All Out

Satoru, Shikaku, and Inoichi found themselves utterly unable to comment on Choza's resolve.

Forget the whole hot-blooded thing—Satoru only wanted to improve his chances of survival.

After the four of them had been chatting here for so long, Nawaki, who had been practicing ninjutsu, naturally noticed them as well.

"Hey! Hello, everyone!"

Putting away the shuriken he had thrown at the tree, Nawaki walked toward Satoru and the others.

"Isn't this the Mad Squad? This is the first time I've seen you outside school!"

"Huh?"

Satoru looked completely baffled.

"Mad Squad? Is that some kind of title?"

Shikaku gave an awkward laugh and stepped forward.

"Hello, Nawaki. Satoru probably doesn't know about the nickname people gave us..."

Behind him, Choza and Inoichi quietly explained it to Satoru.

"Because we train with Big Brother Dai, and after becoming famous in one battle, Big Brother Dai got called 'Mad Dai'... So anyone who has seen us train calls us the 'Mad Squad'!"

"You always hole up in your house after training and never come out. The rest of us all know about it!"

"...What an awful name!"

Just as Satoru finished complaining, Nawaki had already bounded over and enthusiastically extended a hand to him.

"Haha! I heard Advisor developed lots of interesting techniques. So, Satoru, how many have you learned?"

"Um... all of them, I guess..."

Satoru scratched his head, unused to Nawaki's enthusiasm. He regretted the words the instant they left his mouth.

"Actually, it's not that—"

"Wow! That's amazing!"

Nawaki's eyes widened excitedly. Among those new techniques, he had learned that some were as difficult as C-rank techniques—techniques one only learned after becoming a chunin!

This boy, who was even two years younger than him, really was a genius!

"I see!"

Nawaki gave Satoru a thumbs-up and solemnly declared.

"You must be my greatest rival on my path to becoming Hokage!"

"..."

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Satoru and the other three stared at Nawaki's thumb with complicated expressions. Did all hot-blooded people like that gesture?

"No, no, no... Hokage and all that..."

Just as Satoru awkwardly opened his mouth, Nawaki became excited again.

"Haha! Then, Satoru, let's have a friendly match!"

"Even though you're three years younger than me, a genius like you must possess strength far beyond your age!"

"No, actually..."

"I wouldn't misjudge someone! Satoru, working this hard on a day off, and all of you too—you must have gained strength equal to that effort!"

Nawaki's gaze shifted to Choza, Shikaku, and Inoichi. The three of them swallowed in perfect unison.

"But today, I want to see the new techniques developed by Advisor Mitokado, so I'm sorry, but my challenge to the three of you may have to wait!"

"No, no, no... Please go ahead and challenge Satoru, Nawaki. We're fine with it..."

The three spoke in unison, swiftly retreating from Satoru and Nawaki at the same time.

"Satoru! We're counting on you! We'll cheer for you!"

"Oh, come on..."

Black lines filled Satoru's face as he watched those traitors abandon him and run away. He still tried to escape Nawaki's pestering.

"Um... how about we forget the fighting? Want some soda instead?"

"..."

Nawaki blankly accepted the cup Satoru handed him. Watching it fill up on its own, he could not resist taking a sip.

"Wow! This is delicious! How incredible!"

"Is this one of those techniques too?"

"That's right, Water Creation Technique. You've experienced a new technique now, right? So about that fight—"

"I'm even more looking forward to fighting you now!"

Nawaki grew even more excited. This was the first time he had witnessed a new ninjutsu said to have been developed by the high-level advisor, Mitokado Homura.

According to Advisor, these techniques required some special secret techniques, and currently, only his son, Mitokado Satoru, had learned them.

Of course, Nawaki only knew such things because of his special status.

"Satoru, come on! Let me see how great the gap between me and a genius really is!"

Looking at Nawaki, who had inexplicably decided he was a genius, Satoru helplessly shrugged.

"Fine... But Nawaki, once the fight starts, I won't hold back."

Satoru had figured it out too. Unless they fought, Nawaki did not seem likely to let this go.

And given Nawaki's status, the trouble would only increase.

He might as well crush him outright. Maybe then Nawaki would stop pestering him afterward.

And if he established an image of someone who did not hold back, there should be far fewer people coming to make trouble for him.

"Of course! In battle, you have to go all out!"

Nawaki nodded solemnly.

"Go ahead and give it everything you have. My sister Tsunade is the finest medical jōnin around right now. Even if we're seriously injured, she'll heal us!"

"For free!"

"..."

Satoru took a deep breath. The two widened the distance between them, while Inoichi, whose observation skills were the sharpest, stepped up to serve as referee.

Forming the Seal of Confrontation taught at the academy, Nawaki and Satoru quickly entered combat stance.

"Begin!"

Whoosh!

Satoru and Nawaki vanished from where they stood in an instant, but Satoru was clearly faster with the Body Flicker Technique!

The improved Scorching Swiftness greatly enhanced both his sustained speed and explosive bursts of speed.

"Nice!"

The two clashed at close range. Nawaki held a kunai, but Satoru was empty-handed!

"You—"

Nawaki jolted in surprise, only to feel a wave of chill rise from below.

Leaf Whirlwind!

Another Satoru appeared directly beneath Nawaki. Using the Clone Technique to lure his enemy in, Satoru unleashed the kicking technique of the Strong Fist taijutsu personally taught by Dai!

Bang!

The struck Nawaki burst into smoke. That had been a clone too!

"I got careless!"

Suspended in midair, Satoru silently recited an incantation. Three crimson fireballs appeared around him!

Flame Shield!

"Wow! It's so hot!"

Nawaki's cry rang out. A kunai had already closed in on Satoru, only to be forced back by the scorching fireballs.

Bang!

But then Nawaki's shrieking figure was replaced by a wooden log, which was scorched black over a large area by the fireballs!

"The Substitution Technique!"

Satoru raised his brows, growing excited.

Nawaki's fundamentals were extremely solid. With his greater experience from combat drills, he really was a much better opponent than the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

The two landed and began forming hand seals at the same time.

Nawaki was using a C-rank Water Release technique, but Satoru's hand seals were merely a feint. In truth, he silently chanted an incantation.

Polymorph: Sheep!

"Water Release: Water Chaotic... Baa!!"

"..."

The scene became intensely awkward for a moment.

Choza stared at the sheep dazedly turning in circles on the spot, a chill running down his spine as he complained fiercely.

"Why was such an evil technique even developed?!"

"You haven't experienced it before, have you..."

Shikaku keenly noticed Choza's strange behavior. The moment he spoke, Choza's face turned bright red.

"I... I was the first one to experience that technique!"

"...You seem pretty proud of that!"

As the referee, Inoichi rubbed his eyes.

"So this is the modified version of the Transformation Technique—Deformation Technique! No wonder Satoru never uses it normally..."

"It's incredibly humiliating!"

Flames ignited in Satoru's hands. A smile that seemed downright evil to Nawaki appeared on his face, because...

Before him, a fireball the size of a basketball was taking shape—and growing larger!

"Feel the art!"

Pyroblast!

Boom—!

Aah!!!