Just as the pointy-headed man twisted his neck, ready to drive that sharpened forehead straight through Yukino Yukinoshita, a cool female voice rang out.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!"
A cluster of shuriken wrapped in roaring flame tore through the air and slammed into his back. Fire spread across him at once, searing the thick layer of fat that covered his body.
"Hot, hot, hot! Who the hell was that?!"
Howling in pain, the pointy-headed man spun around and slapped wildly at the flames with his rough hands. He tore the burning shuriken free and hurled them to the ground, sending sparks flying.
Yukino looked up at the woman who had intervened, and her pupils tightened.
Utaha Kasumigaoka.
The woman who had once beaten her in the Naruto world.
Arms folded, Utaha strolled to the edge of the scene and looked the monster over from head to toe. Not a scratch on him. She lifted a brow. "Thick skin. I figured that would've done at least something."
"Makes sense," Megumi Kato said softly beside her. "That fat layer looks almost like old-fashioned armor."
Her eyes never left the monster.
Kotonoha Katsura stepped forward in silence, one hand closing around her opposite wrist as she prepared to use her power. Nearby, Airi Akizuki was already forming seals, fingers flashing as she readied a Lightning Style technique.
Before the two of them could attack together, the gentlest one among the girls took a step forward.
Ran Mouri.
The others stared at her in surprise as she said, "Please. Let me handle this one."
There had been too much weighing on her lately. She needed somewhere to let it out.
Her feet spread apart. She settled into a taijutsu stance identical to Might Guy's and Rock Lee's.
The next second, she vanished.
Only a sharp gust remained where she had been standing.
In the blink of an eye, Ran appeared at the pointy-headed man's side. Her right leg whipped high, then crashed down across his shoulder in a brutal kick.
Bang.
The dull impact echoed through the school gate.
Caught off guard, the monster lurched sideways. Roaring, he swung a heavy fist at her, but before it could land, Ran disappeared again and reappeared on his other side, driving a straight punch into his waist with crushing force.
For a while, the school entrance was filled with nothing but the repeated thud of fists and kicks connecting.
Attack. Disappear. Attack again.
Ran moved with overwhelming speed, pressing the three-meter monster down with a seamless barrage of pure taijutsu. It looked exactly like the furious high-speed beatdown Rock Lee had once unleashed on Gaara during the Chunin Exams, a blur so fast it left the eye struggling to keep up.
The students who hadn't managed to escape far enough stared in shock.
Then the cheering started.
"She's so fast!"
"She's way stronger than that other girl from before!"
"Now that's a real powerhouse!"
"She's amazing! Come on, take that freak down!"
The cries rose one after another, but even with Ran's blows coming nonstop, she still couldn't break through his defense. That layer of Nine Dragons-empowered fat clung to his body like armor, bleeding away most of the force from every impact.
Yukino's chest tightened with frustration. Her hands flew through seals again, ready to rush in with Water Style support.
"Don't get in Ran's way," Sonoko Suzuki said sharply from across from her.
Yukino froze.
At that moment, Ran broke away and put several meters between herself and the monster. Her chest rose and fell. Compared to before, her breathing had turned noticeably ragged.
The pointy-headed man rubbed his aching shoulder, then flashed a smug, filthy grin as he bobbed that absurd spike of a head.
"Heh. Nice speed, little girl. But your attacks are too weak. You can't do a damn thing to me."
His eyes dragged over her body, brazen and greasy.
"You've got a much prettier face than that flat one from before. So how about it? Go on a date with me, and I'll spare your life."
"Disgusting." Sonoko's face twisted with pure revulsion.
Ran acted as if she hadn't heard him at all.
She slowly closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.
When she opened them again, her whole presence had changed.
"First Gate... Gate of Opening, open."
A violent surge of power burst from her body. Even the air around her rippled outward under the force of it.
Then she shot forward again.
This time, she was more than twice as fast. The naked eye couldn't follow her at all.
Boom.
Ran flipped upside down and planted one hand on the ground, her body balanced in perfect control as her left leg gathered every ounce of strength she had. Then she drove an upward kick into the monster's chin.
The bloated body, more than three meters tall and weighing at least half a ton, was launched straight into the air.
Ten meters.
Higher.
Off in the distance, Kaguya Shinomiya, Saki Kawasaki, and the five Nakano sisters, who had only just reached the school gate, all stared with wide eyes, disbelief written across their faces.
Even ordinary people who had never entered the Reincarnation Game could feel it.
Ran's speed and strength had reached an entirely different level.
Before the pointy-headed man could fall, Ran kicked off the ground and leaped up after him, putting herself directly above him in midair.
"Second Gate... The Gate of Healing, open!"
Her speed and power climbed again. Chakra raged through her body as she turned into a streak of lightning and unleashed a storm of attacks in the air, fists and kicks crashing into the monster over and over with explosive force.
After that relentless combination, Ran spun in the air, lifted her right leg high, and brought it down in a savage axe kick straight into his abdomen.
The impact slammed him into the ground.
Concrete burst apart beneath him.
Everyone felt the violent tremor under their feet. Miku Nakano, who was never good with physical activity to begin with, lost her balance and dropped to the ground, staring in shock.
"That was..." Yukino's eyes widened.
Hayato Hayama and Hachiman Hikigaya wore the same stunned look. All of them recognized what they had just seen. In the Naruto world, Rock Lee had once used the forbidden technique known as the Eight Inner Gates.
Ran had learned it too.
As the dust slowly settled, Ran drifted back to the ground. Her steps wavered slightly, and Sonoko rushed forward at once to catch her.
"Ran, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Ran steadied herself and gave a small shake of her head, a faint smile appearing on her face. "I'm fine. I only opened two gates. I can still handle it."
But just when everyone thought the monster was finished, the pointy-headed man on the ground let out a few weak choking sounds.
His body twitched.
He was still alive.
"Boom."
Reze, who had walked over at some point, snapped her fingers at the monster with a blank expression, lips pursed in a tiny pout.
An instant later, a violent explosion tore through his body, flames surging skyward.
When the smoke cleared, the bloated monster had been reduced to ash.
"They're Commander Nishikado's women!"
Someone in the crowd shouted first, and the students who worshiped Makoto Nishikado like a god immediately recognized Reze, Utaha, and the others. The cheers and applause grew even louder.
"No wonder he's the commander. Invincible under heaven, and every woman around him is this strong too!"
"That flat girl from before doesn't even compare. The ladies are incredible!"
"The Lady completely styled on that monster! She's second to none, right below the Commander!"
The praise crashed down from every direction.
Ran's cheeks turned red at once. She lowered her head awkwardly, completely at a loss. She and Makoto weren't in that kind of relationship, and hearing people call her that left her flustered beyond words.
Utaha folded her arms and glanced at her burning face with a click of her tongue.
Not now, maybe.
But she would've bet anything that the little unicorn would join the sisterhood sooner or later.
"Thank you, Mouri."
Yukino straightened her clothes, stepped forward, and offered her thanks with complete sincerity.
Before Ran could answer, Utaha cut in with a sidelong look at Yukino.
"No need. If you don't have the strength, don't go throwing your life away and making other people save you."
Yukino's face darkened.
Maybe it was because they were both black-haired beauties with the same sort of cold edge to them, but among Makoto's companions, the person she clashed with most was always Utaha Kasumigaoka.
Yukino couldn't stop herself from firing back. "And without relying on him, would you even have the place you do now?"
The students around them went pale.
That took nerve.
Even Kaguya silently gave Yukino a mental thumbs-up. She never would've dared say something like that.
Megumi Kato, Airi Akizuki, and the others watched calmly without trying to step in. They were used to Yukino's proud, stubborn nature by now.
Utaha didn't get angry.
She laughed.
The mockery in her eyes only deepened.
"So what? At least Makoto likes me. At least he wants me. A woman of your caliber could strip naked and lie in his bed, and he still wouldn't spare you a second glance."
The students around them flushed bright red and lowered their heads, hurrying into the school building as fast as they could.
This was not conversation background characters were meant to hear.
Yukino trembled with anger. Her fingers clenched into tight fists, her face burning, and still she couldn't think of a reply.
Utaha kept going, every word edged with provocation.
"Want to make a bet? Tonight, lie down on Makoto's bed and see whether he wants you. If he does, I lose. I'd even hand you my life. If he doesn't... well, I don't need anything from you. You don't lose a thing. So? Interested?"
"Utaha, don't." Megumi tugged lightly at her sleeve and tried to stop her in a low voice.
Even she thought that had gone a little too far.
And Megumi knew perfectly well that if Yukino really accepted, Makoto probably wouldn't touch her.
Utaha usually respected Megumi's boundaries.
Not this time.
Her gaze stayed fixed on Yukino as she pressed harder. "Well? Are you taking the bet or not?"
Yukino shook with rage.
She had always been proud. She had never wanted to rely on any man. But if she refused, it would mean admitting she had no appeal in Makoto's eyes at all.
And if she accepted...
She couldn't bring herself to do it.
For a moment, she was trapped between two impossible choices.
Then, just as the standoff was about to harden, a graceful figure hurried over and stepped between them. She bowed deeply to Utaha.
"I apologize, Miss Kasumigaoka. My sister is acting immaturely. Please don't hold it against her."
"Sis?"
Yukino stared, stunned, at the suddenly arrived Haruno Yukinoshita.
Utaha looked at Haruno's lowered posture and lost interest almost immediately. She clicked her tongue. "Tch. That's boring."
Then she waved a hand at Megumi, Reze, and the others. "Let's go."
Only after their group had left together did Haruno slowly straighten. A complicated emotion flickered in her eyes, and she let out a long breath.
"Why were you so polite to her?" Yukino grabbed her sister's arm, full of resentment and confusion. "She was the one throwing her weight around."
Haruno looked at her stubborn, innocent younger sister and gave a soft sigh, her expression difficult to read.
"Yukino. Let's talk after school."
For some reason, in that instant, she suddenly understood her mother's choice.
In a world that had already entered a new age, Yukino's pride and stubbornness were far too fragile.
...
Time slipped by, and the school day passed before anyone noticed. The final bell rang across campus.
In the second-year Class A room, all the girls around Makoto had gathered in a circle.
"Let's go shopping," Reze said, eyes sparkling. "Then karaoke, then dessert. I looked it up. That's what normal high school girls do after class."
She had always wanted to experience an ordinary high school life. Now that classes were finally over, she could barely sit still.
Then she leaned closer to the group, lowering her voice with a playful glint in her eyes.
"Oh, and I heard some girls do compensated dating. What if I save that for tonight and dress up like one to surprise Makoto?"
At that, everyone blushed.
No one objected.
Ran, however, shook her head and declined with quiet apology. "Sorry, everyone. I can't go. I need to visit the hospital and take care of my dad."
Sonoko's face filled with concern. "How's Uncle Mouri doing?"
Ran lowered her head. Her eyes reddened, and a tear fell onto the back of her hand. When she spoke, her voice caught in her throat.
"Dr. Nakano said it doesn't look good. The radiation damage is too severe. My mom's been the one taking care of him most of the time. Unless the medical field comes up with an effective treatment for radiation exposure right away..."
She swallowed hard.
"Dad probably only has two or three months left."
The moment those words landed, Reze lost all interest in shopping.
Megumi, soft-hearted as ever, looked at Ran and spoke gently. "Then let's go visit Mr. Mouri together."
She and Ran had been teammates in the Naruto world, after all. With Ran's family going through this, there was no way she could ignore it.
The others all nodded in agreement.
Even the Akizuki sisters, who weren't especially close to Ran, had no objection.
They all ate at the same table these days. At the very least, that much courtesy still mattered.
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okay so. i'm really sorry. i made a promise and i couldn't keep it and that's been eating at me.
the truth is i've run out of chapters, the ChickenGod won fair and square 😔 — and i just can't continue this fic anymore. i didn't want to disappear without saying anything though.
but!! everything i already translated (all the chapters i bought) will still be uploaded here over time, so at least there's that.
thank you for reading, for being patient, for everything. it really did mean a lot.
yours truly,
Booblasaur