Orochimaru's Vessel

Jirobo swore to himself that this time, he would use his full strength to knock the brat before him to the ground in a single blow!

That way, when the four of them returned to receive their rewards, Lord Orochimaru would surely know that it was he who had defeated Takizawa Dan, and he would naturally be credited with the greatest achievement!

He would no longer be that pathetic, useless fat man who was looked down upon and treated like a mere mascot.

Of course, given Jirobo's dim-witted nature, he naturally failed to realize that the reason his three companions hadn't moved to take the opportunity to deal with Takizawa Dan was simply because they felt such a lopsided battle was beneath them and weren't even interested in participating.

To use an analogy, it was like a middle schooler who wouldn't bother fighting a primary schooler, yet the weakest middle schooler was so excited and smug about getting the chance to do so!

It had to be said, the situation was truly a bit pathetic.

But regardless, it was true that Jirobo had secured the chance to fight Takizawa Dan one-on-one. If he could play his cards right, it might actually be a golden opportunity for him!

Takizawa Dan watched Jirobo staring at him with a face full of excitement and couldn't help but find it amusing.

Familiar with the plot of Naruto and seeing the current scene, how could he not guess what Jirobo was thinking?

"Brat, you'd better choose to surrender now, or I'll make you suffer immensely!"

Jirobo bared his teeth and spoke viciously.

Although he said that, he was secretly hoping Takizawa Dan would refuse; otherwise, he wouldn't have a chance to show off.

"You intend to use me to establish your authority? The idea is decent, but unfortunately, your strength isn't enough to take me down."

Takizawa Dan shook his head and said with a playful tone.

"You arrogant brat! You'll regret this immediately!"

Jirobo was overjoyed and kicked off the ground.

With that kick, he actually gouged a deep pit into the earth, and his entire body shot toward Takizawa Dan like a cannonball!

Seeing this, Takizawa Dan's heart tightened.

Although Jirobo was said to be the weakest of the Sound Four, that was only relative to the other three.

His actual strength was not to be underestimated; I fear that anyone from the Chunin Exams, even Neji or Sasuke, might not necessarily win if they fought him in a real, no-holds-barred battle!

This was destined to be no easy fight!

However...

A smile curled on Takizawa Dan's lips. This was a contest of pure strength.

Jirobo was likely too eager for success, or perhaps too arrogant and dismissive, as he hadn't performed a single hand seal or used any taijutsu, simply charging in to fight him head-on.

If one had to say, he was relying entirely on his own brute force!

If that was the case, it was the perfect opportunity to test the power-generating techniques he had learned from Tsunade!

Thinking of this, Takizawa Dan didn't retreat; instead, he charged straight toward Jirobo!

"Huh? This brat has some nerve! He's actually going head-to-head with Jirobo?"

Kidomaru couldn't help but exclaim in surprise after seeing Takizawa Dan's move.

"Hmph, what a fool. I thought he was quite clever, but he chose the stupidest way to fight. It seems we really don't need to intervene; Jirobo can handle him alone!"

Tayuya watched the scene, sneering and shaking her head repeatedly.

Among the four of them, Jirobo was the only power-type ninja, and his brute strength was terrifying. If one didn't count the amplification of chakra and ninjutsu, the other three were actually no match for Jirobo.

In the realm of close-quarters combat, Jirobo was indeed the strongest.

This kind of pure strength contest might seem brainless, but it was actually the most suitable way for Jirobo to fight. As long as an opponent underestimated him and tried to meet him on his own terms, they would suffer a crushing defeat!

This was called attacking the enemy's strength with one's own weakness!

This Takizawa Dan was bound to lose today!

Meanwhile, in the heat of the battle, Jirobo saw that Takizawa Dan hadn't retreated but was instead gathering his strength to meet him head-on, and a flash of astonishment crossed his eyes.

In his imagination, the opponent would surely resort to dodging and maneuvering against someone of his weight class, and Jirobo naturally had a backup plan for that.

But he hadn't expected this brat to act like a hot-headed fool and charge straight at him.

"Hahaha, good, brat! For the sake of your courage, I, Jirobo, will use every ounce of my strength to defeat you!"

A fanatical glint of battle surged in Jirobo's eyes, and his already bulky frame expanded a size further as his muscles tensed!

He was getting serious!

The moment their fists collided.

Takizawa Dan was done for; everyone present, including Jirobo, thought so.

However...

What happened next made everyone widen their eyes in shock.

"This... how is this possible..."

Kidomaru's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

While Tayuya and Sakon and Ukon didn't react as violently as Kidomaru, they were equally stunned and filled with disbelief.

In the center of the field, Takizawa Dan's fist had indeed collided with Jirobo's, but neither of them had moved an inch!

All their strength was concentrated in their fists. The two men pushed their fists against each other with all their might, yet neither could advance even an inch!

"You... actually... have strength equal to mine?"

Jirobo was shocked. To him, Takizawa Dan felt like a wall of solid bronze; he simply could not break through!

Even though he had used every ounce of his strength, it was completely useless.

"Heh... there are many things in this world you don't know... you are just too ignorant."

Takizawa Dan shook his head mockingly.

He had originally intended to use eighty percent of his muscular strength, but the moment their fists made contact, he realized Jirobo's strike wasn't as heavy as he had expected, so he had only used fifty percent.

And that alone was enough to go head-to-head with Jirobo!

"Jirobo, you pig! Hurry up and use your strength to defeat him! What is all that fat on your body for? Are you planning on throwing the fight?"

Watching Jirobo's disgraceful display in the arena, Tayuya shouted in a rage.

If Jirobo failed to land a hit, it wouldn't just be his own face he lost, but the reputation of the Sound Four as well!

For someone as vain as Tayuya, this was absolutely intolerable.

"Tayuya, I... I..."

Jirobo broke into a cold sweat, wanting to say something but having no idea how to explain.

"Heh, it seems you still don't have a clear understanding of your own strength. In that case, I'll help you out—take a good look!"

Takizawa Dan smiled slightly at everyone present.

Then, he suddenly exerted force through his arm!

Eighty percent of his muscular strength!

BOOM!

Jirobo's obese body was sent flying like a cannonball! He tumbled backward through the forest for dozens of meters, snapping over a dozen trees before finally coming to a halt!

Amidst the rising dust, Jirobo lay on the ground, covered in wounds and with his life hanging in the balance!

The entire scene fell silent!