Chapter 277: Crushed
Konoha Rear Mountain.
"Big Brother Naruto, what jutsu are you going to teach me? Is it the Harem Jutsu?"
Konohamaru looked at Naruto with sparkling eyes, full of anticipation.
Although he had undergone training with Tonbo Tobitake and knew that "sexy" techniques—unless used against specific characters—couldn't be relied upon as ultimate moves, it was still the technique that had once defeated his grandfather. For him, it was a way of remembering the Old Man Third.
"Heh, this technique is called the Rasengan. It's an incredibly powerful ninjutsu."
Naruto grinned and used a Shadow Clone to manifest a swirling blue sphere in his hand.
"Isn't that just a ball of chakra? There's nothing special about it!" Konohamaru looked at the "basketball" with suspicion.
"Hah! Watch closely."
BOOM!
Naruto smiled confidently and slammed the Rasengan into the ground. A gale of wind erupted, and Konohamaru shielded his eyes with his arms as he took in the scene.
Beneath Naruto's feet, a circular crater over three meters wide and three meters deep had appeared. Naruto stood right in the center.
"How's that? Pretty powerful, right?" Naruto laughed triumphantly. This was his most powerful jutsu besides the Shadow Clone. During his travels, he had defeated countless powerful enemies with it.
"Amazing! This move is so strong!" Konohamaru acknowledged the power. "But... isn't it hard to hit people with it?"
His eyes were sharp now; he had spotted the fatal weakness of Naruto's move at a single glance.
"Ugh! Do you want to learn it or not?!" His comment reminded Naruto of his own struggles—how the Rasengan was often dodged by enemies. He usually had to wait for a specific opening or coordinate it with high-level Taijutsu or Body Flicker. It was a bit embarrassing.
As Konohamaru said, the drawback was obvious.
"I do."
Konohamaru's Body Flicker was quite strong now; he felt hitting an enemy shouldn't be a problem. "How do I learn it?"
"Like this: spin it, and then—Bam!—it's done." Naruto demonstrated the rotation for him.
"Is it really that simple?" Konohamaru asked.
"Yeah, that simple, but it's really hard to practice." Naruto remembered how long it had taken him.
"No, I mean... a no-seal jutsu this powerful has such a simple principle and operation? The person who invented this was a genius!"
Konohamaru looked at Naruto, extended his right hand, and a blue sphere of chakra manifested. Mimicking Naruto's method, he slammed the Rasengan into the ground. A crater appeared—only slightly smaller than Naruto's.
"How... Konohamaru, you really are a genius... as expected of my little brother... ah... hahaha..."
Naruto's eyes went wide, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. His eyes were practically doing a Hyuga Byakugan cosplay.
"Genius? Didn't you say it was simple, Big Brother Naruto? You didn't... take a long time to learn it, did you?" Konohamaru asked, his tone laced with suspicion.
"Of... of course not! I'm your Big Brother! Anyway, don't worry about that, later I'll teach you a stronger—"
"Eh? Big Brother Naruto! If I adjust the chakra volume, I can make an even bigger Rasengan!"
Before Naruto could finish, Konohamaru's excited voice reached his ears. What the boy held above his head made Naruto feel even more defeated.
A Rasengan larger than Konohamaru himself was being held aloft. A bead of cold sweat rolled down the boy's forehead; clearly, this was a massive drain on him.
BANG!
RUMBLE!
Under the weight of the Big Ball Rasengan, the sheer power became uncontrollable. Konohamaru was sent flying backward, and Naruto was blown away by the erupting air currents.
Crack-crackle!
Dirt and stones sprayed everywhere. A ten-meter crater now marked the ground.
"I..."
Naruto looked at the crater, a single tear of self-deprecation falling from his eye. "I was just about to mention the Big Ball Rasengan..."
"Big Brother Naruto, what were you going to say? Sorry about that..." Konohamaru walked over, looking a bit disheveled and apologetic.
"Nothing. I just remembered I have something to do. Gotta go!"
Whoosh!
Naruto scratched his head and vanished, his face flushed with embarrassment.
"Huh? What's with Big Brother Naruto? His face was so red... is he going on a date with a girl?" Konohamaru was baffled. He couldn't make heads or tails of it. But looking at the mess he'd made, a smile returned to his face.
"So this is Big Brother Naruto's ultimate move. Truly amazing. High power, easy to learn, no hand seals... it perfectly fits Teacher Tonbo's definition of a 'good ninjutsu.' Big Brother Naruto is the best... though the consumption is a bit high. Just one tiny flaw..."
Konohamaru's admiration for Naruto grew even deeper.
Pant, pant, pant!
Behind the Hokage Rock, Naruto stopped, catching his breath. "What is with Konohamaru? He learned it so fast! He scared the life out of me!"
He was truly shaken. Back then, under Pervy Sage's guidance, it had taken him forever. And the kid even figured out the Big Ball Rasengan without being taught—that was something Naruto had spent a massive amount of time developing over the last two years. It was supposed to be his move.
"Is Konohamaru a genius like Sasuke?" he wondered. That learning speed was monstrous. He felt like he had nothing left to teach.
"Dad, why are you so twisted?"
Keigo held a pair of "improved" binoculars—parameters adjusted by him and modified by Tonbo—watching the duo in the distance.
Beside him, Tonbo zoomed in. "I'm just testing your invention to see if it works. How is that twisted?"
In their sights was Shikamaru, who had been tasked by Tsunade to handle Chunin Exam logistics. Temari was right beside him.
"That Shikamaru is one lucky guy. Even though the 'beauty saves the hero' scene was changed, he still managed to get involved with Temari. Did this kid plan this in advance?" Tonbo muttered.
"Planned what? How are the parameters on my new binoculars?" Keigo was far more concerned with his technical adjustments.
"Good, very good. The image is crystal clear. Those two are getting a bit mushy; they're practically one step away from a kiss."
"Dad, stop gossiping. You promised to help me finish my experiment," Keigo said, exasperated. He was still too young; if his body could handle chakra refining, he wouldn't have to ask his father for help.
"Relax, your old man is reliable." Tonbo didn't blink. He hadn't expected that helping his son test an invention would lead to this scene. He wasn't watching on purpose.
See? People with similar outlooks always share a common trait: they choose their partners well. Shikamaru's dream was no different from his own—get a wife, have a kid, and live a peaceful, ordinary life.
As for Kakashi and Guy? Poor, lonely single souls.
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