Kitazawa and his group returned home.
It was Kurenai's home, not Tsunade's place next door. That was because Shizune and Rina Uzumaki wouldn't be coming home for lunch.
Both of them were now considered high-level officials of Konoha Village and ate at the Hokage Building during work hours.
Karin also rarely came home at noon. She either ate at the Ninja Academy with Ino and the others or went to find Rina Uzumaki to eat with her.
In other words, Tsunade's house was empty right now, so there was no need to go back there.
"You guys chat, I'm going to the kitchen."
After greeting them, Kitazawa headed straight for the kitchen. After all, Tsunade had specifically asked him to cook.
Tsunade took off her shoes and, after entering the living room, sat down casually on the sofa.
She was far too familiar with Kitazawa and Kurenai to worry about her image.
"Lady Tsunade, what would you like to drink?" Kurenai stopped in front of the coffee table and asked.
"It's time for a meal, so naturally, I'll have alcohol," Tsunade replied subconsciously.
"Lady Tsunade, there's still the team battle this afternoon." Kurenai hesitated for two seconds before reminding her.
"Fine then, water it is—lest Kitazawa starts lecturing me again." Tsunade waved her hand, painfully giving up on alcohol.
Kurenai was stunned for a moment.
Although she had already seen Kitazawa's attitude toward Tsunade before, she was still surprised. Mainly because, with Tsunade's personality, she actually listened to him.
"Lady Tsunade." Kurenai quickly poured a glass of water.
"Thank you." Tsunade took a sip and said, "It looks the same, but alcohol still tastes better."
"I agree with that," Kurenai replied with a smile.
"If you also liked going to the casino, then our hobbies could be said to be completely identical." Tsunade put down the glass and leaned back lazily on the sofa again.
Kurenai hesitated to speak.
She honestly didn't understand why Tsunade, who lost every time she gambled, could persist in going to the casino every day.
Shouldn't gambling require winning sometimes to keep one motivated?
"Lady Tsunade, what would you like to eat for lunch?" Kurenai changed the subject. "I can tell Kitazawa and have him make it for you."
"I want to eat... I'll go check what's in the fridge." Tsunade sat up as she spoke. "If there's nothing, there's no need to make trouble."
"The fridge is in the kitchen." Kurenai nodded.
Hearing this, Tsunade walked toward the kitchen.
"Tsunade-sensei." Hearing the footsteps, Kitazawa asked without looking up, "Did you come here to supervise me?"
"What dishes are you planning to make?" Tsunade leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed.
"Your favorite." Kitazawa turned to look at her, his eyes lighting up slightly.
Her posture fully outlined her perfect figure, especially those peach-like buttocks.
"Tender chicken?" Tsunade looked a little surprised. "When did you buy it?"
"I bought quite a bit of food and sealed it in a summoning storage scroll for emergencies," Kitazawa replied casually.
"Now that you mention it, I remember—there really was such a thing." A look of realization appeared on Tsunade's face.
"Tsunade-sensei, it's just because it's been too long since you went on missions with me that you forgot this habit of mine."
Kitazawa laughed lightly.
"You make it sound easy. As the Hokage, can I just leave the village whenever I want?" Tsunade curled her lip.
"From that perspective, it really is unreasonable." Kitazawa nodded in agreement.
"How about you cover my shift for a couple of days?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her eyes darting around as she spoke.
"You should go look for Shizune-senpai."
Kitazawa paused, then asked, "Could it be that Shizune-senpai guessed you were going to the casino and rejected you?"
Tsunade was suddenly speechless.
"It seems that's exactly the case." Seeing her expression, Kitazawa couldn't help but laugh.
"She doesn't agree, and you don't agree either?" Seeing his gloating expression, Tsunade asked unhappily.
"I'm too busy." Kitazawa blinked. "Besides, if you go to the casino alone, do you even have money?"
"Of course you'll give me the money!" Tsunade said righteously.
"Then I can't give you too much—unless you take me with you," Kitazawa said earnestly. "Otherwise, you have no sense of restraint when you gamble."
"What did you say?" Tsunade snapped. "Are you the teacher, or am I the teacher? Why are you trying to control more and more?"
"You're the teacher, but I have the money," Kitazawa replied smugly.
Tsunade was so angry her chest hurt, and she stepped forward, stomping on his foot.
"If the food doesn't taste good later, it'll be your fault." Kitazawa glanced sideways and saw her snow-white necklace.
"If it's not good, I'll punch you again!" Tsunade clenched her fist, threateningly.
"And if it's delicious, is there any reward?" Kitazawa's gaze fell on her rosy lips.
"None!" Tsunade stepped back. "Wait until you've performed a great service in the future!"
"Fine then." Kitazawa shook his head and continued cooking.
"I'm going to the living room first." Tsunade bit her lip and turned to leave.
In another place, she might have agreed. But Kurenai was right outside—if she were discovered, there would be no way to explain it.
At noon, exactly twelve o'clock.
Kitazawa brought the food out on time. Tender chicken was the main dish, accompanied by grilled fish, vegetables, and miso soup.
"The team battle is at two in the afternoon." Kitazawa picked up his chopsticks. "Tsunade-sensei, you can go back and take a nap. We'll call you then."
"There's no need to go back, and Shizune and the others aren't there."
Kurenai asked casually, "Lady Tsunade, if you don't mind, why not rest here?"
"Do you have an extra room here?" Tsunade was startled for a moment and asked.
"Yes." Kurenai nodded and said, "Kitazawa and I—"
Halfway through, she suddenly realized something and became a little embarrassed.
But Tsunade already understood. Kurenai and Kitazawa shared a room, so there was an extra empty room.
"No need for the trouble. I'll go back and stay." Tsunade shook her head and said, "Lest you have to organize and clean the room."
"It's no trouble." Kurenai said quickly, "It'll only take a few minutes."
After she finished speaking, she gave Kitazawa a look.
"Since Kurenai said so, then stay." Kitazawa coughed lightly and said, "I'll clean it up; it'll be quick."
Tsunade thought about it for a moment and finally agreed.
The meal was soon over.
"I'll do the dishes." Kurenai stood up and took the initiative. "Kitazawa, go tidy up the room so Lady Tsunade can have a good rest."
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded and said, "Tsunade-sensei, follow me."
Tsunade followed him into a room on the left. She glanced around and found that the room wasn't as dusty as expected; instead, it was very clean.
"Is this your room?" Tsunade glanced at the wardrobe and guessed.
"I lived here before," Kitazawa replied as he changed the bedsheets for her.
"No wonder." Tsunade waited a moment, then stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Then get some rest." Kitazawa paused and said, "I'll call you when it's time to leave this afternoon."
"Mm," Tsunade replied, then lay straight down.
The moment she touched the bed, her entire body jiggled. Kitazawa's eyelid twitched at the sight.
"Is there anything else?" Tsunade turned onto her side, her clothes bunching slightly as the necklace slipped out.
Kitazawa suddenly became certain of one thing. She was doing it on purpose.
Thinking this, Kitazawa sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned forward.
Tsunade's lips curled faintly as she looked at him, and finally, their lips pressed together. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Kitazawa's neck.
Her fair cheeks puffed out slightly. After a long while, her mouth dry and her throat parched, she finally breathed in fresh air.
"Let go!" Tsunade came back to her senses and glared at him.
"Tsunade-sensei, have a good rest." Kitazawa withdrew his hand from her breast and said with a smile.
He stood up, left the room, and closed the door behind him.
Kitazawa clenched his hand.
He remembered the days he spent playing basketball on the university training ground in his previous life.
Kitazawa walked to the door of Kurenai's room and suddenly stopped.
Why does this feel like a Shura Field? After all, Tsunade had been a bit off around noon today.
Kitazawa thought for a moment, then waved his hand.
Wind Release Chakra transformed into a gentle breeze that swept through, carrying away the unnecessary scent.
---
Two o'clock in the afternoon.
After the lunch break, Kitazawa, Tsunade, and Kurenai returned to the Forest of Death.
The teachers and students of the Genius Class had already arrived; the three of them were actually the last to get there.
However, they weren't late—the timing was just right.
"The third and final round of the team battle." Kitazawa announced, "Naruto's team versus Sasuke's team, starting in fifteen minutes!"
"Sasuke!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up and said, "I'll be waiting for you in the center of the field!"
"What do you mean by that?" Sakura asked with a surprised look.
"Because I want a battle full of youth with Sasuke!" Naruto said eagerly.
"That really is your style." Sakura suddenly understood.
"I think so too!" Rock Lee chimed in. "Youth means facing challenges head-on!"
As a taijutsu ninja, he didn't like playing hide-and-seek in the forest. Wasn't it better for everyone to gather together and fight?
"Sasuke-kun, what do you think?" Sakura subconsciously looked toward Sasuke.
"It's the same no matter the method." Sasuke said calmly, "First place will only belong to the Uchiha."
"Then it's a deal!" Naruto said excitedly.
Sasuke glanced over and then turned to walk into the Forest of Death. Sakura and Kimimaro quickly followed after him.
"Naruto's team's raw strength isn't inferior to ours."
Sasuke spoke as he walked. "Since they've exposed their position, we'll head straight there and ambush them after the start."
Sakura and Kimimaro nodded. In truth, this was also the best approach.
Naruto possessed the ability to destroy the battlefield itself. This had already been proven in the earlier match between Hinata's team and Naruto's team.
Relying on the Forest of Death for traps or prolonged attrition wasn't very realistic.
In that case, it was better to engage directly and even gain the advantage of a surprise attack.
"If conditions allow, Kimimaro, you deal with Lee. Your Shikotsumyaku counters pure taijutsu ninjas."
Sasuke thought briefly before continuing. "If you can defeat him quickly, we'll have a better chance against Naruto."
"But Lee learned Teacher Chen's Konoha Dragon God." Sakura reminded him.
The Konoha Dragon God, in turn, countered Shikotsumyaku. During high-speed rotation, it could strike Kimimaro's entire body.
Even though his bones were indestructible, he was still flesh and blood.
"The Konoha Dragon God has a weakness," Sasuke said in a low voice. "The Eye of the Dragon—or rather, the eye of the storm."
"Sasuke-kun, how did you know?" Sakura's eyes widened.
"I saw it with the Sharingan," Sasuke replied. "Within the tornado formed by the Konoha Dragon God, only the eye of the storm has no chakra at all."
"Sasuke-kun, you're truly amazing!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly.
"Then I can defeat Lee," Kimimaro said after a moment of thought.
"Jugo is a taijutsu ninja, but he possesses the Cursed Seal of Earth." Sasuke glanced at Sakura and said, "You might not be his match, but you can use Water Release to stall him."
"Sasuke-kun, don't worry!" Sakura clenched her fists and said, "I will definitely be able to stall him!"
"Mm, let's go with that then." Sasuke nodded as he spoke.
Meanwhile, in the central area of the grounds.
Just as he had said, Naruto went straight there, waiting for the arrival of Sasuke's team. Rock Lee stood beside him, waiting together.
"I'm going to go chat with the small animals of the forest." Jugo thought for a moment before speaking.
There were still fifteen minutes before the battle started; simply waiting would be meaningless.
Moreover, Sasuke's team might not necessarily show up as agreed. After communicating with the small animals, he could have them help locate their positions.
Jugo walked into the nearby forest. He closed his eyes, and his chakra spread out in all directions.
Before long, he detected the nearby small animals.
The reason Jugo could understand the language of small animals wasn't anything mystical—it was because of natural energy.
He was born with the ability of Sage Transformation and was extremely sensitive to natural energy.
Natural energy originates from nature and exists within it; because of this, he had accidentally gained the ability to communicate with small animals.
A moment later, Jugo reappeared in front of Naruto and Rock Lee. A bird perched on his shoulder, chirping incessantly.
"Jugo, this ability of yours is really enviable." Naruto looked at the bird and spoke sincerely.
If he had possessed this ability earlier, he wouldn't have been so bored back then. Fortunately, he had many friends now, so it was fine even without it.
"Being able to share youth with small animals anytime, anywhere—just thinking about it feels wonderful." Rock Lee gave a thumbs-up as he spoke.
Jugo nodded.
What his innate Sage Transformation brought him was a berserk personality and an uncontrollable impulse to kill.
Because of this, he liked communicating with small animals—it helped calm his mind.
Fifteen minutes later, Kitazawa's voice rang out, and the battle officially began.
Not long after, a bird descended from the sky and landed on Jugo's shoulder.
"They're here—five hundred meters away from us," Jugo spoke immediately.
"Excellent!" Naruto said with a surging fighting spirit. "Leave Sasuke to me!"
"Then my opponent is Kimimaro!" Rock Lee clenched his fists as he spoke.
"I'll handle Kimimaro." Jugo thought for a moment before saying, "He has Shikotsumyaku and the Cursed Seal of Earth; he counters you quite a bit."
"Ah?" Rock Lee froze for a moment, a troubled expression appearing as he asked, "Do I fight Sakura?"
"Sakura's strength isn't bad." Jugo assumed Rock Lee was worried that Sakura couldn't compare to Kimimaro.
"That's not the reason." Rock Lee scratched his head and said, "Sakura is skilled in Water Release ninjutsu; fighting her is very troublesome."
"We'll see once the battle starts," Jugo said after some thought. "Real situations rarely go exactly as expected—we'll need to adapt."
"True." Rock Lee nodded in agreement.
Just then, another bird arrived. But the moment it appeared, the air suddenly distorted, and a massive fireball smashed toward them.
Jugo's pupils shrank as he grabbed the bird and retreated.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!" Naruto clapped his hands together.
A powerful blast of wind erupted, colliding head-on with the fireball.
"Hurry and leave!" Jugo quickly released the three birds, letting them fly away.
"Sasuke!" Naruto increased his chakra output.
The gale instantly blew the fireball apart.
Naruto immediately gave chase. But when he reached the location, it was completely empty.
"Naruto!" Jugo's anxious voice rang out.
Naruto turned around, and his expression changed drastically.
Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!
Sakura spat out a stream of water that pursued Jugo.
Rock Lee had expected to face Kimimaro, but who could have imagined Sasuke appearing so suddenly?
The shock of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan struck him, and Rock Lee froze in place.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow! Kimimaro burst out from the forest to the left.
Several white bones extended from his arms, targeting Rock Lee, who was trapped in the genjutsu.
"Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken!" Naruto immediately threw a shuriken.
Empowered by Wind Release chakra, the shuriken's speed reached the extreme. But—with a sharp clang—Sasuke, wielding the Sword of the Thunder God, deflected it.
At this critical moment, Jugo let out a sudden roar and entered Earth Scroll Cursed Seal: State Two.
He had never intended to activate the Cursed Seal so early. After all, its duration was limited.
But if he didn't use it now, Rock Lee would be defeated.
Lee was a pure taijutsu ninja who knew nothing about genjutsu and couldn't break free on his own.
Jugo accelerated and appeared in front of Rock Lee.
Piston Fist! He threw a punch.
Kimimaro instinctively raised his arms.
His bones collided with Jugo's fist. A tremendous force erupted, forcing Kimimaro to retreat several steps.
Jugo staggered, but remained standing where he was. At that moment, a stream of water descended from above.
It was Sakura's Water Release: Water Bullet Technique.
Knowing he couldn't dodge it, Jugo twisted his body and forcibly endured the impact with his back. His body trembled as he immediately grabbed Rock Lee and injected chakra into him.
The instant the genjutsu was dispelled, Kimimaro's attack followed. Blade-like bones stabbed toward Rock Lee's vital points in a flash.
BroadAxe! Jugo's arm transformed like an axe, slamming toward Kimimaro.
Water Release: Heavenly Weeping!
Although Kimimaro's attack was blocked by Jugo, he couldn't deal with Sakura's Water Release at the same time.
Sakura opened her mouth, and three water needles shot toward Rock Lee.
Lee's genjutsu had just been dispelled. Sensing danger, he instinctively raised his arms.
He let out a muffled groan as all three water needles embedded themselves into his arms, blood soaking his green jumpsuit red.
"Dynamic Entry!" Rock Lee endured the pain and launched a flying kick toward Sakura.
Seeing this, Sakura immediately threw out four kunai.
The sound of air tearing rang out. Midair, Rock Lee twisted his body, dodging two kunai and kicking away the other two.
Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu! Sakura rapidly formed hand seals.
A large volume of water gathered before her, condensing into a roaring water dragon.
"Konoha Gale!" Rock Lee hadn't landed yet.
He could only forcibly use Chen's Konoha Gale. However, his kick had little effect on the water dragon.
The water dragon engulfed him, and the tremendous impact sent him flying backward, crashing heavily into a tree.
Lee felt dizzy, his entire body aching.
Sakura flicked her wrists once more. Four kunai shot toward Rock Lee.
Just as Lee was about to be forced out, a figure suddenly blocked the path in front of him.
"Violent: Leaf Adamantine Strength Whirlwind!" Naruto kicked away all four kunai.
"Naruto?" Sakura's heart skipped, and she instinctively looked toward Sasuke.
But Sasuke was locked in fierce combat with Naruto and his Shadow Clones. Undoubtedly, the one who saved Lee was a Shadow Clone of Naruto.
Sakura relaxed slightly. Although Naruto possessed vast chakra reserves, he had split them among many Shadow Clones.
Individually, they wouldn't be particularly strong. At least, to her, they were still manageable.
"Konoha Whirlwind!" Naruto charged toward Sakura at extreme speed.
After throwing the four kunai, Sakura quickly formed hand seals.
Naruto easily dodged the kunai and followed up with a kick.
Water Release: Continuous Water Bullets!
Sakura raised both hands. Streams of water bullets burst forth from her palms.
"What?!" Naruto ran straight into the barrage.
After being struck by four or five water bullets, he exploded into a puff of smoke with a loud bang.
Sakura let out a sigh of relief.
However, this brief delay caused by the Shadow Clone allowed Lee to regain his footing. His condition was poor—his clothes were soaked through, and both arms were bleeding.
Although the wounds weren't large, the longer the fight dragged on, the worse it would become.
Lee glanced down at his arms. In this state, the only way to defeat Sakura was to use the Konoha Dragon God.
But with his arms injured, it would definitely affect the technique. While he hesitated, a loud bang sounded nearby.
Kimimaro and Jugo clashed once again.
Kimimaro was forced to retreat two steps.
From the surface, Jugo seemed to hold the upper hand. But that wasn't actually the case.
Kimimaro had yet to use the Cursed Seal of Earth. Jugo, on the other hand, had already activated the Cursed Seal and entered State Two early.
Kimimaro didn't need to rush—after a few more minutes, Jugo would lose automatically. But that wasn't Kimimaro's style.
Cursed Seal of Earth: State One! Kimimaro's body instantly underwent a transformation.
He didn't activate State Two—it wasn't necessary, and he needed to conserve strength to assist Sasuke.
Seeing this, Jugo's expression immediately turned solemn.
He understood Kimimaro's strength very well. In his normal state, he could still fight him evenly, but against Cursed Seal of Earth: State One, victory was far from certain.
Even so, fighting was his only option. The two of them collided once more.
"Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken!" Naruto and his Shadow Clones all hurled shuriken at the same time.
Sasuke remained expressionless, deflecting the shuriken with the Sword of Thunder God as he advanced toward Naruto.
When the distance closed, Sasuke vanished from sight.
"Here he comes again! Everyone, be careful!" Naruto shouted a warning.
Hatake Swordsmanship! A flash of blade light suddenly appeared before him.
It was Sasuke's Sword of Thunder God.
"Konoha Gale!" Naruto kicked at Sasuke's wrist.
But as he launched a second kick, the Sword of Thunder God vibrated violently, brilliant arcs of lightning spreading outward.
Naruto hurriedly withdrew his leg and retreated.
The nearby Shadow Clones weren't so lucky. They were engulfed by the lightning and instantly dispersed into smoke.
Sasuke was about to press the attack when he heard the sound of something slicing through the air behind him.
He saw another Naruto grab the Samehada from the ground and swing it at him.
Samehada opened its massive mouth midair, aiming straight for Sasuke's head.
Genjutsu: Sharingan! Sasuke's Three-Tomoe Sharingan pulsed.
Naruto's eyes went vacant.
Body Flicker Technique! Sasuke appeared beside him and slashed.
That Naruto instantly dissolved into smoke. Samehada fell to the ground, then sprang up and flew toward the original Naruto.
"Konoha Style Swordsmanship!" Naruto seized Samehada and swung it in a wide arc.
"That's not Konoha Style Swordsmanship at all!" Sasuke couldn't help retorting, though his movements didn't slow.
Konoha Style: Willow!
Naruto's body was immediately bound in place. But in the next instant, a tail lashed out, helping him break the genjutsu once again.
Right after that came Sasuke's Sword of Thunder God. Fortunately, Naruto wasn't fighting alone.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
A Shadow Clone clapped its hands, and the airflow condensed into wind that wrapped around Naruto.
Naruto's speed suddenly surged, allowing him to narrowly dodge the Sword of Thunder God.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique! Seeing this, Sasuke spat out a massive fireball.
A scorching aura flooded the surrounding air.
Naruto hurriedly threw Samehada. Samehada knocked the fireball aside and lunged forward, biting toward Sasuke.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!" Naruto clapped his hands together once more.
The gale wrapped around Samehada, greatly enhancing its strength and speed.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed involuntarily. He thrust his sword forward, striking the center of Samehada.
An invisible force traveled backward along the Sword of Thunder God.
Sasuke had anticipated this long ago and used the recoil to leap directly into midair. His gaze swept rapidly across the battlefield.
At this moment, Jugo appeared to be in a perilous situation under Kimimaro's relentless assault.
On the other hand, Sakura had temporarily suppressed Rock Lee. This outcome was the complete opposite of the plan Sasuke had formulated earlier.
But that was reality—anything could happen, and plans often failed to keep pace with sudden changes.
"Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken!"
Seeing Sasuke airborne, Naruto immediately hurled shuriken together with his Shadow Clones.
A dense storm of shuriken instantly sealed off all of Sasuke's escape routes.
Chidori Katana! Sasuke calmly activated a new variation of the Chidori.
This technique wasn't taught by Kitazawa, but rather a modification Kakashi had developed while instructing him in Hatake Swordsmanship.
It was exceptionally compatible with that style. Brilliant lightning coated the blade of the Sword of Thunder God.
Sasuke swung his sword, releasing a crescent-shaped beam of lightning. In an instant, the incoming shuriken were sliced cleanly in half, opening a narrow gap.
Sasuke flickered through the opening, escaping the encirclement, and lunged straight at Naruto.
With the Chidori Katana, once Chidori was infused into the blade, it became nearly indestructible, capable of effortlessly cutting through steel.
In the original story, Sasuke had used Chidori Katana to slice through Yamato's shuriken and pierce him.
"So strong!" Naruto didn't dare take the attack head-on and quickly raised Samehada to block.
Clang! The Sword of Thunder God bit into Samehada's spikes but failed to cause any fundamental damage.
Sasuke frowned and could only retreat.
Just as Naruto was about to pursue, he suddenly sensed an overwhelming surge of wind. Both of them instinctively turned their heads.
"Konoha Dragon God!" Rock Lee took a deep breath and spread his arms wide.
A tremendous amount of chakra erupted as his body began spinning violently.
Ferocious winds wrapped around him in a turbulent green vortex, and a massive green dragon manifested.
Sakura's breathing faltered. Facing the Konoha Dragon God head-on for the first time filled her with intense pressure.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall! Sakura rapidly formed hand seals.
Streams of water spun wildly around her. But before the wall could fully take shape, the green dragon had already smashed through it.
Seeing this, Sakura immediately fled outward.
Sasuke instinctively tightened his grip on the Sword of Thunder God. Although he wanted to rush to her aid, he knew he couldn't break away.
Naruto and his Shadow Clones would stop him. Moreover, being on the defensive already, trying to help would only put him in greater danger.
Fortunately, there was still one person on their side who held the advantage.
"Sakura!" Kimimaro abandoned Jugo without hesitation. "I'll deal with him!"
"Okay!" Sakura formed hand seals again.
Water Release: Water Bullet Technique! She spat out a stream of water, shooting it straight toward Jugo.
Cursed Seal of Earth: State Two! Kimimaro moved to intercept Rock Lee.
His body underwent another shocking transformation.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch!
Kimimaro bent slightly as dozens of bones burst forth from various parts of his body.
He raised his arms to shield his head and leaped upward. Kimimaro slammed directly into the massive green dragon.
"What?" Seeing this, both Jugo and Naruto wore expressions of shock.
Only Sasuke and Sakura understood the reason behind Kimimaro's move.
An ear-piercing screech rang out.
The outer layer of the green dragon formed by the Konoha Dragon God consisted entirely of blades made of Wind Release chakra.
Yet Kimimaro's bones were just as indestructible. Worse still, Rock Lee's injured arms meant the technique wasn't operating at full power.
Kimimaro charged straight into the dragon's body.
The violent chakra blades dissipated one after another. Inside the green dragon lay the eye of the storm—perfectly calm.
Kimimaro dropped down, swinging his arms and striking Lee directly. The Konoha Dragon God was instantly canceled, and the green dragon vanished.
Rock Lee collapsed, unconscious.
Kitazawa appeared immediately to administer treatment.
Kimimaro remained standing, breathing heavily. Although he had defeated Rock Lee, he himself had suffered injuries.
As he passed through the green dragon, the vibrations had traveled through his bones into his body, leaving him numb all over.
"Naruto, it seems my teammates are a bit stronger." Seeing Kimimaro's victory, Sasuke couldn't help curling his lips upward.
"I will inherit Lee's youth!" Naruto shouted. "Konoha Dragon God!"
Terrifying chakra erupted around him, surging wildly like flames.
Naruto began spinning. A green dragon three times larger roared into the sky.
Flowers, grass, and trees in the surrounding area were shredded by the spinning blades, turning into fine dust.
Sasuke's expression shifted slightly. He immediately leaped up and slashed with the Sword of Thunder God.
Lightning condensed into a blade of light that struck the green dragon head-on—but it was useless.
The lightning couldn't break through those terrifying blades.
Sasuke frowned deeply. Naruto's Konoha Dragon God was far more terrifying than Rock Lee's.
Double Chidori! Sasuke gritted his teeth and charged straight forward.
He had been fighting Naruto for a long time while carefully conserving his chakra. But now, he had no choice but to use it freely.
As long as he could shatter the Konoha Dragon God the same way Kimimaro did and then defeat Naruto, it would all be worth it.
Sasuke thrust both hands into the green dragon. The spinning blades abruptly halted, forcibly opening a gap.
Sasuke accelerated and rushed inside.
In midair, he didn't hesitate at all—pulling out the Sword of Thunder God and slashing down at the still-spinning Naruto.
Lightning surged wildly, completely engulfing Naruto.
The massive green dragon instantly dissipated. Kimimaro and Sakura instinctively looked toward Sasuke and Naruto.
As for Jugo, he had already been defeated.
After Kimimaro joined the fight, Jugo was forced into a one-versus-two situation and quickly failed to hold on.
Moreover, his Cursed Seal of Earth had reached its limit and was automatically sealed by Kitazawa's improved Eight Trigrams Cursed Seal of Earth.
"We won!" Sakura suddenly shouted in excitement.
Naruto lay on the ground, screaming as lightning coursed through his body. Meanwhile, Sasuke stood where he was, appearing completely unharmed.
Seeing this, Kimimaro couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement—they had finally secured first place.
"Naruto, you lost!" Sasuke immediately raised the Sword of Thunder God.
"Konoha Gale!" At that moment, one of Naruto's Shadow Clones kicked toward him.
The other Shadow Clones also rushed in simultaneously.
"What a pain!" Sasuke couldn't help frowning.
The Konoha Dragon God was an indiscriminate technique.
After Naruto unleashed it, his Shadow Clones had all retreated to a distance.
Now, seeing the original body about to suffer a fatal blow, they hurried back to rescue him.
Under normal circumstances, Shadow Clones only disperse when the original dies or loses consciousness.
But Naruto was still conscious. Anyone else would have been knocked out cold by that lightning.
Sasuke didn't have time to think further. After dodging the Konoha Gale, he flicked his wrist and hurled the Sword of Thunder God forward.
A Shadow Clone rushed in front of Naruto, but was instantly pierced through.
The Sword of Thunder God's momentum didn't slow at all, and just as it was about to strike Naruto, a sharp clang rang out.
Samehada automatically rushed out to protect its master, blocking the Sword of Thunder God.
Sasuke felt intense frustration at the sight.
The Sword of Thunder God was at least the personal weapon of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama—why wasn't it this intelligent?
Delayed by Samehada, Naruto was successfully pulled away by his Shadow Clones. The lightning covering his body gradually dissipated.
Naruto stood back up.
Sasuke's mouth twitched. Are you even human?!
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura hurriedly ran over.
Kimimaro followed close behind.
Seeing them arrive, Sasuke finally let out a breath. Although they hadn't defeated Naruto, they had taken down Rock Lee and Jugo.
Now that it was a three-on-one situation, their team's chances of victory were extremely high.
Except—when he looked at Naruto's Shadow Clones, Sasuke didn't feel like they had any numerical advantage at all.
Just then, a series of popping sounds echoed. Naruto's Shadow Clones began dissipating one after another.
"What's going on?" Sasuke froze for a moment.
"Is he out of chakra?" Sakura's eyes lit up as she spoke. "It looks like we really won this time!"
"You—" Before Sasuke could stop her, Sakura had already finished speaking.
The dissipation of Naruto's Shadow Clones abruptly stopped, leaving seventeen remaining. Including the original body, which made eighteen.
"Sasuke!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing as he said, "You truly are my lifelong rival—you've got my blood boiling!"
"Your teammates have all failed. Just surrender." Sasuke spoke calmly.
"I still have one more taijutsu technique!" Naruto said with a face full of excitement. "I call it: Eighteen Dragons of Youth!"
"—?"
"…"
A look of complete bewilderment appeared on Sasuke's face.
"What kind of taijutsu is that? How come I've never heard of it?" Sakura voiced the exact confusion Sasuke felt.
"Eighteen Dragons of Youth!" Naruto and his Shadow Clones shouted in unison, then began to spin.
Eighteen green dragons roared skyward. The wind screamed as the Forest of Death suffered devastation once again.
Last time, the trees had merely been blown away—this time, they were shredded completely.
"…"
"…"
Sasuke, Sakura, and Kimimaro all stood frozen in disbelief. How were they supposed to fight eighteen Konoha Dragon Gods?
On the viewing platform atop the Wood Dragon.
"Don't you think this is a bit too much bullying?" Kurenai asked, dumbfounded.
"It… really is." Kakashi nodded in full agreement.
"Was this another idea of Kitazawa's?" Tsunade asked after snapping out of her shock.
Kitazawa wasn't on the viewing platform—Chen answered instead. "It was him."
Chen stared at the eighteen green dragons, feeling they no longer resembled his original Konoha Dragon God at all.
"Simple and crude—but effective." Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his beard thoughtfully.
He wondered about one thing: if Naruto were to learn his Five Release Great Combo Technique, just how terrifying would that be?
Unfortunately, he couldn't learn it for the time being.
"It seems the winner has already been decided." Tsunade stood up and said.
Even for her, dealing with eighteen green dragons would be a headache.
Let alone three students who were already completely exhausted.