑼 | 𝑲.𝑰𝑵𝒁𝑼𝑲𝑨

|I{•------» [33] «------•}I|

Ruka let out a shaky breath as she stared up at the board showcasing her name and that of her opponent. Her face remained emotionless, even as waves of heat coursed through her blood.

It took all of her willpower to maintain the strength in her legs as her stomach tightened with every breath. She swallowed, trying to push away the pain that clenched her throat.

"Ruka?" Kakashi prompted from beside her, observing her fight back the small shivers running through her body. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"...I'm sure," Ruka replied, her voice strained.

Kakashi narrowed his eye disapprovingly. "I advise you to stand down. This is uncharted territory, and we don't know how much longer you can endure being cut off from not just your chakra but—"

Ruka clenched her jaw, gathering her strength to shake off his hand on her shoulder. "I said I'm fine."

Before he could stop her, she was already walking past him, her pain evident in every step. "Orochimaru must have done something to her," he whispered in concern. If he could see the pain etched into her like an open wound, he was certain her opponent would notice and exploit it.

Every throb of pain flickered across her face as she joined Hayate on the makeshift arena floor of the tower. "Ruka?" Hayate coughed beside her, his concerned gaze fixed on her as he coughed repeatedly. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? You don't look too good."

An annoyed expression formed on her forehead. "Worry about yourself, Hayate."

Recognizing the signs of an uphill battle, Hayate reluctantly stepped back, allowing Ruka to focus her gaze on her opponent across the makeshift arena floor. The opponent, previously relaxed, straightened up upon meeting her eyes.

From above, Kiba narrowed his eyes in concern as he observed Ruka fluttering her eyes shut, struggling to steady herself on her feet. "Ruka... something is wrong with her."

Hiruzen leaned forward, hand forming a triangle in front of his mouth, watching his granddaughter nervously. His usually composed granddaughter was on the verge of a breakdown.

Asuma began to walk toward Ruka's position but was stopped by Kakashi. "What are you doing? I have to stop her."

"Look." Kakashi nodded toward the front. Asuma's brown eyes followed his gaze and widened in shock. "W-what?"

A wave of pain washed over Ruka, numbing the rest of the world and leaving her to feel its every ounce. Ignoring the pain, she raised her head to meet her opponent's gaze, and that's when the entire tower erupted into chaos.

"What is he doing?" Ino gasped, shocked by the scene unfolding.

Ruka blinked rapidly, thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her. But there was no mistaking it. Kankuro had raised a single hand above his head, capturing everyone's attention. With his gaze still fixed on Ruka, he made a loud statement that caught everyone off guard. "I forfeit."

Whispers, protests, and gasps filled the air, but Kankuro seemed oblivious to it all. With a single nod in Ruka's direction, he tucked his hands into his bunraku and calmly walked away.

However, as he stepped back, the ground began to rise, creating a barrier in front of him. Kankuro turned around to find Ruka placing her hands on the ground. "Take it back," she growled at him. "Tell Hayate that you withdraw your forfeit!"

"What?" Wide-eyed, Kankuro took in the panting girl before him, watching as she gasped for breath that refused to fill her lungs properly. "Ruka, I don't think—"

"Take it back!" Ruka shot fire at him, which he managed to dodge.

"Oh no..." Sakura whispered, causing Kiba to look at her. "Oi, Sakura! What happened to her? Tell me!"