"Eh? It's my turn?"
Hearing someone vaguely call his name, Koshino yawned lazily and strolled toward the sparring field. Just then, he heard a sigh from Kosho beside him.
"Sigh! Koshino is so unlucky—his sparring opponent is that guy, Shikasen!"
"Shikasen?"
Kosho's sigh immediately caught Koshino's attention.
Especially when he reached the center of the sparring field and saw a boy with a pineapple-shaped hairstyle—who looked about sixty percent like Elder Shikayuu—walking up with a smile. Koshino couldn't help but chuckle internally.
"So, it's Elder Shikayuu's grandson, the well-known Shikasen from the Ninja Academy! I knew it—an eight-year-old who has already mastered the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, won first place several times in the academy, and is vaguely considered the elite of the Nara clan's new generation.
Uncle Shikaku, I didn't expect you to be this ruthless, actually using the elder's grandson as a stepping stone!"
"Tsk tsk tsk! How cruel!"
Koshino felt no pressure at all about sparring with Shikasen.
So what if he was the top student at the Ninja Academy?
Even Itachi, after entering the academy, was still crushed and forced to eat dirt!
However, not everyone was as optimistic as Koshino. Even Shikaku, who was well aware of Koshino's strength, was sweating nervously.
Beside him, the two clan elders, Shikayuu and Shikao, shook their heads in disapproval. Elder Shikao even spoke up.
"Shikaku, we know you want to support Koshino, but he's only four years old. Isn't it a bit too much to have him spar against Shikasen?"
"Hmph, isn't this perfect?"
"Shikaku, if Koshino can defeat my grandson, Shikasen, then even if the clan tilts its resources toward a branch family member, so what? Hmph, I'm just afraid Koshino will disappoint you!"
With a cold glare at Koshino, Elder Shikayuu was clearly a staunch supporter of the main family and the leading opponent against Koshino receiving clan resources.
Hearing the elders' words, Shikaku felt a bit conflicted.
But to convince the clan elders, he had no choice but to take this approach. In his heart, he silently cheered for Koshino.
"Koshino, you must win!"
Meanwhile, on the sparring field.
Koshino caught a glimpse of Shikaku's tense expression from the corner of his eye and couldn't help but chuckle to himself. But his gaze grew more serious.
Without a doubt, if even Shikaku saw Shikasen as a troublesome opponent, it wouldn't matter if Koshino underestimated him—if he slipped up, he wouldn't just be losing face for himself.
That said, among the Nara clan's younger generation, no one really thought it would be embarrassing for Koshino to lose.
Especially when Shikasen stepped in front of Koshino, curled his finger in a taunting gesture, and immediately started forming hand seals. The younger clan members gasped in shock.
"Shadow Imitation Jutsu? Shikasen isn't planning to give Koshino a single chance to fight back?"
"He's using the Shadow Imitation Jutsu against a four-year-old? Is this a message to Lord Shikaku, telling him that Koshino isn't worthy of being his chosen successor?"
"Look! Koshino is about to lose! This is the difference in strength!"
As the younger Nara clan members exclaimed, Shikasen clearly enjoyed the attention. He even arrogantly said to Koshino, "Sorry, Koshino, but you're going to lose!"
"Shadow Imitation Jutsu!"
Buzz!
Buzz!
In the instant he finished forming seals, Shikasen successfully activated the Shadow Imitation Jutsu—he truly had some skill!
Not only was the jutsu cast incredibly quickly, but from the seamless chakra transition, Koshino could tell that his own three months of grueling self-training before acquiring the app amounted to nothing in comparison.
Their strength levels were simply not on the same scale!
But ever since obtaining the app, Koshino had accelerated his training and even outwitted Shikaku in a bet—so now?
His strength was on a completely different level from before!
So, just as the Nara clan members—including Shikaku—were all sweating nervously for Koshino, a sudden whoosh sounded!
Just as Shikasen's shadow was about to connect with Koshino's, at the last possible moment, a phantom afterimage remained where Koshino had stood.
As for his real body—he had already appeared behind Shikasen, a kunai pressed against his throat!
"Uh... I win, right?"
As soon as Koshino's casual words fell, it wasn't just Shikasen in front of him who was stunned—
Even Shikaku, Shikayuu, and Shikao, along with every young member of the Nara clan watching, were completely frozen in place!
Because the result of the sparring match was far beyond their expectations!
"You've got to be kidding, right? Koshino actually won?"
"Shikasen couldn't even last a single round against Koshino? How... how is he this strong?"
"But the teachers said Shikasen was already close to Chūnin level… does that mean Koshino is even stronger than a Chūnin?"
After a brief silence, all the young members of the Nara clan stared at Koshino in shock, their gazes tinged with admiration—
At the same time, the previously skeptical elders, Shikayuu and Shikao, fell completely silent. Especially after listening to Shikaku's explanation, they began seriously reconsidering the idea of redistributing clan resources.
"Koshino is impressive! He used Clone Jutsu and Substitution Jutsu simultaneously, seamlessly swapping his clone with his real body. A flawless one-move victory over Shikasen."
Shikaku seized the opportunity, turning to the two clan elders with a smug smile.
"Elder Shikayuu, Elder Shikao, I assume you have no objections now to my proposal of reallocating resources?"
He was clearly feeling proud, thanks to Koshino making him look good.
However, just as the two elders were about to agree and shift clan resources in Koshino's favor, his lazy voice rang out once more, echoing in their ears—
"Uncle Shikaku, one-on-one sparring is too slow. How about we speed things up? I'll take on all of them at once—I'm ready to fight ten at a time!"
"What? Outrageous!"
Before Koshino's words had even fully settled, Elder Shikayuu, who had barely managed to suppress his anger after watching his grandson lose, immediately exploded in rage.
"Shikaku, that brat Koshino is way too arrogant! If you insist on favoring him with resources, I absolutely won't allow it! Unless—" He sneered, "Unless Koshino can actually do as he says and defeat all of our clan's young generation at once! Otherwise, forget about reallocating resources—I'll even take back the secret medicine you planned to reward him with!"
"I understand, Elder Shikayuu."
Shikaku let out a bitter chuckle, then turned to Koshino with a helpless expression.
"Koshino, are you confident?"
"Uncle Shikaku, don't worry!"
"Beating all of them? That's just a matter of using a little extra chakra!"
Waving a hand dismissively, Koshino then mimicked Shikasen's earlier taunt, curling a finger at the remaining ten members of the Nara clan.
That single motion alone was enough to enrage the entire group!
With a silent curse in their hearts, the young Nara clan members united in a rare moment of teamwork, each preparing to unleash their best techniques to teach Koshino a lesson.
But before they could even attack—
Koshino's hands flashed through seals—
In an instant, Shadow Stitching Jutsu!
Eleven pitch-black tendrils split from his shadow, connecting not only to the ten young Nara clan members around him but also to Shikasen himself!
One second!
It took only one second—and Koshino had completely immobilized every single young member of the Nara clan using Shadow Stitching Jutsu!
Even Elder Shikayuu, who had been against Koshino from the start, was momentarily stunned. But the very next second, his face changed dramatically, and he shouted excitedly at Shikaku—
"Shikaku! Where's the medicine?!"
"Hurry up and give Koshino the secret medicine! He is—without a doubt—the pride of our Nara clan!"