Kitazawa and the others headed home.
They went to Kurenai's place, not Tsunade's.
Shizune and Uzumaki Rina wouldn't be coming home for lunch at noon anyway.
The two of them were basically part of Konoha's upper management now, so during work hours they always ate at the Hokage Building.
Karin also rarely came home at noon.
Either she ate with Ino and the others at the Academy, or she went to find Rina and ate with her.
In other words, Tsunade's house was completely empty right now, so there was no reason to go back there.
"You guys chat, I'm heading to the kitchen."
Kitazawa called out casually, then walked straight into the kitchen.
After all, Tsunade had specifically requested that he cook.
Tsunade kicked off her shoes, stepped into the living room, and flopped down on the couch like it was her own place.
She was way too familiar with Kitazawa and Kurenai to bother maintaining any kind of "image" anymore.
"Tsunade-sama, what would you like to drink?"
Kurenai stopped in front of the coffee table and asked.
"It's lunchtime, so obviously alcohol."
Tsunade answered on reflex.
"Tsunade-sama, you still have the team battle this afternoon."
Kurenai hesitated for two seconds, then reminded her.
"Fine, water then, before Kitazawa starts nagging me again."
Tsunade waved her hand, making a painful sacrifice as she gave up on booze.
Kurenai froze for a moment.
She had already seen how Kitazawa treated Tsunade before, but it still surprised her.
Mostly because with Tsunade's personality, she was actually listening to him.
"Tsunade-sama."
Kurenai quickly poured her a glass of water.
"Thanks."
Tsunade took a sip and said, "Looks the same, but alcohol still tastes better."
"On that, I completely agree."
Kurenai replied with a smile.
"If you were into gambling too, then our hobbies would be exactly the same."
Tsunade set the glass down and lounged against the couch again, looking totally relaxed.
Kurenai opened her mouth, then closed it again.
She honestly didn't understand how someone as legendarily unlucky as Tsunade could still insist on going to the casino every single day.
Isn't gambling supposed to be fun because sometimes you win and sometimes you lose?
"Tsunade-sama, what do you want for lunch?"
Kurenai changed the subject. "I can tell Kitazawa so he can make it for you."
"I want to eat… actually, I'll go check what's in the fridge."
Tsunade sat up. "If there's nothing, then it's not worth making a fuss."
"The fridge is in the kitchen."
Kurenai nodded.
Hearing that, Tsunade headed for the kitchen.
"Tsunade-sensei."
Kitazawa heard footsteps and spoke without looking up. "You here to supervise me?"
"What are you planning to cook?"
Tsunade leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest.
"Your favorite."
Kitazawa turned to look at her, and his eyes lit up a little.
The way she was standing showed off her figure perfectly, especially those peach-perfect hips.
"Tender chicken?"
Tsunade looked genuinely surprised. "When did you buy that?"
"I stocked up on ingredients and sealed them in a summoning storage scroll, just in case."
Kitazawa said casually.
"Now that you mention it, I do remember something like that."
Tsunade's face showed sudden realization.
"Tsunade-sensei, you just haven't gone on missions with me in too long, so you forgot my habits."
Kitazawa chuckled.
"Easy for you to say. As the Hokage, can I just leave the village whenever I want?"
Tsunade curled her lip.
"From that angle, yeah, it really doesn't make sense."
Kitazawa nodded in agreement.
"Why don't you cover for me at work for a couple of days?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her eyes turning sly.
"You should ask Shizune-senpai."
Kitazawa paused, then added, "Don't tell me she figured out you were planning to sneak off to the casino and turned you down?"
"…"
Tsunade was instantly speechless.
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
Seeing her expression, Kitazawa couldn't help laughing.
"She refused, and now you're refusing too?"
Tsunade was immediately irritated by his gloating tone.
"I've got too much on my plate already."
Kitazawa blinked, then said, "Besides, if you go to the casino alone… do you even have money?"
"Obviously you're giving me the money!"
Tsunade said confidently, like it was only natural.
"Then I can't give you that much, unless you take me with you."
Kitazawa sighed in a "heartfelt" tone. "Otherwise, when you start gambling you have zero self-control."
"What did you just say?"
Tsunade snapped. "Who's the teacher here, you or me? How are you getting more and more nosy?"
"You're the teacher, but I'm the one with money."
Kitazawa said smugly.
Tsunade was so mad her chest hurt. She stomped forward and stepped on his foot.
"If the food turns out bad, I'm totally blaming you."
Kitazawa's gaze slid sideways—and landed on the white… necklace at her chest.
"If it's not good, I'll just punch you again!"
Tsunade clenched her fist, voice full of threat.
"And if it is good, do I get a reward?"
Kitazawa's eyes dropped to her soft, rosy lips.
"Nope!"
Tsunade took a step back. "Save that talk for when you've done something really huge in the future."
"Alright, alright."
Kitazawa shook his head and went back to cooking.
"I'm going back to the living room."
Tsunade bit her lip lightly and turned to leave.
Somewhere else, she might actually have agreed.
But Kurenai was just outside—if she noticed anything, there'd be no way to explain it.
Noon came.
Right on time, Kitazawa brought the dishes out.
Tender chicken as the main, with grilled fish, vegetables, and miso soup on the side.
"The team battle starts at two this afternoon."
Kitazawa picked up his chopsticks. "Tsunade-sensei, you can take a nap afterward. We'll come wake you."
"There's no point going back. Shizune and the others aren't there anyway."
Kurenai asked casually, "Tsunade-sama, if you don't mind, why don't you sleep here?"
"Do you even have a spare room?"
Tsunade blinked.
"We do."
Kurenai nodded. "Kitazawa and I…"
Halfway through, she suddenly realized what she was saying and got embarrassed.
But Tsunade already understood.
Kurenai and Kitazawa shared a room, which meant there was an extra room free.
"No need to trouble yourselves, I'll just go home."
Tsunade shook her head. "Otherwise you'll have to clean and tidy up just for me."
"It's no trouble at all."
Kurenai said quickly, "It'll only take a few minutes."
Then she shot Kitazawa a pointed look.
"Well, since Kurenai insists, then stay."
Kitazawa cleared his throat. "I'll clean the room. Won't take long."
Tsunade thought about it, then finally nodded.
Lunch was over before long.
"I'll wash the dishes."
Kurenai stood up. "Kitazawa, go get the room ready so Tsunade-sama can rest."
"Got it."
Kitazawa nodded. "Tsunade-sensei, come with me."
Tsunade followed him into a room on the left.
She glanced around and was surprised that it wasn't dusty at all—it was actually quite clean.
"This used to be your room?"
She looked at the wardrobe and guessed.
"I stayed here before."
Kitazawa answered as he put fresh sheets and bedding on the bed.
"No wonder."
Tsunade waited a moment, then walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Then you go let me rest."
Kitazawa paused, then said, "I'll come wake you when it's time to head out this afternoon."
"Mm."
Tsunade said that and lay down.
The moment she touched the mattress, her whole body shivered.
Kitazawa's eyelid twitched at the sight.
"Something else you need?"
Tsunade turned on her side, her clothes creasing as she moved, and her necklace slipped out into view.
Kitazawa instantly confirmed one thing.
She was doing this on purpose.
With that thought, he sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned in.
Tsunade's lips curved up slightly as she looked at him—and then their lips met.
She wrapped her arms around his neck.
Her fair cheeks puffed just a little.
Only after quite a while, with her mouth dry and her tongue numb, did she finally get a breath of fresh air.
"Let go!"
Tsunade snapped back to her senses, glaring at him.
"Tsunade-sensei, get some good rest."
Kitazawa took his hand away from where it had been resting over her heart, smiling as he spoke.
Then he stood up, walked out, and closed the door behind him.
Kitazawa flexed his hand.
It reminded him of those days playing basketball on the university courts in his previous life.
He walked over to the door of Kurenai's room and suddenly stopped.
Why did this feel like the setup for a love-triangle disaster?
Tsunade had been acting a little off today at lunch.
Kitazawa thought for a second, then casually waved his hand.
Wind-style chakra turned into a breeze, scattering any unnecessary scent lingering on him.
Two o'clock in the afternoon.
After their noon break, Kitazawa, Tsunade, and Kurenai returned to the Forest of Death.
The teachers and students of the Genius Class were already there. The three of them were actually the last to arrive.
But they weren't late—the timing was perfect.
"Third round of the team battle, and also the final round."
Kitazawa announced, "Naruto Uzumaki's squad versus Uchiha Sasuke's squad. Battle starts in fifteen minutes!"
"Sasuke!"
Naruto shot him a thumbs-up. "I'll be waiting for you in the center of the field!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Sakura asked, looking surprised.
"Because I want a hot-blooded, youthful showdown with Sasuke!"
Naruto said, full of anticipation.
"That really is your style."
Sakura immediately understood.
"I feel the same way!"
Rock Lee chimed in. "Youth is about facing your challenges head-on!"
As a taijutsu specialist, he didn't like playing hide-and-seek in the forest.
Why not just get everyone together and brawl?
"Sasuke-kun, what do you think?"
Sakura instinctively turned to look at Sasuke.
"Doesn't matter what the format is."
Sasuke said calmly. "First place belongs to the Uchiha."
"Then it's settled!"
Naruto said excitedly.
Sasuke gave him a look, then walked off into the Forest of Death.
Sakura and Kimimaro hurried to follow.
"On paper, Naruto's squad isn't any weaker than we are."
Sasuke said as he walked. "Since they've given away their position, we'll just rush them at the start and go for a surprise attack."
Sakura and Kimimaro both nodded.
Honestly, that was the best option.
Naruto had the power to completely wreck the battlefield.
They'd already seen that in the earlier match between Hinata's team and Naruto's team.
Relying on the Forest of Death to set up traps or kite the enemy around just wasn't realistic.
So if that was the case, they might as well start a direct fight—and grab the advantage of a surprise opener.
"If the situation allows, Kimimaro, you take on Lee. Your Shikotsumyaku is a hard counter to pure taijutsu."
Sasuke thought for a moment. "If you can beat him as fast as possible, our odds against Naruto go way up."
"But Lee learned Chen-sensei's Leaf Dragon God."
Sakura reminded him.
Leaf Dragon God, in turn, was a hard counter to Shikotsumyaku.
At that kind of high-speed spin, Leaf Dragon God could hit every part of Kimimaro's body.
His bones might be indestructible, but he was still made of flesh and blood.
"Leaf Dragon God has a weakness."
Sasuke said seriously. "The dragon's eye… or you could call it the 'eye of the storm.'"
"How do you even know that, Sasuke-kun?"
Sakura stared at him, wide-eyed.
"My Sharingan picked it up."
Sasuke replied. "In the tornado formed by Leaf Dragon God, the only point with no chakra at all is the eye of the storm."
"Sasuke-kun, you're amazing!"
Sakura said excitedly.
"Then I can beat Lee."
Kimimaro said thoughtfully.
"Jugo is a taijutsu fighter, but he's got the Earth Curse Mark."
Sasuke glanced at Sakura. "You probably can't beat him outright, but you can stall him with Water Style."
"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura clenched her fists. "I'll definitely hold him off!"
"Good. That's the plan for now."
Sasuke nodded.
Meanwhile, at the center of the field—
Just like he said he would, Naruto walked straight there and waited for Sasuke's squad.
Rock Lee stood beside him, waiting as well.
"I'll go talk to the little animals in the forest."
Jugo said after thinking about it.
They still had fifteen minutes before the battle began. Just standing around was pointless.
Besides, there was no guarantee Sasuke's squad would honor the appointment and come to the center.
If he talked to the animals, he could ask them to help locate the enemy.
Jugo walked into the trees at the side.
He closed his eyes and let his chakra spread outward.
Soon, he sensed the small animals nearby.
The reason Jugo could understand animals wasn't actually anything mystical—it was because of natural energy.
He was born with the ability to enter Sage Mode, and his sensitivity to natural energy was extremely high.
Natural energy came from nature, existed in nature—and because of that, he'd unintentionally gained the ability to communicate with animals.
A moment later, Jugo reappeared in front of Naruto and Rock Lee.
Now there was a bird perched on his shoulder, chirping away.
"Jugo, that ability is seriously envy-worthy."
Naruto looked at the bird and spoke with sincere admiration.
If he'd had this power earlier, he wouldn't have been so lonely.
Luckily, now that he had plenty of friends, he could live without it.
"Being able to share youth with animals anytime, anywhere—that alone sounds wonderful."
Rock Lee gave a big thumbs-up.
Jugo nodded.
His innate Sage transformation came with a berserk personality and an urge to kill.
Because of that, he loved talking with animals—it helped calm his mind.
Fifteen minutes later, Kitazawa's voice rang out, announcing the official start of the battle.
It didn't take long before a bird dropped out of the sky and landed on Jugo's shoulder.
"They're here. They're five hundred meters away."
Jugo reported immediately.
"Perfect!"
Naruto's fighting spirit flared. "Sasuke's mine!"
"Then Kimimaro's my opponent!"
Rock Lee clenched his fist.
"I'll take Kimimaro."
Jugo thought for a moment. "He's got Shikotsumyaku and the Earth Curse Mark. He's a bad matchup for you."
"Huh?"
Rock Lee froze, his expression awkward. "Then… am I supposed to fight Sakura?"
"Sakura's not weak."
Jugo assumed Lee thought Sakura was much weaker than Kimimaro.
"That's not it."
Lee scratched his head. "Sakura's good at Water Style. She's a pain to fight."
"We'll see once we're actually in the fight."
Jugo said after a bit of thought. "Things rarely go exactly the way we planned. We'll have to adapt on the fly."
"True."
Lee nodded in agreement.
Just then, another bird came.
But the moment it appeared, the air warped—a massive fireball came crashing toward them.
Jugo's eyes narrowed. He grabbed the bird and leaped back.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
Naruto clapped his hands together.
A fierce gust of wind blasted forward, locking in a stalemate with the fireball.
"You guys, move!"
Jugo quickly released all three birds.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto poured more chakra into the technique.
The gale promptly shoved the fireball away.
Naruto chased after it at once.
But when he reached the impact site, there was no one there.
"Naruto!"
Jugo shouted anxiously.
Naruto turned his head—and his face changed.
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
Sakura spat out a stream of water that surged toward Jugo.
Rock Lee had been sure he'd be fighting Kimimaro—but out of nowhere, Sasuke appeared instead.
His three-tomoe Sharingan spun, and Lee froze where he stood.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow!"
Kimimaro shot out of the forest to the left.
Dozens of white bones sprouted from his arms, stabbing toward the stunned Rock Lee.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Shuriken!"
Naruto immediately threw a shuriken.
Empowered by Wind Style chakra, its speed hit an extreme.
Clang!
Sasuke's Sword of the Thunder God knocked the shuriken aside.
At that critical moment, Jugo roared and entered Earth Curse Mark, .
He really didn't want to use the Curse Mark this early.
Its duration was limited.
But if he didn't use it now, Rock Lee would be taken out instantly.
Lee was a pure taijutsu fighter with zero talent for genjutsu—there was no way he could dispel it on his own.
Jugo accelerated and flashed in front of Lee.
"Explosive Smash!"
He threw a punch.
Kimimaro raised both arms on reflex.
His bones met Jugo's fist head-on.
The force drove Kimimaro back several steps.
Jugo staggered but managed to hold his ground.
Right then, a stream of water crashed down from above.
Sakura's Water Style: Wild Water Wave.
Jugo knew he couldn't dodge it in time, so he twisted his body and took the impact across his back.
His whole body shuddered from the hit, but he grabbed Lee and poured chakra into him.
As soon as the genjutsu broke, Kimimaro's next attack was already in Lee's face.
Bones like knives stabbed toward all of Lee's vital points in an instant.
"Axe-Cleave Explosive Smash!"
Jugo's arm came down like an axe, slamming into Kimimaro.
"Water Style: Heavenly Weeping!"
Kimimaro's assault was blocked—but Jugo had no way to stop Sakura's Water Style at the same time.
Sakura opened her mouth and spat out three water needles toward Rock Lee.
Lee had only just snapped out of the genjutsu. Feeling danger, he instinctively raised both arms.
He grunted in pain as all three needles buried themselves in his forearms, staining his green jumpsuit with blood.
"Dynamic Prelude!"
Lee forced himself to endure the pain and launched a flying kick at Sakura.
Sakura snapped her wrist and sent four kunai spinning at him.
The sound of air splitting filled the space.
Lee twisted midair, slipping past two kunai and kicking the other two aside.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Sakura formed a rapid series of seals.
A mass of water surged up in front of her, coalescing into a dragon.
"Leaf Rising Wind!"
Lee still hadn't landed.
He had no choice but to force out Chen Baojun's Leaf Rising Wind in midair.
But when his kick connected with the water dragon, it didn't do much at all.
The dragon swallowed him up. The impact flung him backward, and he slammed into a tree.
Lee's head was spinning; his whole body ached.
Sakura flicked her wrists again.
Four more kunai flew at Lee.
Just as Lee was about to be forced out of the match, a figure appeared in front of him.
"Burst: Konoha Adamantine Power Whirlwind!"
A Naruto shadow clone kicked all four kunai away.
"Naruto?"
Sakura's heart jumped. She instinctively looked over at Sasuke.
But Sasuke was tied up in a fierce melee with Naruto and his clones.
There was no question—Lee had been saved by one of Naruto's shadow clones.
Sakura relaxed a little.
Naruto might have a ton of chakra, but he also made a ton of clones.
Individually, they weren't that strong.
At least for her, they were beatable.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
The clone Naruto dashed at her at high speed.
After throwing the four kunai, Sakura had already begun forming seals.
Naruto slipped through the kunai easily, then snapped a kick at her.
"Water Style: Water Barrage!"
Sakura raised both hands.
A stream of rapid-fire water bullets shot out from her palms.
"What the—"
Naruto slammed into the barrage.
After tanking four or five water bullets, he popped in a puff of smoke.
Sakura let out a breath.
But that brief delay was enough for Lee to recover.
He was in pretty rough shape—soaked to the bone, and blood was still seeping from both arms.
The wounds weren't huge, but the longer the match dragged on, the worse it would get.
Lee glanced down at his arms.
In this state, the only way he could beat Sakura was to use Leaf Dragon God.
But with his arms injured, the technique's power would definitely suffer.
While he hesitated, a loud impact sounded nearby.
Kimimaro and Jugo had collided again.
Kimimaro was forced back two steps.
From the outside, it looked like Jugo was starting to gain the upper hand.
But that wasn't really true.
Kimimaro still hadn't used his Curse Mark.
Jugo, on the other hand, had already activated his—and gone straight to Second Level.
Kimimaro didn't even have to attack. If he just waited a few minutes, he'd win by default.
But that wasn't his style.
"Earth Curse Mark: First Level!"
Kimimaro's body immediately began to change.
He didn't use Second Level because he didn't need to—and he needed to save strength to back Sasuke up later.
Seeing this, Jugo's expression grew serious.
He knew Kimimaro's power very well.
In his base state, he could throw hands with him. But against Earth Curse Mark, First Level… it was questionable.
Even so, fighting was his only option.
They clashed again.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Shuriken!"
Naruto and his clones threw shuriken in unison.
Sasuke's face remained blank as he knocked them aside with the Sword of the Thunder God, closing in step by step.
When he was close enough, he vanished.
"Again! Everyone, careful!"
Naruto shouted.
"Hatake Sword Style!"
A flash of sword light appeared right in front of him—the Sword of the Thunder God.
"Leaf Rising Wind!"
Naruto kicked at his wrist.
But as he went for a second kick, the Sword of the Thunder God suddenly hummed, bursting with blinding lightning.
Naruto pulled his leg back in a hurry and jumped away.
His nearby clones weren't so lucky—they were swallowed by the lightning and popped one after another.
Sasuke moved in to press the advantage—only to hear the air rip behind him.
Another Naruto had scooped up Samehada and was swinging it down at his head.
Even midair, Samehada opened its maw and snapped for him.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan!"
Sasuke's three tomoe spun.
Naruto went slack-eyed.
"Body Flicker!"
Sasuke appeared at his side and slashed.
This Naruto burst into smoke.
Samehada thudded to the ground, then sprang back up and flew toward the real Naruto.
"Leaf-Style Swordsmanship!"
Naruto caught Samehada and swept it out in a wide arc.
"That's not Leaf-Style swordsmanship at all!"
Sasuke couldn't hold back the snark—but his hands didn't slow.
"Leaf-Style: Willow!"
Naruto's body froze in place.
A second later, a tail whipped across him, snapping the genjutsu and freeing him.
And right on cue, the Sword of the Thunder God came slicing in.
Fortunately, Naruto wasn't fighting alone.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
One of his clones clapped his hands, and a blast of wind wrapped around Naruto.
Naruto's speed shot up, and he barely dodged the Sword of the Thunder God.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke, seeing this, spat out a massive fireball.
Heat washed over the field.
Naruto quickly hurled Samehada.
The giant blade smashed into the fireball, blowing it apart, then lunged at Sasuke with jaws wide.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
Naruto clapped his hands again.
The gale wrapped around Samehada, boosting its power and speed.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
He thrust the Sword of the Thunder God straight into Samehada.
An invisible force traveled back along the blade.
Sasuke had anticipated that and used the recoil to leap into the air.
He quickly scanned the battlefield.
Jugo looked like he was barely hanging on under Kimimaro's assault.
Sakura, on the other hand, had the upper hand against Rock Lee.
The situation was almost the exact opposite of the plan he'd set earlier.
But that was reality—anything could happen, and plans never quite kept up with changes.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Shuriken!"
Seeing Sasuke suspended in midair, Naruto and his clones unleashed a storm of shuriken.
In an instant, they sealed off every possible route of escape.
"Lightning Style: Chidori Blade!"
Sasuke calmly used a new variant of Chidori.
This wasn't something Kitazawa had taught him—it was an adaptation Kakashi had made while teaching him the Hatake Sword Style.
It synced perfectly with that swordsmanship.
Brilliant lightning ran down the Sword of the Thunder God.
Sasuke swung a crescent arc of sword-light.
Shuriken snapped in half left and right, opening a gap.
Sasuke flashed through the opening and drove straight at Naruto.
Once Chidori was channeled into the blade, it became truly unstoppable—it could cut through steel like paper.
In the original timeline, Sasuke had used Chidori Blade to slice apart Yamato's kunai and stab straight through him.
"Amazing…"
Naruto didn't dare block it head-on. He grabbed Samehada and raised it to parry.
Clang!
The Sword of the Thunder God bit into Samehada's scales but couldn't cut any deeper.
Sasuke frowned and had to retreat.
Naruto was just about to push forward when he felt a powerful gust.
Both he and Sasuke turned instinctively.
"Leaf Dragon God!"
Rock Lee took a deep breath and spread his arms.
Chakra exploded out of him like wild flame as he spun.
A raging green tornado formed around him, shaping itself into a massive dragon.
Sakura's breath hitched.
Facing Leaf Dragon God head-on for the first time filled her with intense pressure.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
She quickly formed seals.
Water swirled around her, rising in a spiral—but before it could become a solid wall, the green dragon smashed through it.
Seeing that, Sakura bolted.
Sasuke's grip tightened on the Sword of the Thunder God.
He wanted to rush to help, but he knew he couldn't break away.
Naruto and his clones would never let him.
In fact, he was already at a disadvantage—rushing in to help would just put him in danger.
Thankfully, they still had one teammate in a strong position.
"Sakura!"
Kimimaro gave up on Jugo without hesitation. "I'll handle him!"
"Okay!"
Sakura formed seals again.
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
She spat a stream straight at Jugo.
"Earth Curse Mark: Second Level!"
Kimimaro charged straight at Rock Lee.
His body underwent another shocking transformation.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch!"
He bent forward slightly, and dozens of bones erupted from all over his body.
He raised his arms to cover his head, then leaped.
Kimimaro hurled himself into the huge green dragon.
"What?!"
Jugo and Naruto both stared, stunned.
Only Sasuke and Sakura understood why Kimimaro was doing this.
A teeth-grinding sound filled the air.
The outside of the dragon created by Leaf Dragon God was ringed with razor-sharp blades of Wind Style chakra.
But Kimimaro's bones were just as unbreakable.
To make matters worse, Lee's arm injuries had weakened the technique.
Kimimaro punched straight through the green dragon's body.
The wild blades vanished.
Inside the dragon was the eye of the storm—completely calm.
Kimimaro dropped down, arms sweeping, and struck Rock Lee as he spun.
Leaf Dragon God broke. The green dragon vanished.
Lee blacked out on the spot.
Kitazawa immediately appeared to treat him.
Kimimaro stood there, panting hard.
He'd beaten Lee, but he'd taken damage too.
When he forced his way through the dragon, the vibrations traveled through his bones into his body, leaving him numb all over.
"Naruto, looks like my teammate is stronger than yours."
Sasuke smiled as Kimimaro won.
"I'll inherit Lee's youth for him!"
Naruto shouted, "Leaf Dragon God!"
Terrifying chakra roared out from him like a raging inferno.
He started to spin.
A green dragon three times the size of Lee's soared into the sky.
Trees, grass, and flowers all around were shredded to powder by the spinning blades.
Sasuke's expression stiffened.
He leaped and slashed with the Sword of the Thunder God.
Lightning formed a blade of light that slammed into the green dragon—but it didn't help. The lightning couldn't penetrate those vicious blades.
Sasuke frowned.
Naruto's Leaf Dragon God was clearly far more terrifying than Lee's.
"Lightning Style: Twin Chidori!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth and charged in.
He'd been pacing himself against Naruto all this time, conserving chakra.
But now he had no choice but to go all out.
Still, as long as he could crack Leaf Dragon God like Kimimaro had, then beat Naruto afterward, it would all be worth it.
He plunged both arms into the dragon.
The spinning blades of chakra suddenly halted, creating a gap.
Sasuke flashed inside.
In midair, he drew the Sword of the Thunder God without hesitation and slashed at the still-spinning Naruto.
Lightning engulfed Naruto completely.
The massive green dragon vanished.
Kimimaro and Sakura both instinctively turned to look at Sasuke and Naruto.
As for Jugo, he'd already been taken down.
Once Kimimaro joined in, Jugo was forced to fight two-on-one and couldn't hold out for long.
On top of that, his Curse Mark had reached its limit and was automatically sealed away by the improved Eightfold Earth Curse Seal Kitazawa had placed on him.
"We won!"
Sakura shouted, elated.
Naruto lay on the ground, screaming as lightning wracked his body.
Sasuke, on the other hand, stood unharmed.
Kimimaro couldn't help feeling excited too—they'd finally secured first place.
"Naruto, you lost."
Sasuke raised the Sword of the Thunder God.
"Leaf Rising Wind!"
Right then, a Naruto clone kicked at him.
The other clones all rushed in at the same time.
"Such a pain…"
Sasuke frowned.
Leaf Dragon God was indiscriminate.
When Naruto used it earlier, all his clones had scattered.
Now, seeing the original about to go down, they rushed over to save him.
Normally, once the original died or lost consciousness, the clones would disappear.
But Naruto was still awake.
Anyone else would've passed out long ago under that much lightning.
Sasuke didn't have time to dwell on it.
He dodged the Leaf Rising Wind, twisted his wrist, and flung the Sword of the Thunder God.
One clone jumped in front of Naruto and was skewered instantly.
The sword didn't slow down and was about to strike Naruto when—
Clang!
Samehada jumped in front of its master on its own, blocking the Sword of the Thunder God.
Sasuke was beyond annoyed.
The Sword of the Thunder God was the personal blade of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Why wasn't his sword this smart?
That brief delay was enough for Naruto to be dragged away by his clones.
The lightning on his body dissipated.
Naruto stood up again.
Sasuke's mouth twitched.
Are you even human?!
"Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura sprinted over.
Kimimaro followed right behind her.
Sasuke let out a slow breath.
He hadn't managed to defeat Naruto, but he had taken down Lee and Jugo.
Now it was three-on-one—their team's odds were excellent.
Except… as he looked at Naruto's swarm of clones, Sasuke didn't feel like they had a numbers advantage at all.
Just then, a series of pops sounded.
Naruto's clones began to disappear, one after another.
"What's going on?"
Sasuke blinked.
"Is he running out of chakra?"
Sakura's eyes lit up. "Looks like we really did win this time!"
"You—"
Sasuke didn't have time to stop her before she finished speaking.
The clones' disappearance actually paused for a moment—and then stopped with eighteen Narutos left: seventeen clones and the original.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto stuck out his thumb, teeth flashing. "As expected of my rival for life—you've got my blood pumping!"
"Your teammates are all down. Just admit defeat."
Sasuke said evenly.
"I've still got one more taijutsu technique."
Naruto grinned. "I call it Youthful Eighteen Dragons!"
"…Huh?"
Sasuke looked blank.
"What kind of taijutsu is that? I've never heard of it."
Sakura voiced the exact thought in Sasuke's head.
"Youthful Eighteen Dragons!"
Naruto and all his clones shouted in unison—and then started spinning.
Eighteen green dragons roared into the sky.
The wind howled. The trees in the Forest of Death suffered once again.
Last time they'd just been blown down. This time they were chopped to bits.
"…"
Sasuke, Sakura, and Kimimaro all stared, completely stunned.
How were they supposed to fight eighteen Leaf Dragon Gods?
Up on the wooden dragon viewing platform—
"Don't you think this is a bit… bullying?"
Kurenai stared, wide-eyed.
"Yeah… kinda."
Kakashi agreed wholeheartedly.
"Was this another idea of Kitazawa's?"
Tsunade finally snapped out of it and asked.
Kitazawa wasn't on the platform, so Chen Baojun answered for him.
"Yeah."
Chen watched the eighteen green dragons swirling below and felt like this wasn't his Leaf Dragon God anymore.
"Simple, crude, and effective."
Hiruzen stroked his beard.
He was wondering—if Naruto ever learned his Five Release Great Combo Technique, how horrifying would that be?
Unfortunately, he couldn't learn it just yet.
"Looks like we have our winner."
Tsunade stood up.
Even for her, dealing with eighteen of those dragons would be a massive headache.
Let alone three already exhausted students.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 100 Chapters Ahead of Others!