They waited for their opponent inside the Weasel Tank.
To their surprise, Uzumaki Ashina, acting as the referee, walked over to face the tank.
"As the referee, this is no fun at all. Let me experience the tank's power for myself."
Uzumaki Shori was stunned. He hadn't expected his father to step in personally.
Let me test its defensive capabilities first. He took out a shuriken, ran quickly around the tank, and flung it as he went, then formed Hand Seals.
"Multi-Shadow Clone Shuriken Technique!"
Countless shuriken sliced through the air, most of them striking their target.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
But the shuriken left no mark on the tank.
Every shuriken was blocked by the tank's steel exterior. Its defenses—
were on full display.
Inside the tank, Uzumaki Shori smiled. How could shuriken possibly penetrate such thick armor?
The frontal armor was 215 millimeters thick, and the side armor was 180 millimeters thick.
Even the rear armor was 100 millimeters thick.
If he tried to chop through it with a shuriken, it was hard to say whether the armor would break or the shuriken would snap first.
"Tsunade, fire the Kunai Machine Gun! Give him a good going-over!"
Uzumaki Shori drove the tank around the arena at full speed.
Tsunade picked up a belt of kunai.
The machine-gun kunai were specially made: smaller and longer than usual, so they could be fitted directly into the gun.
Chakra Threads from the Puppet Technique controlled the barrel.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!"
Five kunai per second.
Uzumaki Ashina was still moving quickly, but the machine gun fired kunai several times faster than he could.
In the blink of an eye, the kunai were right in front of him.
"Substitution Technique!"
A piece of wood appeared where he had been.
The machine-gun kunai—
"Rat-a-tat-tat!"
—pierced straight through the wood and embedded themselves in the ground.
Afterward, he formed Hand Seals.
Uzumaki Ashina reappeared some distance away, breaking into a cold sweat.
The kunai fired by the Kunai Machine Gun were unbelievably fast.
Let's see if you can defend against a ninjutsu! He formed Hand Seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
He gathered chakra in his throat, then sent a huge fireball flying toward the tank.
Uzumaki Shori saw the huge fireball approaching but didn't try to dodge. Instead, he turned to Tsunade and said,
"Now I'll show you the tank's defenses against ninjutsu. A little Fireball Jutsu is nothing to worry about."
Tsunade gazed at Uzumaki Shori with admiration.
"Boom!"
The Fireball Jutsu struck the Weasel Tank directly, and flames burst in every direction.
The spectators nearby hurried to voice their opinions.
"Getting hit directly by Fire Style is bound to cause problems with its movement."
"Exactly. How could a mere tool take the place of a ninja?"
The Weasel Tank finally emerged from the flames. Its exterior was untouched except for the spot that had been hit directly, which had turned slightly red from the heat.
Those who had just been voicing their opinions fell silent.
Uzumaki Ashina was also astonished by the tank's defensive capabilities. It had taken a direct hit, yet suffered no damage at all.
Meanwhile, inside the tank, Tsunade was sweating profusely as the temperature rose rapidly. She punched Uzumaki Shori beside her.
"You said the Weasel Tank's defenses meant a little Fireball Jutsu was nothing to worry about, but we're going to roast in here!"
Uzumaki Shori could only nod in agreement.
Fortunately, the two inside the Weasel Tank were powerful ninjas.
If they'd been ordinary people, they would have been in trouble by now.
It seemed the Weasel Tank still had plenty of room for improvement.
Uzumaki Ashina muttered to himself that he would need a stronger ninjutsu. The tank's armor was just too tough. He formed Hand Seals.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
He gathered a great deal of chakra and breathed out a massive dragon of fire, which surged toward the Weasel Tank.
Tsunade saw another Fire Style attack coming and shouted angrily,
"Uzumaki Shori, another Fire Style attack! It's even stronger than the last one. We're going to get cooked!"
Uzumaki Shori hurriedly jumped away from the driver's seat and squeezed in beside Tsunade. Chakra Threads connected directly to the Tank Cannon on top.
Controlled by the threads, the lever loaded a shell into the barrel and aimed it at the oncoming Great Dragon Fire Technique. He shouted,
"Fire!"
"Boom!"
A deafening blast rang out as a shell shot from the barrel.
Uzumaki Ashina saw a flash of fire from the tank and a shell shoot out, but could only make out its shape vaguely.
The shell collided with the Great Dragon Fire Technique.
"Boom!"
A blinding flash burst out, and the explosion's flames scattered across the scene.
The Great Dragon Fire Technique was completely extinguished.
Uzumaki Shori nodded with satisfaction at the power of the Tank Cannon.
He continued operating it, turning the cannon toward an empty area.
He fired one shell every twenty seconds, launching four in succession.
The large trees ahead were hit one after another by the shells.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
The explosions echoed across the entire training ground.
Everyone present stared in astonishment. It could fire repeatedly at such a rapid pace!
As the smoke from the explosions gradually cleared, Uzumaki Ashina stared at the craters blasted into the ground. This ninja tool was unbelievable. Its offensive and defensive capabilities were both outstanding.
Uzumaki Shori opened the tank hatch, propped himself up with one arm, and jumped out. Then he turned and helped Tsunade out.
As soon as Tsunade climbed out, she gulped in the air. It had been far too hot inside the tank.
Uzumaki Shori walked over to his father and asked,
"Father, what do you think of my new invention?"
Before Uzumaki Shori could finish speaking, Uzumaki Ashina interrupted him.
"You're right. Your new invention really is impressive. But you said this Weasel Tank was meant for ordinary people to use."
As he spoke, Uzumaki Ashina pointed behind him at Forest Genin.
It turned out Forest Genin had already brought over three strong ordinary people.
Uzumaki Shori understood at once, turned around, and said,
"I have a task for you. Take these three pairs of Chakra Gloves and get in the Weasel Tank. I'll teach you how to operate it."
The three clan members were brought before the Second Uzukage. They looked a little nervous, but were delighted to receive an assignment from the Uzukage. They stepped forward and took the gloves.
"Second Uzukage, rest assured. We'll do our best to complete the task."
Uzumaki Shori led the three clan members over to the Weasel Tank and said,
"Go on in. Your task today is to drive this Weasel Tank."
The three clan members climbed inside one after another. Uzumaki Shori sat on the tank and leaned over the hatch to give them instructions.
"Put on the gloves and press the red buttons. Chakra will flow into your hands, and you can use Chakra Threads to operate the tank."
The three clan members nervously followed the Uzukage's instructions.
The crowd watched the Weasel Tank anxiously. This time, ordinary people without chakra were operating it.
Could the Weasel Tank become a strategic weapon for the Land of Whirlpools?
At that very moment.
Before you continue