"What did you just say? Haruki is going to spar with Minato tomorrow?"
Tsunade, seated in her chair, fixed her gaze on Nawaki as she asked the question.
"Yeah, sis! Minato's totally going to beat that Haruki into the ground!" Nawaki replied excitedly.
"Hey! Watch it, sis!" he yelped when Tsunade's hand accidentally brushed against his swollen cheek.
Tsunade sighed. Her younger brother was always like this—too naive and playful for his own good. Even at fifteen, he still acted like a kid.
While using her medical ninjutsu to reduce the swelling on his face, Tsunade chided, "You! Always messing around the moment you show up, and look—you end up injured! Honestly, Haruki's the same, insisting on sparring with you."
"It was me who asked him for a spar," Nawaki admitted. "He's got a lot of strength… reminds me of you, sis."
"He's also a descendant of the Senju clan," Tsunade explained. "He carries the same blood as we do. You should treat Haruki like a younger brother from now on."
"Mm! I wouldn't mind making him my little brother. Oh—sis, how's your illness now?" Nawaki asked.
"Pretty much recovered. I've rested long enough—it's about time I was discharged! I'm planning to have a good discussion with Haruki about medical techniques." Tsunade's eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
"Alright! Then let's go together tomorrow to watch Haruki and Minato's match," Nawaki suggested.
"Sure. I've been wanting to see Haruki's true strength anyway." Tsunade smiled, though inwardly she was thinking: Jiraiya, just you wait—watch my beloved student defeat your disciple. Hahaha!
Somehow, word of the upcoming spar between Haruki and Minato spread throughout the Konoha encampment. Haruki guessed it was probably Nawaki who leaked it. Now, all the Konoha shinobi seemed eager to see the match.
On one side was Jiraiya's pupil, the rare genius of a decade—Namikaze Minato.
On the other was Tsunade's pupil, the prodigy who became a Chūnin at the age of five—Hinata Haruki.
A match between two geniuses, both disciples of the Legendary Sannin, was bound to draw attention.
The next morning, many shinobi gathered early at Haruki's usual training ground, waiting for the spectacle to begin. Before long, the area was packed. People chatted idly, making the atmosphere noisy and lively. The training logs Haruki normally used had already been pulled up—by him and his shadow clones—and stacked far away.
When Haruki arrived, he was startled. It's just a spar, and this many people showed up?
Minato and Nawaki, arriving shortly after, also paused in surprise.
"Why's there such a big crowd?" Minato asked.
Nawaki flushed red and avoided Minato's gaze.
"Haruki! Minato!"
Shikaku, Inoichi, Chōza, Shibi, and Mizuki spotted them and quickly came over.
Shikaku already knew Minato fairly well, and they got along decently.
"Minato, don't underestimate Haruki—this kid's crafty," Shikaku teased.
"I won't. I know Haruki's strong," Minato replied seriously with a nod.
"Haruki, be careful out there," Mizuki added with concern.
"It's fine, Mizuki-nee. Just a spar," Haruki said with a calm, confident smile.
At that moment, Tsunade arrived. She had just been discharged from the hospital today and was back to her energetic, commanding self.
Kato Dan was also there, seated in a wheelchair as Tsunade pushed him forward.
To everyone's surprise, Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, showed up as well. The surrounding shinobi quickly made way, greeting the newcomers respectfully.
"Haruki, Minato—you're both here," Tsunade called out with a wave.
"Sensei, Dan-sensei, Lord Sakumo—what brings you here?"
"Lady Tsunade! Lord Sakumo! Senior Kato Dan!" The two boys bowed in greeting.
Dan gave a gentle smile, though his face still showed traces of illness. "I've been cooped up in bed so long I'm practically rusting. I came out for some fresh air… and to see the two of you spar. Do your best, both of you! Haruki, let me see how much you've improved."
Sakumo, ever relaxed, added, "I'm also curious to see the strength of my comrades' students. Fight seriously."
"Mm, I will," Minato said with a nod.
"Heh, just watch," Haruki replied with quiet confidence.
Tsunade cut in, "Hmph, I came here just to watch this fight—let's get started already! Show your full strength, both of you."
Then she leaned in close to Haruki, whispering, "Hey, Haruki, you must win today. I placed a big bet on you. Since you're younger, the bookies tilted the odds in your favor—so even a draw counts as your win."
"But even so, more people bet on Minato. The odds are two-to-one for Minato, and six-to-one for you. Give it your all, okay? Win this for your sensei—and to shut that smug Jiraiya up!"
Haruki froze, giving a helpless smile. Great… Sensei's gambling itch again. But really, Sensei? You can't just dump this on me! You're the 'Legendary Sucker' who loses every bet! Betting on me to win—are you trying to curse me?!
"How much did you put down, Sensei?" Haruki asked cautiously.
"Oh, not much—just two million ryō," Tsunade said with a casual wave.
"Two million?!" Haruki's head spun. Only Tsunade, granddaughter of the First Hokage, could gamble on such a scale. The title of "Legendary Sucker" was well-earned.
Haruki grinned slyly. "Heh, Sensei, place one for me too. I've only got seventy thousand ryō—it's everything I own—but I'm betting all of it on myself!" He handed her his coin purse, the sum of all his mission earnings to date.
"Alright! But you'd better win, or that's all gone," Tsunade laughed, giving him a thumbs-up before wheeling Dan toward the betting stalls. Sakumo followed, and they all found a good viewing spot at the edge of the crowd.
"Add seventy thousand more on Hinata Haruki," Tsunade told the bookies, handing over the coins.
"Lady Tsunade, you're already in for two million—are you sure? Minato's quite a bit older than him. He's only seven—how strong can he be?" one guard remarked.
"Lady Tsunade, maybe put some on Minato too?" the bookmaker suggested.
Dan, watching from his wheelchair, spoke up, "I'll put thirty thousand on Haruki to win."
Everyone stared at him in surprise.
"Heh, I believe in my student," Dan said with a smile.
"And I believe in mine!" Tsunade declared loudly. She and Dan exchanged a confident glance, their eyes full of trust.
Was Haruki confident? Yes. Otherwise, he wouldn't have put his own savings on himself. He didn't know if he could outright defeat Minato, but he was sure he wouldn't lose.
After all, Minato was still only a thirteen-year-old Chūnin—not the future Fourth Hokage in his twenties. No Flying Thunder God technique, no Rasengan, no Sage Mode, and no advanced sealing jutsu yet.
Haruki knew Minato's chakra nature was Wind, Fire, and Lightning. Based on yesterday's Byakugan scan, Haruki estimated that Minato currently excelled in Wind Release, with some skill in Fire and Lightning Release. Judging from his chakra reserves, physique, and overall ability, Haruki placed Minato's level at somewhere between elite Chūnin and low-tier Jōnin—making a draw very possible.
The two stepped into the center of the field. The noisy crowd instantly quieted. Then someone started cheering, and in seconds, the whole place erupted with shouts:
"Go, kid! Show us a great fight!"
"Give us a real battle!"
"Let's see who the real genius is!"
"Haruki, you can't lose!"
"I'm rooting for you!"
"Minato, I bet on you—if you lose, I'm eating porridge all month!"
"Haruki, a draw's enough!"
The roaring crowd reminded Haruki of staying up late drinking beer with coworkers to watch the World Cup. He could feel his own blood heating up.
"Minato, let's give them a real match!" Haruki called, adrenaline surging.
"Yeah, Haruki," Minato replied, his eyes sharp with fighting spirit.
On the sidelines, Tsunade wheeled Dan to a prime viewing spot. Sakumo stood nearby, and Nawaki scampered after his sister.
Let's see what you've got, Nawaki thought, eyes glued to the two in the ring.
"Lord Sakumo, who do you think will win?" Dan asked curiously.
Sakumo considered. "I know Minato's strength well. I haven't seen Haruki fight much, but given his age, I'd say Minato has the edge. My bet's on him."
"Heh, just watch. My student isn't like any normal kid," Tsunade said with a confident smile.
"I'm looking forward to it," Sakumo replied. He, too, was curious.
The Ino–Shika–Chō trio focused intently—Shibi remained calm, Inoichi looked excited, Chōza chomped through chips to ease his nerves, Shikaku kept glancing around, and Mizuki bit her lip in worry.
A Jōnin stepped into the arena, positioning himself between the two combatants. "This is a friendly spar—stop before causing serious harm. No killing blows, and keep your strikes controlled."
"Understood." "Got it."
Both boys nodded, facing each other. They raised their hands into the Seal of Confrontation, a formal sign of respect.
"Then—begin!!" the Jōnin barked.