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Chapter 14: Narrow Victory
🕑 Added 2024-01-20 16:54:38 +0000 UTCCaught in a precarious grappling situation, Tatsuma found himself at a distinct disadvantage, facing the risk of exhausting himself more quickly than Minato. In a strategic move, Tatsuma decided to take a calculated risk by releasing Minato's left hand and forcefully redirecting his right hand to the side, narrowly avoiding the kunai that grazed Tatsuma's cheek in the process.
Recognizing the fleeting opening, Tatsuma swiftly launched a counterattack, his hands targeting Minato's ribcage. Sensing the imminent danger, Minato rolled to the side, managing to evade the full impact, but Tatsuma's palm still connected with his left ribs in a decisive move.
After the impactful strike to Minato's ribcage, he attempted to roll and rise, only to find himself struggling to straighten his waist. Meanwhile, Tatsuma had already regained his footing and, observing Minato in a semi-crouched position, unleashed a direct left kick toward Minato's face.
In a defensive maneuver, Minato employed his left hand, simultaneously tilting his head to avoid the incoming kick. Gritting his teeth, he exerted force in an attempt to lift himself from the ground and counter Tatsuma's advancing left leg with a takedown.
Anticipating Minato's response, Tatsuma swiftly raised his leg, aiming for a downward kick. However, sensing the imminent strike, Minato, choosing not to engage directly, stepped back with calculated precision, recognizing there was no need to rush like Tatsuma.
Minato attempted to put some distance between himself and Tatsuma, but Tatsuma persistently pursued, launching a relentless barrage with his left fist and kunai. Minato adeptly defended and parried, showcasing the seamless coordination born out of their almost daily practice together.
Observing the intense exchange, Jiraiya tightly gripped the window frame, his expression growing serious.
"The white-haired brat seems anxious," Orochimaru remarked, breaking his silence as he analyzed the ongoing battle. Jiraiya instinctively nodded but then turned to question, "Orochimaru, are you referring to me?"
Orochimaru shook his head and responded, "I don't need to throw shade at you; you're already trailing behind."
"Damn it!"
"Enough! Keep watching!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupted, his gaze fixed below as Minato, capitalizing on his stamina advantage, finally managed to put some distance between himself and Tatsuma. He unleashed a continuous barrage of shuriken and kunai from his nimble hands.
Struggling to block, Tatsuma deftly deflected the incoming ninja tools. On the sidelines, Hyuga Sento frowned as he observed the scene, recalling his recent defeat to Minato in a similar manner.
However, Tatsuma was not Hyuga Sento. He intimately understood Minato's throwing habits. Despite finding himself in a precarious situation due to exhaustion, Tatsuma exhibited remarkable agility, narrowly dodging several rounds of Minato's Ninja Tool Throwing attacks.
On the opposite end, Minato furrowed his brow. He hadn't anticipated Tatsuma to reveal such formidable skills when genuinely serious. Assessing the situation, he reached into his ninja tool pouch, mentally gauging the remaining arsenal.
"Two kunai, six shuriken, and eight senbon, right?"
With this inventory in mind, Minato swiftly retrieved all the shuriken and hurled them towards Tatsuma, followed by the senbons. Opting to withhold the last two kunai, he instead charged directly at Tatsuma.
Tatsuma honed his focus, deftly evading the onslaught of ninja tools. Yet, as he adeptly knocked down the shuriken and prepared to deflect the senbon, he suddenly realized that Minato's flying kick was rapidly closing in.
"Senbons should be fine."
Tatsuma murmured to himself, paying little attention to the incoming senbons. His focus zeroed in on Minato's trajectory, prompting him to take a step forward and draw upon the boxing techniques he had honed during his past life in university. These acquired skills now proved invaluable in the midst of battle.
With swift precision, Tatsuma executed a well-practiced step, blocking Minato's oncoming right leg with his left shoulder. Simultaneously, he seized Minato's right knee with his left hand, while his right hand tightly clenched a kunai. Employing the blade as an improvised weapon, Tatsuma delivered a punch to Minato's abdomen.
As the punch connected, the concentrated power in Minato's core instantly dissipated. Staggering backward, he became vulnerable, and Tatsuma seized the opportunity to skillfully bring him to the ground. Simultaneously, Tatsuma knelt forward, applying pressure with his knee against Minato's stomach, leaving him powerless. The kunai in Tatsuma's right hand pressed firmly against Minato's collarbone.
Tatsuma's initially serious expression gradually softened into a smile as he remarked, "Impressive as always, Minato. But this time, luck happened to be on my side."
Unconcerned about his own defeat, Minato directed his attention to the senbons embedded in Tatsuma's shoulder and thigh, anxiously inquiring, "Are you okay?"
"Huh? I wouldn't have felt it if you hadn't mentioned it," Tatsuma replied. Minato's reminder brought the soreness in his muscles and the piercing sensation from the senbon to Tatsuma's attention, causing the kunai against Minato's collarbone to weakly loosen.
"Atoma-sensei! Come quickly and check on Tatsuma."
Observing Tatsuma's stiff fall to the side, Minato anxiously called out to Sarutobi Atoma, who was approaching. Sarutobi Atoma nodded and reassured, "It's just some minor injuries, mainly due to extreme fatigue."
Inside the classroom, Tsunade squinted through the window at the scene and remarked, "Are these two really on good terms? How can two people with a good relationship go so hard on each other?"
In the blink of an eye, the transition from inflicting injuries to expressing concern for each other struck an unusual chord.
Sarutobi Hiruzen offered an explanation, "Over the past few months, they've been training together. Except for the final round, the previous exchanges were probably familiar to both sides, so it wasn't dangerous."
"Still first-year students, right? Their level of determination might even surpass some ninjas, don't you think, Jiraiya?"
Tsunade's observation prompted Jiraiya's face to take on a greenish hue. If Orochimaru's earlier comments might have been unintentional, Tsunade was now openly pointing fingers and scolding, wasn't she?
However, while Jiraiya dared to express his anger towards Orochimaru, he refrained from doing the same with Tsunade. Instead, he silently swallowed his grievances.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, with a smile, remarked, "Tsunade, weren't you uninterested before? How about now?"
Tsunade paused for a moment, then shook her head and continued, "These two kids are indeed impressive for first-years, even when compared to students in other grades at the ninja school. However, I still don't want to play house with kids. I don't have time to waste on these students."
"No need to rush. Right now, it's just for you all to have a look. Even if you really want to be their sensei, you'll have to wait until they graduate."
Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand, content with Tsunade's noticeable shift in attitude. There was no need to push for more. Pushing too far might upset Tsunade, and she could stubbornly refuse to take on disciples for an extended period.
Observing Sarutobi Hiruzen's lack of intention to force the issue, Tsunade nodded. At barely twenty years old and having recently attained the rank of Jonin, she wasn't inclined to waste her prime training years babysitting children.
"I'd like to go and interact with these two kids."
Ever since receiving the prophecy from the Great Toad Sage a few years ago, Jiraiya had entertained the idea of finding a student. It would be even better if the student turned out to be the prophesized one, but it wasn't a strict requirement. Confident in his ability to instruct the prophesized one, he believed he could excel in teaching others. Even if a student wasn't the chosen one, they should still become better ninjas under his guidance.
Hearing Jiraiya's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and said, "You're all on break now. Feel free to do whatever you want. You've seen what you needed to see today. If you have things to attend to, you can leave."
"Alright."
Tsunade turned and walked away. Orochimaru pondered for a moment, confirming there was no crucial information to linger for, and said, "Well then, Sarutobi-sensei, I'll be going."
Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand, then turned to Jiraiya, who remained by his side, and asked, "Is there anything else you need?"
"Cough, um..."
Jiraiya's face showed a hint of embarrassment, and he continued, "Sensei, well, it's about the mission reward."
"You're short by over a hundred and something thousand? With the village's finances being so tight right now, can't you wait a bit before claiming it?" Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared somewhat displeased. Jiraiya, with a touch of helplessness, added, "Tsunade 'borrowed' all my money. I can't even afford ramen now."
Hearing Jiraiya emphasize the word "borrowed," Sarutobi Hiruzen grasped the implication. He nodded and said, "Let's go to the Hokage Tower to get it then. By the way, Jiraiya, sometimes you really need to hold onto your money. Well, never mind, I know you won't understand. Here's a hundred thousand, and I'll safeguard the rest for you."
"Uh, okay."
