Nawaki Senju was engrossed in the ninja game when Kirito and Ino-shika-cho arrived. Their presence immediately drew the attention of Nawaki and his friends.
Inuzuka Mako, who led the Inuzuka group of kids, inquired about Kirito's identity: "Shikaku, inoichi, choza, who's this guy?"
Nara Shikaku, the leader of Inoshikacho, stepped forward and introduced Kirito Tohsaka to the others: "This is Kirito Tohsaka, a friend of ours. Can he join our game?"
Ino-shika-cho held a prominent position among these children, and after Shikaku's introduction, Inuzuka mako and the others didn't object.
Mako nodded to Shikaku, then turned to Kirito and said, "Hey, I'm Inuzuka mako. What are your interests, strengths, and dreams?"
Kirito understood that this was a customary joining ritual among children, so he replied simply: "Hi, everyone. I'm Kirito Tohsaka. I love eating meat, I'm strong, especially at eating meat, and my dream is to become a great ninja and an outstanding meat-eater."
Becoming a formidable ninja was the ultimate dream for many kids at that time. Kirito's dream resonated with many of them, and they regarded him with warmer gazes.
"That's a great dream to have. I aspire to become Hokage in the future. Remember my name. I'm Nawaki, and when I become Hokage, you can be my subordinate."
Nawaki approached Kirito, placed his hands behind his head, and addressed him with a cheerful grin.
He extended his hand for a handshake as a sign of welcoming Kirito.
Kirito shook Nawaki's hand and replied with a smile, "Absolutely. When you truly become Hokage, I'll gladly be your subordinate."
Simultaneously, Kirito thought to himself, 'I hope you won't accidentally step on a detonating talisman in the future.'
Nawaki was quite pleased with Kirito's response, believing that Kirito had faith in his ability to become Hokage. He patted Kirito's shoulder with a grin and affirmed, "Great guy, It's a deal."
While becoming Hokage was a dream cherished by many children, there could only be one Hokage, and Nawaki's dream made some uncomfortable.
Inuzuka mako, even knowing Nawaki's identity as the grandson of the First Hokage, chimed in confidently: "Don't believe his nonsense. Nawaki is a fool, he can't be Hokage. The one who will become Hokage is this great me. Isn't that right, Kuromaru?"
"Arf!"
The small puppy, Kuromaru, perched atop Inuzuka mako's head, responded with a bark in agreement.
Nawaki had always aspired to be Hokage, and when he heard Inuzuka Jin's challenge, he retorted, "No way, I'll definitely be the Hokage! dattebayo ! (he didnt, i just had to add it xD) "
Inuzuka Mako pressed his forehead against Nawaki's, and they continued to argue, each asserting their claim to the title of Hokage.
As the two boys quarreled, their friends watched and cheered them on.
"Such a hassle," lamented Shikaku, who had a sinking feeling that things were headed in an unfavorable direction. He contemplated making a discreet exit.
But just as he was about to slip away unnoticed, Mako posed a question: "Shikaku, in the competition between me and Nawaki for becaming the Hokage, whose side are you on?"
"I'm not taking sides," Shikaku immediately replied with a sigh.
"how about a fight; the one who proves to be the strongest will become Hokage," Kirito interjected.
His words brought a sudden hush to the scene, and both Nawaki and Inuzuka mako's eyes gleamed with determination as they locked gazes.
Just as the two seemed poised for an intense showdown, a cold, haughty voice cut through the tension: "You're both trash."
Upon hearing the disdainful comment, Nawaki Senju and Inuzuka Mako reacted with anger and swiftly turned their attention to the source of the voice.
Kirito also shifted his gaze to the delicate and charming black-haired Loli standing on a nearby tree branch. She regarded them and the other children with a contemptuous look from her elevated position.
"Hey, you with the big forehead, were you the one talking just now?" Inuzuka Mako, known for his impulsiveness, reacted swiftly and rudely. He didn't take kindly to the girl's disdainful eyes and immediately confronted her with a barrage of questions.
The girl, with her dark hair and an air of arrogance, remained silent, but her icy stare grew even colder.
"Careful, Mako," Kirito warned Mako suddenly.
Before Kirito's warning could fully register, a black object hurtled towards Inuzuka Mako at incredible speed.
It was a set of kunai, slicing through the air with a sharp whistling sound.
As a member of the Inuzuka clan, Inuzuka Mako possessed keen instincts like a wild animal. He had sensed the danger of the kunai the moment it appeared. With Kirito's timely reminder, he instinctively attempted to dodge.
However, his body couldn't match the rapidity of his reaction, resulting in the kunai grazing his right leg.
"Dammit."
"Humph"
A displeased voice emanated from the black-haired girl.
Simultaneously, her icy gaze locked onto Kirito.
Kirito felt a profound sense of discomfort as the girl's chilling eyes bore into him. It was as if he had encountered a fierce tiger or a colossal bear in the forest—predators far beyond anything he had encountered in his previous life. The top predators in this world, bolstered by chakra-enhanced abilities, dwarfed their counterparts in his prior experience, often reaching sizes two or three times greater.
While Kirito was confident in handling formidable creatures like large wild boars, wild wolves, and serpents in the forest, he had no desire to confront top-tier predators. Their sheer power was awe-inspiring—they could easily crush rocks, topple trees, and move with tremendous speed.
Kirito's recent hunting experiences in the forest had taught him to be cautious around these apex predators. He did not wish to attract their attention in any way.
And similarly, he had no desire to become the focus of the black-haired girl's attention.
"Hey, what's your deal? Attacking your comrades with sharp kunai is unacceptable." Nawaki Senju, concerned for Inuzuka Mao, raised his voice in protest, pointing at the black-haired girl with indignation.
"If you weren't a girl, I would have taken care of you a long time ago."
"Don't think that because you are cute, you can do whatever you want, bastard."
Nawaki embodied the pure Will of Fire. He had been instilled with the belief from a young age that everyone in the village was like family, and he must never harm his comrades. He was taught to protect them at all costs. Thus, he felt deeply angered by the black-haired girl's actions, which had caused harm to her own companion.
"Companion? I have no use for such a weak companion. You're nothing but trash from the Senju family," the black-haired girl sneered, showing no remorse for her actions.
"You little brat!" Naoki charged towards the black-haired girl in anger, his chakra surging.
However, despite having chakra at his disposal, Naoki couldn't utilize it effectively yet. He couldn't even climb trees with chakra, let alone engage in a battle on the tree. Frustration consumed him as he jumped around, attempting to confront the black-haired girl, who continued to mock him with a condescending smile.
Fueled by anger, Nawaki eventually descended from the tree and pursued the black-haired girl on the ground.
"Get down if you think i can't beat you ! "
Unexpectedly, she swiftly descended, darted up the trunk, and returned to the tree, continuing to taunt Nawaki from her vantage point.
"Trash. you can't even climb a tree like a real shinobi "
Determined to catch her, Naoki attempted to climb the tree again, but the black-haired girl descended once more, playing tricks like a mischievous monkey. Her insolence knew no bounds.
"That idiot," Shikaku muttered, covering his face in exasperation.
"Damn it, stay put if you have the guts! Don't run away!" Inuzuka Mako shouted , growing frustrated as he tried to catch her with Nawaki, and both couldn't catch the girl.
However, she remained elusive, easily outpacing him as she nimbly moved through the trees, continuing her mockery.
"This is too much, let me help you" Kirito commented with a sigh. at this, he throw a quick stone.
While the commotion unfolded, the black-haired girl abruptly halted her antics and avoided the stone,and then turned her attention to Kirito and the others. Her gaze shifted between them before finally settling on Kirito.
Suddenly, a figure sprinted across the ground on all fours, closing the distance to the black-haired girl with astonishing speed. It was Inuzuka Mako, who had successfully executed the Four Legs Jutsu.
After several failed attempts, Inuzuka Mao had finally mastered the technique. With it, his strength and speed had significantly increased, surpassing that of most normal adults, and maybe some graduating genin.
In Kirito's estimation, Inuzuka Mao's power and speed were now at approximately level 2, making him much stronger than the average adult.
Facing Inuzuka Mao's surprise attack, the black-haired girl remained unfazed. Her eyes transformed as she activated the Sharingan—1 tomoe spinning rapidly within her eyes. She swiftly evaded Inuzuka Mao's hair and delivered a powerful chop to the back of his neck.
Inuzuka Mao collapsed instantly, unconscious.
Kuromaru, Inuzuka Mao's loyal canine companion, witnessed his owner fall and, although frightened, rushed forward to defend him. Kuromaru barked and attempted to bite the black-haired girl.
"Disgusting mutt," the black-haired girl remarked with a look of disdain, delivering a kick to Kuromaru and sending him tumbling away.
Shikaku acted quickly, catching Kuromaru before he hit the ground. He then addressed the black-haired girl sternly, "Uchiha, what's your problem? If you cause any more trouble, don't blame us for getting serious."
"Yeah, we're not pushovers," Inoichi added firmly.
As shikaku took the lead in uttering harsh words, the other children shouted that they were not cowardly at all because of their large number of people.
"Hmph, then I want to see how you'll be getting serious then. "
The black-haired girl didn't give any heed to shikaku and the others. She charged directly into the crowd, brandishing a knife in her hand. In an instant, she began knocking down children one by one, including the members of Inoshikacho. Shikaku, who had spoken confidently earlier, fared the worst, receiving two punches that left his eyes black like panda eyes.
Within half a minute, all the children, except for Kirito and the bewildered Nawaki, had been defeated by the black-haired girl.
Kirito had been among the crowd, and the reason he remained standing was not because he had blocked the black-haired girl's attacks but because she hadn't targeted him.
"You're the one who threw a stone at me earlier," the black-haired girl stated, her Sharingan eyes fixed on Kirito as she spoke coldly.
Her Sharingan granted her powerful observation abilities, allowing her to discern the differences between Kirito and the other children. For instance, Kirito hadn't displayed a hint of panic in his eyes when facing her.
"Who knows?" Kirito replied with a sly grin.
The brunette girl furrowed her brow, growing increasingly irritated.
In an instant, she launched a kunai at Kirito's right leg, but he swiftly caught it barehanded, then swung it with great force. The shot back towards the black-haired girl at an even greater speed. She deflected it overhead to evade the attack, performing a backflip to dodge another stone followed by kirito.
"Quick reflexes. How about this?" Kirito, who had been watching, chuckled.
Before he could finish speaking, he swiftly threw a small stone at the black-haired girl while she was in mid-air. The stone hit its mark.
A white cloud of smoke emerged, and the black-haired girl transformed into a log.
Substitution Jutsu.
"Oops," Kirito muttered as he realized something was amiss. He felt a surge of heat coming from behind him.
He turned around and was met with a numbing sensation as a massive fireball hurtled toward him.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
"Damn, this girl's got some power," Kirito muttered as he saw the large fireball rapidly approaching.
In a split second, he focused the small amount of natural energy he possessed into his legs, causing a burst of speed that surpassed normal limits. With this boost, he skillfully dodged the black-haired girl's potent fireball technique and then raced toward her like a lightning bolt.
Simultaneously, his eyes transformed into a fierce glare.
Natural energy, like chakra, could be used for battle by concentrating it in the limbs, resulting in temporarily enhanced strength and speed that surpassed ordinary levels. This boost was even more potent than the increase from chakra, and Kirito used it when he was ready for a battle.
The black-haired girl was taken aback by Kirito's sudden burst of speed, something she'd only seen in Chunin from her clan.
In an instant, she focused her eyes on him, her Sharingan spinning rapidly, allowing her to track Kirito's movements.
Despite her proficiency, she only managed to block one of Kirito's chakra-enhanced punches with her right hand. The force of the blow still caused her to grimace in pain.
A faint snapping sound echoed—the sound of bones cracking. The severe pain made her face flush.
Ultimately, Kirito's punch sent the black-haired girl tumbling backward, and her feet left two deep gouges in the ground as she tried to regain her balance. She clutched her injured right hand with her left, her expression wincing in pain.
"Enough, stop fighting," Kirito declared with a frown.
However, his gaze wasn't on the black-haired girl; it was fixed on a middle-aged man who had appeared nearby.
Kirito could have continued the attack after his victory, but he had sensed that the middle-aged man was secretly protecting the black-haired girl, ready to intervene if needed.
"Miss, we are late "
"Hmph, mind your own business," the black-haired girl retorted, looking annoyed.
"Miss, it's time to return," the middle-aged man, gazing at the black-haired girl with affection, urged.
"Shut up! I haven't finished fighting yet. Today, I have to defeat him," Uchiha Chizuru snapped.
With that, she turned her attention back to Kirito, her Sharingan still blazing with determination, showing her intent to continue the battle.
But suddenly, her vision blurred, returning to normal, and her body went limp, collapsing onto the ground, unconscious.
"I didn't do anything," Kirito quickly defended himself as he saw the black-haired girl collapse.
The middle-aged man, however, merely cast a deep, scrutinizing look at him before picking up Uchiha Chizuru and swiftly departing.
Kirito scratched his head, bewildered by the situation. He hoped it wasn't some sort of trap.
-----
"It seems her chakra was depleted," Shikaku, who had been observing the situation, remarked as he approached the Sandaime.
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