As the battle unfolded, the Hokages and other members of the chat group leaned forward in their seats, their eyes locked onto the arena.
"Ryan… is he seriously not going to make a move?" Tobirama muttered, his sharp eyes narrowing in disbelief.
"Forget attacking, he's not even defending," Kakashi observed, his voice laced with skepticism. "That's either absolute confidence or absolute stupidity."
"Maybe both," Obito quipped, arms crossed.
Naruto grinned but hesitated. "I mean… It's Ryan, right? Maybe he's got some crazy plan?"
Sasuke scoffed. "Tch. If he had a plan, he wouldn't be standing there like an idiot."
Meanwhile, Tsunade cracked her knuckles, eyeing Ryan with a mix of amusement and confusion. "You're not even gonna dodge? You really trust your durability that much?"
Ryan shoved his hands in his pockets, unfazed. "Just go for it."
The moment his words fell, Tsunade clenched her fist, channeling her monstrous strength.
Boom!
The ground beneath her shattered instantly as she launched forward. A shockwave erupted around her, sending dust and debris flying. In a blur of motion, her fist crashed into Ryan's chest. And sent him flying across the arena.
Silence.
The Hokages and the chat group members watched as Ryan tumbled through the air before crashing into the far end of the stadium.
"…"
Then—
"Pfft, HAHAHAHA!" Madara threw his head back, laughing uncontrollably. "So much for your 'unmatched strength,' Ryan! You looked like a ragdoll!"
Naruto winced. "Oof… that looked painful."
"Painful?" Kakashi sighed. "More like embarrassing."
"Did he just… take that attack head-on like an idiot?" Minato muttered, rubbing his temples.
Hashirama, however, remained completely at ease, his expression unchanged.
"Heh," he chuckled. "I told you all. I'm still betting on Ryan."
Tobirama turned to him, incredulous. "Brother, he just got launched across the battlefield. What part of that makes you think he's winning?"
"Just wait," Hashirama said simply.
In the distance, the dust began to settle. A figure stood up, brushing off his clothes casually.
"Oh, right… I forgot," Ryan muttered to himself.
The audience blinked.
"What did he forget?" Sasuke muttered.
Ryan stretched his shoulders, looking completely unharmed. "I forgot that even though my defense is insane now, my weight hasn't changed. So, yeah… I kinda just get sent flying when I don't brace myself."
The realization hit the crowd.
"He's… completely fine?" Naruto gawked.
Kakashi let out a low whistle. "That's some absurd durability."
"I-Isn't this a little ridiculous?" Tsunade muttered, still staring at Ryan, who didn't have a single scratch.
Tsunade clenched her fist again. "Tch. Guess I'll just have to hit him harder."
Uchiha Madara smirked, his Sharingan gleaming. "Hah! This just got interesting."
Hashirama grinned at the reactions. "See? Told you so."
Tobirama pinched the bridge of his nose. "This entire match is ridiculous."
Obito sighed. "This is why I don't gamble."
Madara's words drew everyone's attention, and one by one, they turned to him.
"What do you mean?" Minato asked, his analytical mind already processing the situation.
"Yeah," Kakashi added, arms crossed. "Ryan took that attack head-on and didn't even flinch. What else is there to say?"
Madara let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he leaned forward. "Have you all forgotten the point of this match?" His Sharingan gleamed with amusement. "This isn't about who has the best defense. It's about who wins."
The realization settled over the group, but Madara wasn't done.
"No matter how ridiculous his durability is, Ryan himself said he wouldn't attack," he continued, his voice laced with smug amusement. "Which means he can only stand there and take hits. Again and again."
Tobirama frowned, instantly seeing the flaw in Ryan's strategy. "If he just keeps getting beaten, then isn't his loss inevitable?"
"That's exactly my point," Madara smirked. "Even an indestructible wall will crumble if you keep hitting it long enough."
The others exchanged glances, processing the logic.
"Ryan is insanely strong," Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head. "But if he's just gonna stand there…"
"…It's only a matter of time before he loses," Sasuke finished, arms folded.
A collective sense of pity began to settle in.
"For someone that powerful, it's a shame he chose to fight like this," Tsunade mused, shaking her head.
"Well, I don't know about you guys," Obito said with a shrug, "but I don't see how this ends in his favor."
At that moment, Tsunade stepped forward and raised her hand. "I surrender."
Silence.
Everyone froze, staring at her as if she had lost her mind.
"WHAT!?" Naruto and Minato exclaimed at the same time.
"Did she just say… surrender?" Sasuke blinked, unable to believe it.
"Are you kidding me!?" Kakashi nearly fell out of his seat.
Madara's smirk instantly vanished. "Tsunade, have you lost your damn mind?"
Hashirama, who had been calm the whole time, suddenly grinned. "Heh. Looks like my bet paid off after all."
Tsunade exhaled, flexing her fingers before showing her arm to the crowd. "Look for yourselves."
Everyone's gaze snapped to her arm, only to see that it was broken.
"You've got to be kidding," Tobirama muttered.
"I thought something felt wrong," Tsunade admitted. "When I punched him, my bones shattered from the impact."
For a moment, no one spoke.
"You're saying…" Kakashi hesitated, staring at her arm as she used medical ninjutsu to mend it.
Tsunade sighed as she finished healing. "Yeah. If I kept attacking, my other arm would've been broken too. And the worst part?" She motioned toward Ryan, who stood in the same spot, looking completely fine.
"There's not a single scratch on him."
All eyes turned toward Ryan.
He stood there, completely unharmed, hands still in his pockets. His expression was innocent, as if he had done absolutely nothing because he hadn't.
The room erupted.
"What the hell kind of ability is that!?" Naruto yelled, pointing at Ryan.
"It's downright unnatural!" Sasuke added, scowling.
"This is beyond ridiculous," Tobirama said, rubbing his temples. "No one should have a defense this absurd."
"I knew it," Hashirama said with a satisfied grin. "Ryan's got an ability that makes him practically untouchable."
Madara scowled, arms crossed. "Tch. A fine match this turned out to be. The opponent breaks themselves just by hitting him?"
"Forget defense, this is a perversion of the very concept of battle," Obito said flatly.
Kakashi shook his head. "I hate to say it… But I kind of respect it."
"This kind of defense is on an entirely different level," Minato murmured, still trying to process it.
At that moment, a dangerous thought began creeping into everyone's mind.
"If I had a reward like this…" Naruto mumbled to himself.
"In a real battle, this kind of ability would be broken," Sasuke admitted.
"I'll say," Tsunade muttered. "It's practically cheating."
"You know," Kakashi mused, "maybe it's time I tried my luck at the lottery…"
"You and me both," Minato added, eyes gleaming.
One after another, the Hokage Chat Group members exchanged glances. The battle was over, but one thing was certain every single one of them was now considering gambling their points away for a shot at Ryan's absurd ability.
Ryan, standing in the center of the field, merely shrugged. "Hey, don't blame me. I did say I wasn't gonna fight back."
Tsunade sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just don't expect me to fight you again."
As the murmurs of the group continued, one thing was clear this was a battle they wouldn't forget anytime soon.
---
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