On a mountainous hill with multiple peaks, clouds hovered low, nearly grazing the long, stone staircase that led up to a traditional Japanese dojo.
The soft wind blew through a small shrine on the side, causing its bell to jingle constantly.
"So, how much are we talking here?"
Inside the main hall, Tsuna's voice echoed through the empty space. He was clearly more interested in the money than the actual sparring.
Saitama, lounging casually on the wooden floor, scratched his head lazily, watching Tsuna and Bang with mild interest, "That old man looks strong..."
"Bang, ranked third in S-Class. He's not just some frail old man," Genos explained, glancing at Tsuna, whose eyes sparkled with excitement—far more animated than before, now that money was involved.
Genos continued, "...As for Tsuna, he's currently ranked last in S-Class."
In the Hero Association, the ranking within S-Class was far more significant than in other ranks. The gap in achievements between one hero and the next was enormous, making it extremely difficult to climb higher.
That meant, experience-wise, Bang was leagues ahead of Tsuna.
Genos narrowed his eyes. Despite Tsuna's impressive earth-bending abilities, this wouldn't be an easy match.
Physically, Bang's prowess was likely superior, given his years of martial arts expertise.
"Hmm, I don't know... how much do you want?" Bang asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I get to decide that?"
Tsuna's eyes lit up at the offer.
It wasn't that negotiating was a hassle—it was the perfect chance to milk this old man dry. Smiling kindly, he now looked at Bang with newfound affection, "Alright, how about 100 kilograms of gold?"
"H-Hundred of what?!"
Bang nearly stumbled, his face draining at the absurd request.
100 kilograms of gold?
That was about 200 pounds, easily worth over 8 million dollars in Tsuna's original world!
"..."
Everyone just glared at him speechlessly, they couldn't help but think that he was pushing it.
"Huh? Oh, I guess that's too much," Tsuna mumbled, scratching his head in mock contemplation. He sighed dramatically before offering, "Okay, how about 99?"
The room fell silent. Everyone's expressions darkened as they processed Tsuna's offer, and the way he looked so pained—like dropping 1 kilogram was a serious compromise—only added to the absurdity.
"Ahem... 1 kilogram is probably the most we could offer," Bang muttered, his lips twitching as he tried to keep his composure.
He looked at Tsuna with a mixture of disbelief and concern, as if reevaluating everything he thought about the teen. This boy, who had reminded him of his younger self, suddenly seemed...
...far more peculiar than he initially thought.
"Give me 50..." Tsuna demanded, arms crossed casually.
"We can't. We don't have 50 kilograms of gold just lying around. How about 2 kilograms?" Bang countered, clearly trying to maintain his composure.
Tsuna frowned, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... no."
"..."
"WHat? You don't have no other offer? Fine then, Saitama, let's go ho—"
"Wait! Okay! What about 5 kilograms?"
Tsuna's eyes gleamed. "Alright, bet."
"...Huh? You agreed?"
Bang was caught off guard, not expecting Tsuna to accept so quickly.
But as he noticed the sly smirk tugging at the corner of Tsuna's mouth, a realization struck him.
"This kid... he was aiming for 5 all along!" The twitch in Bang's lips betrayed his amusement and mild frustration. "You little..."
"Aren't you guys a little too confident?"
Watching from the side, Charanko couldn't help but voice his irritation. He felt a tinge of annoyance, thinking these people were underestimating his master.
"..."
Both Saitama and Genos just briefly looked at him before back to the spar which made Charanko blinked his eyes, "Did I just get ignored?"
"Alright, let's begin then..."
Bang raised his arm forward, releasing a flowing stream of energy from his fist. The radiating energy in his palm manifested in a blue light that seemed gentle.
Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist!
"Oh?"
Tsuna observed the glowing aura with interest. He felt familiar with the energy as he silently thought, "Is that a chi? or is it chakra? Hmm... or maybe combination of both?"
"You didn't take advantage of me, young man," Bang said, his voice calm yet firm. "I'd gladly pay 100 kilograms."
Tsuna chuckled, beginning to move in a slow circle around the old master. "I'd gladly do it for free."
"..."
Bang decided to just shut his mouth and attack which surprised Charanko, whose eyes widened in disbelief.
"This guy actually forced master to attack first...?"
His master would usually be on the defensive, had taken the offensive for once.
The blue energy swirling in Bang's palm crackled gently as he drove toward him.
Tsuna's eyes followed Bang's movement closely before swinging his arm to counter, but to his shock, Bang effortlessly redirected the force of his attack, amplifying it and sending it back toward him with even greater strength.
"..."
He channeled his chi around his body as he hastened his pace. Their movements became a blur, so fast that Charanko could barely follow.
Each clash echoed through the hall, sharp sounds ringing out with every impact.
"I didn't know Tsuna know martial arts..."
Meanwhile, Saitama watched with amusement, enjoying the fight despite the two combatants moving in slow motion from his perspective.
He thought Tsuna was more of an ability user more than a strength one. But it seemed like he was wrong about him.
Shockwaves rippled from their collisions, gusting past Saitama and grazing his bald head, sending a slight tickling sensation through his scalp.
He scratched it absentmindedly, "That old man is pretty strong..."
"Yeah, Tsuna is clearly at a disadvantage..."
Genos murmured, observing the fight closely.
Just as it seemed Bang had gained the upper hand, Tsuna suddenly broke away. With a swift motion, he leapt back, creating some distance between himself and the old master.
"..."
Tsuna stared at Bang, then down at his own trembling arms. He muttered under his breath, "So, this is what it means to be S-Class?"
He had known from the start that Bang was physically stronger, but he hadn't expected the gap to be this wide. His own strength, which should have placed him somewhere around lower A-Class, had been completely overwhelmed.
As Bang's lips curled into a knowing smile, Tsuna realized the old man had been holding back—just enough to demonstrate the difference in their strength.
Tsuna's lips twitched in frustration, "A childish old man..."
"Hehe, no need to be so surprised, young man." Bang chuckled, rotating his arms in a practiced motion. The energy around his palms thickened, glowing with power. "How about we make things a bit more interesting?"
Tsuna raised an eyebrow. "Interesting, how?"
"If you manage to defeat me," Bang said, his smile widening, "I'll double your reward."
Bang's tone turning more serious, "But if you lose... you'll have to stay here and learn martial arts with me."
"Say less!"
Tsuna's response was immediate, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He clenched his fist, bringing it up to his chest as both chi and chakra surged through his body, amplifying his power.
However...
BAM!
"Ugh... Bang-sama! E-Emergency!"
The dojo door slammed open, and the ragged voice of a man in a black suit echoed through the room, breaking Bang's concentration.
"Hmm?"
Bang frowned at the sudden interruption.
But before he could react further, his eyes widened in alarm.
Whoosh!
Out of nowhere, Tsuna's figure materialized right in front of him, his foot already mid-swing, hurtling toward Bang with terrifying force.
[Body Flicker Technique!]
Reflexively, Bang dodged to the side just in time as Tsuna's foot smashed into the ground.
BOOM!
The impact sent a violent shockwave ripping across the dojo floor!
The ground cracked and ruptured, a torrent of energy carving a path of destruction that tore through the room, right up to the entrance.
The man in the black suit froze, his eyes wide with shock.
The gaping hole now stood just inches beside him, mere centimeters away from blasting him into oblivion.
"...!"
His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the wooden wall, now reduced to rubble, crumbling with a dull thud onto the floor.
His legs gave out beneath him as he collapsed onto the ground, "P-Please... report to headquarters right now!"