Kakashi's figure suddenly appeared in the pit. He crouched down, carefully checking Naruto's condition, and found that aside from some minor abrasions, there was nothing serious. He even heard faint snoring.
He couldn't help but sigh, whispering to himself, "To be able to fall asleep in a place like this, he's as carefree as ever."
Only then did his gaze truly notice the extent and depth of this crater. After careful observation, he couldn't help but be secretly alarmed.
This destructive power was extraordinary. Had that child's strength already grown to such a level?
"Naruto!"
Sakura's anxious voice sounded from not far away. She stood at the edge of the pit, hands tightly clasped at her chest, peering down nervously.
"Sakura, Naruto is fine." Kakashi looked up and responded.
"That's great." Sakura let out a long breath, patted her chest, and her tense shoulders finally relaxed.
At that moment, a calm voice sounded from beside her. "I knew when to hold back."
Mamoru had arrived beside her at some point, hands in his pockets, looking down at the bottom of the pit calmly.
"You two caused such a huge commotion just now, it really scared me to death." Sakura glanced at him with lingering fear.
Kakashi gently picked Naruto up and leaped out of the pit with a few agile movements. He carefully placed Naruto on level ground.
Sakura stepped forward quickly. Seeing that Naruto was not only fine but was actually sleeping soundly with a satisfied expression on his face, she was suddenly fuming with anger.
She put her hands on her hips and said through gritted teeth, "This idiot... he made me worry for nothing."
"Well, as long as he's okay." Kakashi habitually narrowed his eyes, his tone relaxed.
After saying that, he turned his gaze to Mamoru a few steps away, his tone becoming serious. "How do you know the Rasengan?"
"Rasengan?" Mamoru feigned a look of confusion, tilting his head slightly. "What's that?"
"You don't know?" Kakashi frowned slightly. "It's that Chakra ball you just used."
"Oh..." Mamoru drew out the sound as if he had just realized something, tapping his right fist lightly against his left palm. "So that's called the Rasengan. I thought it was a Ninjutsu I developed myself. I didn't expect a senior to have beaten me to it."
Kakashi was momentarily speechless, the expression under his mask becoming complicated. His teacher spent three years researching and successfully developing this A-rank Ninjutsu, yet this child had actually developed it on his own without knowing?
"Judging from the battle just now, were you using Space-Time Ninjutsu?" Kakashi continued to probe, his gaze sharp.
"That's right." Mamoru admitted frankly, spreading his hands without any concealment.
After all, Kakashi had given him a lot of guidance on Ninjutsu before, and he knew that his ability's characteristics had already been analyzed by some observant people.
"As I thought..." Kakashi pinched his chin, deep in thought.
This way, those unexpected attack methods and strange defensive means made sense.
At this time, three members of the Medical Team arrived in a hurry. They knelt on one knee and carefully checked Naruto's condition. Surprisingly, after enduring such a fierce attack, Naruto had miraculously only suffered some superficial injuries.
"Vital signs are stable, he's just fallen asleep." The leading medical ninja reported softly.
They carefully lifted Naruto onto a stretcher. In his sleep,
Naruto smacked his lips and mumbled indistinctly, "Ichiraku Ramen... one more bowl..."
Watching this scene, Sakura shook her head and held her forehead helplessly. "This idiot..."
At the same time, Mamoru's figure flashed, and he silently returned to the stands.
"Mamoru, you were so cool just now!"
As soon as Ino saw him, her eyes lit up, and she opened her arms to pounce on him.
Mamoru quickly reached out and pressed his hand against her forehead, letting her wave her arms however she wanted without being able to reach him.
"Keep your distance." He said flatly, though his heart was screaming—could she not be so enthusiastic in public all the time!
"Hmph, a baboon in heat..." Tenten whispered.
"What did you say?" Ino immediately turned to glare at her.
"Eh! You could actually understand that?" Tenten feigned surprise, widening her eyes and tapping her chin with a finger.
"Damn it, just a bun-head..." Ino said through gritted teeth, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists.
"Alright, stop arguing." Mamoru intervened at the right time, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue.
The two of them both let out a "Hmph" and turned their faces away in unison.
Looking at this pair of jokers, Mamoru felt his temples throb. He couldn't help but turn his gaze toward Hinata, who was standing quietly to the side. If only everyone could be as quiet and well-behaved as her.
Below the stands, Hayate was leaning over slightly, whispering a report into Hiruzen's ear. Hiruzen nodded at times and frowned at others, wisps of smoke rising from the pipe in his hand.
Before long, Anko returned to the arena with several ninjas. Those ninjas stood around the crater and simultaneously formed seals to perform Earth Release Ninjutsu. The pit was filled with sand and stone at a rate visible to the naked eye, and then they used a Hardening Technique to reinforce the ground. The arena, which had been a mess, was quickly restored to a usable state.
Seeing this, Mamoru suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
He rubbed his chin, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "If I stop being a ninja in the future, opening a construction company wouldn't be bad. It would be even better if I could learn Wood Release, to turn Konoha into the world's number one tourist and entertainment resort. By then, everyone could make a fortune without having to fight and kill."
Hearing this, the people around him all showed expressions between laughter and tears.
"What on earth is going on in your head?" Kurenai couldn't help but hold her forehead, though a faint smile was present at the corners of her lips.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely let you buy shares when the time comes." Mamoru said confidently, even winking at her.
"I'd rather..." Kurenai started to say but stopped.
She felt it was better not to speak too soon. After all, given this guy's personality, he might actually do it.
"The Forest of Death is a natural wildlife park. We could build a few sightseeing routes and hire a few Jonin to protect those nobles while they play. Also, hold regular kayaking competitions on the Naka River to attract sports enthusiasts. The hot spring inns can also be redesigned..."
Just as Mamoru was talking non-stop about his business blueprint, a new match list appeared on the announcement board.
Hyuga Hinata VS Hyuga Neji.
Mamoru immediately stopped talking and turned to Hinata. "Hinata, give it your all and knock Neji flying."
"I..." Hinata was momentarily frozen in place, at a loss.
"Hinata." Kurenai called softly, beckoning her over.
After Hinata approached, Kurenai leaned down and whispered a few words in her ear.
A moment later, Hinata nodded, looked back at Mamoru, and turned to walk toward the arena. Although her steps were still soft, they carried a hint of determination.
"What did you say to her?" Mamoru asked curiously, leaning forward slightly.
"Secrets between girls, do you want to hear?" Kurenai raised an eyebrow, a flash of playfulness in her eyes.
"A... girl?" Mamoru drew out the word intentionally.
"Looking for a beating, are you?" Kurenai raised her fist in a mock gesture of hitting him.
Mamoru quickly raised his hands in surrender, though a smile remained on his face.
(End of Chapter)
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