Chapter 410: Jonin vs Six Paths
Naruto stood frozen in place, fingertips still retaining that sensation of void from unleashing Rasengan: Solar Core. He'd trained stellar power for years, sitting in meditation in the cosmic depths, conversing with barren planets, sealing stellar essence within his body—he'd never imagined the first time he truly wielded this power... would be for such an absurd reason.
For a pervert coveting Satsuki? For a momentary uncontrolled killing intent?
"Naruto, well done!"
But Jiraiya's hearty praise came from behind. He strode forward, patting Naruto's shoulder, gaze falling on his right eye not yet completely faded of stellar radiance.
"So that's your eye's true power... truly remarkable." His admiration carried a master's pride, yet also hid a trace of barely perceptible gravity. "However, this level of technique—when using it, you must be careful."
WAAAAH—!!!
Simultaneously, tsunami-like cheers and applause erupted all around!
The smoke hadn't yet settled, but the villagers had seen clearly—that steel monster that suddenly appeared, that pervert sitting atop it spouting wild words, had disappeared after Naruto's intervention.
Whether he died, fled, or whatever else, Konoha's hero had once again stepped forward in crisis, protecting the streets' peace!
"Amazing—!"
"Worthy of being Naruto-sama!"
"With you here, we're at ease!"
The fervent waves of sound nearly drowned Naruto.
"Hey! Wait—!"
The Nadeshiko kunoichi rushed forward with a pale face. "That ninjutsu... actually instantly erased a human body?! We only requested a duel match, not a death battle—!"
"I won't use that technique again!" Naruto snapped back to awareness, shouting at her. "No—I haven't even agreed to your duel!"
His voice still carried uncompromising firmness. "I'll say it again—if you want a match, I'll oblige! But wagering a marriage contract? I absolutely refuse!"
He turned sideways, grasping Satsuki's hand and raising it between them. "—I already have a fiancée!"
In that moment, Satsuki's fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.
"Naruto." She suddenly spoke. Under everyone's gaze, Satsuki's eyes swept past Nadeshiko Shizuka's grave expression, finally settling back on Naruto's face.
"Fight her."
Naruto froze. "...Eh? But—"
"Anyway, with your strength..." Satsuki's lips curved slightly upward. "Losing is fundamentally impossible, right?"
Satsuki wasn't making concessions. She was declaring victory.
"It's fine." Satsuki leaned close to him, voice lowered to where only the two could hear. "I was too foolish... actually getting upset over this kind of person who suddenly appeared out of nowhere for no reason."
"Go ahead. Defeat her. Then—completely cut off their delusions."
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"Thank you all for coming—! Welcome to Konoha's Duel Arena! Today is a suddenly arranged yet highly anticipated match!"
The announcer's booming, excited voice echoed through sound equipment across the entire venue, stirring waves of excited murmurs and cheers.
"And the wager—is actually a marriage contract?! If Konoha's hero unfortunately loses, he'll travel far away to become another nation's consort?! Is this fate's joke or true love's trial?!"
Though this duel was hastily organized, the audience seats were nearly full. Loving spectacle, loving fights—this was human nature.
"What is this guy spouting nonsense about..."
At the center of the familiar venue that once hosted the Chunin Exam finals, Naruto had a bit of a headache. He didn't understand where the organizers found such an announcer skilled at stirring emotions—every sentence like dripping water into a frying pan.
"Now then—let us once more introduce today's duel participants!"
The announcer drew out his tone. "First! The famous, known to all in Konoha—the Fourth Hokage's son! The Fifth Hokage's direct disciple! Who once single-handedly saved Konoha from the Crush crisis—the inheritor of the Yellow Flash! The great ninja praised throughout the ninja world as the 'Golden Hope'—"
"Uzumaki Naruto—!!!"
"OHHHHHH—!!!"
"Naruto-sama—!!!"
"Konoha's hope—!!!"
Mountain-shaking, sea-stirring cheers and shouts instantly exploded. People waved their arms, children rode on fathers' shoulders excitedly screaming, young women blushed while clutching their hearts to watch, chunin and jonin also applauded and cheered along.
Naruto felt extremely embarrassed. This introduction was way too chuunibyou... And how come he didn't know he had such a title?
But the audience ate it up—the more exaggerated, the more excited.
"Now then—the other contestant is a ninja from another nation, Nadeshiko Village's next heir—"
The announcer's tone noticeably flattened, even carrying perfunctory routine. "Miss Nadeshiko Shizuka!"
"Whoooosh————"
A uniform deflating sound rose from the audience seats.
"Stop daydreaming—!"
"Hurry up and finish so you can go home—!"
"What kind of backwater village is Nadeshiko Village anyway!"
Making a woman endure such coldness in public was somewhat excessive. But given Naruto's current position, any comfort would only seem hypocritical or arrogant.
Fortunately, Shizuka still stood quietly opposite.
Her face showed no embarrassment, no anger, not a ripple of emotion. Her eyes gazed calmly ahead. The surrounding clamor and hostility were like nothing more than wind brushing past her ears.
In the audience seats, Uzumaki Kushina crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow toward the Nadeshiko kunoichi's direction. "Oh? Looks like even those people you gathered... don't think highly of you either."
"D-damn it...!"
The Nadeshiko kunoichi gripped the railing tightly. "A bunch of blind fools—!!"
"I don't want to fight you."
Naruto looked at Nadeshiko Shizuka opposite him removing her white outer robe, revealing ninja combat gear beneath. His voice was calm, still saying this.
But Shizuka's eyes didn't waver in the slightest. She slightly lowered her center of gravity. "This is my fate. Then I'll begin."
"Nadeshiko Style: Roaring Wave Gale Fist—!!"
Before the fist wind arrived, the Wind Release pressure crushed across the ground like substance! The hard surface emitted crisp cracking sounds, fissures spreading in all directions like spider webs. That punch wrapped in compressed gale drove straight for Naruto's face—
Whoosh.
Naruto simply tossed a trident kunai to the side.
The next second, he'd already materialized at the kunai's landing point, easily dodging that heavy punch. His coat hem wasn't even lifted by the wind pressure.
Shizuka's expression didn't change. Her toes touched down once, her form suddenly leaping into midair.
"Nadeshiko Style: Vacuum Dance—!"
Her hands swiftly waved, dozens of kunai shooting from between her fingers!
Naruto raised his eyes, vision instantly capturing each kunai's trajectory. Probably elite jonin level... at this age, already exceptionally gifted.
He assessed in his mind, yet his hand movements remained composed.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—!
Naruto threw several Flying Thunder God kunai around, embedding them in the ground.
"Circular Dance: Second Stage!"
Shizuka suddenly spun in midair! Her body rotated like a top, more kunai pouring down like a rainstorm!
But Naruto only performed simple taijutsu evasion, plus the Flying Thunder God marks let him teleport to any marked point in milliseconds.
Those kunai grazed his hair, swept past his coat hem, yet could never touch him in the slightest.
Shizuka's expression grew grave. Her opponent's strength was probably even stronger than imagined.
Were those kunai helping him perform that space-time ninjutsu?
The instant she landed, her hands began forming seals. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough—!"
Violent airflow burst from her mouth! She wanted to blow away all the Flying Thunder God kunai stuck in the ground, severing his teleportation network!
Naruto finally raised his right hand, palm facing forward. No hand seals, no gathering power.
Just as the Wind Release was about to engulf all the kunai—
Shizuka's eyes suddenly widened.
On Naruto's palm, that pitch-black mark emitted an unnatural fluctuation, then—the wind was sucked in.
That mark absorbed all the attacking Wind Release chakra like a stone sinking into the sea, not even stirring up a breath of air.
Shizuka froze in place. The next second—
BOOM—!!!
Her own Wind Release was violently blasted right back at her intact!
"Ugh—!"
Shizuka couldn't react in time. Her entire body was violently sent flying by that familiar force! She tumbled through the air several times before crashing to the ground.
She'd just tried to push herself up—cold sensation already pressed against her neck.
A kunai's blade tip rested below her throat. Naruto crouched before her, gripping the kunai. "It's over."
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