Chapter 302: Boss, I Miss You

"The Two-Tails takes the lead and uses Fury Swipes!"

"The Five-Tails uses Protect, then follows up with Take Down; the Two-Tails takes a critical hit, it's super effective."

"The Five-Tails seizes the chance to use Taunt, landing it successfully; in its confusion, the Two-Tails counters with Flamethrower."

"The Five-Tails' energy gauge is full! It uses a devastating Energy Ball; it wants to end the match!"

"In a desperate situation, the Two-Tails triggers Reversal, doubling its attack power, and simultaneously unleashes Shadow Ball!"

"Wow, wow, wow~ What a tense and exciting duel! Both Pokémon have truly given their all, leaving no regrets. Now, let us see who the final victor is."

"It's the Five-Tails! It triggered its passive ability Sturdy at the last moment and is the last one standing. Let us congratulate Hashirama Senju on winning the first round!"

The crowd off the field looked at Uchiha Gin, who was holding a megaphone and excitedly commentating on the battle, all with expressions of bewilderment.

Although they didn't understand it, they were deeply shocked.

You guy, playing two roles at once—even Tifa isn't as hardworking as you.

"Beep-beep!"

Suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded, waking everyone from their state of shock.

"This trainer, please do not engage in beast-body attacks. As the referee, I am issuing a first warning; let this not happen again!"

As a caring Uchiha, the referee Uchiha Gin raised both hands to form a large 'X' in front of his chest, issuing a warning to Madara Uchiha, who had just made an insolent remark.

"I..."

Hearing this, Madara Uchiha's eye twitched, and then he said with a cold expression,

"There are so many white-haired people here, how do you know I was talking about the Tailed Beasts?"

"Madara Uchiha, I have an 8 AM class!"

Tobirama Senju, who had been secretly gloating over his rival getting shut down, immediately jumped in anger. He drew a long sword from somewhere unknown on his person and, looking fierce, prepared to charge onto the field to fight Madara Uchiha to the death.

"Calm down! Calm down! We're all from Konoha~"

Worried that the conflict would escalate, Sasuke Sarutobi and the others hurriedly flew forward to intercept the murderous Tobirama Senju, offering words of persuasion.

"Oh~ someone is taking it personally and getting anxious?"

Madara Uchiha continued to pour oil on the fire, making Tobirama Senju so angry that he was about to lift his finger.

"Beep-beep~ Please, bystanders, do not disrupt the order of the arena. If you have any grievances, you may apply for a ring match."

As the referee, how could Uchiha Gin tolerate anyone disturbing the sacred duel? He blew his whistle and rushed over, warning Tobirama Senju with a tense expression.

"Hmph! You just wait!"

Thinking of how this battle concerned his older brother's position as Hokage, Tobirama Senju suppressed the anger in his heart, snorted coldly at Madara Uchiha, sheepishly put away his long sword, and retreated.

"ROAR!!!"

The red-haired ape entered the battlefield, beating its chest and bursting with wisps of flame. It opened its blood-red maw and shouted at the disheveled Five-Tails, King Mu,

"I want to prove that tails don't represent anything; only iron fists are the truth!"

The second round begins.

Sure enough, the Four-Tails did not disappoint Madara Uchiha; Sun Wukong crushed the semi-crippled King Mu with ease.

It didn't even use its signature move, Flower-Fruit Mountain, using only its two sandbag-sized fists to pound King Mu's iron head until it rang out with loud thuds.

As the referee, Uchiha Gin jumped onto the head of the twitching Five-Tails, braced his hands, and pried open its heavy eyelids.

"Second round, the Four-Tails wins!"

After confirming that the clear eyes had turned into swirl-eyes, he stood up and raised his flag high, declaring the winner of this round.

"Hashirama, it seems having one extra tail isn't such a big deal~"

Tasting victory, Madara Uchiha crossed his arms with a slight smirk. Looking at the Four-Tails in excellent condition, he turned to his old rival and said,

"Hey, hey, hey, didn't you say that having more tails makes you stronger? How did that big ape take it out so easily?"

Taunted, Hashirama Senju showed a look of disappointment. He manipulated the giant wooden figure to toss the unconscious King Mu back into the wooden cage, then lowered his head to ask the Nine-Tails, who had been sitting calmly all along.

"This space is too cramped. King Mu's pride and joy—its speed—was completely restricted, which is why that Four-Tails guy found an opening."

Rather than admit that tails aren't a symbol of strength, the Nine-Tails would rather blame the terrain.

"Alright then, I'll believe you for now. Next, who's going up?"

The Nine-Tails' excuse sounded plausible at first glance, so Hashirama Senju let it go, nodded, scanned the remaining three Tailed Beasts, and asked.

"Hiss~ I'll go. My abilities are quite effective against the Four-Tails~"

The slug Six-Tails volunteered, waving the antennae on its head as it slowly moved over.

"Third round, Hashirama Senju sends out the Six-Tails!"

"Will this Tailed Beast, which secretes highly corrosive acid from its entire body, be able to turn the tide for its trainer? Everyone, stay tuned~"

Uchiha Gin, acting as the commentator, held up his megaphone and used a high-pitched voice to stir up the enthusiastic atmosphere of the entire arena.

"Phew~ looks like this is going to take a long time!"

Minako Yamanaka, who had been standing for a long time, stretched her sore calves. Her blue-green eyes were filled with deep fatigue.

The long-term exhaustion from her recent travels had left Minako Yamanaka in poor health; not only had her skin become dull, but her hair had also turned somewhat withered and yellow, and a few crow's feet had crept onto the corners of her eyes.

"Come over and take a rest!"

Just then, a sweet voice reached Minako Yamanaka's ears. The short-haired girl following Uchiha Gin smiled, patted the empty folding stool beside her, and invited her.

"Uh... then I won't stand on ceremony."

Seeing the sincere smile of Itama Senju, Minako Yamanaka let down her guard, moved her stiff legs, and walked to the girl's side.

"Thanks~"

Minako Yamanaka politely thanked her, stuck out her plump backside, and sat gracefully on the folding stool Uchiha Gin had brought out.

"Huh?"

However, the moment her fleshy buttocks touched the stool, Minako Yamanaka felt a warm current spread from her hips, rushing into her meridians at an incredible speed. It startled her so much she let out a cry and nearly jumped off the stool.

But before Minako Yamanaka could leave, she felt that mysterious energy, full of vitality, slowly repairing her tired and withered body.

In just a few breaths, she discovered that the skin on her hands had become fair and tender, and the fatigue in her body had been completely swept away.

In surprise, Minako Yamanaka touched her face and found it was much more supple than before; the hair hanging by her ears was also becoming silky smooth at a visible rate.

"What is going on?"

Astonished by her instantaneous transformation, Minako Yamanaka excitedly covered her full, red lips and exclaimed in a low voice.

"Hey~ what's there to be so surprised about? It's all thanks to this stool."

Seeing Minako Yamanaka's ignorant look, Itama Senju patted the stool beneath her and explained.

"Nani?"

Minako Yamanaka lowered her head to observe the unremarkable wooden stool beneath her. Her beautiful eyes were filled with curiosity. She reached out to touch it and felt it was warm and smooth to the touch, making her mind feel at peace.

"This is 1,000 ryo, keep it well, Madam Boss~"

As the next head of the Yamanaka clan, Minako Yamanaka was known for her decisiveness. After sensing the extraordinary nature of Uchiha Gin's stool,

she didn't hesitate at all, pulled 1,000 big ones from her wallet, and handed them to the bewildered Itama Senju.

"Uh, hahaha, you really have a good eye for people~"

After a brief moment of distraction, Itama Senju, having been given a new title, smiled and took the money Minako Yamanaka handed over. Without even looking at it, he waved his hand generously and traded the stool over.

"Senior Guang, what do you think?"

Watching the interaction between Itama Senju and Minako Yamanaka, Uchiha Chiri, whose face showed no joy or anger, had a slight glimmer in her eyes. She turned her head and asked Uchiha Guang, who was watching the match with full concentration.

"Oh? I'm watching while sitting~"

Merely glancing at the foolishly happy Itama Senju, Uchiha Guang replied indifferently, a flash of contempt passing through her black eyes.

My relationship with Gin, you little brat, I'm afraid you couldn't catch up even if you rode a horse~

Just as this little interlude was happening off the field, the battle on the field had entered a white-hot stage.

"Hiss~ Sun Wukong, just surrender obediently. As fellow Tailed Beasts, I don't want to hurt you anymore."

Exuding a pungent acidic odor, the Six-Tailed Saiken tried to persuade its opponent to surrender.

And the Four-Tails before it, its pride and joy—the red fur—was now missing patches here and there due to corrosion,

and its image had changed from the majestic red-haired silverback gorilla to a bald-haired baboon.

"ROAR! You detestable slug, take this staff from Old Sun!"

Seeing its image damaged, the Four-Tails, filled with stagnant anger, slammed both hands directly onto the ground. Endless chakra poured out, and several lava-covered protrusions spread beneath its feet, aimed directly at the Six-Tails.

"Precipice Blades! The Four-Tails has actually used a Ground-type skill that can be called a divine technique: Precipice Blades!"

The commentator Uchiha Gin, holding his megaphone high, watched the giant lava pillars rising from the ground and introduced it excitedly.

"BOOM!"

"AH!"

Caught off guard, Saiken was struck by the Precipice Blades from beneath its feet, hitting its vulnerable chrysanthemum directly. The scorching magma poured into its body through the excretory opening, roasting its insides and making a sizzling sound.

The Six-Tails trembled violently all over, reflexively spraying out viscous liquid that splashed onto the golden barrier, emitting pungent, thick smoke.

"Phew~ since you are so ungrateful, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Enduring the pain in its chrysanthemum, the Six-Tails gritted its teeth and stood up, deciding not to hold back anymore. It began to brew a Tailed Beast's finishing move in its mouth; a black Tailed Beast Ball formed according to its will.

"Hmph! Who's afraid of whom!"

The Four-Tails, already at the end of its rope, prepared for a desperate gamble. It opened its large mouth, and a scorching Tailed Beast Ball condensed instantly.

"It's time for the tense and exciting beam-clash segment again. Everyone can come and play the betting game~"

Uchiha Gin watched the two giant beasts with their Tailed Beast Balls clashing and quickly set up a gambling pool, trying to give the audience a greater sense of participation.

"I'm betting on the Six-Tails to win!"

"I'm in too~"

"I'm betting on the Four-Tails!"

"Huh? Sasuke, can't you see the situation? This Four-Tails is clearly not in good condition."

"I'm powering it with love, I don't care about the stats, I'm purely here for the looks~"

Sarutobi Sasuke's eyes burned like torches as he gazed at the mountain-like gorilla, a look of obsession on his face.

Fine, fine, so it turns out your Sarutobi clan are all gorilla-philes~

"Alright, bets are closed!"

With quick hands and eyes, Uchiha Gin placed his chips on the "Draw" in the middle, smiling very happily.

"Boom~"

A thunderclap echoed on flat ground, and the familiar scene appeared once more; after the smoke cleared, both giant beasts stood in place, panting.

Then, amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, the Six-Tails and the Four-Tails collapsed simultaneously, kicking up clouds of dust.

"I announce that this round is a draw!"

Referee Uchiha Gin jumped down immediately, and after a careful inspection, he raised the flag in his hand and announced in a deep voice.

"Ah! That was my last bit of private savings!"

From within the crowd came a wail of despair; Shimura Kenichi was on all fours, pounding the ground fiercely, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.

"What a pity, just a little bit more."

Watching the fallen Sun Wukong, Sarutobi Sasuke shook his head with some regret, but in his view, as long as he didn't lose, it was a win!

"Hehe~"

As the mastermind behind the scenes, Uchiha Gin smiled as he pocketed all the golden chips; as the sole winner of this betting pool, he was once again stuffed full.

"Madara, this counts as a draw now, right?"

Watching the unconscious Six-Tails return to its cage, Hashirama Senju's face turned somewhat dark; he hadn't expected that a full-stamina Saiken would actually be traded out by a Four-Tails that had been at a disadvantage.

Clearly, in terms of tails, the advantage was his!

Uchiha Madara controlled a blue giant, dragging the unconscious Four-Tails to the side of the Two-Tails.

"Stop nagging, let's continue!"

Then he turned his head, looking at the grim-faced Hashirama Senju, and urged him expressionlessly.

Now both sides only had two Tailed Beasts left, and that big beetle on Hashirama Senju's side looked listless; sending it out would just be a gift.

Looking at it this way, his chances of winning were extremely high.

"After three rounds of competition, I believe everyone is a bit tired. We are now taking a halftime break; taking advantage of this time, I'll insert an advertisement for everyone~"

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"Shinji, you guys..."

With an unreadable expression, Sarutobi Sasuke looked at his good friend in disbelief.

"Cough, cough, cough... when we saw him doing the lottery earlier, his advertising game was pretty strong, so the three of us discussed it and contacted him privately..."

Questioned, Akimichi Shinji rubbed his big head and revealed an honest, simple smile.

"Whoa~ you guys actually forgot to bring me along next time; the Sarutobi family has specialties too."

"Advertisement over, the competition continues!"

Since there was only one sponsor, after replaying this ad a few times, Uchiha Gin raised the flag in his hand and announced loudly.

"Seven-Tails, you go, I'll be the anchor!"

The Nine-Tails behind Hashirama Senju turned its head, and with a thick sense of threat, ordered the shrinking Chomei.

"But I'm just a caterpillar~"

"Nagging! Get out there now!"

With a flick of the Nine-Tails' tail, it tossed the Seven-Tails' massive body into the arena.

"Alright, contestant Hashirama Senju has sent out the Seven-Tails, then contestant Uchiha Madara..."

"You go."

Glancing at the two remaining Tailed Beasts, Uchiha Madara did not hesitate and directly ordered the Three-Tails Isobu to enter the arena.

"Wow~ Go Turtle-Turtle!"

As a die-hard fan of the Three-Tails, Senju Itama waved the cheering stick in his hand excitedly and shouted loudly.

"... Where did you pull that out from?"

Looking at the young girl covered in Three-Tails merchandise, the women all revealed a stunned expression in unison.

"Huh? Didn't you see? They're selling cheering merchandise and merch over there~"

With Q-version Three-Tails merch hanging on her chest and wearing an Isobu T-shirt, Senju Itama tilted her head and pointed to a stall that had appeared out of nowhere not far away, saying strangely.

"Huh?"

Reminded by Senju Itama, the people present finally noticed that a stall had been quietly set up in the corner of the spectator stands.

"Come, come, come, selling Tailed Beast merchandise, premium blind boxes, limited edition merch..."

Hearing the familiar voice, everyone rolled their eyes in unison; looking at the extra stall owner, Uchiha Gin, everyone almost fainted from anger.

Good heavens, I just have to say good heavens, two wasn't enough, now you're playing three roles at once?

"Hmph! Only a fool would buy that kind of thing, right? I don't believe..."

With empty pockets, Shimura Kenichi crossed his arms angrily; watching Uchiha Gin make money was even more painful than losing his own.

"Boss, give me a set of Four-Tails merchandise, I want the limited edition one!"

However, before his voice had even faded, someone had already rushed over; Sarutobi Sasuke, with a slightly flushed face, stared fixedly at the roaring Four-Tails figure on the shelf and excitedly took out his wallet, saying.

"Hehe~ That'll be forty thousand ryo, buy now and get an extra Tailed Beast merch blind box~"

Smiling as he took the banknotes, Uchiha Gin handed over a Tailed Beast merch blind box with his other hand.

"You can pull limited edition shiny Tailed Beast merch from this, you know~"

Uchiha Gin's voice was like a devil's whisper; in a trance, Sarutobi Sasuke had already opened the blind box in his hand.

"Congratulations! It's the Six-Tails~"

"Slap! Who wants this!"

After just one glance, Sarutobi Sasuke angrily threw the Six-Tails merch on the ground and even stomped on it a few times to vent his heartache over the Four-Tails' injury.

After doing so, he looked up at the Four-Tails shiny merch displayed on the stall's advertisement.

"Give me a few more, I'm definitely pulling the shiny Four-Tails today!"

Sun Wukong's heroic posture had him completely mesmerized; he immediately threw his wallet over and shouted loudly.

"Alrighty~"

In the arena, Chomei, forced into battle, spread its tails; as its wings flapped, countless scales fell into the arena.

On the other side, the Three-Tails Isobu, which had been slowly pacing over, raised its scarlet single eye, locking onto the Seven-Tails' figure, its three thick tails slapping the ground and making a heavy sound.

"Fourth round, Seven-Tails versus Three-Tails, the match begins!"

As Uchiha Gin's flag fell, the Seven-Tails made the first move; it flapped its wings, and all the scales previously spread on the ground rolled toward the Three-Tails.

"I didn't expect the Seven-Tails' tactics to be so despicable, having laid out the field in advance."

Commentator Uchiha Gin looked at Isobu, whose body was covered in scales and whose movements had become sluggish, and narrated loudly.

"The Seven-Tails' scales have applied a poison-sluggish buff to the Three-Tails, which is a fatal blow for Isobu, who is already slow-moving."

"Sorry, Isobu, I have to win."

They had signed an agreement with Hashirama Senju; only the Tailed Beast that won until the end could regain its freedom.

The previous Five-Tails and Six-Tails had all lost, and the final result was returning to the cage.

Therefore, no matter how despicable the means, it had to keep winning.

"Roar!!!"

Sensing that its body was covered in scales, Isobu's brow furrowed slightly.

As an aquatic Tailed Beast, land combat was not its strong suit.

Now it was being controlled remotely by the flying Chomei; if it didn't think of a countermeasure, it would be worn down by the opponent.

"Go Turtle-Turtle! Don't give up~"

Seeing the Three-Tails in trouble, Senju Itama stood up excitedly and cheered loudly.

"Tsk~ It's being countered."

As the trainer of the Three-Tails, Uchiha Madara clicked his tongue, looking at Hashirama Senju in the distance who had a smug look on his face; he felt secret hatred in his heart.

"Roar!"

However, just when everyone thought the Three-Tails would be infinitely controlled by the Seven-Tails and lose, Isobu actually retracted its head and all four limbs into its shell.

Isobu used Withdraw into Shell!

"Huh? It just turtled up?"

Everyone was puzzled; in this situation, the Three-Tails didn't choose to counterattack but instead turtled up, which was undoubtedly slow suicide.

"Ugly, this round, I admit..."

Uchiha Madara's pride as a warrior made him unable to accept the Three-Tails' behavior.

Even if he conceded, he didn't want to continue making a fool of himself, so he reached out, preparing to forfeit this round.

"Rumble~ Rumble~ Rumble~"

Just as Madara Uchiha was halfway through his sentence, a violent roar suddenly erupted in the arena, startling everyone and causing them to lean forward, eager to see what was happening.

"Nani! The Three-Tails actually used high-speed rotation! It broke the Seven-Tails' scale powder parasitic tactic!"

One could see the turtle shell of Isobu spinning rapidly in place, the hurricane it generated blowing away the layers of scale powder attached to its body.

Uchiha Gin, the first commentator to understand, shouted excitedly, explaining the Three-Tails' countermeasure as he watched the turtle shell rolling and spinning rapidly in the arena.

"Haha~ I told you, the turtle wouldn't lose!"

As a die-hard fan of the Three-Tails, Senju Itama waved the cheering stick in his hand and said with a loud laugh.

"Hmm~ This turtle actually has a few tricks up its sleeve."

Watching the rolling Isobu, Madara Uchiha, who had been about to concede, showed a hint of surprise on his icy face, then nodded slightly, acknowledging the strength of the Three-Tails.

"Hmph~ Don't think that just because you got rid of my scale powder, you can win. At this distance, you can't hit me!"

Although the Three-Tails' countermeasure was unexpected, the Seven-Tails, as the overlord of the sky, was not discouraged; instead, it flapped its wings, flew high into the air, and mocked the spinning Isobu below.

"Roar!!!"

As if it had heard the mockery of the Seven-Tails, Isobu stopped spinning, but its limbs and head did not extend.

Just as everyone was puzzled, four rapid water jets sprayed out from the limb openings of the Three-Tails' shell.

Combined with the high-speed rotation used once again, Isobu's massive body actually began to defy gravity and flew toward the sky.

"Huh? Lao Da, I miss you~"

(End of chapter)